《Wisp! Awaken in the Magical World》


 Chapter 1: What is a Wisp?

    The Universe was still in its primordial state. Stars exploded everywhere; new ones were formed, and galaxies collided on an almost daily basis. Yet, it was within this chaos that life thrived in some luckier locations of the Universe. After all, the abundance of energy made it possible for incredible races to take form over hundreds of millions of years.


    Among these races, one particularly special one was the Wisp Race. This was a race of pure energy, born from heaven and earth when the conditions were just right... and in this primordial Universe, such conditions happened all the time.


    However, the Wisp Race wasn''t exactly a fortuitous one. Their energy was seized by many other races that absorbed these energies to live and get stronger. Any newborn wisp would usually not live past a day. They truly became a high commodity, especially for the intelligent races of this time.


    These kinds of things continued to happen for a very long time... until the conditions that allowed the Wisps to be born began to get rare. The Wisps, who contributed so much with their own lives to the progression of all other races'' development, soon became treasures. Yet, these treasures still had only one use: having their energy absorbed so others could evolve faster.


    Naturally, that was their destiny regardless of their much higher price.


    Deep at the core of a certain planet, a certain being constructed a huge facility that harnessed that planet''s internal energy. He selected this specific planet for a reason. It was barren, with absolutely no chance of life ever flourishing for millions or perhaps billions of years to come. Any other being that cast their eye on this planet would immediately ignore it, if they ever looked at all.


    In that facility, the being constructed a chamber... or perhaps a capsule? A weird cocoon? It was hard to tell. The only thing that was certain was that it seemed to be the central piece of the entire place. The entire facility existed for this one container.


    That being then finished his work on a few runes of an array, causing the entire facility to come to life. The ''capsule'' connected to the facility also shone brightly, showing the success of the being''s experiment.


    "Finally..." The being murmured, satisfied. "I wonder how things will be later on." Yet, he quickly shook his head. "It matters not. I have pretty much no lifespan remaining, so this is my last effort."


    After saying that, the being approached the capsule and brought with him a big box that seemed sealed. He touched the several runes of the box, causing it to open slowly. An extremely cold air came out of the box, almost freezing the being''s hand. Yet, the being cared little about that.


    Inside, he spotted a core, a core that emanated a feeble energy. If not for that, one might have thought it was nothing but a dead core that had long since lost all its uses. The being carefully took the core from the box and put it inside the capsule. As the capsule closed, the being commented with a sad tone. "My little friend, that''s as much as I can do for you.


    I pray for the day that you can walk free in this Universe. Farewell."


    As if it had heard the being''s words, the core trembled slightly. However, it couldn''t do much. That''s because the capsule closed right after, causing all the runes of the facility to start to work. Time seemed to freeze, as did the temperature of that capsule. Outside, the being released the rest of the life energy it still had in its body, passing away on a chair not too far from the capsule itself.


    Judging by the look of satisfaction on his face, it seemed like he didn''t regret anything.


    No one knew about this place. No one would ever come to check this place. Even if anyone landed on this planet in the future, it would be almost impossible to think that they would waste their time examining the planet''s core. The awareness of the existence of the facility was lost with the being''s death. For all intents and purposes, this facility simply ceased to exist.


    The Universe continued to change nonstop. The once primordial energies that gave birth to many wonders slowly disappeared. Races disappeared, and new ones took their place. Empires took form just to be destroyed by other stronger powers... or due to other reasons like internal strife, plagues, wars, natural disasters, etc...


    However, it wasn''t a bad thing. Thanks to that, life was able to flourish even more. After all, a stable Universe would have a better chance of giving the conditions necessary for new beings to take their first steps.


    Just like that... over two billion years went by in a flash. As for the Wisp Race... it had long since disappeared. It was thanks to the primordial energies of the Universe, and the chaos caused by it, that the conditions necessary for their existence were possible. With both gone, Wisps were gone with them.


    All the hunting definitely didn''t slow down this process, either.


    At this date and age, let alone hunting Wisps, pretty much all the races of the Universe didn''t even know Wisps once existed. Or perhaps truly not a single one knew about it anymore. Two billion years was truly a huge amount of time. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Crack...*


    The sound of a plate falling to the ground echoed in a small house, breaking into many pieces. The kid who dropped it looked at his mother with fear, knowing that a beating was assured. This was nothing but a simple family, just like billions of others around this planet.


    Yet, deep beneath the earth, at the planet''s core, a similar sound also echoed.


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    A certain forgotten facility, which had been working with the help of its self-repairing ability for countless years, seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. All the runes responsible for keeping the facility intact were damaged, and even the self-repairing ability couldn''t do anything about it.


    The cracking of a certain rune, which was connected to a capsule, set everything in motion. The capsule then fell into a tube, being pulled away from the facility as the facility itself collapsed under the planet''s gravity. One last burst of energy came out of the facility, and the capsule shot through the magma like a bullet.


    When the facility shut down, time once again began to pass inside the capsule. The cold temperature also returned to normal as it made its way through the magma. As for the core that was frozen in time, it slowly began to release some energy again.


    On the planet''s surface, an undersea volcano spilled lava from time to time. It was also the lair for a few beasts that enjoyed the high temperatures of the place. Yet, something different also emerged without anyone knowing. It was a capsule, a capsule that started to float to the surface. One of the beasts saw it and began to chase after the capsule slowly.


    It had never seen anything like it, so it kept its guard up.


    It took some minutes, but it finally reached the surface. It''s just that by the time it finally emerged above the water, the capsule was pretty much done for. That''s because the beast''s patience didn''t last long and began to bite it. If it lasted much longer, the capsule would definitely break and get swallowed by the beast.


    *Boom!*


    It was then that a burst of energy came from inside, blasting the capsule''s lid a few meters away. As for the beast, it was scared by the sudden event and fled. Although it was powerful, it was also easily scared.


    Saltwater began to enter the capsule, which quickly began to sink. But that didn''t matter anymore. Now, a sphere of energy floated above the water. At the same time, it tried to make sense of what was happening around it. "W-where am... I?"


    Its rainbow-colored energy that looked like a flame flickered, showing the obvious lack of energy to sustain the floating. If it were any other time over two billion years ago, it would have easily absorbed the energy of heaven and earth to replenish itself. Yet, it couldn''t feel a single iota of the primordial energy of the past. "No energy... So hungry..."


    *zonnnnnnnn...*


    Suddenly, the sphere of rainbow-colored energy heard a sound coming from the distance. It was weird, something it had never heard before. Not long after, a boat appeared in its view. The sound was from its engine.


    The figure controlling the boat had heard the sound of the explosion caused by the ball of energy when it blasted the capsule''s lid off. He came here to verify what happened, thinking something had happened to another boat. Yet, when he arrived, all he saw was the ball of floating rainbow-colored flames. He stopped the boat near it before he came to check it.


    "What a weird thing..." Asked an old man, puzzled by his finding.


    He didn''t expect to get an answer, though. "Weird? Me? I''m not weird. I''m a Wisp." At the same time that the wisp said those words, it also cursed itself. ''Shit!


    That guy told me to never say I''m a Wisp! He is going to rob my energy!''


    The man was quite astonished by the sudden answer. "You can talk?! And... A Wisp? What is a Wisp?"


    The wisp was taken aback. "You know... a floating ball of primordial energy..." The wisp felt like killing itself, noticing his mistake once again. The question was so unexpected that it answered more or less on reflex. After all, who doesn''t know what a Wisp is?


    "Oh!" The man nodded.


    ''Shit!'' The wisp mentally cursed.


    "Never heard about it," the old man concluded, though.


    "Fuck yeah!" The wisp... couldn''t control his word reflexes very well...

 Chapter 2: Linfel

    The Wisp''s energy began to flicker more, indicating that he could barely keep himself floating at the moment. The old man noticed this and found it peculiar. "Are... you alright?"


    The Wisp quickly responded, "I''m lacking energy. Without energy, I can''t keep myself floating, so I will soon sink to the bottom of the ocean at this rate. Would you mind if I stood on your boat for a while?"


    The old man scratched his head, still finding the situation quite odd. He had encountered many sea beasts in his life, but never a floating ball of colored energy. "Well, I suppose if you had malicious intentions, you wouldn''t have waited until now to ask."


    "I might simply be without enough energy and could attack you as soon as I recover, you know?" The Wisp replied, once again noticing his tendency to speak whatever came to mind. ''Why do I always do that?''


    "Will you?" The old man inquired.


    "Not really," The Wisp truthfully answered.


    "Then come on board," the old man shrugged.


    "I think you trust others way too easily..." The Wisp couldn''t help but comment as he floated to the deck. Right after, his energy release immediately stopped, and his core fell to the ground. ''Hmm? Wait, am I not doing exactly the same?''


    The Wisp closely watched the old man, who also observed him with a curious gaze. At the very least, it didn''t seem the old man knew what a Wisp was. "So, old... thing, what are you?"


    The old man was taken aback for a moment and laughed. "Seems like we are indeed in the same boat."


    The Wisp looked around. "Isn''t that obvious?"


    "Hahaha!" The old man laughed even more. It was clear the Wisp didn''t understand the meaning of his words. "''Being in the same boat'' means we are experiencing something similar. In this case, I don''t know what you are, and you don''t know what I am, so we are in the same boat, you see?"


    "Oh..." The Wisp felt confused but decided to simply accept it. "So, what are you, in the end?"


    "I''m a human," the old man answered, "and my name is Lucau."


    The Wisp took the chance to ask for something. "Nice to meet you, Lucau, and thanks for allowing me to recover on your boat. I have no idea what a human is, so I hope you forgive me for that. Just one thing... I can''t feel any primordial energy in the environment. Do you have anything that could help me recover some of my energy?


    At this rate, I will eventually die."


    Yet, Lucau was as confused as ever. "Primordial... energy? What is that?"


    The Wisp felt helpless. "How can someone not know what Primordial Energy is?"


    Lucau pointed at the Wisp. "You also don''t know what a human is."


    "Fair enough..." The Wisp had no words to answer that.


    Lucau then pondered a bit and looked back inside his boat. "I don''t know what Primordial Energy is, but I do have some Magic Stones that I use to power the boat''s engine and equipment. Would that be okay?"


    "Magic... Stones?" The Wisp was confused once again. "Never heard of them."


    Lucau was already accustomed to all these ''never heard of them'' exchanges, so he simply stood up and went back into the boat. After a minute or so, he returned with ten pieces of partially transparent stones that shined with a gentle yellow color. "Here you go, Magic Stones."


    The Wisp used a little of his energy to grab the stones and bring them closer. Using that same energy, he infiltrated one of the Magic Stones and became even more confused. "What a strange energy. I''ve never felt it before."


    "Never?" Lucau found it hard to believe. "The whole planet uses Magic Stones to power everything. How come you''ve never seen them before? I''m starting to think you aren''t even from this planet."


    "Even I can''t tell that," the Wisp answered. "Still, this energy... it''s not like I have much choice, so is it okay if I try to use it? Of course, I will try to compensate you as soon as possible if I manage to do so."


    Lucau didn''t mind. "Oh, don''t worry about that. These are the lowest grade Magic Stones you can buy. They''re very cheap. I literally have hundreds of them down there."


    "Thank you," the Wisp didn''t waste time. Just the process of thinking and speaking already used the little bit of Primordial Energy he had in his core. He used his own energy to extract some of the Magic Stone''s energy and absorbed it into his body.


    Immediately, a change began to occur in the Wisp''s core. Its colored features slowly changed, being replaced by a yellowish color instead. The remaining Primordial Energy in his body also transformed, easily taking the shape of the magical energy from the stones. "This..."


    Finally, his core lit up again, and his energy spread around it. The rainbow-colored features disappeared completely, being replaced by the same yellowish energy instead. "So many impurities. I''ve never felt such terrible energy before." The Wisp couldn''t help but complain.


    Lucau shook his head in response. "I told you, didn''t I? These are the worst type of Magic Stones you can buy. They''re terrible for pretty much anything other than powering some simple machines like the engine and the other equipment in my boat. If you want anything better, you''ll have to get it yourself."


    The Wisp didn''t mind. "It''s fine, Lucau. I''m still immensely grateful for your help. As impure as it might be, it still was enough to save my life. I wouldn''t have lasted more than a few hours if you hadn''t appeared. My race has always been extremely weak, but I will try to make it up to you somehow.


    This is a great debt."


    Lucau faintly smiled. "Well, I don''t really mind since I didn''t lose much, but I''m looking forward to it." Finally, a question popped into Lucau''s mind. "By the way, Wisp is the name of your race, right? That won''t do. What is your name?"


    "My... name?" The Wisp''s memories went back to the past. That being who put him inside the capsule. The Wisp pretty much only had interactions with him his entire life. "My old friend always simply called me Wisp... so...


    I don''t think I have a name."


    "No name?" Lucau didn''t like that. "How can that be?" However, before he continued to speak, Lucau remembered something. "Anyway, come inside the boat. We can talk on the way."


    The Wisp followed Lucau inside and saw many pieces of equipment he had never seen before. Yet, he could feel that magical energy from his body present inside the equipment. "So strange. What are all these for?"


    "Hmm?" Lucau looked around. "This is just a Fishing Boat, so I use the equipment to find where to fish. It''s that simple."


    Lucau then turned on the boat, which once again began to produce the strange noise the Wisp had never heard before. Of course, he wasn''t an idiot; he could tell that magical energy was being used somehow to move the boat... It''s just that he had never seen such concepts before. ''There are no runes in this boat, so how is this all working...?'' The Wisp couldn''t help but wonder.


    At that moment, the Wisp saw a charm hanging at the top of the room, right by the front window. It had the shape of a little man, although it was different from the human in the boat. It was more like a little spirit in humanoid shape instead, quite cute. "What is it?"


    "Hmm? This?" Lucau touched the charm. "This is just a charm my son gave me. It has the same shape as his Familiar."


    "Familiar?" The Wisp asked.


    Lucau looked at the Wisp. "Now that I think about it, aren''t you also a Familiar? You see, Familiars are some kind of spirits given birth by their owners. Any Level One Magus is able to create one, and they will follow their owners for the rest of their lives. Pretty much all of them have more or less a humanoid shape, just like this one, although they also have their own specific appearances.


    That''s why I didn''t think about it when I saw you since you didn''t have a humanoid shape. They are very autonomous, just like you, though. They can go around and do all the things their masters ask. Some Magus created such great Familiars that they can even join the Magus Circle on their own."


    The Wisp quickly denied. "I don''t know what a Magus or the Magus Circle is, but that''s definitely not the case. Wisps are born from the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth when the conditions are just right. No one created us."


    It was then that his energy body began to change shape, taking a similar form to the little charm hanging on the boat ceiling. "Yet, this is good information. How about this, do I look like a Familiar?" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lucau was surprised. "At the very least, I would definitely think you are a Familiar now. Even the energy around your body is the same after you absorbed the Magic Stones."


    Then... he had an idea. "Right, your name! Do you have any preferences?"


    The Wisp thought about it. The only thing he knew was that he definitely shouldn''t keep calling himself Wisp. This old man doesn''t know about Wisps, but what about others? "I don''t have any preferences, to be honest, but I do think I need a name."


    "Great!" Lucau nodded. "How about Linfel?"


    "Linfel?" The Wisp felt it had a nice ring. "Seems good."


    Lucau agreed. "I totally agree! My son''s Familiar is called Felia, but your personality seems more aligned with males, so why not Linfel? Of course, if you don''t like the idea, you can forget it."


    "Linfel, huh..." The Wisp thought for a moment. It wasn''t like it mattered that much. "Alright, Linfel. I like it."


    *Plun...*


    Suddenly, a sound came from one of Lucau''s equipment, catching the old man''s attention. "Oh, seems like I got some fish on the radar. I can bring you back to the land later, but I still have work to do if you don''t mind."


    "That''s definitely not a problem," Linfel answered with a smile. He decided it was better to keep this humanoid spirit form, and it was quite useful to express emotions, too. "I can help if possible."


    "Hahaha!" Lucau laughed. "That''s only if you can attract the fish to the net, that is. Anyway, we are here, let''s go outside."


    Lucau then went outside and activated another piece of equipment. Immediately, a feeble wave of magical energy emanated from the boat''s hull, spreading into the ocean. Following that, several nets were released.


    "What are you doing now?" Linfel was curious about all those pieces of equipment.


    "It''s quite simple, actually. I''m a Whiskers Tuna fisher, and these tunas are sensitive to magical energy. However, you can''t use too much, or you will scare them. Anyway, I use the magical energy to attract them into the net area and capture them. If we are lucky, we might catch three or four before they all get scared away," Lucau explained.


    "Sensitive to magical energy?" Linfel felt the energy spreading through the ocean, understanding the logic. The tuna indeed seemed to get interested in that magical energy, but they also seemed very cautious about approaching its source. "Oh, I see it. Can you stop that thing that is spreading the magical energy for a moment?"


    "Why?" Lucau asked.


    "To be honest, this equipment seems pretty shit," Linfel answered, still speaking his mind as always.


    "What?! I paid quite a lot for this Undersea Magical Wave Generator, you know?" Lucau narrowed his eyes.


    Linfel didn''t care, though. "What is shit is shit. What else is there to say? Anyway, trust this Wisp. If it doesn''t work, you can just turn it on again. Let this wisp show you how to control this energy."


    Ten minutes later, the Wisp and the old man were floating in the sea, holding to a plank of the now destroyed boat...


    "Errr... See? This is how you attract fish."


    Lucau''s mouth twitched a little... actually a lot.

 Chapter 3: I Wonder How Much It is Worth

    Going back ten minutes in the past, Linfel noticed that the waves of magical energy from that generator were not very pleasing. They were indeed feeble and constant, but perhaps because the lowest grade of Magic Stones was being used, it didn''t attract the Tunas very much.


    Linfel, now familiar with this Magical Energy, could feel the presence of this energy in the environment and the sea, although the concentration was many times lower than within the Magic Stones. When he compared the waves created by the generator and the energy within the sea, Linfel had an idea.


    "All I need to do is to recreate the same feeling for the Whiskers Tunas in the area so they think a natural source of Magical Energy is near this boat. The generator isn''t bad, but I can do it much better," Linfel told Lucau. "Watch!"


    Linfel took a few of the Magic Stones that were fuelling the equipment and absorbed their energy. He couldn''t use it all since he was very weak, but he could redirect their energy as soon as it passed through his core. Why? Because he could eliminate a good part of the impurities, making it a lot better for use.


    The only problem was that due to the quantity of impurities, not even 10% of the energy of the stones remained. In fact, if Linfel removed the impurities completely, perhaps not even 1% would be left behind. They were that bad.


    Regardless, he used the now much cleaner energy from the stones and sent it into the water, dissipating it in the surroundings. Linfel was indeed a quite young wisp, not very experienced, especially with this new Magical Energy. He wasn''t able to control his emanated Magical Energy past five meters. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, the Magical Energy itself began to disperse in the surroundings on its own. The result?


    *glush, glush, glush, glush...*


    Out of nowhere, hundreds of Tunas from nearby rushed to the boat with everything they had! The boat even felt a little unstable due to the underwater movement. It was obvious that the Magical Energy created by Linfel was so much better than the Magical Energy from the boat or the Equipment that the Tunas went crazy!


    "Holy shit!" Lucau''s eyes lit up, seeing that huge amount of Tuna. The nets attached to the boat, which were made of a special material from this world to be able to hold the tunas, were being filled with them nonstop. "Hahaha! This is great!"


    Lucau quickly went to work, pulling the nets back into the ship and releasing the tuna inside the boat''s container keel. In a few minutes he got more Whiskers Tunas than he would have acquired in several days out in the sea. Soon, he noticed that the container would be filled, so he turned to Linfel. "Little friend, that''s enough. We''ve got everything we need."


    Linfel looked at him, puzzled. "But the big fish has just arrived..."


    "Big... fish?" Lucau got puzzled for a moment.


    *Bang!*


    The boat suddenly got a huge impact from the boat''s hull, which immediately sent it halfway out of the water! If Lucau hadn''t held on to something, he would have fallen in the water already. It was then that he noticed a sea beast jumping off the water for a moment before diving right back in. "What the hell?! It''s a White Stripped Demon Orca!!!"


    Linfel was still floating in the air, so he didn''t seem to mind the impact that much. "Oh! That''s really a big fish. Quick, quick, cast the net!"


    Lucau was speechless. That Orca was almost as big as the boat itself! Not only that... he now saw several of them coming for the boat! "Cast the net YOUR ASS! Stop it now!"


    "But... aren''t they a lot more valuable?" Linfel got puzzled.


    "Sure... they are more valuable... if you are fucking alive to sell them, idiot! Just stop attracting them!" Lucau was already feeling desperate.


    Linfel could only do as asked and let go of his task. Too bad, though. The energy he released in the water was still there, and it would stay for a few minutes.


    *bang, bang, bang...*


    The boat was thrown right and left, but the boat was indeed built to navigate through these waters, so it was very resistant. As the boat went everywhere, Linfel took the chance to ask. "By the way, I feel some Magic Energy in these Whatever Orcas you mentioned. Are they different?"


    Lucau wanted to cry already. It was as if Linfel couldn''t even tell the situation they were in. Fortunately, the Orcas eventually began to leave the boat''s range. "They are Level One Magical Beasts! They are definitely different!"


    Lucau tried to get up, feeling his legs giving away. Seems like the worst part was finally over. "My boat has a Magical Dissonance Device that usually keeps those Magical Beasts far away since it bothers them. Whatever you did must have been incredibly enticing for them to ignore it and come for my boat. Fortunately, the energy you released in the water seemed to have dissipated.


    The Orcas are finally going away, so the dissonance must be working."


    "Dissipated?" Linfel shook his head. "That''s not it."


    *Shua!*


    Suddenly, a giant mouth, capable of engulfing the entire vessel, came from the bottom of the boat. Lucau only had the chance to see the teeth of the creature closing on both sides of the boat while Linfel finished his words. "They were just scared of this guy. Now, this is a big fish! I wonder how much it is worth."


    *Crash!*


    With a single bite, the boat was completely destroyed. Lucau thought for a moment he was dead, but he saw himself floating in the air a few meters above where the Magical Beast had just swallowed his boat. Linfel acted in the last second and pulled both of them away.


    "So scary..." With the source of the Magical Energy gone, that enormous Magical Beast turned in their direction, its eyes glowing.


    Linfel noticed Lucau''s pale face while the Magic Beast was right in front of them. "Errr... See? This is how you attract fish."

 Chapter 4: Not in the Right Mind

    "Fucking Hell! Just what did you do to attract that monster?!" Lucau finally came back to his senses. "Are we going to die?!"


    "Maybe? Hold on!" Linfel immediately used his Magic Energy and pulled Lucau with him... in the direction of the Magic Beast instead!


    "Where the hell are you going?!" Lucau was terrified when he saw himself and Linfel going after the Magic Beast.


    The Magic Beast, in exchange, immediately pounced at them as well. It''s enormous mouth opened once again, making Linfel and Lucau look like nothing more than ants.


    And yet, just as it was about to swallow both, Linfel changed direction and pulled Lucau with him to the side. At the same time, his Magic Energy condensed into a Lighting Bolt that shot straight into the Magic Beast''s throat!


    *Kabrum!*


    *Roar!*


    The Magic Beast roared in pain as the Electricity flowed through its body. It burnt its insides, causing unbearable pain. However, it was truly a much stronger Magic Beast compared to the orcas. Even though the pain was enormous, it didn''t really suffer any significant damage.


    Linfel then took some distance from it. "We will not be able to outrun it on the water. Our only chance is to force it to give up instead."


    Lucau was still trembling as he saw the Magic Beast contorting in pain. "We are floating! Can''t you just bring us higher in the sky and let it go?"


    "I don''t have a lot of Magic Energy," Linfel explained. "That Lightning Bolt alone already used half of my reserves. We wouldn''t be able to stay in the air for more than a few minutes. If that thing didn''t leave by then, we would be doomed. First of all, this is the first time I''m using this kind of energy, so I''m not used to it and wasted all that Magic Energy just trying to create the bolt.


    I need time to adapt, and time is exactly what we don''t have."


    The Magic Beast finally stopped roaring as it turned in their direction. However, it immediately saw another one of those Lightning Bolts Linfel had just thrown at it a second ago hovering above Linfel. It wasn''t intelligent, so it could only think about the pain it suffered.


    *Zush!*


    Linfel didn''t wait and immediately shot in the Magic Beast''s direction as the Lightning Bolt increased in size. Finally, Linfel shot in the direction of the Magic Beast! And yet, just as Linfel''s attack was about to reach it... the Magic Beast immediately dove into the ocean.


    In a few seconds, it was already tens of meters away, and its speed continued to increase. Finally, not before long, the Magic Beast was completely gone from Linfel''s senses.


    "Where is it? Where is it?!" Lucau asked nervously. He didn''t have Linfel''s senses.


    Linfel went back to the water and dropped Lucau on a floating plank of the now-destroyed boat. "Don''t worry, the plan worked. The second Lightning Bolt I prepared was actually just for show. It didn''t have even a tenth of the power of the first attack. After all, if I used something like that again, I would be completely dry of Magic Energy. I only wanted to scare it away, and fortunately, it worked."


    Lucau sighed in relief for a moment. Still, he was astray in the ocean now. "You better be right! Let''s just hope they won''t come back too soon. With the boat destroyed, the marina guards should have caught the disappearance of the GPS signal. They will come to verify what happened soon." He obviously had to explain to Linfel how the GPS worked, too.


    "Is there such a thing? This place is truly remarkable..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    Lucau nodded and calmed down after a minute. He was an old and experienced captain of his own boat, so he had had his own share of experiences in the past. "And here I thought I had made a killing with today''s catch..."


    "Sorry..." Linfel did feel bad. "You helped me so much, so I truly just wanted to compensate you."


    Lucau looked at Linfel. Although Linfel did almost kill him, he also saved him in the last moment, so the Wisp''s heart at least was in the right place. The Wisp could have just fled on his own, after all. "Whatever. This is why I pay for insurance..."


    "What''s insurance?" Linfel obviously had no idea.


    Without anything better to do, Lucau gave a quick explanation. Only then did Linfel understand. "Oh! You guys have even that? So convenient! You said that''s why you pay for insurance, so you must have your boat destroyed all the time, right?"


    Lucau felt like something wasn''t right in that wisp''s mind. Just where the hell did this Wisp get such an idea? "No one would come out to fish if this is what happened all the time! Are you crazy?!"


    "It''s not?" Linfel asked back.


    "Forget it..." Lucau didn''t feel like explaining that. "So, how did you manage to bring that thing out of the water? That kind of Magical Beast pretty much never leaves the bottom of the sea."


    "I don''t know. I just cleaned some of the impurities of the Magic Stones'' Energy and spread it underwater," Linfel answered. "I felt like the Whiskers Tunas didn''t seem very pleased with the Magic Energy that generator of yours was spreading, so I made it look a lot better."


    "Cleaned the impurities?" Lucau didn''t know much about the Magus World, but he did know that the cleaner the Magic Energy, the higher the level of the Magic Stones. "You can clean their Magic Stones'' Energy?"


    Linfel nodded. "Pretty much. However, most of the Magic Stones'' Energy is lost in the process. For example, after cleaning the Magic Energy in the boat, only 10% of the Stones'' Energy was left to use underwater."


    "I see..." Lucau pondered a bit. His son, who was a Level One Magus, should know more about it. "I don''t know if this is something impressive or not. However, you would better keep this information for yourself. I''ll ask my son about it when we return to the land."


    Linfel nodded. "Thank you for the advice. Also... would you mind keeping the fact I''m a Wisp secret? I would rather be considered a Familiar. Back from where I came, Wisps were hunted down all the time because of our Primordial Energy." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lucau didn''t mind. "Okay, but you better make it up for me later. When the rescue arrives, just pretend you are my Familiar. I''m obviously not a Magus, so if anyone asks, just say you were given to me by my son. Oh, and don''t talk about the battle with the Magic Beast. Just say it swallowed the boat and left."


    "Yes!" Linfel couldn''t help but like this old man more and more. "By the way, Lucau. Would you mind telling me more about this world? What is a Magus?"


    Lucau nodded and was just about to speak when a sound echoed from a distance. Linfel and Lucau looked in that direction, and sure enough, rescue arrived. "That was quite fast..."


    Lucau nodded. "This is an ocean where Magical Beasts live, after all. Although accidents are rare, it is still life-threatening, so the government keeps the marina guards active all the time to help those in need. That''s why we pay taxes, too. Hahaha!"


    Linfel was surprised every time he heard anything new. Government helping the people? Back in his time, the law of strength was all that mattered. Any of the lords of the time would only care about their own welfare. Those who actively helped unknown beings were extremely rare, and they usually had some hidden agenda.


    But then again, Linfel''s old friend, the one who put him in the capsule, was one of such beings. ''I wonder what happened to you, Horan. One day, you asked me to enter that cold box, and the next thing I knew, I was floating in this ocean...''


    A flying vessel approached the location where the boat''s GPS disappeared. Linfel looked at it, excited. The vessel seemed to fly without any kind of propulsion, floating in the air just like him. Yet, it moved extremely fast and precisely even though it was so big. "This is a very nice ship."


    Suddenly, both Linfel and Lucau began to float in the vessel''s direction, being carried by a feeble yellow light coming from the bottom of the vessel. "It''s just a Rescuing Magical Aircraft. But yeah, I do think they look nice too."


    Linfel and Lucau were quickly brought into the Aircraft by the light, and there, Linfel saw something new. That light that brought them into the Aircraft had some kind of very complex diagram that seemed to interact with the Magic Energy. ''Hum? This is not a primordial energy rune, it is a lot more intricate. Could it be that all the equipment around use this?''


    Linfel spent a long time with his old friend in the past, who was an expert in Primordial Arrays. He learned quite a lot about Primordial Runes, so he could tell that Magical Diagram was very different. Linfel kept looking at the Diagram and how it interacted with the Magical Energy for some time. ''Seems very interesting. I''ll ask Lucau later where I can learn more about it.''


    The rescue team made several questions to Lucau, who simply came up with an excuse. "I think my Dissonance Device stopped working, and to count my luck, a giant Magical Beast happened to be near the surface for some reason. I could only jump out of the boat with my Familiar before it was swallowed by that thing."


    "Your entire boat was swallowed?" One of the rescuers found it hard to believe. "Considering the model of your vessel, it would need to be at least a Level Two Magical Beast to be able to eat your boat whole."


    "Believe me, it was much bigger than the boat," Lucau completed with a sigh.


    The rescuers didn''t have a reason to doubt him. They already checked his identity and knew he was a Whiskers Fisher with quite a lot of years of experience. "Send the message to the headquarters and a warning message to all the vessels around. There might be a Level Two Magical Beast in the area, so everyone should be careful. Oh, and ask them to send a Magus as well."

 Chapter 5: Do You Understand Me?

    The Rescuing Magical Aircraft was very fast. It took only thirty minutes for it to arrive on land, time that Lucau spent talking about the events prior to that to the rescuing team. Linfel didn''t want to catch anyone''s attention, so he just stayed by Lucau''s side all the time, looking at everything with curiosity.


    Once on land, Lucau had to go through some procedures, which was just the norm. It was already late afternoon when they finally stepped out of the rescuing facility and left on their own.


    "Sigh... Guess I will file the report of the loss of my boat to the insurance company tomorrow," Lucau was obviously tired. That was truly an eventful day for any person, let alone someone old like him.


    Suddenly, a different vehicle approached, landing near Lucau. A young man, probably around his teens, quickly came out and hugged Lucau. "Dad! How are you?! Are you hurt?!"


    It was obviously Lucau''s son. "No, but you will definitely break a few of my bones if you don''t release me soon," said Lucau.


    The young man nodded and let go. "What happened? I heard you were attacked by a Level Two Magical Beast! I came straight from the academy when I received the news. How could a Level Two Magical Beast appear there?!"


    As the father and son talked, Linfel looked curiously at the Familiar on the young man''s side. It was quite easy to identify it since it looked just like the charm Lucau had in his boat. "I believe you are Felia, right?"


    The Familiar nodded at Linfel. "That is correct. But what about you? Why are you with the old master?"


    "I''m Linfel-"


    Before Linfel could continue, Lucau called everyone''s attention. "Alright, we can talk more at home. Let''s go back, and then we can talk about all of it."


    Everyone entered the young man''s car, which was a self-driving vehicle. Even if the young man wanted to, he didn''t have the license to drive it anyway. Lucau''s son noticed that Linfel followed Lucau, which he found strange. He didn''t know his father had acquired a Familiar. "This is..."


    "Home," Lucau stopped his son. "We can talk at home."


    The young man understood his father''s intentions and entered the car with his own Familiar. The car he used wasn''t his but provided by the Magus Academy instead. To make sure they weren''t used for anything illegal, they had cameras inside, so their group could only stay quiet all the way.


    They arrived at a coastal district of the city where one could see many other boats, just like the one Lucau lost. One of the houses near it was Lucau''s, and that''s where the car left them all out. It then took off on its own, leaving the group behind.


    Inside the house, the group could finally talk again. "So... can someone explain to me why all this secrecy?"


    Lucau smiled and introduced the wisp. "This is Linfel, a Wisp... whatever it might be." He also did the opposite. "Linfel, this is my son, Alvin. He is fifteen and a Level One Magus. You probably noticed it already, but the Familiar on his side is Felia."


    Linfel didn''t mind being introduced as a Wisp. If Lucau trusted his son, then so did he. "Hello, Alvin, Felia. Your father saved my life and is helping me out. As he mentioned, I''m a Wisp."


    "I used Felia''s name to make a name for him," Lucau also added.


    Well, Alvin and Felia were obviously confused. "Alright, let''s start from the beginning. Hum... first, what is a wisp?"


    "A Wisp is a Wisp..." Linfel answered. "I don''t know how to explain better than that since my race was supposed to be quite famous... for how good a source of energy they are for other races."


    "Never heard about," Alvin and Felia answered at the same time.


    "Alright, let me tell you everything that happened up to this point," Lucau took the chance to start his explanation.


    Alvin found the story quite weird from the start. However, when Lucau mentioned how the Wisp cleaned the Magical Energy of the Stone, Alvin''s eyes changed. "Wait! What did you say? He cleaned the impurities of the Magic Stones?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yeah, but the process isn''t exactly that good. I lost around 90% of the Magic Energy due to it. This Magic Energy of yours is just too impure."


    "Fuck that!" Alvin still couldn''t believe it, so he quickly ran to the back of the house. A moment later, he brought a few Magic Stones. "These are the same Magic Stones my father used in his boat. He probably explained to you they are low-level ones. To be more specific, they are called Yellow Magic Stones. Let me ask you.


    After you cleaned the energy, did the energy you released into the sea change color?"


    Linfel thought about it for a moment and confirmed. "Well, there was very little of it left, so it was hard to spot any color whatsoever. Nonetheless, I think the cleaned energy was somewhat red? Maybe a yellowish red, but definitely more towards red."


    "Show me! You can use all these Yellow Magic Stones if you want," Alvin asked in a hurry.


    Linfel looked at Lucau, who nodded at him. "Don''t worry, you can absolutely trust my son. Well, that''s if you trust me as well. I told you before I didn''t know if this cleaning process of yours was something impressive or not. Seems like it was."


    Linfel could only accept and take the Magic Stones. It took a few minutes for Linfel to clean that energy. Well, at least clean it to the same level as before. "This is the most I can do at the moment. My Primordial Pool doesn''t have more space." Finally, a feeble red-ish energy gathered in the middle of the room.


    It was very little, but because Linfel concentrated it all in a few centimeters of space, it was easy to see its color.


    "It''s really red!" Alvin''s heart almost stopped. He looked at Lucau, who seemed concerned, and then at the Wisp. "Linfel, you must absolutely NEVER tell anyone you have this capability. Do you understand me?"


    "Red Color..." Lucau remembered something. "Isn''t Red Magic Energy the next level after yellow?"


    Felia nodded. "Yes, old master. This is truly unbelievable."


    "Definitely!" Alvin agreed. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, Linfel was puzzled. "Can someone explain?"


    By now, even Alvin thought the Wisp wasn''t from their planet. Nonetheless, he decided to explain. "Linfel, Magic Energy is graded through their quality and color in this world. The higher the level, the different the color."


    Felia continued from there. "The Colors are Yellow, Red, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple, and White. Each color has its own sublevels as well. You can determine them by the intensity of that color. For example, the Magic Stones you used were the worst ones you can find. They are Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, and they obviously have Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy inside.


    Then you have Medium-Grade and High-Grade Yellow Magic Stones."


    Alvin nodded. "Once their quality increases, they change color, obviously Red in this case. This Magical Energy you showed us is pale red, which means it is a Low-Grade Red Magic Energy. You would need Low-Grade Red Magic Stones to get access to it."


    Lucau remembered it. "You brought one of these stones home two years ago, didn''t you? I remember you were all smug about it, like a kid who just got a new toy to play with. You even went to take a bath with that thing."


    "Father!" Alvin''s face immediately turned red. "Can you just forget that dark past of mine, please?!"


    "This Red Magical Energy can even change the color of your faces, so weird," said Linfel, genuinely impressed.


    "Hahaha!" Lucau couldn''t help but laugh. "Trust me, the red color on my son''s face has nothing to do with Magic Energy. He''s just embarrassed."


    "Enough of me!" Alvin intervened and tried to compose himself. "Ahem! Anyway, Red Magic Stones are indeed very expensive. I got one when I joined the academy and I was... let''s say a little bit too happy back then. The higher the level of magic Stone, the easier it is to absorb.


    Above all, they can create a better foundation for your Magus Power for the exact same reason you mentioned. They have a lot less impurities."


    Linfel pondered a bit and reabsorbed the Magic Energy back into his core. "Give me a second." He processed that energy even further before releasing it back into the middle of the room. This time, the Pale Red transformed into a normal red. "When it comes to refinement of energy, this is the absolute limit of my capability.


    Keep in mind that around 99% of the Magic Energy was lost to get this little bit."


    Alvin was even more impressed. "Medium-Grade Red Magic Energy! You can make this level of Magic Energy with those useless Low-Grade Yellow ones. Unbelievable!"


    Felia got confused, though. "Wait, didn''t you mention a moment ago the Pale-Red was your limit? Were you lying?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No, what I said was that my core could only hold that amount of energy inside. I was talking about the Yellow Magic Energy. As you can see through the color of my body, I''m using this Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy at this very moment to keep myself alive."


    Alvin understood. "I see... In that regard, you are definitely just like any other Familiar out there. My Felia here also uses Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones as her source of power. Of course, she could also absorb the Magic Energy present in the environment, but that would take a few hours every day to replenish her body.


    It is not worth the trouble, so it is better to simply use the Magic Stones instead."


    "The same goes for me," Linfel was happy to see the similarities. "I can also absorb the energy of the environment now that I know what Magic Energy is. It''s just that there is truly too little of it, so I would rather use Magic Stones as well. Can you tell me more about Familiars?"


    "Felia can tell you more. In exchange, you can tell us more about you as well," said Alvin.


    "Yes, master." Felia then began to explain.


    It turned out that Familiars were created through the use of artificial intelligence, so they could already speak and control Magic Energy normally from the moment they were born. That was definitely different from Wisps. Wisps were born from Heaven and Earth, and if they weren''t hunted down straight away, they would go through the same learning process as any other intelligent race kid.


    However, although they were very weak in the past, they still had high intelligence and learning capabilities. By the time Linfel was five years old, he already had the mind of an adult. Linfel even commented that he was only eight at the moment, which truly didn''t look to be the case when compared to an eight-year-old human kid.


    He just... lacked some common sense...


    Felia then explained that Familiars also had several different levels, just like Magic Stones. The higher their level, the different their body colors. The highest level Familar she met in the academy was a Green one, which would be equivalent to a Level Four Magus. Judging by Felia''s color, she was definitely a Level One Familiar.


    Linfel was still curious about what a Magus is, but he decided to ask it later and hear more about the Familiars first.


    "How does a Familiar increase its level?" Linfel asked.


    "That part is pretty much the same as us humans," Alvin explained. "Just like Familiars, Maguses have their own Cores in their bodies. It''s just that a Magus Core only manifests itself around the age of ten while a Familiar is born with it. Anyway, to increase our level, we need to absorb Magic Energy and slowly integrate it with our cores.


    It is a hard process, and the quality of Magic Energy greatly determines the speed. For someone like me and Felia, it will probably take over ten years before we manage to reach Level Two."


    Linfel focused on the Magic Energy in his body. "Integrate with the Core..." Although the Magic Energy was there, it wasn''t merged with his Core. "How do you do that?"


    "Well... that''s where I can''t be certain," Alvin sighed. "You are not a human or a Familiar, so I''m not sure if our methods would work for you. After all, you are not an artificial life, but you are not a flesh-and-blood living being either."


    Linfel nodded. "I guess I will just have to try both."

 Chapter 6: Water in the Desert

    "What can you tell about your past?" Alvin asked, having waited for the Wisp to tell more about himself.


    "Well, you could say I was quite lucky," Linfel began to explain. "From where I came from, Wisps are actively hunted nonstop because of the primordial energy in our bodies. It is very pure, so pretty much all races like to use us to train. Naturally, once our energy is used, we cease to exist. However..."


    Linfel continued. Back then, he was born on a lush planet mainly occupied by nonintelligent creatures. Nonetheless, pretty much all beings used Primordial Energy to get stronger, so even if the beasts around weren''t intelligent, they at least knew that swallowing a wisp was a great boost to their power.


    Linfel just so happened to take shape in a rather concealed place. Naturally, he had no knowledge about anything. Every single sight was a new one. It took him over a week to be able to learn how to use his core''s Primordial Energy to float and move around. Until that moment, he simply looked like a sphere of primordial energy fallen to the floor.


    That alone already put Linfel within the top 1% luckiest wisps in the Universe. A ball of concentrated primordial energy wasn''t exactly something hard to perceive, especially since it would always stay put in the same place until the wisp learned how to use it to move.


    A particular characteristic of the wisps, though, was their memory. Pretty much all intelligent races in the Universe only started to create permanent memories a few years after being born. Yet, wisps already had the capability of creating such permanent memories from the very first minute. It highly contributed to the fact that Linfel already had an adult mind by the age of five.


    Once Linfel came out of his hiding place, he found himself in a dense forest where the sounds of primordial beasts echoed everywhere. Yet, the wisp knew nothing, so such sounds only made it more curious. It didn''t take longer than an hour for the wisp to be facing a primordial beast. The beast, seeing the great meal in front of it, obviously attacked.


    "Was it luck or instinct, I don''t know," Linfel recalled of that day. "But when that beast attacked, the first thing I thought to do was to run. I knew nothing and didn''t even know the meaning of being attacked, but I felt the danger. The primordial beast itself was quite slow, though. And the fact I could float, even if just a few meters from the ground, already helped me to run from it."


    "However, I was very poor at absorbing the environment''s primordial energy, and floating while moving at full speed spent a lot of my own reserves. After thirty or so minutes of pursuit, I was finally about to run out of energy. It was then that it happened."


    From the sky, a ball of fire made its way down to the forest. All beasts in the place looked in this direction, feeling the danger it presented. Even the beast pursuing Linfel immediately understood that its life was at risk and turned around, running for its life. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel, on the other hand, didn''t know what it meant, so he just looked at that thing coming down. Yet, it was also thanks to that that he saw something different. As the ball of fire came down, a very small part of it detached.


    "Was it curiosity? Was it destiny? Did something call to me? It didn''t really matter," said Linfel. "I just thought that I should go after that small thing that came out of the ball of fire. The giant ball of fire passed above me and went further in the back while the small part fell somewhere a few kilometers away.


    I just ignored the giant ball of fire and went after the part that fell nearby. You have no idea just how correct that decision was, even if it wasn''t exactly a conscious one."


    When Linfel arrived at the fallen place of that small part of the ball of fire, he saw something like a capsule, very similar to the one he was put inside on this planet. The capsule was opened, and inside, there was a purple-skinned humanoid being. He approached with curiosity and soon got into the capsule with that being.


    *Cough, cough...*


    The being was of a race known as the Dajoras. He was unconscious and losing blood nonstop. Of course, the wisp had no idea that the man was in bad shape or anything; he just found the sight peculiar.


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion happened far away. The sky turned red as a wave of powerful primordial energy swept through the forest, killing everything in its path. It only took a few seconds to reach the capsule, and it definitely would have killed Linfel and the Dajoras man inside.


    However, the capsule was still active, and when the danger reached its sensors, it immediately closed again, trapping the wisp inside. The wave of destruction arrived in the next moment, blasting the capsule away together with the man and the wisp inside. Anywhere in the nearly thousand kilometers was a death zone, so it wasn''t wrong to say the wisp was saved by its curiosity and lack of knowledge.


    The capsule hit the ground tens of kilometers away again and kicked nonstop as the power of the explosion kept blasting everything in its path. The Dajoras man''s body was being protected by some kind of foam, but the several impacts definitely didn''t help with his condition. As for Linfel, he found himself trapped within the same foam that appeared to protect the man.


    It wasn''t before fifteen or so minutes later and hundreds of kilometers of distance that the sweeping force finally calmed down, allowing the capsule to land in some messed corner and stay there.


    "I remember that capsule kept itself closed. Now that I think about it, the capsule seemed to know that it couldn''t be opened at that moment. The pushing force of the explosion was over, but the environment outside was anything but hospitable," Linfel commented.


    With the capsule now fixed on a place, the foam around the purple man and Linfel disappeared. "My old friend looked terrible, although I wasn''t aware of what being injured meant. All I could tell was that I couldn''t leave the capsule and had to wait there. It was then that I noticed that his body was absorbing the primordial energy of the surroundings even while unconscious."


    The wisp sighed... or at least showed a movement that indicated it. He didn''t really have lungs for such a thing. "I didn''t know that having my Primordial Energy absorbed was a bad thing, and seeing the man absorbing energy similar to what I had in my core, I decided to give mine to him."


    "Why?" Felia couldn''t help but ask.


    Yet, Linfel shook his head. "I don''t know... I just felt that was the right thing to do."


    Sure enough, the released Primordial Energy from the wisp was absorbed by the Dajoras Man, like water being thrown into the desert. Not before long, the wisp was almost empty, and it wouldn''t take much more for him to die without even knowing why.


    However, his actions truly were the salvation of the Dajoras Man. The guy finally opened his eyes, struggling to sit up in the capsule. He held his hand against the head, complaining about the pain. "Fuck! They almost got me! Just you wait!


    I, Horan, shall have my revenge!"


    Only then did he notice that he wasn''t alone in the capsule. "Hum? A Wisp?"


    The wisp was very feeble, having almost no energy left. And yet, it kept releasing its primordial energy, which the Dajoras Man''s body absorbed automatically. That definitely took the man aback. "This..."


    He then touched a few runes inside the capsule and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he seemed to understand what had happened. "That''s quite weird... I have absorbed the Primordial Energy of many wisps in the past, but it is the first time I see one giving me its Primordial Energy of its own volution."


    For a moment, the man thought about simply taking the wisp and absorbing the rest of the wisp''s energy in one go. He was just like any other race, not thinking much about the wisps other than a good source of primordial energy. And yet, he immediately decided against that idea. "Hmph! I definitely don''t like the idea of being saved by someone else, but here we are. Consider yourself luck."


    He then touched another part of the capsule, and a lid opened. Inside, there were many rainbow-colored stones brimming with pure Primordial Energy. He tossed one of the stones to the floating wisp. "Here, take it. Absorb the Primordial Energy inside before you die."


    However, the wisp didn''t answer, nor did it seem to stop releasing its primordial energy. Seeing the lack of response from the wisp, Horan narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to suicide?"


    The wisp floated around, completely confused. Only then did Horan understand what was happening. "Wait... are you a recently born wisp?"


    The wisp continued to float there, still no answer coming from it.


    "As I thought," Horan nodded while absorbing the Primordial Energy of the other stones. "What a joke, saved by a wisp that doesn''t even know what he is doing. No wonder they are such a piece of shit race."


    Back in the present, Felia couldn''t help but curse. "What is wrong with this guy?! You had just saved his life, and you did that unconsciously! He should be kneeling on the floor to thank you! He is the piece of shit! His entire family are pieces of shit!"


    "Hahaha!" Linfel laughed in response. "It''s okay. Trust me, behind that shell, he was truly someone worthy of respect. From that day onwards, he never touched a single other wisp again. If anything, he saved thousands of them in the very few years we lived together. Anyway, let me continue."


    In the capsule, Horan smashed one of the Primordial Stones, which quickly filled the insides with rich Primordial Energy. The wisp finally seemed to have understood that his Primordial Energy wasn''t necessary anymore, so Linfel began to absorb the Primordial Energy from the surroundings instead. Little did he know he was a hair''s way of dying out of energy.


    "And that''s how I got my first interaction with my old friend, Horan. From there on, he brought me everywhere with him, and it was always just the two of us," Linfel explained. "He was the one to teach me how to speak as a wisp, the one to give me knowledge of the universe, to basically make who I am today. One day, he asked me to enter a cold box that had many runes inside.


    I trusted him, so I didn''t ask why. The next thing I knew, I was in the ocean, and Lucau found me a few minutes later. Just where the hell did that guy go to?"


    Lucau couldn''t help but sigh. "That''s quite the story..." He then looked at his son, who definitely knew much more about the Universe than him. "Alvin, have you heard about any race called Dojaras?"


    Alvin shook his head. "Not really. First of all, from what I learned in the academy, our planet is found in a quite remote corner of the Universe, so we rarely get visited by any other races. Truth be told, our planet is quite shit when it comes to its reserves of Magic Energy, so the powerful races don''t even consider getting close to this place."


    Lucau was surprised. "I didn''t know the Universe saw us in such a way."


    Alvin shook his head. "It''s not like the government would go around reciting how poor the Universe thinks our planet to be, you know?"


    "I guess that makes sense..." Lucau sighed. He didn''t quite like that his home was seen in such a way, so it was the right thing for such perspective not to be wantonly revealed. It wasn''t hard to find out about it, though. Anyone more connected to the affairs of the planet and the outside would be aware of it.


    "By the way," Felia changed the topic as it was too gloomy. "You keep talking about primordial energy, primordial energy, primordial energy... Just what is primordial energy?"


    Lucau turned to Alvin. "Have you heard about it in the academy?"


    Alvin shook his head. "I have never heard about it. But then again, it is not like I went out there to look for this information either. Once I return to the academy, I can try to learn more about it."


    Linfel pondered a bit before speaking. "Primordial Energy, according to my old friend Horan, is the energy that created our Universe. Whether it is true or not, I don''t know. However, what I can tell for sure is that Primordial Energy is far above this Magical Energy of yours. In fact..."


    Linfel concentrated on the Magical Energy inside his core. "I feel like Magic Energy and Primordial Energy are connected. How can I say... It feels like Magic Energy is a transformation of Primordial Energy. The Primordial Energy I had in my core easily changed into Magical Energy when I absorbed Lucau''s Magic Stones, so I''m probably right there."


    "Can you create more Primordial Energy?" Alvin asked, curious.


    However, the wisp shook his head. "No. Wisps only gather Primordial Energy and store it. We don''t create it. Now that it is gone, I have no way to recover more."


    "Is it better than Magical Energy?" Felia was the one to ask now.


    Linfel compared the two and couldn''t give a definitive answer. "I wouldn''t say it is better. Both seem to have their own advantages. Your Magical Energy, for example, is countless times easier to manipulate than Primordial Energy, that''s for sure. Primordial Energy, on the other hand, is a lot more powerful. However, it is also very chaotic.


    Even from where I''m from, training with it has always been very dangerous. Those who died because of it were too many to count."


    "Alright, I spoke a lot of me and my past," Linfel finally decided to ask the obvious. "Now, tell me more about Maguses. What are they?"

 Chapter 7: Different

    Alvin nodded and began to speak. "To be honest, it has been just three years since I joined the academy, so it is not like I''m all that knowledgeable. Anyway, Maguses are what we call those who train in Magic Energy, which should be obvious."


    "In our world, they are at the top of the food chain. It''s not like you can''t become someone important without being one, but the Maguses definitely have many advantages. First of all, your overall strength increases with each level, and you are able to manipulate more Magic Energy."


    Alvin then extended his hand, and the surrounding Magic Energy gathered around it. "I''m only a Level One Magus, so the amount of Magic Energy I can control is limited. Nonetheless, I can use it for many things. The most obvious one would be battle, but you can also use it for other types of work. For example, I don''t need Magic Stones to power up some simple devices.


    Just the energy I gather naturally as a Level One Magus is enough for it all to work."


    "As your Level as a Magus increases, so does your Magic Energy output. You can also store more and higher levels of magical energy in your core. It goes without saying that the higher the level of Magical Energy, the stronger you are. You can even use Magical Energy to enhance your thinking capability for a limited amount of time. Just don''t overdo it since it puts a huge burden on the brain and soul.


    Even Familiars are not different in this aspect, so be careful."


    Linfel nodded. "I understand. You mentioned being a Level One Magus. That''s definitely different from where I came from. Back there, there was no such thing as levels. Most likely, it was due to the fact that primordial energy didn''t have different levels either.


    Someone''s power was basically determined by how much Primordial Energy they could control and store at once, but in the basics, they were all identical."


    Alvin hasn''t heard about such a system before. "That''s indeed very different. You see, if your Level as a Magus or Familiar doesn''t increase, you will definitely reach the limit soon. For most Maguses, the only way to store more and higher levels of magical energy is to Level Up as a Magus. There is no other choice. In your case, the concept of levels seemed to be nonexistent.


    Is it still the same for you?"


    Linfel tried to manipulate the Red Magic Energy he created and nodded. "Seems like so. I have no issues manipulating this Red Magic Energy. Well, it is obvious since I was the one who created it. The only difference is that I truly can''t store much of it compared to the Yellow Magic Energy. From what I can feel, I can only hold a tenth of Red Magic Energy compared to Yellow.


    That reminds me, didn''t you get a Red Magic Energy Stone before. If you couldn''t use it, then why were you so happy?"


    "Oh, that''s a misconception," Alvin explained. "I indeed can''t manipulate Red Magic Energy, but I can use it to increase my level faster. Do you remember when I said you need to integrate Magic Energy into your core? That''s basically it. Using a higher level of Magic Energy will help your core transform faster."


    "Transform?" Linfel wondered.


    "Yes, when your core gets strong enough, it changes color, just like the Magic Energy. The same goes for the Familiar, as Felia mentioned. Their Spiritual Bodies also change color, showing their higher level. It''s just that a Magus Core exists inside the body, so you can''t really see it."


    Alvin sighed. "Still, your Core is obviously something similar to a Level One Familiar. And yet, you can manipulate Red Magic Energy. There aren''t many Familiars and Maguses who can manipulate a Higher Level of Magical Energy without being at that level."


    "Hum? Didn''t you say one couldn''t manipulate Red Magic Energy as a Level One Magus?" Linfel got confused.


    "Did you forget? I clearly said ''for most maguses'' before. That doesn''t mean they are all like this." Alvin scratched the back of his head, feeling a little helpless. "Well, that''s where talent and resources come in... I''m pretty average, perhaps a little below it. As for resources, it should be obvious we don''t exactly have a lot of it."


    It was a pretty simple concept. Alvin explained that Maguses with high talent and resources are also able to control higher levels of magical Energy even without being at that level. The same goes for familiars. Alvin even saw some Level One Maguses defeating Level Two opponents in the academy before, showing the obvious difference. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if you didn''t really have the necessary talent, it was possible to pile up resources to achieve the same effect. There were always those with a strong background who acquired the ability to use higher levels of Magic Energy through other methods.


    "Simply put, money makes the world go round," Alvin completed his explanation.


    Linfel had never heard that saying before, but he understood what Alvin meant.


    Lucau patted his son''s head, feeling like it was his fault. "Sorry that I couldn''t give you a better chance in life..."


    "Bulshit!" Alvin immediately looked at his father. "I regret nothing! Just look, dad. I will definitely become a high-level Magus in the future. I don''t have the money, but I definitely have the determination!"


    Lucau faintly smiled. He was very proud of his son for sure.


    Linfel then commented. "Well, that''s good for me. I can just pose as a highly talented Familiar in case I need to show my Red Magic Energy."


    "That''s still impressive," Alvin commented. "You said you can only store and use a tenth of Red Magic Energy compared to Yellow, right? Are you talking about all Sublevels of Red Magic Energy or only Low-Grade Red Magic Energy?"


    "Low-Grade," Linfel immediately answered. "The Normal Red Magic Energy... Errrr... Medium-Grade Red Magic, right? Anyway, I can only store around a hundredth of what I can with Yellow Magic Energy."


    Alvin nodded. "Seems like your transformation made you somewhat similar to us. You will need to increase the level of your core if you want to store and manipulate more of higher levels of magic Energy."


    Linfel understood that. Yet, he still felt like he wasn''t the same somehow.


    ---


    The group passed the rest of the day talking about this world, giving the wisp some sense of how things worked. At some point, they reached the topic of the Magic Diagrams. "All the equipment in our world works with Magical Diagrams and Runes. It is a technology that has evolved for thousands of years made to manipulate Magical Energy without the need for a Magus."


    Linfel thought about the runes of the past and drew some simple ones for Alvin to see. "What about runes? Are they not used in this world?"


    "Runes?" Alvin looked at it and shook his head. "I do know they are using in the Diagrams, but I don''t know much about them. Still yours are somewhat similar."


    "I see..." Linfel pondered. "I already tried to draw a few simple ones, but they were made to work with Primordial Energy. At least until now, I haven''t managed to make them work with Magical Energy. Simply put, we used them for many things, just like your equipment. It''s just that yours seems many times more advanced than ours.


    I still think I can modify them to work with Magical Energy, so I might give it a try some other time."


    "I''m not versed in Magical Diagrams and Runes, so I truly can''t help you much in there," said Alvin. "However, since your Runes seem to have some similarities with our Diagrams Runes, you might as well learn about them if you feel like it."


    "That would be nice." Linfel was indeed curious about it.


    "Alright, let''s end it here," suddenly, Lucau intervened before pointing outside. It was already dark, showing they had been talking for many hours. "Let''s eat something first. After all, you need to go back to the academy tomorrow, right?"


    Alvin nodded as he took a device from his pocket to check some information. "I was only allowed to leave because it was an emergency confirmed by the marina guard. Otherwise, it would have taken a month before I could visit you, Father. Now that I know you are okay, the academy will definitely demand me to come back as soon as possible. The most I can do is wait until tomorrow morning.


    The academy''s car will come to take me back."


    Linfel felt bad for them. "Sorry, I used a lot of the few hours you two had."


    "Don''t mind it," Lucau wasn''t concerned. "Anyway, do Wisps eat?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No. As long as we have energy, we don''t need anything else."


    "Another point where you are similar to us, Familiars," Felia added. "We also don''t have a need for food... Well, you could say that Magical Energy is our food. It wouldn''t be wrong."


    As they gathered at the table, Alvin and Lucau ate while Felia talked to Linfel. "What are you going to do? I think the best for you is to come to the academy as well. I doubt anyone would think you are anything but a Familiar. Besides, we need to register you."


    "Register?" Linfel got confused.


    Alvin stopped eating for a moment and explained. "Familiars need to be registered under their masters'' names. It is like an ID that tells the system you exist. Without it, you won''t be able to use most of the facilities of our world. The same goes for us magus and the normal people. I would say you are at a higher risk of being found without an ID than if you had one."


    Linfel was indeed curious about the Maguses and the Familiars, not to mention the Magical Diagrams, so he saw no issues with that plan. Above all, it would be the perfect place to check whether he could truly pass by as a Familiar or not. "That''s great! I''m definitely coming with you then. By the way, would that mean you are my master?"


    "Hum..." Alvin pondered a bit. "That would be the best case. It''s just that I don''t have a connection with you, different from Felia."


    "Connection?" Linfel was puzzled.


    Alvin smiled and extended his hand in Felia''s direction. Suddenly, Felia''s body changed and floated in Alvin''s direction. In front of Linfel, Felia became a piece of equipment in Alvin''s arm. "This is something you can only do with your personal Familiar. That''s because when a Familiar is created, the Magus'' soul is used to match the Familiar''s AI.


    Both the Familiar and the Magus'' Magic Energy merge together, making them a lot stronger. We call it MFC. It''s a simple abbreviation of Master Familiar Connection."


    "So weird..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment. "I''m sorry, but... I''m absolutely sure I can''t do that with you. Felia''s Core changed shape to attach to your body. That''s something my core can''t perform."


    Alvin then released Felia, and the Familiar returned to her small yellow humanoid shape. "It''s fine. It''s not like you need to do it at all costs. Besides, there are many types of MFC shapes. Some Familiars don''t change shape at all and still connect with their Masters. There are those who prefer to not use MFC, either.


    After all, it might be better to have two separate bodies working on a specific task than just one. It goes for all fields, including battles."


    Still, Linfel saw a problem. "But... what if they ask me to connect to you?"


    "Hum..." Alvin pondered a bit. "Usually, such a thing is not necessary. There is nothing in the rules when registering a Familiar that obligates a connection to be shown."


    "Can we pretend?" Linfel asked.


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "If someone tries to test our connection, there are devices that make the measurement. If we have no connection at all, it will be exposed. It''s not something we can just pretend."


    Linfel nodded. "Can you show me your connection again? Since Felia said I don''t need to change shape, then I might at least try this connection."


    "But you don''t have a connection with my soul," Alvin narrowed his eyes.


    Linfel knew that. "I''m not really a Familiar either, so why should I abide by the Familiar x Magus rules? Don''t question it. Let''s just give it a try."


    Lucau narrowed his yes. "Wouldn''t it be dangerous to my son?" He was obviously hearing everything at the table until now.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel wasn''t concerned. "I''m not doing the same as Felia. They are merging their Magic Energy. I, instead, am going to simply match Alvin''s one first. If it goes well, only then we will merge our Magic Energies. There will be the ''so necessary connection,'' but it is nowhere near what Felia and Alvin did.


    In fact, it would be even hard to truly call it a connection at all, but something different instead. There should be no danger whatsoever."


    Alvin took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright." He then got up from the table and extended his hand. Finally, he and Felia executed the same connection again so Linfel could check it up close. They did it slowly, giving Linfel all the time needed.


    A few minutes later, Linfel spoke. "Alright, that''s enough. Felia, come out. Let me give it a try."

 Chapter 8: Betrayal

    Alvin quickly began to release his Magical Energy in the same way he did with Felia. Felia felt the call, but she didn''t move, knowing he was doing it for Linfel.


    Linfel approached and nodded. "I can feel that connection you mentioned. I''m going to simulate something similar, so we might feel a little weird since it is our first try. Don''t worry; if I feel anything wrong, I''ll stop immediately."


    When Felia and Alvin connected, Linfel could clearly feel their Soul Energy matching each other. That explains why Alvin had to use his soul when creating Felia. Without that, merging their Magical Energies would be a dream within a dream.


    What they didn''t know is that Wisps were nothing more than a core and a soul from the moment they were born. They might have been weak over two billion years ago, but they definitely knew how to use their own soul. It was a simple question of survival! It was their soul that manipulated the Primordial Energy, after all.


    The better they got at it, the less they would spend and the longer they would live.


    It also explained why Linfel had such easy controlling Magical Energy. He had to use his soul to manipulate Primordial Energy his entire life, which was a type of energy countless times more chaotic and dangerous. Simply put, that made pretty much any wisp a master of their own soul. For Linfel, this Magical Energy was nothing but a walk in the park.


    Still, it was the first time Linfel was trying to match his own soul with someone else''s. Also, the other part couldn''t help. He had to do it on his own. He concentrated on that soul energy within Alvin''s Magical Energy Manipulation. Most likely, even Alvin himself couldn''t feel his Soul Energy in there, but Linfel definitely did.


    As Linfel felt Alvin''s Soul Energy, he couldn''t help but smile a little. ''Such a gentle soul, very similar to my old friend, probably even more...'' His mind went back to the past for a second, but he quickly put those thoughts aside. He then focused on matching his soul wave frequency with Alvin.


    At first, it wasn''t easy, causing Alvin and Linfel to truly feel quite a weird sensation. Linfel had never done that before, after all. Yet, the connection was indeed being established. Linfel didn''t go all in. He did the absolutely minimum, just enough for it to be similar to what Alvin and Felia did.


    "To think that such a thing was possible," Linfel commented, having finished his part. "I didn''t know that connecting with each other was possible before I saw you two. I can truly feel Alvin and my Magical Energies working together."


    Alvin also felt that connection, much to his shock. "Unbelievable. Let me give it a try."


    Suddenly, Linfel felt his body moving around without doing anything. It was all through the magical connection between him and Alvin. At the same time, their Magical Energy felt like they were one and the same. Alvin could use Linfel''s Magical Energy without any issues. Not only that, Linfel still had that little bit of Red Magic Energy within his body, and Alvin felt that.


    "This..." Alvin couldn''t help himself after feeling the existence of that Red Magic Energy. He had never had the capability to control it, but now that he is connected to Linfel, that world seemed to open its doors for him. Through his connection with Linfel, who attached himself to Alvin''s backhand, Red Magic Energy made its way out, controlled by Alvin himself.


    "This is great! Hahaha! I feel it; I feel it all! So this is how controlling Red Magic Energy feels like! Amazing!" Alvin laughed nonstop while using it. Of course, Linfel only had a little bit of it, so it was over in a few seconds.


    Linfel then detached himself from Alvin''s backhand, having gotten used to Alvin''s Soul Wave Frequency. "Let me give it a try."


    This time, it was Alvin''s body that moved against his will. That had never happened to Felia before. Of course, Alvin could immediately cut that connection if he wanted, but he let Linfel work with it.


    Linfel used Alvin''s body and Magical energy, truly feeling a lot stronger as well. "Merging Magical Energies is truly something nice. I definitely couldn''t reach this level of Magical Energy on my own at the moment. No wonder maguses and Familiars like to do such a thing."


    Finally, Linfel stopped, cutting the connection with Alvin. "Alright, this is enough."


    Alvin couldn''t help but feel disappointed. The Magical Energy within the wisp was so good that he wouldn''t mind staying like that forever. "Can we try it a little bit more?"


    "Ahem!" It was then that Lucau called their attention. Right after, he pointed to the other side of the table. There... a small Familiar seemed very upset, looking away with an angry expression.


    "Master never acted like that with me," she complained.


    Alvin was taken aback. "T-This... That''s not it, Felia. It''s just that I have never controlled Red Magic before. That''s all!"


    Linfel didn''t like it. "That''s all?! So I''m just that for you? A tool to control Red Magic Energy? I can''t believe I trusted you..."


    Alvin was speechless. Why the hell was this wisp making things worse? First of all, were they ever that close? "Errr... No, that''s not it."


    The two continued to complain while Alvin tried to mediate it. Lucau only watched and laughed, finding that situation absurd.


    "This is betrayal," Felia cried.


    "Yes, this betrayal," Linfel also cried.


    Even Lucau joined the party. "I''m so disappointed in you, son..." pretending to cry.


    Alvin didn''t know what to do. "I''m the one feeling like crying here!"


    Finally, he lost his patience and sat back on the table, eating his food angrily. "You know what? To hell with you all. I''m hungry!"


    Lucau laughed out loud and apologized. Linfel just smiled, finally understanding that it was a joke. As for Felia, she eventually just forgot about that.


    Later, in the living room, the four of them were gathered again. "Okay, explain to me how you managed to connect with me?" Alvin asked. That was the most important at the moment.


    "What else? I just matched your Soul Wave Frequency," Linfel explained. "When you connected with Felia a second time, I paid close attention and understood why it was possible. That''s why your soul was used as a base for Felia''s creation. It was necessary so that you two would have the same Soul Wave Frequency."


    "I know that," Alvin nodded. After all, he had to study the process before creating Felia. "However, I''ve never heard about a Familiar capable of changing their own Soul Wave Frequency. Well, you are not a Familiar, so I can''t really judge you like that."


    "Master," Felia spoke, "Not only Familiars. I don''t think anyone on this planet can do it. Perhaps some other races from outside, but I can guarantee that if they exist, they are very rare. A race capable of controlling their own souls to such an extent would put them at the top of the food chain of our Universe."


    Alvin couldn''t agree more. "I believe so, too. In any case, this is convenient. I wasn''t intending to connect with you at first, Linfel. However, now that you showed it was possible, we should definitely add it to your registration."


    "What do you mean?" Linfel asked.


    Felia was the one to explain. "Your ID only needs to point out who your master is other than your own information. However, it can also contain other information like the level of connection between you and your master. It''s nothing special, but it would show to everyone that you are truly a Familiar created by him. If you weren''t, connecting would be impossible... or so everyone believes."


    Linfel didn''t see why not. "That''s great. However, I''m starting to feel that you are all helping me while I''m doing nothing in exchange. I even destroyed your father''s boat. Is there anything I can do for you in exchange for keeping my secret and helping me out?"


    Alvin nodded. "I''m not exactly a saint either. Initially, I had no intention of doing more than helping you with your registration, for Father''s sake, of course. But after you showed you can clean the Low-Grade Yellow Magical Stones and turn them into Low-Grade Red Magic, I changed my mind."


    Linfel understood. "You can do it all for me, but you require me to create Red Magic for you to increase your level, am I correct?"


    "Yes," Alvin nodded. "I won''t lie here, Linfel. This power of yours to create Red Magic is absolutely heaven-defying. The process of manufacturing Red Magic Stones is very expensive. Usually, you would need at least ten High-Grade Yellow Magic Stones to create a single Low-Grade Red Magic Stone.


    As for Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, at least a thousand would be necessary, not counting the cost of the manufacturing process itself."


    Alvin then took out his device and showed it to Linfel. "This is an MCOM, a Magical Communication Device. You can access the Magical Network and check many things. Let me show you the price of a single Low-Grade Red Magic Stone."


    Linfel had seen a few people using these devices on his way to Lucau''s home, but it was his first time paying attention to them. "Such convenient pieces of equipment..."


    Finally, Alvin opened a website that displayed the price of the stones. He quickly went to the cheapest he could find.


    -Low Grade Red Magic Stone: 1352 UC.- Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "UC?" That was the first he saw that.


    "Universal Credits," Alvin explained. "The Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, for example, cost only 3 UC each. Medium Grade Yellow goes for around 20UC, while High-Grade Yellow should be around 85 or so, depending on the quality and quantity you acquire at once."


    "Red Magic Stones are so much more expensive! Not only that, but these prices don''t seem to follow any specific order," Linfel said as he looked at the prices.


    "I told you, didn''t I?" Alvin reminded him. "It is not only the necessary amount of Yellow Magic Stones necessary. It is also the manufacturing process. Well, even Yellow Magic Stones need to be manufactured, but the quality and amount of energy are so low that they aren''t exactly that hard to make.


    Also, it should go without saying, but the companies also need to make a profit, so the stones definitely cost more than the amount necessary to make them. No one is operating a charity, especially within the Magus Circle."


    Linfel was having a taste of capitalism. "And I am able to make Red Magic Energy..."


    "Yes," Alvin didn''t hide. "Simply put, even though I''m doing all of this for you, your capability of making Red Magic Energy out of Low-Grade Magic Stones is much, much more valuable than anything I can offer. It is up to you if you want to accept this deal or not. I''m not only doing it for you but for me and my father as well."


    Linfel didn''t need to think much about it. First of all, it was already very luck that he got to meet such good people, and he was especially certain about it after feeling Alvin''s soul waves. Alvin was trying to act tough, but Linfel thought it didn''t match his real personality very well. "Alright, why not? Looking for other people capable of offering more would be annoying anyway.


    Not to mention, I''m not sure if I would suddenly be captured for some weird research or whatever. Just one question, even if I register as your Familiar, I''ll have full autonomy, right?"


    "Yes," Alvin answered excitedly. "Felia already mentioned it anyway. Familiars have the autonomy to do whatever they want as long as they don''t break the rules. It''s just that they usually stay close to their masters, but that''s not a rule. There are quite a few Familiars living on their own because their Masters abandoned them, they died, or whatever other reason.


    Or they might just be doing their masters'' bid far away as well. So, you don''t need to worry about others finding you weird because you are alone. Just make sure to not cause trouble for me."


    "I obviously wouldn''t cause any trouble," Linfel patted his chest.


    Lucau and Alvin felt a chill running down their backs. For some reason, Linfel''s words didn''t seem very trustworthy...


    Lucau and Alvin quickly recovered. The prospect of having Red Magic Energy to use in training was definitely worth the risk... a very high risk... an extremely high risk... a ridiculous extremely high risk... "Hum...


    maybe you should reconsider," Lucau whispered in Alvin''s ears, having cold feet.


    "Ahem!" Alvin would be lying if he said he didn''t reconsider it for a moment. But he gritted his teeth and decided to go for it. "Then we have a deal. Tomorrow, come with me to the Academy. I''ll register you as my Familiar. Also, if you wish to join the Academy as an independent Familiar, you can take the test there."


    "Very well," Linfel already considered that action when Felia mentioned about Familiars being part of the Academy earlier.


    It was getting late, so everyone decided to retire to their rooms. However, before they even left the living room, someone pressed the doorbell of Lucau''s house.


    Lucau and Alvin looked at each other, puzzled.


    "Were you waiting for someone, father?" Alvin asked.


    However, Lucau shook his head. "I wasn''t even supposed to be home today if my boat hadn''t been destroyed. How could I?"


    The two went to the door and opened it. There, a young woman wearing the Magus Academy Uniform waited with a few other bodyguards on the back.


    "M-M-Milia Frondor!" Seeing who it was, Alvin felt his soul almost leaving his body.

 Chapter 9: We Are Very Similar, Alvin

    The young woman narrowed her eyes as she looked at Alvin. "Do I know you?" Even though it seemed like he knew her, she had absolutely no idea who he was.


    Alvin tried to calm himself. "Eh? Ah, right! Ahem! No, you don''t. However, I doubt there are many people in the academy who don''t know who you are."


    "I see..." Milia nodded. "You are also a student there then, I believe?"


    "Yes," Alvin then took out his MCOM and opened his academy''s registration ID to show her.


    Milia slightly nodded once again. "That makes things easier. I need to talk about the incident with the fishing boat earlier. The sir on your side should be your father, right? It would be nice to hear the recount of the story from him."


    Lucau was puzzled, though. "You talking about the Magical Sea Beast that swallowed my boat? I already told the Marina Guards everything that happened today."


    "Hey, you two," Felia intervened. "Are you going to keep the visit standing up at the doorsteps?"


    "Right, right!" Alvin quickly came back to himself. "Milia, please come to the living room so we can talk. This is nothing like your mansion, but it''s definitely better than staying outside."


    Milia had no reason to refuse. She looked at her bodyguards outside and gave them an order. "You wait for me here. I shouldn''t take long."


    One of the bodyguards didn''t like it. "Young lady, we can''t allow you to be alone with strangers."


    Milia''s expression turned dark. "I told you to wait outside. Did you not hear me?"


    The bodyguard sighed and accepted the order in the end. "Yes, young lady. We will wait."


    Milia then entered the house with Lucau and Alvin. As for the bodyguard, he took out his own MCOM and made a call, explaining to his employer what had just happened. Soon, an answer came from the other side. "Forget it. No one knew you were going there anyway. Just make sure to not let a single fly enter the house."


    "Yes, sir!" The bodyguard quickly accepted the order and finished the call.


    Inside, Milia was gathered with Felia, Lucau, Alvin, and Linfel.


    "I''m going to prepare something to drink. Linfel, come and help me," Felia.


    "Eh? But I have no idea how to prepare anything..." Linfel, indeed, had never eaten before, so he was clueless.


    Those words puzzled Milia, though. "You... don''t know? But all Familiars come with knowledge of the various types of dishes and drinks of our world. Is he a defective one?"


    Lucau, Alvin, and Felia felt a chill in their bodies.


    "Errr... no, nonono!" Alvin quickly tried to cover for Linfel. "When I created him, I specially configured his AI to not have any knowledge about such things."


    "Why?" Milia didn''t understand. It wasn''t like such knowledge would make the Familiar worse or anything.


    "Why? Why indeed? Hehe... Hehehe! I just liked to mess with the options, I guess? Hahaha!" Alvin answered with a cheap smile.


    At the same time, his father whispered in his ear. ''Is it true?'' Little did he know that a Magus''s hearing ability was exceptional, so Milia heard everything.


    Alvin nodded at his father. ''Have you never noticed that Felia can do pretty much all chores? Do you truly think that I taught her that?''


    ''Now that I think about it, your dormitory in the academy would probably been half destroyed by now if you were the one responsible for its upkeeping...'' Lucau answered, knowing his son very well.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "I''m not that bad!"


    "Said the kid who almost put my house on fire not long ago," Lucau answered without caring at all.


    "I was five! How was it not long ago?! It''s been a decade!" Alvin wanted to cry already. They weren''t even whispering anymore.


    It was then that Felia commented. "Well, he did indeed almost put half of the dormitory down... twice..."


    Alvin bashed his head on the table at the center of the living room. Why is his familiar doing this to him? Did he mess up with the creation process?


    *Psfff...*


    Only then did they notice the girl trying to hold her laugh.


    Linfel then patted Alvin''s shoulder. "It''s okay, Alvin. Now I see we are very alike. I got an entire boa-"


    *Pah!*


    Alvin and Lucau immediately grabbed Linfel''s core, stopping Linfel''s words. "You just shut up!" The idiot wisp almost handed himself out. No one knew he was responsible for destroying the boat, after all...


    Alvin glanced at Milia, who tried to hide her smile with not much success. He got all red again, feeling like burying his head on the ground. Linfel and Lucau didn''t know, but Milia was like a goddess in the academy, and here he was, being humiliated by his family and a wisp he barely even knew! "Enough with the chores thing.


    Felia, Linfel, go prepare something for our visit to drink." He just wanted to change that topic already.


    Felia then pulled Linfel along, both going to the kitchem. There, Felia used her Magic Energy to create a simple sound barrier and spoke to Linfel. "Sigh... I completely forgot about this detail. Indeed, we Familiars are AIs, so we obviously have many random things added to our memory during the moment of the creation of our souls. Linfel, try to not mention such things anymore."


    "Is it that bad to not know how to do chores? To be honest, I truly have absolutely no idea how to do any of this..." Still, Linfel was determined. "However, I''m very willing to learn!"


    For some reason, Felia felt like the whole academy would go down in flames if he tried. Indeed, she could see the similarities between Linfel and her master. "Errr... let''s not mention it anymore, shall we? Just look how I do things, and that should be fine."


    In the living room, Lucau looked with a smile at Milia. "That''s a lovely smile, young lady."


    Milia was taken aback and immediately went back to her cold expression. "What smile? I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "Just now-"


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Milia insisted, looking away.


    Lucau shrugged his shoulder. "Yes, yes, you don''t..." He then went back to the main topic. "So, why the sudden visit?"


    Milia closed her eyes for a moment before speaking, "I came here due to the incident with the Magical Beast in the ocean that you were involved with."


    "That much I know," Lucau nodded. "But as I said, I have already given the full report of the event."


    "Yes," Milia continued. "The Marina Guard called a Magus to check, and I was selected to carry out the investigation. I found traces of high-level Magical Energy in the water. It became clear to me that someone had tried to lure the beast out of the water, so I''m making this visit to gather more details from you. After all, you were the victim.


    Do you know anything else that could be used to help with this investigation?"


    How could Lucau not know? The culprit was right there in the kitchen, learning how to make tea... not that he would say that, of course. "I''m sorry, but it was too fast. First, I got a lot of Tunas, then the White Stripped Demon Whales arrived. Lastly, they all fled when that monster appeared.


    Now my boat is history..."


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "Following the traces, it indicates that it originated right where your boat was located. Are you sure you don''t know anything?"


    Lucau was an old fox, so he showed an angry expression in response. "Are you implying I lured that thing out of the water just to have myself killed and my boat destroyed? I''m sorry, miss, but that doesn''t make much sense."


    Milia shook her head. "Perhaps that wasn''t your intention. Perhaps someone was truly just trying... who knows? Gather more Tunas for you to capture, and things spiraled out of control?"


    Lucau and Alvin couldn''t help but feel impressed. To think this girl would hit the nail that easily. Of course, they still couldn''t mention the truth. "Hum... I definitely tried to attract more Whiskers Tunas, but I used my Undersea Magic Wave Generator to do that, like I did so many times. Could it be that it got some issue and ended up calling that Magical Beast?"


    Milia pondered a bit and couldn''t discard that possibility, even if it was hard to believe. "Such equipment shouldn''t have the capability to achieve such result. However, I will admit it is possible. Unfortunately, the Level Two Magical Beast ate your whole boat, so I can''t check that anymore."


    Lucau nodded. "That''s a bummer indeed. By the way, I''m going to file for insurance tomorrow, so I should get a similar boat to my own again. If you want, you can check the Undersea Magic Wave Generator in it when I get the boat from the insurance company." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia sighed. "It''s pointless. I would need the same one that was taken by the beast."


    Felia then came to the room with several tea cups filled with warm tea. "Here, Miss Milia. It is simple, but I guarantee the quality."


    Milia nodded and took a sip out of respect. "It is indeed very good, thank you," she said without a change of expression.


    Seeing that she wasn''t getting anywhere, she decided to end the conversation there, even though she felt like they were hiding something. "Anyway, it seems like this case will go without resolution. I will just add that it might have been a defective Wave Generator in the report."


    Milia didn''t really care too much about this case. There were no deaths, and any prof was gone with the sea beast. She only dug it deeper out of curiosity. Since the victim himself didn''t seem to want to talk, she had no reason to waste more time here. It was all part of the task given by the academy, after all, and she has completed it.


    Milia then got up, preparing to leave.


    "Ah, wait!" Yet, Alvin couldn''t help but call her attention.


    Felia and Lucau looked at him, puzzled. Why is he stopping her?


    Naturally, so was Milia. "Is there anything else you wish to add?"


    "Eh? Errr... No, not really." Alvin was a little lost at what to do. It wasn''t every day he had the chance to talk with someone like her. If he tried as much as exchange a single word in the academy, he would probably be blocked by her legion of bodyguards before she even noticed his existence. Due to the difference in talents, they were in different classes, too.


    Lucau looked at that and finally understood, so he just faintly smiled and said nothing.


    Finally, Alvin remembered something and decided to ask. "I just wanted to ask you something else. That Level Two Magic Beast. Have you found which one it was?"


    Lucau was taken back to that day by that question. Indeed, he was also curious about it.


    Milia shook her head, though. "Unfortunately, I couldn''t figure out. By the time I arrived, it had gone back to the bottom. However, the few debris that remained were taken, and I should get a result by tomorrow. The teeth marks on them should point out which type."


    Alvin''s eyes lit up. "Alright! I''m going back to the academy tomorrow anyway, so I''ll ask you then. Would that be a problem?"


    Milia pondered a bit and shook her head. "It''s not a problem. Very well. I''ll let my personal know." She could have just said she would send a report through the MCOM. However, she still thought something wasn''t right, so she might as well use this opportunity to find out what.


    Milia left the house, followed by her many bodyguards. Soon, they entered several vehicles and left the premises.


    Once they returned inside, Linfel finally came out of the kitchen. "Did I really have to keep hiding?"


    "Asked the wisp who almost talked about how he destroyed my father''s boat to Milia and got busted," Alvin answered helplessly.


    The wisp looked away, pretending to not hear anything. "It''s such a nice day today, isn''t it?" It was night...


    "Hmph!" Alvin decided to let it slide.


    It was then that an arm appeared around his shoulder¡ªit was his father. "Now, now, now... Why don''t you tell your father more about that young lady? You seemed very interested in continuing that conversation instead of just letting her go away."


    Alvin bitterly smiled. He should have seen it coming.

 Chapter 10: Procreation

    "Ahem! We should go to sleep," said Alvin, totally trying to run away from the conversation.


    Linfel was still curious, though. "Who is she? Why would a student of your academy be out here carrying the investigation about the boat? Is it normal for you guys?"


    Alvin was happy that the wisp changed the topic away from his ''intentions.'' "Oh, right! Felia, tell them."


    Felia glanced at Alvin, not liking to be used as a scapegoat. Yet, he is her master, after all. "Fine... The Magus Academy has a credit system of points. The government, in order to try to make it as fair as possible for all students regardless of background, created it a long time ago. It''s called AMC, a simple abbreviation for Academy Magic Currency."


    Linfel couldn''t help but comment. "I see that you guys truly like to do a lot of abbreviations in this world, no? And their full names are usually very simple."


    Felia shook her head. "Actually, it is the opposite. Sure, we used simple names, but that''s only when we want to talk about a topic in a general concept. For example, the MCOM is the abbreviation of Magic Communication Device. However, Alvin''s MCOM''s name is a lot more complicated than that."


    Alvin then showed it to the Wisp.


    -Tarzis Magical Signal Spectrum Model H2RT0, version 7.845b-


    "That''s... a very long name indeed..." The Wisp immediately understood why using some simple general names was better. "Let''s just keep the MCOM and the others."


    Felia then returned to the main topic: "Anyway, the academy''s credit system definitely has a bigger name, but let''s just ignore it. Everyone just uses the general name AMC, Academy Credit Currency. No point in using anything else. This system is made so that anyone can get access to the various important facilities of the academy.


    Not only that, but just your time living there will also require AMC, like accommodations and food."


    Alvin continued from there. "In my case, I use most of my AMC to acquire resources for my Magus training. Simply put, Medium Grade Yellow Stones. They are definitely much better than the Low-Grade ones. It goes without saying I would use higher-level ones if I had access to them. Unfortunately, I don''t make enough to afford training with those types."


    Felia took Alvin''s MCOM and accessed the Academy''s Student Website. There, she navigated until she reached the AMC tasks. "Here is a list of the several tasks you can take to acquire AMC."


    Linfel looked through the list and could see countless tasks. There were things very menial, like a simple cleaning, worth a single AMC, to more important things like helping with research, investigations, collection of special items, etc. Naturally, those ones were worth a lot more.


    "Hum?" Linfel noticed one thing when going through the list. "Many of these tasks are marked in gray. Why? There are some marked in red, too."


    "Look at the stars on their side," Felia asked. Linfel took a look and waited for her to continue. "Each star represents the required level as a Magus or Familiar. For example, the tasks marked with two stars require Level Two Maguses or Familiars. Three Stars, naturally, Level Three Maguses or Familiars so on and so forth."


    She then pointed at the red tasks. Some had one and a half stars, while others had two stars. "These marked in red are taking into consideration Master''s Level. He can attempt to complete these tasks, but he must be aware they will be much harder at his actual level."


    Linfel understood. "I see... that basically means Alvin is too weak."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched a little. "Alright, I know I''m nothing impressive, but do you need to say it like that?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel got confused. "Is there a better way to call someone weak? Oh! How about incapable?"


    Alvin wanted to cry, not because of the wisp''s words but because he knew the wisp wasn''t trying to make fun of him. Linfel was totally speaking seriously, which hurt much more. "Just... I''m still growing up."


    Linfel finally understood. "Humans prefer to say they are growing up instead of being weak. Noted."


    ''That wasn''t it at all!'' Alvin screamed in his mind.


    Felia smiled and just continued. "So, the gray tasks refer to tasks my master can not take since he doesn''t have the necessary level. For example, look at this task here."


    Linfel paid attention to the task Felia pointed out.


    -Magus help necessary for the investigation of a Magus related incident in Toval City: Three Stars. Details will be provided on-site. AMC Reward: 2500.-


    "What about it?" Linfel asked.


    "It''s this type of task that probably brought Master''s future wife to his house today," Felia explained.


    "I see..." Linfel and Lucau nodded together.


    Alvin almost coughed out blood. "What the hell?! Since when did she become my future wife?! And why are Father and Linfel just agreeing to that?! Do you fucking know the difference between us?!"


    Linfel didn''t see the problem there. "It is normal where I came from for everyone to look for the best possible partners to carry on their genes. That girl seemed to have very good genes, which explains your interest in procreating with her. I don''t see the problem in there."


    "Pro-procreating????!!!!" Alvin''s mind wandered a bit.


    *Pah!*


    Yet, his father slapped the back of his head, returning him to reality. "Stop thinking like that."


    Ignoring Lucau and Alvin''s antics, Linfel asked something else. "Usually, what kind of tasks do you get?"


    "What else? We always take the One Stars Tasks," Felia answered while shrugging her shoulders.


    Yet, Linfel saw an issue. "But..." He looked at the One Stars tasks, and pretty much all of them had the word ''taken'' on them. Only very few related to menial tasks were available. Not to mention, their payment was really low, something around 10 AMC each. "Is this enough?"


    Alvin, who was back to himself, rubbed the back of his head while explaining, "Simply put, I take a lot of those during the month. It is very hard to get access to higher-paying One Star tasks."


    Seeing Felia and Alvin''s dejected expression, it became obvious there was a reason for that. "Why?"


    Yet, Alvin didn''t want to talk about it. "You will see when we get to the academy tomorrow. With your ability, it shouldn''t be an issue for you to become an independent Familiar, so you will have access to all of these things."


    Lucau then looked at the time and patted his son''s shoulder. "Alright, jokes aside, it is truly getting very late. You need to take the academy''s car tomorrow morning very early, so let''s all go to sleep."


    Alvin nodded and went to his old room with Felia. Lucau then looked at the wisp, wondering. "Do wisps need to sleep?"


    Linfel shook his head. "Not really. However, most races back where I came from also slept. I guess this is an issue for those who have blood and flesh bodies. By the way, I saw Felia retiring to the room with Alvin. Do Familiars need to sleep?"


    "I''m not sure, but I believe they need to sleep with their masters. Something about their soul connection making it hard for the masters to sleep if their Familiars are active or whatever. You can ask Alvin and Felia tomorrow," Lucau answered. "Anyway, since you don''t need to sleep, just stay in the house and do whatever you want. Just please, don''t break anything."


    Lucau also retired to his room, leaving Linfel alone. ''Hum... judging by this planet''s time, it will be a few hours until they wake up. I guess I''ll just focus on understanding this Magic Energy better until there.''


    Linfel had just got to use Magic Energy for the first time today, so there were many things he was in doubt about when controlling it. He wanted to take a look at the training methods for humans and familiars, but it seemed like Alvin and Felia couldn''t give him that without the academy''s authorization.


    ***


    Night gave way to day, and the sun began to appear in the sky. When Alvin first woke, he felt his body quite light, as if he hadn''t gotten such a good sleep in ages. His Familiar''s core soon activated, having felt it when Alvin got up as well.


    They exited the room a few minutes later, catching the sight of the wisp lying on the Living Room''s table. Only very feeble waves of Magical Energy came out of his core, looking as if he was once again about to run out of energy.


    "Eh?! Linfel, are you okay?" Alvin heard the story from his father, so he got worried for a moment.


    However, those waves of Magical Energy immediately increased several times, returning to the normal output as the wisp rose from the table. Soon, his body took the shape of a familiar again before he spoke. "I''m fine. I was just trying to understand this Magical Energy well, and I can concentrate better if I don''t have to focus on anything else; that''s why I let go of my floating."


    "I see..." Alvin sighed in relief. Linfel was his card for Red Magic Energy, after all. Besides... even though the wisp lacked some... a lot of common sense, he quite liked him. "So, did you find anything?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, I believe I understand what you meant about integrating Magical Energy into one''s core. I don''t know what methods you use, but I should be able to come up with something on my own if your methods don''t work."


    Alvin was impressed. "Really? This is no joke, you know? The techniques to increase one''s level as a Magus or Familiar are very intricate. Any small mistake might destroy your entire progress, forcing you to start from the beginning again. There are plenty of stories of Maguses and Familiars who lost everything and had to start from zero because they weren''t careful enough."


    "Is it that serious?" Linfel wasn''t expecting that. "It''s truly different from my home then. Since there were no levels, there weren''t levels to be lost, so it was all about accumulation and nothing more."


    Lucau appeared in the room right after, feeling rejuvenated. "Oh, you guys up already?"


    Alvin turned to him. "Yes. Father, the academy''s car should be here at any minute, so it will probably be some time until I can visit you again."


    Lucau just waved his hand. "Yes, I know. It''s fine."


    *Plin!*


    Suddenly, Alvin''s MCON called his attention. He took it out and checked, sighing. "And it is already here. They sure are fast."


    Everyone made their way out of the house. Lucau and Alvin exchanged a few words and a hug before bidding their farewells. Finally, they got into the car and left. As for Lucau, he simply locked the door and made his way to the insurance company. He had to get a new boat, after all.


    In the car, Linfel looked around as they made their way out of that small town. It was just a coastal city without many inhabitants, so it was very simple. Yet, around two hours later, the sight of another city entered Linfel''s eyes, shocking him. "Holy shit! How can those buildings be so tall without falling?"


    Alvin still didn''t forget the academy''s car had vigilance inside, so he warned Linfel. "We can talk about it later. Don''t forget where we are."


    Linfel nodded, still feeling curious.


    The academy car didn''t leave them at the academy, though. The student could choose to disembark in the city itself as long as they made it to the academy until the end of the day. That said, he left the car with Linfel and Felia in the city center. Only then did they speak without worries.


    "So, no tall buildings back where you came from?" Alvin asked.


    Linfel shook his head. "Not really, the biggest ones were usually like pyramids, having very big bases to support the higher floors. These buildings, however, far surpass the ones I''ve seen." He then looked into the distance and saw one particular construction that went all the way to the skies, hiding beyond the clouds. "Truly impressive. What is that one about?"


    "Oh, that?" Alvin knew which one. "That''s the Space Station. Any visitors from outside first arrive on those, and if we want to leave the planet, we go there as well to take a Spaceship. There are quite a few around our planet."


    Back in Linfel''s time, there was indeed travel through different planets. However, they weren''t as common as Alvin made it look like. Only the most powerful, including his old friend Horan, had the capability to achieve such feats. Thanks to Horan, Linfel had a general understanding of the Universe he came from, so he couldn''t help but wonder. ''Am I still in the same Universe?


    No primordial energy, Space Travel doesn''t seem anything that impressive in Alvin''s eyes either, and he is what you would consider an average person in this world... perhaps even below it. I need to investigate.''

 Chapter 11: Theory

    The academy wasn''t much further from there. Alvin just came out earlier, so the wisp could see a little bit more of their world. Linfel obviously filled Felia and Alvin''s ears with questions, but the two answered with patience. It was then that Linfel saw Alvin taking out his MCOM again. "Right! How do I get one of those?


    They seem extremely convenient."


    Alvin looked at him. "Well, it isn''t hard. Once you get registered, you can use your ID to acquire one. Of course, you will need to pay for it."


    "That''s good," Linfel was excited. Not long after, he saw an enormous wall that stretched several kilometers to both sides, and they were going right there. "The academy?"


    Alvin nodded. "Academies aren''t exactly that common, so they are usually built in the biggest cities of each region. Here in Sastasha City... Right, I haven''t told you yet. This city is called Sastasha. It is part of the Penirura State in the country of Heffal.


    Anyway, everyone who decides to follow the Magus Path would converge in these cities, so the academies need to be able to accommodate them all. That''s why it looks so big. In fact, our own is quite average. I went on an excursion to the capital''s academy before, and it is at least three times as big."


    "I see..." Linfel found it interesting. "How many students are there."


    Alvin took his MCOM and checked the academy''s website. He hasn''t checked that information in a while. "After last year''s admission test, our academy now has a total of 132852 students. Oh, it has gone up quite a lot since my admission. There are over ten thousand more now."


    "That many?!" Linfel couldn''t help but ask. "And they are all maguses? Is the Magus job that common?"


    "How could that be?" Felia answered instead. "Our region alone has around 1.7 billion inhabitants. Yet, around a hundred thousand as students. It isn''t that big of a number. Of course, if you take those who have already graduated, I would say we have around two and a half million maguses total. The number obviously changes over time with deaths or maguses arriving and leaving.


    Still, it is only a fraction of the overall population."


    "This..." Linfel quickly asked Alvin. "Show me a map of your country. Even better, show me a map of the world instead and point to me your country." Alvin nodded and quickly opened it for the wisp to see. He also pointed out their region in the country specifically.


    "Holy shit! I didn''t expect this planet to be so packed with people," Linfel was getting more and more certain he truly wasn''t in the same Universe anymore. "I''ve been to many planets with my old friend Horan, including some of the most powerful ones. Those planets were even bigger than this one. And yet, their overall population wasn''t even a tenth of what you find in this one."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn''t say that we are sparsely populated as a planet, but we are far from being overpopulated either."


    Felia agreed with Alvin, knowing more about this kind of stuff. "Master is right. I haven''t really checked this content deeply, but I know our planet is considered below average when it comes to its number of inhabitants."


    "Below average..." Linfel sighed. "Back from where I came, I don''t think there was a single planet with so many intelligent life."


    Even Alvin and Felia began to get some ideas now. "From the way you talked about your past until now, it looks more like you came from another completely different Universe." Yet, Alvin considering a possibility. "No, it is not that you came from another Universe since we don''t even know if such a thing exists. That said... could it be that you came from the past instead? A very, very distant past?"


    Linfel had to admit Alvin''s idea made sense. "That''s definitely possible. Still, just how far in the past must I have been for everything to change this much? Even Primordial Energy completely disappeared. Well, perhaps only this planet doesn''t have Primordial Energy."


    Felia shook her head. "I can''t be sure this Primordial Energy of yours doesn''t exist. However, I''m absolutely sure Magic Energy is the mainstream in our Universe. This is common knowledge you can find in the academy."


    "If you think about it," Alvin decided to add another possibility, "it makes sense that you came from the past. The reason is simple: Primordial Energy. Linfel, you said Primordial Energy was a lot more abundant. However, not only was it much more powerful, but it was also very chaotic. Even training with it could lead to the death of many. Do you see the problem?


    Life would struggle to take form in a Universe with such a powerful energy. It would make totally sense that the overall population was so much smaller."


    He continued. "As time passed and the Universe expanded, Primordial Energy began to lose its effect. I''m not sure how Magic Energy came to be and how Primordial Energy disappeared, but as you said, they seemed to be connected. Today''s Magic Energy might be nothing more than a gentler version of your Primordial Energy."


    Linfel heard those words, giving him more certainty of the theory. "Yes, it would explain everything."


    Felia couldn''t help but ask. "Does that mean Linfel was sent to the future?"


    "No," Alvin remembered Linfel''s words," he said he was put into some col box and everything went dark. Most likely, he was put in some kind of weird suspended animation. Now... he just so happened to wake up here. Of course, this is just a theory."


    "I think there is a good chance that you are right," Linfel agreed. "My old friend Horan was very good with Primordial Energy runes, so I don''t doubt he could create something capable of that."


    As they talked, the number of people around began to increase again, most of them using the same Uniform of the Magus Academy. Finally, they arrived at the entrance. "Well, here we are. Linfel, come with me. I need to register you."


    They went through an identification gate, where Alvin put his ID on one of the many terminals in there. Felia seemed to do the same, allowing her to enter as well. However, neither of the two went deeper into the academy straight away. Instead, they brought Linfel to another building right past the entrance.


    That''s where Alvin would be able to register Linfel as his Familiar. They weren''t the only ones there. Now and then, someone would bring their new Familiars for registering, or they would come to update some information regarding themselves or the familiars. In any case, this place always had a few people going through the processes.


    At one of the counters, Alvin presented his ID again before speaking with the attendant there. "Hi, I would like to register my new Familiar."


    The attendant, having done it countless times, just nodded and pointed at a small platform on the side. "Tell you Familiar to stay there. We will record his energy in the system."


    Linfel did as he was asked and went up to the small platform. Immediately, several scans went through his body, analyzing him from all sides. At first, everything went fine. Too bad the equipment appointed some differences a few moments later.


    "Hum? That''s weird." said the attendant, making Alvin, Linfel, and Felia grow tense. The attendant looked at the information regarding Linfel with a confused expression. "His Magic Energy waves are quite different from normal range. Is he a special type?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Familiars could be created, some were made to attend to some specific requirements. Naturally, they would be different from your general-purpose Familiar that most Academy Students use. "Still, even if it''s a special type, these waves are kind of strange."


    Alvin quickly asked. "Is it a problem? I did make a few modifications during the creation process, especially regarding his knowledge. Perhaps the set of options I chose wasn''t very common." Of course, that was a big lie.


    The attendant thought for a moment and nodded. There were indeed constant possibilities when a Familiar was created, so this one was just kind of out of the norm. "Whatever. Let''s go with these parameters." In the end, it would be ridiculous if the attendant suddenly felt Linfel wasn''t a Familiar, so he just accepted the differences.


    The analysis continued as the attendant ignored the results. The important part, which showed that Linfel was indeed a Level One Familiar, did not show any issues. It wasn''t worth reporting something related to such a common level of Familiar. "Alright, it is done."


    Right after, an ID card was created, which the attendant gave to Linfel. "You can use it directly or you can buy an MCOM and bind this card information to it. Both will allow you entrance into the academy grounds under your master''s name."


    The attendant then asked Alvin. "Will you add any other information?"


    "Yes," Alvin sighed in relief, seeing everything went fine. "I would like to add my MFC compatibility level with my familiar into his and my IDs."


    That''s what they discussed before. Since Linfel could connect with Alvin, this information could be added to their information, which would make everyone sure that Linfel was truly a Familiar created by Alvin. Only personal Familiars made with the master''s soul as a base could connect to their masters, after all.


    The attendant nodded. "This service costs 100 AMC."


    Linfel remembered Alvin mentioned the Academy Magic Credit system. He just didn''t expect Alvin would need to pay so much of it. Alvin mentioned the type of missions and tasks he usually did, and they didn''t pay much, so a 100 AMC was quite a big value.


    "Is it fine?" Linfel asked him.


    Alvin nodded, although it was possible to see the pain on his face. "It is fine. I just need to work harder to amass more points." He quickly paid those 100 academy credits through his MCOM, which left him with almost nothing.


    The attendant confirmed the payment and asked their group to follow him. Soon, they were brought into a different room where you could see a few other Maguses as well. One of them, in particular, seemed to catch a lot of attention. He seemed to be around Alvin''s age and his Familiar was Red in color, showing that it was a level higher than the rest.


    "Saimon, didn''t you have a level two familiar already? How come you got another one," a student asked the young man called Saimon. "They are super expensive to make already at level two."


    "Hahaha!" Saimon laughed. "I had to get a new one, of course. The previous one was pretty shit. Our compatibility force was ridiculous even though it was made based on my soul. Naturally, I had to get rid of it. This one, however, is much better.


    Right, Xatis?"


    The red Familiar quickly bowed to Saimon as it nodded. "Yes, master Saimon."


    Saimon nodded, satisfied. "As for the price, do you think I lack the money?"


    The students surrounding Saimon all nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the Iyaval Family definitely doesn''t lack resources."


    Seeing that, Linfel got curious. "Can you Familiars be created straight at level two?"


    Felia nodded. "We can, but that''s the limit. More than that, and our souls wouldn''t be able to hold the high level of Magical Energy in our bodies. From there on, the familiar must level up on his own."


    Alvin also added. "Even so, creating a Familiar straight at Level Two is extremely expensive. Definitely not something I could pay for. Besides," Alvin patted Felia''s head, "I have nothing to complain about mine."


    Felia obviously felt happy to hear that.


    Linfel smiled and asked. "Anyway, do you know the guy?"


    "Yes," Alvin explained, "He is in the same year as me. As you heard, his name is Saimon Iyaval, a member of the Iyaval Family. They operate a magic stone trading company, so he definitely doesn''t lack the resources. That''s the only reason we have such a commotion in here. Well, just ignore his group. We have never interacted before, and I really don''t think we ever will."


    Linfel nodded and was about to ask something else when one of the workers responsible for the tests shouted to the students inside. "Alright, everything is ready. Those who have their connections to be measured stay in the center of the room. The rest just wait behind the line."


    "There we go," Alvin and Linfel prepared.

 Chapter 12: No Emotions

    "Next, Kartufes Diangam," the worker quickly spoke, ignoring the crowd''s reaction. That just went to show how he didn''t like these shows.


    Another MFC took place, and the result quickly appeared.


    -Kartufes Diangam: Compatibility, 45%-


    This time, however, the man measuring his compatibility was only 16, so no one found it bad. It wasn''t anything impressive, either. Alvin was proud of his number 43% number, being a year younger, but it was still only slightly above average. He would probably reach the same number as Kartufes when he measures again next year.


    The testers went one by one, and the average numbers continued. Most were well within it, with just two slightly above and one slightly below.


    However...


    "Leandro Survel, you go next."


    Leandro nodded and patted his Familiar''s head. "Little Zuna, let''s give it a try."


    "Yes, Master!" Zuna seemed to have a very lively personality, different from her master.


    Zuna quickly transformed, attaching herself as a tiara on Leandro''s forehead. As soon as that happened, their Magic Energy merged, and Leandro circulated his Magic Energy around his body. Alvin and the others looked at that and were surprised. Alvin could see a very thin tinger of Red in Leandro''s Magic Energy.


    Although Leandro wasn''t a Level Two Magus yet, it was obvious that he wasn''t far from taking that step, and he seemed very young.


    -Leandro Survel: Compatibility, 51%-


    That was already a very big number, and yet, the thing that caught everyone''s attention the most was his age, 14!


    *WOW!*


    "That''s not bad," The man responsible for the test gave a small praise. It was indeed good, but with the sheer number of maguses coming every year, these kinds of good prospects did appear quite often.


    Saimon narrowed his eyes but snorted right after. "Slightly worth paying attention to," he commented.


    Leandro had a very calm personality, so he simply closed his eyes and exited the diagram. He simply didn''t care about what others thought of him. That wasn''t why he was here.


    Seeing himself being ignored, Saimon was about to say something when the test worker continued. "Next, Saimon Iyaval."


    With his name being called, Saimon could only put the guy behind his mind and get things underway with his own test. "Come, Xatis. Let''s show them how it is done."


    "Yes, Master," Xatis answered almost as if robotically.


    Linfel couldn''t help but feel like Xatis was different from the other Familiars. ''Is there something wrong with that guy''s Familiar?'' He whispered the question to Alvin.


    Alvin sighed in response. ''I might be wrong, but Saimon probably killed his Familiar''s emotions during the creation process. Although it is not against the rules, it is kind of taboo. After all, Familiars do have real souls. No one will complain, though. He has the background to do as he pleases.


    For these families, results are all that matters.''


    Linfel''s expression turned dark. ''From what he said earlier, he seemed to have another Familiar. Could it be...?''


    ''I''m not sure,'' Alvin explained. ''A Familiar''s fate is not up to the academy or anyone else. It is up to the master of the Familiar. If he decided he was better without it, then there is a chance that...'' Alvin didn''t finish his words.


    Linfel nodded. This Magus World wasn''t all flowers, it seemed. That reminded him a lot more of the time he came from. ''I understand...''


    Alvin tried to light up the mood, though. ''However, don''t worry about maguses mistreating their familiars. Compatibility has a lot to do with trust. How can you improve your compatibility with your Familiar if it hates you? Those who don''t want to go through such things create Familiars like Saimon''s, without any emotions.''


    ''That''s good to know,'' Linfel sighed. ''To be honest, killing your Familiar''s emotions is pretty much the same as killing the Familiar itself, it seems. I''m a lot more sensitive to Magic than your human race, especially the Familiars, since we are somewhat similar. I can tell it from here. That guy''s Familiar... is dead.''


    ''Dead?'' Alvin was taken aback. That Familiar was just changing form at this point, attaching itself to Saimon. ''What do you mean?''


    ''Oh, don''t misunderstand me,'' Linfel continued. ''I''m not saying it is some kind of zombie or anything. However... its soul is not what I would consider a living soul. It has no autonomy, no desires, no emotions, no nothing. Simply put, that is a machine, nothing else.''


    Alvin looked at Felia in the distance and returned his attention to Linfel. ''I guess I understand what you mean. A machine is indeed very suitable to that Familiar''s state.''


    Xatis, Saimon''s Familiar, changed form into a pair of gloves, attaching itself to Saimon''s hand. Red Magic Energy circulated around his body and his hand, creating a much greater pressure in the surroundings than the other testers before. They were indeed a pair of Level Two magus and Familiar.


    -Saimon Iyaval: Compatibility, 57%-


    *WOW!*


    The crowd lit up again, especially Saimon''s followers.


    "As expected of young master Saimon!"


    "Level Two Magus, Level Two Familiar, only fifteen years old! Impressive!"


    "What are you all talking about? That''s normal for young master Saimon."


    Yet, Saimon narrowed his eyes, his expression not too good. He looked at the Familiar on his hands. ''Another piece of trash. They assured me at least 60% compatibility. Why did they think I paid so much?'' he thought to himself.


    Of course, he quickly recovered and smiled at the crowd. "Hahaha! It''s just a little bit above average. Nothing worth mentioning." He then looked around, but the guy who got 51% was not there anymore. ''Hmph! Must have run to not feel the humiliation.''


    "Next, Alvin Brunes!" The worker quickly called the next one.


    ''Hm?'' Linfel got confused. ''That man who just called us. He doesn''t seem very impressed with Saimon''s result... Saimon is younger and has a higher compatibility, not to mention level.''


    Alvin nodded as he prepared to connect with Linfel. ''I''ll explain later. Let''s first end this test. Just do the best you can. Don''t worry about the low results. It is not why we are here.''


    Linfel agreed with him and quickly attached himself to Alvin''s backhand. Of course, as Linfel mentioned before, he couldn''t change the shape of his core, so Alvin''s hand looked to have a sphere glued to it. ''The best I can, the best I can...'' Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The crowd watched Alvin''s Familiar keeping its Core form and found it funny.


    "Hahaha! That looks terrible!"


    "Don''t say that. Some masters prefer to keep their familiar''s form."


    "That''s only when they intend to work individually. Since they are connecting, what''s the point in keeping the core form? It would be better to simply change into something more comfortable for his master."


    Saimon definitely joined the group of comments. "They are just poor. That familiar is probably defective, but the peasant can''t afford to make another one."


    "Hahaha!" Everyone laughed, including those who had nothing to do with Saimon. It was indeed a weird Master Familiar Connection.


    Linfel ignored it all and focused entirely on Alvin''s Soul and Magic Waves, following their frequency as perfectly as possible. He was truly taking it a lot more seriously than when they tried it the first time back in Alvin''s home.


    ''This...'' Alvin almost jumped. The sensation he was having during the connection with Linfel was completely different from before. He felt absolutely no discomfort whatsoever while their energies merged together, be it in his soul or their connection. If anything, it was more like Linfel had been part of Alvin''s own body all his life and that merged energy was truly only his.


    Yet, it was too late to call it off. The Diagram had already started working, so Alvin could only move his Magic Energy around. The Magic Energy, obviously, was Yellow, reflecting both Alvin and Linfel''s levels as Magu and Familiar. It''s just that it was now a strong tone of Yellow, different from Alvin''s usual Yellow. Of course, that was due to Linfel''s cleaned Magic Energy.


    Finally, the result came out.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 99%-

 Chapter 13: Not Much To Be Done

    Where is that needle so that everyone can hear it falling on the ground when you need it? That was how silent the testing area became when Almin''s result appeared on the monitor for everyone to see. They all looked at that number, feeling like they were seeing some kind of ghost. Of course, that silence didn''t last long.


    "HOLY FUCKING SHIT! 99%! Is that even possible?!" Sure enough, the first one called out. It was Jumanhi, who still stayed in there just to watch out of curiosity.


    "Impossible!" He was followed by Saimon straight away. He quickly ran to the worker responsible and complained. "What the hell are you doing? Can''t you see the test is broken?! Fix this shit already!"


    Normally, the manager of that test would have demanded Saimon leave straight away after hearing such a thing. In the academy, your status does not matter when it comes to those who work there. The academy requires absolute respect from all its employees. That''s why Saimon only made fun of other students and never said anything even to the lowest worker in the academy since he joined.


    However, the manager there was also shocked about the result, so he quickly ordered the others. "Do it again. There has to be a mistake."


    Alvin also saw that and immediately understood. He wasn''t feeling that good by mistake. Linfel truly merged with his Magic Energy and soul perfectly. Still, to reach a 99% value was beyond his wildest dreams. ''This is bad...'' He whispered to Linfel on the back of his hand. ''Linfel, tune it down!


    It is too high!''


    Linfel, who was concentrating on the merging, finally woke up. ''What? Too high?'' He looked at the monitor, and his soul almost froze. ''What the hell?! 99%?! Hahaha!


    See?! Now they won''t make fun of you. Am I not great? Let''s see what that Saimon whatever will say now! Behold! The Wisp Power!'' Linfel felt great about himself.


    After all, his wisp race had always been considered the worst of the worst. Now, however, he achieved an amazing result for himself and Alvin. How could he not be happy?


    "Alvin Brunes," the testers spoke to him. "Do it again. There must be a mistake in the evaluation."


    Alvin quickly nodded as he whispered to Linfel again in a hurry. ''Your ass! Are you crazy?! If you continue with 99%, the academy''s higher-ups will definitely come out to investigate you! Are you sure you would be able to hide that you are a wisp then?''


    ''Ah!'' Linfel immediately understood. ''That... that wouldn''t be very good. Right, right. Let me see... Now that I matched your soul waves'' frequency, creating an unbalance is kind of hard.


    I will try to tune it down to a point where I can keep it constant.''


    ''Anything but 99%, please,'' Alvin begged.


    Soon, Alvin felt that strange feeling in his soul. It was the same one as when he connected with Linfel for the first time back in his home. However, compared to the first time, it was almost imperceptible now. ''Can you do better?'' Alvin asked, already noticing the puzzled expression on the workers and the onlookers for how long he was taking to do it again.


    ''This is the limit of what I can do while keeping a constant flow. If I try to go worse than this, our compatibility will be all over the place, and the result will change nonstop. That will be even worse than a fixed number,'' Linfel explained, helpless.


    Without another choice, Alvin could only go ahead with the circulation of magic energy through his merging with Linfel. The Diagram under him shined and seemed to be using a lot more energy than before. From the looks of it, the workers and the manager made a few changes to the diagram before restarting the test.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    "It''s still 71%?!" Saimon almost coughed out blood before complaining. "See, the diagram is definitely broken! First, it was 99%! Now it is 71%! What is wrong with this piece of shit of yours?"


    The manager finally lost his patience and glared at Saimon. "If you try to offend me or my subordinates one more time, see if I don''t have you expelled from the academy."


    Saimon immediately closed his mouth. Indeed, he knew very well that the manager had this power, and with all the cameras around, he definitely would have the proof to incriminate Saimon. "I''m sorry, sir. I''ve lost my composure." He knew better to calm down at that point.


    "Hmph!" The manager snorted but didn''t pursue the issue. In the end, Saimon''s family was indeed quite influential outside, so it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble even if his family had no power in the academy.


    Besides, he was also concerned the diagram might have some trouble, so he required Alvin to repeat the test.


    Alvin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. 71% was still a monumental result, something you pretty much didn''t see even with much older and higher-level magus students who were near graduation. Let''s not forget graduation happens at the age of 25. Well, at the very least, the result now wasn''t 99%.


    ''Alvin,'' Linfel spoke. ''This is the best I can do to tune down our connection while keep a stable flow of our soul waves.''


    Alvin sighed and could only accept that. If Linfel was truly a Familiar, he would be over the moon, but because he wasn''t, that only made him more concerned. Nonetheless, he repeated the test.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    "Again!" The manager asked. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    "Again!" The manager continued, trying to make sure.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    After trying it another ten times and checking the diagram thoroughly, the workers were now certain. The first result was definitely some mistake. Such mistakes were very rare, but they weren''t unheard of. Alvin just happened to get a ridiculous number when it happened.


    Of course, 71% was absolute madness, although the manager and his subordinates were certain that number was definitely right. "There is no mistake now. Alvin Brunes, you have got yourself a great Familiar. I can only imagine how much effort you two put into reaching this compatibility level, so well done. I''ll add a commendation to the board later."


    Alvin and Linfel disconnected while both bitterly smiled at each other. There wasn''t much to be done there.

 Chapter 14: Hey!

    Linfel and Alvin came out of the Diagram, giving the next students their chance to check their compatibilities as well. They didn''t care about it anymore, though. They had to think about the consequences of that result.


    Felia quickly approached them and also whispered. ''71%! Linfel, how did you do that? No, first of all, what about that 99%? Was that real?!''


    Linfel nodded. ''It was real. I was so concerned that my compatibility with Alvin wouldn''t be even a single percent that I did my all to match his soul waves'' frequency and merge our magic energies. I truly didn''t expect I would be able to achieve a 99% compatibility.''


    Alvin added. ''I had to ask him to tone it down; that''s why you saw 71%. I wanted it to be much, much lower. Unfortunately, that was Linfel''s Limit if he wanted to have a fixed compatibility number. He couldn''t go lower than that without exposing himself.''


    Alvin didn''t want to stay there anymore, so he quickly dragged the two. ''Anyway, let''s get out of here. Linfel also has his own test to become an independent Familiar, so it is better to get over with it.''


    However, before they even had the chance to give a few more steps, Linfel''s group was quickly surrounded.


    "Bro, that was incredible!" It was one of the students who had tested his MFC before Alvin and Linfel, a guy called Ravio, who was about Alvin''s age. "How did you do that? Please, tell me what kind of training you did!"


    "This..." Alvin thought about what to answer, but he didn''t have the chance before another question came.


    "Forget about the training! I want you to tell me what kind of configuration you used when your Familiar''s Soul was created! I''m sure it has a lot to do with this result! Can you tell me? I can even pay you some Academy Credits. Hell, I can give you everything I have in my Academy Account!" Her name was Grafria, seeming to be three or four years older than Alvin.


    "The... the options?" Alvin still hasn''t figured out an excuse for the previous guy...


    "What?! Is payment enough?! Then I definitely have much more than this woman," Jumanhi spoke. "I''m not exactly talented or anything, but I''m quite old already. I definitely had time to accumulate quite a few credits."


    "Forget them, Alvin," Vohei, the third student to take the test, spoke. "You don''t need to tell me anything. Let''s be friends instead!"


    Alvin looked around as everyone looked back at him. Why are they looking at him? It was Linfel! He was the reason for all of this! Ask him! Alvin then glared at Linfel.


    Yet, Linfel was looking away, pretending he wasn''t seeing anything. ''You are the master, aren''t you? I know nothing...'' Linfel whispered in his ear, using his Magic Energy to redirect his voice even though he was looking away.


    Alvin felt like giving the wisp a beating, but that wasn''t the place or the time. Besides, it was indeed Alvin who suggested they should attempt the Master Familiar Connection, not Linfel. He was indeed more at fault here.


    Felia worked with Alvin, both trying to calm down the crowd while they tried to move forward. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel, as Alvin''s Familiar, also received many questions, but he only made things worse. That wisp was terrible at finding excuses.


    Saimon looked at Alvin and Linfel from the distance. He selected this specific time because he knew none of the other top students had anything planned for the Master Familiar Connection test. It was his chance to take the limelight and receive a commendation, but it was all for nothing. Even his own ''friends'' seemed to have forgotten he existed.


    Finally, he lost his patience and came forward. "All of you, out of my way."


    The other students surroundings Alvin''s group heard that and quickly spread open. That left Linfel and Alvin facing Saimon and his emotionless Familiar. "So you two managed to reach 71%, right? That''s good. How about a little spar?"


    Linfel an Alvin were taken aback. Linfel heard that the academy was all-encompassing. It had everything from normal studying classes up to combat classes. Maguses not only made the most important working force on the Planet, but they were also the strongest defense against other Maguses from other countries.


    Although there were no wars going on against their country, no one could guarantee it would never happen. That said, the Magus Academies of all nations put absolute top priority on training their maguses for combat as well.


    "No, thank you. Goodbye!" Linfel was the very first one to answer and turn around to leave, surprising Alvin and Felia. Let alone Saimon.


    "Hahaha!" Saimon laughed out loud. "And here I was wondering how good a young Magus with a 71% compatibility was. In the end, it is useless. The master had to have his Familiar speak for him."


    The Wisp indeed had no common sense, but he wasn''t an idiot. He heard that and simply whispered in Alvin''s ears. ''It is a trap. Don''t fall for it.''


    Alvin understood that as well. Yet, he was young, and being provoked like that wasn''t exactly easy to ignore.


    "We accept!" Yet, it wasn''t Alvin who answered. Instead, it was Felia. She just couldn''t take Saimon humiliating her Master.


    Alvin looked at her angry expression and sighed. Indeed, his Familiar wasn''t Linfel, it was Felia. If he truly had to fight, it was only right to use Felia instead. First of all, they had been together for much longer, so Alvin was indeed stronger with her than Linfel. Alvin didn''t even know how to go around if he tried to fight while connected to Linfel to start with.


    Saimon narrowed his eyes. Felia obviously wasn''t the Familiar Alvin acquired 71% compatibility. "Are you telling me you got two familiars with over 70% compatibility?"


    One of his ''friends'' quickly shook his head. "No, young master Saimon. This other Familiar is already registered under Alvin''s name on the academy''s website. Their compatibility was only 43% at the start of this year. I highly doubt they got one or two extra percent since then, and two percent is already a stretch."


    "Hmph!" Saimon snorted. "What is this, a joke? I don''t have time to fight trash."


    Felia dropped her head while Alvin gritted his teeth. Felia was very important to him, so he couldn''t hold back anymore.


    However, just as he was about to accept the challenge with Felia, another voice echoed behind Saimon. "Indeed, they should not waste their time with trash like you, Saimon."


    Saimon''s expression turned darker. He turned around, about to retaliate, but he soon saw who it was. A young woman, followed by several bodyguards, entered the room. There wasn''t anyone there who didn''t know who that girl was. Yet, no one expect the wisp''s next words either.


    "Hey, it''s Alvin''s wife." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    The room went completely silent again. Everyone looked at Alvin and Milia Frondor. Wife? What wife? Since when were they married?


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Alvin immediately grabbed Linfel''s core. "What the hell are you talking about?!"


    Linfel got puzzled. "But... didn''t Felia say-" He couldn''t finish his words as Alvin cut him again.


    "She said nothing like that!" Alvin wanted to cry. Milia was kind of a goddess within his age, with very few women capable of comparing to her. The wisp''s words pretty much would make all the maguses at Alvin''s age his enemy.


    Truth be told, Linfel didn''t even know what a marriage truly meant. There were no such things two billion years ago. He thought it was just a way to describe someone''s partner for procreation and nothing more serious.


    Milia''s expression immediately turned dark. "What kind of joke is this?" Even her bodyguards were ready to jump forward and teach Alvin and his Familiar a lesson.


    "Please, ignore him, Miss Milia!" Felia also jumped to the front. "My master made this Familiar with a weird sense of humor. Trust me, we truly didn''t say anything like that."


    Suddenly, the wisp had a revelation. "Oh! Right, right! Felia indeed didn''t say you were Alvin''s wife, sorry for the misunderstanding."


    "Hmph!" Milia wasn''t in the mood to entertain such bullshit anyway. "It is good that you know."


    Alvin and Felia sighed in relief. At least the wisp knew when to step back... or so they thought.


    "Yes, yes!" Linfel nodded. "What Felia said was that you were Alvin''s future wife. You aren''t his wife yet. You just came to pay a visit to his father yesterday night."


    Alvin and Felia dropped their heads to the ground. Sure, Felia did say ''Future Wife,'' but that was supposed to be just a joke to tease Alvin. The fucking wisp took it seriously! (Chapter 15)


    That wasn''t all. He even mentioned how Milia paid a visit to Alvin''s father. Wasn''t that the same as saying she was meeting her future father-in-law? Everyone was even more shocked by the revelations. Have the marriage preparations gone so far already? How did Alvin manage to do this?


    Well, Milia''s visit had absolutely nothing to do with what everyone was thinking.


    The leader of Milia''s bodyguard stepped forward as his Magic Energy circulated around his body. A brown color quickly spread as several diagrams began to take form in midair. He was definitely a Level Three Magus. "Lady Milia, it is our duty to uphold your honor. I''m sorry, but we need to eliminate these troublemakers here."


    Alvin released buckets of cold sweat. He had the impression the wisp would cause some trouble, but he didn''t think he would die on the very first day because of it.


    "Stop." Surprisingly, Milia ordered the guard to step down. Instead, she looked at Alvin and asked. "I''ll give you one chance to give an explanation." Yet, it was pretty clear she was also holding her anger. The only reason she stopped her bodyguard was because she did indeed visit Alvin''s father yesterday. She needed Alvin to clarify the real reason for the visit.


    Alvin felt like he was pardoned and immediately got up. "Yes, yes, yes! Everyone, ignore my Familiar. He just has some problems with his sense of humor. Please, think about it straight. Do you truly think someone like ME could marry someone like Lady Milia?!


    That is absolutely ridiculous! Her Frondor family would get rid of me before she could even entertain such an idea."


    Sure enough, Alvin''s words were very intelligent.


    "Now that you say that..."


    "Yes, there is no way goddess Milia would care about someone like him."


    "Phew... For a moment, I thought everything in this world was possible."


    "But... what about that visit the Familiar... Errrr... Linfel was his name, right? Anyway, what about that visit to Alvin''s Father?"


    Such questions and words appeared all around, giving Alvin the chance to explain himself.


    *Mmmhhmhmmhhhh...*


    Linfel also wanted to talk, but Felia was making absolutely sure the wisp didn''t say a single word anymore. She used her Magic Energy to stop Linfel''s voice generation through his own Magic Energy. ''You stay quiet! Master will end up dead if you talk anymore.''


    "Ahem!" Alvin quickly spoke. "The visit had nothing to do with the nonsense my Familiar, Linfel, spoke. You see, my father is a fisher, and his boat was attacked by a Level Two Magic Beast yesterday. Lady Milia took the mission from the academy to investigate the reason for a Level Two Magic Beast to appear there. Naturally, she went to visit my father to inquire more about the event.


    It was all a coincidence."


    Alvin quickly bowed to Milia after that. "I''m terribly sorry for Linfel''s lack of common sense, lady Milia. Let everyone know that I and Lady Milia have absolutely no relation with each other. Yesterday was truly the very first time we even exchanged words."


    Finally, the bodyguards and Milia''s expression eased a little bit. That was definitely a very thorough explanation that left no room for misinterpretation. Well, even with everything clarified, that definitely would be the talk of the academy during the foreseeable future. "I heard yesterday that you modified your Familiar during its creation, so I will let it slide this time.


    It can''t even do normal chores, after all."


    "So he truly changed his Familiar..." Jumanhi commented. They all thought Alvin did something to Linfel for them to reach that level of compatibility.


    The others also nodded. Having Milia mention this fact made them sure Alvin did something completely out of the norm to get that result. Could it be that making nonsensical Familiars would give them a higher compatibility level? Some of them made a mental note to try it in the future.


    Alvin finally calmed down a little, and the Wisp came to his side. He glared at him, angry. "Don''t try to kill me this time, will you?"


    Linfel was still puzzled, but he nodded nonetheless. "Well, I''m not really familiar with the concept of what a wife is anyway. Let''s forget it. So, Lady Milia, why the sudden visit?"

 Chapter 15: Im Aware

    Milia ignored Linfel and glanced to the side. There, she saw the very quiet, trying-to-look invisible Saimon. He had already given up that fight and wanted nothing more than to run away. Sure, his Iyaval Family was influential, but it couldn''t be compared to Milia''s Frondor Family. His father stressed time and time again to make sure to not cause trouble for them.


    "H-Hi, Lady Milia. You look as beautiful as always. Can I help you?" Of course, Saimon was still angry when she called him trash, but he was experienced in these high-level family interactions. He didn''t show it on his face at all.


    Milia approached him with her arms crossed. "Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? A Level Two Magus and a Level Two Familiar from a big family like the Iyavals challenging a nobody Level One Magus from the countryside. Well, I have to admit even I feel like giving them a lesson now, but people like us should know when to not sully our names."


    "Yes, yes, yes!" Saimon nodded vigorously. "It was a mistake on my part. I had paid a lot for my new Familiar, but it didn''t live up to my expectations. It was truly a terrible idea to try to relieve my frustration this way. As you said, he is not worth our time."


    Milia nodded, satisfied. "It is good that you understand. Now scram!"


    "Yes, yes! I''m leaving now." Saimon quickly nodded and left with his subordinates. The smile on his face then disappeared as his expression turned dark. This was even more humiliating than if he hadn''t said anything. He then glanced back, looking at Alvin and Linfel from the corner of his eyes. Everything was their fault.


    "Let''s go back to the dormitory," he said and left.


    Milia then looked at the rest of the people around the room. "The show is over. You can all go back to your own things."


    No one retorted, and they quickly dispersed. There wasn''t really a reason to ask the reason for Milia to be there. Not only did she have an academy mission regarding the events that occurred to Alvin''s father, but his sudden display of Master Familiar Compatibility should be more than enough for someone like her to come out.


    If anything, a few other families and organizations should come out as well anytime soon. After all, Alvin seemed to be a great prospect for the future. They all would definitely try to recruit him.


    Alvin sighed in relief now that everything was over. "Sorry for all of this, Lady Milia. From now on, just pretend Linfel doesn''t exist."


    Linfel''s mouth twitched. "Isn''t it a little too rude?"


    "You have no right to complain," Felia quickly cut in. "The less you talk, the better."


    Milia was still somewhat angry, but she had good control over her emotions. "Forget that. To be honest, I didn''t think I would find you here. I had just returned to the academy this morning and was passing through the gate when I got a message. Someone had achieved a compatibility of 71% even though he was only 15. I just so happen to be the first one.


    It shouldn''t take long for other factions to come after you either, so I could be said to be lucky to be close by when it happened."


    The leader of her bodyguards quickly intervened. "Lady Milia, this boy seems like trouble. We should just ignore him."


    "Enough, Raphael." Milia stopped him. "I know you are just trying to protect me, but I''m not that weak. We shouldn''t let our emotions get in the way of our duties. Naturally, I can''t ignore such a big prospect."


    Raphael nodded, satisfied. "Well said, Lady Milia. It was my mistake." Still, his murderous gaze was still focused on Alvin.


    Alvin tried to ignore that and looked back at Milia. "Ahem... So, what is this all about?"


    Milai quickly began to explain. "Do you know about the academy''s student factions?"


    Alvin nodded. "They are gatherings that work together to get better resources or things like that, right?"


    The Academy gave the students a lot of freedom. One of them was to allow them to create factions within the academy itself. There were even missions that were given to entire factions at once, which you couldn''t acquire as an unaffiliated student. They also enjoyed better treatment.


    For example, the academy allocated space for the factions to settle where they could use high-level equipment in their training. The best part was that using these resources within the factions'' grounds was a lot cheaper or even totally free of cost. Joining a faction was a dream for pretty much any Magus Student.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t easy to join the factions. It wasn''t like you could simply go to the administration office and say you created a faction to get the benefits. There were requirements, and most of them were monetary. In the end, even if the power from outside didn''t have much influence in the academy itself, their wealth still made a big difference.


    These factions then would only recruit members they thought were worth sharing their resources. Alvin always wanted to enter a faction, and he applied for many of them, but even though he had a slightly above-average Master Familiar Connection, just that wasn''t enough. All his other fields were as average as they could be, perhaps even lower.


    For example, his Magus Training made clear it would take him at least another ten years to reach Level Two, which was very bad in their eyes. He simply wasn''t worth nurturing.


    In the end, the only way someone with such a low background could join a faction was to at least show a very high-level of talent in some field, any field. Master Familiar Connection was one such field, so Milia was contacted to make him an offer, thus the actual situation.


    "It is good that you know," Milia nodded, feeling like Saimon was truly an idiot. He was even closer to Alvin when he revealed his Master Familiar Connection. Yet, he tried to cause trouble to Alvin instead of trying to recruit him. She can already imagine the leader of Saimon''s faction asking for Saimon''s head later.


    "So, what do you think? My faction is called the Floating Blades. Are you willing to join the Floating Blades Faction?" Milia asked seriously.


    "This..." Normally, Alvin wouldn''t have thought twice to accept such an offer. However, accepting it now was a lot riskier than before. Alvin had the wisp, and the fact he was being recruited because of him might reveal things that shouldn''t be.


    But then again, he was still a man. How could he just refuse the goddess offer? It''s just that before he talked, Felia intervened. "Sorry, Miss Milia. We have already registered for the next test, so can you wait a little? We need to bring Linfel to the Familiars'' Test."


    "Hum?" Milia got confused. "That would turn him into an independent Familiar. Are you truly doing that?"


    Well, it wasn''t about whether they did it or not. Linfel wasn''t really connected to Alvin in any way. That said, he was already independent. It''s just that they wanted to make it official to not attract too much attention... although the wisp seemed to be a beacon of trouble himself.


    "I am," Alvin nodded, happy that Felia bought him some time to think. "I would also have done the same for my little Felia here, but she doesn''t really want it. I ask if she changed her mind year after year, but she is adamant about it."


    "I don''t, indeed," Felia nodded. "I want to continue to serve Master. Besides, if I leave you alone, you will probably starve to death."


    Alvin looked away after hearing that. "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    Suddenly, a voice came from behind Milia. "Milia, this guy isn''t all that bad in the end." Right after, a dense red Familiar appeared. Not only that, there were a few tinges of Brown already starting to take form on its body. It was obvious this was a Level Two Familiar, and it was very close to becoming a Level Three one.


    Milia looked behind and patted the Familiar''s head. "You rascal. Where have you gone while I needed you, Nori?"


    Alvin had seen that Familiar near Milia before. Even though they are in different and far away classes due to the difference in talent, he knew that Nori was Milia''s Familiar. It was present in her ID on the academy''s website, after all.


    Nori smiled while putting his hands on the back of his head. "What are you talking about? As soon as I heard you returned to the academy I came to find you. If anything, I arrived quite fast."


    "Yes, yes, sure." Milia shrugged her shoulders. "This is my Familiar, Nori."


    "Hello!" Nori quickly approached Alvin, analyzing him from head to toe. Following that, he checked both Felia and Linfel, stopping at Linfel with a puzzled expression. "You... look somewhat different."


    "Believe me," Milia sighed. "He is anything but normal."


    Linfel wasn''t very happy. "That doesn''t feel like a compliment."


    "Because it isn''t," Alvin and Felia added. "But you totally deserve it."


    Nori noticed that a lot must have happened, so he decided to leave it aside. "Well, a compatibility level of 71% at the age of 15 is truly amazing. Even Milia and I only have 75%, and she is the same age as you. Well, according to the rest of your information, everything else is pretty average. Nonetheless, I will say you are a good Master."


    Her Master Familiar Connection being 75% wasn''t a surprise to no one. It was also available on the academy''s website, after all. It was only one more reason for everyone to look so high up to her.


    Alvin, Felia, and Linfel looked at Milia, puzzled. "What''s up with him?"


    Milia then explained. "Nori is also an independent Familiar. He is free to go anywhere and do whatever he likes. Of course, he continues to stay by my side. We have been together ever since I became a Magus. I trust him enough to give him his freedom, so he is happy to find a master like Alvin who also trusts his Familiar this much."


    "I see..." Alvin and the others nodded. They didn''t expect Milia''s Familiar was also independent. Nori was obviously an amazing Familiar on his own. The fact he is almost a Level Three Familiar was proof enough of it. Above all, giving a Familiar its independence meant he could simply leave Milia anytime he wanted. There weren''t many Masters out there who went that far.


    "That''s a stark contrast to Saimon''s relationship with his Familiar."


    "Hmph!" Nori got angry. "A trash that kills his Familiar''s emotions is not worth mentioning."


    Felia quickly turned to Alvin. "Master, we need to go. Otherwise, we will have to wait until tomorrow for Linfel to get his test since it only happens in the first part of the morning."


    "Right, right!" Alvin quickly agreed. "Lady Milia, would you mind waiting? I will take this time to think a little."


    Milia nodded. "I also have to tell you about the Magic Beast that attacked your Father''s boat as we agreed yesterday. The results came out, but it isn''t anything urgent. I''ll be waiting on the exit."


    Milia and Nori turned around and left, followed by Milia''s several bodyguards. However, the bodyguards left the academy after that. This was as far as they could follow her. No one who wasn''t a student or worked there was allowed to stay inside the academy grounds without permission.


    Linfel''s group, obviously, went to the next building. Quite a few eyes focused on them, which made it obvious that the news about the incident in the MFC test was already spreading. Pretty much anything involving the top talents of the academy in all grades would always be the center of attention. Milia was just one of such talents.


    In the building, Alvin presented Linfel forward. "He is here to take the Familiar test."


    The worker there showed the form. "Just fill out the system form on the monitor and add magus signature at the end. Be aware that if he passes, he will be an independent Familiar, so you will have no power over him anymore."


    Alvin quickly completed the form, signing it at the end, "Yes, I''m aware."


    "Magus signature?" Linfel asked Alvin, curious.


    Alvin then pointed to a small sphere with many diagrams floating inside be the monitor. "There is no such thing as two identical Magic Signature. That will serve as proof that I agreed with the terms and it wasn''t someone else who did it."


    "I see..." Linfel nodded.


    The worker then pointed to a door on the back where two more masters and familiars were waiting. Compared to the Master Familiar Connection test, this place had very few maguses to the point it only had a single attendant, which they just talked to. "Seems like we came at a good time."


    "It is always like this," Alvin shook his head in response. "Did you forget what we said? Maguses who decide to let their Familiars go free are rare. I''m quite surprised there are two others here today since it is usually empty."


    Linfel truly couldn''t understand. "With the trust between master and familiar being so important for the Master Familiar Connection, it is weird that more of them don''t give their Familiars such an option. Wouldn''t it strengthen their bonds instead? Sure that would help them get a higher compatibility."


    Felia agreed with him. "That''s true. Master and I managed to go from a slightly below-average compatibility to a slightly above-average one, which is already a very good result in just three years. That''s because my master truly trusted me and allowed me to go free anytime I wanted. However..."


    Alvin continued from there. "When you become a magus and join the academy, you are allowed the creation of one single familiar for free. Obviously, my one turned out to be Felia. However, the process of creating a Familiar is very, very expensive. Unless you absolutely need a new Familiar or have a lot of money, you won''t make a new one lightly."


    "So, that''s where you can tell if a real trust exists between you and your Familiar," Felia added. "After all, if you allow a Familiar to go independent, what if it decides to leave you after passing the test? You will be lacking its help until you can make a new one or offer than previous one enough compensation for it to help you.


    But then again, if you need to offer compensation, was there really a trust between you two? In the end, it is complicated. That''s why those from wealthy families like Saimon''s sometimes chose to simply kill the Familiars'' Emotions during their creation so that they don''t need to worry about such things as trust."


    Alvin sighed. "99% of maguses don''t have rich backgrounds, so paying for a new familiar is pretty much out of the question before they accumulate enough Academy Magic Credits. If they want to pay Universal Currency, it is even harder. They can''t afford to lose their own Familiar by allowing it to go independent. So...


    pretty much no maguses, especially when they just started their studies, think about allowing their Familiars to take the test."


    Linfel smiled in response. "And yet, you keep telling Felia every year if she wants to take the test or not."


    Felia quickly hugged Alvin''s head with her small body. "I don''t need to be independent to trust him completely. That''s because Alvin is a good boy."


    Alvin glanced at her. "Am I some kind of dog now?"


    "A very troublesome one, I might add," Felia nodded.


    After that, they joined the two other maguses, who were having a talk while they waited for the test time.


    "Oh, hey!" One of them waved to Alvin and his Familiars. "That''s truly rare. To have three of us at the same time. I''m Romario, and this is my buddy, Calisbin." He said as he pointed to his Familiar.


    The other one was a female magus. "I''m Julia, and my friend here is Danil." She also introduced herself and her Familiar.


    Danil and Calisbin also approched Linfel and Felia. "Are you two taking the test, too?"


    Felia shook her head. "My master told me to take the test many times, but I don''t need it. The only one taking the test is him, Linfel. By the way, I''m Felia."


    Linfel waved to the two. "Hey there. It is good to see your masters also trust you enough for this test."


    Julia was only thirteen years old, two years younger than Alvin. As for Romario, he was a year older, being sixteen. The three of them have never talked to each other, which is normal in an academy of this size and number. Nonetheless, they clicked together pretty fast, and so did their Familiars.


    Suddenly, the door opened, and another worker called them. "Alright, the test is ready. You can come in to watch as it is pretty simple."


    Everyone nodded, and they quickly entered the room. Inside, several intricate diagrams connected to many other circuits and monitors could be seen on the back.


    "So, who wants to go first?" The worker asked. There wasn''t really a need for an order as there weren''t many who took this test anyway.


    "Julia, you were here first, so just let your Familiar go first in case you need to leave sooner," said Romario, not minding to wait.


    Linfel also nodded. "I don''t really mind about the time either."


    "Danil, then you can take your test," Julia accepted the offer.


    "Yes, Julia." Danil quickly stepped forward, entering the range of the diagrams.


    The worker saw that and began to explain. "Alright, all you need is an average score of 50 or higher to pass. The first test is Magic Density. Regardless of the Familiar''s Level, Magic Density varies between them. The higher the density, the higher the Familiar''s quality and overall prospect. Just stay still and let your Magic Energy flow normally. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The diagram will do the rest."


    Daniel quickly followed the orders, letting his Magic Energy circulate as he always does.


    Meanwhile, Linfel asked Alvin out of curiosity. "Why is there a need for a test to gain independence? Couldn''t you simply let your Familiar go?"


    Alvin shook his head. "Think about Familiars as if they were the Maguses'' Children. In our world, parents can''t simply let go of their kids for them to fare for themselves, now can they? It''s against the law. They need to provide for their children until they grow enough to take care of themselves. It is the same thing for Familiars that want to go indenpendet.


    They must show through these tests that they could fare for themselves once they end their Master Familiar relationship officially."


    Linfel thought about the place he came from. Back then, such things had little meaning. If the parents wanted to abandon their kid, usually because of lack of talent or because the mothers and fathers didn''t want to have children to start with, no one would bat an eye. "This is truly a different world..."

 Chapter 16: Hold!

    The first result quickly appeared.


    -Magic DensityScore: 61-


    Alvin and Romario nodded, followed by their Familiars. "That''s a good score. Danil has some talent." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julia was even happier. "Way to go, Danil!"


    Danil seemed a little embarrassed by the compliments, though. "Eh? Oh! Right! Of course! As expected of me!


    hahaha!" Since Julia was only thirteen and you could only join the academy at the age of twelve, that meant Danil was only a single year old. His youth was easy to see through his reaction.


    The worker didn''t pay attention to that and simply called the following test. "Next, magic control."


    As soon as he said that, hundreds of small energy spheres appeared around the room. They quickly began to float around at a relatively high speed, but it was still possible to discern them easily. It was also possible to see that they had three different colors, green, yellow, and red, with red being at the center. "Just use your Magic Energy to hit each target one by one.


    The power of the strike matters not, only your control. The more central the hit is, the higher your overall score. Naturally, try to hit the red marks. You one three minutes."


    Danil nodded and immediately controlled his magic to shoot a small concentration of energy. The moment he shot for the first time, the timer began to countdown.


    Linfel looked at that and found it quite interesting. Still, he had a few doubts. "Why can these tests ascertain if a Familiar can go independent or not? Even if they don''t have some good magic overall, they could still live on their own by performing some odd jobs, no? After all, most humans in this world aren''t Maguses but still have their jobs, just like your father."


    Alvin pondered about it. "To be honest, even I am not certain why it is the case. If I were to guess, anyone willing to employ a Familiar would only do so because of its ability to control Magic Energy. Familiars aren''t very common, you know, so it isn''t like anyone is going to simply accept them as if they were some normal person looking for work.


    That also goes for other things like residence searching and similar things."


    Linfel nodded. "I guess it makes sense."


    Danil continued to shoot at the targets, most of the time hitting the Yellow or Green parts. He also managed to hit a few reds, but they weren''t as many. Soon, three minutes were gone, and the alarm sounded. With that, all the targets disappeared at once. Naturally, the results quickly followed.


    -Magic Control Score: 44-


    Julia and the others sighed. Danil''s inexperience was made pretty obvious with this test.


    "Don''t worry, Danil!" Julia quickly cheered the Familiar up. "Your average score is still above 50 at the moment. Do your best in the final test!"


    Danil nodded. "Yes, I know. My Magic Control was my weak point anyway, so I''m not surprised. I need to train more."


    The worker then changed to the last test. "Alright, the last test is the simplest. Judging by your previous tests, you are still a Low-Grade Familiar. I''ll show you a target, and you need to attack it with a simple wave of pure Magic Energy. No other types of attack are allowed. Simply put, this is a Magic Power Test."


    "Low-Grade Familiar?" Linfel asked Alvin.


    "It is the same as the Magic Stones. If you pay attention, the yellow color around Danil is pretty pale. That is the mark of a Low-Grade Familiar, just like Magic Energy and Magic Energy Stones. Even a Magus''s Level can be further divided into Low, Medium, and High-Grade Magus. For example, Felia and I have just become Medium-Grade Level One Magus and Familiar not long ago," Alvin explained.


    "I thought it was pretty obvious, so I didn''t comment before."


    Linfel had to admit he was right. "Well, that''s true. I did see the difference in the color density of the Familiars with the same color. Well, that makes things even more simple. I quite like this system you guys use."


    The next target appeared, looking like a barrier made of shining diagrams that came out of the ground. "Alright, just hit it with the strongest magic Energy Wave you can. Don''t worry about everyone around you. The testing area is protected by a barrier to prevent Magic Energy leakage," explained the worker.


    "Go! Go! You can do it, Danil!" Young Julia cheered even more.


    Alvin, Romario, Linfel, Felia, and Calisbin smiled after seeing that. They all nodded at each other and joined the chorus. "Go! Go! Go! You can do it, Danil!"


    Well, poor Danil only felt even more nervous with such an audience. However, seeing how Julia cheered for him, he truly wanted to do his best.


    Danil''s Magic Energy began to circulate and expand, being dragged out of Danil''s core as fast as he could. He continued to accumulate more until he reached the point where he couldn''t control any more Magic Energy. Finally, he shot it forward, hitting the wall of magic diagrams.


    *Bang!*


    The Wall lit up, absorbing the Magic Energy wave. It was made to match Danil''s level as a Familiar so that its test would be fair. After all, a Level Two Familiar, even if not talented at all, would have more strength simply because of the Red Magic it could control.


    A second later, the Magic Energy dissipated, and the wall of magic diagrams returned to normal. The test result, naturally, appeared as a result.


    -Magic Power Score: 55-


    -Average Test Score: 53.3-


    "Hahaha! I did it!" Danil quickly left the testing area and jumped into Julia''s embrace. The young lady, obviously, was just as happy.


    The worker faintly smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, you two. You can wait here or go out to finish Danil''s registration. He is an independent familiar from now on." He was a little surprised, actually. For a familiar so young like Danil, being able to achieve a score above 50 wasn''t easy.


    Julia then took a deep breath and pushed Danil away a little. "So, you can go now. Live a good life."


    Danil quickly floated around before laying on Julia''s head, though. "I already have a good life."


    Alvin and Romario smiled. Their Master Familiar Connection would definitely increase a lot in the future.


    "Alright, the next Familiar can take the test now," the worker called out promptly.


    "Well, that''s me," Calisbin remarked.


    The test for Calisbin was the same as for Danil, of course. However, he did not pass in the end.


    -Average Test Score: 47.8-


    "So close!" Romario and Calisbin exclaimed simultaneously.


    Calisbin emerged from the test and settled on Romario''s shoulder, seemingly unconcerned about the result. "Did you see it?! Did you see it?! I went up five points since last year!!!"


    Romario patted his head in response. "Of course! I''ve seen all the effort you''ve put in, so it''s obvious your results would improve this much. Next year, for sure, you''ll pass the test."


    Julia, who had stayed behind to see the other Familiars, couldn''t help but look a little sad. "Are you really alright?"


    Calisbin looked at her. "Hey, there''s no need to look like that. It''s all a matter of time now. Besides," he patted Romario''s shoulder in return, "with a master like this guy, what does it matter if I gain independence or not?"


    "What do you mean by ''this guy?'' Have I caused you any trouble?" Romario didn''t appreciate how he was addressed, though.


    Calisbin smirked at him. "Hoho! So you''re truly asking that. Very well, where should I start? Right, let''s talk about your early mornings."


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Romario quickly grabbed the Familiar''s core. "Alright, alright! I understand! There''s no need to say anything else. Master Calisbin, please spare me!"


    "That''s more like it," Calisbin nodded, satisfied.


    Surprisingly, Alvin and Julia looked away, not laughing at all. They even pretended they didn''t hear anything. On the other hand, Felia and Danil didn''t hold back.


    "Hahaha! So you guys also have these issues?" Felia couldn''t help but smile as she commented.


    "Felia!" Alvin quickly called her attention, but Felia just wore a playful expression.


    "Wait! You too?" Danil was no different. "You have to see what kind of mess this girl causes when no one is looking! Her mother even-"


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Julia interjected quickly, stopping Danil before he could say anything else.


    Alvin, Julia, and Romario smiled bitterly. Was it normal that Familiars liked to embarrass their human friends? Still, a certain connection seemed to form with those three... for the wrong reasons, it seemed...


    Linfel looked at all of that and mentally sighed. ''Horan, just where have you gone... If I''m truly in the future, could it be you aren''t around anymore?'' He still couldn''t forget the man who changed his life, his old friend.


    "The last Familiar can enter the testing area," the worker continued with the test.


    Linfel quickly pushed those thoughts aside and entered the testing area. The first test, obviously, was the Magic Density Test. "Can I start?"


    "One second..." the worker requested. "Alright, it''s ready now."


    Linfel nodded and circulated his Magic Energy. He wasn''t used to the Magic Energy of this world yet, so he tried to make the circulation look as smooth as possible. His dense yellow Magic Energy, cleansed through his Wisp core, appeared. It gave the impression he was a High-Grade Familiar.


    The worker looked at that and nodded. ''That''s certainly a nice magic circulation...'' He thought for a moment. If he knew Linfel had started using Magic Energy less than 24 hours ago, he probably would have fallen from his chair.


    -Magic Density Score: 73-


    Julia, Romario, and their Familiars were taken aback. That was a huge result!


    As for Alvin and Felia, they only sighed. They knew Linfel was completely new to Magic Energy, so such a result seemed more like a fairy tale to them. Not that it mattered anymore.


    ''73?'' Linfel looked at that number. He still felt like his magic density was pretty inferior compared to what he could do with primordial energy in the past. Yet, it still gave him a very high result.


    The worker was impressed, but it wasn''t like he hadn''t seen such results before, so he continued. "Alright, very good score, but we need the other results as well." The same targets appeared all around the room, floating in random directions just like before. "Same thing. Concentrate a little Magic Energy and shoot it at the targets. You can start now."


    Linfel pondered for a moment. He obviously had no issue controlling his Magic Energy since he could merge it perfectly with Alvin. "Do I have to shoot one by one?"


    Felia and Alvin heard that and had a bad premonition.


    "Not really," the worker answered. "But if you try to hit more than one at once, you will have to divide your focus. Remember, if you miss a target, it will affect your score even if you hit it during the next shot, so I recommend taking the safe path."


    As soon as the worker finished his words, Linfel''s Magic Energy transformed into hundreds of Magic Energy Bullets. In the next second, they shot out all at once!


    Pin, pin, pin, pin, pin...


    Every single magic Bullet hit the target''s bullseye! The clock started when the first shot was made, and it stopped when time ran out, or the targets were all destroyed. The result?


    Time Remaining: 02:59!


    "Holy Shit!" Romario exclaimed, shocked.


    He obviously wasn''t the only one. Julia, Calisbin, and Danil were even more so. No, the one with the greatest expression was, in fact, the worker controlling the test. ''What kind of monster is this?!''


    It wasn''t like there weren''t Familiars who couldn''t perform what Linfel just did. However, such Familiars were usually at least Level Three, capable of using Brown Magic Energy!


    Of course, the test equipment didn''t care about anything like that and simply showed the results.


    -Magic Control Score: 100-


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. ''My magic density is subpar, but my magic control is still good. I need to adapt faster to the Magic Energy of this world before anyone finds out I''m a wisp.''


    Felia and Alvin wanted to cry. If he truly wanted to hide the fact he was a wisp, wouldn''t it be better to hold back a little?


    The worker came back to himself. Regardless of how monstrous Linfel''s Magic Control was, he had to carry out the test impartially. "Ahem! Alright, not bad, not bad. Now, onto the next test."


    Soon, the same magical diagram wall appeared near Linfel.


    ''Hm?'' However, Linfel noticed that Alvin was doing something not far away.


    Alvin''s hand gestured downward as his mouth moved, seeming to be trying to say something. ''Hold it down, hold it down...'' If Linfel got a very low score on this next test, his average result would still not be anything too ridiculous, so Alvin was trying to warn him to hold back.


    Linfel wasn''t exactly very good at reading lips, though. ''Uh? Down? What is down?'' He looked under himself, but there was nothing there. ''Ah!'' Then, he finally understood. ''Take it down!


    I see! I have to take it down! Alright, let''s see if I can take it down.'' Or perhaps he didn''t understand anything at all...

 Chapter 17: Luck

    Linfel began to circulate his Yellow Magic Energy as fast as he could, dragging it all out from his core. The density of the Magic Energy increased in a second, causing the surrounding air to tremble. The strong Yellow Color, a sign of a High-Grade Familiar, became even more apparent.


    ''Alvin told me to not show his Red Magic Energy, but there was no problem if I used the absolute limit of what Yellow Magic Energy could do, right? Otherwise, I don''t think I can take it down...'' Linfel thought for a moment.


    The worker opened his eyes wide, impressed with Linfel''s display. ''So-So much Magic Energy... I wonder how much did it cost to make.'' S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and Felia weren''t feeling as impressed. They were helpless instead. ''That idiot!''


    Finally, Linfel shot a blast of pure Yellow Magic Energy forward.


    *BOOM!*


    The Diagram Magic Wall immediately bent backwards, its many circuitry had been created to hold back the power of a High-Grade Familiar, but Linfel''s Yellow Magic Definitely surpassed such a thing even if the color was the same.


    What no one expected was that Linfel''s Magic Energy, even if it is just Yellow, was still the cleanest you could possibly find in this world. That alone increased the power of his attack far beyond Familiars at the same level.


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    *Bang!*


    Finally, the target wall couldn''t hold that power anymore. It broke into countless pecs of light as Linfel''s blast of Magic Energy went forward, hitting the protection barrier. The room trembled as the energy dissipated. It was a good thing that barrier was always set to hold the power of at least a Level Three Attack.


    Otherwise, the back of the building would have been destroyed together with the wall target.


    Linfel looked at that and sighed in relief. He then turned in Alvin''s direction. "There you go, Alvin. I took it down, just like you asked."


    "Your ass! Who the hell asked you to take it down?!" Alvin wanted to cry. "I wanted you to hold back, HOLD BACK!"


    "Eh?" Linfel was puzzled. "Then why didn''t you say so? Your communication skills are truly lacking, you know?"


    Alvin''s mouth twitched as a vein popped in his head. The wisp was telling him he lacked communication skills... THE WISP said that! "Fuck it! Since it''s done, it is done; let''s check the results and see what happens."


    -Magic Power Score: 00-


    "Z-Zero?" Everyone looked at that, not believing what they were saying. "How come it is zero?"


    The worker knew the reason, though. It wasn''t that Linfel''s Magic Score was zero, nor was it a problem with the test. It''s just that the equipment couldn''t evaluate Linfel''s Magic Power at the Yellow Level. ''Sure enough, just like those three...'' His mind then went to the past few years. Linfel wasn''t the first one to take the Diagram Magic Wall down.


    There were others before him, and their result turned out to be zero as well.


    Naturally, the equipment displayed the overall score after it was done.


    -Average Magic Score: 57-


    Linfel and the others looked at the guy applying the test, confused. "This is wrong, right?"


    The worker nodded. "It is, but there is no need to retake the test. This is just to test whether the Familiar has the capability to become independent, and for that, you only need a score of 50 or higher. We can retake the test if you want, but it will cost you Academy Credits."


    Alvin and Felia were ecstatic! "No, no, no! This is perfect! There is absolutely, absoluuuuuuuuuutely no need to take it again!" That result would be made public on Linfel''s ID, so 57 was definitely a great number.


    Linfel didn''t really mind, either. "I got what I came for, so I guess this is fine too."


    Still, Romario felt things weren''t right. "S-Sir... Is it really fine? I mean, that kind of power..."


    Julia agreed with him, and so did her Familiar. "Yes, that was just amazing! You should take it again and show Linfel''s real power."


    However, Alvin and Felia quickly stopped them. "No, no, no! We truly don''t wish to take the test again. Believe us, this is perfect!"


    "But..." Romario didn''t understand. "If you showed his real score, he would have many more opportunities in the future. Are you sure this is enough?"


    "Yes!" Alvin and Felia nodded. "If necessary, we can take the test again another time. For now, it is good this way. Let''s just say it would be better for Linfel to keep a low profile."


    Julia and Romario, as well as their Familiars, looked at Linfel. "Are you sure this guy can keep a low profile?"


    Linfel patted his chest. "Obviously! Why wouldn''t I? I''m as inconspicuous as a Familiar can be." He truly believed that.


    Alvin and Felia really couldn''t tell where Linfel''s confidence came from.


    Satisfied with the score, Alvin and Linfel turned to the guy responsible for the test behind the monitors. "Sir, is this all? We can truly keep this 57 score, right?"


    "Yes." The man quickly confirmed. "Now, you can leave. The Familiar Testing Area will close for the day."


    Alvin and the others didn''t delay and left the room. Of course, Linfel and Danil went to another counter where their results had already been computed. Another attendant was there, showing two IDs on a screen in front of Linfel and Danil. "You two can inject your Magic Energy into the Receptor. It will conclude the independence test."


    It was the same as the previous equipment Linfel saw Alvin using. There was a small transparent sphere by the monitor with many diagrams inside. Linfel and Danil injected their Magic Energy inside, and the equipment saved their Magic Energy Signatures. Soon, a new section was added to their IDs saying ''Independent.''


    Back in the room where Linfel took his test, the worker entered the area of the test and checked the condition of the diagrams on the ground. Only then did he see that several of the Diagram Runes were overflowing with magic energy, having difficulty to dissipate it even now. ''Our academy has truly been quite luck with Familiars in recent years,'' he thought with a smile.


    Right after, he took out his MCOM and sent a message to an unknown number before putting it away.


    ---


    Outside, Julia, Romario, and Alvin exchanged numbers after finishing their Familiars'' test.


    "Well then, there is still an hour before the first classes. Do you guys want to go and eat something?" Romario asked.


    Alvin and Julia quickly accepted. "Seems like a great idea!"


    However, as soon as they stepped out of the building, several people approached them... Or, to be more specific, Alvin and Linfel. "This..."


    Alvin looked at their uniforms. Although they were all in the same academy uniform, they had an extra emblem different from the mandatory academy''s one. One of these people was Milia and Nori, who said they would wait for Alvin to come out with Linfel from the Familiars'' Test. As for the rest... Alvin recognized a few of the emblems. They were Faction Emblems in the academy.


    Milia quickly took the initiative. "So, Alvin, Linfel, have you thought about it. Would you like to join the Floating Blades Faction?"


    Only then did Alvin remember he truly said he would take the time of Linfel''s Test to think about it. Too bad, though. With Linfel''s ''low profile'' display, that memory vanished from his head.


    "Hey, not so fast!" A young man in his early twenties approached as well. "Why would he join your Floating Blades Faction? You guys have barely established yourselves in the academy, so there is no prospect for Alvin and Linfel."


    Milia''s expression turned dark as she looked at him. However, the guy completely ignored Milia and introduced himself to Linfel and Alvin. "Hi there. My name is-"


    "Max Turfel!" Alvin quickly completed it. "You are the top Magus of your 21st academy section. I doubt there are many who don''t know someone like you."


    Alvin was right. Max was just as famous as Milia and the other top students.


    Max smiled, satisfied. "It makes me happy you know me. So, the reason I came here is to extend you an invitation to join the Heaven Breaking Faction. We have a lot of history within the academy, and our training resources are the best ones. You won''t regret."


    "Hmph!" Someone else snorted. It was a woman not far from her twenties called Amanda Sosei. "Best your ass! How could it compare to our Star Explorers Faction? Linfel, Alvin, we also have an agreement with the Space Station Company that gives us quite the deal for exploring other nearby worlds. You two would definitely fit well since we rely strongly on our Familiars as well.


    We take the Master Familiar Connection very seriously."


    Yet, it didn''t stop there. "What''s the point of having a deal with the Space Station if one can''t pay for it anyway?" Asked a young man, seeming younger than Alvin and Milia. "Alvin, Linfel, Amanda''s Star Explorers Faction is a sinkhole of Academy Credits with no real benefit. Instead, you should join our Earthlings Faction.


    As the name implies, we are very down to earth, using every single Academy Credit available to us in the best way possible. Nothing is wasted when you receive access to our computer''s specialized training program."


    One by one, other factions came forward to introduce themselves, making Alvin and Linfel feel somewhat lost at what to do. Of course, even though it became a gathering of big figures, none of them were the leaders of their Factions. Only one or another had any real important position inside their Faction.


    The reason was simple, Linfel and Alvin''s Master Familiar Connection was indeed impressive, but Alvin himself wasn''t. Linfel''s Familiar test that he just took was immediately added to the Academy''s Website, so they saw he only had a 57 Magic Score. It wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t that good either. In the end, the Factions didn''t really put all that importance on them.


    If they joined their faction, that''s good. If they didn''t, it wasn''t like they lost much anyway.


    In fact, the academy had more Factions, but the others didn''t even bother to send a representative to ask Linfel and Alvin to join them. Let''s not forget the academy had more than a hundred thousand students. It was normal for it to have many Factions.


    Milia continued to stay there, still angry with that crowd. She just wanted to leave already. "So, everyone expressed their wishes for you to join them. Just make a decision already." She didn''t hold much hope. Max Turfel was right. Her Floating Blades Faction was quite new and still lacked the same advantages as more established Factions.


    Besides, after the mess in the Master Familiar Connection test, it would be weird if Alvin truly selected the Floating Blades with Milia there.


    Alvin didn''t give an answer straight away. Instead, he pulled Felia closer to him and asked everyone. "Felia is also my Familiar. Would it be an issue if she joined with me?"


    "This..." Suddenly, everyone grew quiet. Spending resources on a Familiar with just a slightly above-average MFC just to get Alvin to join them didn''t seem worth it.


    "We don''t mind," Milia was the first one to answer, though. For a new Faction like hers, they truly couldn''t look too much at such issues. Factions in that position needed to get a foothold first, so they would usually overlook some disadvantages.


    "Then it is decided," Alvin immediately made his decision. In fact, some other factions were still considering if they should accept that term, but Alvin didn''t give them time to do it.


    Felia then got closer to Alvin''s ears and whispered. ''I''m happy that you did it for me, master. However, let''s be honest, you would have chosen her regardless, wouldn''t you?'' Of course, she made sure that even Milia couldn''t hear her by using her Magic Energy to talk to Alvin and Linfel only.


    Alvin looked away, pretending he didn''t know what Felia was talking about. ''You misunderstand me.''


    Linfel heard that and was all puzzled. However, he looked at Milia and understood. ''Procreation. In the end, it is all about procreation.'' For once... the wisp wasn''t entirely wrong.

 Chapter 18: Why?

    "That... was quite a swift decision," Milia remarked involuntarily.


    Alvin shrugged. "Felia is just as important to me as Linfel. Since your faction immediately accepted my terms, I felt there shouldn''t be much prejudice towards her from you. Besides, I kind of owe you, Miss Milia, for the trouble I caused earlier."


    Nori perched on Milia''s shoulder, nodding in satisfaction. "You aren''t a bad master at all. Don''t you think, Milia?"


    Milia nodded slightly, maintaining her cold expression.


    Max sighed from the side. "Well, I tried. I still believe you made the wrong decision, but that''s up to you. Farewell." Sure enough, it seemed neither he nor his faction placed much importance on Alvin and Linfel.


    Amanda and the others shared the same sentiment. In recruitment, once a target had made their choice, there wasn''t much point in lingering. This was a common occurrence throughout the year, especially at the beginning. Perhaps even Alvin would be tasked with recruiting someone in the future. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, only Milia and Nori remained from the group other than Julia and Romario. The news quickly spread through the MCOMs that Alvin had joined the Floating Blades. Some connected it to the marriage topic, which would remain a hot discussion for a few more days. Nevertheless, there was little that could be done about it. Things would quiet down soon enough.


    Milia sighed and extended her hand. "In any case, welcome to the Floating Blades."


    Alvin accepted, shaking hands with her. "Thank you, Miss Milia."


    Nori patted Linfel and Felia several times. He seemed unconcerned whether Felia was as capable as Linfel or not. "Hahaha! We''re friends now. I''ll introduce you to the other Familiars in the Floating Blades later. Well, they''re not always around.


    There are many different classes and occupations among Maguses, so members appear at different times."


    Julia and Romario felt a little out of place. "Err... are we perhaps bothering you here?"


    Milia shook her head. "I don''t care about one''s background. Just don''t cause trouble for me, and we''ll be on good terms," she said emotionlessly.


    Julia and Romario nodded. "We don''t like trouble either."


    Milia then turned her attention to Alvin and Linfel. "So, how was the Familiar test?"


    "I passed," Linfel answered. "Got an Average Score of 57."


    Milia knew how it worked since she had been there before. "50 is enough for independence, so 57 is not bad."


    "Well, there was a pro-" Linfel began.


    However, he was interrupted by Felia and Alvin. "What he wants to say is that the test was quite simple."


    "It is, indeed," Milia agreed. Her Familiar had taken the test in the past.


    "By the way," Milia looked at Alvin, "it''s pretty obvious you made quite a few random changes to this Familiar of yours. What were the main points in the process? Of course, such information is secret, so you don''t need to tell me if you don''t want to."


    Julia and Romario''s attention was also caught. "She''s right. You don''t need to talk if you don''t want to... But we are quite curious."


    Yet, Alvin heard that and had an idea. "Not many, really. However, I thought it would be fun if I didn''t add all the knowledge that normal Familiars have. You can think of Linfel as a being who has never walked within human society in his life, so everything is new to him."


    Linfel and Felia understood his intentions. This would serve as a great excuse every time Linfel made some ''mistakes.''


    "That''s... a very unusual way of creating a Familiar, for sure," Nori commented from Milia''s side. He was also curious. "So, was it your first time seeing a city like this, Linfel?"


    Linfel quickly nodded. "Yes, there are indeed a lot of humans here. I only knew Alvin and his father before. I''m always impressed with humans'' ingenuity."


    Milia found it an interesting approach. Perhaps that''s why Alvin and Linfel''s Master Familiar Connection was so high. "Is that so? What impressed you the most until now? Was it the Magus Academy?"


    Linfel didn''t need much time to respond. "Not really. What impressed me the most is how all humans I''ve met, Maguses or not, are always ready to battle at any moment."


    The area fell silent for a moment. "Ready... to battle? What do you mean?"


    Linfel looked at Alvin, Milia, Romario, and Julia before pointing it out. "Isn''t that so? Look at you four. Look at the other people in the distance. You humans are all wearing armor all the time. I find them somewhat too colorful, though, especially those outside the academy.


    Well, since I don''t know much about the materials, I can''t judge you there. Nonetheless, it''s nice to see that you''re prepared for anything. It''s the right mindset to have."


    Finally, Milia and the others understood. "Are you talking about... our clothes?"


    "Clothes?" Linfel nodded. "Ah, so you call your armor clothes. An interesting name indeed. Does it have any special meaning?"


    "They aren''t armor," Nori explained. "They''re just clothes, materials humans use to cover their bodies and hide their private parts. Maguses do have armor to use, but clothes have nothing to do with them."


    "Cover their bodies?" Linfel tried to understand the concept. "Could it be it''s cold at the moment, and you need to cover your bodies? Humans are quite fragile, aren''t they?"


    Alvin sighed. This wisp was a lost cause. "No, that''s not it. We wear clothes because it would be too embarrassing not to."


    Linfel looked even more puzzled. "This... doesn''t make much sense."


    "How come?" Milia was also intrigued by this Familiar''s unconventional thinking. She didn''t usually have such interactions.


    Linfel explained further. "You say it''s embarrassing, but aren''t the penis and vagina two extremely important parts of the human reproductive system? These organs are the sole reason for the continuity and evolution of the human race over time. Why would humans feel embarrassed about showing the very things that make them what they are today?"


    Linfel narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn''t your human race... feel proud of having reproductive organs? Proud to show everyone that they are healthy and can carry the human race forward? Truly... I don''t understand why you wear clothes if not for protection against something.


    They seem rather pointless and against the natural order, if you ask me."


    He concluded, "Why do you feel embarrassed about showing such an amazing trait of your human race?"


    That wasn''t a question without reason. Back in Linfel''s time, other races truly only used things like clothes for real protection. Otherwise, they wouldn''t use it at all.


    Milia and Julia were already as red as tomatoes. They found it hard to even finish hearing Linfel''s explanation. As for Romario and Alvin, they weren''t much better, although they only felt weird at those arguments.


    If you ask whether humans are proud of their ability to reproduce, most probably would say yes. Why wouldn''t they? Humans put a lot of importance on the matter of descendency and bloodline continuation. Even if you die, your children will carry on as if you are a small part of them. That was the general thought.


    Now, about clothes, that was a hard question to answer. Sure, embarrassment, laws, respect, etc. You could probably give Linfel some of these reasons. However, it wouldn''t truly answer his question. At the very bottom of the matter, why do humans wear clothes or feel it is embarrassing to show their private parts when they are so important for the species as a whole? Linfel''s arguments made sense.


    Shouldn''t they feel proud instead?


    Yet, that was how they were raised, and so were their ancestors going countless generations to the past.


    Felia didn''t share the same feelings of embarrassment since she was a familiar. Nori, Danil, and Calisbin were the same. They didn''t have any private parts like humans, so they obviously didn''t wear any clothes. Their bodies were basically only their cores and their ethereal humanoid-shaped bodies that didn''t really portray any gender.


    Still, they had a general knowledge of the human''s past, so Felia attempted an answer. "If I were to guess, clothes were initially used truly for protection. Or for convenience. It became the norm as time passed, and humans got used to it."


    "Convenience?" Linfel asked her back.


    Felia nodded. "Think about it. Suppose Romario, Alvin, Milia, and Julia were not wearing clothes at the moment, and they suddenly needed to run from a predator or hunt something else that was running away." She didn''t continue from there, though. She had common sense. She just hoped Linfel understood her meaning.


    The humans in the conversation truly imagined that for a moment, just to feel even weirder. That wasn''t exactly the type of thought you would usually have... Well, Alvin and Romario, as very healthy boys, might have thought about such things in their more ''private'' moments. Even women were not immune to such wild ideas.


    Linfel pondered a bit and understood. "I see! If they suddenly start to run, their penises will move everywhere! That sure would feel very uncomfortable, ultimately reducing their efficiency. As for women, depending on the size of their breasts, they, too, would go up and down nonstop." As he spoke, the faces of those hearing got redder and redder...


    "In a certain way, it might be even more annoying than penises. Naturally, they had to wear these clothes you mentioned, and that ended up becoming the norm." Well, Linfel couldn''t care less about what he says or not.


    "Still..." Linfel pondered a bit. "To think you would feel embarrassed to show them over time. Humans truly are a weird race for sure..."


    Alvin and the others looked at Linfel. Who is the weird one here? Wait... he does have strong arguments, so are the humans truly the weird ones, perhaps?


    "Ahem!" Alvin noticed the two women''s expressions and finally cut in. "L-Let''s not talk about such topics anymore, shall we? Do you all agree?"


    Milia and Julia nodded vigorously, while Romario felt a little sad since he was finding this topic very interesting. Well, even Alvin had to admit it was interesting to ''imagine'' a few situations while Linfel spoke innocently.


    Milia then took a deep breath and calmed down. It seems like every time she gets involved with Linfel and Alvin, she can''t truly keep her normal cold behavior. "Alvin," she called out.


    "Yes?" Alvin asked back.


    "You..." Milia glanced at Linfel, who seemed to still be thinking about that topic, "have a very peculiar taste for Familiars, that''s for sure," Milia completed.


    Alvin felt like crying. Why is she putting him together with Linfel? ''Ah, right... They think I was the one who created Linfel in that way...'' He truly wanted to say Linfel wasn''t his Familiar, but that wouldn''t do anymore.


    ''Red Magic Energy, Alvin. Red Magic Energy! Think about Linfel''s Red Magic Energy! Everything will be worth it...'' Alvin thought to himself. ''It will, won''t it?'' Although he wasn''t very confident.


    Linfel then shook his head and gave up. "Forget it. Since there are so many humans, you are still having a lot of sex. It probably happens millions of times per day. I guess it doesn''t really matter if you wear clothes or not."


    ''Does he truly need to mention that?'' Everyone thought at the same time.


    "Alright, Linfel. Enough with the clothes question. We use them, period," Alvin tried to take Linfel''s mind away from it.


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, yes. Another question, then. I passed by so many humans already. Still, how come I haven''t seen anyone attempting to reproduce yet? Milia, Alvin, can you show me?"


    *bang!*


    Alvin and Milia''s heads fell to the ground. "LIKE HELL WE WILL!"


    "Sigh... Fine, I will get one of those MCOMs you guys use and search for answers myself later." And here it was, a Wisp confessing he was going to watch porn.


    Romario whispered in Alvin''s ears. ''Alvin, is this the kind of Familiar you have to create to get a high Master Familiar Connection?''


    Alvin was truly crying now.


    After making sure the Wisp wouldn''t ask about human reproduction anymore, Milia finally decided to leave. It''s just that her cold expression was nowhere to be seen anymore. She was too red to play that. "I''m starting to regret I invited you two, but what is done is done. Anyway, meet me at the west side of the academy, by the Founder''s Statue. Our Floating Blades Faction is there.


    As the one who recruited you, I unfortunately have to be the one to show you the surroundings."


    "Sorry..." Alvin bitterly smiled. Could he have caused a worse impression if he tried? That was hard to say.


    *Ding, ding, ding, ding...*


    Suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed over the entire academy.


    "Time for the classes," Milia recomposed herself. "See you later."


    Romario and Julia didn''t delay and left with Calisbin and Danil after bidding their farewells.


    Alvin, too, could only go to his own class. "Alright, as my familiar, you can take part in the same class as me. Come on, let''s go."

 Chapter 19: Classes

    On the way to the class, the Wisp asked Alvin a little more about it. "What are we learning exactly? Also, do I need to take part in the same classes s you?"


    "You don''t," Alvin shook his head. "In fact, you can select any class you want to participate in now that you are an independent Familiar. As for what we are learning, that varies. For example, the class I''m going to now is Magic Theory. We study the many ways that Magic can be bent to fulfill our objectives."


    "So... kind of Magic Control?" Linfel asked back.


    Alvin nodded. "Pretty much, yes. Although it goes quite deep into this subject."


    Linfel felt there wasn''t much for him in that class. He truly had no issues controlling his Magic Energy. Nonetheless, he followed. It was his first day, after all.


    In the class, Alvin sat in the top right corner of the room, joining another young man in that location. "Hey, Connor."


    With so many students in the entire Academy, each class usually had a lot of students. This one, for example, had 127 in total. They were all Level One Maguses.


    Connor, who was focused on his MCOM, heard that voice and immediately looked at Alvin with wide eyes. "Alvin!"


    Connor had joined the academy with Alvin, coming from the same sea-side area as him. It''s what you could call childhood friendship. Their talents turned out to be pretty much the same, so they ended up in the same classes once they selected the subjects they wanted to study.


    Connor quickly pulled Alvin closer and showed his MCOM. "What''s the meaning of this?!"


    -Milia to Marry an F Rank Magus? Check our detailed report about Alvin and Milia, the unnexpected pair.-


    Alvin sighed, already expecting something like this. That wasn''t the only one. Many other sources were sensationalizing the events in the Master Familiar Connection Test area. Of course, these sources knew better than to make an enemy of Milia and her Frondor Family. So, once you read through them you would always end at Alvin''s declaration and pointing out that it was truly nothing but a rumor.


    There was also the report of the mission page showing that Milia truly was investigating the incident with Alvin''s Father.


    Alvin looked around and could see many of the other students looking in his direction. "Sure enough, there are a lot of people interested." Alvin then looked back at Connor. "It is what it is. Or could it be you didn''t read the full report of these sources? They should have mentioned how it was a coincidence and nothing else." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s not the problem!" Connor, actually, didn''t give a fuck to the rumors. He knew Alvin well enough to know that getting involved with Milia was nothing but a dream. "I''m talking about this Master Familiar Connection result. 71%!!! You got a freaking 71%! How did you do that?"


    At the same time, he looked at Linfel. "Also, you didn''t have a new Familiar when you left the Academy yesterday. Just where did you get the credits to make this new one?"


    Alvin faintly smiled. "Well, many things happened. Sorry for not telling you about Linfel. I wasn''t sure I was going to get him ready anyway." Alvin then told Connor the same excuse about creating Linfel with some weird options. "And that''s why I was afraid of bringing him. Fortunately, our connection worked pretty well."


    Connor looked at Linfel. "So Alvin was concerned enough to not have told me, his best friend, about you, uh?"


    Linfel nodded. "You also know Alvin. He is a very shy and delicate boy who can barely hold any pressure. Don''t blame him."


    Connor vigorously nodded. "That, I can''t deny."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Who the hell is shy and delicate?! I, your grandfather, am very bold."


    Felia patted Alvin''s head while shaking her head. "Master, don''t force yourself. It is not good to go against one''s nature. You should accept and embrace it."


    Linfel and Connor nodded together.


    "Go to hell!" Alvin cursed in anger. Of course, he knew they were just messing with him, which wasn''t different from their usual interactions. It''s just that Linfel joined the messing group now.


    Suddenly, the door of the class opened, and a woman entered the room. Everyone quickly went back to their seats, waiting for the class to start. Naturally, that was the teacher.


    "Alright, seems like we have a new Familiar in the class," said the teacher. "I''m the Magic Theory Teacher of the Rank F Class 12, Marita Uvesdin. You should be the Familiar that caused the ruckus at the Academy Entrance, right?"


    Linfel quickly stepped forward. "Sorry, sorry. That would be me, indeed. I''m Linfel, and Alvin is my Master."


    Marita nodded, not caring too much. "Alright, just don''t cause trouble here, and we will be fine. You haven''t really selected any classes to take part in, but as Alvin was your master, you can indeed follow him. Later, go to the Academy Class Office and take a look at which classes you want to take yourself. As an Independent Familiar, you have that right."


    Everyone looked at Linfel and Alvin, surprised. Alvin got a Familiar with 71% of MFC, and yet, Alvin let him become independent. Most of them would never have done that.


    "Yes." Linfel nodded.


    Marita then put those matters aside and started the class. It was just like Alvin mentioned. It was all about the theory of Magic, with Marita showing some examples along the way. The class continued for one hour straight before she finally finished. "And that''s how the channels within your Magus Body can carry the Magic Energy. Give it a try after the classes are over.


    Perhaps you can find a proper route that better adapts to your own bodies."


    Marita left the class, and the next teacher arrived a minute later. Yet, Linfel didn''t have much to learn from Alvin''s teacher. It wasn''t that they weren''t doing a good job, but that their topics were related to Maguses, not Familiars. Well, Linfel isn''t a Familiar either.


    ***


    The day passed in that fashion, with most classes being theoretical. They weren''t useless, though. Even if these Magus-related topics weren''t of much use to him, they at least helped him understand more about the Maguses of this world.


    Classes ended around 4 PM, granting Alvin and Linfel two hours of free time before they had to go to the Floating Blades Faction. Outside the classroom, Linfel looked at the plaque by the door and asked, "Alvin, why does it say Rank F? Are there different ranks for classes?"


    Connor was the one to answer, though. "Sigh... there are, but Alvin won''t be here for much longer."


    Alvin shook his head. "That''s not true. The only thing good about me is my Master Familiar Connection. I myself am still pretty much a Rank F Magus for all intents and purposes."


    Felia then explained to Linfel, "It is all about talent and resources. The better you do, the better the classes you can take. It goes without saying that those with rich backgrounds could spend a lot more resources, getting themselves into better places even if they don''t have better talent."


    Connor shrugged his shoulders. "Yet, even that isn''t enough to get you to Rank A and B Classes. Fortunately, resources can only elevate you to a Rank C Class at most. Rank A and B classes prioritize talent and effort above all else. Of course, it doesn''t change the fact that having a lot of resources will make it easier to enter those two top Ranks.


    Over 90% of the students in Rank A and B classes are rich."


    "It isn''t all that bad then," Linfel mentioned. "Still, we are only Rank F? That''s too sad."


    Linfel then remembered something. "Right! There are classes for Familiars, right?"


    "There are," Alvin nodded. "That''s what we are going to check now. However, the number of classes for Familiars is very limited. Can you guess why?"


    Linfel pondered a bit and understood. "Normal Familiars have all the theoretical knowledge thrown into their souls when they are created. There isn''t any point in having theoretical classes for them, which are many more of the Maguses'' Classes."


    Felia, Connor, and Alvin confirmed. "You are correct. That said, the Familiar Classes are all about practical teaching. While we have five different classes on the first day of the week, you only have one or maybe not even that."


    "It makes me wonder why Familiars haven''t conquered the world by now. Hahaha!" Linfel couldn''t help but joke.


    Connor smiled. "It isn''t that simple. Sure, Familiars have a great head start with all the knowledge they get from when they are created. But once a Magus achieves a similar level of knowledge, it levels up. From there onwards, it is all about ingenuity, and this is a field where normal living beings excel a lot more than Familiars."


    "Why?" Linfel asked back.


    "Knowledge itself," Alvin explained. "Familiars are born with all the knowledge, and that becomes their greatest barrier when it comes to development."


    "Oh!" Linfel could see the sense in that.


    The process of learning can also open doors to new ideas. It is while you are taking in new knowledge that questions arise, and those questions could lead to new fields that haven''t been thought of before. Familiars were born with all the theoretical knowledge, so they didn''t have the chance to question any of them. It is simply there for them to use.


    Felia looked a little sad. "That''s exactly the case. It is not like Familiars can''t evolve, but the early acquired knowledge makes it hard for us Familiars to thread into new horizons. We all instinctively rely on that knowledge that is already there instead of trying anything new. Familiars that can break away from this bind are rare, really rare. It is a mental barrier."


    Alvin smiled at Linfel. "You, on the other hand, won''t have this issue."


    "How come?" Connor asked, confused. "He is also a Familiar."


    Alvin turned to Connor. "Let''s just say it is part of the process of creation I used to make him." Obviously, that was a lie.


    "By the way," Linfel noticed something. "You mentioned classes only on the first day of the week. Are there no classes on the other days?"


    "Oh, that''s not it," Alvin shook his head. "I''m talking about theoretical classes. During the rest of the week, it is all about practical training and Magic Energy Absorption. Not to mention, we need to take missions to gain academy credits. Theory can only bring you so far, right? Practice makes perfect."


    "I understand," Linfel nodded. "Do we have practices together?"


    "Of course!" Alvin quickly confirmed. "It works like this: Theoretical Classes on the first day of the week. Familiars would be mostly practical ones, obviously."


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot," Alvin suddenly mentioned. "I told you Familiars don''t need to take theoretical classes, but it isn''t like they don''t exist. You can apply to take them. Sometimes for whatever reason, a Familiar might be lacking in some kind of knowledge. Maybe an error during creation, maybe the knowledge they took in during their creation was outdated, or something like that.


    In any case, you can take theoretical classes specific to Familiars."


    Linfel was happy. After all, he knew nothing about Familiars and how they worked. Since Familiars are much closer to him than humans, their theoretical classes are just what he needs. Besides, he still needs to learn how to integrate Magic Energy into his core so he can increase his level.


    Alvin continued. "Anyway, on the first day, you can take theoretical classes. Then you have five days of freedom. Finally, you have a field exam at the end of the week. This one is not obligatory, but it is a good moment to put into practice whatever you learned. The practices and missions you do during the week or the field exam at the end, you can do it all with your Familiar."


    Connor bitterly smiled. "Well, he said five days of freedom, but you can''t truly just do nothing during it. In anything, these five days are the hardest as you need to acquire Academy Credits to get Magic Stones for training. Simply put, it is always a packed week every week."


    Alvin agreed. For low-ranked Maguses like them, it was especially harsh.

 Chapter 20: Thats My Brother!

    Linfel''s group arrived at a different building. There, you could see way more Familiars than Maguses, showing its real purpose. The Maguses there were only accompanying their Familiars. Nonetheless, the building was made with the Maguses'' sizes in mind, so Alvin and Connor had no issues entering with Linfel and Felia.


    "Master!" It was then that a Familiar with two small wings came to Connor''s side.


    "Oh, Tratil. And here I was wondering where you went. Sure enough, you were here again," Connor smiled as he talked to his Familiar.


    "Is it normal for Familiars to spend time here?" Linfel asked.


    Felia was the one to answer that. "Pretty much. The academy is, after all, made for Maguses. You won''t find many places specific for Familiars, especially since they usually spend most of their time by their Masters'' sides. When Familiars want to talk to each other, they usually come here to the Familiar''s house. This is also the place where you can apply for classes as a Familiar."


    Linfel nodded, understanding. Their group quickly arrived near a counter where a Familiar was taking notes.


    "Well, you don''t need me to talk for you anymore, Linfel. Just go ahead and see what you want to do," Alvin mentioned as he stayed behind.


    Linfel nodded and talked to the Familiar there. "Hi, I''m a new Familiar in the academy. I would like to apply for some Familiar Classes."


    The Familiar looked at Linfel and pressed a few options on the monitor in front of it. The other monitor, in front of Linfel, immediately showed a list of the several types of classes he could take, mostly practical related. "Go ahead and select the ones you are interested in. Familiars are special, so the academy only provides two classes for free for us. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If you want to take more than two at once, you will need to pay Academy Credits."


    Linfel nodded and looked through the list. Immediately, the first one got his attention.


    -Introduction to Magic Energy Integration and the several Methods surrounding it.-


    Without thinking twice, Linfel selected that one.


    Next, he went through the list, and there were many practical classes related to magic control, magic density, magic power, etc. Yet, there were pretty much no theoretical ones. ''Well, although there were very few theoretical, I''m already pretty good at them from what I saw in the Familiar Test. I might as well take a practical one.''


    However, it was then that a specific one got his attention.


    -Magical Diagrams, Runes, and their Functions. Basic Practical and Theoretical Level-


    Linfel immediately remembered the many diagrams he had seen so far. They were very different from the Primordial Runes used by his friend in the past, especially since he was taught a lot regarding them. Yet, the Diagrams were very different, so he wanted to learn more, and now the opportunity appeared. ''So there are runes in the Magical World too, uh?


    However, they seem to be different from the Runes I used in the past, and they are built into the Diagram Arrays themselves. Interesting...''


    Linfel didn''t have a single Academy Credit to his name, so he obviously could only select two classes. By selecting the Magical Diagrams Class, he reached his quota.


    The Familiar behind the counter checked the options Linfel selected. The Magical Diagrams were understandable. They were not included in the Familiar''s knowledge when their souls took form, so quite a few Familiars selected this class out of curiosity. However...


    "Hum? Introduction to Magic Energy Integration? Why would you take this? It was supposed to be within the knowledge of your AI before you were made into a soul," the Familiar asked, curious. "Be aware that once you select this, there is no way back. Other types of classes will cost you."


    Linfel shook his head. By now, he already understood the excuses Alvin had been saying. "My creation process was a little messed up, so I''m lacking a lot of knowledge. I need to learn magic Energy Integration from scratch. Well, since this class is available, it means the academy expected such situations to happen, right?"


    The Familiar had to admit Linfel''s words made sense. "I guess you are right. Very well." he quickly added those two classes to Linfel''s name. "Alright, you can use your MCOM to check where you need to go for these classes. They happen on the first day of the week, so don''t get late."


    "The first day?" Linfel narrowed his eyes. "But the day is almost over. Do I have to wait until next week to take them?"


    "Not really. If you pay the necessary Academy Credits, you can take them at any time," the Familiar explained. "However, you have to pay again every time you want to take it outside of class day."


    Linfel sighed. He didn''t have any academy credits, but he had a whole week to go after them. "Very well, thank you."


    Linfel returned to Alvin and the others. "Alright, got everything over with. What now?"


    Alvin checked the time. There was still over an hour before he had to meet Milia on the west side, after all. "How about the Missions?"


    "You talking about the tasks you mentioned in your father''s house?" Linfel asked back.


    "Yes," Alvin continued. "The academy provides a lot of them, and their completion rewards Academy Credits. I can''t provide for you forever, so you will need to take some on your own. You might as well take a look now. We just need to go to the Missions Hall."


    Linfel didn''t have any better plans. "Seems like a good idea."


    Alvin turned his attention to Connor. "What about you? It is not like you need to follow me everywhere, you know?"


    Connor smiled as he put his arm around Alvin''s shoulder. "Aren''t we friends? Do I need a reason to hand around?"


    Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, scoffed. "Hmph! Master, you just heard they will meet with that famous Milia Frondor later, so you want to use the opportunity to talk to her too. That''s something you could only dream of before. You are just using Alvin."


    Connor''s smile increased even more. "Exactly. Alvin is very easy to use- Ahem! I mean, very useful."


    *Pof!*


    *Ouch!*


    Alvin hit Connor with his elbow, forcing him away. "At least try to be more subtle, will you? ...Well, it is not like I don''t understand the feeling, though."


    "That''s my brother for you!" Connor laughed it out.


    ---


    Mission Hall, Tasks Building, Academy Requests, this place had many names, but it all meant the same thing. Here, Maguses of all levels and Familiars could take the several missions released by the academy. Of course, as long as they were within their level.


    Inside, there were pretty much no attendants. Instead, you could find hundreds of open terminals, and you could use your Magic Energy Signature to assign an available mission to your name. However, this was Linfel''s had never been here, so he was obligated to go through an attendant first. Alvin, of course, stayed slightly behind and let Linfel do everything.


    "Hi, sir. I''m a new Familiar and would like to take a mission," Linfel quickly asked the attendant.


    The attendant had a snooze expression, obviously not having much to do here since the terminals were always used. "Oh! Hi, hi... Please use the receptor by the Monitor so I can take your Magic Energy Signature." Linfel did as asked, and his information quickly appeared on the monitor.


    Only then did the attendant continue. "Indeed, this is your first time, so I need to give a quick explanation of the rules. First, you can only take tasks up to a single level above yours, but the best is to take those at your level to make sure you complete them."


    "Be aware that if you take a task higher than your level and you fail to complete it, the academy will penalize you with Academy Credits equivalent to three times the value of the task reward. That''s to prevent everyone from just trying their luck instead of having real confidence.


    If you don''t have any Academy Credits at that moment, your balance will go negative until you gain enough to cover what you owe."


    "There are also penalties for tasks at your level that you fail, but their penalties are just the value of the task reward alone. They are obviously a lot easier for you to complete."


    "You can not take more than one task at once. If you try, the system will warn you that you already have one. You must complete it, report its failure or that you gave up. Only then you can take a new one. If you fail three in a roll, the system will block you out, and you won''t be able to take a new for for a period of seven days."


    Linfel nodded. It was very simple and efficient. "Is there a bonus for tasks of higher level completed?"


    "Yes," The attendant nodded. "You will gain a 25% bonus for tasks half a star higher than your level and 50% for tasks one star higher. Tasks at your level will be marked in green; those half a star higher are marked in yellow, and those one star higher are marked in red. The tasks marked in gray as tasks beyond your level as a Familiar, so you can''t take them."


    Linfel memorized everything. "I understand. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?"


    "Their time limit," the attendant pointed out on the monitor. "They all have to be completed within a certain period. Otherwise, they will be automatically marked as failures, and the penalty will be directly debited from your Academy Credits balance."


    "One more thing," the attendant grew serious. "It''s absolutely prohibited other stronger Maguses to complete your tasks for you. If it is found out that you received such help, not only will your task be marked as a failure, the penalty is ten times the reward value. You will also be blocked from accepting new tasks for three months straight."


    "That''s quite harsh," Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    The attendant agreed with him. "It definitely is. But then again, it will only happen if you break the rules, so it shouldn''t be a problem if you are an upright Familiar. Anyway, that''s pretty much it. Can I add you to the task system?"


    "Yes, please." Linfel nodded.


    "Andddd... it''s done," the attendant concluded with a smile. "You can use your MCOM to check the progress of tasks you took. However, to report their completion or failure, you must come here. Once again, be aware of the completion time limit."


    Linfel then saw a new option added to his ID information on the monitor before he closed it down and returned to Alvin. "They are quite through with their methods."


    "That they are," Alvin couldn''t agree more. "We need to get you an MCOM later. For now, try to take a look at the available missions on the terminals. You will soon understand the problem I mentioned back at my father''s home."


    Alvin mentioned in the past that even though the tasks were there for everyone to take, he always only had the most trivial ones available. But instead of explaining why, he said Linfel would understand once he saw it at the academy.


    Linfel didn''t waste time and hopped to a Terminal before directing some of his Magic Energy into the Receptor so it could read his magic Energy Signature. Immediately, the same list of tasks opened to him again. He used a filter and wiped out all the gray tasks from the list, leaving only the ones he could accept.


    However, he soon noticed a problem. Pretty much all tasks available for him to take were simple menial labors like cleaning, carrying things, and even cooking. The tasks that gave higher rewards, which truly used a Familiar or Magus'' power, were all taken. "So... is it about competition? Those who are faster take them?"


    "It would be fine if it was the case," Connor was the one to talk. "We could simply stay here in the Mission Hall and wait for the tasks to appear and try to snatch it straight away. Unfortunately, that''s not the case."


    "What''s the problem then?" Linfel asked, confused.


    Felia approached his monitor and touched the ''details'' button on the screen. Immediately, a set of rules appeared on the tasks.


    One specific rule was quite eye-catching on all of them.


    -Mission priority to Higher Ranked Student Classes.-


    "This..." Immediately, Linfel understood. As Rank F students and Familiars, it would be a miracle if a mission that paid well was ever available for them.

 Chapter 21: We Are Taking Them All

    "Isn''t it way too unfair? I thought the academy still tried to be somewhat reasonable," Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    "That''s not the issue. The issue is the missions themselves," Alvin explained. "You see, if you ignore these simple tasks that the academy throws out, the high-paying missions are usually issued not by the academy but by other organizations that need a Magus Level of help."


    Connor continued. "He is right. These organizations don''t care about the academy''s rank. What they care about is that the missions they issue are completed as fast and perfect as possible. Otherwise, they will go after other Magus Organizations outside the academy."


    "First of all, the only reason they even bothered to give the Academy these missions was because it truly charges a lot less than a normal Magus who has already graduated would. But, if these missions aren''t completed in the end, what''s the point if the academy charges less?" Felia asked Linfel.


    Linfel could only mentally sigh. It all made sense now. It is not that the academy doesn''t want to give these missions to lower-ranked students. Instead, it is all about keeping a good name in the Magus Market. If they open these missions to the ''less capable'' Maguses of the academy, there are higher chances of these missions failing.


    The academy can''t afford to lose the support of outside organizations, so the priority goes to higher-ranked classes.


    "How does the priority system work?" Linfel asked.


    "Time," Alvin quickly answered. "The missions get unlocked to lower-ranked students as time goes by. In the first hour, only Rank A Classes can take the missions. In the second hour, the mission becomes available for Rank B Classes. Three hours for Rank C, four hours for Rank D, and so on and so forth."


    Linfe nodded. "So Rank F, like us, can only take a mission after six hours, uh?"


    Connor and Alvin confirmed. "That''s pretty much it. We can only hope no one takes these good missions until enough time goes by, which hardly happens. Even when it happens, there will be plenty of maguses ready to snatch it away, so you truly need some good luck to be here at the right time."


    Linfel then turned off the terminal and returned to Alvin''s side. "I understand how it works. Should we go meet Milia now?"


    "Yes, it is about time," Alvin and everyone else agreed. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The west side of the academy was quite far due to the academy''s huge size. Over a hundred thousand students were no joke, and you still had to count in dormitories and things like that. Fortunately, there were many academy vehicles that transported the students everywhere, running 24/7. Everything was controlled by AI.


    On their way to the west side, Linfel took the chance to ask. "So, with Rank being so important, how do we increase our rank exactly? It doesn''t seem like it is related to your level as a Magus or Familiar."


    "That''s obvious," Alvin said before speaking about the process. "We talked about it before, remember? It is all about talent and prospects. Nonetheless, you will hardly find a Level One magus in Classes A and B, for example, except for those who just joined the academy at twelve. If they are in Classes A and B and aren''t Level Two yet, that''s just because they didn''t have enough time for it.


    Like Milia, for example, they would all be Level Two by the age of 15. But look at us, our hopes are to reach level two in the next ten years only. In that, you can already see the difference."


    "Is there no way to increase our Rank as students faster?" Linfel had to ask.


    "Yes," Alvin took out his MCOM and opened a page for Linfel to see. It was a page regarding the end-of-the-week Field Exams. "I told you we have Field Exams on the last day of the week, right? That''s also where you can increase your rank. The missions during that day vary, but it is also field related. That means you will be tested as a Magus and Familiar."


    Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, continued from there. "One thing is certain, though. There will be battles. It might be against other students. It might be against Magic Beasts, it might be against Magic Puppets. Usually, for safety''s sake, Magic Puppets and Student battles are the most used since there is a certain degree of control.


    However, a real Magus can''t grow within a greenhouse. So you will definitely have Field Exams against Magic Beasts or similarly dangerous operations at some point."


    Felia shrugged her shoulders. "Well, as mentioned before, these exams aren''t obligatory. You can totally skip the field exams that you feel are too dangerous, and no one will say anything. But then again, these ones are usually the best when you want to increase your rank."


    "Have you guys tried any of them already?" Linfel asked. After all, everyone here was still a Rank F Student.


    Alvin looked through the window, checking the view. "One must know their limits."


    Connor nodded as he thought this was quite a nice day. "There is hope as long as you are alive."


    Linfel''s mouth twitched. Obviously, these two skipped all Field Classes they deemed even a little bit dangerous. perhaps they haven''t take a single one at all. No wonder they are still Rank F Students. "Alright. Alvin, we are taking all Field Exams from now on.


    No exceptions."


    Linfel was a Wisp, and his old friend, Horan, made sure to pierce into his mind that fact. He trained Linfel many times, and Linfel went through quite a lot of dangerous moments because of that. Linfel was still weak after all of that, but he at least understood how to do everything to keep himself alive.


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback. "No way! Slow and steady, slow and steady. There is nothing wrong with it, you know?"


    "You ass!" Linfel complained. "Wasn''t you who told your father you wouldn''t lose when it came to determination? Where is it now? Stop complaining, and let''s do it."


    "I''m not doing it!" Alvin immediately refused. There were real risks of death during these field exams.


    Linfel then whispered in his ear. ''Otherwise, forget about your Red Magic Energy.''


    Alvin''s expression froze for a moment before he complained. "That''s not part of the deal!" He didn''t care about hiding his voice at all.


    Linfel shrugged in response. "I''m the one who can do it, so it is up to you to accept or not. Hahaha!"


    "That''s blackmail!" Alvin still complained.


    "I have no idea what blackmail is," Linfel couldn''t care less. "Field Exams once per week, and you will get what you want."


    Felia heard all of that and was quite happy. "Thank you, Linfel. Finally, Master will start his journey to become a real Magus."


    Alvin wanted to cry. "I thought you were on my side, Felia..."


    "I am," she answered. "That''s exactly why I''m doing it for your own good. Master has been running away from it all this time while others are steadily advancing. What would your father think if he saw you like that? Now, you have a real motivation to do it."


    Connor was as puzzled as ever. "Just what kind of deal you did with your Familiar? Just ignore it. Remember our motto. The world has no need for dead Maguses."


    Linfel just smiled, saying nothing. It wasn''t like he cared about it anyway. He got his independent status, so he can do as he pleases. Besides, he also thinks this is the best for Alvin if he truly wishes to leave rock bottom.


    Seeing Alvin struggling to reach a decision, Felia remembered something. "Well, seems like Master truly doesn''t wish for it. I''m sorry, Linfel. But you can ask Milia since she definitely takes part in all of the Field Exams. She''s a Rank A student, after all. Try to help Master and explain to her why he isn''t taking the exams.


    There is nothing wrong in trying to avoid danger."


    Linfel sighed and nodded. "Fine, I''ll tell her everything."


    Alvin was terrified by that notion. Linfel had no filter whatsoever. He would put it bluntly for Milia to hear that he was simply a coward afraid of danger. If it was before, Alvin wouldn''t care since he and Milia would never interact in their lives. Now, however, he is closer to her and has even entered the same Faction, so how could he let that happen?


    He might even be expelled from the Faction altogether!


    "Ahem!" Alvin coughed a little. "I was obviously joking. Linfel and I got a nice Master Familiar Connection, so the Field Exams are perfect to try it out. Yes, definitely. I must do it for my father, who trusts in me back home."


    Felia was obviously happy. "Well said, Master! This is all for your father!"


    Linfel agreed. "All for your father!"


    "All for my father!" Alvin added once more.


    "YOUR ASSES!" Too bad Connor was still there. "You are just fucking terrified of what the goddess will think about you! Are you truly leaving me behind in the Rank F Classes, Alvin? I thought we were friends!"


    Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, whispered in his ear. ''But what if you help Alvin, the new hot member of the Floating Blades Faction, during the field exam? Milia is sure to be watching him since she was the one to recruit Alvin. If you show your qualities... perhaps she will notice your qualities?''


    "On the other hand," Connor continued. "I''m sure your father also weighs heavily in your heart. Alright, as your best friend, I can''t possibly let you take these risks alone. I''m going to the Field Exam with you."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. How could he not tell what Connor''s real objective was? "There is no need. You will only get in my way."


    "Is that what you think about your best friend?!" Connor asked back in anger.


    "Like hell you are considering our friendship! You only want to catch Milia''s attention now that I''m part of the Floating Blades Faction!" Alvin struck back.


    Connor didn''t seem to care. "And you are saying you wouldn''t do the same thing?"


    "Of course, I would! Fuck your opinion! It''s Milia we are talking about!" Alvin... has completely forgotten about his father already...


    Linfel looked at Felia and Tratil before asking them in a low voice. ''These two... are they okay?''


    Felia and Tratil nodded together. ''Don''t worry. They are always like this. They will forget about it before we even reach the west side.''


    Sure enough, by the time the Academy''s Transport reached the west side, Alvin and Connor were already discussing other things as if the previous argument had never happened.


    They walked for a few minutes and soon found the Founder''s Statue Milia mentioned. Yet, there were still fifteen minutes before 6PM, so Milia wasn''t there yet.


    "Seems like she hasn''t arrived yet," Connor commented.


    Linfel looked at the statue. It was a young man with a mustache and wearing a long robe, quite different from the clothes people usually used in the city. "Who''s this guy?"


    "It''s the founder of our Academy here in Sastasha City," Felia spoke. "He is also the actual Academy Principal, although he is much older now. This statue was from when he was much younger, over 300 years ago."


    "300 years?" Linfel was surprised. "Do humans live that long?"


    "Not normal humans," Tratil commented. "Normal humans live an average of 100 to 120 years. Maguses, however, can extend their lifespan much further. By the way, the oldest Magus in our country is the patriarch of the Frondor Family, senior Lutian. He is 537 years old by now."


    "I see..." Linfel nodded. "Hum? Frondor? Does he have anything to do with Milia?"


    "Yes," Alvin confirmed. "She is from the same family. Of course, she is probably like a great, great, great, a few more greats in there, great-granddaughter or something like that. No one knows for sure since their family is quite big. The Frondor Family has quite a few members in the academy, both in the student''s midst or among the teachers and administrators."


    It was then that a cold voice came from behind Alvin. "Lutian Frondor is my father."


    Alvin turned around and saw the dark expression on the woman''s face. "M-Milia!"

 Chapter 22: The Floating Blades Faction

    "Wait! D-Did you say Father?" Alvin was definitely shocked. "You mean... senior Lutian?"


    "Yes." Milia nodded, still serious.


    "The 537 Lutian Frondor, THAT Lutian?" Connor asked this time.


    "Yes," Milia confirmed once again.


    "The patriarch of the Frondor Family?" Felia also had to be sure.


    "I already said yes!" Milia was already losing her patience.


    There wasn''t a single Familiar or Person in there who wasn''t surprised by that revelation. "T-That''s unexpected..."


    Alvin quickly apologized. "Sorry, Milia. It''s just that we truly never heard about it."


    Connor quickly followed suit. "Yes, yes! We are talking about the patriarch of the Frondor Family, after all. I hope you can understand."


    Milia nodded, not pursuing the topic. She didn''t go around telling it to everyone, and it wasn''t exactly publicly disclosed. Nonetheless, it wasn''t a secret either. These kind of reactions always happened when others found out, so she was already used to it.


    Well, there was one single Familiar who wasn''t impressed or shocked, though. "According to human biology, males continue to produce sperm up to the day they die. Is it really that shocking this Lutian you talked about got to be Milia''s father?" Linfel truly saw nothing strange in there.


    Milia looked at Linfel with a slightly gentler expression. At least one of them took it seriously. Well, Linfel was simply thinking logically, as always, casting common sense to the wind.


    "Whatever," Milia changed the topic. "You are here to visit the Floating Blades Faction, so let''s carry on with it. But first..." milia narrowed her eyes as she looked at Connor and Tratil. "What are these two doing here?"


    Connor quickly introduced himself. "Hello, Miss Milia! I''m Connor, Alvin''s best friend. I have the duty to report to his father everything that happens to Alvin in the academy, so I have to accompany him and make sure he doesn''t get into trouble. You could say I''m his second father as well."


    *Pah!*


    Alvin slapped Connor''s back head. "Like hell you are! Where did you bring this bullshit from? Miss Milia, you can totally kick this guy away if you want. I don''t even know why he is still following me." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia turned around, moving in the Faction''s headquarters direction. "So be it. Just tag along and don''t cause trouble." There was a slight smile on her face that she didn''t show. These kinds of interactions and weight-free exchanges are truly rare in her circle, so she found it a little funny.


    Connor smirked at Alvin, who felt helpless. Nonetheless, their group quickly followed Milia.


    The Floating Blades Faction occupied a three-story building a few hundred meters away from the founder''s statue. The entrance had its five swords in a half circular manner emblem on the top and the name under it.


    Inside, an attendant saw Milia entering the building and quickly came to receive her. "Welcome back, Miss Milia." Your Faction could have your own attendants allocated by the Academy. After all, you needed to keep everything in order. However, the members would have to pay for all the expenses regarding them.


    Milia nodded. "Who is around today?"


    The attendant took a look at a device he was holding and spoke. "Pamil, Rin, and Natalie."


    "Almost everyone, it seems," Milia mentioned.


    Linfel was taken aback. Almost everyone? The guy only spoke three names! Alvin and the others thought the same thing, although no one mentioned it aloud.


    "Follow me," Milia brought their group through a corridor, finally entering an area with a few platforms on the ground. One of the platforms was occupied, with a woman who seemed in her twenties sitting down with her eyes closed. Linfel and the others could see the Brown Color of Magic Energy around, her showing her status as a Level Three Magus.


    Milia stopped with her group in front of the woman''s platform, speaking, "Natalie, I''ve brought him."


    The woman opened her eyes and looked at their group. She took out her MCOM and pressed a few options. The platform the deactivated, allowing her to come out. "Oh! We are quite lucky, it seems. To think we would get our fifth member so soon.


    Welcome, welcome! I''m Natalie, one of the Faction''s members."


    Right after, her bracelet suddenly changed form, quickly becoming a Familiar that looked more like a humanoid bird. "And I''m Vigrus, Natalie''s Familiar, independent! Welcome!"


    "Fifth?" Linfel asked. "I thought Factions had a lot of members."


    Alvin and the others nodded. They were expecting at least several tens, perhaps a few hundred. That was the usual number of members in a faction.


    Natalie smiled, already expecting that question. "That''s because we are new. You see, we have just formed this Faction at the start of the last year. Because of that, not many have shown interest compared to the more established and older Factions."


    Vigrus quickly jumped in. "Besides, our rules are a little too unorthodox with what kind of members we accept."


    "Unorthodox?" Linfel and Alvin were curious.


    "Yes," Vigrus nodded. "You see... Our Faction only accepts Maguses with Independent Familiars."


    "This..." No one expected such a rule. "That pretty much excludes more than 99% of all students, no?"


    Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Now you see why it is so hard to find members."


    Suddenly, a Familiar entered the room, quickly landing on Milia''s shoulder. It was Nori, who stayed behind in the Faction when Milia went out to fetch Alvin and Linfel. "Yes, pretty much all Maguses are out of the question. Not that we care about it, mind you."


    Linfel looked at the platform Natalie was using and asked. "What are they used for?"


    "They are Magic Energy Gathering Devices. They can extract the Magic Energy of Magic Stones much faster while keeping it all within the platform''s range," Natalie explained. "It is very convenient."


    "And expensive!" Vigrus added.


    "Only Factions have those?" Linfel wondered.


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "The Academy also has them for the students. It''s just that they cost Academy Credits to use."


    Natalie patted his shoulder. "Well, here, you don''t need to pay anything. They are free to use. Aren''t you happy you joined us? Hahaha!"


    Milia decided to continue with the tour. "Anyway, let''s go to the next place."


    There were quite a few different training facilities inside the buildings, but they were all just a few. Most Factions would have several tens of each piece of equipment, but there wasn''t much point in acquiring that many for the Floating Blades. With their Familiar Rule, they would always have a low number of members.


    Linfel didn''t mind any of that. If anything, he was more interested in training equipment for Familiars. It was called Soul Core Enhancing. For Familiars, the strength of their Soul was everything. They didn''t have a body to train, after all. That equipment allowed the Familiar to train the soul itself through a stress-related method.


    That type of training wouldn''t increase a Familiar''s Level regarding Magic Energy, but it would definitely make it easier to control, store, and release it. Linfel was basically a Core and a Soul, even if he wasn''t a Familiar, so it probably had good benefits for him as well. As for the rest of the equipment, they were mostly Magus-focused.


    Alvin couldn''t help but get a little excited as well. Most of the equipment they had here was free for use. And none of them required Academy Credits. The ones he had to spend something were the equipment that required Magic Stones to work, so he had to fork the Magic Stones himself. Nonetheless, it was definitely a great deal.


    Milia then brought them to a recreation area. "That''s pretty much all of it. I just need to add your ID to the Faction''s System, and you are now free to come and make use of everything."


    Alvin, Linfel, and Felia nodded. Let''s not forget Alvin''s condition to join was to accept Felia as well. Felia could definitely make good use of them as she is truly Alvin''s Familiar, not Linfel. There was even equipment that helped with the strengthening of Master Familiar Connection.


    At that moment, two other people entered the room. A man who seemed to be around Natalie''s age, around his twenties, and a very young girl, definitely someone who had just joined the academy this year.


    "Well, well, well! So this is our new friend, uh?" The man smiled as he spoke. "I''m Pamil, the Floating Blades Faction Leader. Just call me Pamil, though. I hate formalities. Besides, this thing about a leader is only on paper.


    I won''t go around ordering you like a boss or anything."


    Pamil then patted the young girl''s head. "And this is Rin, our second newest member. She is my cousin, so get along well with her, please."


    "Master, you can''t ignore me!" A familiar with the same brown color as Natalie''s Familiar suddenly came from Pamil''s back. "You can call me Qanda, independent. I''m the one who truly keeps everything in order in this Faction. If my Master causes you trouble, just tell me."


    Pamil shrugged. "See? I told you I''m only the leader on paper."


    "H-Hi..." Rin finally spoke, although she seemed quite shy to interact with the others.


    Milia showed a rare smile as she looked at Rin, too.


    "Last but most important, you have me!" It was then that a hairpin on Rin''s head changed shape, becoming another Familiar with a horned humanoid shape. It''s just that this one was Yellow, showing it was also a Level One Familiar. However, it was already possible to see a few tinges of Red on his body. He definitely wasn''t too far from becoming a Level Two Familiar.


    "I''m Sasoli, Rin''s Familiar, also independent. If you cause trouble to my Rin, I''ll have your heads. Be advised."


    Pamil ignored Rin''s Familiar. "Alvin, Linfel, and also Felia. We are few, but we are definitely a united Faction. We will have your backs as long as you have ours. So... PLEASE DON''T ABANDON US AND SELECT ANOTHER FACTION BECAUSE WE DON''T HAVE AS MANY RESOURCES OR AS GOOD EQUIPMENT!"


    Linfel''s group was taken aback. Shouldn''t this kind of thing be left unsaid at first and be slowly revealed to not scare your new members?


    "Sigh..." Qanda shook his head. "And now you know why I''m the one in charge of everything. Truly, I''m almost having Rin take the leader seat instead of you. Just the fact she keeps quiet would already be a great improvement."


    Rin looked terrified about the idea, though.


    "Errr... Ahem!" Alvin finally decided to talk. "It''s okay. I joined because you didn''t mind my other Familiar. That is enough to show you care about your Familiars."


    Linfel took the chance to ask. "By the way, why the rule about independent Familiars?"


    Indeed. Alvin, Connor, and the others were curious about that too.


    "Why not is the question you really want to ask," Qanda spoke. "Why should we accept Maguses who don''t trust their Familiars enough to set them free? You are connected by the soul, for fucks sake!"


    Milia and Rin nodded. They also agreed with that principle.


    It was then that Connor raised his hand. "Excuse me. If I set my Familiar Free, would I be able to join as well?"


    "No," Qanda shook his head. "We are, after all, a Faction of Maguses and Familiars. Unless you have something that sets you apart from the rest, what''s the point in spending resources on you? In Alvin''s case, he has a great Master Familiar Connection, and such a connection is sure to help the Faction. That''s why we invited him."


    Linfel looked at Tratil. "Can you even pass the independent Familiar test?" He didn''t see much difference between Felia and Tratil. That''s why he asked.


    Tratil didn''t hide that fact either. "Master. I''m also sure I can''t pass it." He looked at the others right after. "But just so everyone knows, Master had asked me before if I wanted to go independent once I got strong enough for the test. He is a good Master."


    Pamil looked at his Familiar with pledging eyes. "Look how good they are. Can''t we make a little exception?"


    Qanda''s mouth twitched. His Master was too soft. "We are already struggling for resources, and you want to make an exception? Absolutely not! End of discussion."


    "Tch..." Pamil could only give up.


    Alvin didn''t know what to expect from this Faction, but at least he was close to Milia, so he just decided to go for it. "I thank you all for receiving me. By the way, what exactly are my duties as a Faction member? I''ve never been in a Faction before, so I don''t know what you would expect me to do in here. It''s not like I can just use everything truly for free, right?"


    Qanda nodded. "Exactly."

 Chapter 23: Keg Powders

    Qanda quickly began explaining. "There are two things that determine the resources allocated to our Factions. First are the Field Exams. The overall score achieved during it can be added to the Faction itself at the end of each month."


    Linfel found it strange. "Then we are pretty much fucked, no? With Alvin, we only have five members, after all. Other Factions have several tens, if not hundreds. How can we even compete with it?"


    Qanda agreed with him. "Indeed. If the Field Exams were the only possible method, it would be a lost battle. However, that is the one that is worth the least towards the Faction''s overall ranking. The part that really determines most of the score for the Rank is the Faction Wars. Well, the official name is Faction Competition, but no one really uses that name."


    "Faction Wars?" Alvin and Connor had heard about it, although they never participated or paid attention to it. "How does it work?"


    "There are five types of events during the Faction Wars, and the wars happen once every six months only," Wanca continued. "They are the Magic Diagram Runes Exam, Magus Combat Exam, Master Familiar Combat Exam, Familiar Combat Exam, and last but not least, the Team Combat Exam."


    "So many combats..." Alvin couldn''t help but feel a chill on his back. Even though he made up his mind, it wasn''t like he became an incredibly brave Magus out of nowhere.


    Both Maguses and Familiars of the Floating Blades Faction smiled at the same time, and that even included the shy Rin. Right after, Milia commented. "Magus have a great status in any country. They can be famous, can build their own companies and have great chances of success, can remain anonymous, pursue their own dreams, it doesn''t matter."


    Her malicious smile increased as she looked straight at Alvin and Connor. "However, you must never forget. Maguses and Familiars are ultimately the country''s strength! The planet''s strength! They are raised ultimately for combat! To protect their home if it is attacked.


    To conquer others if it is needed. Maguses and Familiars exist for that sole purpose! Now that you have become a Magus, even if you are only a Level One Magus, you will not be able to escape this reality."


    Alvin swallowed hard. "G-Good thing we are in a quite peaceful time..."


    "Hahaha!" Pamil laughed even more. "It is so good to be naive. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss." He then added. "There is no such thing as peaceful times."


    Alvin, Connor, Felia, and Tratil looked all genuinely shocked by the revelation. From the looks of it, things weren''t as simple, and they had no idea.


    However, Qanda noticed that Linfel didn''t share the same shock as his companions. ''Does he know about it?'' He thought to himself.


    To be more specific, it wasn''t that Linfel knew anything. Instead, it was just that he never believed a country with something like Maguses and Familiars could truly be considered peaceful. He came from a time where wars occurred every second, where strength reigned supreme. Horan made absolutely sure Linfel understood this principle.


    From the very start, Linfel expected the background of things to be a lot more chaotic than what could be seen on the surface. Pamil''s words just confirmed the obvious to him.


    Milia took the opportunity to mention a few examples. "Have you followed the news? If you have, you should have heard about the conflict that broke out in Rasfol Country against Wenfis Country around a year ago."


    Alvin and Connor nodded with their Familiars. Linfel was the only one who didn''t now anything, although he could guess what Milia was about to say.


    "Those two countries were just like ours, they were living in ''peaceful times.'' However, go to the magical network and search for it. Search for any clues that could lead these two countries to such a conflict," Milia asked. "I''ll tell you what you will find... Nothing!" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you are still skeptical, you can search for Kramandel and Sosmari Countries. Same thing, no clues of a possible war, but now those two countries are at their throats," Milia gave another example.


    "You mean..." Alvin seemed to finally understand.


    And Qanda confirmed. "Yes, all the conflicts between Maguses of each country always happen behind the curtains. You will hear absolutely nothing about it until it finally explodes. Every country has its own keg powder waiting to be ignited, and ours or our neighbors are no different. You just have never heard about it because it is never made public."


    "However, the reasons are usually extremely simple," Pamil didn''t stop either. "Maguses and Familiars need resources to continue improving. Resources are acquired through the many sources of a territory. In the end, more territory, more resources, more High-Level Maguses and Familiars."


    Linfel faintly smiled. "When there are not enough resources for the Maguses and Familiars anymore..."


    "Exactly," Qanda confirmed. "You will have to look for it elsewhere, and this elsewhere always has an owner... or a country, if you may. Will that country just sit still and wait for it to be taken away? Absolutely not, and we are no different."


    Qanda then looked at Pamil as if asking for permission. Pamil noticed that and pondered a bit before ultimately nodding. Finally, Qanda spoke. "To be honest, our Heffal Country is reaching saturation, and because the other countries around haven''t had any wars in a while, they aren''t much different.


    Do not go around spreading this news, but it won''t take long before a powder keg finally explodes, and this explosion will immediately ignite the other kegs around."


    "What?!" Alvin and Connor were shaken. "It can''t be, right?"


    "It totally can," Pamil confirmed. "Because of my background, I know that small skirmishes between Maguses have increased severely in the past few years, and it is only growing. Once again, you won''t hear about it anywhere, nor should you spread this news if you don''t want to be silenced. However, you guys better put your all into your Magus training.


    It might not be long before you are put at the forefront of a real combat field."


    *Pah!*


    *Ouch!*


    Suddenly, a hand came flying, hitting Pamil''s back head. pamil turned around, feeling wronged, just to see Natalie there with a dark expression. His face froze for a second, and he looked away.


    Well, Natalie didn''t let go, though. "Why the hell are you scaring the newbie? Does it feel good or anything?"


    Alvin, Connor, and their Familiars were taken aback. "Wait! Were they lying?!"


    Natalie shook her head. "No, they were telling the truth." She looked at Milia right after. "Why didn''t you stop him? Even worse, you joined the group and said everything."


    Milia didn''t seem to care. "They should know the truth. Simple as that. As part of the Floating Blades Faction, they will be soon or later exposed to it."


    "It might be true," Natalie spoke. "However, that would only happen once they became Level Two Maguses and Familiars. The reason Rin even knows about it is because of her and Pamil''s Rowester Entreprise background. She was raised in the midst of such intrigues, so she isn''t affected by it. Alvin is different. You didn''t need to throw it all on his face at once."


    Linfel looked at Alvin. "They don''t even know you yet, and they already think you are a weakling. Just how did you manage to get such a reputation?"


    Alvin''s concerned expression immediately changed into anger. Obviously, Linfel was talking about Alvin''s unwillingness to take part in any of the Field Exams. "Shut up! I will get over it!" He then pulled Connor to his side. "My brother is also with me, so I can definitely get better."


    "Cough, cough..." Connor quickly distanced himself. Connor said he would join the Field Exams with Alvin, but this conversation made him change his mind. "I just got a message that my dog caught fire. I need to go."


    "Your ass!" Alvin kicked the guy''s but before he could take a single step. "You don''t even have a fucking dog, so just quit the bullshit and bear the pain with me."


    Tratil quickly joined the conversation. "He is right, Master. This is not the time to run away. If something really happens, you will need to be as strong as possible! If you are as weak as now by then... wouldn''t you be selected straight away as a cannon fodder?"


    Connor instantly straightened himself. "I just got another message. Seems like my roommate put out my dog''s fire. Let''s continue." Cannon fodder? That was even worse!


    Alvin was speechless. How much more shameless can Connor be? Everyone had their own rooms in the dormitories. They are all Maguses, after all. There was no such thing as roommates. Yes, the academy was that big.


    Natalie looked at Connor before speaking to Alvin. "Alvin, it is one thing that you now know about it, but another one for your friend here. You better make sure he keeps quiet. You don''t need to worry about us going after him. If he opens his mouth, the academy and the government itself will make sure he will not see the sun rising tomorrow."


    Connor was terrified of the notion. "I... will absolutely say nothing..."


    Natalie nodded. "If you care for your life, then I''m sure you won''t. In any case, you would also know about it once you become a Level Two Magus, although a lot later than Alvin here in the Floating Blades Faction."


    "Alright, alright, let''s end it here," Qanda intervened. "This conversation is getting too gloomy. What we were talking about was the Faction Wars, so let''s continue that."


    Linfel was happy to hear that. "Right! When is the next one? Also, what are the rules?"


    "The rules are determined a day prior to the wars," Qanda explained. "As for the date, as I mentioned, it is every six months. It has been only two months since the second semester started, so it will only happen at the end of the year. Four months. We can try to do better in field exams, but with how little they contribute to the Faction Rankings, it won''t matter much for us at the moment.


    Just do your best."


    Linfel could only leave it at that. "Well, we will see when the time comes then."


    The two groups then talked for a while as Qanda finished explaining some other rules in the Faction itself. In the end, the day gave way to the night, and it was time for Alvin and Linfel to go back to the dormitory with the others.


    On their way out, Qanda also mentioned. "The Faction equipment is open for its members to use all day long, even if you want to use it during the late night or early morning hours before the sun even comes up. There will always be an attendant at the entrance to attend to your requests as long as they are within his duties."


    "Hum?" It was then that Linfel noticed something. "By the way, Milia, Pamil, Rin, and Alvin are only four members of the Floating Blades Faction. What about the fifth one?"


    Pamil smiled. "You will meet him soon. Until then, it is a surprise."


    Alvin and Linfel looked at each other, not understanding the reason for the secrecy. Nonetheless, it wasn''t like they absolutely needed to know the guy. "If you say so..."


    Alvin and Connor bid their farewells after a while before Alvin returned to his room with Linfe and Felia.


    "Sigh..." Alvin crumbled on his bed. "Could it truly be the case? Were we in such danger all this time?"


    "Seems like it," Felia confirmed. "So, master, you must get strong to protect yourself and your father."


    Alvin could only nod in the end. "I will try." He then sat on the bed and looked at Linfel. "Alright, the best way to do it is through our deal. Linfel, ready to clean some Low-Grade Magic Stones?"


    Linfel nodded. "Sure. Will you take it all, or will you share it with Felia?"


    "Share it!" Alvin didn''t need to think twice. "We aren''t really Master and Familiar. If one day you decide to leave, it will be only Felia and I again. It''s not that I don''t trust you, but I still prefer her."


    Felia was happy to hear that, and so was Linfel. "You are right. I will stay in the academy for now but might leave at some point. Very well, give me the Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones you have. Time to pay my debt."

 Chapter 24: Lets Get Started

    Each Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stone was just three Universal Credits outside the academy, so one could only imagine how cheap it was inside the Academy itself, which usually had lower prices. Of course, those prices were charged in Academy Credits, the academy''s own currency.


    There were rules, though. To prevent students from taking advantage of this system, all the training resources acquired in the Academy can only be used by the Academy Students and inside the Academy Grounds. For example, Alvin didn''t bring a single Low-Grade Yellow Magic when he visited his father. Instead, when he tested Linfel''s ability, he used his father''s Magic Stones.


    The Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones were truly cheap, costing just a single Academy Credit each. That was another reason for all new Maguses to join it. Even if you were for a famous family or some other organization, you still wanted to take advantage of the academy''s several benefits.


    *plin, plin, plin, plin...*


    Suddenly, hundreds of Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones fell to the ground. There was one thing different about these ones compared to those outside. They all had the academy''s mark inside them. It was pretty much impossible to sell them outside without anyone knowing. Obviously, another security measure so no one would take advantage of the academy''s rules.


    "That''s quite a lot," Linfel couldn''t help but comment. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin nodded without caring much. "As little as the payments for menial tasks are, they are still big enough so you can afford Low-Grade or maybe even some Medium-Grade Yellow Magic Stones. I accumulated a lot of them so I can use these stones for a long time. There are more if you want too."


    Linfel didn''t waste time and immediately took ten of those stones, absorbing all their Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy. The cleaning process lasted only a few seconds. Alvin looked at Linfel''s core, and it was easy to see a lot of Yellow-Magic Energy escaping his body, just like the last time. That was all the impure Magic Energy, which even Linfel didn''t have much use for.


    Linfel then took another ten and repeated the process. This continued a few times until he spent a total of forty-seven Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones. "Alright, seems like this is the number."


    "Number of what?" Alvin and Felia asked.


    "Regarding concentration. I needed to use forty-seven of these yellow stones to accumulate the same amount of Low-Grade Red Magic Energy," Linfel explained.


    "Forty-Seven!" Alvin and Felia were delighted. "That''s the same as forty-seven Academy Credits! This is the greatest bargain of all times!"


    Only now, Linfel thought about it. "By the way, I saw the price of Low-Grade Red Magic Stones outside the academy with those Universal Credits. But how much does a Low-Grade Red Magic Stone cost in the academy itself?" He still remembers the cheapest Alvin showed him was 1352 Universal Credits.


    "Here? 500 exactly. Outside, the price of the Magic Stones varies according to the market fluctuations. However, the academy always keeps the prices static inside its grounds," Felia spoke. "By the way, Medium-Grade Yellows are 35 Academy Credits, while High-Grade yellows go for 125."


    Linfel was surprised. "So you will be able to get a 90% discount from now on with me here. Hahaha!" Right after, Linfel connected with Alvin. "Alright, let''s use the Master Familiar Connection. That is the best way I can share this Red Magic Energy without wasting anything."


    It was then that Alvin remembered something. "Right! What about Felia? You can''t use Master Familiar Connection with her, so how will you give Red Magic Energy to her core?"


    "It will need to be the normal process. Linfel will release his Red Magic while I absorb as much as I can before it completely dissipates," Felia explained.


    Linfel found that option terrible, though. "Why go through so much pain? Let''s both just use Master Familiar Connection with Alvin. That way, the Red Magic Energy I send into his Core can be taken into your core while the connection is active. See? No wastage...


    Well, there will probably be some waste of energy since you can''t reach a 100% MFC with Alvin, but it will be several times better than if I just release the energy in the air."


    Unfortunately, Alvin shook his head. "It doesn''t work. A Magus can''t connect to more than one Familiar at once. The burden to the soul is tremendous. That''s why you won''t see any maguses, at least none lower than Level Six Maguses, using more than one Master Familiar Connection at once. Even those at Level Six and above will refrain from doing so unless it is absolutely necessary.


    The risks of damaging the soul and even dying are too high."


    "Even less of a problem, then," Linfel crossed his arms, feeling confident. "After all, I''m not a Familiar. Our connection isn''t a real connection to start with. With you and Felia, you truly achieve a synergy between each other, a kind of merging property. In my case, however, I''m basically matching Alvin''s Soul and Magic Energy Frequencies.


    Your soul shouldn''t even notice I''m there while you still gain all the benefits of a Master Familiar Connection."


    "This..." Alvin didn''t know what to say.


    "Master, the implications of something like this are..." Felia was just as shocked.


    Linfel wanted to start. "Stop wasting time already. You need to sleep, but I don''t. Once you two go to bed, I''m going out to explore, so let''s get over with it."


    Felia and Alvin felt a chill in their souls with Linfel''s words. Perhaps the world would be over once they woke up the next day. "Please don''t! I still wish to live!" Alvin pleaded.


    "Where is your trust in me?" Linfel asked, feeling wronged.


    "It has never existed to start with," Felia and Alvin spoke at the same time.


    Linfel was speechless. "H-Hmph! I didn''t need it anyway." He then approached Felia and Alvin. "Come on, let''s get started."


    Alvin and Felia were still skeptical about Linfel''s idea of using the Master Familiar Connection at the same time as they were doing it. So, to make sure things wouldn''t go out of control, Felia and Alvin did it first.


    One might wonder, since Linfel could match Alvin''s Soul and Magic Energy Frequencies, why couldn''t he do it with Felia. The rules of the Master Familiar Connection didn''t seem to apply to him anyway. The truth is, he probably could. It''s just he didn''t mention it. Linfel wanted to see if he could achieve a Master Familiar Connection while someone else as doing it.


    Felia''s core changed into the shape of two interlaced bracelets, with a few little chains connected between the bracelet and five rings on Alvin''s fingers. Their Magic Energy merged, and Alvin gained full control over Felia''s reserves.


    Linfel nodded and began to connect with Alvin, too. Well, he was just matching his Soul and Magic frequency now that he was connected to Felia. "Sure enough, there is a slight change when you two connect to each other. Don''t worry. It is still pretty much the same," Linfel spoke. Finally, he made the necessary changes and got to merge his magic Energy with the one Felia and Alvin had merged previously.


    "Success!"


    Alvin and Lifnelia felt Linfel''s magic Energy, including Red Magic Energy. It was shocking since even Felia felt she could control that energy directly without the need to pass through Alvin first. "Master... you now have the Magic Energy of two Familiars for use. How big is the difference?"


    Alvin got up and tried to control both of them. Felia wasn''t as perfect, but Linfel was truly without any issues whatsoever. Simply put, he only needed to focus on Felia as he always did. It was as if Linfel wasn''t even there. But, at the same time, all his Magic Energy was free for use, completely merged with his own and Felia''s.


    "Do you believe me if I say I think I could put a fight against a Low Level Two Magus?"


    He controlled all those reserves of energy, and even though it was yellow, the intensity was so high that he could make up for the difference in quality. He didn''t even need to touch Linfel''s Red Magic Energy.


    "That''s good and all," Linfel spoke. "But we are wasting time here. You two, take the Red Magic Away and absorb it into your Cores. There is still a lot of yellow Magic Energy to clean from these Magic Stones."


    Alvin and Felia quickly accepted the order. Alvin sat on the bed again and began to use half of the available Red Magic Energy while Felia used the other half. Both of them could see the huge advantages of using Red Magic Energy to level up. Still, it was a slow process, so it took them almost thirty minutes to use what Linfel prepared.


    "Phew..." Alvin took a deep breath. "We are done, Linfel."


    Linfel nodded and pulled more Yellow Magic Stones. "From now on, I will maintain a constant flow of Red Magic Energy. How long do you intend to absorb it?"


    "Three hours," Alvin quickly spoke. "More than that and I will start to saturate my core. This is not good for a Magus''s Future."


    "I understand," It was good so he could leave earlier. "By the way, I''m creating Low-Grade Red Magic Energy. But, as you saw back in your father''s house, I can go as far as Medium-Grade Red Magic Energy. It''s just that it will cost a lot of these Low-Grade Yellows, and the amount I will create will be quite pitiful. What do you think?"


    "Keep the Low-Grade Energy," Felia asked. "There is no point in us acquiring a higher level than that. It would be a waste since Low-Grade Red Magic Energy is the limit of what our cores can absorb. We simply don''t have a high enough level."


    "Oh! I see!" Linfel gave up going that far. "Alright, just continue using the Low-Grade then."


    They continued during all the three hours Alvin asked, and even Linfel could tell that Alvin''s Core was indeed getting someone lethargic through the Magic Energy Waves Frequency. It was to the point he found it hard to keep that connection. "We should stop here. More than that, and it might truly get dangerous."


    Alvin nodded before Felia detached from his hand, returning her core to the original shape. Linfel, too, ended his connection with them. "So, how was it?"


    Alvin''s calm expression then disappeared as his excitement returned in full force! "Hahaha! This is incredible! I feel like I did the work of an entire week in a single day! Linfel, this Red Magic Energy of yours is even better than the Red Magic Energy I got from the Red Magic Stone I earned from the Academy years ago! It is sooooooo easy to absorb and integrate to the core!"


    Felia quickly followed. "Yes! This is the best absorption session I''ve ever experienced. I wonder if this is how high-level Familiars feel when they are using those expensive Magic Stones. Even if it is, it shouldn''t be far off."


    "The best part is that our cores will be much stronger once they level up now that we are using such high-quality energy," Alvin didn''t forget to add.


    Linfel was happy to hear that. "Good! Good! Seems like I can keep our deal going." However, he also pointed at the Yellow Magic Stones. "Yet, I''m sorry to tell you, but you should take a look."


    Alvin''s smile instantly froze. "W-Where are the rest?"


    "You two used them," Linfel spoke. "Did you forget? You two were absorbing it at the same time. Now, there are just these 53 remaining. Well, you said you still had more, didn''t you?"


    "I do..." Alvin bitterly smiled. "However, I only have another two hundred. If we train like this tomorrow, they will all be gone."


    Those words meant one thing and one thing only for Alvin and Felia. "We need to take missions... and absolutely need to increase our Rank in the Field Exam."

 Chapter 25: Didnt Know

    Linfel didn''t waste time there. "Alright, you two can go to sleep. I want to take a look at the missions. I saw there were a few missions that could only be performed at night. Since I''m not really your Familiar, I don''t need to go into suspended animation while Alvin sleeps."


    Alvin explained to Linfel back in his father''s home during the first night. Felia was his Familiar and connected to his soul. Because of that, if she stayed awake, Alvin would still feel that connection, which was quite similar to when you use Master Familiar Connection, although to a much lesser degree.


    Simply put, his soul and brain wouldn''t be able to properly rest with Felia active, so she and all other Familiars whose masters were alive had to go into suspended animation to allow them to rest.


    Of course, there were ways to cut this connection. An independent Familiar can get it done if he wishes to. But cutting that connection was not a good thing if you and your Familiar still planned to use Master Familiar Connection in the future. They would truly become separate individuals.


    Alvin sighed and nodded, knowing that there was no stop the wisp. "Alright, but try to not cause trouble." Alvin was indeed tired after today, so he went straight to bed while Felia deactivated herself.


    Linfel, on the other hand, left the Dormitory, going to the Missions Hall. It was already close to midnight, so the number of maguses and familiars around was very low. No one paid attention to him, though. He looked just like any other Familiar.


    In the Missions Hall, Linfel jumped in front of one of the terminals and used his Magic Energy on the receptor. Finally, the list of missions appeared.


    ''I will only get the introduction to Magic Energy integration next week, so I might as well start accumulating Magic Stones. At the moment, I''m not really sure how to increase my level. It''s too different from back when Primordial Energy existed,'' Linfel thought.


    Linfel scrolled through the list, and sure enough, he found the few that had nighttime schedules.


    -Trash disposer: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 12AM to 6AM.- [One Star]


    -Janitorial Services: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 11PM to 7AM.- [One Star]


    -Restocking Magical Diagram Equipment: 44 Academy Credits, work schedule 1AM to 5AM. General Knowledge of Diagrams is needed.- [One Star]


    -General Cleaning of Facilities: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 12AM to 6AM.- [One Star]


    ''Alvin wasn''t kidding,'' Linfel looked at the options. All of them were obviously a single star, being the lowest rank available. As for the good missions, they were gone, most with mentions of higher-ranked class students on them. ''There are a lot of menial tasks that no one wants to take. Truth be told, the academy doesn''t even need the students to do these things.


    They definitely have the resources to employ specialized companies for such things.''


    Linfel then looked at a corner of the building, and there he saw a person starting the cleaning. ''Definitely not a Magus. Can''t feel any Magic Energy in his body whatsoever. Well, the Academy needs them. After all, if the students don''t take the cleaning tasks, there has to be someone else to carry them out when that happens.


    This is all so the students could at least earn some credits for their own training.''


    ''Still,'' Linfel thought about all the technology he had seen so far. ''It is surprising they haven''t used some kind of automated process instead. Maybe some robots or whatever. They definitely have the knowledge for such things... I wonder why they would have normal humans like that guy doing it.''


    Linfel then shook his head and ignored it. He continued to scroll through the list when a certain task caught his attention. ''Hum?''


    -Stars Magic Energy Receptor: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 1AM to 4AM. Some degree of Magic Energy Sensibility is required.- [One Star]


    ''Stars Magic Energy Receptor?'' Linfel wondered what it was about. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much information regarding the specifics. Nonetheless, Linfel definitely had a high sensibility to Magic Energy, and the work schedule was the shortest one he had seen so far. ''Might as well give it a try.''


    Linfel quickly selected the mission on the list, which changed its status to ''taken'' straight away. Linfel still hasn''t acquired an MCOM, so he read the location before coming out of the terminal.


    Using one of the transportations, Linfel arrived at the place around 30 minutes later, located on the northwest side of the academy. A giant building with many arrow-shaped pillars stretched from its top, going tens of meters high, could be seen.


    Yet, when he got inside, the place was pretty much empty. There were several pieces of Diagram Rune Devices running some programs, but there were no teachers, workers, or students around. ''Could it be I read the task wrong? It is almost 1AM, but there is no one here.''


    *Crash!*


    It was then that he heard the sound of something falling to the ground not far away. He looked in that direction, and there he found a person lying. He quickly approached to check. "Hey! Are you dead yet?"


    The person sat up slowly while rubbing the head. "Do you think dead people would tell you they were dead?" Asked a woman with messed hair and a terrible expression. Well, it looked particularly bad because she had enormous bags under her eyes, showing her deprivation of sleep. "This is truly a mess. Why can''t I get a little bit more funding? The equipment here is pretty much Jurassic already."


    Finally, she got up and looked at Linfel. "A Familiar, uh? What do you want?"


    Linfel quickly explained. "I accepted the task for Stars Magic Energy Receptor, so I came."


    "Oh!" The woman''s expression immediately improved. "Finally, someone is willing to work for that pity amount of Academy Credits. You must truly hate the other menial tasks if you selected this one."


    Too bad, though. Linfel was lost. "To be honest, I don''t even know what I''m supposed to do," Linfel told her the truth.


    "Wait, really?" The woman looked at Linfel with doubt for a moment before sighing. "Well, I guess it was too good to be true. However, you already accepted it, so you must perform it this night."


    She continued. "By the way, I''m Aelua Thevalur, the main and pretty much the only researcher in this facility. Now, let me see..." She took out her MCOM and accessed the task she had posted. "So you are Linfel, a new Familiar. No wonder you didn''t know about this place. Well, come with me."


    Further inside, Linfel saw several cylinders, each of which seemed to be connected to one of the Arrowhead-like Pillars outside. On their extremes, they all had those receptors you would see in the terminals in various places of the academy. Palm-sized spheres with many diagrams runes.


    Of course, Linfel could easily see that these were different from the small spheres he used on the terminals to show his Magic Signature. Their purpose was different.


    Aelua pointed at one of them. "Can you see that they are brimming with Yellow Magic Energy?" Linfel nodded and waited for Aelua to continue. "Well then, your job is to disperse most of the Magic Energy in the Receptors. This is the part where I mentioned that some degree of Magic Sensibility is necessary."


    She then gave a demonstration, touching her hand on one of the receptors. Magic Energy then began to disperse in the air. However, Linfel could also see a little bit of a different Magic Energy with all that Yellow. It looked almost transparent, but it was truly just a tiny bit, hardly perceptible.


    "Is it also Magic Energy?" Linfel couldn''t help to ask.


    "Oh! So you noticed it?" Aelue was surprised. "I thought I would need to accumulate a lot more of it before you finally noticed. In any case, yes, this is also Yellow Magic Energy. However, it suffered a little bit of mutation in space and is very hard to capture. There isn''t much use for it since it is contaminated and not proper for use in training or even equipment.


    Nonetheless, this is exactly what I need."


    Aelua then pulled that almost transparent Magic Energy and fused it into a Magic Energy Container near the cylinder. The Magic Energy in the receptor barely changed, so she had to continue this process. It wasn''t before 40 minutes that she got it all, and the receptor became empty. "This is basically everything you need to do.


    The Pillars outside spend the day collecting the Magic Energy and are ready for harvesting during the night. You need to get rid of the common Yellow Magic Energy and store this other type."


    Linfel then noticed that the receptor that was empty a moment ago began to shine again with more Yellow Energy. "I thought this one was empty, but it seems like that''s not the case."


    "The Pillars accumulate a lot of Magic Energy. It''s just that the receptors we use to capture this Magic Energy can''t hold it all, so most of it stays in the Pillars. You will need to perform the same task a few times before a pillar is completely emptied. Then, obviously, you move to the next receptor."


    Linfel understood the principle, but he was still confused. "It doesn''t look like something that hard to do; the payment is pretty much similar to the other menial tasks. Yet, the amount of time you need to work is definitely much less. That said, why no one likes to take this task?"


    Aelua pointed at the receptor, which was now full of Magic Energy again. "Give it a try, and you will understand."


    Linfel quickly touched the Receptor with his core and began to take away the Yellow Magic Energy. Yet, as soon as the Magic Energy passed through his core, he instantly noticed the problem. "No wonder. This Magic Energy is so impure that it makes the Low-Grade Magic Stones look like a gift from god." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aelua couldn''t agree more. "That''s the problem. You see, the Magic Energy captured here comes from space, which is filled with space radiation and who knows what other kinds of impurities. Even if you don''t absorb this Yellow Magic Energy, just the fact it goes through you affects your body, or your core, in the Familiar''s case. 33 Academy Credits is truly not worth the bother.


    After all, you will have to spend almost all of it to clean your body and core later."


    She couldn''t help but sigh. "If the Academy gave me some extra funding, I could offer a better payment. It would compensate for the trouble of dealing with this Magic Energy. Alas, I''m struggling to simply continue my research. Don''t take it to the personal side. Also, there are nine pillars, which is way too much, so you will only have to separate the Magic Energy from three of them.


    More than that, and it could truly affect your core permanently."


    Linfel then gave it a try, absorbing all the Magic Energy inside the Receptor in one go! The impure Magic Energy filled the surroundings while he pulled the container and put the semi-transparent Magic Energy inside. "Seems quite simple."


    "HOLY SHIT!" Yet, Aelua was scared out of his mind. "Are you okay?! Check your core! You took too much of this impure magic energy at once! How are you still even alive?!"


    Linfel looked at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about? I just separated the energies; the impurities inside don''t bother me at all."


    "They... don''t bother you?" She found it hard to believe. "Did you check it? Is your core and soul really okay?"


    Linfel nodded. "At the very least, I can''t feel anything out of place."


    Aelua truly didn''t know what to do. ''I can''t even imagine how much his master spent to create his body. His tolerance is incredible! Still... if he has such a great background, why would he come here to take such a terrible task?''


    However, Aelua quickly noticed the opportunity. "Ahem! Can you do it with the other receptors?"


    Linfel nodded and repeated the process in the next receptor. Even more Yellow Magic Energy spread in the surroundings before Linfel put the Semi-Transparent Magic Energy inside another container. "Still fairly easy."


    Aelua''s shock changed into ecstasy! Who cares what his background is? She absolutely can''t lose him! "I-Is that so? then-"


    Linfel cut in. "You said I only had to do it for three receptors, right? What if I finish all nine of them? Will I get three times the payment?"


    Aelua was taken aback. "Really? Do you want to do it all, even with this terrible Magic Energy passing through your core?"


    "Only if you allow me to do so," Linfel answered. Impurities? He could get rid of them easily. He could come every night and get a guaranteed 33 Academy Credits quite fast. Why wouldn''t he do so? In fact, he could get 99 every night!


    There are nine pillars, after all.


    Aelua didn''t waste time to confirm. She would gain quite a lot more herself, so it was absolutely worth it. "Definitely! Finish all nine pillars, and I will give you the 99 Academy Credits. Actually, I''ll round it up to 100. How about that?"


    "Alright, I''ll finish these nine today, and I''ll come back for more tomorrow," said Linfel. Suddenly, the next receptor completely emptied again as Linfel transferred the little bit of semi-transparent Yellow Magic into the container.


    "I''m warning you, and you should warn your master, too," Aelua was happy with Linfel''s capabilities, but she wasn''t an idiot. She had to tell him about the repercussions. "I am not taking responsibility for whatever happens to you if you really do this. If you are truly fine, then great! Come back every night.


    If not, you should reconsider and have a good chat with your master." A master that can make a Familiar like Linfel shouldn''t be offended, either.


    Linfel faintly smiled. "I''m independent. I don''t need anyone''s permission, so there is no need to worry."


    Aelua didn''t know, but Linfel was happier than he looked. Others might not have use for that extremely impure Yellow Magic Energy, but that was definitely not the case for him. ''I only need to learn how to do integration later. Then, I will have a lot of free Magic Energy. Hahaha!'' Linfel couldn''t wait to learn how to level up.

 Chapter 26: Buying Things

    Usually, the job was about three hours per day. Then, the Magus or Familiar would come back the next day and continue to empty the Pillars. Only when they finished the equivalent of three pillars would they receive their 33 Academy Credits. So, it was truly not a job worth doing since you would take two to three days to finish the task once!


    However, less than one hour after Linfel started the task, all nine Pillars were completely empty. If you take the time Aelua took to demonstrate the process, Linfel hasn''t been here for more than two hours yet.


    "Phew..." Linfel could see the very impure Yellow Magic Energy dissipating in the surroundings. That made him feel this was quite a waste. Unfortunately, he still couldn''t integrate that Magic Energy into his core to increase his Level.


    After finishing the job, he went to the back of the facility, where Aelua seemed busy working on some other equipment. One of the containers that stored the Semi-Transparent Yellow Magic Energy was also attached to them. "These numbers... they seemed quite easy to read... Has there been any further mutations to the Space around our planet?" Aelua murmured to herself.


    "Aelua, I finished the job," Linfel called her attention.


    Aelua immediately displayed a wide smile and came out of the room. "Great! Let''s take a look!"


    She went to every receptor and checked to see if the Pillars were really empty. Then she checked the containers and was even more satisfied. "I know I said some Magic Energy sensibility was necessary, but I didn''t expect you to be this good. You were able to capture more of the Semi-Transparent Yellow Magic Energy than even myself."


    Following that, she took out her MCOM and went through a few options. A moment later, she turned the screen to Linfel. "As promised, 100 Academy Credits! You can check your MCOM and go back to the Missions Hall. The terminals there will deposit the value directly into your account."


    "I don''t have an MCOM yet," Linfel answered. "But I''m going back there indeed. I''m happy to do business with you, Aelua. So, I can come back tomorrow, right?"


    Aelua instantly nodded. "Absolutely!" She then remembered something. "Oh! By the way, there is no need to go to the Mission Hall anymore after today. I only posted this job there because I was looking for someone capable... and you are definitely many times better than just capable.


    Tomorrow, you can come here straight away after 1AM. As soon as you finish your job, I''ll transfer another 100 Academy Credits into your account directly."


    "That''s even better!" Linfel was happy to hear that. "Anyway, I''m taking my leave then."


    "Just one second," Aelua stopped him, though. "This little business of ours... try to not mention it outside, okay? I don''t want people to have the wrong idea that I''m now paying 100 Academy Credits for this job. Don''t worry; it''s not that we are doing anything outside the rules.


    It''s just that it would be annoying to convince others of the reasons." She also didn''t want Linfel to be bothered since she might lose him. Especially since she would make more Academy Credits in return with Linfel''s help.


    Linfel didn''t see a problem with that. "Very well." Finally, he left the building.


    Aelua''s smile increased as she collected all the containers. "Hahaha! This is great! Come with Mama, my babies. We have a lot of research to do..."


    *Bang!*


    *Snore...*


    Or so she wanted. Too bad she was terrible at keeping a healthy schedule, so she collapsed to the ground and slept right there. It wouldn''t be before the cleaners arrived that she would finally wake up again. Well, that was already routine there.


    Linfel took the Academy''s Public Transportation and went back to the Missions Hall. He accessed the Terminal and quickly found the Mission he had taken a few hours ago. It was now marked as concluded, and it also had a mention of a bonus added. ''Great! I finally have some Academy Credits!'' He quickly accepted the reward, and it was added to his Academy Account.


    In a great mood, Linfel exited the Mission Hall, already knowing exactly where he was going. ''Alvin and Felia will be down for a few more hours at least. In that case, time to go buy an MCOM for me.''


    An academy of this size definitely had its own commercial district, this one located on the southeast side. Linfel took another 26 minutes to get there through public transportation. ''So bright...''


    Even though it was late at night, the district was filled with lights as many Maguses and Familiars walked around. There were even a few teachers and Academy Employees in the mix. Linfel passed through the shops. He stopped by some helping terminals and made a through research of the place. A few hours later, he finally found what he was looking for.


    -Ratax Magic Technology Store-


    He entered it and was immediately attended by a Familiar. "Hey there, friend. How can I help you?"


    "I''m a new Familiar and need an MCOM," Linfel went straight to the topic.


    The Familiar nodded. "No problem. But be aware that as a new Familiar, you will need your Master''s concentration to acquire an MCOM."


    "I''m independent," Linfel added.


    "Oh!" The Familiar was taken aback for a moment. Independent Familiar were already rare, let alone new ones. Well, that mattered not during the sales. "In that case, please follow me." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel was shown many models of MCOMs specialized for Familiars. Because Familiars didn''t use clothes, they didn''t really have pockets and things like that. That said, the MCOMs made for them were actually tiny Magic Diagram Rune Chips.


    "Will it not be affected if we battle or move abruptly?" Linfel asked, curious.


    "Not at all!" The Familiar answered. "Look at my core."


    Linfel paid attention. Suddenly, the Familiar''s core changed a little as a small CHIP appeared on the surface.


    "Since we can change the shape of our Cores, we can mold them around the MCOM itself. Unless the Core itself is broken, the MCOM should be just fine," the attendant explained. "Easy, no?"


    Linfel bitterly smiled. He... can''t change the shape of his Core.


    Around an hour later, Linfel left the store with an MCOM... made for Maguses. He used his Magic Energy to carry it around, making it look quite weird. The MCOM itself was pretty much the same size as Linfel''s Core, after all.


    He then returned to Alvin''s room, who had just woken up a few minutes ago. Alvin quickly approached Linfel and pressed his shoulder... Or the ethereal form of them. "Linfel, please tell me everything went okay. You are not being searched for murder, right?"


    Linfel''s mouth twitched. "Fuck off! I''m not that clueless!"


    Alvin sighed in relief. Well, the first thing he did when he woke up was to look into the news. Sure enough, there was nothing mentioning Linfel in there. "Good, good..."


    Felia, however, noticed the MCOM Linfel was holding with his Magic Energy. "What about this MCOM? Did you find it on the ground?"


    "I bought it," Linfel spoke.


    Felia and Alvin looked at each other before looking back at Linfel. "Were you fooled? This is a Magus MCOM, you know? It is not very practical for Familiars."


    Linfel obviously knew that. "Yes, yes, yes... The Familiar who attended me in the store spoke the same thing. Don''t worry, I didn''t buy the wrong one. Give me a moment."


    Linfel then put the MCOM on the ground and manipulated his Magic Energy. Out of nowhere, many Magic Energy Runes began to appear. These runes then floated and attached to Linfel''s Core, disappearing right after.


    Those runes had nothing to do with the Diagram Runes of the Magic World. Instead, they were Runes from the past, usually made with Primordial Energy. When Linfel tried to use them for the first time back in Alvin''s home, they didn''t work. Still, he gave it a few more tries and found a workaround.


    "As I thought, the lack of power and the difference in type of energy makes the Primordial Energy Runes pretty much useless. All I managed to create was a small Spatial Store of a little over half a meter inside my core."


    Before Alvin and Felia could ask what Linfel was talking about, Linfel created more of those runes and placed them all over the MCOM. Following that, he used his Magic Energy to grab the MCOM, which touched his core... and began to disappear inside in a weird way. It was as if the MCOM was slowly falling into a lake, creating several ripples that spread around Linfel''s Core.


    Just like that, the MCOM disappeared from this world.


    "This..." Alvin and Felia were shocked. "W-What did you do to the MCOM? Where is it?!"


    "Hum?" Linfel looked at them as if he were looking at two idiots. "Isn''t that obvious? I just created a tiny Spatial Store in my core. Is there a reason for all that ruckus? And it ended up being a pretty shit one as well. Primordial Runes truly aren''t meant to be used with Magic Energy, that''s for sure."


    "Are you kidding?!" Alvin''s eyes were so wide it looked like they were going to pop out. "You can create a Spatial Inventory! A FUCKING SPATIAL INVENTORY! This is something no one can do before reaching at least Level Six as a Magus or Familiar! The only way someone below this level can have a Spatial Inventory is if a high-level Magus creates one for them, and they are freaking expensive!


    They are worth several times more than creating a Familiar already at Level Two like Saimon did!"


    Felia nodded, just as shocked. "Here in the academy, probably only students with backgrounds like Milia would have the connections and the money to have such a Spatial Inventory created in their Cores. And yes, I truly meant connections! Unless you are willing to pay even more, just the normal price won''t get you a Spatial Inventory."


    "Are they that rare?" Linfel narrowed his eyes. "I truly used some of the most simple primordial runes from the past, you know? I noticed that only these very simple runes still work in this world. Any better than that, and the runes can''t even take shape. Just so that you know, pretty much any idiot could create a Spatial Store... errr...


    You call it Spatial Inventory, right? Anyway, it''s truly nothing worth mentioning at all."


    Alvin sat on his bed, already feeling tired even though he had just woken up. "Linfel, this is big! Just like I told you to not mention your ability to clean Magic Energy, you should also not tell anyone you can do such things. That will definitely expose your secret as a Wisp."


    Linfel quickly nodded. "Alright, I won''t. Seems like it was the right decision to wait to come here before doing that."


    *Plin!*


    Alvin then received a message in his MCOM. Yet, it was a number he had never seen before. Looking at the message, he turned to Linfel. "You... can use your MCOM while still inside the Spatial Inventory?"


    "Oh! You got it?" Linfel was happy. "I didn''t know if the MCOM would receive the signal while in there. Seems like it did. Very convenient."


    Felia shook her head. "Master, forget it. We will go crazy if we keep feeling impressed by everything this guy does."


    Alvin could only accept that. "Yes, you are right... hehehe... he can use the items inside the spatial inventory... hehehe..."


    Felia tried to put those thoughts away. "Well, Linfel... At least you can pretend you are using an MCOM made for Familiars."


    Linfel agreed. "That''s exactly what I was intending to do when I bought it. Besides, because the Familiars'' MCOMs are so much smaller, they are also a lot more expensive. That''s why I opted for this method."


    "Expensive?" Alvin quickly remembered something. "Right! I saw the model of your MCOM. It''s a Ratax Model VAA812. It costs at least 90 Academy Credits. Did...


    you steal it?"


    Linfel felt wronged. "Fuck you! I, your grandfather, am I proper and upright Wisp! I''ve never stolen anything in my life! I just completed a Mission last night and got 100 Academy Credits. That''s all."


    "A mission for 100 Academy Credits?" Felia and Alvin found it strange. "Were you lucky enough to take a Mission that none of the upper-ranked classes wanted?"


    "Not really," Linfel then explained what happened during the next few minutes. "And that''s how I got 100 Academy Credits. I also found a very good source of Magic Energy for free, so I''ll be going there every night from now on."


    Alvin couldn''t help but say. "You said many times your Wisp Race was the weakest... I''m starting to doubt that was truly the case."

 Chapter 27: Field Exam

    Alvin and Felia then left sometime later. They also had to take missions since their training with Linfel was a lot more expensive than before. As for Linfel, he wasn''t much different. He did get a source of Magic Energy, but that was a truly very poor Yellow Magic Energy. After cleaning it, he would be left with way less Magic Energy than if he used Low-Grade Magic Stones.


    The trio made their way to the Mission Hall, ready to take on whatever tasks came their way. However, Linfel noticed a peculiar change. "Strange, some of the missions I saw yesterday are now offering fewer Academy Credits," he remarked, his brow furrowing in confusion.


    "It''s the time," Felia explained. "Because it is late at night, it is considered worse, so the payments get a 10% bonus. You probably saw a few missions or tasks worth 33 Academy Credits. During the day, however, they are worth only 30. It''s that simple."


    "I see..." Linfel looked at Alvin, who selected a cleaning task. "Is this enough?"


    Alvin, undeterred by the challenge, shrugged. "Clearly, it''s not enough. But I''m accustomed to this type of task, so I reckon I can finish in four to five hours. I''m aiming to complete at least two per day, maybe even three. With Felia''s assistance, I believe we can make it happen." His words were filled with a quiet determination. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Even so, that would be only 60 Academy Credits," Linfel spoke. "That would give you only 60 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones. We use a lot more during the night."


    "Nothing to be done there," Alvin sighed. "I''m already happy enough we can train in that manner, even if it is just a few days of the week."


    Linfel thought about Lucau and the day he was saved, so he made the decision. "Alright, I''m going to join you in these simple tasks. The Academy Credits we make during the day will go toward your training."


    Felia and Alvin looked at Linfel, surprised. "Why?"


    "This is me repaying your father, and there was also your help and the fact you are keeping my secret," Linfel spoke the reason straight away. "However, the Academy Credits I make in the night will be mine alone. Don''t forget, I don''t need to sleep, so I can keep taking missions day and night nonstop."


    Alvin obviously accepted. "Thank you, Linfel. I will try to make it up to you someday."


    Just like that, the trio decided to spend the rest of the week working on missions. Linfel was an independent Familiar, so he could take missions of his own as well. They worked together, completing two to three missions during the day. As a result, they were making between 120 and 180 Academy Credits every time at least.


    Of course, Linfel was saving his own Academy Credits from the pillars at night, too.


    Even though they were getting quite a sizeable amount of Academy Credits, each Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stone cost 01 Academy Credit. The training they did in Alvin''s room used more than three hundred every time, so it obviously wasn''t enough.


    That said, they only did that training once every two days. On the days in between, they went to the Floating Blades Faction during the early night. All the equipment that Alvin usually had to pay Academy Credits to use was free there, so he made the most of it.


    Even Linfel and Felia used that Soul Strengthening Equipment, which brings quite some good benefits for Familiars. Linfel was a Wisp, but he also had no problem with the equipment.


    Just like that, the last day of the week arrived, and the Field Exam was about to start again.


    "Alvin!" As Alvin, Felia, and Linfel waited in front of the Academy''s Gate, Connor also appeared with Tratil, his Familiar. "How was it? I''ve seen you going crazy with missions these last few days."


    Alvin seemed a little tired, but the excitement in his eyes was obvious. "The free equipment in the Floating Blades Faction is truly worth it. I can feel myself improving a lot faster." Of course, he wouldn''t mention his work with Linfel. "Still, you two truly came for the Field Exam. I had my doubts."


    "After what I heard that day in your Faction, I couldn''t possibly stay still anymore, right?" Connor sighed in response. "I''m not exactly brave, but I''m not just stay put and die either. Well, that is if what they said was true."


    "I don''t think they were lying," Linfel commented. "If anything, that feels a lot more like what a world with beings like Maguses and Familiars would usually be. This peace you have feels like quite a miracle, in my opinion."


    Connor looked around but noticed Alvin, Linfel, and Felia were alone. "What about the other Floating Blade Faction members?"


    Alvin pointed away. "All the way there with their classes. You don''t really think that just because I''m in their Faction, I would join the same group as them, right? I''m still a Rank F Student for all intentions and purposes. Those are the A and B classes."


    "That makes sense," Trail and Connor nodded.


    "All of you, gather up!" Suddenly, the academy instructor responsible for Alvin and Connor''s class called everyone. Following that, tens of airships landed near the various classes, each one capable of carrying hundreds of students.


    The Academy did have over a hundred thousand students, but the Field Exams were indeed dangerous. Some ignored it completely, while others only took the exams once in a while. Thanks to that, there wasn''t the need for too much of this transportation. There were only around eight thousand students total this time.


    Linfel and Alvin found a place to sit with Connor, Tratil, and Felia. Not long after, the airships took flight, disappearing in the distance. While it flew, the instructors inside began to explain this week''s exam. "Alright, this week we are going to the Dark Canyons. The place is pretty much a maze and has quite a few Magical Beasts. Don''t drop your guard."


    Alvin and Connor didn''t look well after hearing the place of the exam. "Is there something wrong in this Dark Canyons?" Linfel asked.


    Felia and Tratil sighed. "Don''t worry. Regardless of the place of the exam, these two would probably look like that. They haven''t taken a single Field Exam yet, after all."


    The instructor''s voice boomed from the front. "The objective of this exam is to collect the Flags scattered along the path. But don''t worry, you won''t need to carry them. Once you''re within ten meters of a Flag, your Magical Energy Signature will be detected, and the Flag will be added to your Field Exam results."


    "Be aware that Flags in the same region are all connected to each other. That means it is useless to keep walking near the start of the exam location and collecting the Flags in that place. The points for that kind of easy Flag will only be computed once."


    "You will know if you already have that kind of Flag through its color. If the color is the same as some of the Flags you got previously, then there is no need to try to approach it. You won''t get anything from that."


    "To accumulate more points, you will need to go further into the Dark Cayons'' Maze. Usually, it takes around ten hours to reach the deepest parts."


    Felia whispered to Linfel. ''Ten hours is in the case of the A and B classes. For Rank F Maguses and Familiars like us, it would already be a miracle if we could make it halfway to the end at all.''


    Linfel nodded, expecting something like that.


    The instructor didn''t stop. "Each flag is worth 50 points. However, the last flag at the deepest party will give you 100 points. Not only do these points get added to your exam result, but they will also be converted into Academy Credits once the exam is over. In total, it should be possible for you to get a thousand Academy Credits if you collect all Flags."


    ''A THOUSAND!'' Linfel''s eyes lit up. That''s the same as ten days straight of work in the Star Magic Energy Receptors. Linfel then looked at Alvin, excited. "To the very end, we go!"


    Alvin and Connor felt a chill on their backs. "Out of question! Do you know what kind of Magic Beasts you can find in the deeper parts of the Dark Cayons? Near Level Two! Near Level Two Magic Beast! If you are truly unlucky, you might really find a Level Two Magic Beast in there!


    We will die for sure if we get close. Let''s cover 20 or 30% of the way. It should be safe enough."


    Felia couldn''t help but show a disappointed expression. "I wonder what Milia will say when she hears that a member of her Floating Blades Faction didn''t have the courage to leave the initial area. Would Alvin still be part of the Floating Blades Faction by tomorrow? No, that matters little. All I can imagine is the disgust on her face every time she looks at you two from now on..."


    Alvin and Connor were taken aback. "T-This is blackmail!"


    Felia nodded without care. "You can be certain it is!"


    Alvin and Connor struggled for a while and gritted their teeth in the end. "Fine! However, we will not commit suicide either. If it truly gets too dangerous, we will turn back!"


    Felia was satisifed. "That''s good enough, Master."


    Tratil agreed. "Indeed, Master. The important thing is for you two to get experience in this kind of perilous situation. Don''t forget what we heard back in the Floating Blades Faction."


    Linfel looked at all of that and couldn''t help but mention it. "It is impressive what the prospects of procreating with good genes can do. As evolved as humans got, their search for the opposite gender is still very much a deciding factor."


    "P-Procreation..." Alvin and Connor had their minds wander for a second as the image of the goddess of the Floating Blades Faction appeared in their minds. With two young men still at the age of fifteen, such a dream situation was enough to make them risk their lives.


    The instructor obviously didn''t pay attention to Linfel''s group and continued his explanation. "Students will be dropped on different outer regions according to their ages. Everyone here is between twelve and fifteen, so you will dropped in the southwest region. You will find the higher-ranked students of the same age being left there as well. Whether you want to join forces or go alone is up to you."


    The instructor then warned the students. "However, the entire exam field is being closely monitored. Anyone trying to follow stronger students while doing nothing to help will have their points removed. We didn''t come here to breed cowards."


    There goes Alvin and Connor''s idea of simply tagging some strong A and B Classes...


    As for Linfel, he already decided that he would take a different path from everyone else. Of course, he would drag Alvin and Felia with him. Exploring with big groups could be considered safer, but it was also slower. Besides, he wanted to try out his combat power in this world of Magic Energy.


    "Last but not least," the instructor added. "there are 100% bonuses for the first ten students to add a Flag to their names. So, 100 points for each Flag and 200 for the last one if you are within the first ten. Of course, I know what some of you are thinking. It would be too unfair since we even have students in their last year of the Academy already at the age of 25.


    However, Life is not fair, let alone the Magus World. Deal with it."


    In fact, the exam was still slightly fairer than everyone thought. That''s because older students would be dropped at much harder-to-progress regions while younger ones like Alvin and Connor would start from easier ones. It''s just that the instructor and the other workers and teachers of the Academy wouldn''t tell anyone about it.


    "Alright, we should be arriving in the next thirty minutes. Organize everything you find necessary, and be prepared to jump!"

 Chapter 28: How Is He Doing That?

    The airships came down, opening and allowing the students to truly jump. The airships didn''t touch the ground at all. Not that the pilots didn''t want it, but because the terrain was too irregular and the passages too straight for these huge vehicles.


    The students could only jump, using their Magic Energy to reinforce their bodies and dampen the fall. Well, the airships weren''t that far high, though. As long as you were a Magus, you shouldn''t have a problem landing.


    *Tud, tud, tud, tud...*


    Students from various ranked classes descended one after another, creating a continuous stream of arrivals. Alvin and Connor were among them, their eyes widening at the sight of approximately 2000 students. The remaining 6000, older and more experienced, were undoubtedly dispersed across other regions of the Dark Cayons.


    Linfel was a Wisp, while Felia and Tratil were Familiars. They had the ability to float as long as they used enough Magic Energy, so it wasn''t a problem for them.


    Alvin looked around apprehensively. "So... where now?"


    Connor immediately pointed to the higher-ranked classes in the distance. "Let''s tag them. It should be safer."


    "You know that just tagging will give us no points, right?" Linfel asked him. "Anyway, Connor can do whatever he wants. Alvin, Felia, come with me. We are taking our own route and ignoring everyone else."


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback. "That''s suicide!"


    Linfel shook his head, though. "You said it yourself, the first 20 to 30% of the path should be safe. Now, stop complaining and come. Otherwise, forget about our training schedule. Also, I''ll be the first one to tell Milia about your choices in here once we go back." By now, he already understood Milia was the best way to convince Alvin.


    Linfel floated away, not waiting for Alvin or anyone else. If they didn''t follow, then he would go alone. Simple as that.


    Alvin found both reasons extremely unbearable, so he immediately ran after Linfel, who was already dashing away from the thousands of students around. The others noticed how Alvin, Linfel, and Felia ran in the front and snorted. How could a Rank F Student be faster than the higher-ranked classes?


    Sure enough, as soon as Linfel''s group left the landing point, several other students followed suit. They were all Class A and B students, making a total of 200 or something. In fact, they were still planning their own routes and joining their own groups. It''s just that seeing a Rank F Student taking the front affected their own pride, so they quickly followed.


    "W-Wait for me!" *Puff, puff...*


    Connor took some time to make up his mind, but he did come after Linfel''s group with his Familiar in the end. The only thing he found strange was how it looked like Linfel was the real one in command instead of Alvin. "Alvin, are you sure of this?" Still, he asked Alvin instead.


    Alvin bitterly smiled, paying attention to Linfel in front. "You wouldn''t understand. I have a lot more to lose than just getting on Milia''s bad side. I have to."


    "Through here!" Linfel immediately changed direction, taking a narrower path.


    Alvin and Felia quickly changed direction as well, following him. Connor looked at that and could see that not many of the Class A and B students selected that path. Instead, they seemed to prefer the wider ones. Only a few more couragous ones did select this path.


    This didn''t stop there. A few minutes later, the paths divided once again. Some went up, others went down, right, left, you name it. Linfel didn''t take the narrowest one this time, though. "This one now." he selected one that seemed pretty wide.


    Alvin and Connor noticed that they were pretty much alone now. Even counting the Class A and B students who dashed in the front with them, only around five or so remained. "Linfel, do you know where you are going?" Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, couldn''t help but ask.


    Suddenly, an open space appeared in front of their group. And at the very center of that space, a Light Yellow Flag could be seen. "This..." Alvin and Connor looked at Linfel, surprised.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go, go, go!" Linfel''s eyes seemed to be filled with the image of Academy Credits. He quickly approached the Flag, and his magical Signature was taken.


    Alvin and the others quickly followed, also reaching within ten meters of the Flag.


    "To the next one!" Linfel didn''t stop there. He looked at the other paths ahead and immediately made his decision, selecting the upper right one.


    Not far behind, the five students who followed them from Classes A and B also approached the Flag, having their Magic Energy Signatures taken. They were quite surprised to have found a flag this fast. Not even ten minutes had passed since the start of the exam, after all.


    The reason they followed Linfel''s group was basically because they didn''t want to follow the others. They knew that the lower-ranked classes would also tag them, so they wanted to leave them behind by using these narrower and seemingly more dangerous paths. However, now, they all looked at Linfel''sd group ahead, having the same idea. ''Could it be they know where they are going?''


    One particular pair of eyes especially looked at them in a different manner. The guy quickly dashed forward, following Linfel. The other four delayed for a second, not feeling especially good to follow a group of Rank F Maguses and Familiars. Nonetheless, seeing the action of the first guy, they also followed. The Flags were the most important at the moment.


    A little bit ahead, Linfel spoke to Alvin, Connor, and the Familiars in a low voice so only they would hear. ''The instructor said that we need to go deeper to find more Flags. That is a pretty simple concept. All I have to do is feel the flow of Magical Energy, and finding the fastest route to the end becomes quite easy.'' S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone was taken aback, especially Felia and Tratil. They tried to feel the Magic Energy in the surroundings, but everything looked the same to them. ''How is he doing that?''


    For Alvin and the others, the surrounding Magic Energy was no different. It was the same concentration everywhere. However, Linfel was truly a creature born from energy itself, and Primordial Energy at that. Magic Energy was so much simpler in his view that you would be hard-pressed to do the same even if you had the proper equipment, let alone do it with your own natural sense.


    "Stop!" Linfel spoke as he came to a halt.


    Alvin and the others quickly stopped behind them, not seeing anything ahead. "What is it? Another Flag?" Alvin asked.


    *Zush, zush, zush...*


    The moment Alvin spoke those words, three of the students still following them darted past their group, entering another open space ahead. Another Flag would be perfect, and they probably were indeed within the first 10 students to get near it.


    To be fair, the Academy Credits didn''t matter much to them. What mattered was the score at the end. They all had strong backgrounds, so they didn''t need Academy Credits as much as Alvin and the others. Let''s not forget that the results of the end-of-the-week Field Exams are what determines the student''s Ranks.


    Class B students wanted to reach Class A, while Class A students definitely didn''t want to be demoted to Class B.


    In the end, following Linfel''s group was truly the right choice... or so they thought.


    However, the moment they came out in the open, the ground under them caved in as several mouths tried to swallow them whole!


    "Fuck!" As Class A and B students, they were all Level Two Maguses, so they immediately connected to their Familiars and unleashed attacks downwards.


    *Boom, boom, boom!*


    Brown blood and dirt spread everywhere, covering their bodies. Nonetheless, they truly showed why they were in those higher-ranked classes. One attack was more than enough to dispatch those Level One Magical Beasts, and they were quite on the weak side of Magic Beasts at Level One. This is still the initial area, so you wouldn''t find anything other than these Low-Level beings.


    Having gotten rid of the problem, they quickly looked around, just in time to see Linfel, Alvin, and Connor near another Flag and already dashing into another passage''s direction. At the same time, Linfel spoke in a loud voice. "I told you to stop, but you chose to ignore me. Next time, make sure to hear what I have to say."


    These three guys gritted their teeth in anger. Yet, it was true that Linfel told everyone to stop. The problem was Alvin mentioning a Flag, so their greed too the best of them.


    *Zush, zush!*


    Another two Class A and B students passed by them. There were five of them following Linfel''s group, but only three entered the open space. These two stayed behind, having taken Linfel''s warning seriously. Now, they are ripping the benefits.


    The three remaining ones didn''t lag behind, of course. They quickly approached the Flag and once again entered the same Path as Linfel and the others.


    ''Linfel, how did you find those Magic Beasts,'' Alvin asked in a low voice so only he and Linfel could hear. He was still feeling a little scared. Had he jumped outside, he wasn''t sure if he was strong enough to deal with the danger like those Level Two Maguses and Familiars did.


    ''I told you,'' Linfel explained. ''It is all about Magic Energy sensitivity. Magic Beasts have their own Magic Cores with concentrated magic Energy. Simply put, they look like fireflies in the darkness. It is hard to not spot them. Of course, there is a limit to my sensitivity.


    At the moment, the best I can do is ten or so meters.''


    Alvin took a deep breath. It is not that Maguses can''t do the same thing. However, they need to be at least Level Three Maguses to acquire the necessary sensitivity to do what Linfel was doing. If you were extremely talented, perhaps you could feel Magic Beasts while at Level Two. ''Perhaps we truly have a chance to reach the end of the path and avoid all dangers...''


    Linfel looked behind himself and pondered a bit. Those five other students from Class A and B were all Level Two maguses and Familiars. With their extra strength, they could have surpassed Linfel''s group and gone ahead a long time ago. Yet, they insist on following his group. It was then that he had an idea and spoke. "Are you sure you all want to follow our group?


    I believe you all heard the instructor. If you just tag along with another group but have no contribution, your points will be removed in the end."


    One of them immediately spoke back. "That''s exactly what I did, didn''t I? I killed those Magic Beasts for you just a minute ago." As he said that, he took a glance at a camera on the corner of that passage. There were countless of these small cameras in this place. When the instructors said they would be monitored, they weren''t lying at all.


    The other two, who were also covered in the Magic Beasts'' Blood, agreed with the guy. "The same goes for us. The instructors should consider our contributions to be enough."


    "In that case, the next Magic Beasts will be dealt with by us," The remaining two quickly spoke. They haven''t contributed anything until now, indeed.


    Alvin and Connor were truly surprised. Who could have thought Class A and B students would be relying on a group of Class F students? No one would believe them if they said that back in the Academy.


    Linfel sighed. But then again, it wasn''t like it was a bad thing. "Alright, you can follow us. But we also came here to experience the Magic Beasts. Next time we meet them, leave three or four for us."


    "That''s not a problem at all!" They still didn''t know how Linfel and the others seemed to know the path, but that didn''t matter. A high score was waiting for them, and that''s what they wanted.


    Alvin and Connor, however, didn''t look very happy. "Three or four Magic Beasts for us? We are only in two here, you know?"


    Linfel nodded. "I agree with you. Judging the strength of the Magic Beasts a moment ago, three or four is too little. However, we can''t discard our own safety. Let''s first get used to fighting them, shall we?"


    "Too... little?" Alvin and Connor wanted to cry, while Felia and Tratil almost burst into laughter.

 Chapter 29: First Real Contact

    Linfel''s group spent another twenty or so minutes on the move, following the currents of Magic Energy that only Linfel could perceive. Yet, they didn''t find a single Magic Beast since the last group, which made them think. "Could it be that all Magic Beasts are only present in the Flag Locations?"


    "No," Linfel quickly shook his head. "At the start of the exam, it would make sense. However, I''m sure things won''t be as easy the deeper we go." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why?" Everyone asked back.


    Linfel then pointed to the students of Classes A and B right behind them. "They easily got rid of the Magic Beasts in the last Flag. Now, the flag is pretty much safe for anyone who gets close after us. Would it be a test if you never found any Magic Beasts?"


    "So that''s how it is..." Everyone had to agree with Linfel, including the Maguses and Familiars behind. They were traveling quite close, so unless Linfel and the others purposely tried to hide their voices, everyone could hear.


    Suddenly, Linfel dashed to the side. At the same time, his Magic Energy circulated around his body as the air heated it. Linfel raised his hand, and a Fire Spear took form in seconds. "Go!"


    The Fire Spear shot forward at high speeds, hitting a wall not far from Linfel.


    *Boom!*


    A huge hole appeared on it. However, the thing that caught everyone''s attention the most was the purple liquid coming out. A second later, the wall crumbled as a Magic Beast fell from it, leaving a gap in the wall itself. The beast looked more like a fish, although it had horns. Countless teeth in a round mouth could be seen. No doubt something used to drill into the earth.


    *Brummmm!*


    The walls and even the earth around trembled as several more of these weird magic Beast jumped out, shot in everyone''s direction.


    Alvin and Connor were scared of their wits. However, they still were Maguses who received proper training in the Academy, so they still acted. Felia and Tratil quickly changed form, attaching themselves to their Masters.


    Alvin then punched the ground, causing a small wall of earth to appear between him and the Magic Beast flying in his direction.


    *Zush!*


    Yet, before the Magic Beast even came in contact with the Earth Wall, a powerful gust of wind hit Alvin''s body, sending him flying.


    *Bang!*


    *Crumble!*


    It was then that Alvin noticed the Magic Beast passing right through his Earth Wall, falling on the ground and drilling into it straight away. That made him look at his own chest, thinking the hole on the wall he had created wouldn''t be the only hole that Magic Beast opened.


    Obviously, Alvin was saved, and the one who saved him was Linfel, who appeared on his side a moment later. "Not too bad. Your Master Familiar Connection was very fast, and your reaction and skill speed were even more so. However, you panicked way too easily. These might be Low-Level Magic Beasts, but they are obviously Earth Proficient. They drilled into these walls to hide from their prey.


    Do you think that little bit of Earth you built would have stopped it from reaching you? You need to think more carefully and control your emotions."


    Alvin was breathing heavily, listening to Linfel. Sure enough, Linfel wasn''t lying when he said Horan trained him a lot. Linfel was definitely experienced in combats.


    *Bang!*


    It was then that Connor passed flying by them. He also tried to defend against the Magic Beast attack, but he was luckier. He used a Wind technique to create a blast of wind between him and that weird Earth Fish. Nonetheless, he was still hit on the shoulder, and blood began to come out.


    Another Wind Current suddenly appeared behind Connor, dampening his fall to the ground. Linfel acted once again. "Connor, your reaction wasn''t as fast as Alvin, but your Magic Energy deployment wasn''t too bad. It made up for the slow reaction. Don''t worry, you only got a scratch. Next time, don''t just stay still and hope your Magic Skill will work.


    Move your body as well. That Wind Blast you used should have been more than enough to separate you from the Magic Beast if you had used it sideways while moving your body in the opposite direction."


    Connor, Alvin, Tratil, and Felia were surprised by all of Linfel''s input. "A-Alright!"


    Linfel suddenly looked to the earth below and warned. "Here they come! Don''t worry. If things get dangerous, I''ll intervene. Think carefully. These Magic Beasts are not as strong as your two pairs of Magus and Familiar.


    You can take them down. Now, jump back!"


    Alvin and Connor didn''t waste time and immediately jumped away. In the next moment, another four of those weird Earth Fishes shot from underground, missing their targets.


    Alvin''s interlaced bracelet connected to rings by little chains, which was Felia''s form during their connection, shined with an Earthy Glow as Alvin controlled his Magic Energy around his body to dash forward. The Earth Fishes had just missed their mark, and they were now in midair. Alvin didn''t lose that chance and attacked the belly of one of those fishes.


    His first transformed into a speartip made of Earth, hitting the belly of the Magic Beast!


    *Splash!*


    Purple Blood gushed out as the fist went halfway through the Magic Beast''s body. It died instantly.


    Connor also reacted faster this time. Wind Gathered in front of him before three blades made of air shot forward, all hitting the same spot Alvin did but against another of the Magic Beasts. The first blade opened a wound; the second penetrated it to reach the organs, and the last finally destroyed everything inside near the area it penetrated.


    More Purple Blood rained down and another magic Beast was dead.


    Alvin and Connor didn''t let their guard down this time. They quickly looked around, searching for the other two Earth Fishes that had jumped out of the ground previously. However, they only had time to see those two other Fishes trapped inside what seemed to be a sphere of water before Linfe spoke.


    "Freeze!"


    The two spheres of water then slowly transformed into ice, also freezing the trapped Earth Fishes inside. They struggled to try to escape that prison, but Linfel''s Magic Energy made it impossible for them to find any way to propel them out of there. Half a minute later, the two spheres of water fell, breaking upon contact with the ground, and so did the two Magic Beasts inside.


    "Ah!" Linfel then noticed something. "What a waste of Magic Energy. These guys obviously can''t breathe underwater, so I didn''t have the need to freeze them. As long as I waited, they would have died."


    Connor looked at that and was amazed. "Alvin... just what kind of monstrous Familiar did you create? If I didn''t know you two can do Master Familiar Connection, I would have said he wasn''t yours at all. Fire, Wind, Water... He used all three types of Elements as if they were nothing, and it was all while controlling the same Yellow Magic Energy as us.


    Can he use even more types?"


    Alvin''s voice carried a hint of surprise and admiration as Felia severed the connection with him. Connor''s words had struck a chord. Linfel was indeed not his creation. "Ahem... truth be told, I never anticipated him to be this exceptional."


    Linfel felt the Magic Energy around his core and mentally nodded in satisfaction. ''Indeed, Magic Energy is so much easier to control compared to Primordial Energy. I''ve never felt so comfortable while using the elements before. On the other hand, it truly does lack power. Well, I still prefer this Magic Energy, though.


    There are no risks when I use it, different from Primordial Energy, which can kill you at any moment if you lose yourself even a little bit. Besides, a Higher Level of Magic Energy will make up for this eventually.''


    Linfel then looked behind and saw that the Classes A and B students had also got rid of a few of those Earth Fishes. "As expected of them, I guess? They truly didn''t let more than four of these Earth Fishes get close to us."


    Only then did Alvin, Connor, and their Familiars look back. There, they could see the carcasses of over ten of these Magic Beasts. The maguses and their Familiars didn''t seem to be tired at all. And indeed they weren''t. This time, they all paid close attention to Linfel. The moment Linfel started to attack, they understood he noticed more Magic Beasts around.


    If anything, it was extremely easy for them to deal with the situation with Linfel''s perception.


    One of them approached Linfel''s group, looking at Linfel differently. The disdain he had for this Rank F Familiar was now gone. "You are quite good. Your control, technique, perception, everything shows you were created with the best stats. Let''s continue this partnership, shall we? By the way, you can call me Donfin."


    Linfel didn''t mind. "As long as you leave a few Magic Beasts for me and my Master to train on the way, I have nothing to complain. Right, Master?" Linfel said as he looked at Alvin.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Sure..."


    Donfin glanced at Alvin, not knowing how to judge this student. He didn''t show anything worth mentioning in this previous battle, but he was the one who created Linfel, so he felt conflicted about how to judge Alvin. As for Connor, he didn''t even bother looking. "Anyway, let''s keep going, full speed ahead."


    Linfel and the others nodded. In fact, they were already very close to the next Flag. Just two minutes running and it already appeared in front of them.


    This time, the Maguses and Familiars were all together instead of the initial distance the strong Classes A and B students kept from Linfel and the others. It wasn''t like Linfel could force them away, and Alvin and Connor were nothing but happy to have such powerful bodyguards... too bad they would always leave some Magic Beasts for them to deal with.


    Another Magus, this time a woman, asked Alvin as they left the area. "Alvin, right? I''m Miranda. I''ve seen your master Familiar Connection info in the news recently, but that was achieved with this Linfel, right? 71% Connection Compatibility is no joke. Aren''t you two going to connect this time?"


    The others also saw the news. After all, Milia was involved. Milia was just like them. If they also made any flashy moves in the academy, their information would be spread all over, and everyone would know about it soon.


    Felia looked a little sad for a moment, but Alvin just patted her head. "Linfel and I already have a very high compatibility, so we don''t really need to train for the time being. That''s why I''m connecting with Felia. You have to be able to use all your Familiars with with proficiency, after all."


    Everyone nodded and didn''t ask anymore. Besides, it truly didn''t seem like Linfel needed to connect with Alvin to display a high level of combat power, so it didn''t make much of a difference. They were just curious to see their connection in battle, that was all. Linfel didn''t want to connect either. At least not at the moment when the enemies were so weak. If needed, he would do it later.


    "We have company!" Linfel''s expression changed as he looked above. From the darkness, tens of flying beasts came out, aiming at their group.


    Somewhere else high in the skies, an enormous Airship maintained its position above the Dark Cayon''s Region. Inside the Field Exam Management area, thousands of monitors could be seen while many instructors of the academy observed the students while doing various different reports.


    In the center of the room, an old man stood tall, his eyes fixed on a particular set of Monitors. In the images, he could see Linfel and his group fighting the flying beasts. He didn''t pay attention to the Level Two Maguses and Familiars. Their combat power was expected. Alvin and Connor weren''t anything special either. Linfel, however, truly caught his attention.


    "Do we have any information regarding that new Familiar?"


    A subordinate quickly arrived to answer. "Yes, sir. His name is Linfel, and he has just been created recently by a student called Alvin. His Master Familiar Connection Compatibility with Alvin is at 71%, which received a commendation from the testing facility. Linfel is also an independent Familiar, although he barely passed the test to become one."


    "Any information about his creation process?" The old man asked.


    "No," the subordinate shook his head. "As you know, Maguses can create their own Familiars however they like as long as they register it after. However, it is up to them to disclose what kind of parameters were used during the process. Alvin hasn''t disclosed his."


    The man nodded. He then took out his MCOM and checked the independence test. He had special access, so he could check the specific results of each test there. ''So this is the Familiar Talano mentioned. He is indeed as impressive as those other Familiars from the last few years...'' He looked at Alvin after that and couldn''t help but sigh. ''And yet, this master of his...


    such bad luck.''

 Chapter 30: Tenth Flag!

    *Gasp, gasp, gasp...*


    Connor and Alvin fell to the ground as their Master Familiar Connections canceled. The Flying Magic beasts that just attacked them weren''t anything impressive. If anything, they were much weaker than the Earth Fishes -like Magic Beasts they defeated before.


    However, they attacked a huge group. The Level Two Maguses and Familiars had no issues dealing with them... which wasn''t something Alvin and Connor could say themselves. The two guys then looked at Linfel, who floated there as if nothing had happened.


    Although Linfel didn''t kill as many of these Magic Beasts as the Level Two Maguses, he wasn''t that far behind. As to why Alvin and Connor were that weak... "Linfel, did you need to send so many of these things after us?"


    Linfel had Alvin and Connor fight four or five of the Flying Magic Beasts at once. Both Alvin and Connors had several scratches and nearly escaped serious injuries. "Too many? Come on, they were so weak! Look at you two. Even though you have no experience whatsoever, you managed to deal with them with just some small scratches.


    You are doing great! Believe in your own potential!"


    "Yes, master! Believe in your potential!" Felia repeated.


    "Yes, master! Believe in your potential!" Tratil was no different regarding Connor.


    Alvin and Connor bitterly smiled. They didn''t know their Familiars liked to fight that much? Could it be they were being influenced by Linfel? Well, not really. Familiars are born with a set of knowledge, and ultimately, they were created for battle above all else. It is only normal that they get more excited during such moments.


    *Shuuuu...*


    Suddenly, a gust of wind carried Alvin and Connor''s bodies, forcing them to stand up once again. It was Linfel once again. "Enough rest. We need to keep going if we want our bonuses."


    "We are tired!" Alvin and Connor complained.


    Yet, Linfel pointed at the Donfin, Miranda, and the other Levle Two Maguses and Familiars. They were all looking at Alvin and Connor, not feeling very pleased that they weren''t moving forward already. "Well, you can ask them if they want to wait."


    Alvin and Connor wanted to cry again. First of all, aren''t these Classes A and B guys following them because they want? It is not like Alvin and Connor were holding them back, right? Too bad the two were too afraid to say that on those strong students'' faces.


    "I... I think I rested a lot," Alvin forced himself to stay up.


    Connor wasn''t different. "Yes, what are just some small Flying Magic Beasts to us? Hahaha!" He wasn''t very convincing...


    Linfel smiled and quickly dashed forward as everyone followed closely. Little did they know, but they were indeed quite far ahead in the exam. While others had to explore, Linfel''s group was truly making a beeline to the depths of the Dark Cayons.


    Fourth Flag, Fifth Flag, Sixth Flag, Seventh, Eight, Ninth... As much as Alvin and Connor hated it, they were truly improving at a very fast pace, being forced to fight to protect their lives. Of course, Linfel and the other Level Two Maguses were there. If things got too dangerous, they intervened.


    Why did the Level Two Maguses intervene? Because Linfel would probably leave the exam if Alvin and Connor suddenly got taken out of the exam. They couldn''t possibly let that happen. But at the same time, they respected Linfel''s wishes to not step in unless it was truly necessary.


    That left Alvin and Connor on their wits end. Why? That''s because of Linfel''s words. "I''m helping you if I see you are truly in danger, and these guys seem to want to help, too. However, since we will only intervene when you are at risk of dying, perhaps we will be too late. So...


    I truly wouldn''t put all my coins on the fact that we will help you. I definitely wouldn''t. Hahaha!"


    How could Alvin and Connor not do their absolute best like that? To scared cats like them, any small chance of dying was enough to fight with everything they had.


    "Oh!" Donfin looked ahead, and his eyes lit up. "The tenth Flag! How long has it been since we started the exam?"


    "Two hours and fifty-seven minutes," Miranda quickly checked her MCOM, feeling just as excited. The record of the exam was ten hours, and they already got more than half of the path covered.


    Donfin and their group immediately jumped out in the open, dashing to the Flag. They were aware that some Magic Beasts might be present, but they didn''t care. Nothing until now posed any threat to them whatsoever. The important thing was to be one of the first ten students to get the Flag.


    *Rumble...*


    Yet, before they could get anywhere close, something entered their visions. A giant ball came rolling in their direction at huge speeds, startling these Level Two Maguses and Familiars. The path wasn''t big, so that thing alone left no space for them to dodge.


    Their Magic Energy immediately activated, and they all connected to their Familiars. Right after, they all attacked that rolling rock.


    *Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...*


    Five Level Two Maguses connected to their Familiars wasn''t a joke. The rolling rock was blasted back by the attacks instantly... or so they all thought it would happen.


    Yet, that rock suddenly opened, jumping high and dodging all the attacks at once. From above, they could all see that it was not a rock but a Magic Beast, and not a weak one. "It''s a Rock Breaker!"


    Linfel couldn''t help but shake his head. His Magic Sensitivity only reaches ten meters or so of distance. Donfin and the others dashed ahead because of the Flag, so he obviously wasn''t able to tell it was there in time.


    The Magic Beast they called Rock Breaker looked like a mix of Armadilho and Lizard. It fell right in the middle where Donfin and the others were standing, forcing them all to jump away.


    *Bang!*


    The Rock Breaker crashed against the ground, not hitting anyone at first. Yet, the exact moment it fell, its body rotated, using its enormous tail to sweep everything around. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Bang, Bang, Bang!*


    In that single moment, the Rock Breaker sent three of the Class A and B students flying!


    One of them crashed to the ground, his body convulsing violently before finally stilling. The other two were thrown against the walls, spewing mouthfuls of blood in an instant. As Linfel and the others beheld this carnage, they realized with a jolt that their adversaries were not mere Level One Magic Beasts. No, this was a Level Two Rock Breaker, and a particularly formidable one at that.


    At that moment, Linfel noticed a yellow light enveloping those three Maguses. It also covered their Familiars, who had their connections canceled by force after the impact. Before anyone or the Rock Breaker could do anything, those Maguses and Familiars'' bodies shot to the skies, disappearing from view in a matter of seconds.


    ''The extraction system...'' Linfel thought back to the travel to this place. In the Airship, the instructor gave the maguses only a collar each. It had a weird transparent stone with many Magic Diagrams inside. The instructor mentioned to them that if they were considered not fit to continue the exam anymore, these collars would activate the Magic Diagrams inside and take them away.


    That was the extraction system.


    However, it wasn''t something that could truly save anyone. It offered no protection whatsoever. Simply put, they obviously didn''t activate before those three Maguses were hit. If they had died during those attacks, that was basically it. The collar would still activate, but only three dead bodies would be brought back.


    Donfin and Miranda''s expressions immediately changed as they ignored the maguses who were taken away. They observed the Rock Breaker, who also paid close attention to them.


    "I didn''t expect to find a Rock Breaker so soon, and this one is definitely quite strong within them. Those three couldn''t even react in time before they were sent flying," Miranda commented.


    Donfin nodded. "I''m not the type who likes to join forces, but I feel like we don''t have much choice now."


    Miranda and Donfin nodded and immediately... turned around and ran away! Fight this thing? Ridiculous! Linfel and the others were much better prays, and they had come this far, so it was better to simply sacrifice the Rank F Students. While the Rock Breaker dealt with Linfel''s group, they would leave the area.


    They still had a good chance of being the first ones to reach the last Flag now that Linfel got them here so fast.


    The Rock Breaker saw that but did not give chase. It''s not like it wasn''t interested in Dofin and Miranda. Instead, it simply wasn''t the only one here.


    *Roar!*


    Before Miranda and Donfin managed to walk more than a few tens of meters, another huge rock came rolling in their direction. Those two weren''t idiots. It looked exactly the same as the previous Rock Breaker. It immediately opened itself, landing in front of Miranda and Donfin, blocking their path.


    "Fuck!" Miranda grasped her Collar. It could be activated at any time, not only when you get disabled. However, activating it on purpose would also mean you failed the exam.


    However, Donfin stopped her. "Not yet, look!"


    Miranda took a good look at the Rock Breaker coming their direction. It was still a Level Two Magic beast, but this one was a lot smaller than the previous one behind. "We should be able to deal with this one if we join forces."


    Miranda narrowed her eyes. Especially because she knew she couldn''t easily trust Donfin either. He would probably run when the first chance appeared, even if it meant leaving her behind. Donfin is a Class A student while Miranda is a Class B, so he was indeed stornger since he was there. Her chances were smaller. Besides, what if the other Rock Breaker suddenly decided to attack from behind?


    She gave a quick glance and noticed that the Rock Breaker had indeed gone after Linfel''s group. "Fuck! Let''s do this!"


    Donfin smiled, and the two joined forces to attack that Rock Breaker.


    While Miranda and Donfin struggled to fight against the smaller Rock Breaker, the bigger one came straight for Linfel and the others. Alvin and Connor were petrified due to their fear. Their hands trembled as they reached for the Collar on their necks. Even Felia and Tratil understood they weren''t that thing''s match.


    "Oh! Finally, something interesting to fight!" Yet, Linfel was nothing but excited. Horan had truly shaped this Wisp differently from the others. "Alvin, let''s go!"


    "What?!" Alvin almost vomited blood. "There is absolutely no way I''m fighting this thing! It''s a Level Two Magic Beast!"


    "Stop complaining! I need your help and Felia''s. Only my own Magic energy won''t be enough. I''m connecting with you two again."


    "Wai-" Before Alvin could stop Linfel, Linfel had already moved his core to Alvin''s body. His own Magic Energy and Soul Waves matched Alvin and Felia like they did last night, and Linfel got access to all the Magic Energy in both their cores. Not only that... but Linfel took control over Alvin''s body!


    ''Alvin, Felia, pay close attention to how I control Magic Energy to use my skills. This will be of great help for you in the future,'' Alvin''s voice echoed in Alvin and Felia''s minds, much to their surprise. They had never communicated with anyone like that.


    Alvin''s body fell forward as merged Magic Energy concentrated on the legs.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin shot forward like a bullet, going straight for the Rock Breaker, who was only a few meters away from them. The Rock Breaker didn''t have intelligence. However, as a Magic Beast that fought for many years in its territory, its instincts were definitely sharp. It instantly understood the enemy coming in its direction wasn''t weak either.


    Its mouth opened, and Level Two Magic Energy gathered into it. In the next second, a Red Blast of Magic Energy and Earth Elements shot in Alvin''s direction from its mouth. It was a little similar a Dragon''s Breath, but different...


    Linfel had used Alvin''s body and shot straight at the Rock Breaker, so even though Alvin couldn''t control his body, he was still very well-conscious of everything. Seeing that Blast coming in his direction, Alvin already accepted his death. How could he escape such a wide-range attack while his body was moving straight at it? Even if he could take control of his body back, it was too late.


    Yet, in that last moment, Linfel only snorted. ''Ha! That''s what I call a suicide attack!''


    In the next moment, all the Magic Energy from Linfel, Felia, and Alvin were used at once. Alvin''s body then pounced straight into the Rock Breaker''s attack, much to Alvin''s despair. However, he didn''t die as he expected. All that Magic Energy created another Element Spear, very similar to the Fire Spear Linfel used against those Earth Fishes in the past.


    It''s just that this one was much bigger, completely covering the flying body of Alvin in front... and made of Lightning Element!


    ''Go!''


    Alvin''s fist then punched forward as if pushing the rear of the spear.


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel''s plan was very simple. The Rock Breaker attack was powerful enough to cover a wide area. However, it lacked the strength to fight against an attack focused on a single point. Alvin''s... Linfel''s Lightning Spear just pierced through this single point, creating a hole in the Rock Breaker''s attack.


    Most of the Rock Breaker''s wide area attack was completely ignored; only a small part of it was nullified. Yet, that was enough. The Lightning Spear, carrying all of Alvin, Linfel, and Felia''s Yellow Magic Energy, got through the blast and entered the open mouth of the Rock Breaker.


    It no doubt had a huge defense on the outside. However, its insides were still soft like most creatures. The Lightning Spear pierced many organs, and the Lightning Element increased the damage to the rest of the body even more.


    *Bum!*


    The Rock Breaker''s body then fell to the ground as Purple Blood came out of its body. It was as dead as it could possibly be.


    *Plin!*


    Felia and Linfel then separated from Alvin, who kneeled on the ground while gasping for air. All three of them were now feeling quite tired, having used all their Magic Energy at once. Their Cores were completely empty.


    *BANG!*


    Back in the Airship in the skies, the old man''s fist hit the table in front of him, turning it to dust as he looked at what had just happened. "Double Master Familiar Connection! That Magus can use Double Master Familiar Connection!"


    There was one huge monitor in that room set at the center of the thousands of monitors used to watch the exam. Because Linfel''s group was the first one to encounter a Level Two Magic Beast, it automatically changed to them and showed the entire event.


    "Impossible! Only Level Six and above Maguses can do it, and trying it at Level Six is already extremely dangerous to the soul!" Another one of the workers there couldn''t help but exclaim.


    Yet, there Alvin was, kneeling on the ground, only looking tired. There was no doubt. All their sensors over the area said that both Felia and Linfel were connected to Alvin.


    The old man then sat on his chair once again, although the table was now gone. His eyes turned to the people in the room, who didn''t know what to do. In the next moment, his fingers flickered.


    Several rays of Blue Light shot out, giving no one in the room the chance to dodge. They all hit the many instructors'' heads. In less than a second, the room was left with only three people alive. One, obviously, was the old man. The other two were his closest aids. None of the three showed the least bit of emotion to what just happened.


    "Wipe out the logs, find some reason for their deaths, you know what to do," said the old man.


    "Yes, Principal Xalafel!" His two aids quickly acknowledged the order and started to work.


    Xalafel then looked at Alvin on the monitor and murmured, his eyes now betraying a little bit of excitement. ''Sorry for thinking you were a disappointment. This old man was wrong.''

 Chapter 31: Thirty Minutes

    Poor Alvin didn''t know it, but he had just got the credit for something he absolutely didn''t do. Regardless of what happened, it is common sense that once a Master Familiar Connection is established, the one in control of the body is always the Magus. No one would believe that the one controlling Alvin''s body was Linfel instead.


    Alvin then heard some steps coming from behind, and they seemed to be trembling quite a lot. It was Connor, who couldn''t make sense of what just happened. "A-Alvin... You... How did you do that? A Level Two Magic Beast!


    You killed a Level Two magic Beast!" Connor almost used his collar earlier, but when he saw Alvin connecting with Linfel and Felia, he held back. He couldn''t simply abandon Alvin there. Little did he expect Alvin to actually win.


    Alvin bitter smiled. He killed a Level Two Magic Beast? What a joke! He did nothing! If Linfel hadn''t taken control of his body, he would have used his collar a long time ago. "Well...


    Err... I''ve been receiving quite some training in the Floating Blades Faction, you know? I just thought that I truly had a chance."


    *Boom!*


    Far away, Miranda struck a decisive blow against the other Rock Breaker after Donfin took its attention away. The Rock Breaker fell to the ground as a huge hole on its bely could be seen. Both Donfin and Miranda tried to escape several times during this battle, but the Rock Breaker simply wasn''t letting them go.


    With their Magic Energies reserves dwindling, escaping later would be meaningless, so they could only shift their plans and try to kill it for real. If it didn''t work, using the collar to escape would be the only alternative in the end. Fortunately, they were indeed experienced and knew how to fight. That''s what you would expect from Classes A and B Maguses and their Familiars.


    As soon as the Rock Breaker fell to the ground, Miranda and Donfin used their Magic Energy on their legs. They didn''t even want to wait. That Rock Breaker that went for Linfel''s group should already be on its way to attack them... or so they thought. Yet, when they gave one last glance behind so see the situation, the only thing they saw was another much bigger ROck Breaker fallen to the ground.


    "Impossible!" Donfin''s Magic Energy immediately canceled as he exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing.


    Miranda, too, was shocked by that vision. "That... Is that an illusion?"


    The two approached Linfel''s group slowly, afraid that the Rock Breaker might actually be alive. Yet, the pool of purple blood on the ground made it obvious that the Rock Breaker wasn''t alive anymore. The two looked at Alvin, Linfel, and Felia on the side. All three of them seemed tired.


    Lifelia and Linfel''s ethereal bodies had disappeared, leaving only their cores with feeble waves of Magic Energy coming out. At least they could still talk.


    "Alvin, give me some Magic Stones..." Linfel asked after stabilizing himself.


    "Me too!" Felia quickly followed.


    Alvin nodded and pulled out a bag from his back. Since he was a low-level Magus, he obviously would run out of Magic Energy more easily than others. That said, he and pretty much all Level One maguses brought some Magic Stones with them. Even Connor had a few with him.


    Linfel and Felia quickly absorbed the Magic Energy, which allowed them to reform their ethereal bodies straight away. Alvin, on the other hand, just refilled his Core.


    Seeing that, Donfin asked. "How did you kill this Rock Breaker?"


    Alvin looked at him. "It was just luck. It opened its mouth, and we just had to attack the insides before it attacked us. We truly didn''t expect it to work, though. I was ready to use the collar the moment it failed. Of course, we used all our Magic Energy at once to make sure we at least had a chance."


    Connor glanced at Alvin. It was obvious Alvin didn''t want to tell Donfin and Miranda about how he connected with two Familiars at once. He understood why and didn''t mention it either.


    "I see..." Donfin couldn''t think of another reason for Linfel''s group to have succeeded. "Simply put, it underestimated you because of your level and let its guard down. Nonetheless, it is amazing you were able to grasp such an opportunity. But then again, I can understand why you even tried. We are so far ahead in the exam, so giving up here just didn''t seem right."


    "Was that why you tried to flee? It looked to me like you tried to use us as a distraction but didn''t expect another Rock Breaker to appear ahead." Linfel finally recovered a little of his Magic Energy before he turned to Donfin and Miranda.


    Yet, neither Donfin nor Miranda tried to deny it.


    "Yes," Donfin spoke first. "Our Ranks depend on our results in the field exams. This one, specifically, has a huge chance of giving us a great score that could put me at ease for a while or that could send Miranda to Class A. We immediately understood it would be extremely difficult to take that Rock Breaker down, so we used you."


    "He is right," Miranda confirmed. "We don''t really have any obligations with each other. From the very start, it had been a marriage of convenience. We used our power as Level Two Maguses and Familiars to help keep you safe while you showed us the right path. Or are you saying we should have risked our lives for you?"


    Alvin and Connor didn''t like what they said. Yet, they know they would definitely have ran away as well.


    Linfel began to float again and nodded with a smile, feeling satisfied. "That''s the kind of answer I wanted. If you had tried to come up with some bullshit excuse, then we would go our separate ways from here." He saw nothing wrong with what Donfin and Miranda said. After all, he had come from a past where such things were extremely common.


    Donfin quickly sat on the ground and took a few Magic Stones out as well. "Seems like your group isn''t made of a bunch of naive kids. That''s very good in the Magus World. Now, let''s recover our Magic Energy. Thirty Minutes should be enough."


    Different from absorbing Magic Energy to integrate into their Cores, absorbing Magic Energy just to recover their reserves was very fast. Thirty minutes was enough for Miranda and Donfin to fully recover, especially since they had Red Magic Stones with them.


    As for Alvin and Felia, they would need longer... if Linfel wasn''t there. Linfel helped them recover their Magic Energy in secrecy, not showing Donfin and Miranda they were connected once more. With that done, everyone was ready to depart again.


    First, their group approached the tenth flag, adding it to their results. After that, Linfel concentrated on the surrounding Magic Energy flow and looked at a passage to the right. "Through here."


    Yet, just as they were about to leave, another group suddenly appeared in the area, coming out from another path. "The Flag!"


    Immediately, they all dashed to the flag, entering the ten-meter range and adding it to their own results as well. Of course, they noticed Linfel''s group not too far from there. Above all, they saw the two dead Rock Breakers. "Oh! Donfin! You truly made quite a mess here, uh?"


    Donfin looked back and narrowed his eyes. It was another Class A student, someone called Rirano, who talked to him.


    Alvin, Linfel and Felia didn''t pay attention to the guy, though. Instead, they were surprised to see someone else there. It was a young woman, followed by a very obvious Familiar. "Milia!"


    Milia heard her name and looked in their direction. For the first time in this exam, she showed a surprised expression. "Alvin? Linfel? Felia too!" She quickly approached the group. "How did you get here this fast?"


    She then looked at Donfin and Miranda, and her expression turned dark. "Alvin, Linfel, this is not good. Did you forget what the instructor said in the airship? If you just followed another stronger group and did nothing to contribute, your points would be removed in the end." Sure enough, she didn''t believe Alvin''s group had got here through their own strength.


    Well, even Alvin wouldn''t have believed himself if he was told that. "Err... I think you got the wrong idea. We truly pulled our own weight up to this point, you know?"


    Felia and Linfel nodded. "He is right! It is them who had been following us, not the other way around."


    Rirano heard that and then looked at Donfin, who said nothing. "Hahahaha! Donfin! Are you following some Level One Magus Group? I can understand someone from Class B like Miranda there doing it. But you?


    This is hilarious."


    Miranda didn''t even bother to answer. As for Donfin, he simply smiled. "Yes, I''ve been following them. If you don''t want to be seen in the same situation as me, you better go on your own way."


    Nori, who was obviously with Milia, couldn''t help but look at Alvin and Linfel. "For real? What did you do that you got these two to follow you?"


    "Oh! That''s beca-" *Mmmhmmhmmmm...*


    "Let''s just say we are very lucky," Felia quickly shut Linfel up before Linfel spoke the truth. The wisp truly didn''t know how to keep his mouth closed.


    Milia was truly skeptical of the situation. Yet, she couldn''t see why Donfin, a student of the same rank as her, would lie about that. Milia then looked at the two dead Rock Breaker bodies and narrowed her eyes. She had a good knowledge of Magic Beasts, and she knew Donfin''s strength. Even with Miranda''s help, she found it hard to believe Donfin killed those Rock Breakers that easily.


    Linfel finally got away from Felia. "Alright, alright. I understand. I won''t say anything. In any case, we are wasting time. My Academy Credit bonuses might fall into someone else''s hands if we delay here any further."


    Linfel quickly turned around and dashed into the passage he had selected earlier. Alvin looked at Milia for a moment, but she was working together with a few other Level Two Maguses and Familiars. It would be hard to convince her to follow his group instead, even if they were from the same Faction. Besides, she wouldn''t believe his story anyway. "Well then, Milia, see you later."


    Donfin and Miranda didn''t waste time. Linfel was the guide, and they absolutely wouldn''t let him go out of their sight. Yet, they were also surprised by Rirano''s appearance. Even if they spent thirty minutes recovering their Magic Energy, they were supposed to be quite far ahead of the other groups because of Linfel. And yet, Rirano already got to this place.


    ''Could it be he has some secret way to get around in the Dark Canyons as well?'' Donfin couldn''t help but wonder.


    Rirano, Milia, and the other members of their group were surprised to see that Donfin and Miranda truly followed Linfel and the others.


    Yet, one of them quickly came up with a reason. "Ha! I see what is happening here. They are being paid to follow and protect those Low-Level guys."


    "Oh!" Someone else quickly nodded. "That makes sense."


    "Hahaha! What a joke! I didn''t expect Donfin to fall this much."


    Rirano shrugged. "That''s their problem. Let''s go."


    Milia looked at the path that Linfel and Alvin took. She felt there was much more to what they had just seen.


    ''Milia,'' Nori whispered in her ears, using his Magic Energy so that only Milia could hear him. ''We should follow them.''


    Milia looked at Nori. ''Why?''


    ''Because you are curious,'' Nori answered with a smile. ''I know you. You will not rest until you reach the bottom of this situation. Rather than waiting to ask and investigate outside after the exam, wouldn''t it be better to see it with your own eyes now? Besides, it is not like you are in any danger of falling from Class A anytime soon.''


    A faint smile appeared on Milia''s face, and she patted Nori''s head. ''Sure enough, Nori knows me best!''


    She didn''t even look behind before she shot in the same direction Linfel''s group left. "I''ll go my own way from here. Goodbye."


    Rirano was taken aback. He had gone through a lot of trouble to find more information about this exam. That''s why they were this far into the Dark Canyons. He did all of that so he could show off to Milia. When she agreed to follow his group, he felt extremely excited and wanted to show his prowess during the exam. Yet now, Milia simply decided to leave.


    "Wait!" Rirano immediately blocked her path. "You can''t be serious, right? After we have come this far?"


    Milia didn''t seem to care. "So what? I don''t remember having pledged my allegiance to you. Traveling with your group seemed convenient, that was all. Now, out of my way."


    Rirano was enraged. "You!"


    "What?" Milia immediately connected with Nori. "Wanna fight? I don''t mind entertaining you." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rirano wasn''t afraid of her. He wasn''t any weaker. However, the exam was being watched from everywhere. Starting an in-fight in the exam would definitely have him disqualified later. "Of course not!" his expression changed. "I was just a little bit flustered, that''s all.


    However, now that I think about it, that seems quite fun. How about I go as well?"


    "No need," Milia went around him and dashed away. "Good luck with the exam."


    Rirano was left behind, finding it hard to keep the smile on his face. When Milia finally disappeared, he burst out. "Fuck! Who that bitch thinks she is?"


    "Rirano," another magus from his group approached him. "We are wasting time. I don''t care if you want to court that girl or not, but if you keep delaying, then we will leave."


    "I know that!" Rirano shouted back at the guy. Following that, he took a device from his pocket. After checking the information inside, he selected another path. "Let''s go." And so they left the area as well.

 Chapter 32: Arent You Curious?

    Less than a minute later, Milia caught up to Linfel''s group, much to their surprise.


    "Milia, why did you come? Aren''t you ashamed of following these Rank F Class Students?" Donfin asked with a sarcastic smile.


    Milia glanced at him and pointed at Alvin. "He is part of my Faction, so I can''t just ignore his presence now that he came this far into the test. I was expecting him to have given up by the fourth or fifth flag at most."


    Alvin''s hand nervously rubbed the back of his head. In truth, he hadn''t expected to make it this far. But now, standing beside Milia, he couldn''t admit that. "M-Milia, I... I''m grateful for your support. Thank you for being here with us."


    Milia nodded, while Nori found it funny. Milia was just curious about how they got this far. Alvin wasn''t really the reason for her to come at all. "Don''t mention it."


    Donfin and Miranda looked at each other but understood there was nothing they could do. They would rather still be the only ones following Linfel, after all.


    Linfel, on the other hand, just ignored them all and focused on the flow of Magic Energy. Several other paths appeared in front of the group, and it was always him to determine which one to take. With that, Milia didn''t take long to understand everyone was just following Linfel.


    "How does he know where to go?" Milia asked Alvin and Connor on the side.


    "Magic Sensitivity," Connor quickly answered before Alvin could. He also wanted to appear to Milia. "Linfel seems to have a very high sensitivity to Magic Energy, so he can feel the Magic Energy flow in this Canyon. That''s how we got to this place so fast, even though this place is considered a maze."


    Milia looked at Alvin and Linfel. The more she knew them, the more suspicious they looked in her eyes. "You truly made a very interesting Familiar, didn''t you?"


    Alvin tried to change the topic straight away. "What about you, Milia? Did you have someone like Linfel in your group? You were just thirty or so minutes behind us, you know?"


    "Oh-ho!" Milia faintly smiled. "So you guys got that far thirty minutes before our group, uh? Linfel seems even more interesting now. I truly wonder what kind of weird parameters you used in him."


    Alvin wanted to kill himself right there and then.


    Still, Milia answered his question. "The reason we got there that fast was because of Rirano. I don''t know how he did it, but he seemed to have acquired privileged information regarding the exam ahead of time. It is not against the rules, but the field exams'' information is usually very well-kept. All I can tell is that it was definitely not cheap."


    Alvin and the others found it unfair, but there was nothing they could do. "Well, it seems like Rirano''s information isn''t as good as Linfel''s Magic Energy Sensitivity. You were still behind us and would continue to be so if we didn''t have to fight the Rock Breakers," said Donfin.


    Milia took that chance to ask. "Donfin, we have spared a few times during the classes and other situations. I believe I know your strength quite well. It is not that I''m looking down on you, but I don''t see how you and Miranda would be able to defeat two Level Two Rock Breakers on your own."


    Donfin shook his head, though. "Miranda and I only got one of the Rock Breakers. The one one was defeated by Alvin and Connor."


    Milia was taken aback, looking at Alvin and Connor as well as their Familiars. "Is he telling the truth?"


    Connor quickly spoke. "We were lucky. The Rock breaker just left an opening, and we took advantage of it. I believe it didn''t feel threatened by us and ended up opening its mouth too early."


    Milia then looked at Alvin, who avoided her gaze. "Yes, it was luck, nothing more than that."


    Linfel changed direction once again. "Through here."


    Everyone''s attention went back to him. They were in a relatively open space and stretched quite far. There were no other passages there other than going forward. Yet, Linfel changed direction and went to the wall. "Here where?"


    Linfel''s Magic Energy circulated as Fire and Wind Gathered. A fireball quickly took form, which he used to attack the wall.


    *Boom!*


    It wasn''t an impressive attack or anything. However, it caused the wall to crumble, revealing a dark cave behind it. "This..." They truly hadn''t noticed its presence at all.


    Linfel entered with an excited expression. "The Magic Energy Flow is much stronger inside this cave. It is probably connected to much deeper into the Dark Canyons."


    Linfel was right. Until now, no one could feel any difference in the Magic Energy in the surroundings. Yet, the flow here was so much stronger that even they could tell the difference, albeit barely. For Linfel, however, it was the difference between day and night.


    Donfin quickly took out a circular device from his bag and threw it in the air. The device floated ahead of them, illuminating the path. Without wasting time, they all went deeper.


    Back on the airship, the room of dead corpses was already gone. At the moment, only Xalafel and his two subordinates were watching the entire exam. Naturally, Xalafel was more interested in Alvin''s group. As for the rest of the groups, the entire exam was being recorded.


    Excluding the recordings of Alvin''s display of a double connection, everything could be checked later by other teachers and instructors.


    "Where are the images?" Xalafel asked with a dark expression. "Dilwe, get it fixed."


    Dilwe shook his head in response. "It is impossible, Principal. They have entered a route that has no surveillance."


    "No surveillance?" Xalafel narrowed his eyes. "How can there be a route without surveillance? What were the organizers doing that they missed that one?"


    Dilwe sighed. "Unfortunately, we will have to wait until they come out in one of the watched regions."


    Xalafel laid back on his chair and nodded. "Fine. Just make sure whoever missed that gets fired later."


    At first, everyone followed Linfel without questioning. After all, he hadn''t led them astray before. But as they continued to run, Milia''s voice cut through the air, tinged with a hint of unease. "Something''s not right. There are no cameras here."


    Everyone was taken aback for a moment. Quickly, they began to scan their surroundings, looking for the tiny cameras that were being used to watch the entire field exam. It didn''t take long for them to reach the same conclusion as Milia. "She is right. There are none."


    Linfel looked back at Milia. "Could it be I took a route the academy didn''t know about? I''m only following the Magic Energy Flow."


    Milia didn''t know. "With all the equipment at the academy''s disposal, I find it hard to believe they would have missed this place. It looked well hidden, but it wasn''t hard to enter. Of course... it is not impossible."


    Alvin, Donfin, Miranda, and Connor agreed. "That''s true."


    Linfel then stopped, looking back to the path they came from. Ever since they entered this cave, they haven''t seen the light of the day yet. "Should we go back and take an open route? I can just ignore this cave and follow the next strongest Magic Flow."


    Since they were a group, it was just right to have everyone''s opinion.


    "No," Donfin''s voice rang out, filled with determination. "If this path leads to the deepest parts of the Dark Canyons, even if it''s unknown to the organizers, it could be our ticket to victory. We could be the first to reach the last flag, setting a record time. Imagine the bonus in score and academy credits. It will definitely be more than just the bonuses the instructor mentioned."


    "But wouldn''t we be missing the previous flags along the way?" Linfel asked, curious. "After all, collecting the flags is the main rule. If this path is unknown, there will be no flags until we find an exit. Instead, we would lose many score points and academy credits by leaving the flags behind."


    Miranda quickly shook her head. "Don''t worry. If you get to a flag deeper into the Dark Canyons, the flags that came before will also be added to your score. After all, you could only reach the deepest flags by passing by the previous regions. That shows you went through the exam as intended anyway."


    Linfel didn''t need to hear more than that. "Great! Record time, extra bonuses, that''s all Alvin and I care about."


    ''I care about staying alive a lot more, though,'' Alvin thought to himself. Nonetheless, he also understood the great chance he had here. "I vote for continuing this path."


    Milia and Nori agreed. "We are of the same mind."


    Miranda and Donfin, as well as their familiars, were no different. "Then let''s go!"


    Linfel quickly flew into the distance, being quickly followed by the rest of the group... and a crying Connor closely behind. "No one asked my opinion..."


    Alvin shrugged and pointed behind. "You are free to turn around and go back."


    "So heartless!" Connor complained. "Are you still my little Alvin?"


    "Your ass!" Alvin rebuked. "Also, I''m just as nervous. You aren''t alone in this."


    The Magic Energy Flow power continued to increase as they went deeper into the cave. Nothing changed for a while as they found no Magic Beasts on the way, making them think this place was completely sealed before. However, it didn''t last forever. Suddenly, a faint green light could be seen ahead, catching their attention.


    "What are these?" Linfel stopped by the wall, pulling out a shining green rock. There were many of these all around, making the path ahead quite bright.


    "Magic Stones, perhaps?" Alvin also got one in his hand. It''s just that he couldn''t feel much Magic Energy inside these rocks.


    Linfel shook his head, though. "It does have some Magic Energy, but it is not like the Magic Stones we use. It just absorbed the Magic Energy from the environment to become like this. It has no use for training. Even those Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones are a lot better."


    Linfel looked around. "I guess it makes sense. The Magic Energy flow in this place is a lot more concentrated."


    "Let''s not waste time and keep going," Donfin spoke. Since the rocks had no use, they had no reason to dwell here.


    Linfel nodded and threw the rock away before guiding everyone once again. The number of green rocks continued to increase while the cave got wider as well. At some point, they turned a corner and were presented with an underground pond shining with the same pristine green light.


    "This is so beautiful..." Both Milia and Miranda spoke at the same time.


    Donfin couldn''t care less about it, though. "Fuck the scenery! Look at the pond! It is a Magic Energy pond!"


    "What?!" Miranda and Milia''s expressions changed. They quickly followed Donfin''s eyes to the pond and saw the Magic Energy circulating inside. "It is truly a Magic Energy Pond!"


    Donfin and the others were ready to jump in the pond when Linfel''s voice echoed in their ears. "That''s the reason the Magic Flow coming from this cave was so high. It is all coming from this lake. What do we do? We still have an exam to take."


    They immediately stopped. "Shit! He is right! We only have a day to complete the exam."


    "But..." Miranda seemed unwilling to just leave. "Look at the color of the Magic Energy. It is green! It is the same as Green Magic Stones."


    Let''s not forget that the grade of Magic Energy follows colors. Yellow being the lowest, you then have Red, Brow, and this same Green in the lake. You could say the lake is full of Level Four Magic Energy, which wouldn''t be wrong. There is no doubt Donfin, Miranda, and Milia were rich and they could get a lot of Red Magic Stones with their Background.


    However, Green Magic Stones are two levels above, and they would still be something hard to come by for them.


    Linfel shrugged, seeming not all that interested. "What are you all excited about? It is Green Magic Energy. You can''t absorb it anyway."


    "Ah!" Only then did everyone wake up to reality. Indeed, they couldn''t absorb this kind of Magic Energy. The level was too high. Alvin had explained to Linfel before that they could, at most, absorb Magic Energy one level higher. More than that, and the cores wouldn''t even accept it. If they forced the issue, they would only destroy their cores instead.


    Milia and the others were only Level Two Maguses and Familiars. Even they couldn''t take that Magic Energy. Not to mention, the Green Magic Energy in the pond had a very dense Green Color. It was definitely a High-Grade Green Magic Energy.


    For them to be able to absorb it and integrate the Magic Energy into their cores, they will need to become Level Three Maguses and Familiar while also being very close to Level Four. That wasn''t something that would happen anytime soon.


    "Also," Linfel continued. "The big guy living inside this pond probably won''t feel happy if we try to take the energy inside."


    Everyone''s expressions froze. They all knew Linfel could feel Magic Beasts. And this was a Green Magic Energy Pond, so the Magic Beast Living inside could only be...  S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ahem..." Donfin began to take a few steps back, very, veeeeeeery slowly. "I just remembered I didn''t come to this exam for Magic Energy but for the scores instead."


    Everyone vigorously nodded. They, too, went back while sweating buckets.


    Yet, their eyes suddenly widened while their faces contorted. Just ahead, above the pond, a certain Wisp- Ahem! A certain Familiar floated and seemed ready to attack the pond. "Aren''t you curious to see what is inside? Don''t worry, I''ll bring it out in a second."

 Chapter 33: Always the Last

    "STOP!" Everyone shouted at the same time. Too late, though.


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel already shot down a bolt of lightning!


    Electric currents spread through the pond, also hitting the creature inside.


    *ROAR!*


    *Shua!*


    The pond opened as the creature burst out of it. It was some kind of green serpent with slimy scales and a head covered in a helmet of bones. It immediately looked at Linfel, understanding it was the reason for its pain earlier.


    *Zush!*


    It immediately shot in Linfel''s direction, trying to swallow him whole. Linfel immediately fell inside the creature''s mouth as it once again dove into the water. Yet, the pond suddenly shined with even more lightning, shocking the onlookers.


    Finally, Donfin came back to himself. "Run!" Linfel was distracted by the Level Four Magic Beast, so that was their chance to get away.


    No one thought twice and quickly ran away... except Alvin and Felia. "I can''t leave Linfel behind!"


    However, it was then that a voice appeared on his side. "What are you talking about? I''m right here..." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone''s expressions froze as they looked to the side. There, Linfel floated as if nothing had happened.


    Linfel didn''t waste time, though. He quickly used his Magic Energy and pulled Alvin back with him. "That''s an interesting Magic Beast, but it will be best if we don''t engage it now. None of us can defeat it. Let''s go back before it realizes it got the wrong target."


    Everyone was puzzled, but it didn''t matter now. The priority was to run away as fast as possible. They quickly disappeared into the distance while the Magic Beast''s sound echoed behind.


    *Roar!*


    It seemed it finally noticed it had been fooled. Yet, once it came out of the water, there was no one there anymore. It roared in rage but refused to leave the pond itself. In the end, it dove back into the pond and disappeared to the bottom.


    Almost an hour later, everyone finally stopped, feeling tired. Usually, such a distance wouldn''t be much for Maguses and Familiars, but the terror of a possible pursuit left everyone at their wit''s end.


    Linfel, however, seemed fine. "Quite a strong guy. Unfortunately, it is also half blind. It was quite easy to trick it, although it would hardly work twice. By the way, any of you know which kind of magic Beast is that?"


    The group looked at Linfel with weird expressions. Finally, Donfin exploded. "Are you crazy! Why the hell would you provoke such a monster?! We could have died!"


    Linfel turned to him, puzzled. "Because I wanted to see what it was. In the future, once we decide to come back to use the pond, we need to know what to expect, right? Or do you intend to never touch that pond again? Fine by me, though. More Magic Energy for me to use."


    "It didn''t need to be now!" Miranda complained. "You could have let it be; then we could come back another time when we were truly prepared."


    Linfel pondered a bit. "Hum... that works too."


    Everyone fell with their heads on the ground. "Alvin... just what kind of parameters you used in this Familiar of yours..."


    Alvin bitterly smiled. "Let''s just say it wasn''t a very conventional approach."


    Milia also calmed down. "Forget it, everyone. Linfel, just what happened back there? How come you suddenly appeared outside? We saw you being swallowed by the creature."


    Indeed, their group saw the serpent taking him to the bottom. They thought Linfel was a goner at that point.


    "Oh! That wasn''t really me," Linfel explained. Right after, he used his Magic Energy and Lightning Began to form, taking a similar shape to himself. "I used a Lightning attack since that guy seemed to be compatible with water. After catching its attention, I made this copy."


    "Since it was made of the same element that attacked the creature, the creature thought it was the culprit, especially since it couldn''t see very well outside of water. It could only rely on its senses. It swallowed this copy of me and dove down. Naturally, the copy dispersed as the Lightning hit its inside, making it even more disorientated," Linfel concluded.


    He then looked back, feeling impressed. "Still, even though I didn''t use much Lightning, it barely got any damage at all, although it swallowed the copy. Truly, a very strong fella. We better avoid him for now."


    Only now that they looked at it with calm did they see that the copy Linfel made with Lightning was indeed very bad. In a normal situation, they wouldn''t be fooled by it. Nonetheless, the risk Linfel just took was ridiculous. "Just don''t do something like that again, alright?"


    Linfel nodded. "Alright. In any case, we didn''t come out without anything. Look at where we are."


    "Hum?" The group looked around. Yet, other than the walls of the cave, there was nothing. They ran quite far away, so they couldn''t see the shining green rocks anymore either. "What is it?"


    Linfel smiled. "Watch!"


    Linfel circulated his Magic Energy once again and created another Fire Ball. Immediately, he shot it against a wall not too far away.


    *Boom!*


    The wall crumbled like the first one, showing the outside world. "You all followed me as we ran away from the pond, so I took another path that went in the opposite direction we came. By following the Magic Energy flow, I knew we would find another exit here. We should be much, much deeper into the Dark Cayons now."


    Their group got up again and exited the cave. They were indeed back at the bottom of the Dark Cayons. It''s just they couldn''t exactly tell where they were at the moment. "Are we truly further in?"


    Linfel nodded. "The Magic Energy flow here is what you would expect, considering the changes I experienced along the way. Take a look over there."


    They once again turned their eyes into the distance, and there, they spotted another Flag. "It''s... It''s the Purple Flag! Then the place we are is..."


    "Purple Flag?" Alvin and Felia asked at the same time. "Do you know where we are then?"


    Milia, who seemed slightly excited as well, quickly nodded. "Yes. There had been exams that used Flags before. After all, we receive one Field Exam every week. Purple... is always the last flag."


    Donfin looked at the time and couldn''t help but exclaim. "Six hours! It has been only six hours since the start of the exam!"


    Everyone checked the time as well. "Are we going to break the record by four hours?!"


    "Seems like it," Miranda spoke, equally happy.


    Without thinking twice, their whole group charged to the Flag in the distance. However, they weren''t idiots. They let Linfel go ahead since he could feel Magic Beasts to a certain distance. Especially Donfin and Miranda, who were taken by surprise by the Rock Breakers earlier this day.


    Linfel didn''t mind since he already intended to do it anyway. As they approached, their speed slowed down, waiting for Linfel''s warning.


    *Crack!*


    Yet, this time, Linfel couldn''t do anything about it. That''s because his perception range is only around ten meters. At the moment, he was walking that same distance ahead, so he didn''t notice. No one did. Out of nowhere, several dark vines came out of the ground, trying to bind their group.


    Alvin was taken aback as he was the first one to see a dark vine sprouting from the ground, attacking Milia on the back. Without thinking, he immediately circulated his magic Energy and kicked her, sending her flying out of the way.


    Many more of those vines came out, capturing Connor, Miranda, and Donfin. Alvin was just lucky. He simply wasn''t the first target by mere chance. However, after kicking Milia, the vine that was supposed to take her took him instead.


    Of course, their group wouldn''t just look as the vines took them. They all circulated their magic energy and attacked the vines. Yet, at the same time they attacked, they felt their bodies go numb.


    "Shit! They are covered in poison!" Donfin exclaimed.


    *Swish, swish, swish...*


    Suddenly, several slashes came in succession, cutting the vines and freeing the group. It was Milia and Nori who were now connected. Surprisingly, Nori''s form was that of a sword. Milia circulated her Magic Energy, creating a flaming sword that kept attack the vines as they came out of the ground.


    *vuuuuuu...*


    Following that, a current of wind reached everyone''s bodies, pulling them away from the vines. This time, it was Linfel who acted. He was the only Familiar not connected to a master, so he was free.


    "This guy is hidden deep underground. I can''t feel his Magic Energy." Linfel could feel Magic Energy up to ten meters, but that''s only if there were no barriers on the way. Feeling Magic Energy underground was much harder, so his perception didn''t go more than three meters down.


    *Crack, crack, crack, crack...*


    The ground then began to crack open as a mass of Dark Vines came out. It wasn''t only one, but ten of them at once.


    Milia recognized them straight away. "They are Para Vine Beasts. You can find them in quite a few different places in our country. They usually hide underground and use the vibrations on the surface to detect their prey. Obviously," Milia then slashed a few more times and continued, "they paralyze their target and use the vines themselves to absorb their nutrients."


    Linfel looked at Alvin. "Can you move?"


    Alvin slowly got up as his legs trembled. "More or less. This poison sure works..."


    Donfin, Miranda, and Connor followed suit. Donfin and Miranda, as Level Two Maguses, seemed to be better off. Their higher Magic Energy helped them block the poison better than Alvin and Connor. "These fuckers! Let''s finish them off!"


    Donfin quickly shot forward. He could tell that although annoying, those Para Vines were still only Level One Magic Beasts... or Plants, for the matter. Having been caught by them was quite disgraceful in his eyes.


    Alvin and Felia quickly worked together. His magic Energy created several spikes out from the earth and tried to pierce the Para Vine Cores.


    Connor followed suit with his wind attacks, which were especially good since he could create wind blades.


    Alvin and Connor took one Para Vine each, while Connor, Miranda, and Donfin took three at the same time. That left two Para Vines for Linfel deal with.


    The fight continued as the Para Vines tried to keep their distance while using their poisonous vines to attack Alvin''s group. Linfel acted as a kind of support character. He easily held down his two Para Vines and acted every time he saw someone was going to be caught by those vines.


    Usually, Donfin and Miranda wouldn''t need much help since they are Level Two Maguses. However, the poison was still in their bodies, so their movements were quite slow. Alvin and Connor were even worse.


    Fortunately, Milia also made up for it with her own effort. She used several Fire Attacks, mainly focused on Nori''s Blade. The fire seemed to be especially effective against those Para Vines.


    *Boom!*


    A Fire Spear suddenly hit one of the Para Vines, piercing through its core and burning the rest of its body. The first Para Vine came down, reducing the pressure on the group. "Finally, an opening," said Linfel.


    That single death changed the battle almost instantly. Linfel now only had one para Vine to deal with. His barrage of attacks, all made of fire and wind elements, completely overwhelmed that Para Vine. It soon died as well.


    *Swish, swish, swish!*


    Milia wasn''t any slower. Even though she fought three of those, she still held the advantage. Finally, she took one down. However, instead of charging at the other two, her Sword, which was Nori transformed, turned to the side and sent a Fire Slash attack. Tens of Dark Vines were instantly cut down, causing the Para Vine owner to scream in pain.


    Alvin sighed in relief. His Earth Element was truly not very good against this beast. He was doing his best just to hold down, especially with his numb body. "Thank you."


    Milia quickly turned back to her targets. "Now we are even." She obviously didn''t forget that it was Alvin who prevented her from being touched by the vines earlier.


    One Para Vine after another fell, and their group found it easier and easier to work together. After a few minutes, the last Para Vine was cut down, bringing an end to the battle.

 Chapter 34: Old Friend

    Donfin''s Familiar returned to his original form as Donfin took a deep breath. "Finally over. Linfel, why didn''t you warn us about them?"


    "I told you," Linfel spoke. "I can only sense them up to ten meters or so, and they were underground, where it is even harder to perceive. They were way over ten meters below the ground."


    "He is right," Milia spoke for him. "Those were Para Vines. They hide deep underground and use the vibrations to detect their targets while waiting in ambush."


    She then looked around. "Still, they are only Level One Magic Beasts. We could say we were quite lucky already. Most likely, the Para Vines, who always work in groups, scared any Level Two Magic Beast away. They are pretty annoying when acting in mobs, after all."


    Miranda ignored than and entered the ten-meter range of the Purple Flag. "Who cares?! We got the last flag! Hahaha!"


    "Fuck!" Donfin cursed. Miranda still kept her attention on the flag and was now the first one to approach it. It will be mentioned in her end results.


    *Zup!*


    Suddenly, Miranda''s Collar shined with Magic Energy before a bubble was created around her. Following that, she was pulled towards the skies. It was obvious Miranda didn''t activate her collar, which meant she completed the exam.


    Of course, Donfin didn''t waste time and approached the Flag as well. In the next second, he was also enveloped by the same bubble of Magic Energy from his collar and taken away. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait for me!" Connor obviously wouldn''t lose this chance and quickly entered the Flag''s range. He never expected he would be one of the first students to complete this Field Exam. Just like the two before, his collar also activated as he was brought away with Tratil.


    Milia didn''t mind that. Her overall score among the Rank A Students was at the very top. Even if she didn''t participate in the next few field exams, she wouldn''t be sent to Rank B Classes. Being the first didn''t change anything for her at the moment.


    She then looked at Alvin, Linfel, and Felia. "Aren''t you in a hurry to take the flag?"


    Alvin shook his head. "To be honest, I would have been happy if I had reached even 50% of the way. Let alone reach the end and be one of the first ten students. I don''t mind if the others went away first." He walked slowly to the Flag, thinking about everything that happened so far.


    Milia faintly smiled and followed him. Obviously, Nori, Felia, and Linfel did the same.


    However, just as they were about to enter the Flag''s range, Linfel''s expression changed. He didn''t say anything as he touched Alvin and connected to him. Just like that, he took Alvin''s control once again before turning to Milia. Finally, their Magic Energy exploded as they shot forward at full speed.


    *Bang!*


    Milia was taken aback and tried to react. However, she didn''t expect that tackle from Alvin and only had time to connect to Nori. Just as she was about to push Alvin away from her...


    *Boom!*


    The ground where she had been staying a second ago burst, sending dirt everywhere and stones everywhere. Her expression changed, understanding that Alvin had just saved her once again. But, above all, she was scared of the fact she didn''t notice the enemy approaching.


    From the ground, a green-colored serpent with a bone helmet emerged, looking at Alvin and Milia.


    "Felia!" Alvin turned back, shouting with worry. He was also surprised by Linfel''s sudden movement. However, he heard through that weird communication in his mind Linfel saying something had targeted them.


    "Master!" Felia appeared right after, in the opposite direction Alvin and Milia fell to. She wasn''t the primary target of the serpent, so her core was only hit by the debris.


    Alvin sighed in relief as Linfel controlled his body to get up. ''Alvin, it is that guy.''


    Only then did Alvin pay attention to the Magic Beast that appeared. Obviously, it was the Level Four Serpent. "W-Why is it here?!"


    Milia quickly got away from Alvin while holding Nori in his Sword Form. "It doesn''t matter! Use your co-!"


    *Bang!*


    *Crash!*


    Before Milia could even finish her words, the serpent moved like lightning, sweeping its tail and hitting Milia head-on. Milia barely had the time to put Nori between her and the attack before being sent flying and crashing against the wall of the Dark Canyon. She instantly broke several bones and fell to the ground.


    Even Nori in his Sword Form seemed to have cracked, forcing him to return to his Core Form. The crack in the sword then changed into a crack on his core instead.


    The Serpent could tell that Milia''s Magic Energy was much stronger than Alvin''s, so it took it as its primary target by instinct.


    *Hisssssss...*


    It didn''t stop there. Its body coiled like a spring before shooting forward. Its mouth opened, intending to swallow Milia whole. Milia raised her head just in time to see the mouth reaching her head. She closed her eyes.


    *CLANG!*


    Yet, the death she expected to come didn''t arrive. She opened her eyes again, just in time to see a Wall of Earth between her and the serpent Magic Beast. At the same time, Alvin was there, holding it as blood flowed from all his muscles.


    Yet, what shocked Milia the most was the vision of Linfel and Felia. Felia was in her gloves form, connected to Alvin... and so was Linfel, although his form hadn''t changed. Linfel had once again connected to Alvin and Felia at the same time.


    Yet, the one controlling his body this time wasn''t Linfel. It was Alvin himself. When the Magic Beast attacked Milia, Felia ran to Alvins'' side. Linfel then prepared to use the collar to get away from her. However, to his surprise, the always-scared Alvin made the first move, using his and Felia''s Magic Energy to reach Milia before the Serpent could follow with its attack.


    Linfel''s connection truly made a huge difference. Although their magic Energy was still at the Yellow Level, the amount Alvin could bring out at once with Linfel''s Help made up for the quality.


    However, that Wall of Earth only lasted a second before breaking and sending Alvin flying just like Milia did a moment ago.


    "Milia, now!" Yet, as soon as they were sent flying, Alvin shouted at her.


    His Magic Energy circulated frenetically as a powerful blast of wind happened behind him and Milia. That blast acted as a cushion, preventing them from crashing with too much force against the wall. Linfel acted again!


    Milia, quick to grasp Alvin''s plan, immediately activated her collar. The Magic Energy within surged, forming a protective bubble that propelled her upwards. Alvin, equally swift, was enveloped by the same bubble, lifting him from the ground.


    They gravely underestimated the Level Four Magic Beast, a creature of immense power. Before they could even ascend a single meter, the Serpent''s tail lashed out with incredible speed, striking both of them simultaneously. The force of the blow sent them hurtling into the ground and then the wall. The Bubble of Magic Energy, their last line of defense, shattered instantly.


    The collars'' power vanished, leaving them vulnerable.


    *Hisssss!*


    The serpent didn''t stop there as it sprung in their direction once again. It was a Magic Beast hunting its prey. It didn''t know the meaning of holding back. Milia saw the beast''s mouth opening. Instinctively, she held Nori''s core close to her chest, shouting in her mind. ''ALVIN!''


    *Zush!*


    In the next instant, the bloodied body of Alvin appeared once again, making Milia''s emotions stir and a tear come out. This time, however, Red Magic Energy flowed through his meridians. Linfel had always been able to create Red Magic Energy with Yellow Magic Energy. It''s just that he couldn''t store much of it due to his level.


    That said, he kept it safe in his core, just in case he needed it at some point.


    Yet, he couldn''t control Alvin''s body at the moment as Alvin''s strong emotions made it impossible to intervene. When Alvin saw that Milia was about to be killed, he simply moved on his own. Linfel then saw himself forced to utilize that Red Magic Energy and give it all to Alvin for one last struggle.


    That was the only reason Alvin, injured as he was, managed to get in front of Milia when the attack arrived.


    ''Sigh... I guess I shouldn''t have provoked this guy back in the pond. Oh well, it wasn''t a bad run,'' thought Linfel, prepared to die with Alvin and Felia. There was no way they could hold this thing down as they had utilized all their magic energy again.


    "Hmph! Acting tough in my territory? Know your place!" However, in that last second, a ray of Blue Light came from the skies, crashing against the serpent''s skull like a meteor!


    *BOOM!*


    *Hisssssss!*


    The bone helmet of the serpent was pressed against the ground. It struggled with all its might to get free, but the leg pressing its head didn''t budge. Finally, the attacker''s eyes turned cold as he increased the pressure.


    *Crack! Splash!*


    His leg went through the bone helmet, breaking through the enormous serpent''s head and smashing its brain. Blood began to gush out while the serpent''s body still moved. It was already that, but just like a snake, its cells were still alive and would continue to move for a while before settling down.


    *Bang!*


    The man pulled his leg out of the serpent''s head and kicked it away, making it crash against the wall in the distance. "Just why the hell am I paying those idiots? This is an Academy Testing Ground! And yet, they didn''t notice there was a Level Four Magic Beast here. If I don''t get a few heads fired this time, my name is not Xalafel."


    Sure enough, their savior was none other than Xalafel, a Level Five Magus and the academy''s principal!


    *Tud!*


    However, neither Alvin nor Milia had the chance to talk to the man. They quickly lost to their injuries and fell to the ground, unconscious. Felia and Linfel also had their connection with Alvin canceled. Felia was completely empty and couldn''t even float anymore. As for Linfel, he still had a little bit of Yellow Magic Energy, so he was the only one to get up and assume his Familiar Form.


    "Now, that was scary..."


    Xalafel was surprised to see that Linfel still had Magic Energy to move around. However, he saw the state that Milia and Alvin found themselves in. "We can talk later. I''ll bring these two out to receive treatment first."


    "Ah!" Linfel quickly remembered something. "Just a second!" He quickly used the remaining of his Magic Energy to carry Milia and Alvin''s body within the Purple Flag''s range. Thanks to that, Alvin and Milia were now considered to have completed the exam as well. "Alright, we can go now."


    Xalafel didn''t know what to say. Those two were almost dead, but the Familiar thought more about the exam. However, he shook his head and quickly took Alvin and Milia''s bodies with him. Of course, he also brought Felia, Linfel, and Nori away.


    As they took flight, Linfel looked back in the serpent''s body direction. Different from the other Magic Beasts they killed before, he could feel that the source of Magic Energy of the dead serpent didn''t disappear. "How come that thing still has Magic Energy?"


    As Xalafel flew up, he spoke. "Level Three Magic Beasts are able to condense a Magic Core, just like Maguses do at the age of twelve. From there onwards, their magic Energy is stored inside the Core instead of being spread around their bodies." Xalafel then waved his hand, causing a gust of wind to hit the serpent''s head. In the next second, a Magic Core flew out and was caught by his hand.


    "Here, take it."


    Linfel was surprised to receive that. The concentration of Magic Energy inside was truly enormous. However, Xalafel warned. "It can''t be used for training since it is contaminated with the Magic Beast''s Energy. However, it can be used as a source of energy for other things. You might get a good price from this.


    Consider it an apology for missing that Level Four Magic Beast in the examination area."


    Linfel felt ecstatic, though. Contaminated? That was not a problem at all. It''s just that Linfel was also kind of sad. The Magic Energy inside was also at Level Four, Green Color Magic. He still couldn''t absorb it.


    ''I will keep it for later when I reach Level Three,'' he thought to himself.


    Xalafel didn''t know what Linfel was thinking, but he didn''t care either. Even though he didn''t show it, he was over the moon. ''Truly, truly impressive. Alvin, this old man has great plans for you.''

 Chapter 35: Lost in Thoughts

    Xalafel was quite nervous a while ago. Linfel''s group had entered a cave without surveillance, so he was afraid something could have happened to them. Sometime later, they suddenly resurfaced near the last flag of the exam, much to his surprise.


    However, it was also at that moment that the sensor around the exam area detected a different type of Magic Energy approaching. Before even Linfel could notice the serpent Magic Beast, Xalafel and his subordinates already understood a Level Four Magic Beast, a creature of immense power and danger, had appeared.


    Xalafel immediately disappeared from the room, flying to the end of the examination area as fast as he could. The collars can not be activated by them. Only the users themselves can do it. That''s to make sure the Maguses in the exam understand the Magic Academy would not intervene in the Field Exams.


    Still, Xalafel''s expression wasn''t good. Even at his level, he would take a while to arrive. He could only hope Linfel''s group would hold on during that time, although he wasn''t very confident. To his immense relief and admiration, Linfel''s group not only held on but also managed to fend off one of the serpent''s attacks.


    He quickly came crashing against the serpent like a meteor, and the rest is history.


    Of course, even after Xalafel took Linfel''s group away, the exam itself wasn''t over. Xalafel simply ordered the instructors hidden in several parts of the Exam Field to remain vigilant in case another of these rare and formidable Level Four Magic Beasts appeared. ''Well, Level Four Magic Beasts are a rarity in this part of the country. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There shouldn''t be any more of them,'' he thought to himself, underlining the exceptional nature of the situation.


    The next group to arrive at the Purple Flag ended up taking over an entire extra hour to do so. It was Rirano''s group, of course. After all, Rirano had acquired information about this field exam in advance.


    The next one was a single Magus and a Familiar from the older groups that were dropped in a different place of the Dark Canyons. Rirano''s group was already gone by then, so the guy just approached the flag, excited.


    Even considering Linfel and Rirano''s group, the total number of Maguses to arrive at the last flag was only five. However, there was an exception. Independent Familiars have their own IDs and accounts in the Academy. That said, they also count. That means Linfel and Nori were considered on their own, different from Felia and Tratil, who were counted as being part of Alvin and Connor''s own strength.


    In the end, five Maguses and two Familiars were the first seven participants to get to the last flag. When the older Magus arrived, he became the eighth one. Of course, the bonuses still applied, so it didn''t matter to him. After his magic Energy Signature was taken, he simply used his Collar and exited the exam as well.


    The last two Maguses to arrive were from the middle groups, the ones between 17 and 21 years old. The difficulty of their journey was something between the young and the oldest ones. In fact, these last two were in the same group with another three Maguses and their Familiars. It''s just that these two reacted faster and got closer to the Flag first, leaving the other three out of the bonus.


    The exam continued normally after that, with no other Level Four Magic Beasts appearing. At most, you would find Level Three Magic Beasts, but these ones were placed in the route taken by the oldest Maguses since there were even Level Three Maguses between them.


    One thing was certain, though. Pretty much everyone who arrived in the last Flag were Maguses and Familiars from Ranked A and B Classes. There were a few Rank C, but those were truly few. Last but not least, one single student from a Rank D class also managed to miraculously arrive at the end, although in his case, it was most due to his luck.


    Well, there were also Alvin and Connor, two Rank F students. But their cases were extraordinary.


    The exam concluded with no issues. This kind of exam was thought through and through, aiming to give the Maguses and Familiars experience instead of killing them. The collar was proof that the Academy didn''t really want anyone to die. That was exactly what happened. There were some very serious injuries, like the ones in the Maguses from Linfel''s Group back when they fought the Rock Breakers.


    But deaths were truly hard to come by.


    All the Airship then took off from the Dark Canyon, only leaving behind a few instructors from the Academy who would clean up the place of the equipment used. As for the Magic Energy Pond hidden deep underground, no one found that since Linfel took quite a hidden passage.


    The instructors themselves wouldn''t enter the cave Linfel''s Group came from either since there wasn''t a need to check the environment anymore.


    Later that night, Alvin woke up in a tank filled with some weird yellow liquid. Several Diagram Runes operated it, seeming to act on Alvin''s injuries. "T-This..."


    "Oh! You finally woke up," said a woman wearing a doctor''s attire on the other side of the room. She quickly pressed a few options on the screen in front of her, which caused all the liquid inside the tank to be drained away. Finally, the tank itself opened, allowing Alvin to come out.


    "Master!" Felia quickly jumped to Alvin''s head, feeling extremely happy. She wasn''t too bad. It was Alvin''s body that took most of the burden during the serpent incident. After she was given a few Magic Stones and absorbed them into her core, she was able to take her Familiar Form once again and had been waiting by Alvin''s side all this while.


    Alvin smiled and patted the Familiar''s head. Not too far from him, he saw Linfel, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. "So... what happened after that?"


    Linfel woke up from his trance and looked back at Alvin. "You are awake, uh? Took you long enough..." Linfel was just about to continue talking when, suddenly, a message arrived in the medical center.


    -We have arrived in the academy. All students, please exit the Airships and proceed to the Field Exam Results Area. Your scores and the overall rank can be consulted there. Thank you for your participation, and we expect you to take the next exam.-


    "We are back?!" Alvin quickly looked through the window, seeing that it was already later night. "Seems like I slept in the recovering chamber for quite a while."


    The female doctor nodded. "That you did. Your group was brought here just seven hours after the start of the exam, so for the rest of the exam, you were kept inside the chamber, healing. You tore through most of your muscles, not to mention the many broken bones. Although there were no lasting damages, you truly got very close to dying, you know?


    Fortunately, you were brought back in time, so I managed to get you back into shape."


    Alvin felt a chill on his back. He got close to dying? But then again, he did try to block the attack of a Level Four Magic Beast... "Just what the hell was I even thinking?!!!"


    Felia couldn''t agree more while feeling angry. "Exactly! You tried to block a Level Four Magic Beast! Master, do you have a death wish?! If not for Linfel..." She stopped there, knowing she shouldn''t mention the Double MCF.


    Linfel already began to make his way out of the airship. "Come on, the airship won''t wait for us to exit forever."


    Alvin and Felia quickly followed. Of course, Alvin quickly thanked the doctor, too. "Thank you."


    "That''s my job," the woman answered with a cheap smile.


    Outside, the thousands of students moved in unison to the Field Exam Results Area. Alvin was brought in a different airship from the others, so he only met Connor on his way.


    "Alvin!" Connor quickly approached, surprised. "Just where did you go? I returned to the ship after taking the last flag, but you never came."


    Alvin was taken aback. "You don''t know?"


    Connor was puzzled by that question. "Know what?"


    Alvin pondered a bit and shook his head in the end. "Nothing much. I''ll tell you later."


    Connor then whispered in Alvin''s ears while controlling his Magic Energy so that only they could hear. ''Bro, we still haven''t talked about that fight against the Rock Breaker. How did you connect with two Familiars at the same time?''


    Alvin whispered back in the same manner. ''Many things happened, but we can talk about that as well once this is all over.''


    Connor nodded, knowing better not to talk about such an issue in this place.


    Alvin, on the other hand, turned to Linfel. ''How did I get in the medical bay? I think... I saw Principal Xalafel? Was I dreaming?''


    Linfe shook his head. ''No. It was truly the man from the statue... although he seemed a lot older. I have to say, that guy is truly strong. He cracked the serpent''s head open with a single foot.


    It was incredible! It was also the first time I saw someone using Blue Magic Energy.''


    Alvin breathed in coldly. ''So it was truly the legend himself. That man is not only famous in our academy but in our entire country as well. Do you think he knows about our Double MFC?''


    ''Oh, that''s definitely for sure,'' Linfel confirmed straight away. ''He saw the moment when you passed out while Felia and I disconnected from you. He didn''t ask me anything, though. He simply left you in the medical bay and left after saying a few words to the doctor.''


    Alvin sighed. ''I see... That''s going to be complicated to explain.''


    Linfel and Alvin arrived in the Results area, a big building where several screens could be seen all around. The Academy promoted competition between the students, so the results were always shown to the crowd in the academy. One could even verify them later once they were added to the Academy''s website.


    As soon as they entered, Linfel noticed Milia in the distance. "There she is."


    Alvin looked in the direction Linfel pointed out, seeing Milia looking at one of the screens. Nori was nowhere to be seen, though. Alvin thought about what happened earlier and remembered that Milia also saw him using a Double Master Familiar Connection. There was no other choice. He had to talk to her about it so Milia wouldn''t spread the information.


    When he approached, he noticed that the screen message said the results were being processed. Everyone who came here was waiting for the results as well. "Milia... can we talk?"


    Milia felt a jolt run through her body as she quickly looked back. Alvin was there, looking at her with a concerned expression. The memories of her last thoughts before the serpent''s last attack came into her mind, especially how she screamed his name in there.


    Surprisingly, he truly appeared, putting himself between her and the serpent in that moment of life and death while fully injured and bleeding from everywhere.


    Fortunately, thoughts couldn''t be heard, so Alvin didn''t know about her cry for his help.


    Milia''s checks then grew red before she looked away. "B-Better not. Go away."


    Alvin was taken aback. "But you saw what Linfel and I-"


    "Go away!" Milia quickly got up and left in a flash, running as fast as she could.


    "She told you to go away, but isn''t it she who is going away instead?" Linfel asked, confused.


    Alvin grew nervous, not knowing what to do. Connor, who was also there, couldn''t help but ask. "What did you do to her? You must have truly pissed Milia off for her to run away like that."


    Alvin quickly denied it. "I did nothing... or did I? Linfel, did I do something before I passed out?"


    "Not that I noticed..." Linfel answered, equally perplexed.


    Felia, on the other hand, looked in the direction Milia ran with a weird expression. ''That''s very suspicious...''


    Well, they didn''t have time to think about it for much longer. That''s because the results were finally displayed a few seconds later.


    -1: Miranda Kuku, Rank B Student, all flags collected, seven hours, twelve minutes, thirty-four seconds.-


    The was an immediate uproar when the first name appeared. The fact she was from a Ranked B Class didn''t impress anyone. It was always Ranked Classes A and B the first ones to complete the field exams in general. However, she also beat the record for this exam by almost three hours! That was the real surprise.


    -2: Donfin Soqeis, Rank A Student, all flags collected, seven hours, twelve minutes, thirty-six seconds.-


    Naturally, Donfin appeared right after since he was the second one to enter the Flag''s range.


    Yet, the greatest uproar came with the next name.


    -3: Connor Triglan, Rank F Student, all flags collected, seven hours, twelve minutes, forty-five seconds.-


    "Impossible!" Someone immediately exploded.


    Yet, the next one quickly followed.


    -4: Alvin Brunes, Rank F Student, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    -5: Linfel, Rank F Familiar, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    -6: Milia Frondor, Rank A Student, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    -7: Nori, Rank A Familiar, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    Since Linfel brought the two of them with him to the flag, they obviously got exactly the same time. Not that it mattered at the moment.

 Chapter 36: Weird Familiar

    Milia was the only one in that batch that didn''t surprise anyone. However, Alvin, Connor, and Linfel definitely did. Once again, because Linfel and Nori were independent, they were not considered to be one unit with their masters.


    All eyes turned to Alvin and Connor in the building, making both of them feel awkward.


    It was then that someone spoke. His name was Sanvike, and he was the Eleventh Magus to have reached the last flag. "This is wrong! The rules clearly stated that anyone who followed stronger Maguses and Familiars but did nothing would have their results nullified! How can there be two Rank F maguses and a Rank F Familiar in the top ten?


    They obviously used Milia, Donfin, and Miranda''s strength to get there!"


    The other Maguses and Familiar began to complain as well, quickly reaching the administration of the exam in the building.


    However, before things escalated, Donfin stepped forward. "They did nothing? Hahaha! What a bunch of idiots. I was with them! They were not as strong as us, that''s true.


    However, they did not just stick around and wait for me, Miranda, and Milia to do the hard job."


    Miranda was the next one to speak. "They killed their fair number of Magic Beasts and even managed to kill a Level Two Rock Breaker on their own. Could any of you do that when you were still Level One maguses and Familiars? Perhaps you could, perhaps you couldn''t. Nonetheless, they did not lag behind.


    Not only that, it was thanks to that Rank F Familiar that we were able to get to the Purple Flag faster than anyone else."


    Donfin and Miranda knew that the whole exam was recorded. There was no point in them denying Alvin, Linfel, Felia, Connor, and Tratil''s achievements. Well, Connor did not kill the Level Two Rock Breaker, but he did do his part even though he was scared. Linfel made sure he fought his way through.


    "Ha!" Sanvike didn''t believe it for even a second. "Then why don''t you allow us to check the exam''s recordings? I''m especially interested in how they defeated a Level Two Rock Breaker."


    Alvin got nervous. At that time, he connected with both Linfel and Felia. If that moment was shown to everyone else, wouldn''t things get even more complicated? He was still worried about Principal Xalafel, who definitely saw that happening already. There was also Milia in this.


    "Preposterous!" Yet, it was at this moment that a young woman entered the room, wearing one of the Academy Board''s Uniforms. Her name was Litivia Sumre, also known as the Vice-Principal of the Academy.


    Any student that was wroth their reputation definitely knew her, which included Sanvike. "S-Senior Litivia..."


    Litivia approached Sanvike with a dark expression. "Since when has my Academy ever given out unfair results? We have fended off all the families'' and organizations'' influence in the Academy''s affairs for hundreds of years. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this place neutral in the midst of all the power struggles of the country?"


    She then grabbed Sanvike''s head and pulled it high. "And yet, you are saying that we would throw all these years of effort away to help a small bunch of Rank F Students and a Familiar? You must truly be looking to die. Give me one reason not to expel you from the Academy right here and now."


    Litivia cast her cold eyes around while still holding Sanvike high. That obviously made every single voice of doubt disappear from everyone''s mouths. Litivia was known for being brutal and protecting the Academy''s affair with everything she had.


    Besides, now that she appeared and talked, they had to admit her words made sense. The academy never took sides, even when it came to proud children of the several powers in the country. Why would it tarnish its name for some unknown Rank F Maguses and Familiar?


    It is true that Alvin made some waves recently, but he wasn''t anyone near as important as some of the other students around, like Milia, for example.


    "I-I''m.. Sorry, senior!" Sanvike struggled to speak. "Please, forgive me!" Not only was he scared of Litivia, who was also a Level Five Magus, but the notion of being expelled from the academy made his blood freeze. That was absolutely the worst outcome for a young magus trying to make their name.


    "Hmph!" Livita then threw Sanvike away like a bag of trash, falling in the middle of a few other students who were complaining later. "Connor, Linfel, and Alvin. I''ve watched their recordings during the exam, and they pulled their own weight. Also, Miranda wasn''t lying. It was thanks to THEM that they even managed to get to the last flag first, not the other way around."


    She looked around and crossed her arms. "Does anyone here doubt my words?"


    "No!" Everyone answered at the same time. Are you kidding? They have no intention of being expelled or treated like Sanvike was a moment ago.


    "I thought so," said Litivia before turning her head to Linfel''s group. "Nonetheless, you did indeed do a great job during this Field Exam, especially since this was your first time taking one. Some of the circumstances played in your favor as well, so you could consider luck. But luck is also a type of strength. Later, come to see me. I have a few things to ask."


    Linfel and the others quickly nodded. "Yes, senior Litivia." They obviously knew what she wanted to talk about.


    "Milia Frondor!" Litivia looked at Milia in the distance, who seemed to be hiding from something. "You too! Come to see me later with Alvin, Connor, and Linfel."


    Milia bitterly smiled and nodded. "Yes, Vice-Principal." Seems like she wouldn''t be able to run away from Alvin for much longer.


    Litivia nodded and made her way out of the building, but not before casting a glance at Linfel. ''What a weird Familiar...'' She was a trusted subordinate from Xalafel, so she was already aware of what really happened. It''s just that she was more interested in Linfel than Alvin after watching everything.


    After Litivia left, Linfel ignored everything and went straight to one of the terminals in the building. He quickly accessed his Academy Account, checking his balance of Academy Credits. Sure enough, it was already updated with the rewards of the Field Exam.


    -AC: 4120-


    Linfel''s eyes lit up. ''Donfin wasn''t kidding! Not only were there bonuses for being within the top ten, but there were also bonuses for performance. I got 3420 Academy Credits, 1420 more than the flag''s points themselves!'' Linfel already knew exactly what he was going to buy with it.


    Alvin and Connor also checked their accounts. It''s just that they were feeling the pressure of being watched by everyone else. They couldn''t truly enjoy the rewards as Linfel was doing... At least now right now.


    "Let''s go!" Linfel wanted to get over with whatever Litivia wanted to talk about. "I want to buy a few things, so let''s go to Litivia already."


    Connor and Alvin nodded while their Familiars followed them. On their way out, Milia also approached, although she seemed to be fairly uncomfortable to be joining them. She kept looking away, ignoring Alvin altogether.


    Connor and Alvin looked at each other, a little lost at what to do. The mood seemed terrible somehow. It was then that Linfel spoke, not really seeing anything wrong. "Hey, Milia. Where is Nori?" For good or for bad, the wisp didn''t know how to read the atmosphere.


    Milia trembled a little and looked back at Linfel. "His... His core was damaged. I had to send him back to the Floating Blades Faction straight away so it could be repaired. His soul is fine, though. He should get back to normal by tomorrow."


    Linfel''s relief was palpable. "Phew... Familiars are truly a resilient bunch. They can even get their Core Fixed. If it was m-"


    *mmmmhmhmmm...*


    Alvin and Felia instantly stopped the wisp from saying anything else.


    "If it was you, you would probably be much cheaper to fix than Nori. After all, you were made with much cheaper materials as well. Hahahaha!" said Alvin, laughing nervously.


    Milia found their interaction as funny as ever, making her forget the reason she was flustered for a moment. "You guys truly have no salvation.," she said with a faint smile. However, she quickly remembered everything and looked away once again.


    Their group took the Academy''s Public Transportation and went to the Main Management Building at the center of the Academy. That''s where you can find the most important members of the board as well as the Vice Principal and the Principal''s Office. Once inside, one of the attendants seemed to have been waiting for them, quickly coming to talk. "Hello. Are you perhaps Alvin and his friends?"


    Alvin nodded. "That would be us."


    "Very well," The attendant quickly spoke. "Please follow me."


    Their group passed through security checking points, arriving at an office a few minutes later. However, the office in front of them wasn''t the Vice-Principal''s Litivia. Instead, it was the man himself, Xalafel''s. Only Connor was surprised, though. Milia and Linfel had seen Xalafel when the Level Four Magic Beast was defeated.


    The attendant knocked on the door. "Principal, they are here."


    "Enter," said a voice from inside.


    The attendant opened the door and guided the group inside. After that, he bowed to Xalafel and left, closing the door.


    Xalafel wasn''t alone in there. There were also three other people and their Familiars there. Litivia was one of them, and so were those two subordinates from the airship. One of them was Dilwe, while the other was called Fenlin. At the moment, they were the only ones who knew Alvin could do a Double Master Familiar Connection... other than Milia, Connor, and their Familiars, of course.


    Alvin and the others quickly bowed to Xalafel, showing their respect for this legend of the country. Yet, before they could say anything...


    "See? I told you. It is the same man from the statue," Linfel spoke while pointing out. "He just looks a lot older."


    The room went completely silent. Was there anyone out there who dared to treat Xalafel in such a disrespectful manner?


    "Linfel! Can you show a little more respect to senior Xalafel, please?" Alvin begged with teary eyes.


    Linfel didn''t understand the reason. "Did I say something wrong?"


    Alvin wanted to explain, but Xalafel intervened. "Don''t worry about it. I am old. That is obvious for all to see. Let''s leave that aside and speak about the real reason I called you all here."


    "The Double Master Familiar Connection, right?" Linfel asked straight away.


    Milia narrowed her eyes. Her feelings were a little out of place because of Alvin''s actions in the Field Exam. However, it wasn''t like she had forgotten that view. She saw Linfel, Felia, and Alvin connected together. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xalafel nodded, but he looked at Alvin instead. "Alvin, as a Magus, you should know that this is unprecedented. No Magus had ever succeeded in a Double Master Familiar Connection before reaching Level Five."


    "Level Five?" Alvin got puzzled. "I thought Level Six was the minimal level possible."


    Felia, Connor, and Tratil also nodded. That''s the information they had.


    However, Milia shook her head. "That''s because those at Level Five who can do it aren''t exactly publicly displayed. However, there are a few out there, and they are all big figures."


    "As expect of the daughter of the Frondor Family," said Litivia. "You do have access to quite some privileged information."


    Xalafen didn''t care about it. "In any case, Level Five was the limit. No other Magus, as far as we know, has ever done a Double Master Familiar Connection before Level Five. Alvin... how did you do it?"


    "Eh?" Alvin didn''t even know how to answer that. After all, it wasn''t he who made it possible. It was Linfel instead. "I... don''t know?"


    Linfel quickly jumped in. "Alvin, it is not that hard, is it? Felia and I just had to connect with you at the same time. What else is there to be said?" That was a lie, of course. Linfel''s connection was completely different from Felia''s. It''s just he couldn''t tell others about it, so he went with the most obvious answer, and no one would be able to prove otherwise.

 Chapter 37: Established

    Xalafel narrowed his eyes, asking. "So, you basically gave it a try... and it worked?"


    Linfel nodded, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "That was pretty much it. To be honest, we still don''t know what was supposed to have happened. Was there supposed to be a backlash? Something like that? We only heard it was risky."


    Litivia took the chance to explain. "As mentioned in the Master Familiar Connection class that Alvin must have taken, the Familiar connects through the soul with its master. Two Familiars trying to share the same soul connection create a huge burden to the soul. Answering your question, the results of trying it at lower levels should have been the collapse of the soul. Simply put, death."


    Dilwe couldn''t help but ask. "Alvin, why did you even try it in the first place? Weren''t you afraid of the consequences?"


    Alvin''s mind worked fast, trying to think about an excuse. Finally, he came up with something. "Well... I was curious about this Double Connection. So, when we tried it out, the three of us agreed to immediately cut out the connection between our souls if we felt even a little bit uncomfortable.


    We simply thought that the backlash wouldn''t be instantaneous, giving us time to at least cancel it before anything bad happened."


    Xalafel pondered a bit and had to admit it made sense. "Well, that''s not entirely wrong. Anyone can try to connect with two Familiars at once. If you just start it and cancel right after before things get bad, you can indeed prevent the collapse of the soul."


    "Still, the window is very narrow," Litivia added, her voice filled with a mix of relief and realization. "You would have to cut the connection before even finishing it. But then again, you decided to stop it at the very first sight of an issue, so I guess it does have a certain degree of safety... although most people would never give such a thing a try.


    One mistake and you would be nothing but a body without a soul, an empty shell."


    Fenlin looked at Alvin, Linfel, and Felia. "So, when you tried it out for the first time... you didn''t feel anything wrong whatsoever?"


    Alvin, Linfel, and Felia nodded. "Everything worked pretty smoothly. We could connect our souls and Magic Energy as if it were a single Master Familiar Connection. There were no such things as burden, pain, or anything else. We tried a few times in the next few days, and it only got better as we got used to it."


    Xalafel laid back on his chair and looked at the roof. "You simply tried... and it worked. Could it be there are others out there who are also capable of doing such a thing and just don''t know?"


    Litivia also thought about it. "Indeed, that is possible. However..."


    Dilwe resumed from where Litivia stopped. "We can''t just go out there and tell all Maguses and Familiars to try a Double Familiar Connection." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fenlin agreed. "He is right. They succeeded, but they used an uncertain method. Even if you decide to cut the connection as soon as you feel anything wrong, that doesn''t mean you won''t perish. If anything, chances are that once we disclose this method, countless maguses will give it a try. If things go wrong, we might end up with a pile of corpses.


    Don''t forget, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia didn''t feel anything wrong from the very start. Others... most likely won''t be this lucky."


    "I wouldn''t disclose it anyway," Xalafel continued. "If we were wrong, we would also be putting a huge target on Alvins'' back. He already can do a Double Connection now at Level One. Just what will he be able to do when he gets stronger?"


    Xalafel then looked at Milia and Connor. "That said, you guys better know what to do."


    Connor and Tratil quickly nodded. They definitely didn''t want to get on the Academy''s bad side.


    Milia, however, was a member of the Frondor Family. This information would be of great importance to them. It could possibly chance the power balance of the country or even the world. Yet... Milia seemed completely lost in thought, and it wasn''t because of this meeting.


    "Milia!" Xalafel called her attention, seeing her lack of attention.


    "Ah!" Milia jumped back and quickly nodded. "Right, right! I won''t tell anyone. I''ll talk to Nori as well. He will do what I say."


    Alvin seemed concerned. "Are you truly okay? You have been strange ever since we fought that Level Four Magic Beast."


    Milia quickly avoided Alvin''s gaze. "I''m fine!" She then looked at Xalafel, understanding his meaning. "Senior Xalafel is concerned that I''ll tell the Frondor family about it. There is no need to worry, though. Alvin saved my life back there, and I absolutely hate owing favors. I swear on my honor as a member of the Frondor Family that I shall not disclose it to anyone unless strictly necessary."


    Alvin patted her shoulder. "You don''t really need to feel like you owe me anything. I''m the one who owes the Floating Blades Faction for everything they did for me until now, including you. I''m still far from paying that debt."


    Milia quickly slipped away, feeling hot again. "W-Whatever. I just won''t tell anyone. Is that it? Can I leave now?"


    Xalafel shook his head. "Wait for us to finish it first." He ignored Milia''s behavior, thinking it had something to do with her pride as a Frondor Woman. "Alvin, can you show us the connection up close?"


    Connor and Milia''s attention was immediately picked. They had seen it, but because they didn''t expect Alvin to do such a thing, they didn''t have the chance to check it up close, either.


    Linfel nodded at Alvin, who quickly called Felia close. Felia''s core changed into the shape of two interlaced bracelets, with a few little chains connected between the bracelet and five rings on Alvin''s fingers.


    Linfel was next, attaching himself to the back of Alvin''s other hand. He didn''t change shape, and he could have done it without even touching Alvin as long as he was close enough. Nonetheless, that made it a little bit more believable. Finally, Linfel matched their soul frequences, and their Magic Energies merged. The connection was established.


    Xalafel, Litivia, Dilwe, and Fenlin, two Level Five and two Level Four Maguses, used their Magic Energy to sense Alvin''s connection. It didn''t matter how they looked. Linfel and Felia were perfectly connected to Alvin, and their Magic Energies were merged without any issues. "Truly unbelievable..." Xalafel murmured for a moment.


    He quickly recovered, though. "Alvin, I saw you defeating the Rock Breaker and defending against one of the attacks of the Serpent. I believe it is safe to say your strength while using a Double Connection is within the realm of a Level Two Magus, almost a Level Three."


    Alvin agreed with that. "Yes, although I wasn''t aware of how strong I was until I finally met the Rock breaker."


    Xalafel felt the connection go for a few more moments before finishing. "Alright, you can stop it now."


    Linfel and Felia separated from Alvin, and their power went back to normal.


    Xalafel continued from there. "You did an impressive job finding that you were capable of it. So much that I wish I could send you straight into a Rank A Class. However, we truly can''t reveal your abilities... at least not yet."


    "Well, we also don''t want to become targets. Hahaha!" Linfel commented on the side while laughing.


    Xalafel''s voice took on a somber note. "That is true. You are still Level One Magus and Familiars, so you might not know this. The situation of the country isn''t exactly as safe as it looks on the outside. It''s a dangerous place, filled with hidden threats."


    "We know," Connor quickly spoke. "The guys from the Floating Blades Faction told us what was really happening. About the saturation and how soon there won''t be enough resources for everyone."


    "Is that so?" Xalafeal narrowed his eyes but quickly returned to normal. "They should have waited to do that, but in this case, it is good that you already know about it. Simply put, the nearby countries would like nothing more than to get rid of potential threats to a war that will sooner or later happen. In the background, things are already remarkably ugly.


    And, to be honest, we are already out of enough resources. It''s just that the governments are pretty good at hiding it from the general populace."


    "I understand," Alvin spoke, already expecting that. "I will keep it a secret, definitely not showing it again until I reach Level Five."


    "No," surprisingly, Xalafel denied that notion. "I want you to show off your ability to use Double Connection as soon as you and your Familiars reach Level Three. Of course, until then, you will have to rise in the ranks normally."


    "What?!" Everyone in the room was taken aback.


    "But wouldn''t that put a target on my back, just like you said?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask, scared of the idea.


    Xalafel got up and walked to the window with a worried expression. "Yes, that would put you in danger."


    Litivia didn''t like it at all. "Xalafel, I trust you and your judgment. You know it. However, even I fail to see how it would be a good thing for us. If you say such a thing, that will put our academy and the entire world against us. Maybe the entire Universe since humans are the only ones who use the Master Familiar Connection."


    Linfel was surprised to hear that. "Only humans use it? For real?"


    Yet, Litivia looked at him, puzzled. "You should have received this information when you were created. Why so surprised?"


    Alvin quickly intervened. "I created Linfel without most of the normal knowledge a Familiar would usually have. So... he doesn''t know a lot of things."


    "Why would you do that?" Livitia asked back.


    "The knowledge curse..." Alvin spoke.


    "Oh!" Litivia had to admit it was a good reason. Linfel heard from Alvin about it. Familiars find it hard to evolve because they already know everything. So they don''t question their knowledge and thus find it hard to improve and find new paths. Still, it is quite an annoying thing to deal with, so those who create Familiars like Linfel are pretty much nonexistent.


    "Maybe this is one of the reasons why you can use Double Connection already. I will keep that in mind."


    She looked at Linfel right after to answer his question. "Indeed, humans are pretty much the only race that uses Familiars. The reason for that... is that humans are generally weak. Our Master Familiar Connections are what give us a little chance to stand on the same level as the much more powerful races.


    You can read about it outside in the history of the human race once we finish here if you are interested."


    Linfel quickly made a mental note to do so. "Alright. Thanks for the answer." Of course, he still wanted to know about Xalafel''s plans for them. "Senior Xalafel, would you please explain why you want Alvin, Felia, and I to show our Double Connection at Level Three? I can only see the danger here..."


    It was then that Milia''s voice echoed. "Level Three... Does it have anything to do with the Continental Academy Competition?"


    "What is that?" Linfel obviously knew nothing about it.


    Xalafel, on the other hand, smiled, feeling satisfied. "Little lady Milia is indeed insightful. Your father must be very proud of you."


    Milia''s expression turned a little solemn. ''That man probably doesn''t even remember I exist,'' she murmured in a low voice that only she could hear.


    Xalafel didn''t notice it and simply continued. "Milia is right. I want you to show your strength at the Continental Academy Competition. As the name says, it is a competition where the Maguses and Familiars of the Academy of the entire continent gather. Obviously they compete to see which Academy is the best one."


    Alvin was still confused. "That would still only put a target on our backs, a bigger one actually."


    "On the contrary," Xalafel coldly smiled. "That will help our country immensely."


    Suddenly, Linfel''s eyes lit up. "Old man... you are truly a nasty person."

 Chapter 38: Experience

    Everyone looked puzzled at Linfel. "What do you mean?" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xalafel, on the other hand, was happy someone understood. "I''ll take your words as a compliment. In this world, especially in the situation we found ourselves in with the saturation, anything is valid. Besides, I''m not the one acting. They will do it to themselves. If something happens, they can only blame themselves for ignoring the risks."


    Linfel noticed that the others were still confused and quickly explained. "Have you forgot what we have just discussed a second ago? You said it yourselves: If other Maguses found out that Alvin and I can do a Double Connection, they might try it out themselves. The chances are a lot of them would destroy their souls in the process."


    Litivia immediately understood. "I see! Xalafel, you want to show to the world that Linfel and Alvin can do it so that all the other young maguses and familiars will give it a try. You want to get rid of other country Maguses and Familiars without even touching them."


    Xalafel nodded. "Do you despise me for thinking of such a method?"


    Litivia narrowed her eyes. She was quite a brutal person, but it didn''t mean she liked meaningless killing. However, it is true that Xalafel wasn''t going to force anyone to do anything. "I can''t say I''m a fan of your plans, but we truly aren''t in a situation that allows us to be gentle. I told you, I trust your judgment; I always did. I will simply continue to do so."


    Xalafel sighed in response. "Thank you. Dilwe, Fenlin, what about you two?"


    Both Xalafel Subordinates spoke at the same time. "Principal''s plans are our plans. We will carry it to the very end." The determination in their voice was palpable. Perhaps they trusted Xalafel even more than Litivia.


    Of course, they weren''t the only ones in the room. Alvin, Felia, Tratil, Connor, and Milia... They were also there and heard everything. They kept silent for a moment until Milia finally spoke.


    "The background of my world had always been nasty, so I believe my Frondor Family probably would pretend to not know anything and let your plans go unimpeded." Milia was shocked at first, but her experience helped her to calm down pretty fast.


    Connor and Alvin, on the other hand, were already sweating. "Just... how many deaths are we talking about?"


    Xalafel understood that these two had never killed anyone, nor had they ever lived in an environment where power struggles happened constantly like Milia''s. This conversation, in which the lives of so many were involved, deeply scared both of them. In fact, even Milia felt uncomfortable with that plan, just not as bad as Connor and Alvin.


    "In Connor''s case, all you need to do is stay quiet. The only reason you are even here is because I need to warn you to don''t talk about Alvin''s ability to use Double Connection. Do you understand?" Xalafel asked in a deep tone.


    "Y-Yes..." Connor nodded, understanding that his life was on the line.


    "As for Alvin, you aren''t doing anything wrong. This is my plan and my plan only. I''m the sole existence to blame for the consequences. You will be doing nothing more than competing for the Academy''s prestige. Whatever others decide to do after seeing your achievements is their problem and mine. You don''t need to concern yourself with it," Xalafel said.


    "But, in case you still find a problem with my plan, understand this point: You are doing it so that our country won''t be conquered in the future. You will not simply be the cause of many deaths. You will, above all, be the reason many, many more lives will be saved, especially the lives of normal people who can''t do anything against Maguses. That includes your Family.


    Usually, the normal people, especially the poor, are the ones who suffer the most. Do it for them. That''s what I think, at least."


    Still, Linfel had to ask. "But... wouldn''t that cause the same problem for our Maguses?"


    "That''s the advantage of being in the country Alvin came from. There are many ways to prevent that," Xalafel spoke with confidence. Just the fact Alvin was here, they could create many excuses to stop Maguses from doing it in their territory. Such excuses would not work on other countries, though. Thus, it was a nasty but very effective plan.


    Linfel looked at Alvin, who seemed to be struggling. He didn''t see anything wrong with this plan. If anything, it was already quite peaceful compared to what he saw while he followed Horan in the past. "Alvin! What is the main reason the Magus Academies around the world exist?"


    Alvin was taken aback for a moment. That was an answer everyone knew. "Above all other fields, Maguses are the country''s strength. The ones who defend their people. They... are primarily taught for the sake of fighting."


    Linfel nodded. "You and Felia were the ones who told me that. After joining the Floating Blades Faction, you were exposed to the ugly truth of the world as well. Was your resolve that weak? If you intend to dwell on this topic any longer, then I''ll tell you this: Give up being a Magus! Leave the academy and return to your father''s fishing business.


    You have no place in this world."


    Linfel glanced at Connor, who didn''t look any better. "The same goes for you. Maguses and Familiars hold extreme power, power that surpasses over 99% of what normal people can do. If you ever truly thought you would live a peaceful life while being able to control such strength, then you were nothing but naive. Get yourselves together."


    Alvin and Connor looked at each other. Both had their reasons for becoming Maguses. It wouldn''t be a lie if they said they hoped they could live a peaceful life forever, but they also understood Linfel''s words.


    Alvin sighed, and the cloud in his mind disappeared. His expression changed into determination, especially looking at how well Milia presented herself. "I''m a Magus from the Heffal Country. I''m here to protect it or to protect the planet in case other races from outside decide to invade. If the fall of other powers is needed to keep my people, especially my father, safe, then so be it."


    Connor quickly nodded. "I will also try my best... even though I''m not that talented. I will keep Alvin''s secret until he becomes a Level Three Magus."


    Xalafel gave a nob of approval to them. But above all, he glanced at Linfel with a tinge of surprise in his eyes. ''His words, his demeanor, his tone... they were not just a thought that happened now. They were words of experience...''


    *Clap!*


    Xalafel smiled and clapped his hand. "Alright, enough of this gloomy topic. This is something a few years in the future. Until then, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia will have to improve on their own. We can''t give you all any preferential treatment. If we do, others will get suspicious, after all."


    Linfel still tried his luck. "Can''t you just give us some Magic Stones without anyone seeing? Or perhaps mistakenly increased our Academy Credits... a hundred times?"


    "Hahaha!" Litivia''s laughter filled the air, her amusement at Linfel''s suggestion evident. "You truly have been made without any prior knowledge of the world, haven''t you?"


    Linfel was clearly perplexed by her reaction. In fact, everyone around him had broad smiles on their faces, their eyes twinkling with amusement at Linfel''s audacity. Finally, Milia decided to take the chance and explain. "The system is closely monitored by the board, which comprises many members of several influential families and organizations of our country.


    Every single Academy Credit is meticulously checked before it is distributed. Let alone senior Xalafel, not even the president himself would be able to give you a single extra Academy Credit without triggering alarms."


    Linfel understood. "I see... what about Magic Stones? That would definitely help us get to Level Two and Three faster, especially Red ones."


    Xalafel shook his head. "That would make others even more suspicious. Alvin came from a poor background. And suddenly, out of nowhere, he gets a big supply of Red Magic Stones? That is the same as saying something is happening to him. I told you we need to keep it a secret.


    You will have to get up there on your own."


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "But... how long will it be until the competition? We are talking about Level Three here. To be honest, I don''t expect to become a Level Two Magus before I''m already close to graduation." That was the truth. He even told Linfel about it back in his father''s home.


    "Three Years," Xalafel spoke.


    "What?!" Alvin''s soul almost left his body! "Impossible! How can I get to Level Three in just three years?! Absolutely impossible!"


    Linfel didn''t think it was impossible, though. It''s just that he would need a lot of magic Energy for that.


    Xalafel understood that and began to explain. "Of course, even though we can''t provide you with Magic Stones and Academy Credits, we can still help you with the ranks. Besides, now that you are in a Faction, you have access to very good equipment; even if the Floating Blades don''t have the absolute best Magical Training Equipment, they aren''t far off."


    "What do you mean?" Alvin asked back, confused. He was only a Rank F student.


    Fenlin explained from there. "The Rankings are decided through the scores of the Field Exams. However, how do you determine if a new student is worth being sent to a Rank F Class or a higher rank? Obviously, it is through the entrance test."


    Alvin knew that. Those with powerful backgrounds were mostly sent to Rank C or above classes. Milia, for example, was sent straight into Rank A. That''s because they had a better environment and resources, so they were able to develop a lot more. He obviously wasn''t someone like them. No talent and no background, so Rank F was a given after his entrance exam.


    "Do you mean for me to take the entrance exam again?" Alvin asked, finding it a little hard to believe.


    "Not really," Fenlin continued. "There is another way of moving students. The way is to take into consideration their results during the field exam. Usually, your score would be added to your account, and if it is enough, you can go up to a better class. There, your score is reset to zero, and you have to work hard to stay there or go higher. Otherwise, you will fall."


    "But, sometimes, a student''s real strength isn''t truly displayed during the entrance exam. Or perhaps the student himself found a new path that allowed him to far surpass his peers in the same Rank. Simply put, he or she is in a place they are not supposed to be. We can take it into consideration and move the student in question to higher-ranked classes instead of following the normal path."


    "This is a good and necessary system for two reasons. First, we won''t have that student, who clearly has great potential, waste time in lower ranks and hinder his future. The Magus Academy exists to bring up the best Maguses possible to the world, after all."


    "The second reason is for the sake of fairness. If a Magus who far surpasses his peers is kept in lower-ranked classes, he will disrupt the balance, and it will make it harder to properly judge the students of those classes. In the end, this is a system we can make use of to send you to a higher-ranked class straight away, and no one will find it suspicious.


    After all, it does happen every now and then. We have over a hundred thousand Maguses in the academy, after all."


    Litivia confirmed Fenlin''s words. "That is correct. Taking into consideration your performance in the Field Exam, especially the fact you defeated a Rock Breaker that was almost at Level Three on your own, it leaves no room for doubt."


    Linfel found a problem, though. "But that was while using a Double Connection. If Alvin does what he does normally, he is most likely not a match to those from higher ranks."


    "This is just an opportunity," Xalafel explained. "Whether you can take it with your hands and rise or drop the ball and fall down the ranks again, that is up to you. Or would you rather not have the chance to go into a higher-ranked class? Especially since it gives you access to much better missions due to the timings? Linfel, you are an independent Familiar, so that same is valid to you."


    "Well..." Alvin was a little skeptical.


    However, Linfel immediately thought of the Academy Credits and accepted. "Great! You are right. This is an opportunity, so Alvin, Felia, and I just need to work hard to make up for it. We will take it!"


    Alvin took a deep breath after hearing Linfel''s words and decided to go for it. "Linfel is right. Send us higher, please!"


    Milia and Connor had a doubt. What Rank Linfel and Alvin would be sent to?

 Chapter 39: There Is No Need To Thank Me

    Alvin woke up the next day feeling refreshed. However, the happenings of the previous day quickly appeared in his head. Linfel was already gone for some reason, so he had no choice but to get up and prepare to leave as well.


    Alvin and Felia made their way through the Academy, passing by the Rank F Classes and not stopping. Quite a few eyes there looked at him, their curiosity and admiration evident, having seen the rankings of the previous Field Exam. Alvin was within the top ten, so that obviously caught a lot of attention.


    He went past the many buildings. Rank E Classes, Rank D Classes... Finally, he stopped in front of the complex where Rank C Classes were given. Alvin took a deep breath, entering one of the buildings. Using his MCOM, he checked which class he was supposed to go, quickly finding his number.


    -Rank C, Class C-25, Block 15-


    Unsurprisingly, the students in the building were taken aback by Alvin''s unexpected presence. They were well into the academic year, and new students were a rarity. His arrival could only mean one thing-he had either fallen from a higher rank or ascended from a lower one.


    "Isn''t this the guy from the Field Exam from yesterday?" Someone asked on the side.


    "Let me check my MCOM... Yeap, it''s him." said another voice in the corridors.


    "Wait, that doesn''t make sense. He was only a Rank F. Even if he finished in the top ten, he was supposed to go up to Rank E Classes and start from zero like everyone else."


    "Did you forget? There are some exceptions that can be made based on the performance during the Ranks. It''s just that they are very rare."


    "Indeed. His information on the Academy''s website says yesterday''s Field Exam was his first attempt at it."


    "So... he was hiding his real strength until now?"


    "That can only be it. You know the rules and how strict the Academy is regarding them. They make no exceptions, regardless of one''s background."


    "Why would he lose his time in Rank F Classes then?"


    "Who knows? The fact is that he definitely wasn''t a Rank F Student."


    Alvin kept hearing this kind of conversation right and left. No one really cared about hiding their voices since they were all Rank C Students as well. Maguses and Familiars must not be afraid of competition. That was the rule of the Academy.


    ''Must be a Rank C Student... I wonder how disappointed they would feel if they knew the truth,'' Alvin couldn''t help but wonder. All that chatter only increased the pressure on his shoulders.


    "Master, here we are," Felia called Alvin as she pointed at a plaque above a door.


    -Class C-25-


    Alvin was just about to open the door when a voice echoed from inside.


    "He was truly brave! He didn''t want to give up the Field Exam after going that far, and we have a very high Master Familiar Connection. He took his chances at that moment and said with determination: Linfel, a Magus has to stand up for what he believes. Running now in the face of danger will only make me run again in the future. You are an independent Familiar, so the choice is yours.


    Will you follow me and confront this Rock Breaker for the sake of our future?"


    *WoW!!!*


    "And how did you manage to defeat a Rock Breaker? You two are only Level One Magus and Familiars, right?" Someone else asked.


    "That''s where Alvin''s ingenuity came into play. He studies a lot to make up for his low level. He knew the Rock Breaker from the moment he put his eyes on it. The Rock Breaker immediately tried to use an area attack that would have killed us otherwise. However, Alvin said that this attack also creates an opportunity."


    "As long as we use all our Magic Energy in a single point, trying to nullify just a very small area of the attack, we can counterattack the Rock Breaker''s breath. And that''s exactly what happened. Our attack, fuelled with all our Magic Energy, only created a small gap of a meter or so, but it went straight for the Rock Breaker''s mouth. The Magic Beast was big and had a high defense.


    However, its insides are still vulnerable like any other creature. That one attack, which was timed perfectly, entered the Rock Breaker''s mouth and rampaged inside. In the end, it couldn''t resist the injuries and fell."


    "You had to see it! Alvin was like a god of war, courage incarnated. I''m truly blessed to have a master like him!"


    "Impressive!"


    "Why would someone like him be in Rank F Classes until now?"


    "I definitely want to have a spar with him! Introduce him to us later!"


    Outside the door, Alvin''s mouth twitched nonstop. Since when was he that courageous? Since when was he that ingenious? Study a lot? He did have some good knowledge, but definitely not that impressive.


    *Zuuuu!*


    Alvin opened the door, looking at the crowd gathered around a certain Wisp. The Wisp seemed to be having the time of his life, entertaining all the Maguses and their Familiars around. Naturally, all eyes turned to the ''Super'' Alvin. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel quickly approached, happy to see Alvin. "Alvin, look! They are all your new Class Mates. They are great people, too! Everyone, this is my Master, Alvin."


    Alvin wanted to cry already. Before anyone could ask him anything, he spoke first. "Ahem... Everyone, would you give me a second, please?"


    Right after, he pulled Linfel to a corner and began to curse. ''What the hell are you doing? Why are you creating such a big storm around me?''


    Linfel patted Alvin''s shoulders. ''There is no other choice. You are new and weak. If you tried to hide, things would only turn worse over time. After all, you jumped many ranks at once. There are definitely those who feel bitter about your promotion.


    So, as your friend, I decided to prepare the field for you in advance. There is no need to thank me.''


    Alvin wanted nothing more than to give the wisp a beating, that is. ''Now everyone is paying attention to me, idiot! What if they found out about our secret?''


    Linfel''s words carried a heavy truth, his expression reflecting the weight of his past. ''Alvin, a life spent in hiding is a life half-lived. Trust me. As a wisp, I''ve had to hide a lot, even with Horan''s backing. This is not a path you''d like to choose.''


    Alvin was a little touched by how grave Linfel looked and ended up sighing in the end. ''Fine... At least you are good at coming up with stories. Just keep doing it fro-''


    "Oh! Look at the time! Anyway, Alvin, give your own accounts of what happened to your classmates. Everyone, if you have anything to ask, this is the best time. I have my own Familiar Class to take, so I bid you all farewell!" Linfel quickly floated through the window, disappearing in the distance.


    The rest of the class was only waiting for that opportunity. They all gathered around Alvin, much to his despair. ''I''m truly starting to regret bringing him to the academy.''


    Linfel was also promoted to a Rank C Familiar, so he didn''t need to go too far. There was one thing Linfel still didn''t know how to do. That was how to increase his Level. So far, he still hasn''t managed to integrate Magic Energy into his core. That was the Class he applied for when he joined the Academy was related to this topic.


    Familiars would usually stay with their Masters, so very few of them took classes on their own, especially since they were all born with most of the necessary knowledge. When Linfel arrived at the building where he was supposed to take the class, it was almost empty except for a Familiar working as an attendant there.


    "Hello! I scheduled a class for Magic Energy Integration and the basics last week. This is the right place, right?" Linfel quickly asked in high spirits.


    The familiar looked at him and nodded. "That''s the one indeed. Let me see here. Put your Magic Energy in the receptor so I can check your Magic Signature."


    Linfel quickly did as such, and soon, a lot of information regarding him appeared for the Familiar. "Ah, yes. Your class is in Room 7B, down that corridor. There is another Familiar who will take the Class with you, so try to get along."


    "Naturally!" Linfel left straight away, going down the corridor and passing by the rooms.


    The 7B one appeared not long after, and Linfel entered it. Inside, there was already another Familiar, also with Yellow Color, showing it was a Level One. "Hey, nice to meet you! I''m Linfel."


    The other Familiar was surprised that someone else appeared. Nonetheless, it also saluted back. "H-Hi... I''m Siana, born just a few days ago."


    "Oh!" Linfel hadn''t met a completely new Familiar yet. "Are you doing well? I wasn''t expecting any Familiars in his place since this topic is already added to your knowledge during a Familiar''s creation. Are you like me, a Familiar without knowledge?"


    Siana nodded slightly. "My Master created me like this as a test. So I will have to learn everything from scratch."


    "Just like mine, then," Linfel added. Of course, he was lying. It''s just that that was the story he and Alvin have been using. "Sheer up! This is a good thing. You will avoid the Knowledge Curse.


    Although you will lag behind during the first years of your life, you will have a better prospect later. Of course, only you put in the effort, that is."


    Suddenly, another door in the room opened, and another Familiar appeared. The Magic Energy that gave form to his ethereal humanoid form was brown, the mark of a Level Three Familiar. "Hum? There are two today? I was already surprised to get one at all."


    Still, the Familiar continued. "Anyway, you can call me Lokasto. This is an introduction to Magic Energy integration. I will first explain how it works, and then we will delve into the several methods used by the Familiars out there. Pay attention since this is deeply related to how fast you can Level Up in the future."


    During the next few hours, Lokasto went through the basics of Magic Energy integration. Turns out that the Integration the Familiars did was a lot more different from what Maguses do than Linfel expected. Once a Familiar Absorbs Magic Energy, it is stored in its core. However, if you wanted to Integrate the Magic Energy into the Core itself, you couldn''t store it.


    Instead, you had to accumulate the Magic Energy in the channels that led to the storage part of the Core. From there, the Magic Energy would slowly sip into the Core itself, increasing its level little by little. Naturally, the higher the quality of Magic Energy, the faster that integration happens. It''s just that the limit was the same as the Maguses.


    One couldn''t integrate Magic Energy that was more than one level above the Familiar itself. In Felia''s Case, for example, the most she could use was Red Magic Energy. Brown Magic Energy, which you could call Level Three Magic Energy, would be useless to her.


    Lokasto presented Linfel and Siana with a few different methods that used basically the same principle. Ultimately, one would still need to fill their channels with Magic Energy.


    That... caused a big problem for Linfel. He doesn''t have any channels to speak of! The Magic Energy he absorbs goes through his core as if it were falling into a lake and falling to the bottom where the pool is. It literally passes through his core without having to go through any channels whatsoever. It was also through this process that he cleaned the Magic Energy for his own use.


    His Core was the filter.


    However, that class wasn''t completely useless to Linfel. That''s because he had an idea after hearing about the overall process. ''Hum... I can''t fill my channels since I don''t have channels to start with. Yet, I''m my core, and my core is me. What if I fill my soul instead?


    My soul is spread through the core; they are one and the same.''


    Such an idea would have been considered ridiculous back in Linfel''s time. After all, primordial energy was too chaotic and dangerous. If you didn''t die straight away, you would definitely damage your soul at the very least. ''But...'' Linfel continued that train of thought, ''Magic Energy is extremely gentle and easy to use. This is the only way I can think of to integrate Magic Energy into my Core.


    I can only give it a try later.''

 Chapter 40: Who Knows?

    Once the class was over, Linfel made his way out with Sinia, the new Familiar who watched Lokasto''s teaching. "Well, that was at least educating, I guess?" Linfel commented.


    Sinia quickly nodded. "Yes, the third method, the one that uses the filled channels in a reversal cycle, seems to be the most appropriate for me. My channels happen to be just in the right positions to do it."


    Linfel smiled in response. He couldn''t tell how it was, good or bad, since he didn''t have channels. Nonetheless, he was happy for her. "That''s great. From what he said, the third method is one of the most difficult exactly because of how the structure of the channels has to be. Your Master was very lucky that you took your form with such good Magic Energy channels."


    Sinia smiled shyly and nodded. "T-Thank you... What about you, Linfel? Which method is the best for your channels?"


    Linfel was taken aback for a moment before thinking about it. "Guess the fifth one is the best." He just picked a random one from the various methods displayed in the class. He couldn''t use any of them anyway.


    "Channel Magic Energy Expansion..." Sinia remembered that one. "Instead of compressing, you expand and force the Magic Energy through the walls of the core. That is also quite complicated. Do you have a good resistance?"


    "I guess I do..." Linfel answered cheaply. He couldn''t even tell if his core was more resistant than the cores of real Familiars. "Well then, you need to work hard, and so will I. I hope we both reach Level Two soon. Now, I have something to do, so I''ll take my leave."


    Sinia wanted to talk a little more but was too shy to ask. She just watched as Linfel left the building and took one of the transportations of the Academy. ''Sigh... so that is the Familiar my Master tried to copy when he created me.''


    After Linfel got the 71% Master Familiar Connection result with Alvin, he ended up talking about how Linfel didn''t have the normal knowledge that all Familiars were born with. Many took it as one of the parameters that helped Alvin create such a good Familiar and decided to give it a try. Especially those with enough Academy Credits to create a new one since Familiars are expensive.


    Sinia was one of such Familiars that was born due to Linfel''s existence.


    In the end, she turned in another direction and left, returning to her Master instead. One thing was to follow the lack of knowledge to create her; another thing was to give her independence. Maguses who allow their Familiars to go independent are just too rare. Well, Sinia was too young, so she probably wouldn''t be able to pass the test anyway.


    Linfel knew nothing regarding that. On his way to the Academy Market, he checked his MCOM inside his Spatial Inventory. He went through the several stores that sold what he was looking for. However, it was pretty meaningless. The prices practiced in the Academy were really standard.


    ''All shops sell Low-Grade Red Magic Stones for 500 Academy Credits each, no exception. I guess I can simply stop by the closest one and get them,'' Linfel thought. ''2000 Academy Credits for a Middle-Grade Red Magic Stone. This is a little ridiculous already... Let''s just ignore it.''


    Other than trying to Level Up, Linfel had something else he wanted to check. He can clean Yellow Magic Energy to the point it becomes Red Magic Energy. But what about Red Magic Energy? Can he clean it up to the point it becomes brown? It was definitely worth a try. At the very least, Linfel wanted to try to clean Low-Grade Red Magic Energy to the point it became High-Grade instead.


    Linfel arrived in the market and quickly entered the first shop he found with Magic Stones. He didn''t waste time with the attendant pleasantries and asked for Low-Grade Red Magic Stones, much for the attendant''s happiness. After all, they were worth a lot, more even than MCOMs.


    "How many would you like, sir?" The attendant asked with a smile.


    Linfel checked his Academy Credits and nodded. "Give me eight of them." At the moment, he has 4220 Academy Credits. he had 4120 after the Field Exam, but let''s not forget he is working every night as a Stars Magic Energy Receptor for Aelua. He can easily separate the Magic Energy there, so he is receiving 100 Academy Credits per night.


    Since he also doesn''t need to sleep, he definitely didn''t forget to go there the previous night, either.


    The attendant was ecstatic and quickly brought Linfel to the terminal. After using his Magic Energy Signature, Linfel transferred 4000 Academy Credits to the shop. Naturally, he received eight Low-Grade Red Magic Stones right after in a sealed box.


    "Please keep the box closed so that the magic Stones won''t lose their energy," the attendant warned. "The higher the level of Magic Stone, the more sensitive they are. Only open and take one when you truly decide to use it."


    "Alright." Linfel thanked the assistant and left the shop. There was no need to be afraid of having his magic Stones stolen. Inside the academy, that would be tantamount to self-destruction, regardless of your background.


    Well, the boxes were very distinct, and Linfel couldn''t show he had a Spatial Inventory there, so they still caught some jealous eyes from low-raked students.


    On the transportation, Linfel checked the time and saw the sun was already going down. ''Seems like I spent a lot of time in the Magic Energy integration class. Oh well, let''s go back to Alvin and Felia and help them with Magic Energy.''


    Back in Alvin''s room, Alvin and Felia were already back. Alvin looked like a ghost, much to Linfel''s confusion. "Are you feeling pain somewhere?"


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Yes, pain in my soul after having to deal with the entire class who looked at me like I was some kind of lost genius of the world."


    "Hahaha!" Linfel luahged in response. "That''s fine, that''s fine. It might be a lie now, but who knows in the future?"


    Felia, on the other hand, seemed busy looking at Alvin''s MCOM. Her expression didn''t look too good. "Master, Linfel, check this out."


    The two looked at her and quickly approached the MCOM. Displayed there was a piece of news.


    -Thirteen Maguses died in an Airship Explosion during the last Field Exam. According to the reports, the Airship''s core malfunctioned and overcharged. The Academy is expressing its support to the families and will give full compensation for the accident.-


    The piece of news continued with some more information, but that didn''t matter to Linfel''s group. "Last Field Exam... Does this have anything to do with us?" Alvin couldn''t help but wonder.


    Linfel shrugged. "Who knows? Are you going to ask Xalafel about it?"


    Felia and Alvin immediately shook their heads, as Linfel expected, so he continued. "See? The point is, we didn''t do it, nor did we have any control over it. So, don''t even think about some bullshit like blaming yourself or whatever. Now, let''s start."


    Alvin''s sigh was heavy with the weight of his thoughts, which he promptly pushed to the back of his mind. He reached for a container, anticipation flickering in his eyes as he opened it. Inside, a treasure trove of almost 1200 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones awaited him.


    "You''ve truly outdone yourself, haven''t you?" Linfel couldn''t help but marvel at the sight before him.


    Alvin''s chest swelled with pride, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. "All that peril we braved in the Field Exam was not in vain. I invested all my Academy Credits in these little gems. Now, I''m broke again. Hahaha!"


    Linfel''s smile was tinged with anticipation. "With this stash, we can power through four consecutive days of Magic Energy Integration. Since your classes are only once a week, the remaining days can be dedicated to Missions, earning more Academy Credits. Most likely, you''ll have just enough Magic Energy to train until the next Field Exam at the end of the week."


    Alvin was taken aback. For a moment, he had forgotten. Linfel used around 300 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones per day, cleaning them all for Alvin and Felia to use. Each one of these was worth three Academy Credits, so his almost 1200 cost him everything he had. And yet... he will be left with nothing by the end of the week.


    "Red Magic Energy is truly good... but hell, it does cost a lot!" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Felia tried to cheer him up. "Master, look on the positive side. One day of Magic Energy Integration with Linfel is equivalent to a whole week without him. We have five days until the next field exam, so it will be similar to working for five weeks straight. How many Maguses out there can do such a thing?


    Probably only those rich students like Milia can afford to train with real Red Magic Stones nonstop."


    Alvin''s mood immediately improved. "Right! That is definitely worth it. Besides, being a Rank C Student will make it much easier to get higher-paying Tasks in the Missions Hall."


    "Oh! Don''t forget we are going into the next Field Exam as well," Linfel added.


    As fast as Alvin''s mood improved, it collapsed. "A-Another Field Exam?" He still hasn''t forgotten how he almost died last time, and that was his first time only.


    Linfel nodded, excited. "Of course! How the hell do do you expect us to keep up with our expenditure of Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones? Even with all the bonuses, you only got enough for four days, and you will need to make up for the fifth day with missions on top of that. Field Exams give a lot of Academy Credits, so we are obviously taking them all!


    Besides, you need the scores of the exams to go up in the ranks and get access to even better missions, classes, and training facilities."


    "I know that! I truly do..." Alvin sighed. "But it still makes me nervous."


    "If you have time to feel nervous, then let''s use it for training. Come on, let''s use Master Familiar Connection," said Linfel. He still wanted to check his own Red Magic Stones.


    Alvin nodded and sat on his bed. Felia connected to him first, and Linfel followed by matching their Soul Waves Frequency. Their Magic Energy Merged, allowing Linfel to transfer his Magic Energy to them. Yellow Magic Stones began to disappear one after another, creating Low-Grade Red Magic Energy that Alvin and Felia used to integrate into their Cores.


    Time passed, and three hours later, Alvin and Felia''s core felt saturated once again. As for the Yellow Magic Stone, Linfel used 283 of them this time. "Good work, you two. Your Cores need rest, so we will stop it here."


    Alvin canceled his connection with both Linfel and Felia before collapsing on the bed. "It feels great, no doubt. Still, it is tiring as hell."


    "Master, I''m deactivating so you can sleep," said Felia.


    However, Alvin sat on the bed again and looked at the boxes Linfel brought, curious. "Are those..." Naturally, Felia paid attention as well.


    Linfel smiled. "Yeap, you said you got one of those back when you joined the academy, right? These are Low-Grade Red Magic Stones. I spent almost all my Academy Credits on those."


    Linfel didn''t waste time and opened one of the boxes. "Let''s give it a try."


    The Magic Energy inside the Magic Stone immediately began to rush into Linfel''s Core. At the same time, he used his Core to further clean the Red Magic Energy. "It''s... different."


    Alvin and Felia looked at each other and back at Linfel. "Different? Different how?"


    "The Magic Energy. It''s different from the Red Magic Energy I''m producing. My own is created through the process of cleaning. This one, although much cleaner than the Yellow Magic Energy from the Low-Grade Magic Stones, is still many times more impure than the one I create," said Linfel, paying attention as he absorbed it.


    "I see..." He quickly found the reason. "In theory, it shouldn''t be Red Magic Energy. Yet, is has been compressed so much that it makes up for the impurities inside, giving its red color. For the other Maguses in the Academy, these are truly good things. Have fewer impurities than Yellow Magic Stones and a much higher concentration of Magic Energy, not to mention it is Red Magic Energy.


    They are definitely worth their price. No, in my opinion, the Academy is doing the Maguses here a great favor by selling them for only 500 Academy Credits."


    He continued. "However, compared to the Low-Grade Red Magic Energy that I clean up, this stone is truly lacking. Still too many impurities, so it is not as efficient as using my cleaning ability."


    Alvin was surprised to hear that. "Does it mean it is not worth using Red Magic Stones at all? Should we continue with Yellow Magic Stones forever?"


    "Of course not!" Linfel quickly shook his head. "All I have to do is to clean the impurities, and the Red Magic Energy inside should reach a much higher level. They are great for us, too! As long as I clean them, of course."


    Without wasting time, Linfel threw himself at the task. The Red Magic Energy quickly entered his core and passed through the cleaning process. However, Linfel didn''t absorb all the Magic Energy in the Magic Stone. He only took half of it before putting the Magic Stone back inside the special box. "It is truly hard to store Red Magic Energy. My level is too low.


    Nonetheless..."


    A moment later, he let out the now clean Red Magic Energy... and there was a lot of it. The reason he could even store this amount was exactly because of how compressed it was, which was even better. Above all, it had a very dense red, a mark of High-Grade Red Magic Energy! "High-Grade Red Magic Energy. That is my limit.


    If I want to make Brown Magic Energy, it is possible, but I will need to become a Level Two Familiar first... or a wisp, in my case."


    Alvin and Felia were still impressed. "What will you do with this Energy?"


    Linfel looked at him. "It''s time for me to try this Magic Energy Integration thing."

 Chapter 41: What Will You Do?

    Linfel took the magic Energy back into his Core and redirected it to his soul, which was one with the Core. The first time he absorbed Magic Energy, it changed his colored Core into a Yellow one. At that time, he could feel the core transforming to adapt to this new type of energy.


    However, now that he thinks about it, that change also happened to his soul. ''Most likely, I changed because my soul took it first. I was almost without energy back then, so I was desperate to absorb anything. Without me noticing, my Soul Took the color of that energy, and so did my core.


    Could it be that if I absorb Red Magic Energy with my soul, I will reach Level Two straight away?'' Linfel couldn''t help but wonder.


    The Red Magic Energy quickly filled the entire extent of the Core, and the soul within it also took that Energy. Both worked together, allowing the soul to take the Red Magic Energy always gradually. It took a few minutes, but Linfel finally noticed a few changes start to happining.


    ''Hm?'' Some very tiny spots within his core and soul began to change color, taking a more reddish tone. Those spots were still yellow, though. Linfel continued that practice, absorbing more and more Red Magic Energy into his soul. Not long after, the Red Magic Energy he had stored was gone.


    "Linfel..." Alvin spoke with a surprised expression. "Your Yellow Magic Energy got slightly denser now. It looks a lot more like the Yellow Energy of Familiars that was close to Level Up."


    Felia quickly agreed. "Indeed, you did that with only half a Red Magic Stone? That''s crazy..."


    Linfel took a look at himself in the mirror. "Hehehe! I knew it! When I absorbed Magic the First Time, I took it with my soul, too. Now, I did the same process, and it worked. I can feel several spots in my Core and Soul going in the direction of Red Magic Energy."


    He quickly looked at the Red Magic Stone Boxes and felt excited. "Well, let''s not stop here."


    The same box was open and Linfel quickly took out the remaining Magic Energy of the Red Magic Stone. The stone broke apart right after, having gone dry of Magic Energy completely. Linfel ignored that and simply focused on cleaning the Red Magic Energy.


    The impurities of the Magic Energy rushed out of his Core, bringing with it quite a big amount of the Magic Energy itself that was too contaminated. The Magic Energy was definitely a lot better. After cleaning Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy into Low-Grade Red Magic Energy, Linfel loses 90% of the Magic Energy of the Stones. With the Red Magic Stones, however, he only loses around 80% of it.


    Considering the Red Magic Energy was much more compressed, 20% of a Red Magic Stone is still a lot, especially when you consider it is now High-Level Red Magic Energy.


    Alvin looked at the Red Magic Energy that escaped Linfel''s body. "Such a waste... Can I use-"


    "Out of the question!" Linfel immediately stopped his words. "The Red Magic Energy you are seeing is truly just the dreg of the real product. If you try to absorb and integrate it into your core, you will feel a short-term improvement. But, as time passes, your own core will definitely suffer. It is different from absorbing a normal Red Magic Stone since it still has all of its properties.


    The one I''m eliminating can only be considered poison. Understood?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled and nodded. ''Well, I''m sure a lot of the students in the academy wouldn''t mind these risks if they could simply absorb Red Magic Energy...'' he thought in the end. He most likely would be one of them if he didn''t have Linfel.


    The integration of Red magic Energy into his soul continued when suddenly...


    *Argh!*


    Linfel''s Core fell to the floor as a grunt came out.


    "Linfel!" Alvin and Felia were shocked. Alvin quickly picked him up and put him on the bed, not knowing what to do. "Are you okay? Are you still there?"


    "Y-Yeah..." Slowly, Linfel''s Magic Energy began to take a humanoid shape as he began to float again. "Holy shit... that almost slipt my soul in two."


    "What happened?" Felia quickly asked back.


    Linfel already knew the answer. "Red Magic Energy is indeed much gentler than Primordial Energy, but it doesn''t change the fact a Soul is a very delicate thing. I pushed it a little too hard due to my excitement, and my Soul immediately paid the price. Simply put, my level is too low to take in so much High-Level Red Magic Energy at once."


    Alvin sighed in relief. "The important thing is that you are fine. Has there been any lasting damage?"


    "No," Linfel shook his head. "But I will need to rest for a while. It is definitely the end of Magic Energy Integration for today."


    Felia didn''t like the idea. "You better not absorb more High-Level Red Magic Energy for now. It will be the same as playing with death. Wait until you reach level two. That will make things a lot safer. For now, concentrate on the Low-Level magic Energy you can make from Yellow Magic Stones.


    This one should be fine."


    Linfel agreed with her. "Yes, I thought the same thing. The difference between Low-Grade and High-Grade Red Magic Energy is enormous."


    "Of course!" Alvin nodded. "Have you seen the price of Medium and High-Grade Red magic Stones compared to Low-Grade ones?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel hasn''t truly checked yet. "Let me see." He took his MCOM and quickly took a look at the online market. "Yeah... that makes sense."


    -Medium-Grade Red Magic Stone: 1600 Academy Credits.-


    -High-Grade Red Magic Stone: 4000 Academy Credits.-


    "This is a good thing, though," said Linfel. "I will never have the need to buy Medium and High-Grade Magic Stones. I can always stick to Low-Grade ones and clean their energy."


    "That''s definitely great," Alvin was happy to hear that. "By the way, you spent all your Academy Credits in those Red Magic Stones. What will you do?"


    "Oh, don''t worry," Linfel smiled confidently. "I have plenty of Yellow Magic Energy available for me to use on a daily basis. Hehe!"


    On the next day, at night, Linfel came to see Aelua at her research facility. "Linfel! Where were you yesterday?"


    "Sorry, sorry," Linfel apologized. "I had a little trouble with my Magic Energy Integration. I was forced to rest for the rest of the day so I could recover."


    "A problem with Magic Energy Integration?" Aelua found it strange. "But you should have a technique perfect for your core in your memories. Why would there be a problem?"


    "I''m not like other Familiars," Linfel explained. "I was born without the general knowledge most Familiars have. I need to learn everything from scratch, and yesterday was the first day I learned about the methods of Magic Energy Integration."


    "I see..." Aelua understood. "Well, if you ask me, making a Familiar like that is just annoying. But then again, you managed to become independent, so this is your problem and your problem only. Your master doesn''t need to worry about your education."


    She then took out her MCOM and showed something to Linfel. "By the way, I got the news. You finished in the top ten during the last Field Exam, right?" She smiled at Linfel right after. "It was because of your ridiculously high Magic Energy Sensitivity, right?"


    "You can tell?" Linfel asked back, surprised.


    "I''ve been to the Dark Canyons before," Aelua explained. "That place is pretty much a maze. However, considering your sensitivity, I wondered if you were able to feel the Magic Energy Flow in the area. Seems like I was right."


    Linfel didn''t deny her words. "Yeap, that''s pretty much it. People are still thinking that Donfin, Milia, or Miranda got privileged information and my group was only tagging them. Hahaha!"


    "I can definitely see that happening," Aeulua also smiled, finding it funny. "Anyway, you have two days'' worth of Magic Energy Separation to make. But with your sensitivity, that shouldn''t be an issue at all."


    "Yes," Linfel quickly nodded. "Well then, I''ll start today''s work."


    Aelua nodded and turned around, going back to her room. Linfel already knew the entire process, so there wasn''t a need for her to observe anymore. She could simply come out later and check the containers.


    Seeing that Aelua left, Linfel couldn''t hold his excitement anymore. He quickly went for the first Magic Energy Receptor, which was brimming with Yellow Magic Energy collected during the day from one of the nine pillars. ''Hahaha! Free Magic Energy, and a lot of it!''


    Immediately, he began to absorb the Magic Energy and separate the Semi-Transparent Yellow magic Energy from Space before putting it into the container. That was his job. As for the normal Magic Energy, which was over 99% of all the Magic Energy in the receptors, Linfel began to clean it.


    Yellow Magic Energy escaped his Core and dissipated in the surroundings. The Receptor''s Magic Energy was even more polluted than the Magic Energy inside the Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy Stones. As Aelua mentioned before, it was simply impossible for Maguses and Familiars to use such impure energy for Integration, so it had to be discarded...


    Not for Linfel, though. The impurities didn''t matter. His core could get rid of all of it. Sure, he would have to discard most of the Magic Energy for the exact same reason. However, the Nine pillars gathered so much of it that it completely made up for the losses. Above all, Linfel didn''t need to pay even a single Academy Credit for it all!


    Linfel was excited, but he was also a little bit nervous. He almost damaged his Soul the last night, and he concluded that it was most likely due to his low level. But... he couldn''t be absolutely sure about it. It wasn''t before he spent an hour and reached the fourth pillar that he finally relaxed.


    ''Sure enough, it is my level, which is basically the strength of my soul. I''m cleaning all the energy and producing Low-Grade Red Magic Energy. Fortunately, this level of Magic Energy is not too stressful for my soul. I can continue to integrate it into my Soul, and it is slowly changing my core.''


    Linfel continued his work without any issues, reaching the eighth of the nine receptors he had to extract and separate the Magic Energy. However, because he was also using it for his own leveling, he was taking a lot longer than usual.


    Aelua, who was working on the reports of her research, finally remembered Linfel hadn''t appeared yet. ''Why is he taking this long?''


    She came out of her room and made her way to the receptors. There, she saw the Magic Energy escaping Linfel''s Core. That was normal. The contaminated Magic Energy had to be expelled. That''s how the work goes. However, she also noticed that the amount of Magic Energy Linfel got rid of was smaller than the amount he was taking in.


    Immediately, she understood what he was doing. "LINFEL!" She ran to him and covered the receptor. "What the hell are you doing?! You can''t use this Magic Energy for integration! It will destroy your core!"


    Linfel was taken aback for a moment. "Oh! Why are you here? I haven''t finished yet."


    "You were taking too long, so I came to check on you," Aelua explained. "Why are you doing such a dangerous thing?"


    Linfel shrugged. "I have my reasons. Don''t worry, Aelua, I won''t cause you trouble."


    "You are already causing trouble, idiot," Aelua complained. "If you collapse, then I will need to find someone else for the job, and no one else can do what you are doing here. You have helped me a lot with your perfect job. I can''t let you lose yourself here."


    Linfel sighed. He truly was not at any risk. But he also couldn''t tell her he was immune to the impurities of Magic Energy. "I''m sorry, but... If I can''t do this, I don''t have much of a reason to continue coming here anymore. It''s the Magic Energy that attracts me, even if it is polluted.


    Please understand."


    Aelua was taken aback. She thought he was here for the Academy Credits instead. "Can''t you simply buy Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones? I''m paying 100 Academy Credits per night for you. That''s at least 33 Magic Stones. They are the worst out there, but definitely safe to use, differently from this Energy you are taking.


    Besides, 33 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones are more than enough to last two or three days usually. You truly don''t need to do this." Little did she know Linfel used hundreds in a single day.


    "Also," Aelua continued. "You won''t find places that pay 100 Academy Credits this easily every day. Consider that."


    Linfel obviously couldn''t just give up. "I still must insist. My Academy Credits already have a destination, so I can only count on this Magic Energy. Besides... I can definitely make more Academy Credits now if I want."


    Linfel then moved to a Terminal and used his Magic Energy signature to access it. Finally, he pointed out. "Look at my Rank."


    "Rank C Familiar!" Aelua was shocked. "You got sent to Rank C just like that?!"


    Linfel nodded. "That I did. So, simply put, I can take quite some good tasks in the Mission Hall now, so 100 Academy Credits per day isn''t that hard to do anymore. In the end, I''m only coming back here for the Magic Energy, nothing else."


    Aelua still wanted to stop him. However, she couldn''t pay him anything extra with her budget, so she didn''t know what to do. "Is that truly the only way for you to remain? Will you not reconsider? I truly don''t wish to lose such a great helper."


    "I''m fine," Linfel spoke back. "As long as you leave me to use the Magic Energy, I will come back every day. Well, at least until I don''t need it anymore, which won''t happen any time soon. As for the dangers of the impurities, that''s something for the future me to care about. This is the good thing about being an independent Familiar; I can make my own decisions."


    "Sigh..." Aelua gave up and uncovered the Magic Receptor. "Fine. If you want to get yourself ruined, then so be it. However, I warned you. Don''t blame me later when things turn for worse."


    "Thank you," Linfel was happy to hear that. "Now, time to continue." At the very least, he wouldn''t need to hide his actions anymore from her.

 Chapter 42: Free?

    Linfel finished all nine receptors and received his daily 100 Academy Credits. He seemed in a great mood, feeling like he hit the jackpot. ''This is truly great! There is always enough Yellow Magic Energy equivalent to hundreds of Yellow Magic Stones. I will level up pretty fast like this.''


    Aelua''s gaze followed Linfel as he left, her mind immediately returning to her task. She diligently searched for Alvin''s contact, her fingers flying across the terminal. Alvin, despite Linfel''s newfound independence, was still listed as his Master. After a few minutes, she found his number and dialed, her anticipation palpable. However, her efforts were met with silence.


    ''Of course, it''s still the early hours. He''s probably fast asleep.''


    Linfel returned to the dormitory in high spirits, thinking about what he should do now. He seemed to have one more advantage that Maguses and Familiars didn''t. He didn''t feel his core growing saturated due to the Magic Energy Integration. ''Well, at least this much hasn''t changed from back then.''


    Back in Linfel''s time, he could absorb Primordial Energy without ever feeling tired. All wisps could do it. Unfortunately, they couldn''t grow strong, so such an advantage was useless. All the training Horan gave Linfel was designed around the fact that Linfel only had so much Primordial Energy to use. Now, however, Linfel could truly grow strong, and this advantage was enormous.


    ''Hum... I could pretty much level up without stopping. However, I don''t have anywhere near the necessary amount of Academy Credits to do such a thing...'' Linfel thought. ''Whatever. I might as well go to the Floating Blades Faction instead.'' He immediately turned around and left.


    As mentioned before, there were a few pieces of equipment made for Familiars Training in there. One of them was the Soul Strengthening Magic Diagram. Familiars don''t have bodies, only cores. If they wanted to improve their cores, they would truly need to gather better materials and reconstruct them.


    That was a hard thing to do and even more expensive than creating a new familiar. Not to mention that their soul resided in their cores, so such a change carried its risks. That said, most familiars, including familiars from rich backgrounds, first worked on a certain trait. Obviously, that trait was their souls.


    The stronger their souls, the less unlikely it would be for problems to arise once they decide to improve their cores. That was especially so once they got to higher levels. After Level Three, most Familiars would find it too hard to progress without building a better core to store Brown Magic Energy or higher.


    Linfel obviously wasn''t a Familiar. His core was his soul. They were the one and the same. If he tried to rebuild it, he would simply die right there and then... or at least Linfel believed he would. Still, he had some hope.


    ''Perhaps there is indeed a way for me to improve my core in such an advanced world. The technological achievements on this planet alone already far surpass what Horan and I saw during our time together. And, according to Alvin, this planet is quite a remote one of little importance in the universe''s whole picture.


    Even if I can''t find a way to improve my core here, perhaps there will be some way somewhere else.''


    Nonetheless, Linfel didn''t need to worry about being stuck. He didn''t have the Familiar''s limitation regarding the material of their cores. His core was born from energy, primordial energy, and as long as it levels up, it will be able to store stronger energy than before.


    Linfel already could store Red Magic Energy at Level One, although not as much compared to what he could do if he was at Level Two. The only reason he even considers changing his core in the future is to make it even stronger.


    Linfel arrived at the Floating BLades Faction, which was always open 24/7. Inside, the night attendant quickly came to receive him. "Hello, Linfel. I heard about you from the Faction Leader. Do you need any assistance?"


    Linfel nodded. "I still don''t know how to operate the Soul Strengthening Magic Diagram for Familiars. Can you bring me there and show me how to do it."


    "Definitely," the assistant nodded. "Please, follow me."


    They passed through a few doors and went to the second floor. Finally, they arrived in a room where three platforms could be seen. "Please select any of the devices."


    Linfel nodded and stepped on one of them. He came here before, but he didn''t have the chance to learn it well. He had quite some extra time now, so he intended to learn it properly. The attendant also stepped on the platform and showed the terminal to Linfel. "This is how you do it. On the first option, you can select the type of Soul Stress.


    The device will convert Magic Energy into concentrated waves similar to Soul Waves. You will need to open your soul and let it go through. Otherwise, the device is useless."


    He then showed the next option. "This one is to select the level of Soul Waves. The higher the level, the stronger the Soul Waves created by the device. Don''t worry, though. It only affects your soul as long as you permit it. You just need to block the soul waves, and there will be nothing the device can do even if the level is increased a hundred times."


    "Finally," he continued, "you have the timer. You can set a specific time of operation, and the device will stop once the time runs out."


    "It''s pretty simple. I like it." Said Linfel with a happy expression.


    The attendant nodded and stepped out of the Platform. He then stayed near it in case Linfel needed more assistance. Besides... even counting Alvin, the Floating Blades Faction has only six members and their families. This attendant who worked during night shifts usually didn''t have anything else to do anyway.


    "Hum..." Linfel checked the types of Soul Stress. By forcing the soul to resist the waves, you could build their strength. It was a simple but very effective method for Familiars. "Needle Waves, Assault Waves, Compressing Waves..." There were a few types of Soul Waves, so he found it difficult to select one. "Fuck it. Let''s use them all at once.


    Hahaha!"


    He selected all options and immediately activated the Magic Diagram... just for it to turn off again a second later. "Hum? Why is it nor working?"


    The attendant pointed at a Magic Container on the side. "You forgot to add the Magic Stones for it to work."


    "Eh?!" Linfel was taken aback. "Aren''t the Faction Devices for free?"


    The attendant nodded. "They are. The Academy charges Academy Credits for you to use them in their facilities. And you still have to provide your own Magic Stones. Here, you don''t need to pay any Academy Credits. You just need to use your own Magic Stones and train as much as you want."


    Too bad, though. Linfel didn''t have a single Magic Stone.


    "Meh..."


    It was then that he thought of something. "What happens if I use Red Magic Stones?"


    The attendant narrowed his eyes. "Well, they are a lot more expensive, so I wouldn''t recommend it. Nonetheless, if you use Red Magic Stones, higher levels of Soul Waves will be available. For example, regardless of the grade of Yellow Magic Stones, you will only have Level One Waves available for use. Red Magic Stones, obviously, unlocks Level Two Waves, which are a lot stronger.


    Usually, they are not fit for Level One Familiars like you."


    "Oh..." Linfel nodded and came out of the platform. "Seems like I wasted my time coming here. What else is there for Familiars in this place that doesn''t require Magic Stones?"


    "Hum..." the attendant thought about it. "I guess only devices related to normal training. For example, target practicing, magic energy control practice, and things like that. They need your own Core Magic Energy, so they obviously don''t need Magic Stones."


    Linfel shook his head, not interested. He had done these kinds of practice countless times when he traveled with Horan. He also got perfect scores on similar tests, like the Independent Familiar test. They were pretty much useless to him. "Oh well... I guess I''ll go to the Mission Hall instead and try to earn as many Academy Credits as possible."


    The attendant nodded and brought Linfel to the entrance. However, just as Linfel was about to leave the building, he bumped into someone else who had just arrived. "Hum? Oh, hi! I haven''t seen you yet. I''m Linfel."


    In front of him was a small cloaked person whose expression was impossible to be seen. There was also a familiar on his side with a red color of magic energy, showing its level two. Nonetheless, the familiar kept silent. The guy simply nodded at Linfel and didn''t say anything, quickly passing by with his familiar.


    The attendant seemed to know who it was, though. "Hi, William. Are you trying the Level Three again?"


    The clocked guy nodded. From the name, it seemed to be male.


    "Very well," the attendant nodded. "Do you need me to help you with it?"


    The guy shook his head, still saying nothing, before turning to the side and walking deeper into the building.


    Before he even left his sight, Linfel got curious and asked the attendant. "Is that the last member of the Floating Blades Faction?"


    "Last member?" The attendant got confused.


    "Oh, right!" Linfel understood. "You weren''t here when Alvin and I first arrived. They introduced us to the members of the Faction, but there was one remaining who wasn''t here at that time. Pamil said we would eventually meet him. I wonder if that was the guy."


    "I see." The attendant nodded. "That is indeed him, William Banzen. And on his side was Mongis, his Familiar. Obviously, an independent familiar since those are the rules of the Floating Blades Faction. Don''t judge him by his size. William is almost twenty already."


    "Twenty?!" Linfel was surprised. "I thought he was a kid."


    "He''s a dwarf," the attendant explained. "That''s why he is that small."


    "Dwarf? Is it a different race?" Linfel asked, curious.


    William suddenly stopped, not being able to ignore those words. He quickly turned around and reached for Linfel. "Where the hell did you get that from? Are you mocking me, uh? Dwarfism is just a genetic mutation or disorder and sometimes happens due to some other medical reasons. Nonetheless, I''m still very much a human.


    Don''t be that disrespectful."


    "Master, let''s just destroy him. Pamil will definitely understand it later," said Mongis, his Familiar.


    Linfel was taken aback and quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry. I''ve been created without general knowledge that most familiars carry from birth. This was the first time I had seen or heard about dwarfs. I truly meant no disrespect."


    "No knowledge?" William narrowed his eyes, feeling skeptical. "Do you take me for a fool?"


    The attendant quickly jumped in. "William, he isn''t lying. Linfel was indeed created without the general knowledge of Familiars. It is also mentioned in his Faction ID."


    William looked at the attendant, who he could consider to be a friend. Nonetheless, he still took out his MCOM and checked Linfel''s information. Indeed, in the Faction private website that only members could access, it was mentioned that Linfel was created without general knowledge.


    "Why would anyone go through such a pain?" Finally, he let Linfel go, understanding Linfel didn''t say that out of malice.


    Linfel was relieved. "Bro, you truly have a short temper."


    Mongis quickly spoke. "That''s because you don''t know what my master has gone through because of his stature. If you ask me, my master was already being very lenient with you. I would have simply wiped you out straight away."


    "Enough, Mongis," William stopped his Familiar there. "We came here to see if we can finally make the jump to Level Three. Let''s not waste time."


    Finally, William and Mongis left and disappeared inside the building.


    The attendant finally let out a sigh of relief. "Try to not make such jokes anymore, okay? Even if it wasn''t intentional."


    "It wasn''t supposed to be a joke, though." Linfel felt helpless. "By the way, what do you mean with Level Three? Is he trying to advance to the next level? Also, what''s your name? I still haven''t asked."


    "Hum? Oh, you can just call me Droval," said the attendant. "As for your first question, the answer is yes. He has been trying to advance to level three for a few weeks already. Right, you might not know about it yet. Advancing a level is quite annoying, even if you have the resources.


    For William, especially, it is even more so because of his dwarfism. After all, the techniques available always take into account the normal meridians of a normal person''s body. His ones are different. I hope he succeeds soon. Even though he has a short temper, few are as dedicated as him."


    Linfel definitely liked those who put in the effort, and he could even see a little of himself in William. After all, even though Linfel was with Horan, the contempt due to the fact he was a wisp was obvious in everyone''s eyes every time Horan met someone with him. "I understand... Is it a problem if I take a look?"


    "There shouldn''t be since the entire Floating Blades Faction is open to its members," Droval said. "Just make sure you don''t bother him."


    "Very well," Linfel quickly went after William after that.


    S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 43: What Are You Talking About?

    Linfel went to the room where he found Natalie training before, the one with the Magic Energy Gathering Devices. William was sitting on one of the devices while he pressed a few options in his MCOM. Around him, it was possible to see five Magic Stones. Their color showed they were Brow Magic Stones, the third level of Magic Stones available.


    His Familiar, watching from outside the device, noticed Linfel''s arrival. "What are you here for? Shoo, shoo! Don''t bother master."


    Linfel approached while scratching the back of his head... Well, there wasn''t a real head there, just an ethereal form of one. "Don''t worry. I''m not here to bother him. It''s just that I''m curious about a Magus Leveling moment."


    Mongis didn''t like it. But then again, it was true he couldn''t block anyone from entering the Magic Energy Gathering Devices'' Room. The equipment had the capability to draw the Magic Energy of Magic Stones much faster and fill a small area around the user with it. It was obviously good for both normal integration and attempts to break through into a new level. "Fine.


    But be prepared for a trashing if you get in his way."


    Linfel was happy that Mongis didn''t insist on sending him away. As for the Magic Energy Gathering Devices, truth be told, Linfel didn''t need it. He was already as good, if not even better, than the device itself. Even Alvin and Felia never used it since meeting Linfel since Linfel could absorb and share his magic Energy with them.


    As William prepared to give it a try, Linfel looked at Mongis and asked. "By the way, you are also at Level Two. Shouldn''t you be in there to try to become a Level Three Familiar as well?"


    "Hmph!" Mongis snorted. "It''s exactly because I''m a Familiar that I''m not worried. I have already changed most of my core and only need a little final push to become a Level Three Familiar. However, I can''t possibly do that while my master stays behind, now can I? I have already decided that I will Level Up only after Master overcomes his body''s shortcomings and take the next step."


    "I see..." Linfel had to admit all the Familiars in the Floating Blades Faction seemed to love their Masters without exception. They are all free, but they still choose to tag along. That gave him a nice feeling of belonging.


    "Alright, quiet now," Mongis spoke. "Master will start."


    Suddenly, the device activated, and the five Brow Magic Stones began to release Brown Magic Energy at a very fast pace, almost as fast as Linfel could absorb them. An area of around two meters around William quickly filled with concentrated Brown Magic Energy. Yet, it didn''t escape or dissipate, trapped by the Magic Diagram Equipment.


    William took a deep breath and opened all his Meridians. Quickly, the Brown Magic Energy entered his body, going straight to his Core. It wasn''t possible to see since it was inside his body, but most of William''s Core had already taken a brown-like color. Yet, some few spots of Red simply didn''t seem to want to change.


    William kept integrating the Brown Magic Energy into his core, pushing the Magic Energy against the last spots of Red. William''s forehead began to sweat, and he gritted his teeth. He was putting a lot of effort into sending the Brown Magic Energy further.


    Minutes passed and the Brown Magic Energy in the area began to reduce in concentration. Seeing that, Mongis narrowed his eyes. "Another failure..."


    Yet, it was at this moment that Linfel spoke to William. "Why are you changing things? You are doing it wrong. Your meridians are not connected to your core like they are in other Maguses'' cases. They are pressed mostly on the top and the bottom of your Core instead of an even spreading. It won''t matter how many times you try.


    You will never succeed like this."


    Mongis and William were taken aback by Linfel''s words. However, Mongis immediately got angry in the next second. "What the hell are you talking about? Do you think you know more about Master''s body than himself? Just shut your mouth!"


    William was quite surprised, though. What Linfel said about his meridians was true. They were indeed mostly pressed against the top and bottom of his core. He knew it well since he checked many times before, trying to find a way to fix this issue. Unfortunately, that was basically his own body structure. It wasn''t something that could be changed easily.


    "You say I''m doing it wrong. Do you even know how Maguses level up?"


    "I do not," Linfel spoke. "I know that Maguses have different methods to integrate Magic Energy into their cores exactly because they are different from Familiars."


    Linfel connected with Alvin quite a few times already. He could tell every inch of Alvin''s body, including his meridians. Also, with his sensitivity, he had the chance to feel Donfin, Miranda, Milia, Connor, and the other Maguses fight in the last Field Exam. He could tell that their Meridians were pretty much connected in the same way as Alvin''s.


    That''s why he was capable of detecting the problem with William''s body and pointing it out.


    "However, from what I can feel, you are basically pressing the remaining Red Spots of your Core from both sides. Not only is it making it more difficult for you to Level Up, but you are also compressing all the Red Magic Energy into a single line of Red Magic around the Core itself. The more you compress it, the more resistance this spot of Red Magic Energy becomes."


    William thought about this. What he couldn''t understand was how Linfel could feel his Core that clearly. "Alright, so what do you propose?"


    "As I mentioned, your meridians are mostly pressed against the top and bottom of your Core. Also, your Core is more than ready to become a Level Three. As long as you push the Red Magic Energy out, it should do the work. That said, use your meridians on the bottom of the Core to to inject Brown Magic Energy. Meanwhile, keep the meridians at the top empty.


    That should create a channel to which you can push the Red Magic Energy out of the core."


    William immediately laughed. "Hahaha! Are you crazy? That would cause a Magic Energy deviation. Are you trying to destroy my core?"


    Mongis nodded. "I told you, master. There is no need to waste time listening to this guy."


    Linfel was even more confused, though. "What are you talking about? You have been doing it even before you started to attempt to level up. I don''t even know why you stopped."


    William''s expression froze. "I... was?"


    "Haven''t you noticed?" Linfel asked back. "When I bumped into you at the entrance, I was able to feel your Magic Energy naturally moving that way. It was entering the bottom of the Core and coming from the top. Of course, it was very, very slow, almost imperceptible. Then I guess that''s just how your Core works when it is in an idle state."


    "It is only when you start using it that you change into always sending Magic Energy inside from both sides or always drawing from both sides. That is not wrong. If you are in a fight, for example, you need to draw Magic Energy to attack, so using both sides to draw Magic Energy is the correct thing to do.


    But, in this case, you could truly do it by simply pushing the Red Magic Energy out of your Core Walls."


    Mongis immediately got worried. "Master, I don''t think you should hear him. Absorbing Magic Energy at the same time that you pull it out is too risky. There is a reason why no one tries to do it. Deviation could truly put an end to your Magus future. Besides, you didn''t even notice that happening until Linfel spoke.


    What if he is wrong and such a thing isn''t happening at all?"


    William had to admit that Mongis was right. "That''s true."


    "Sigh... fine." Linfel immediately jumped on the platform where the Magic Energy Gathering Device operated.


    "What are you doing?" Mongis got angry again. "Are you trying to steal the Brown Magic Energy my master worked hard to acquire?"


    Linfel immediately shook his head. "Don''t be ridiculous. Did you forget I''m a Level One familiar? I can''t absorb Brown Magic Energy even if I wanted." Indeed, Alvin had told Linfel about it, and Linfel tried it himself back when they found the Green Magic Energy Pond. It simply didn''t work.


    "This..." Mongis wanted to retort, but he knew Linfel was speaking the truth. Linfel simply couldn''t take that energy at all. "Then what do you want to do to Master?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m helping him, of course. Aren''t we all from the same Floating Blades Faction? It is only natural I want to help a fellow member who understands a Familiar should be independent," said Linfel.


    Yet, William was puzzled. "Help me...? How?"


    "I''m going to help you guide the Magic Energy in your Core. I can''t absorb Brown Magic Energy, but that doesn''t mean I can''t control it. Now, relax and let me do it." Linfel immediately gathered the Brown Magic Energy in the surroundings. "Do not fight it. Just start absorbing the Magic Energy I''m gathering near you and send it up from the bottom meridians in your Core.


    As long as you don''t block my senses, I should be able to prevent any deviations of Magic Energy."


    William found it hard to believe. That would require a ridiculously high Magic Energy sensitivity, even if he doesn''t block it. A magus obviously could prevent anyone from messing with their own Magic Energy. Otherwise, anyone could disrupt other Maguses'' Magic Energy flow at any moment, so battles would be impossible depending on the circumstances.


    Even Magic Beasts do it instinctively and keep their Magic Energy blocked against outside intervention all the time. That was how everyone''s bodies worked. They had to consciously want to open up, or it was simply impossible to do what Linfel wanted.


    "I..." William didn''t know if he should do it. But then again, he had truly reached a dead end. He knew that the Red Magic Energy was all pressed in a center line around his Core, and he was trying to press it out of existence, which wasn''t working at all. Other maguses don''t have this problem since their meridians are all spread and connected equally around their cores.


    "Are you sure you can do this?"


    *Pah!*


    Linfel used his own Magic Energy to slap William''s back head, much to his confusion. "Stop all this bullshit and just do it. You are turning out just like Alvin, a scared cat. Just do it already. If anything goes wrong, I will immediately stop."


    William was speechless, and so was Mongis outside. How dare a Level One Familiar treat a Level Two Magus like this?


    "Are you doing it or not?" Linfel asked, already running out of patience.


    "Fine! But if you mess anything, Mongis, just kill him!" William finally relented.


    "Master!" Mongis was shocked William would truly go through this process.


    "I''ve made my decision," William stopped Mongis.


    "Alright!" Mongis nodded and looked with hostility at Linfel. "You better not cause any trouble!"


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand already. Let''s go!" Linfel couldn''t care less, though.


    ---


    Droval was adjusting a few things on one of the equipments of the Floating Blades Faction when suddenly, he felt a burst of Magic Energy. He looked up to the ceiling, knowing that it was the room with the Magic Energy Gathering Devices. "Hum? Did he finally succeed?"


    He got up and stretched a little. He had just finished his job here, so he decided to go back to the entrance. There, he found Linfel making his way out of the Floating Blades Faction. "Hey, Linfel. Do you need anything?"


    "Hum?" Linfel turned around. "Not really. I''m just going to the missions hall to take a look at the jobs there. Now that I''m a Rank C Familiar, it should be easier to get higher-paying jobs."


    "That''s true," Droval felt a little jealous. He just worked as an attendant to gain some Academy Credits. He was a Rank F magus, so it was very hard for good missions to appear for him, just like it was for Alvin. "By the way, how were things with William?"


    "He did fine. I had to slap some sense into his head, but he came around. He should be stabilizing his Core at level three now. Seriously... Why do I always bump into easily scared Maguses? Alvin, Connor, and now this guy." Linfel sighed.


    "Oh well, whatever. I''m leaving. See you later."


    "Slap... some sense?" Droval was taken aback. Did he truly slap William?


    And so Linfel left. Later that day, William''s information on the Magus Academy Website was updated to a Level Three Magus!

 Chapter 44: Scam

    Linfel stepped back into the bustling Mission Hall, a hub of activity for Familiars and Maguses of all ranks. As a Rank C Independent Familiar, he knew he had a two-hour wait after a new mission was posted before he could apply. ''Ah, the options are expanding. I''m still limited to Two Stars Missions, but they''re no longer just menial tasks.''


    Going through the list, Linfel finally found an interesting one.


    -Defensive Diagram Runes test help needed. The chosen Magus or Familiar will play a crucial role in charging the runes as our company puts their resistance to the test. But remember, signing an NDA is a must. We value our secrets as much as you do.-


    ''NDA?'' Linfel had never heard that term before. He quickly took a look in his MCOM inside his Spatial Inventory and found. ''Oh! Non-Disclosure Agreement. I can''t talk about the test after I finish the job. Well, I guess it is normal.


    Everyone has their secrets.''


    -Location: Vaxwel Researching Facility...


    Linfel quickly took the task and left. At the same time, he sent Alvin a message. ''I''m going to this Vaxwel Facility to complete a task. Let me know if you need something.'' And so, Linfel left the Academy for the first time without Alvin.


    "Still, this is truly a stark contrast to any city from back in my time...." Linfel murmured as he made his way through the streets. The Academy was located quite close to the city center, so Linfel wasn''t far from the Vaxwel Facility either.


    Linfel looked around, curious at everything he was seeing. He would stop here and there to check a few things out of curiosity before continuing. It was then that he was stopped by another Familiar when passing by one of the shops. "Hey there, friend. Why don''t you come to have a taste of our company''s Magic Energy Gathering Diagram?"


    "Hum?" Linfel looked in the Familiar''s direction. "You mean the same ones you find in the Academy?"


    "Oh!" The Familiar seemed happy to hear that. "So you are a Familiar from the Magus Academy. That''s even better. Are you on an errand for your master? You could take a look and then tell him later. I''m sure he would be happy to acquire one of our products."


    Linfel pondered a bit. He didn''t need a Magic Energy Gathering Diagram to start with. Even if there was a need for one, he could use the Floating Blades Faction''s ones for free. "Hum... I already have access to them in my Faction. Besides, I''m on my way to completing an academy task of my own.


    I''m an independent Familiar."


    The Familiar was taken aback. "Independent?! That''s quite rare. And the fact you were able to join one of the Academy''s Faction is proof of your ability. In that case, you should definitely check it out for yourself. We even have portable devices that you can set up anywhere.


    It is not like you can take the Diagram Devices in your Faction away with you, right?"


    Linfel had to admit the guy was right. "Well, that''s true. Perhaps it might be of some use for Alvin. But... I don''t have a single Universal Credit to my name."


    "That''s not a problem at all!" The Familiar was even happier he fished someone. "The Magus Academy influence is huge, so Academy Credits are also accepted outside the Academy."


    "Is that so?" Linfel was happily surprised. "That''s nice. Universal Credits aren''t accepted in the academy, so it is good to see the opposite is possible."


    "Yes, yes, yes!" The Familiar nodded. "Please, follow me. We have quite a few good products."


    "Alright, lead the wa-"


    Yet, before Linfel could even finish his words, someone pulled him back. "He doesn''t want anything. Let''s go."


    Linfel was taken aback, looking at the person who suddenly pulled him away. It just so happened to be Romario, the guy he met back in the Independent Familiar Test. "Oh! Romario! How you''re doing?"


    "Hey!" The familiar immediately tried to stop him. "Why are you getting the way of our business?"


    Romario pushed Linfel to his back and snorted. "Business? That''s good, then. Linfel, ask them to sign a clause of quality. That means the equipment they sell you have to last at least a year without breaking, or they will be forced to give your Academy Credits back."


    Linfel could only nod. "Errr... sure. Can we sign the clause?"


    The Familiar quickly stepped back, though. "Now that I think about it, I don''t think we have anything here good enough for Academy Familiars and Maguses like sirs. Have a good day." Immediately, he turned back and went after another target, knowing this one was off.


    "What was that?" Linfel was puzzled. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A scam," Romario answered. "You must be careful. The Academy''s Name holds a huge power, and that includes the Academy Credits. They are definitely worth a lot more than Universal Credits in the cities where you can find Magus Academies. That said, a lot of people want to earn a profit on you. To be honest, the devices in this store aren''t that bad.


    It''s just that they don''t last long. I wouldn''t say anything if you were planning to pay with Universal Credits. But using Academy Credits for them is truly a waste since you can only earn Academy Credits in the Academy itself."


    Linfel understood. "So that''s how it is. Seems like I need to pay more attention. This Clause you mentioned seems pretty good, too. I''ll keep that in mind."


    Romario nodded. "That''s for the best. By the way, where are you going?"


    "I could ask the same. As for me, the Vaxwel Research Facility. There is an Academy Task to be carried there," Linfel explained.


    "I see... I saw you in the rankings of the last Field Exam. Seems like you and Alvin even got a promotion to Rank C due to your performance," Romario said. "In that case, let''s go to the Vaxwel Facility Together. I''m on my way there too."


    Romario and Linfel walked together on the streets as the morning started to pick up. The movement increased more and more as the shops got filled with people.


    "By the way, Romario, where is Calisbin?" Linfel asked. Calisbin was Romario''s Familiar, who also took part in the independence test. It''s just that he didn''t pass in the end.


    "He stayed in the academy to help me with another task," Romario spoke. "Since he didn''t pass the independence test, he is still considered my Familiar. So, the tasks he performs are all paid into my own account. Well, simply put, we share the meanial missions for Rank E Maguses and Familiars like us.


    It''s just that I was a little bit luckier this time and managed to be in the Missions Hall when the Vaxwel Research Facility Missions came up." The Vaxwel Research Facility, a sprawling complex of gleaming white buildings and humming machinery, was a hub of magical research and development.


    "Oh!" Linfel didn''t know. "I thought you were a Rank F Magus. Seems like you guys are quite talented then. So, what is your job there this time? The same as me? Testing Defensive Diagram Runes?"


    "Cleaning! Hahaha!" Romario answered straight away with a laugh. Yet, seeing Linfel''s confusion, he explained. "You probably are thinking that the Academy already has a lot of cleaning for Rank E anf F members like us, right? However, this cleaning in Vaxwel is different. They pay more because you will be dealing with broken Magic Diagram Runes.


    You need to be careful in the process, so they pay double what you get from normal cleaning jobs."


    "I see..." Linfel also gets paid a lot by Aelua, so he could relate. "Well, the important thing is to get the credits and increase our levels as Maguses and Familiars."


    "That''s pretty much it." Romario agreed.


    They reached the facility, a massive structure that seemed to hold countless researches. Romario gestured, "Our work areas are in different sections, so we part ways here. Stay vigilant, avoid any potential scams like the last one." With that, Romario disappeared into the facility, leaving Linfel to navigate his own path.


    ''I''ll try to give him some help if I can in the future,'' thought Linfel for a moment. After that, he went to one of the counters where he should present himself. "Hi! I''m Linfel, a Rank C Familiar from the Magus Academy. I''m here to help with some Diagram Rune Tests."


    The attendant nodded. "Ah, yes. We have been waiting for you. Please wait in that room for a moment. It will still take an hour before we need your services. There are a few others coming soon, too."


    Linfel knew that. When he took the task, he saw that it was open for at least five Maguses or Familiars. And with the good payment of 500 Academy Credits for a single day job, sure more Students or their Familiars would arrive.


    It didn''t last long before a Magus from the Academy and his Familiar arrived. They also sat by Linfel''s side and nodded at him. Later, another Magus appeared, although he was on his own, without any Familiar by his side. The group quickly increased, surpassing the five Linfel initially thought. ''Well, it did say at least five. There wasn''t really a limit to the numbers, was there?''


    The group around him were all Level Two Maguses and Familiars. The Red Familiars, especially, highlighted Linfel''s presence since he still had his Yellow Color. ''Could it be I took the wrong mission?'' Linfel couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Thank you for waiting, everyone," someone suddenly said. Linfel turned to the person, a man wearing a uniform from the facility. "My name is Comat, one of the various researches in this Facility. Please follow me. We need to screen you out before we can pass you today''s jobs."


    "Screen?" Linfel asked back. He wasn''t the only one. A few other Maguses and Familiars there were also confused. Obviously, they had come to this place for the first time.


    Comat smiled as he walked and guided the participants into the facility. "The tests are quite delicate. The Defensive Runes are just prototypes, so we need to manage them carefully. That means having a good understanding of their intricacies. Not everyone is that good at channeling Magic Energy through the circuitries of a Diagram Rune, especially new ones no one has seen before.


    That said, we can only employ the Maguses and Familiars who are capable of passing our small test."


    Comat entered a big room where one could see many tables with terminals on them. Each terminal had a small plate connected to them. "Please select any of the terminals. They re all identical, so it matters little which one you choose."


    The group quickly went to the various terminals. Linfel just took the first one available on the left side, not paying much attention to his position. After that, Comat continued his explanation. "If you look at the plates, there are a few Magic Diagram Runes on them. They are the runes we will use to test your qualifications. We have two requests this time.


    One is to see your capability to follow the channels of Magic Energy in the runes. The second one is to see how much Magic Energy you can pass through these channels once you manage to follow their path."


    Linfel looked at the Diagram Runes. That was his first time messing with them, so he felt quite curious. ''They are indeed very different from the Primordial Energy Runes from the past. However, the channels are easy to understand.''


    "Alright, everyone," Comat continued. "Try to run your Magic Energy through the channels in the runes the best you can. The terminals on the side will calculate your attempts and give you a score at the end. The more channels you can use and the more Magic Energy you can drive through them, the better the result will be.


    Only the best five candidates will work with us in the real runes deeper in the facility. The rest will be sent back to home."


    "I think I know these Runes. They are quite expensive." A Magus said. He came here for the Academy Credits and definitely couldn''t afford to pay for the runes if they broke.


    "There is no need to worry," Comat assured. "Although they are expensive runes, they are made with wide channels and resistant materials. Besides, it is very hard for you to even drive your Magic Energy into all channels at once, let alone fill them with enough Magic Energy to cause any trouble. There is no way you can break them with your pow-"


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    Yet, Comat''s words stopped as he heard a sound that wasn''t supposed to be there. He quickly looked in the sound''s direction, just in time to see the reason as his mouth twitched.


    *Poof, poof, poof, poof, poof...*


    All the runes on a certain someone''s table crumbled into dust, creating a little cloud of colored specs of light.


    Linfel looked at that. The runes were no more. "Errr... I don''t need to pay for them, do I?"

 Chapter 45: I Wont Pay!

    Comat felt like someone had punched his gut. "Just how the hell you broke them?! No, first of all, you broke all of them at once! Did you smash them with your magic Energy?"


    "Of course not!" Linfel quickly shook his head. "I just drove my Magic Energy into all their channels at once. Part of the test was to see how much Magic Energy I could pass through them while using as many channels are possible, right? That''s why I went all out. Weren''t they supposed to be very resistant?"


    Comat quickly went to the back and grabbed another rune. He carefully installed it on the plate that Linfel was using, connecting it to the sensors of the terminal on the side. "Alright, let me see it then! I''m sure you must have done it the wrong way."


    Linfel scratched the back of his ethereal head and nodded. He sent his Magic Energy downwards and enveloped the rune with it. Through his Magic Sensitivity, the channels of the Rune became as clear as day to him. Well, the Runes being used here were expensive, but they weren''t anything complicated to start with. They were there just for the test.


    ''Compared to Primordial Energy Runes, these runes are a lot more intricate since Magic Energy is much gentler and easier to control. But it is exactly because Magic Energy is easier to control that the full picture of the channels of the Runes is also easy to see. If I had to use Primordial Energy in these Runes, it would have been impossible for me to see anything,'' Linfel thought.


    Right after, he drove his Magic Energy into all the channels of that rune, making the terminal shine as a result. On the screen, there was a huge picture of th rune several hundreds of times bigger than the rune itself. It depicted the channels and their paths, as well as the Magic Energy flowing through them. There wasn''t a single path that wasn''t illuminated by the color of Magic Energy.


    "This..." Comat didn''t want to believe, but he had no other choice other than to do so.


    Linfel then commented. "I''m only driving my Magic Energy inside. I''m going to increase the flow as much as I can. Watch."


    The color of the channels depicted on the monitor immediately intensified in the next second. Yet, another second later...


    *Crack... Poof!*


    The Rune wasn''t able to resist the enormous flow of Magic Energy and broke apart, turning into several specs of colored light infused with Linfel''s Magic Energy. "See? I only did what you told me? I can''t be blamed if you did a poor job with the Rune''s resistance."


    Comat''s mouth twitched. Poor job? The rune was very simple, so there was no way you could do a poor job in a place like the Vaxwel Researching Famility. It''s just that Linfel''s Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity were absurd!


    Seeing Comat''s expression, Linfel decided to turn around to leave. "Well, I''m not paying! I did nothing wrong! I''m out!" Since he destroyed the runes, there is no way he passed the test, right? There was no reason to wait there anymore. Above all, he truly didn''t want to pay.


    Just how much would these things cost? He didn''t know, and he had no intention of finding out now.


    "Wait!" Comat quickly stopped Linfel. "You passed. There is no need to pay for anything."


    "Eh?" Linfel was taken aback. "But I broke the runes."


    "Forget that," Comat said as he pointed at the Terminal. There, Linfel''s score was shown. The score you could get on this test was between 1 and 100. Linfel''s result... was 83 points. That was far, far above what Comat could possibly expect.


    In fact, if Linfel had controlled his Magic Energy flow to not destroy the rune, he probably would have gotten over 90 points. Perhaps... 100? "Your score is more than enough. Besides, we truly said nothing about paying for the runes."


    Comat couldn''t possibly let Linfel go now. Sure, the runes would be expensive to pay, but Linfel''s Control and Sensitivity were bound to help in their tests from now on. It is not that the Vaxwel Research Facility can''t find others capable of doing the same as Linfel. It''s just that such individuals have already graduated from the Academy and are all at least Level Four Maguses and Familiars.


    Let''s not forget that the academy gets its missions from other companies and organizations by charging a lot less than others do. That''s how the students get so many missions available. Someone like Linfel... the Vaxwel Research Facility would need to pay a fortune to employ from other places.


    500 Academy Credits was definitely a lot for the Students, but that was nothing compared to the real value of someone like Linfel. If Comat lets Linfel go, he might even lose his job.


    "Is it true? I don''t have to pay?" Linfel was ecstatic. "Great! Then I''m definitely signing for it."


    Comat nodded. "Alright, just wait by the side. I still have the other Maguses and Familiars to test. We need five of you, after all."


    Comat calmed down and returned to his position at the front. "Ahem... Well, as I was saying, it is impossible for you to break the runes... as long as you are not a freak like that guy. But, if, for some miracle, there is another freak here, don''t worry about the rune value. Now, go ahead and use as many channels in the runes as possible while using as much Magic Energy as possible, too."


    ''He didn''t need to call me a freak, right? That''s disrespectful...'' Linfel thought to himself. But then again, it is 500 Academy Credits for a single day of work. He better not cause trouble.


    The others looked at Linfel on the side, feeling bitter. Linfel was only a Level One Familiar, but there is no way they can get his results. In the end, the highest score after Linfel came from a Level Two Familiar called Rantie. She managed to score 31 points, which was already a great result. Her master was nowhere to be seen, though.


    Around an hour later, all the Familiars and Maguses who passed the exam were brought deeper into the Facility. However, when they got to the area where they would carry out the tests for the Vaxwel Research Facility, Linfel was separated from them.


    As Comat brought Linfel away, Linfel asked him. "Am I not supposed to do the same tests as them?"


    "Initially, yes," Comat nodded. "However, your Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity will be much better employed in another research. Don''t worry, though. We will pay you according to what was stated in the details of your task back in the academy."


    Linfel didn''t need to hear more. "Well, then I''m fine with it."


    Comat and Linfel then entered another building where other runes were being researched before Comat brought Linfel to meet someone. "Senior Wosley, this is him."


    Wosley was the one in charge of the research going there, a Level Two Magus. He seemed to be already in his fifties or sixties, although you couldn''t take a Magus appearance seriously. They usually lived much longer than normal people. "Oh! Wait! A Level One Familiar?!"


    Wosley quickly expressed his doubt. "Comat, are you sure you did the test correctly? You told me you got a student with a score of 83. I was expecting at least a Level Three Magus or Familiar instead."


    Comat quickly nodded. "I did test him and had the same doubt, so I tested him a second time. There is no mistake. Even at Level One, his Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity are that high."


    Wosley knew that Comat wouldn''t joke about it, so he nodded. "Alright, then, we can give it a try for now." He quickly turned to Linfel, still a little skeptical. "The runes we are working on here are being used in a new type of Magic Channeling Circuitry Runes. Their Channels are a lot more numerous and intricate since they will be responsible for hundreds of different parts of energy distribution."


    Wosley brought Linfel closer to a glass where the rune was being manipulated. Inside the glass contained, several delicate needles seemed to be doing nothing. However, Linfel could tell with his Magic Energy Sensitivity. The needles were moving. It''s just that the Runes were so small that it was hard to tell. "Such a beautiful rune..."


    Wosley''s impression of Linfel immediately improved. "Right?! This is my baby. If it works as expected, we can reduce the consumption of Magic Energy by as much as 4%!"


    Linfel quickly understood. "That''s incredible indeed. 4% might look like a small number. But when you put it in the context of the countless Magic Energy Equipment it will be used, it would be a huge difference. We are talking about a fortune that can be used in other areas instead."


    "Hahaha!" Wosley nodded vigorously. "Seems like we have an enthusiast in Magic Diagrams here. Are you studying magic Diagrams in the Magus Academy?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No. I do intend to join the Magic Diagram Hall later, though. It''s just that with all the training and the Field Exams, I haven''t had the chance."


    Comat quickly saw an opportunity. "Well, if you want to learn more about Magic Diagrams, our Vaxwel Research Facility is definitely one of the best places in the country. We have an unlimited amount of content in our databases that is free for all members to use for their own research."


    Wosley hadn''t even seen Linfel''s ability yet, so he was surprised about how much Comat seemed to regard Linfel''s abilities. "Alright, we can talk about that later. Linfel, come here."


    Wosley brought Linfe into another room where a few other people could be seen. There were even two familiars, although they didn''t seem to work on the project like the people.


    One of the people there was a Level One Female Magus who seemed to be working on one of the equipment. She noticed Wosley''s arrival and quickly got up. "Wosley! Did you manage to convince someone to come? You should try to talk with the Lambel Magus Family. Perhaps one of their elders wouldn''t mind helping."


    Wosley shook his head. "There is no way they would accept the payment we can offer with our budget, Philia. But you don''t need to worry. I think we found the perfect subject. Linfel here seem to have enough Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity to carry out the test."


    Philia looked at the Familiar and especially his yellow color. "Is this a joke?"


    "Who knows?" Wosley shrugged. "Comat says he can do it, so I brought him here to test it out." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Philia narrowed her eyes and looked at Comat. "You aren''t the type who likes jokes, so I hope you aren''t trying to change your personality now."


    "Hmph!" Comat obviously had no intention of doing such a thing. "I won''t. Just get him to try the first prototypes already. They were a failure, so they will be destroyed in the end anyway. Nonetheless, they are more than enough to show Linfel''s abilities."


    Comat and Philia had always been triyng to outshone the other, so the other people around didn''t even care about their antics anymore.


    "You two seem to be very close," Linfel commented with a smile, completely failing to see the big picture.


    "Your ass!" Comat and Philia answered at the same time.


    "Enough!" Wosley stopped them as he pulled out a tablet. He then put it in front of Linfel and spoke. "Alright, use your Magic Energy so that we can get your signature on this NDA. Remember, there are huge repercussions if you disclose the contents of this research outside."


    Linfel quickly released his Magic Energy, and his Magic Energy Signature was recorded in the agreement. "I''m aware of the rules."


    "Come with me," Philia didn''t waste time and brought Linfel to another machine. It was very similar to the one Linfel saw in the previous room. An almost invisible Rune was placed at the center while extremely thin needles were all around it.


    During the next hour, Philia explained to Linfel how the equipment worked and how he could channel his own Magic Energy into the rune. Only then did she allow Linfel to give it a try. "Alright. That should be pretty much it. As long as you can use at least 300 channels in the rune, we will consider it a success and will allow you to truly help us with our latest prototype."


    Linfel quickly used his Magic Energy in the receptor and felt it moving through the needles inside the glass container. He slowly injected the Magic Energy into the rune and commented. 759 channels in total... No, they are in a Three Dimensional Structure. If I count the connections between the different parts, there are almost a thousand channels. This is truly incredible."


    Back in his time, it would be a miracle if you could create as many as one hundred channels, and such runes weren''t considered any good since Primordial Energy was too powerful. The common knowledge said that at most fifty channels should be used, and more than that would only give you an easily breakable rune.


    Here, however, Linfel could see almost a thousand, and Magic Energy could still be used on all of them without issues as long as the control was just right.


    Wosley, Comat, and Philia were impressed with Linfel''s account. They hadn''t told him anything about the number of channels, and yet he nailed it in just a few seconds of probing. Of course, what mattered was whether he could use at least 300 of them at the same time so that they could carry out the tests later with the real runes.

 Chapter 46: We Have a Deal!

    Philia looked at the terminal on the side that depicted the Rune Linfel was using. Their channels filled with Magic Energy one after another, and soon, three hundred of them had a constant flow of Magic Energy. ''So you truly can do it...'' Philia was surprised a Level One Familiar had such incredible Magic Sensitivity and Control.


    Linfel didn''t stop there. He concentrated on the channels and kept filling more and more. Not long after, he got double of that number, reaching six hundred channels with constant flow. By now, Philia was already pale while Wosley and Comat swallowed hard.


    At that point, Linfel began to have difficulty. "There are indeed too many channels... It is hard to control Magic Energy going through so many of them at once. My level as a Familiar is still too low. I need to reach Level Two soon."


    Before long, Linfel stopped at almost seven hundred channels and didn''t force the use anymore. "Sorry, nearly seven hundred is the best I can do at the moment. I can force the issue and try to fill some extra channels, but from here onward, I won''t be able to control the flow correctly, and I''m afraid I might break the rune altogether. Wait until I reach Level Two.


    At that time, I should be able to cover all the channels on this Rune."


    Linfel then released the receptor of the machine and looked back at Philia and the others. They all had weird expressions, confusing Linfel. "Come on. It wasn''t so bad, right? You don''t need to make such ugly faces."


    Wosley was the first one to talk, laughing out loud. "Hahaha! No, no, no! You got it wrong! We do not think you did bad. No!


    You did amazingly well! Almost seven hundred runes, ALMOST SEVEN HUNDRED! Philia, how many Flosquei managed to do last time we convinced him to help?"


    Philia took a deep breath. "Five hundred... thirty-two... Comat, just where did you find this monster? Is he truly from the academy? Flosquei is a Level Four Magus, but this guy is only a Level One Familiar.


    It is unbelievable!"


    Comat scratched the back of his head. "It is just like you said. I posted the task on the academy website since we didn''t have the budget to employ real high-level Maguses or Familiars. Little Linfel here just so happened to be within the group that came to take the test. By the way, he is independent."


    "Independent?!" Wosley eyes lit up. He quickly approached Linfel and asked. "Linfel, give up the academy. Come to the Vaxwel Research Facility and work for us."


    Linfel didn''t expect that request. "That''s... not something I can do. I''m only here for the Academy Credits." Besides, he is already expected to help Alvin and participate in the competition later. Not to mention, Linfel had no intention of settling in a single place. He wanted to look for Horan or at least understand what happened to him.


    "Academy Credits?" Wosley quickly thought about it. If it was the Academy Credits of the Magus Academy, then they could totally afford it with their budget. "Then I want you to work for us. I''m going to extend the contract with the academy and have you come to help us with our project from now on. How about that?"


    Linfel had no reason to refuse. "That''s a lot more like it. As long as there isn''t a task that pays more than this one, I have no issues continuing."


    Wosley and the others remembered. That''s right. The academy had many tasks going on, and theirs was definitely not the only one that required high Magic Sensitivity and Control. They were just lucky that Linfel came to them first.


    "1000 Academy Credits!" Wosley didn''t think twice before exclaiming. "I''ll pay you 1000 Academy Credits if you come to help with my project only. Do not take on any other company tasks that need Magic Sensitivity and Magic Control."


    "1000?!" Linfel was shocked by that number. Let''s not forget Linfel only got a little more than 3000 back in the Field Exam. "Is it a daily request, or is it only once per week?"


    "This..." Wosley narrowed his eyes. It wasn''t like they needed Linfel every single day. The tests indeed only happen once or twice per week. Sometimes, they didn''t happen at all. In this city, Academy Credits are worth even more than Universal Credits, so paying 1000 per day would raise some questions within the management of the company.


    Suddenly, Wosley felt two hands on his shoulders. They were Philia and Comat, who had the same idea. "Wosley, let''s share the expenses. We can avoid any questions if we do it."


    Wosley sighed. "Are you sure? That would also come off the amount allocated to your own projects."


    "It''s fine!" Comat quickly nodded. "With him, the progress of the new circuitry runes will accelerate considerably. Also, if we truly manage to bring the rune to life, do you think we will have a problem with budget anymore?"


    Philia agreed. "Indeed. Besides, even if we pay him 1000 Academy Credits per day, it will be A LOT cheaper than contracting any Level Four Magus or Familiar from the other organizations outside. We can''t possibly lose this chance. Not to mention, Comat and I could have Linfel help us with our own projects while at it. There is nothing to lose here, only to gain."


    Wosley didn''t question anymore. "Alright! Linfel, as long as you don''t take on any other companies or organizations'' tasks, we will pay you to be our exclusive helper. Do you accept?"


    Linfel pondered a bit. That was an extremely good deal. "It can be possible..." a smile appeared on his face immediately. "If you also add that conversation about allowing me to study Magic Diagram Runes from before."


    "Hahaha!" Wosley had absolutely no issue with that. "Great! I will add you to the system so you can join the Vaxwel Research Facility as a special guest. That will give you full access to the studying materials regarding Magic Diagram Runes. You can even spend your time with us here and use our lab to try out your own results.


    The three of us are quite knowledgeable about Runes, so we can act as teachers when we have free time."


    "We have a deal!" Linfel had no other concerns anymore.


    On that same day, Linfel was asked to give it a try with their latest prototype. The development of that new rune was still a ways off, but with the acquisition of someone like Linfel, the tests went smoothly, giving much better results and data than expected.


    As the day drew to a close, Linfel departed from the Vaxwel Research Facility, having been a key part of various tests in Wosley, Comat, and Philia''s projects. Despite the rigorous work, a sense of contentment washed over him as he glanced at his MCOM and saw the additional 1000 Academy Credits credited to his name.


    This amount, a testament to his hard work, would be added daily, regardless of whether there was a task for him or not.


    ''Too bad they don''t work during weekends. Otherwise, it would get 7000 per week. Still, 5000 per week is way more than one could expect,'' Linfel thought excitedly.


    Returning to the Academy, Linfel went straight to Alvin''s room, although he still wasn''t back. "Hum? Where is he?"


    *Plin!*


    Suddenly, a message reached his MCOM. "Oh! So, he is still in the Floating Blades Faction. Uh? A party? And I should come too?


    Hum..." Linfel pondered about it for a moment. He didn''t really have an interest in things like that. "Oh well, whatever. I can''t do anything without Alvin and Felia here anyway."


    Arriving at the Floating Blades Faction, Linfel ws quickly received by the attendant of that time. "Linfel, they are on the third floor. You can just go direct there."


    Linfel nodded and went up. When he finally entered the room, everyone''s eyes turned to him.


    "Linfel!" Pamil immediately came forward. "Is that true?! Was it really you who helped William?"


    "Hum?" Linfel nodded. "Well, I did give him a little push. But I only showed him what his body was already capable of doing. Ultimately, he Leveled up on his own."


    William got close and bowed to Linfel, something extremely rare to see from him. "Thank you. You were right. I am indeed able to use the top and bottom meridians to keep a flow of Magic Energy going in and out. I always cursed this dwarf body of mine, but it turns out it isn''t completely useless."


    Natalie immediately spoke. "Completely useless? You are doing something none of us can. We all can only absorb or withdraw our Magic Energy at a time. Doing both means you could even fight forever as long as you have Magic Stones to replenish yourself. It is amazing!"


    She looked at Linfel right after. "He told me how you controlled the Magic Energy inside his body. Although it is possible to be done as long as he kept his Core open to outsiders, it is still not an easy feat."


    Linfl just waved his hand. "It is nothing that impressive as you all put it. I told you, he already could do it naturally. I only intervened to show him his own capabilities. Besides, it is not so overpowered as Natalie is putting it."


    He turned to William. "If you go into combat and keep absorbing and drawing your Magic Energy all the time, you will only be capable of showing half of the strength of a normal Magus at the same level. After all, half of your Meridians will be occupied absorbing Magic Energy. I don''t find it a good idea. At such moments, direct clashes are commonplace.


    Suppose you have to revert the flow of Magic Energy of half of your meridians at the last moment to match your opponent''s power. In that case, you will most likely be vulnerable. It is truly not worth the risk."


    "This..." The others hadn''t thought about that possibility. Indeed, the power you can show using only half of your meridians will obviously be much lower than your enemy.


    William wasn''t surprised, though. "Yes, I''m aware of this flaw. It will all come up to how well I can adapt to this newfound method. I''ve never been the type to rush things, so I will take my time and will definitely not try such risks."


    "That''s good for all of us then," Linfel smiled and nodded.


    "Anyway!" pamil intervened once again. "We are here to congratulate William for achieving Level Three. Let''s party!"


    *WoW!*


    As they commemorated, Alvin took a chance to pull Linfel to a corner. He then used his Magic Energy to guide his voice so that only Linfel would hear. "Linfel, you didn''t use Master Familiar Connection with him, right?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course not!" Linfel quickly shook his head. "What I did was completely different from Master Familiar Connection. Our Magic Energies never merged, nor did I match his Soul Waves Frequency. First of all, you don''t need to open your Core to use Master Familiar Connection. Doing so leaves your Magic Energy exposed to anyone who wants to mess with it.


    Master Familiar Connections would be meaningless if such a thing was necessary."


    Alvin sighed in relief. "Then that''s good." Alvin then looked at William, who, although he didn''t smile much, seemed to be quite relaxed. "Pamil told me about William''s condition. You truly did a great deed, Linfel. I''m happy to be your friend."


    Linfel smiled in response. "And I''m happy to have found people like you and your father." It was then that Linfel asked. "By the way, did you get to talk to Milia already?"


    "Yes," Alvin nodded, feeling even happier. "I still don''t know why she avoided me before, but she seems to be back to normal. Well, that means she is back to being her cold self, but it is better than being ignored."


    "Hey, Linfel!" Pamil called him over. "Come here."


    Linfel could only go. "What is it?"


    "This help you gave William. Would it be possible to help others, too?" Pamil asked, curious. Naturally, that attracted the attention of the others.


    "Help others?" Linfel pondered a bit. "It depends, I guess? I only showed William what he already could do. Is there something you can''t do that would need my help guiding Magic Energy?"


    "Hum..." Pamil couldn''t think of a use for that, indeed. "Not really..."


    "There you go." Linfel shrugged again.


    And yet, no one noticed, but Rin''s eyes shined as she looked at Linfel after she heard his words.

 Chapter 47: As Always

    Alvin, Linfel, and Felia returned to their room. There, Linfel told them about the new job he got with the Vaxwel Research Company. "So, during the five-week days, I''ll get 1000 Academy Credits to help them test the runes in their projects. Only the weekends I won''t get anything since they don''t work at that time."


    Alvin couldn''t help but take a deep and cold breath. "1000! I was looking into the missions that usually Rank A Classes take, and they would give an average of 500 Academy Credits each. Some give more, but those ones are usually taken straight away by Rank A Students. The fact a task worth 500 Academy Credits reached Rank C was already a surprise.


    And yet, not only did you land this job, you even got to be paid double daily. It was supposed to be a one-day task!"


    Linfel smiled in response. "Yes, I''m aware of my luck. But then again, this specific task was open for more than just one student. There were a lot of maguses and familiars that appeared for the test. Five of them were selected, me included. It''s just that I was the only one to get this special treatment.


    The others would only work on the scheduled task for today and their tasks would be finished."


    "So... you will get 5000 Academy Credits per week, and that doesn''t even count the 100 you get every night at Aelua..." Alvin saw some hope in there. "In that case, we have no need for Field Exams anymore, right?"


    Linfel narrowed his ethereal eyes. "Are you being paid 1000 Academy Credits per day?"


    "Well... no?" Alvin looked away.


    "I already gave you some help last week with Academy Credits. You don''t really expect me to now pay for your training, right?" Linfel increased the pressure.


    "Of course not!" Alvin continued to avoid Linfel''s eyes. "I... I can make Academy Credits with the tasks in the Missions Hall. Today, I did another one and got 200 Academy Credits!"


    "That''s nowhere near enough for your expenditure, and you know that," Linfel rebuked. "Stop the bullshit, and let''s start today''s training. At the end of this week, we are going back to the Field Exam. Besides, I need as many Academy Credits as possible."


    "Why?" Felia asked on the side. Linfel was already doing a lot.


    "Why? Isn''t that obvious?" Linfel asked back. "5700 Academy Credits per week; that''s what I can do without the Field Exams. Now... how much is a single Low-Grade Red Magic Stone? 500 Academy Credits!


    500!!! An entire week would give me enough for only eleven stones! That''s way too little!"


    Felia got confused. "But the energy inside is too powerful for you, no? You can''t even use them."


    "For now," Linfel spoke. "What about after I become Level Two? Then the Yellow Magic Energy will not be enough anymore. I should try to accumulate as much as I can. Think about the future, not only the present."


    Alvin and Felia nodded. "That''s true."


    "Okay, let''s start." Linfel quickly connected with Felia and Alvin, took a bunch of Yellow Magic Stones Alvin bought, and began to clean the energy until it became Low-Grade Red Magic Energy.


    As he sent the Magic Energy to their Cores, he noticed something. "Oh! Look at that! Both of you are already starting to show signs of transformation in your Cores."


    Alvin nodded, feeling happy. "I noticed it too today during the task from the Missions Hall. My Magic Energy is a lot more condensed."


    "Same for me," Felia agreed. "It made things a lot easier."


    Linfel continued to transfer the energy and commented. "From the looks of it, you won''t need the ten years you talked back in your Father''s home. In at most two months, you two should reach Level Two. Truly, Red Magic Energy makes a huge difference compared to the Yellow Magic Energy you were using before." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel continued his work for the next three to four hours until Felia and Alvin''s cores got saturated. Finally, he decided to leave when Alvin suddenly stopped him. "Wait, Linfel."


    Linfel looked back. "Hum?"


    "Aelua sent me a message today," Alvin explained. "She said that you are absorbing and integration to your Core an extremely impure Yellow Magic Energy. But because you are independent, you can do whatever you want. She was worried that it would affect your future."


    "Oh!" Linfel smiled in response. Aelua might have gone to talk to Alvin on his back, but he could tell she did it out of concern for him. "Well, you should know the truth behind this matter."


    Alvin nodded, not feeling worried at all. "Yes. I''m just telling you because she will probably inquire about it. It matters little to you how much a source of Magic Energy is contaminated since you can clean it all. In any case, I told her that I was also helpless and couldn''t stop you and whatever. So, you know if she asks about it."


    "Good! Thanks!" Linfel nodded and left. As for Alvin, he was once again dead tired and went to sleep as Felia deactivated herself.


    Back in Aelua''s research building, Linfel looked at the Magic Energy Receptors from the pillars. "Another bountiful night ahead. Such a beautiful sight."


    "Wait, Linfel!" Aelua quickly came out. "Did Alvin talk to you?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, but he wasn''t able to change my mind, and believe me, he tried." Well, that was a blatant lie. "I will still take this Magic Energy."


    "Sigh..." Aelua felt helpless. "Fine. But, if you feel any disconfort, come look for me straight away. We have equipment in the Academy capable of helping Familiars with Magic Energy intoxication issues. They are expensive to use, but you ar worth it."


    Linfel knew about those. Even though the Low-Grade Magic Stones were considered usable, they weren''t completely safe. One could see that since Linfel got rid of 90% of their Magic Energy during the cleaning process. Once in a while, familiars and maguses get too many impurities and must clean their cores, which is an arduous and expensive process. ''Not my problem, though. Hahaha!''


    And with that cheerful thought, Linfel started to separate the Magic Energy before using the remaining energy for his own integration as always.


    This kind of process continued during the week. Work at Vaxwel Facility, help Alvin and Felia, go back to Aelua, pass by the Floating Blades Faction, repeat. And so, the end of the week arrived. Naturally, the next Field Exam was there too.


    Alvin and Linfel, along with their classmates, gathered at the Academy field. Just like before, several airships arrived to transport the various classes to the next Field Exam. Once inside, they took off and had to endure an hour of anticipation before the instructor finally spoke about the next exam.


    This exam was unlike the one Alvin and Linfel had faced before. "Hello, everyone. Some of you might know me already, but to those who don''t, I''m Gordi. The Field Exam this time will take place in the Sky Island on the north side of the country."


    "Sky Island?" Linfel''s brows furrowed in confusion as he turned to Alvin, seeking an explanation.


    Noticing Linfel''s confusion, Alvin began to explain. "That is an army facility. It uses anti-gravity Magic Runes to keep itself afloat near the border of Volztain Country. You heard how our country isn''t really at peace like most normal people think, right?" Linfel nodded and waited for Alvin to continue. "Well, I asked Brother Pamil about it a little more.


    He said that Volztain Country would most likely be the first one we would go to war against if things took a turn for worse. It''s a sobering thought, isn''t it?"


    Alvin continued. "That''s why we have the Sky Island there. In fact, the official name is the Heffal Magus Sky Defense and Research Facility. It''s just that the name was too big, so people ended up just calling it Sky Island. We have Maguses and Familiars stationed there in case there is a need for deployment. They act mainly as the support for the normal army located on the ground."


    Linfel nodded. "I understand." Having a defense point in the skies seemed like a good idea, in Linfel''s opinion. It gave the Maguses and Familiars a vantage point, and they could easily cover any of the surrounding areas. It goes without saying that the army of normal people operating Magic Weapons was many times bigger than the army of Maguses and Familiars in the sky.


    Usually, the Sky Island doesn''t make moves since most of the normal operations could be carried out by the normal army below. In any case, Any big movements attempted by Volztain Country would be easily found through the vantage point in the sky, too.


    Gordi noticed Linfel and Alvin''s talk and called them. "You two, silence. Pay attention."


    "Sorry, sir." The two quickly apologized.


    Gordi nodded and turned his attention back to everyone. "Your objective this time is to take part in the Army Training for a day. Do not think it will be easy. The Sky Island knows of your arrival and has prepared a special menu just for this day. Of course, the training will be tailored according to your level as a Magus or Familiar. You will find out more once we land."


    "We should arrive there by 8AM, and we are leaving at 6PM. Anyone not in the landing sight by that time will be left behind. Good luck explaining yourself to the officers in Sky Island about your presence there. Understood?"


    "Yes!" Everyone answered together.


    Not long after, Linfel was able to see the Army Sky Island in the distance. "Wow! That thing is enormous!" The Sky Island was circular, with a ten-kilometer radius. Several buildings could be seen everywhere, making it difficulty to believe such a huge structure could be kept afloat like that.


    In the surroundings, it was possible to see many drones coming and going from the island. There were also a few maguses who seemed to be using some kind of equipment to fly as well. Familiars could already float anyway, so as long as they stayed close to the Maguses, they didn''t need equipment to continue flying.


    Of course, if the Magus used the full speed of the equipment, the Familiar would need to hold on to the Magus, or it would be left behind.


    The Island was also covered by a very faint green barrier, and any magus, familiar, or drone that approached it had to pass through some small gaps in that barrier. Linfel could feel the energy of the barrier from his seat in the airship. "Green Magic Energy, the fourth level of Magic. They truly don''t mind spending a lot to keep it safe."


    Felia shook her head. "From what I heard, it is not that expensive to keep this barrier running. Only a few hundred Green Magic Stones per day. Of course, a few hundred Green Magic Stones would cost a fortune for the likes of us that we can only dream about. But, this is a place kept by the country. For the country as a whole, a few hundred Green Magic Stones isn''t that much."


    Alvin agreed with her. "Besides, the barrier itself is in a dormant state. It will only truly activate if it detects a real attack coming at it. At that time, the expenditure will skyrocket."


    Linfel was impressed. "This is truly amazing." At the same time, he thought about the new runes Wosley was working on in the Vaxwel Facility. If he succeeded, a place like this would be within the ones to take the most advantage of the rune''s better efficiency features.


    For a few minutes, the airships of the academy stopped in the air. The airships of the academy had to wait in queue to enter the barrier. Several types of scans and sensors were used on each of the airships before they were finally allowed to land.


    Everyone came out and moved in an orderly fashion according to the instructor''s orders. Finally, each group was received by a Private of the Sky Island. Naturally, so did Linfel''s group. "I''m Maxtilius. I''ll be in charge of your training today. I''ll make one thing clear.


    In the army, following orders and rules is paramount. If anyone goes out of line, they will be immediately disqualified from the Field Exam and sent back to wait in the airships. Now, then, let''s move to the first location."


    "Sir, what will we be doing there?" Someone couldn''t help but ask.


    The private glanced behind and spoke with a faint and cold smile. "Magic Endurance Training... with a twist."

 Chapter 48: Endurance

    They arrived inside one of the buildings, and the groups were separated according to age. Rank was disregarded in this separation. Alvin, Linfel, and Felia, obviously, were kept in the same group. Once the separating was finished, one of the members of the Sky Island came forward to explain the training.


    "I''m Joflal, the Magus in charge of your exam this time around." he then pointed to the back. "Come forward and take one of the receptors above the counters. They will absorb your Magic Energy gradually, even if you don''t don''t use it at all. The training is simple. Keep absorbing the Magic Energy from the surroundings to replenish your reserves so that the receptor doesn''t run dry.


    The longer you last, the higher your score."


    Alvin quickly understood the test. Every time he trained with Linfel at night, his and Felia''s cores would grow saturated due to the Magic Energy Integration. This training was basically very similar. They would need to constantly absorb Magic Energy, and their core would eventually saturate again.


    The trick was to balance the absorption from the surroundings to counter the absorption of the receptors.


    Most of the maguses and familiars present seemed to grasp the training concept quite easily. It was, in fact, a rather straightforward exercise. However, Alvin and the others sensed there was more to come. The Private who led them here had hinted at a twist in this training, and they were all eagerly awaiting it.


    As expected, the Joflal had more to reveal. "Ordinarily, you would remain here, pushing your endurance until you could no longer continue. But that would be too predictable, wouldn''t it? The Academy has similar endurance devices for maguses and familiars to train, so why would you come here for such a thing? This time, however, we have a different plan for you all." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This time, you will all go down to the ground and join the patrol teams. The reason why the borders between our Heffal Country and Volztain are located in this place is basically due to the lack of Magic Energy. It makes it difficult to build settlements, and over the years, this became the separation between the two countries."


    "Your patrol route will go through the Magic Beast Forest in this land, where the Magic Beasts adapted to the low amount of Magic Energy. So, not only do you have to keep the receptors full all the time, but you also have to deal with the dangers of the place. Who knows? You might even have to deal with Maguses or Familiars of the Volztain Country."


    "Don''t worry, though. There is no failure condition. Even if you run out of Magic Energy and your receptor becomes dry, you won''t be taken out of the exam. You can take your time to recover your Magic Energy and, once you are done, refill the receptors again. It''s just that the time the receptors aren''t full with Magic Energy will be discounted from your overall score."


    "Last but not least, the point system is very easy to understand. Every minute you keep the receptor full of Magic Energy, you gain one point. For every minute it is not, you lose one point. Simple, right?"


    Alvin took one of the receptors and immediately felt his Magic Energy being drained from his core. The speed at which it happened was much faster than the speed he could absorb Magic Energy from the surroundings.


    "Can we use Magic Stones to replenish ourselves?" Someone suddenly asked.


    "What would be the point of an endurance test if you had access to Magic Stones? Are you an idiot?" The Magus asked with a dark expression. "Does anyone have a relevant question?"


    "How long will the test take," Linfel was the one to ask this time.


    "Eight hours," Joflal answered. "Simply put, you can gain at most 480 points by the end of the exam."


    "Wouldn''t that make it hard to decide who did better than others?" Pamil asked from within the Level Three Maguses and Familiars Group.


    However, Joflal snorted. "What, do you think a lot of you will get full scores? Hahahaha! Ridiculous! I''ll be very impressed if anyone here can reach 200 points at all. Your receptors were prepared having your Levels as Maguses and Familiars considered.


    Trust me, none of you will be able to keep it full for eight hours straight."


    Pamil was surprised to hear that and took one of the receptors. Immediately, a bitter smile appeared on his face. The amount of Magic Energy that thing was taking away from him was definitely no joke. ''200 points? I''m afraid I can''t get even one hundred...'' He thought for a moment.


    Linfel took one of the receptors made for familiar, strapping it around his core. Just like the Familiars, his Magic Energy began to get absorbed. And yet, he was more interested in how the receptor worked than the result itself. ''These runes... they truly can absorb a lot of Magic Energy. Perhaps I can use them somehow.''


    "Alright," Joflal finished his explanation. "You can go back to the airships. They will land you near the start of your patrol routes. It goes without saying that the higher your level as Maguses or Familiars, the harsher will be the environment you will be left in. Do your best... and try to not die.


    It is annoying to fill the reports of dead bodies and dealing with idiot parents."


    The various groups were quickly sent back to the airships. The only reason they were even required to enter the Sky Island was basically an advertisement. The army wanted to appeal their power so that some of the students would consider joining them in the future. Unless the country was really at war, a Magus wasn''t obligated to join the army.


    Linfel landed with Alvin and Felia a few minutes later on the east side of the border. All the maguses and familiars of similar age, independent of their rank, were also left in the same place.


    "So you are here," a soldier approached the group, followed by another four companions using the same country army uniform. "I''m Tarert, your leader for this excursion. With my companions here, we will be your guides in the terrain ahead. Make sure you stay close. If you find yourself lost, just use your MCOMs to ask for help.


    Just be aware you won''t be able to continue the exam from there onwards, and your results will be computed. Now, let''s go."


    ---


    Among the group, there were around 200 Maguses, all between the ages of 14 to 16, including Alvin. This was just one of the many groups for this age range, with others dispatched to different locations. Naturally, there were also groups of different ages sent to even more distant places.


    Alvin looked around, trying to see if he was lucky enough to be put together with Milia. But, to his sadness, she was nowhere to be seen. ''Well, I haven''t seen her since the start of the exam anyway. Perhaps she isn''t even taking part in this one.''


    "Alvin!" Yet, there was someone he knew there.


    Alvin looked behind, and his disappointment only increased. "Oh... it''s just Connor..."


    Connor''s mouth twitched. "What the hell do you mean it is ''just'' me? Are you mocking me?" However, he quickly looked around and understood. "Right, Milia isn''t here. Then I have no use for you. Good luck."


    *Bang!*


    Alvin immediately kicked Connor''s back. "Fuck you! I''m not here to be your excuse to talk to Milia."


    Connor rubbed his back as he laughed. "Hahaha! I''m joking, I''m joking." He turned back and put his arm around Alvin''s shoulder. "So, how about we go together?"


    Alvin nodded. "You are not Milia, but I guess you will do."


    Linfel and Felia joined Tratil and shrugged. Even Linfel had already understood those two''s friendship.


    Tarert ahead prepared his things and put them in a backpack. "Alright, follow me. The region we are going through is called the Gosisbin Forest Mountain Range. It has many elevations, and physical preparation is a must. Just one thing. I''m not stopping for any of you.


    Anything that happens on the way, you will have to deal with it on your own. Now, let''s go."


    And so... the guy began to run!


    Everyone was taken aback for a second but quickly followed. They are Maguses and Familiars. It would be ridiculous if they couldn''t run for a while... or so they thought.


    Thirty minutes later...


    *Gasp, gasp, gasp...*


    Everyone was already gasping for air, with some on the verge of collapsing. Normally, such a jog wouldn''t tire them. They could simply circulate their Magic Energy and continue for hours. However...


    Alvin, who was just as tired, looked at his Receptor. It was still full of Magic Energy. However, it constantly disappeared, so he was forced to inject more and more. By now, he couldn''t spare his Magic Energy for his running anymore. Otherwise, the receptor would go dry, and the point score would stop. No, instead, it would start going down.


    He glanced behind him and saw that Felia didn''t look much better. The ethereal energy of her humanoid form was pretty much gone. She looked more like a simple core floating while following Alvin. The same could be said for Tratil, Connor''s Familiar. He was just as dry.


    However, Alvin''s mouth twitched a little when he looked at Connor. "You fucker! You are using your Magic Energy to run."


    "Hahaha!" Connor nodded. "I get tired easily, so I can only do that." He then showed his receptor, which was now completely dry. "Too bad I''m losing points." Yes, Connor already gave up. No, he gave up in the very first minute!


    "How do you expect to pass the exam this way?" Alvin narrowed his eyes. Connor might be lazy, but he definitely wasn''t an idiot.


    Yet, it was Linfel who answered. "You are betting the Receptor Score can''t go lower than zero, right?"


    Connor''s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded. "Linfel, you are truly a smart Familiar."


    Linfel smiled, looking at Alvin, Tratil, and Felia''s confusion. "It is a gamble. Can the score go negative? No one asked. If the minimal score you can have is zero, then Connor might be in for a not-too-bad result. He absolutely won''t be anywhere near the best students in this exam, but he won''t be at the bottom either."


    "I see..." Alvin knew where Linfel was coming from. "He will keep his Magic Energy Reserves until the very end, and in the last hour or so, he will finally fill the Receptor. When the exam time is over, he will have a good result, even if it is far from the top."


    Connor nodded. "Am I or Am I not a genius? Hahaha!"


    Linfel shrugged. "That we don''t know. As I said, no one knows if the Scores can go negative. I find it hard to believe the Academy would leave such a simple flaw behind in this exam. But then again, if such a thing wasn''t possible, they would have told us in advance. You might say the Academy wants to see who can think out of the box with this method.


    So... a Gamble. It might work, it might not."


    Alvin continued to run and gasp as he looked at his Receptor. "I guess I will-"


    "Obviously, you will follow the intended routine," Linfel immediately stopped Alvin''s words. "What would Milia think if she heard you decided to take such a lazy path. I can already picture the disappointment on her face. Truly regretful..."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Don''t you ever get tired of blackmailing people?"


    "Nope!" Linfel answered without a care.


    It was then that he pointed at Linfel. "Fuck you! Look at your body! You are still brimming with Magic Energy! You are doing the exact same thing as Connor!"


    Felia, Connor, and Trail all agreed. It didn''t seem like Linfel was using any Magic Energy at all.


    "Don''t put me in the same category as Connor, alright? Look!" Linfel quickly took the receptor strapped to his core and showed his group. There, a Receptor full of Magic Energy could be seen.


    "This..." They looked at that and then at Linfel. "How can you still be so full of energy?"


    "It''s all about Absorbing and Injecting Magic Energy into the Receptor, right? I''m more confused about why you guys can''t do such a simple task," Linfel shrugged his shoulder as he strapped the receptor back to his core.


    "Alvin," Connor looked over. "Just what the hell did you do to create this freak?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled. He felt like he had heard this question more times than his own name by now.

 Chapter 49: Boromes

    Alvin looked at Linfel again. This area was almost devoid of Magic Energy, and they couldn''t use Magic Stones either. So, even if Linfle was good at absorbing Magic Energy, where was he getting all the energy from?


    Suddenly, Linfel''s voice echoed in his ear with Magic Energy, making sure Alvin was the only one listening. ''Pay very close attention to me and try to feel the Magic Energy in the surroundings. It should be fairly easy to understand.''


    Alvin was taken aback and closed his eyes for a moment. It was hard to concentrate since they were still in a constant run. However, Alvin made an effort and followed Linfel''s instructions. Finally, he was able to barely notice that there was kind of a vortex around Linfel''s body. It was pretty much invisible. If you didn''t focus your all, you definitely wouldn''t see it.


    Nonetheless, it was definitely there. ''This... what is happening to you?''


    Linfel faintly smiled. ''Nothing. This is how wisps usually survive. We absorb the surroundings'' Energy to stay alive. Over so many years, we obviously evolved to be good at it. We are pretty much beings of energy to start with.


    Now that I got used to Magic Energy, it is only natural that my core is a lot better at absorbing it. You could say that this is basically me going back to my real self.''


    Alvin returned his attention to the route while speaking. ''You mentioned that your Wisp Race was the weakest back in your time. Was that really true? Everything you do is so overpowered...''


    ''It''s not a lie,'' Linfel explained. ''The point is that Magic Energy is too gentle, a perfect fit for my race. If the other races from the past suddenly appeared here now, I reckon they would suffer to no end. They had strong bodies adapted to primordial energy, and they definitely would be able to change their cores like I did to use Magic Energy. I just wish I had other wisps to compare myself...''


    ''Even so-'' Alvin was about to continue to talk. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, Linfel''s expression changed as he warned him. ''Magic Beasts ahead!''


    As mentioned before, they are in a mountainous forest. There are many different places one could hide in the middle of the vegetation and the varios elevations, rocks, etc. Alvin looked ahead and saw that Tarert and the other guides didn''t change at all. They were still running ahead as if nothing was happening. ''Are you su-''


    *Ploft!*


    Out of nowhere, a rock broke apart near one of the Maguses, and a horn as hard as steel came piercing in the guy''s direction. A Green Magic Beast that looked like a huge Gerine with legs appeared from behind the crumbled rock, taking everyone by surprise... except the guides.


    *Pft...*


    The magus tried to react, but his shoulder was immediately pierced, and a giant hole appeared.


    *Arrrrgh!*


    The Magic Beast opened its mouth, showing enormous teeth and bit into the guy''s arm.


    The Magus used all his magic Energy to defend... or so he tried. However, to keep up with the soldier guides until now, he had been using almost all his Magic Energy. He was pretty much dry already. The Magic Beast closed its mouth, and an arm was pulled off before the Magic Beast jumped back to chew it.


    There was no time to cry, though. The magus instantly took that chance to run away from the beast and activated his MCOM. According to the guides, as long as they use the MCOM, they can ask for help. It was then that a ray of yellow light came down from the sky. It was exactly the same ray of light that rescued Linfel and Lucau back in the ocean when the rescuing aircraft appeared.


    In a second, the guy was dragged up to the skies and disappeared.


    *Ploft, ploft, ploft...*


    Other rocks and even trees were broken, and more of those Magic Beasts pounced at the Maguses and Familiars. Screams filled the air, and more blood fell. And yet... the soldier guides ahead only glanced behind and continued to run. They absolutely ignored everything happening behind them.


    *Swish!*


    *Splash!*


    A Wind Blade came hurtling in the direction of one of the Magic Beasts, opening an enormous cut that almost divided the beast in two. That beast had made the mistake of targeting Linfel, the one individual in that place who definitely didn''t lack Magic Energy to defend himself. "They indeed adapted to the lack of Magic ENergy of the environment.


    Unfortunately, it can''t make up for the gap of strength against those who have Magic Energy to use."


    Alvin and Linfel connected on his side, and Alvin''s fist changed into an earth spear that pierced another Magic Beast from below. With Linfel''s warning, Alvin was obviously ready. Many of those Magic Beasts appeared, and he was targeted by one. However, he did indeed gain a lot of experience from the last Field Exam, so he reacted well to the attack instead of panicking.


    The Magic Beast fell in front of Alvin as he gasped for air. "They are Boromes, a predator Magic Beast that acts in groups. They use the green of their bodies to camouflage and are specialists in ambush. We are truly without luck."


    Linfel continued to run ahead. "Why are you wasting time there? You killed yours already, right? Hurry, the guides are still on the run."


    Alvin went pale for a moment and looked to the guides. Indeed, they were almost out of his vision. Many Familiars and Maguses followed them closely, although they were all gasping for air, just like himself. "Shit!"


    Alvin and Felia quickly canceled their Master Familiar Connection and increased the pace, reaching the back of the group. They looked behind for a moment and saw several yellow rays of light that caught many of the Familiars and Maguses. At the same time, the bodies of several Boromes could be seen on the ground. Boromes were ambushers, but they weren''t exactly strong.


    It''s just that the participants in this patrol were truly in bad shape due to the lack of Magic Energy. In the end, only one Familiar died, having its core destroyed. The others who were injured were brought away, and the attack was over. The Boromes didn''t try to pursue them either.


    Seeing the Boromes were left behind, Linfel used his MCOM without anyone noticing except Alvin. "Alright, this should be enough."


    "What are you doing?" Alvin asked Linfel while running. His breath seemed to slowly stabilize without him perceiving it.


    Linfel smiled at him and didn''t answer. Instead, he asked something else. "You seem quite fine, don''t you?"


    Alvin was taken aback for a moment and checked himself. He was definitely tired, and his Magic Energy reserves weren''t all that great at the moment. Yet, he was quite surprised with his own calmness even though the events just now were dangerous. "I think... I am?"


    Felia was happy for Alvin. "Master, you are getting used to it. That is great news!"


    Linfel nodded. "She is right. Anyway, you should take your MCOM and write a report to send back to the Sky Island."


    "A... report?" Alvin got confused.


    Linfel smiled. "Did you forget what we are doing in this field exam? We are patrolling the borders while testing our Magic Energy endurance. If we don''t report the events in this place, would it even be considered a patrol? Alvin, you should pay more attention." Linfel then put his MCOM back into his Spatial Storage without anyone noticing again.


    Alvin felt a chill on his back and immediately took his MCOM. There was a new option there where one could ask for help. Simply put, you could send a voice message, and that''s what those who were rescued used to escape. Alvin knew about this one. Well, he was still somewhat skeptical, but he decided to send a message anyway. "Ahem...


    A mob of Boromes has been found around 50 kilometers into the patrolling route." Alvin then pressed send, and the message was gone.


    *Plin.*


    A few seconds later, a message in plain text arrived in his MCOM.


    -Report received. Continue with the mission.-


    "It''s true..." Alvin was surprised and quickly spoke. "Thank you, Linfel."


    "It''s fine." Linfel shook his head. He then paid attention to the Magic Energy inside Alvin. "By the way, seems like the effects are finally showing up."


    "What eff-" Alvin was about to ask when someone touched his shoulder.


    "Alvin, how could you be so cold? Weren''t you worried about me?" It was Connor, showing a sad expression while Tratil followed him closely.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "You aren''t using a single iota of Magic Energy. What kind of danger this attack of Boromes could possibly pose to you? Do you think I didn''t see it? You immediately used your Magic Energy and ran away from the battlefield. You were the one to ignore me!"


    "I didn''t run," Connor explained. "I made a strategical retreat. Besides, with Linfel there, was it really dangerous to you?"


    Alvin wanted to retort, but he knew Connor was right. Linfel''s senses made it almost impossible for them to be caught by surprise by the Magic Beasts. he would feel their Magic Energy ahead of time, especially in a place like this where Magic Energy is so thin. The Magic Beasts probably look like beacons in Linfel''s senses. "Fine, I''ll let that go."


    Connor laughed. "Hahaha! That''s my brother."


    Tratil, on the other hand, felt embarrassed. "Master, is it really okay?"


    "We are scouts, aren''t we?" Connor shrugged without a care. "Staying alive during the patrol is our main priority. I''m only following the rules."


    Linfel agreed with Connor. "He is right. His actions make everyone look at him like he is shit, but he is still right."


    "That was... an unnecessary comment, no?" Connor felt helpless.


    Alvin definitely agreed, though. "I see... So, Shit- I mean, Connor, keep up the shit- I mean, keep up the good job."


    "Hmph! You are just jealous of my strategy." Connor spoke back... seeming to try to convince himself at the same time. "Anyway, I''m going a bit ahead. I don''t want to risk losing the guides out of my sight." And so, he dashed to the front.


    Alvin and Felia took that chance and asked Linfel. "So... what effects were you talking about?"


    "Look around. The answer should be obvious," Linfel didn''t explain.


    The two began to observe the other Maguses and Familiars in their group. Most of them had already stopped filling the Receptors with Magic Energy. It''s not like they wanted to do it, but they had reasons to do so. First, the previous attack left them scared, and they wanted to at least have some Magic Energy to defend themselves.


    The other reason is that they simply couldn''t keep up with the Magic Energy expenditure even if there were no dangers around.


    However, Alvin and Linfel hadn''t reached that point yet. They had used quite a lot of Magic Energy, and even more so during the attack of the Boromes. Nonetheless, they quickly noticed that their reserves were starting to stabilize. They were doing it while the Receptors in their possession continued full of Magic Energy. "We... aren''t losing to the students from Rank A and B classes at all...


    How?"


    Linfel was happy they noticed. "Clean Magic Energy. You have been training with me, absorbing almost spotless Red Magic Energy until now. So far, you were forced to train with those Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, which are obviously very impure. After you changed to our cooperative method, the impurities in your channels and meridians are being washed away."


    Linfel pointed at Alvin and Felia. "You might not notice this, but I do. Your Magic Energy Channels and Meridians are not as dirty as they were when we first met. They get cleaner and cleaner with each day you train with me."


    Right after, he looked at the high-ranked students. "Most of them came from prestigious backgrounds and had access to great resources and equipment, so they also have cleaner Magic Energy Channels and Meridians. It is only natural that you are catching up to them now. In fact, you will eventually surpass them in this regard since they don''t have me to help.


    In a place like this, your channels and meridians make the whole difference. With a cleaner path, the wider they are. You can take in more Magic Energy from the surroundings at once. Keep it up, and you should achieve a great result by the end of the Field Exam."


    Felia and Alvin were surprised. It was hard to believe, but the proof was in front of them. "Alright!"


    Linfel then warned the two. "By the way... I won''t warn you regarding Magic Beasts anymore."

 Chapter 50: Get Up!

    "What?!" Alvin almost tripped after hearing that. "Why?!"


    Linfel shrugged. "It should be pretty obvious. In a real situation, do you think there will always be someone out there to tell you ahead of time when danger is coming? Don''t be ridiculous."


    Linfel''s memories went to the past when Horan was training him. Back then, Horan used some special runes to seal Linfel''s Magic Energy perception before mercilessly throwing him into Primordial Beast territories and telling him to survive for days. Linfel still remembers how he got close to becoming some beast''s meal several times.


    There were even instances where he had to survive against real Wisp Hunters.


    However, it did pay off. Linfel learned to react to the various situations. There were plenty of methods back then for experts to hide their Primordial Energy from others'' senses, and it also included Primordial Beasts. Horan gave him all the tools to achieve that, and Linfel made good use of them. Now, it was time to let Alvin experience it for himself. "Look at everyone else around.


    Quite a few of them had to fight the Boromes a while ago. Yet, none of them had me. You will simply be put in an equal field. Nothing more, nothing less."


    Alvin wanted to retort, but Felia on his side was excited. "We get it, Linfel! Master will show you he is definitely prepared." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin wanted to cry. He didn''t feel prepared at all. "R-Right! I will do it!"


    They continued to run, and more students began to stop filling the Receptors with Magic Energy to recover their reserves, which obviously took quite a lot of time due to the scarce magic Energy in the environment.


    Suddenly, the guides changed direction again, running into a much denser vegetation path in the mountainous forest. The Maguses and Familiars close to them asked the reason, but they simply said they were following the pre-determined route and nothing else.


    Linfel''s group obviously followed closely behind. However, Alvin grew more tense. With this dense vegetation, it became hard to see the surroundings. Naturally, it also made it hard to spot any Magic Beast lying in ambush.


    It was then that Linfel left Alvin and Felia''s side, floating all the way to the front near the guides. Alvin and Felia were taken aback and decided to follow. Even if Linfel wasn''t going to warn them about Magic Beasts, he could at least help if things got too dangerous.


    *Zash!*


    However, it was right at that moment that a shadow fell like a rock from the top of the trees. The shadow then opened its arms before slashing its claws downwards against an unsuspecting Magus.


    "Careful! Above!" Alvin noticed the sudden change and immediately warned the guy ahead.


    Instantly, everyone looked up and saw many other shadows falling in their direction. Yet, the one who should have paid more attention was Alvin himself.


    *Slash!*


    *Arghhh!*


    "Master!" Felia was terrified when she saw that. The moment Alvin warned the maguses and Familiars ahead, his attention was taken for a moment. That was all that was necessary for one of the creatures to fall behind him and cut his back.


    Felia quickly gathered her Magic Energy and used it to create a barrier of earth between Alvin and the Magic Beast. It was the same one Alvin used, but a lot smaller and weaker. After all, Felia and Alvin weren''t using Master Familiar Connection.


    "It''s the Red Clawed Monkeys! Be careful! They aren''t physically strong, but they are very agile!" One of the Magus shouted to the whole group, having recognized the Magic Beasts straight away.


    *Bang!*


    Yet, even though it wasn''t physically strong, it still broke Felia''s Earth Wall with a single kick. It wasn''t that it was an abnormal Red Clawed Monkey, but because Felia didn''t have that much Magic Energy to spare!


    Alvin and Felia managed to balance their Magic Energy replenishment against the Receptor''s Magic Energy absorption. However, they truly only just barely achieved that balance. They weren''t able to recover Magic Energy while keeping the receptor full yet. That would take time. Thus, Felia''s Earth Wall was pretty weak.


    The Monkey couldn''t care less about Felia and immediately aimed its claw against Alvin''s head. Alvin quickly turned around to face the Monkey, using the time bought from Felia''s Earth Wall to compose himself. Felia and Alvin connected straight away, only having enough time to defend from the next attack.


    *Shash! Slash!*


    The Monkey''s two clawed arms came cutting down mercilessly. Alvin and Felia haven''t had time to fully complete their Magic Energy merging, though. Alvin desperately tried to create a shield of earth in front of his arms to fend off the attack, but it was hit before it could take a meaningful shape.


    *Arghh!*


    This time, both his arms were hit, and blood flowed. It didn''t end there, though.


    *Bang!*


    The Monkeys were indeed very agile. Alvin''s opponent spun its body, using the G force of its previous attack to rotate fast and kick Alvin in the belly. Alvin coughed out blood and was sent flying, kicking a few times on the ground. Alvin quickly tried to get up, and it was then that he saw Linfel in the distance. Linfel was looking at him, showing absolutely no trace of wanting to help.


    It was at this moment that Linfel''s words reached his mind. ''Get up! If you go down, then get up again! Can your arms move? Then you can fight! Can your legs move?


    Then you can fight! Are you breathing? Then you can fight! There will be moments when you can only rely on yourself. Moments where no one will be there to save your ass. Grit your teeth, swallow the pain, look at your enemy, think about your next move, get up, and fight!'' Again, Linfel was using that strange communication method that Alvin couldn''t understand.


    That message''s full content reached his mind in a split second, and yet it was as if he had all the time in the world to hear and understand it. Somehow, it lit up a fire in Alvin''s heart. He truly gritted his teeth and got up just as the Monkey came crashing down on him.


    Alvin''s Magic Energy merged with Felia''s completely, and his fist turned into two colored spear tips of earth. Alvin didn''t notice at that moment, but he had never created such a hard Earth Element form before. Alvin''s Earth Spear Fists soared against the Monkey''s two Red Clawed Arms, clashing against it other.


    *Splat!*


    The two Earth Speartips broke through the Monkey''s claws, passing through its arm and piercing its chest. Blood flew everywhere, and Alvin was covered in it. Nonetheless, the Red-Clawed Monkey died. It was Alvin''s victory.


    *shshsh...*


    However, right at that moment, another Red-Clawed Moneky appeared on his back. Its claws went straight to his lungs, giving Alvin no time to think. And yet, Alvin was in a state of awakening. He could feel his surroundings clearly. It wasn''t at Linfel''s level, but it was definitely there.


    The body of the dead Red-Clawed Monkey was still in Alvin''s arms, pierced by the Earth Fists. Alvin instinctively rotated his body, pulling the dead body down and in between him and the other monkey. The claws of the monkey pierced its dead companion instead.


    Alvin kicked the dead body forward while it was still pierced by the other monkey. The two fell backward, giving Alvin a chance to pounce. The Monkey immediately tried to push its dead companion''s body away, but just as he was about to do it, two Earth Spear Tips passed through the dead body, hitting the Monkey behind it. Even more blood flowed as the second Monkey screamed.


    Because of the dead body, most of the attack power of Alvin''s last attack was absorbed by it. That said, the other Monkey behind the dead body was seriously injured but not dead yet. It struggled with all its might while Alvin used all his strength to push his arms down.


    "Felia, give me everything!" Alvin shouted.


    "Yes, Master!" Felia immediately let go of all her Magic Energy, the little bit that she still had.


    That was the last push necessary that finally pierced the second Monkey''s body completely. Now, both were dead.


    Alvin noticed the struggle ended and tried to get up. Unfortunately, he truly completely exerted himself just now. He was very injured, and his Magic Energy was pretty much depleted. He couldn''t even pull his arm out of the dead bodies of the Monkeys anymore.


    *Criiiii!*


    And yet, nature was cruel. Another Monkey came screaming from the sides. Alvin only had the time to see that, but he truly couldn''t move anymore. But he didn''t give up. To the very last moment, he tried to move and at least dodge the attack.


    The Monkey''s claws came straight from Alvin''s head and were right in front of his eyes.


    *Swish!*


    And yet, the piercing pain Alvin was expecting didn''t happen. He only had the time to see the Monkey''s claws suddenly detaching from its body and even more blood raining on his face.


    *Swish, swish, swish...*


    The Monkey''s body was then slashed in several parts and fell to the ground. It couldn''t be any more dead.


    "Not bad, not bad at all!" Said a voice coming from the side.


    *Tud!*


    Following that, another Red-Clawed Monkey body fell nearby as a certain Familiar appeared near Alvin. Well, it wasn''t really a Familiar, but a Wisp instead. Naturally, it was Linfel. "For a moment, I thought I would need to intervene to save you from the second Monkey. But lo and behold, you didn''t give up and even managed to kill it."


    Alvin relaxed as his connection with Felia ended. He couldn''t help but bitter smile. "Were you planning to help me from the start?"


    "For the second Monkey? Yes. For the first? No," Linfel answered. "If you couldn''t deal even with a single Monkey, then what''s the point of being a Magus? I would let you go.


    Looking at you reminds me of myself. Horan truly didn''t hold back when he trained me back then. Those were truly some hellish years..."


    "I could have died, you know?" Alvin sighed while he held Felia''s Core. She had truly used all her Magic Energy and would need some time to recover her ethereal form, let alone float on her own.


    "Perhaps," Linfel nodded and then pointed to the surroundings. "And so could them."


    The attack just now was truly quite brutal. There were many Maguses, even more injured than Alvin himself. Quite a few Familiars were on the ground in a similar state to Felia, just the core and no Magic Energy fluctuations.


    Several rays of Yellow Light came from the sky and began to take away those maguses and Familiars. Surprisingly, though, there were no dead in their group. In the end, the Red-Clawed Monkeys were indeed quite physically weak. If not for the huge lack of Magic Energy in everyone''s bodies, the attack wouldn''t have reached such a conclusion.


    A few seconds later, the five guides shouted to everyone. "The patrol will continue. Follow us." And sure enough, they immediately resumed their running.


    Let alone Alvin, the other Maguses and Familars that were in the area felt helpless. By now, they all understood. Those guides were purposely guiding them into the Magic Beast Territories. This Endurance Test has truly been pushed to the extreme.


    "I guess I will use my MCOM and retire from this exam," Alvin sighed, finally managing to get away from the dead Monkeys'' bodies.


    *Shua!*


    *Arrrghhh!*


    Yet, he was suddenly hit by a huge ball of water, which made the injuries on his back and arms even more painful. It was Linfel, who used his Magic Energy to summon the surrounding water elements and throw it at Alvin. "What are you talking about? You can get healed later. Get up, and let''s continue. Oh, don''t forget to send in the report and keep your Magic Energy Receptor full."


    Alvin wanted to cry. "Impossible! I am in no state to keep running. I''m completely out of Magic Energy as well. It would be much better to finish the exam here and compute the points I have."


    "Tch..." Connor suddenly appeared and grabbed Alvin, putting him on his back. "Am I not the best brother ever?"


    Alvin was surprised. "You... Brother, you came for me?!"


    "Hahaha! But of course!" Connor laughed in response.


    "And I made a deal with Connor to keep him safe if things turned for worse," Linfel added.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched as he looked at Connor. "What was this thing about being a brother?"


    "What is in your heart is what matters," Connor spoke with a deep tone and serious expression.


    "Your ass!" Alvin wanted to kick the guy but had no strength to do so. Connor totally would have left if not for the deal with Linfel.


    Linfel began to float ahead. "Don''t worry, I still made him fight one of the Monkeys. It''s just that I warned him about it before hand. That should suffice as training for him. Alright, stop wasting your energy. Use the next minute to recover a little of Magic Energy.


    After that, start to fill the Magic Energy Receptor again. The Magic Energy Receptor doesn''t get dry straight away, so if you start to fill it in the next few minutes, the negative points won''t start to count."


    And so, Alvin, Connor, Felia, Tratil, and Linfel continued their journey. Of course, they did not forget to report the happenings again.

 Chapter 51: Meteor

    "I''m still injured, you know?" Alvin couldn''t help but complain as he focused on recovering his energy.


    Linfel ignored Alvin''s complaint as they continued to run after the guides. By now, this group of Maguses and Familiars had decreased by a lot. Only around 30% of the initial participants were still following the guides. The rest were dragged away after asking for help in their MCOMs.


    If one looked around, one would notice that only Rank A and B class students were still following the guides. Of course, there were some exceptions like Linfel''s group. Other ones were Maguses from Rank E and two from Rank D Classes that got lucky so far. As for Rank C, like Alvin''s, there were three more remaining.


    A few minutes later, Felia''s core reactivated, and she began to float again. Her ethereal body took form, although it was very faint. That showed just how little Magic Energy she was able to gather. "Master..."


    Alvin grabbed her core back and spoke. "Don''t waste your magic Energy in your form or floating. I''ll carry you for a while, so just recover."


    Connor glanced at his back. "I''m the one carrying you, which means I''m carrying both of you, you know?"


    "You have no right to complain, idiot." Connor cursed.


    Perhaps it was because the last battle was too intense, but their group hadn''t met with any other Magic Beasts for the next entire hour. In Linfel''s eyes, the guides definitely knew where to find the Magic Beasts, so it was obvious they were purposely avoiding it.


    In this hour, Alvin managed to stabilize his Magic Energy while keeping the Magic Energy Receptor full nonstop. It was like Linfel mentioned. Alvin began to get used to it, and that allowed him to manage to even recover some of his Magic Energy while it was absorbed by the Receptor.


    The same could be said for Felia, although she followed Alvin''s orders and kept herself in her core mode only during this entire duration. That helped her to recover a little bit more Magic Energy than Alvin.


    The two of them used their Master Familiar Connection once every few minutes just to share their reserves of Magic Energy equally. Linfel could share his Magic Energy, which was plenty. However, he refused to do so, saying that this would impact the meaning of this Field Exam.


    Of course, the guides wouldn''t avoid the Magic Beasts forever. After running for an hour, they changed direction again. By now, everyone put their guard even higher. No one there was an idiot. They knew that they would soon be dragged into some Magic Beasts'' Territory by the guides, but they had to follow them, or their exam would be over.


    *Tud!*


    *Ouch!*


    Suddenly, Connor let Alvin''s body go, causing him to fall on the ground. "Hey! Couldn''t you warn me? My injuries will open again for fucks sake."


    Connor shrugged. "Linfel said that I only needed to carry you for one hour, and one hour has gone by. The fact you fell so easily just shows how you still have your guard down."


    Tratil sighed on the side. "Master, you just wanted to cause him some pain, didn''t you?"


    "That too." Connor nodded.


    "I truly don''t know why we are still together..." Alvin couldn''t help but comment.


    "Isn''t that because you love me?" Connor asked back with a cheap smile.


    "Of course!" Alvin nodded and pointed to the side while still running. "I love you as much as that stone in the mud over there."


    Yet, just as Alvin was about to take his eyes away from the mud, he saw it moving slightly. He rubbed his for a moment and paid more attention. Without anyone else noticing, it began to rise, giving him the creeps. He checked the surroundings, and he could see similar puddles of mud just like like this one. They blended perfectly with the environment, so no one paid much attention to them.


    "Careful! There is something strange with the mud!" Alvin didn''t take his chances. He immediately shouted to warn all the Maguses and Familiars, who stopped in their tracks and prepared for an attack.


    Sure enough, the various puddles of mud exploded, sending wet dirt everywhere. From inside, Magic Beasts, similar to giant worms but with teeth, jumped out, attacking the group.


    "Well done!" A Magus from Rank B class immediately complimented Alvin as he connected to his Familiar. Water Element gathered and froze, creating several frozen needles that the guy shot in the Magic Beasts'' direction.


    Similar actions happened all around as the Maguses and Familiars took down tens of Magic Beasts similar to that. Alvin and Connor weren''t any slower. They also took one each. Last but not least, Linfel got rid of three that were close by. Well, he didn''t need to deal with the three.


    It''s just that one of them was close to Connor, and Linfel promised to protect him, so he got rid of that one as well, leaving Connor to fight just a single one.


    Connor easily dealt with his Magic Beast since he was full of Magic Energy. As for Alvin, his injuries definitely made him somewhat sluggish. But because he perceived the attack ahead of time, he managed to deal with his own Magic Beast with Felia''s help.


    The guides completely trashed a few of the worms that were idiot enough to attack them as they looked back. If not for Alvin''s warning, things would have been more interesting. But then again, paying attention to one''s surroundings was part of this Field Exam, so they didn''t say anything. "Let''s go."


    Since everyone dealt with the Worm without any issues, the guides instantly continued to run.


    Alvin bitterly smiled. The Guides truly didn''t care about everyone''s exhaustion.


    "Hey, brother, nice call." A Magus called Soigan patted Alvin before running ahead.


    Others also complimented him, making Alvin feel a little embarrassed. "It was just lucky..." He wasn''t lying. It was truly luck that he looked in the right direction at the right time.


    Linfel smiled, though. "Remember, luck is also part of one''s strength. Let''s continue." He also whispered in Alvin and Connor''s ears. ''And don''t forget the report.''


    These kinds of events happened every hour or so. And yet, Alvin and Felia got more and more used to it. Linfel was just leisurely following the group since he was always full of Magic Energy. In an area with almost no Magic Energy, a being like him truly had a huge advantage. The Magic Beasts might have adapted to the land, but that adaptation still couldn''t make up for the lack of Magic Energy there.


    As the exam neared its end, seven of the eight hours had elapsed, and the group had dwindled to a mere nineteen Maguses and Familiars. Only a fraction, roughly 10%, had managed to endure this far. The signs of exhaustion were evident in everyone, particularly the Maguses.


    The survivors, those who had managed to balance their expenditure and absorption, were able to recover some Magic Energy. This allowed them to continue battling and running. However, their bodies were reaching their limits. The Magic Energy, while a boon, was also a burden, pushing their flesh and bones to their breaking point.


    Alvin, who had been injured in the second ambush, was even more so. Connor had to carry him another two times after the battles. Well, Linfel made sure Alvin was always on his wits'' end during every attack. Linfel never intervened, and Alvin usually fought more than one Magic Beast at once with his little reserves of Magic Energy. Alvin was actually doing an incredible job so far.


    It was then that they all reached the top of a mountain where a huge metallic platform could be seen. The guides brought everyone over it and stopped, looking into the distance. Tarert turned around, looking at the Maguses and Familiars that made it this far.


    "Well, I have to admit I''m impressed. The routes we used were selected to make sure that almost no one, or perhaps no one at all, would reach the end. But look at you, nineteen Maguses and Familiars. What is most impressive is that we have a Rank E Magus and a Familiar with you."


    Connor scratched the back of his head. He only got this far because of his secret plan to not use any magic energy in the receptors. Only Linfel, Alvin, and the Familiars knew about it. Besides, Linfel never allowed more than one Magic Beast to attack him at once. Naturally, he did get to this place quite easily.


    The amazing part was that Linfel made it look like Connor was truly just lucky to never have to fight more than one Magic Beast at the same time.


    Someone quickly took the opportunity to ask. "Sir, is this the end of the exam, then?"


    "Pretty much," Tarert nodded. "Of course, we got here quite early, too. There is still another hour before the exam is over, so make sure you keep your Magic Energy Receptors full. Don''t blame me if you lose points for leaving them dry."


    Everyone immediately crumbled on the platform. It gave quite a good view of the surroundings, so it would be hard to be ambushed in such a place. Some straight up lie down completely, and others sit with their backs to the guardrails. Alvin... he simply fell with his face to the ground, ignoring everything. "Heaven is calling me. I can see th


    Connor''s eyes lit up. "Are there sexy angels?! Can you see sexy angels?!"


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "Just an old man with a big white beard. He looks very gentle... Is he... god?"


    "Meh! I''ve never believed such things anyway." Connor lost his interest.


    "Is there such a thing?" And yet, the clueless Linfel definitely felt interested. "Where is him? I can''t see him."


    "Hahaha! Ouch!" Alvin laughed out loud, but his injuries immediately hurt with the outburst.


    Connor laughed as well. He then sat on the ground and began to fill his Magic Energy Receptor. The plan was to fill the Magic Receptor near the end of the exam anyway. He still didn''t know if the score could go negative. If it could, then he definitely would have the lowest score on the exam.


    But if the lowest score was zero, then he could make some points during the next hour. He wouldn''t be anywhere near first, but he definitely would get quite a decent result.


    Linfel felt betrayed to hear that Alvin was just making up things. However, he didn''t take it seriously and took the chance to warn Alvin and Connor. "Don''t forget the report. Take a good look around and send a message regarding the situation in our destination."


    Alvin and Connor quickly nodded and did as Linfel told.


    Tarert and the other guides smiled and sat near the end of the platform, talking to each other and laughing. Tarert was a Level Three Magus, while his companions were all level two. They had patrolled these areas countless times, so they were used to it already.


    Everything seemed fine, and the eight hours quickly ran out. As soon as that happened, all the magic Energy Receptors stopped working, and everyone''s MCOMs received a message.


    -The Field Exam is now over. Your results will be computed if you are still in the field. Everyone will be lifted back to base.-


    Linfel''s group and all the other participants sighed in relief. It was good they didn''t encounter anything else until the end. They all sent messages through their MCOMs, asking to be sent back to Sky Island like the participants who fell in the battles prior did.


    Tarert did the same thing with his companions. Now that they carried their duty, they were definitely going to receive a bonus of Universal Credits later.


    But... S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *...*


    Nothing happened. The surroundings were silent. No rays of Yellow Light appeared to bring anyone back to Sky Island.


    "Hum?" Tarert narrowed his eyes and tried to send a Message with his MCOM again. "Could it be there are no Rescuing Airships nearby to fetch us?"


    "That can''t be, right?" His friend, a guy called Futei, spoke. "The Academy and the Army prepared plenty of Airships. It''s just that they are concealed up in the skies. You saw how all the maguses and familiars that fell on the way here were pulled up, didn''t you?"


    Suddenly, a back spot appeared in the skies, revealing an Airship. It was the same type as the ones that brought the students to the Field Exam. "Oh, there it is," Tarert smiled as he saw the Airship coming down.


    However... the Airship didn''t stop by. Instead, it passed by them like a meteor. Immediately, everyone noticed the fire and a huge hole in its hull. It left a trace of black smoke behind, soon falling down the mountain.


    *Boom!*


    The airship then exploded in a ball of flames. Whoever was inside it is definitely dead now.


    Linfel approached the guardrail of the platform and looked down with the guides. "The Academy truly knows how to make a Field Exam. So realistic..."


    Tarert''s group almost vomited blood.

 Chapter 52: Coalition

    "Realistic your ass!" Tarert exploded. "Some shit has definitely gone wrong."


    He ignored Linfel after that and looked at the rest of the group. "Everyone, gather around. The Field Exam is over. We are leaving this place ASAP!"


    Linfel went back to Alvin. "So... this was not part of the exam?"


    Alvin didn''t even want to answer that. "Just shut up and listen to the soldiers."


    Tarert didn''t waste time and immediately took the group down the mountain again, quickly returning to the cover of the trees. At the same time, he and his companions tried to use their MCOMs to contact the Sky Island Headquarters. Yet, things didn''t seem to be working. "How''s your MCOMs?"


    "Not working at all," one of Tarert''s companions, a guy called Sian, answered. "The moment the airship came crashing down, the connection was lost."


    "We are being jammed," Tarert spoke. He looked behind and saw that the Maguses and Familiars seemed quite nervous. First, they had spent a lot of their Magic Energy. Many were injured, too. Most of their group definitely wouldn''t recover anytime soon.


    *Zrummmmm!*


    An airship suddenly passed above everyone''s head. That didn''t make Tarert any happier, though. "It''s an Assault V-Wing from Volztain. That should not be flying inside our Heffal''s airspace."


    *Boom, boom, boom...*


    Sounds of explosions came from far in the distance. Tarert immediately jumped on one of the tallest trees around and took a look in the sounds'' direction. There, he could see several more airships both from Volztain and Heffal, shooting at each other. After that, he came down. ''Is Volztain starting a war against us?'' He couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Tarert!" Sian called his attention and pointed at the students. "This is not a good idea."


    Tarert understood. They were moving in a big group, which would only catch more attention. If the army from Volztain was truly invading, they had to move fast and not be seen. The best way was to spread. "Sian, Carlo, Nayli, Zuberg, take four students with you each. I''ll take the last four.


    We will separate here."


    "Yes!" They all accepted the orders. In less than a minute, the groups of Maguses and Familiars were shared equally between the four guides.


    Linfel, Alvin, Felia, Connor, and Tratil were left with Nayali, the only female soldier who was guiding them during this exam. Other than them, there was also one more Magus with his Familiar, a young man called Kafril.


    Tarert saw that the division was made and nodded. "Alright, as you all can see, this is not training. I''m still unaware if this is just a skirmish between Heffal and Volztain, which is quite rare but does happen from time to time, or if this is truly a full-scale invasion. Most likely, it''s the first option. Regardless of which one, the danger of the situation has skyrocketed.


    That''s why we need to go our separate ways here. Stick to your guides, as we all know where the Magic Beasts'' Territories are located. We will try to avoid the worst areas as much as possible. Prioritize your own safety, and if the enemy appears, do not show mercy! They definitely won''t!"


    "Yes, sir!" All the Maguses and Familiars accepted the orders. Nonetheless, the tension was obvious. Until now, all they fought were Magic Beasts. Even those from big backgrounds didn''t have to kill other people. Here, however, they might truly be put against other Maguses where life and death are on the table.


    Tarert didn''t give the students a chance to think much about it. "Good luck to us all. My group, follow me!"


    Nayali wasn''t any slower. "You three and your familiars, we are going in this direction."


    Linfel''s group quickly accepted the orders and followed the woman. In a few seconds, the groups had already disappeared from each other''s sight.


    ---


    Back on the Sky Island, the general in charge, Wunberdi Lotiden, had a terrible expression on his face. "What the hell is this? Why are we being invaded? How come there was no news about it until now?"


    "Sir," a magus in the controlling room spoke. "We can''t contact any of our guides or the students from the academy in that area. They are jamming all signals."


    Wunberdi knew about the Academy Field Exam. It was brought to the north border so that the army could show their appeal for new Maguses and Familiars. However, he didn''t pay much attention to it since he wouldn''t be in charge of anything related to that. It would have been weird if a General like him was sent to guide or talk to the students. "One of the Academies...


    Which one is it?" Heffal had a few Magus Academies in their Majors Cities, after all.


    "Sastasha''s City Academy." An answer quickly arrived.


    Wunberdi thought about it. ''Was it just a coincidence? It has to be. Volztain doesn''t have much to gain by attacking a bunch of students other than our country''s wrath.''


    "Immediately dispatch the first and second Sky Legions. Also, inform the Army down on the ground to send some of their forces. There are students from the academies in the area, so make sure everyone knows to look out for them and bring them to safety. Otherwise, the government will be on our arses. What a fucking time for Volztain to start one of these skirmishes."


    Suddenly, more information arrived. "Report! Sir, we aren''t the only ones. The Steel Wall Army on the West and the Big Deep Army on the South Sea just contacted, saying that they are also under attack. The mortal armies from both sides have also been dispatched."


    *Bang!*


    Wunberdi smashed the armrest of his seat. "What the fuck?! Are they truly invading for real?!"


    "Report!" More information continued appearing. "We have received some news from our spies on the Volztain side. All the Sky Woves Army from Volztain has been mobilized out of nowhere. The mortal armies are also invading with everything that they have. From what we heard, everything was normal until an hour ago.


    Then, the Generals from Volztain came forward and announced the attacks; everything happened in a hurry."


    Wunberdi didn''t grow angrier with that news, though. Instead, his face turned cold, and his experience quicked in. "This is a coalition army. Contact the entire Sky Island and the mortal armies on the ground. Volztain, Porfate, and Xanzion countries are invading. Ignore the students from the academies.


    We have no time to help them anymore."


    ---


    Nayala ran nonstop, making it difficult for Linfel''s group to follow. Fortunately, no one had to care about the Magic Energy Receptors anymore. Otherwise, Alvin and Felia definitely wouldn''t be able to keep up with Nayala''s speed. Not only is she used to the terrain, but she is also a Level Two Magus, after all.


    "Senior Nayala, what about your Familiar?" Connor couldn''t help but ask.


    Nayala reached into her backpack and pulled out a Core. "Here."


    "He is inactive?" Connor got puzzled. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel understood and looked behind. "Felia, Tratil, you two should also deactivate yourselves and let Connor and Alvin carry you."


    "Alright," Felia and Tratil didn''t ask anything and followed Linfel''s orders. Connor and Alvin received their cores, even more confused.


    Nayala nodded, satisfied. "Good job. I would have to ask them to do that if you hadn''t noticed." She then explained to Alvin and Connor. "Patrolling is all about scouting without being noticed. Familiars have their ethereal bodies, which aren''t exactly easy to hide. Only when they are inactive can we keep them hidden, like inside my bag.


    Of course, they are still hearing us, so they can activate and come out at any moment. But for now, keep Felia and Tratil inactive."


    Right after, she was going to ask Linfel to do the same. However, when she looked at him, all she saw was a floating core with an extremely feeble amount of Magic Energy coming from it. "This..."


    Linfel knew what she was going to say. "You don''t need to ask me the same thing. I can keep this state and still follow you all. I should be even harder to notice than the three of you in this state."


    "Since when can Familiars continue working like that?" Nayala couldn''t help but ask.


    "Let''s just say I''m a little special," Linfel answered.


    Connor didn''t even feel surprised anymore. Linfel had always been a weird Familiar. As for Alvin, well, he knew that Linfel wasn''t a Familiar to start with.


    Nayala decided to put those thoughts on the back of her head and just nodded. "Whatever. It is indeed hard to notice you if you keep close to the ground. Just keep following me with Alvin and Connor. Alvin, Connor, stay alert. If anything suspicious happens, immediately call your Familiars out and connect to them."


    "Understood!" Alvin and Connor nodded.


    *Zush, zush, zush...*


    As they ran through the trees of the Magic Beast Forest, more and more airships passed by them in the skies, shooting into the distance. By now, even Nayala had her doubts if this was another one of those skirmishes. When the Volztain sends its troops to attack, they never send that many.


    *Zuuuuu...*


    Suddenly, one of the airships above stopped and came down, landing a few hundred meters from them.


    "Fuck, they noticed us." Connor cursed.


    Nayala wasn''t surprised, though. "Obviously. They have equipment to scan the forest, but we didn''t bring any equipment to hide us from them. Let alone that ship. Most likely, all the airships that passed close to us noticed our presence but simply ignored us due to our small numbers."


    The sound of steps moving through the trees was soon heard even though Nayala''s group hadn''t stopped running for even a moment. In the end, Nayala was holding back since she had to protect Linfel''s group. The pursuers were in tip-top condition, while Alvin and Connor were sore due to the end of the exam earlier.


    "Stop. We will make a stand here," Nayala made her decision while her Familiar activated. Red Magic Energy spread from the core as the little Familiar took form. Obviously, a Level Two Familiar as well. The Familiar connected to Nayala without saying anything, taking the form of a belt and attaching himself to her waist.


    Felia and Tratil naturally activated as well and connected to Alvin and Connor.


    Not long after, ten people appeared from behind the trees, all pointing their weapons at Nayala and the others. However, they didn''t shoot. Instead, a man who seemed to be the leader stepped forward and spoke. "Kids? Why are there kids here? Whatever.


    Surrender now and come with u-"


    "Sir!" Suddenly, one of the soldiers on the side spoke. "Message from the headquarters."


    "Uh?" The man quickly took the message and narrowed his eyes. "Are they serious?"


    The soldier nodded. "Yes. It seems like we are in it for real this time."


    The man sighed while looking at Nayala''s group. "I''m sorry. Fire!"


    Nayala quickly jumped in front of Alvin and Connor. Her Red Magic Energy spread, creating a Barrier that reflected the shoots.


    Alvin and Connor used their Magic Energy to support the barrier with Felia and Tratil as well. At the same time, Alvin whispered with his magic energy so that only Nayala and Connor would hear. ''Senior Nayala, we can hold for a moment.''


    Nayala gritted her teeth and didn''t move. They didn''t know, but those weapons were made to deal with Maguses. She had to go all out to deflect the shots. If she left, Alvin and Connor would become full of holes in a matter of seconds. Their Magic Energy at level one wasn''t making much difference in her efforts. All she could do was resist and try to think of a plan to escape.


    The leader wasn''t surprised and immediately gathered his Magic Energy. The Brown Magic Energy color of a Level Three Magus suddenly appeared while a ring on his finger shined brightly with the same color. That was his Familiar''s form during the Master Familiar Connection. "This truly doesn''t feel good..."


    Nayala went pale. She didn''t expect the very first enemy she would find was a Level Three Magus.


    In the next moment, several spears of Brown Magic Energy appeared over his head while his subordinates kept shooting. Finally, he pointed forward, and the spears shot! With the difference in level between them, Nayala simply had no chance to resist.


    However, Nayala suddenly noticed something. Linfel... had disappeared.

 Chapter 53: Sudden Betrayal

    "Well, be it in the past or the present, I guess war is still war. Compassion isn''t exactly something you can afford to pay attention to," said a voice coming from right under the leader of the Volztain Country''s group.


    "Who''s there?!" The leader immediately changed the spears'' direction and jumped while shooting the spears below. At his level three, the spears easily pierced several tens of meters in a fraction of a second, destroying anything that could possibly be below there.


    *Puft, puft, puft, puft...*


    However, the sound of piercing spears on the ground wasn''t what really caught the attention of everyone. Instead, it was the sound of tens of bullets piercing into the leader''s body from behind.


    Everyone was taken aback, and the shots against Alvin''s group stopped instantly. Everyone then looked in the direction the shots came. There, right in the middle of the little squad, one of their members held the weapon high, aiming at his own leader and shooting nonstop!


    "Stop!"


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang...*


    *Puft, puft, puft, puft...*


    All the other shooters immediately turned their weapons to the guy and shot as well. They couldn''t understand. How could their companion suddenly betray them like this? Their squad was quite old, and they all knew each other. And yet, here the guy was, shooting the squad leader.


    *Tud, tud...*


    The man who shot the leader then fell to the ground, dead after being shot so many times. He wasn''t the only one to fall.


    Their leader, the Level Three Magus, also fell to the ground, but he wasn''t dead yet. When he felt the bullets hitting his unprotected back, he immediately redirected his Magic Energy there to defend. He was gravely injured, but he wouldn''t die straight away.


    *Zush!*


    "Nando!"


    Immediately, the leader''s Familiar detached from his finger and assumed his Familiar Form before covering the guy with his own Brown Magic Energy. Without waiting for anything, he used his Magic Energy and flew into the distance with the leader, not looking back. He had to be fast, or Nando would die.


    "Not good!" One of the soldiers quickly turned his weapon back to Alvin''s group, but Nayala had already made her move. Other than Nando and his Familiar, all the other soldiers there were Level One Maguses or not Maguses at all.


    *Bang!*


    One of the soldiers was sent flying, not being able to resist Nayal''s attack. How could he? Nayala was a seasoned soldier who knew the terrain well. At level two, a Level One magus would pose no threat to her... However, there were another eight soldiers, and all of them shot at Nayala at the same time.


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*


    Shots were fired, and Nayala had to protect herself again. The weapons were indeed made to deal with Maguses.


    *Swish, swish!*


    Yet, two Wind Blades suddenly came out of the first dead soldier''s body, the same one that had betrayed his group. Those two wind blades took another two soldiers by surprise, not giving them a chance to defend themselves at all. Why would they? The guy was supposed to be dead! Instantly, another two heads fell down.


    "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?!" One of the soldiers screamed and once again pointed at the guy''s dead body, filling it with holes while the others took distance from it. Of course, the others didn''t forget Nayala and continued shooting to pin her down.


    *Boom!*


    It was at that moment that one of the soldiers, who wasn''t a magus, had his head pierced by an Earth First. Alvin, who had never killed another human before, finally made his move. He wasn''t confident he could finish a fellow Level One Magus. So, making use of the fact the soldiers seemed to have forgotten about him and Connor, he made his move against one of the normal soldiers.


    *Bang!*


    He wasn''t the only one. Connor and Tratil also made their move. However, they weren''t as direct as Alvin. Because Connor hesitated, he only managed to break several bones of the soldier he attacked, but the guy wasn''t killed.


    "You!" The soldier did his best to lift his weapon to shoot again. Unfortunately...


    *Kabrum!*


    A bolt of Lightning came crashing down on him, immediately ending his life. It was Kafril, the other Magus that remained stayed with Nayala''s group.


    Now, only four soldiers remained, and even though they were Level One Maguses, they absolutely couldn''t avert their attention from Nayala. It was their and their Familiars'' Magic Energy that allowed them to keep Nayala pinned down, forcing her to keep her Red Magic Energy Barrier up to protect herself.


    Seeing the situation they were in, the soldiers despaired. Alvin and Connor were free to attack them, and they still don''t know how a dead body shot two Wind Blades or where the Lightning Bolt came from. Thinking bout it now, they still didn''t understand why their trusted companion betrayed them in the first place.


    "Retreat!"


    Without another choice, the remaining soldiers immediately turned around and began to run. Staying there would only bring death, and they still might die anyway if Nayala decided to hunt them down.


    However, Nayala did not do so. She had spent a lot of her Magic Energy to deal with this situation, so she had to conserve as much as possible. Since they wanted to flee, she welcomed them to do so. She was more interested in knowing why the enemy soldier had betrayed them. Nonetheless, it salved her group''s life. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was then that a Core floated out of the first dead soldier''s body, and a small and ethereal humanoid form appeared. ''As expected, using Magic Energy to control the Magic Energy Channels of a person is possible, just like I did with Alvin. I''m glad it worked so well,'' Linfel thought to himself. ''Too bad it would only work for a second and the target can''t be a Magus...


    At least not a Magus with the same power or stronger than me.''


    "Linfel!" Alvin quickly ran to his side.


    Connor also approached him. "Holy shit! Was it you?!"


    Kafril sighed in relief. "It is good that we are all okay. Still..."


    Nayala naturally saw Linfel leaving the guy''s body and had to ask. "H-How did you do that? How can you control someone?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Don''t expect me to be able to do this again so easily. It only worked because the guy wasn''t a Magus and also because he himself didn''t expect something would try to control his body. By the time he realized and tried to force himself to stop, his team had already started to shoot him."


    Nayala looked at Linfel and didn''t know what to say. She had never heard about Familiars being able to control others'' bodies. Of course, that wasn''t the time to inquire more about it. "Whatever you did does not matter now. We don''t have enough time. We need to hurry back.


    Let''s go!"

 Chapter 54: He Never Was

    Linfel''s group continued to move fast. This time, however, Nayala changed route, deciding that the shortest path wasn''t secure anymore. "At first, I thought the Volztain Country Forces would take a more cautious approach. That''s why we were making our way back through the fastest route. However, it is pretty obvious that we are going all in now. We need to avoid the path that most airships will take."


    Suddenly, the forest they were traveling in began to grow sparse, giving way to an open valley in the middle of the mountains. "This is the Sairater Corridor, which isn''t exactly easy to pass but will also make it hard for most airships to fly close to the ground. It is terrible for any foot soldiers to go through and make you quite an easy target if others ambush you from above."


    Connor swallowed with difficulty. "Wouldn''t that make us easy targets as well?"


    Linfel quite liked the plan, though. "She is right. Suppose Volztain is truly attacking with everything they have. In that case, they need to move fast, and staying on the fastest route would only attract more attention from all the airships that will be passing above us."


    Nayala glanced at Linfel and immediately began to descend the valley. Vegetation wasn''t as prominent anymore, and they soon saw themselves walking near a river that ran the Sairater Corridor. Even worse, it was indeed hard to move through that terrain. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, Nayala seemed to know the area and guided Alvin and the others through the terrain without much difficulty. The only problem was that they had been on the move since the start of the day, so they were quite tired by now, especially Alvin, Connor, and Kafril.


    Now and then, they would hear some explosion sounds coming from the distance, and the valley definitely helped with the echos. For Nayala, that was a good sign, though. If there were battles happening far away, no one would come to the valley to check things up anytime soon.


    "The sun is almost gone..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    Sure enough, Nayala and the others looked up and could see that it was quite dark.


    "That''s good, right?" Kafril grew a little less tense. "It will be harder to find us while we move in the dark. We just need to continue."


    "Out of the question," Nayala immediately refused, though. Although she had been guiding them through the valley, her primary objective wasn''t to bring them all the way at once. She was heading towards a cave she knew. "We are all with little Magic Energy remaining and tired.


    If we force our way into the dark in our condition, chances are we will be forced to stop at some point before making our way back."


    Finally, she saw the cave, quite a small one hidden near the river. "There we go. We will rest there for now. It should be fine for the next few hours."


    Alvin and the others had their doubts. Still, none of them would risk leaving Nayala''s side at this moment.


    *Grum...*


    Alvin touched his belly, smiling bitterly. "Sorry, I''m quite hungry."


    "I''m surprised you can think about food at all," Connor felt helpless.


    Nayala was a lot more experienced, so the events on the way here were already on the back of her head. "The fact you can feel hungry is a sign you are getting used to the situation. I''ll try to catch some fis-"


    *Plac, plac, plac, plac, plac, plac...*


    Suddenly, a certain familiar approached them. No one saw when he had left. But that didn''t matter. What mattered the most was the tens of fishes floating around him, all alive and struggling, trying to get free. "I thought you guys would be hungry by now anyway. And...


    guess what? I just happen to be very good at attracting fish." It was Linfel... once again.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched for a moment as Felia felt helpless. They obviously know how good Linfel was with fish... perhaps too good.


    "I say, Alvin, this Familiar of yours is just too good..." Nayala spoke as her doubts increased. She started to think that Alvin was from some extremely powerful background to get in his hands such a Familiar.


    Nonetheless, they all entered the cave before Nayala started a fire. They could use their magic Energy for fire, but even Nayala had too little of it now. It was a lot easier to use the old method. Well, she still used her Magic Energy as a fire starter, though.


    Since they had some time, she also decided to ask Linfel. "So, how did you do that? How did you manage to control the guy and shoot their squad leader?"


    "Control? I did no such thing," Linfel shook his head, though. How could he really say he controlled someone? That would work as a clue that he can simply use Master Familiar Connection with anyone. "Instead, I just played a small trick with his senses. Also, it was like I said, it only lasted a second or so.


    If his friends hadn''t shot him straight away, he would have woken up and stopped. It only worked because he wasn''t a magus as well."


    "A trick on his senses?" Nayala narrowed her eyes. "Are you adept at illusion magic?"


    "You could say so..." Linfel didn''t try to correct her either.


    Nayala had her doubts since she had seen illusion magic before. Very few Maguses and Familiars used it, but she had the opportunity to experience such experts as a means of training. From what she saw, it didn''t seem like Linfel had truly used it. But then again, controlling another person, even if he wasn''t a magus, didn''t seem very realistic. "You could say so, uh? Then let''s leave at it.


    If we survive, I''ll give you a commendation for your help. We did survive because of you, after all."


    Alvin used his Magic Energy to talk to Linfel. ''Was that really the case?''


    ''Nope,'' Linfel didn''t need to lie to Alvin, though. ''It was basically the same method I used to control your body when we used MFC. It is very hard when the target doesn''t comply, you know?''


    ''You can truly control others?'' Alvin was obviously surprised. ''No, forget it. I already don''t doubt anything coming from you anymore.''


    They quickly devoured the fish Linfel brought and satiated their hunger. "Alright, the MCOMs seem to not be working still. We can''t move in the dark like we are now, but we can do so once we recover our Magic Energy. We will stay here for the next six hours and leave before the sunrise. Try to sleep if you can."


    "Who will watch while we rest?" Kafril asked, concerned.


    Nayala was just about to say she was going to stay up before Linfel jumped in. "I will. I''m an independent Familiar, so my connection with Alvin, my previous Master, doesn''t exist anymore. He won''t be affected by the fact I''m awake. You guys just rest."


    "You should also recover your Magic Energy," Nayala warned him.


    "Oh, don''t worry," Linfel smiled. Suddenly, his Core burst with Magic Energy. "I''ve been full this entire time. There is nothing for me to recover here."


    Everyone turned to Alvin with weird expressions. This place had sparse Magic Energy, so Linfel should have been suffering just like them. Even Connor, who initially was full, used a lot of it in the battle against the Volztain Squad. Yet, Linfel was fine somehow.


    "Just what is wrong with this Familiar of yours?" They all asked together.


    Alvin wanted to cry. Linfel wasn''t his... He never was...

 Chapter 55: Signals

    In the end, it was indeed the best idea to keep only Linfel up while the others rested. As soon as they finished eating, each one found a corner to lie down and closed their eyes. It wasn''t hard to sleep, even in these conditions. The strain on their bodies and magic energy was enormous during the day.


    It wasn''t very relaxing to lie on the floor or the walls, but it didn''t seem to be a problem this time.


    The Familiars quickly deactivated themselves, giving their masters the opportunity to sleep, too, leaving only Linfel awake in the cave.


    Linfel floated outside, knowing everyone was sleeping. ''Hum... This feels just like when Horan threw me into the Kalature Birds'' territory. Just thinking about it makes me angry, that fucking guy! Those bitches were highly sensitive to Primordial Energy, probably no less than the airship equipment.''


    Linfel''s anger boiled for a moment, but he ended up sighing mentally. ''Where the hell did you go? Did you travel to this future, too? Forget it...''


    Following that, Linfel entered the cave again and took a look at every one. Linfel was supposed to wake them up in four hours. That way, they would still have five to six hours of dark to move undetected. The problem was that four hours of rest after such a day definitely wouldn''t recover everyone''s Magic Energy. Not that they couldn''t, but that this place''s Magic Energy was indeed too sparse.


    Not everyone was like Linfel.


    ''Oh well, guess it is time to start...''


    ***


    Four hours passed in a flash for those deep asleep. Not even the small sounds of explosions from the distance were enough to disturb their sleep... Well, Linfel made sure they would wake up before the time was up anyway.


    Finally, the time was there. "Everyone, wake up!"


    Linfel used his Magic Energy to shake everyone''s bodies, forcing them to open their eyes. Nayal was the first one to raise her guard, quickly circulating her Magic Energy to deal with anything. Her experience was obviously on full display.


    The others soon followed suit, but everyone noticed that there was nothing wrong in the cave. Only Linfel floated there, seeming unperturbed. "Four hours have passed. If we want to make use of the darkness, we should start moving."


    Nayala sighed in relief and nodded. "Well done, Linfel. Four hours, just as we agreed. Everyone, I know we aren''t fully recov-"


    However, her words instantly stopped as she checked her Core, which was brimming with Magic Energy. "This..."


    Alvin, Connor, and Kafril were no different. They also noticed that their Cores had completely recovered. If not because their bodies were still a little sore, they would think the previous day didn''t happen at all.


    "So weird... I seem to have made a full recovery while I was asleep," Kafril mentioned, puzzled.


    Kafril nodded. "Indeed. With so little Magic Energy, it is hard to believe I got my Core full again."


    Nayala was the one who felt the most puzzled. As a Level Two Magus, the environment affected her the most. She had to gather the little Magic Energy of the surroundings and convert it into Red Magic Energy to fill her Core. Simply put, she should have taken much, much longer to recover than Alvin and the others. And yet, her Core was also full of Red Magic Energy.


    Alvin and Felia looked at each other, their Cores also full. They knew very well why that was the case. Linfel no doubt connected to them like he usually does, giving them his own Magic Energy. He also told them that the sparse Magic Energy wasn''t much of an issue to him because of his race''s advantages, so the reasons for everyone''s recovery were obvious.


    "Linfel, did something happen while we were asleep?" Nayala couldn''t help but ask.


    "Hum... other than the sounds of explosions now and then, nothing else happened. Is something wrong?" Linfel asked with an innocent expression.


    "Not wrong..." Nayala felt hard to believe. "Forget it. Perhaps we are near a Magic Energy Vein and didn''t notice. It matters not, though. Let''s depart. Now that we are full, our chances of survival are much better."


    Kafril, Connor, Alvin, and their Familiars were obviously happy to hear that, so they all stepped out of the cave with Nayala and her Familiar.


    As Nayala guided their group, Alvin had to ask Linfel the truth while using his Magic Energy so that only Linfel and Felia could hear. ''Linfel, what did you do?''


    ''Isn''t that obvious?'' Linfel asked back. ''I simply matched their Soul Waves frequency while they were asleep or deactivated and passed my Magic Energy to them. That includes you and Felia.''


    ''I already understand that much,'' Alvin spoke back. ''However, even if it is you and you can recover Magic Energy faster than us, there are four Maguses and Familiars here, not counting you. With so little Magic Energy around, it is impossible for you to gather enough from the surroundings to fill all our cores on your own in just four hours.''


    Linfel looked back at Alvin, seeming a little surprised. ''My Alvin is growing up...''


    Felia nodded, seeming to be on the verge of tears. ''Yes, he is. Old master will be so happy...'' S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Fuck you!'' Alvin immediately cursed the two. ''First of all, you two are younger than me! No, forget it. Just tell us already.''


    ''Hahaha!'' Linfel laughed and got closer to Alvin. ''Have you forgotten what I created inside my Core back in your room in the academy?''


    ''Ah!'' Alvin instantly understood. ''Your Spatial Storage!''


    Linfel nodded. ''That''s the one. I obviously have quite a few Magic Stones with me, including Red Magic ones. That''s how I helped you all recover. The only sad thing is that I won''t be able to charge them back for the services. Such a downer...'' No one was supposed to bring Magic Stones, so Linfel wasn''t supposed to have them either.


    Naturally, he couldn''t tell anyone. Well, he couldn''t tell anyone about his Spatial Storage either.


    ''Hum?'' Suddenly, Linfel noticed something in his Spatial Storage. ''Alvin, we have a signal in the MCOMs.''


    Alvin''s eyes opened wide, and he quickly took his MCOM out. "Senior Nayala, we have a signal!"


    Nayala was taken aback, and everyone quickly took their MCOMs out. Sure enough, the Signal was back up.


    "Shit!" However, Nayala wasn''t the least bit happy. "Throw your MCOMs away, now!" She said as she instantly smashed her MCOM.


    "What?!" Everyone thought to have heard wrong.


    However...


    *Swish, swish, swish...*


    Three Wind Blades instantly sliced Kafril, Connor, and Alvin''s MCOMs. The moment Nayala spoke, Linfel acted, already understanding the situation. "We are being tracked..."

 Chapter 56: Extra Perks

    "That''s correct," Nayala said as she immediately changed direction.


    "How do you know?" Kafril, who glanced at his destroyed MCOM falling behind, couldn''t help but ask.


    Nayala quickly answered without stopping. "My MCOM is special. Only one type of signal can me accepted by it. The moment I checked, I saw the signal we got wasn''t ours, so I knew it was something else." Indeed. She worked in the patrols as a soldier on the borders. She obviously wouldn''t have the same common MCOMs as the others.


    Instead, her MCOM was from the army.


    Everyone understood and got nervous again.


    Just as the tension was building, Kafril''s sharp eyes caught a sudden movement. "On the top!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.


    They were down the valley, so anyone approaching would have to come from the mountains on the sides or from the front or the back. They were quite far inside, so coming from the front and back would have taken time.


    Without warning, three vehicles came hurtling down the mountain from the right side. They were not airships, which would have struggled to navigate this terrain. Instead, they were ground vehicles, their engines roaring as they closed in. Magic Energy brimmed from there, proof of the Magic Stones being consumed.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Immediately, the three newcomers started to shoot down, forcing Linfel and the others to take cover. "How can they drive those things in this terrain?"


    "I can, so why can''t they?" Nayala spoke. "They are obviously soldiers from this area on the Volztain side. They have received training, so this isn''t anything that impressive. Nonetheless, it does put us at a great disadvantage."


    The three soldiers from Volztain didn''t approach Linfel''s group. Instead, they began to circle around the cover Linfel''s group was using from different sides. They were obviously using their motorized advantage to keep their distance to shoot Linfel''s group down.


    "Ranged attacks!" Nayala shouted to Alvin and the others. At the same time, her Red Magic Energy gathered on her feet, and she dashed out of the cover from a boulder she was using. She selected a target and was intent on taking the guy down.


    Alvin, Connor, and Kafril followed her order and began to use their Magic Energy to shoot at the enemy. Alvin made several speartips of earth, blasting them forward with his Magic Energy. Connor used his Fire Element to shoot fire arrows while Kafril shot a few Lightning bolts.


    "Behind!" Linfel immediately called their attention. While Nayala tried to catch one of the enemies on foot, the other two finished circling their cover from the other side and were now aiming at their group and shooting their weapons.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin immediately punched the ground, and his Earth Element quickly created a big Earth Wall covered in Magic Energy. His Magic Energy was now fully recovered, so he could show much more strength.


    *Tuf, tuf, tuf, tuf, tuf, tuf...*


    Tens of bullets hit the Earth Wall almost instantly. The Earth Wall came out just in time. Unfortunately, Alvin gritted his teeth, finding it hard to keep the Earth Wall covered in Magic Energy.


    As mentioned before, the weapons weren''t normal. They were made to deal with Maguses and Familiars and their Magic Energy. They forced Alvin to waste a lot more Magic Energy. If he had used a normal Magic Energy Barrier, he wouldn''t even be able to block those bullets.


    Kafril and Connor didn''t just watch. They changed targets and shot their Fire Arrows and Lightning Bolts at the two other vehicles. However, the enemy was just too far away and moving fast. For Level One Maguses and Familiars like them, that was just too hard to hit.


    Linfel kept calm and took a look at Nayala. She was able to defend herself with her Red Magic Energy. Unfortunately, because she didn''t have a vehicle herself, she couldn''t catch up to the enemy she was pursuing while the guy kept shooting at her. Obviously, he intended to waste all of Nayala''s Magic Energy from a safe distance.  S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Hum... those vehicles are quite nice. What were they called...? I''m sure I saw it in the city network...'' Linfel pondered. ''Oh, right! Bikes, Magic Bikes!


    Well, these ones are very different from the ones I saw for sale. Everything had been modified so it could travel this terrain without issue.''


    Finally, Linfel reached a decision. ''Alright. Let''s get some of these bikes for ourselves.''


    Suddenly, the Magic Energy escaping his Core disappeared, and in the darkness, he became nothing but a tiny shadow floating in the air. No, there was still some Magic Energy coming from that Core, but it was truly hard to perceive it.


    Under cover of night and with the attention focused on both Nayala and Alvin''s sides, Linfel left the Earth Wall Alvin''s group was using without the enemy noticing. Of course, Alvin, Connor, and Kafril noticed it this time. Kafril even wondered if Linfel was trying to escape on his own.


    ''Don''t worry,'' Alvin used his Magic Energy to whisper in Connor and Kafril''s ears,'' He knows what he is doing.''


    Connor and Kafril continued to shoot at the the enemies on the bikes, not having much of a choice, while Alvin held the Earth Wall and repaired the holes nonstop.


    ''Connor,'' Linfel''s voice echoed in Connor''s ears, ''pay attention above. One of them just threw something while the other kept shooting to force you and Kafril to hide.''


    Connor was taken aback. Nonetheless, he quickly created a Fire Ball and shot it upwards, illuminating the surroundings. It was just in time to see something falling in their direction. ''Kafril!''


    Kafril understood and used his Magic Energy to create another Lightning Bolt.


    *Kabom!*


    *Boom!*


    This time, the target was close enough, so Kafril was successful in hitting it. An explosion of fire and magic energy ensued, obviously showing it was some kind of grenade.


    ''Keep focused,'' Linfel warned. ''They will definitely not approach and lose their advantage. They are just Level One Maguses, just like you three. Just hold on for a moment, and I''ll do something.''


    Alvin and the others nodded, kind of accepting Linfel as their leader at that moment. The two vehicles noticed that the grenade didn''t work and continued to move around while Alvin focused on defense.


    Linfel was satisfied with their teamwork. In the end, life and death situations were always able to extract the best of everyone. ''He won''t last long, though.'' Linfel looked at Alvin for a moment and took his attention away.


    He was now tens of meters away from the group, heading in Nayala''s direction. Her enemy had been moving around with ease, forcing her to keep running nonstop. Nonetheless, he still made sure he didn''t get too far from his companions, showing his experience and training in this environment.


    Not even a minute had gone by yet, and Nayala had always spent 20% of her Magic Energy reserves. She wondered if she should change her tactics for a moment when Linfel''s voice arrived in her ears. ''Be ready to pounce. We need a ride.''


    She was taken aback for a moment, wanting to take a look around to find Linfel. However, she wasn''t an idiot. If her focus suddenly changed, the enemy would notice something wasn''t right, so her eyes kept on the guy. It didn''t matter where Linfel was. What mattered was that he was here and could create a chance.


    It was during one of the moments the enemy was closer that, out of nowhere, an invisible thread appeared right at the guy''s torso height.


    "What?!"


    The moment he touched the thread, a powerful Magic Energy passed through the thread, increasing its resistance several found and showing its existence.


    The bike continued to move forward, but the biker fell back because of the thread. He didn''t suffer any bad injuries and quickly got up. Unfortunately for him, Nayala had been waiting for this chance.


    *Bang!*


    Nayala hit the guy without holding back, instantly breaking tens of bones and sending him flying. The guy hit the ground several meters in the distance, and it was hard to tell if he was dead or alive.


    The bike obviously fell to the ground as well, having no driver anymore.


    Finally, Linfel showed his presence near the place where the bike fell. "Alright, we have one; let''s another two."


    Nayala quickly reached his side and pulled the bike. "How can you still float with so little Magic Energy release?" She asked, impressed that Linfel seemed to be just a Core pretty much.


    Linfel released his ethereal humanoid form and smiled. "A certain someone trained me like hell." Naturally, he was talking about Horan, the same guy who sent him to the future.


    Nayala didn''t know what to say, but that didn''t matter at the moment. She knew how to operate the bike even though the model was different from the ones she used. "Hope on!"


    Linfel jumped on the back and used his Magic Energy to hold onto the bike. Also, he brought something else with him. "Here, the guy''s weapon."


    Nayala quickly accelerated while shaking her head. "If I could use the weapons, I would have taken the weapons from the soldiers we killed the first time. The weapons also work with one''s Magic Energy Signature. It won''t shoot a single bullet regardless of how much Magic Energy I pour into it."


    "Oh! So that''s why..." Linfel quickly left the Bike and flew to the fallen soldier on the back. Surprisingly, he was still alive.


    "What are you doing?! Alvin and the others won''t hold for long!" Nayala shouted, wondering if she should just leave Linfel there and quickly go rescue Alvin''s group.


    Linfel didn''t take long, though. He soon returned to the bike and passed the weapon to Nayala. There was a difference now. Linfel was attached to the weapon with his Core. "Alright, it should shoot now."


    "What?!" Nayala was taken aback.


    "Just use it!" Linfel hurried her. "Let''s go; we need to help Alvin and the others."


    Nayala found this Familiar to be more and more strange, but she didn''t complain and quickly turned the accelerator. The Bike wasn''t protected by Magic Energy Signature since these were very basic models, so he could still drive it.


    The other two soldiers noticed when their friend was taken down and immediately separated. One of them continued to pin Alvin and the others down while the other came for Nayala. Even if she had acquired one of the bikes, she didn''t have a weapon to use. He didn''t know how his friend was defeated, but he was determined to not make the same mistake.


    As soon as Nayala entered his weapon range, he began to shoot...


    *Puc, puc, puc, puc, puc...*


    He wasn''t the only one, though. Instantly, his body was covered in holes from the bullets shot from Nayala''s weapon. He fell from the bike with his eyes open wide. Even in that darkness, he could easily identify the weapon in Nayala''s hand. It was his friend''s one. How could that be?


    How could she use his friend''s weapon without his Magic Energy Signature?


    Well, his eyes weren''t as wide as Nayala''s... She was shocked that she really could use that weapon. She checked it, and she was certain it had a Magic Energy Signature lock. Nonetheless, it was still accepting her Magic Energy and shooting the bullets. The only difference in the weapon... was that Linfel was touching it.


    "Just what are you? Some kind of magic parasite?"


    "How rude! I''m a Familiar... with some extra perks." That was a lie, though.

 Chapter 57: Fort Jukis

    "Hehe!" Nayala smiled and pressed forward. "Then I shall make good use of those extra perks!"


    The last soldier on the bike noticed that his friend was shot down by their own army''s weapon, feeling terrified. He was only a Level One Magus, while Nayala was at Level Two. The Magic Energy she could add to the bullets not only made them stronger but also faster. She definitely could shoot from further away without losing power.


    Without thinking twice, he turned around and tried to drive away. However...


    *Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...*


    Alvin, Kafril, and Connor used their Magic Energy and rained down attacks on the guy''s path. There was a river nearby, and they were down in the valley. There weren''t many paths for him to run. Even though Alvin and the others were only Level One Maguses and Familiars, he would definitely be severely injured if he threw himself in the middle of those attacks. "Fuck!"


    Without another choice, he changed the direction and tried to go around the attacks. The decision wasn''t wrong, but it also couldn''t save him.


    Different from the enemy, Nayala didn''t need to dodge Alvin''s group attacks. She charged through the dirt and dust in the air and came out right behind the guy''s bike. "You came to the wrong country!"


    Bullets were shoot from both sides, but Nayala was able to defend against the enemy''s bullets due to her higher level of Magic Energy. The Magus on the bike wasn''t as good, though. He used his Magic Energy to create a barrier between him and Nayala, but her Red Magic Energy covered bullets easily pierced through.


    *Puc, puc, puc...*


    Holes quickly filled the guy''s back, causing him to fall to the ground with his bike. He didn''t die, but he wouldn''t go anywhere anymore, either.


    Finally, Nayala stopped and checked the last guy''s condition. Her eyes were cold, and her fist raised. The Magic Energy from both her and her Familiar gathered, and she punched out.


    *Bang!*


    However, the moment she was about to smash the guy''s head, a blast of Wind happened between her and the man, forcing her back. "Who is it?!" Nayala quickly checked the surroundings, just in time to see the Magic Energy around Linfel''s Core stabilizing again. "What the hell are you doing?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "There is no need for that, right? He is already out of combat. It is hard to say if he will survive or not, even if we leave him here. Let''s end it here."


    "Hmph!" Nayala snorted. "For a while, I wondered if you were truly a new Familiar. Now, however, it is pretty clear you don''t have much experience. Volztain started a war against our country, and you want to save his life? He will come back later for revenge for his friends, and that will mean the possible death of more of our people. Do not get in my way again, or I will crack this Core of yours."


    Linfel shook his head. "There is no need. He is gone."


    Nayala was taken aback and turned her attention to the soldier on the ground. He stopped breathing... "Fucking lucky guy. He went easier than I wanted."


    *Brumm...*


    Alvin, Kafril, and Connor arrived by Nayala and Linfel''s side a moment later. They brought the bike from the second guy who had died. "Senior Nayala, what now?"


    Nayala glanced at Linfel for a moment, her doubts increasing. Nonetheless, she cast those thoughts aside and pointed at the other bike on the ground. "Two of you, take the other bike and hope on. You can drive Magic Bikes, right?"


    Connor raised his hand. "I can. My father has one, and I often played with it. I don''t know about Alvin and Kafril, though."


    Kafril and Alvin looked at each other and quickly shook their heads. Neither of them had driven a bike for sure. "We can try to learn... perhaps?"


    "No," Nayala quickly gave up the idea. "Alvin, come with me. Kafril, you and Connor use the other bike and follow me. The terrain is hard to maneuver, but these bikes are made to travel in such places. Just be careful and should be able to stay close. In any case, two bikes are harder to notice than three."


    A moment later, she exchanged the ammunition on the weapon by taking the other dead guy''s one. She raised it a moment later and pressed the trigger to test. However, the weapon didn''t shoot. "Hum? Why did it stop working? Didn''t you alter its system?"


    Linfel shook his head. "Not really. I just used a loophole. If you want the weapon to work, I will have to keep myself attached to it."


    Alvin and Felia glanced at him. It was obvious Linfel had copied the Soul Waves and Magic Energy from the dead guy. They knew Linfel could connect to anyone, but it seemed like Linfel could even copy Magic Energy Signatures, which they had never heard about.


    "Forget it," Nayala threw the weapon to Alvin on her back. "Hold it in case I need it later. Connor, follow me."


    *Brumm!!!*


    Immediately, the two bikes dashed out of there. Since they were located earlier, it might happen again. No one knows if the Volztain Country had sent reinforcements to those three who died, either. They couldn''t stay there for long.


    "Senior Nayala," Kafril called her attention from Connor''s bike. "Don''t these Magic Bikes have trackers as well? Is it really wise to use them?"


    Nayala nodded. "They probably have, but they are also our best chance. Considering there is so much going on, it will be hard to pay attention to just two bikes moving out. With some luck, we can reach Fort Jukis, where part of the army on the Volztain Borders is located not far from here. The only doubt is how things are going on there."


    "You mean, they might already have been wiped out?" Connor asked nervously.


    Nayala didn''t try to hide. "This attack was too sudden and without warning. Usually, such events do end with the first lines of defense being taken down quickly due to the element of surprise."


    "In that case, shouldn''t we ignore the Fort Jukis and simply take an even further path and go straight to the back?" Linfel asked.


    "It is still our best chance," Nayala explained. "These guys who attacked us were obviously scouts sent further ahead to check the terrain. Otherwise, there would have been more of them. That means Fort Jukis is most likely still there. If it has been taken, well, we will have to abandon the bikes and think about something else." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And so, they drove through the night while Nayala guided them. She did not try to take a longer path this time, though. If he went too far away, the trackers on the bikes would stand out in the enemies'' radars like beacons. The less they caught anyone''s attention, the better.


    Fortunately, they were indeed lucky enough to reach Fort Jukis. It''s just that when they arrived, they saw hundreds of airships fighting in the air while the ground armies prepared to receive the enemy not too far behind.


    "Halt!" Suddenly, several soldiers came out of the dark, pointing their weapons at Nayala''s group.


    However, Nayala quickly noticed their uniform and, especially a man leading that group. "Wait, Haffard, it is me, Nayala!"


    "Everyone, hold your fire!" The man quickly shouted and came running forward. "Holy shit, Nayala! You are still alive!" He quickly looked to the side and saw Linfel''s group. "Oh, right! You were tasked to guide the kids in that academy task or whatever. Is it them?"


    "Some of them, at least..." Nayala sighed in relief and came out of her bike. "We need to send them away. This is not a place for kids."


    Haffard nodded. "Come with me." He then looked back to his soldiers. "Clarion, you take the command and continue the patrol. I''ll be right back after leaving them in the base."


    "Understood!" Clarion didn''t waste time and brought the soldiers away.


    Around thirty minutes later, their group finally entered Fort Jukis.

 Chapter 58: Return

    Haffard took his MCOM to pass some information before turning to Nayala once again. "Alright, Nayala, the commander is calling you over. He wants to know more about the situation closer to the border."


    Nayala didn''t mind. "Understood. What about them?"


    Haffard looked at Linfel and the others and nodded. "We are sending them to Sky Island. That''s where they were supposed to be in the first place after finishing the Field Exam."


    Nayala narrowed her eyes. Linfel''s abilities filled her with doubts, especially the fact that he seemed to be able to override the Magic Energy Signature locks somehow. "I think-"


    "Oh!" Haffard suddenly noticed something. "There is a special mention regarding Linfel, Alvin, and Felia. Anything any of these three did must not be mentioned or questioned. Seems like it is an order coming from high up." Haffard found it weird, but he wouldn''t question the order coming from higher up.


    Alvin, Felia, and Linfel definitely knew very well what it was. Xalafel had a huge influence and was even considered a hero, so it was most likely him who added it to their information.


    Nayala felt relieved after hearing that, though. Her worries were that perhaps Linfel had some secret that she should have investigated. However, after hearing about Linfel''s group''s special status, it became clear to her that the higher-ups knew about it. In that case, it was not her place to discuss that.


    "Senior Nayala, thank you for saving our lives," Alvin quickly bowed to her.


    Connor and Kafril did the same. Without her, they would definitely have died by now.


    Nayala shook her head. "It was a team effort. I know it was very stressful, but it will be something that will help you greatly in the future. Besides, Linfel was also one of the main contributors here. The only reason we didn''t die in both attacks was his presence. In any case, it seems like I can''t talk much about it.


    We will part ways here. If fate allows, we shall meet again." And with that, she left.


    Haffard had his doubts about what he heard. Nonetheless, he didn''t ask and brought Linfel''s group to the airship landing site. There were many airships fighting in the sky, but that was just the start. They had to send Alvin''s group out fast before things got worse.


    ---


    The airship took some detours to avoid battle and only arrived on Sky Island three hours later. It didn''t stay there for long, though. As soon as Linfel''s group came out, it took flight and went back to Fort Jukis.


    On the Sky Island, Linfel and the others were brought to a room deep within the buildings. There, they saw several other Maguses and Familiars.


    "It''s the guys who failed the mission early," Linfel commented. He recognized some of those who were taken away by the Yellow Lights in his group during the Field Exam.


    Alvin looked around and bitterly smiled. "None of the students who finished the test with us are here, it seems."


    Kafril sighed and touched Connor and Alvin''s shoulders. "Perhaps we are just the first ones. Who knows? There might be more coming later."


    Kafril was with them on their journey back, so in the airship to Sky Island, he finally couldn''t keep quiet and asked about Linfel. Alvin didn''t speak much, though. It only mentioned his trio was special and that the Academy Principal Xalafel was aware of it. Unfortunately, he couldn''t comment more than that. Kafril had his doubts.


    Nonetheless, it was thanks to Linfel''s actions that he was alive now, so he didn''t force the issue.


    Well, truth be told, Xalafel knew nothing about Linfel being able to control someone else''s Magic Channels and the capability to copy their Magic Energy Signatures. He only knew about the double Master Familiar Connection. By luck, Linfel''s extra perks would now be kept secret since Nayala and Kafril think Xalafell knew everything.


    "What do we do now? We simply wait?" Connor couldn''t help but ask.


    "Seems like it," Alvin nodded.


    "I just want to go back to the Academy already," Connor had enough already.


    "Go back?" Linfel shook his head. "Didn''t you hear from the soldiers? Our Heffal Country is being attacked from all sides. It is a coalition alliance. There is no way they will let any Magus capable of fighting to stay out. The survival of the country is at stake here."


    "What?!" Connor, Kafril, and Alvin were taken aback. They hadn''t thought about it.


    Linfel then landed with his Core on a corner and reduced his output of Magic Energy. "Anyway, you three should rest for now. We will be certain soon."


    Alvin and the others looked at each other and nodded. Kafril didn''t stay with their group, though. He noticed some classmates in another corner of the room and bid his farewell there, leaving Alvin and Linfel''s group alone.


    Connor laid his back against the wall near Alvin and spoke with his Magic Energy so that only Alvin would hear. ''I knew about your Double Master Familiar Connection, but Linfel''s abilities during this time were completely different. What is happening here? Does Xalafell know?''


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. ''No. After all, even I didn''t know he could do it.'' sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Connor already expected that answer. He saw how shocked Alvin looked when Linfel did those things. ''Say, Alvin. Tell me the truth. What exactly is Linfel? Those abilities of his couldn''t possibly have appeared because of some different parameters during his creation.''


    Linfel approached Alvin. Little did Alvin and Connor know, but it was quite easy for him to feel the Magic Energy and hear Connor''s words with his Magic Energy sensibility. ''Alvin, say whatever you want. I don''t mind.''


    ''You can hear me?'' Connor was taken aback.


    Alvin felt even more helpless. The more he knew Linfel, the more it looked like he had endless abilities. ''Connor, for now, what I can tell you is that Linfel isn''t really my Familiar.''


    ''He''s not yours?'' Connor felt like he was struck by lightning. ''B-But! The Master Familiar Connection...''


    Alvin smiled at Connor. ''You trust me, don''t you?''


    ''Well, yes, but...'' Connor had his doubts.


    ''Then let''s leave at it,'' Alvin stopped him. ''You should know what kind of chaos such information would cause if it was revealed.''


    Obviously, Connor could imagine. Master Familiar Connection with someone else''s Familiar was unheard of. ''I understand. I guess the Double Master Familiar Connection also has something to do with it, right?''


    ''Yes,'' Alvin didn''t hide it. ''In any case, it will help me a lot if you don''t tell anyone about it.''


    ''Don''t worry,'' Connor patted his chest. ''I will only talk if the offer is high enough.''


    ''Hahaha!'' Alvin and Connor laughed out loud. They truly knew each other quite well.


    Linfel faintly smiled, unconcerned. He had to show his abilities to keep Alvin alive, so even if he was exposed, he wouldn''t have regretted it.


    ---


    A few more Maguses and Familiars from the academy who survived the trip back joined them in the next hours. Nonetheless, it seemed like none of Linfel''s group appeared in the end.


    Later, everyone there was brought to different rooms where they could rest and sleep. Everything in the Sky Island was monitored, so Alvin, Linfel, and Felia couldn''t do their normal training either. With that, the rest of the day passed, and a new morning arrived.


    Alvin checked his new MCOM, which the army gave him after he arrived. "They are asking us to gather in the same room we were yesterday."


    Linfel and Felia nodded. "Let''s go then."


    In the room, the Maguses and Familiars waited for the Sky Island officers to come to address them. Finally, someone entered the room and headed to the center.


    "I hope you all slept well. You will need it," the officer began to talk. "You have all been reassigned. Check your MCOMs and your next destination will be there. You will all join the front lines to help defend our country."


    Alvin and Connor looked at Linfel. ''Just like he said it would be...''


    "Go to the airship landing platforms once you confirm it, and make sure you enter the right airship. Their number is also included in the information in your MCOMs. Once you get to your destination, further instructions will be given."


    Naturally, that information generated an uproar in the room. However, Linfel didn''t even waste time hearing and pulled Alvin, Felia, Connor, and Tratil with him. "Let''s go. Complaints won''t be of any use."


    Alvin and the others nodded. They had talked a lot about it during the last night and knew Linfel was right.


    Outside, they checked their MCOMs and found out that they were being assigned to different places. Connor and Tratil were to go to the border with Xanzion on the west side of the country. As for Linfel, Alvin, and Felia...


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback, checking the information in his MCOM. "We... are to return to the academy!"

 Chapter 59: So Much Fun

    Connor was surprised to hear that from Alvin, but he could tell why Alvin got such a message. "Seems like the Double Connection is truly highly regarded by principal Xalafel..."


    Alvin agreed with him. "Indeed. I''m only a Level One Magus. There is no way I wouldn''t be sent to the frontlines if not for this. Still, that means I have to..." Alvin didn''t complete his words as he looked at Connor.


    Connor just smiled and put his arm over Alvin''s shoulders. "Stop the bullshit. It is not like I''m going there to die, you know? Don''t say things that will jinx it."


    "Very well," Alvin smiled and didn''t persist.


    A few minutes later, Connor took another Airship with many other Maguses, including some from the Academy. Alvin looked around and could see that even more of the Academy''s Maguses and Familiars were entering other Airships with the soldiers and their Familiars.


    In the end, he sighed and looked at the information regarding his departure. After finding his Airship, he entered it with Linfel and Felia. Still, he quickly noticed there were a few more students from the Academy there as well. This Airship was going back to the Academy, so these people were being sent back as well.


    "All Classes Rank A and B Students and Familiars," Linfel commented.


    "Really?" Alvin looked back at Linfel.


    Felia understood why. "You know how it works, master. Most of the students in Classes Rank A and B have deep backgrounds with very strong Maguses and Familiars."


    "I see..." Alvin didn''t need to hear more than that.


    Since a war started, that means the top experts and organizations of the country will have to play accordingly. These same players obviously are guaranteed some advantages. For example, for them to agree to fight, they can force the country to accept their requests and have their children not take part in it. In that case, if they die, they will have their descendants to take over.


    Simply put, the only students of the Academy who will be sent to the war are those without much importance.


    Alvin didn''t say anything and sat on one of the empty seats. In this situation, it was obvious that all the soldiers in Sky Island would stay. So, the airship was pretty much empty. Not long after that, the Airship took flight and headed back to the city.


    Arriving at the city, Linfel noticed many airships heading out and arriving at the academy nonstop. The ones that arrived were always empty, while the ones that left were full. With a coalition of three countries attacking Heffal, there was no way they could hold back. Heffal had to call all its Maguses and Familiars, regardless of how young they were.


    Linfel''s group left the Airship and headed into the academy. As for the other students that came with them, they turned around and headed out of the academy. Many vehicles were waiting for them, all sent by their families or organizations.


    Sometime later, Alvin, Felia, and Linfel arrived back in Xalafel''s office. Xalafel wasn''t there, though. The one in charge at that moment was Litivia, the vice-principal. "Sigh... you are finally back. That is good, that is good..."


    "Where is Principal Xalafel?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask.


    "Where else?" Litivia answered as she got up from her chair. "He was sent to fight in the war as well. He is one of the few Level Five Maguses of the country, after all. Meanwhile, I was put in charge of the affairs of the Academy. Well, there isn''t much for me to do now, though. Pretty much all the students have been drafted, with only a few with enough connections sent home."


    "Yes, we saw it on the way here. The Academy is getting very empty," Linfel spoke. "Anyway, let''s get to business. What are we supposed to do?"


    Litivia shrugged. "It is very simple. You are to stay in the academy until everything is over."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "So we are hiding?"


    "Yes," Litivia didn''t deny it. "You can use Double Master Familiar Connection. Before we have more information regarding it and can use you in the competition in the future, we can''t afford to lose you."


    "Master, it is great!" Felia cheered. "You don''t like to fight or get in dangerous situations anyway. This is perfect."


    Linfel agreed. "She is right. For once, you will get your wish and won''t be forced to take part in anything dangerous. I can already imagine how happy you are."


    "I..." Alvin was taken aback. Indeed, he was just like Connor. They did all they could to not get involved in anything that could be dangerous. Shouldn''t it be exactly what he wants? "I understand..."


    Litivia smiled, although she didn''t look that happy. How could she? It was war, after all. "Good. It is all bad news for you, though. Now that the country is being changed into a war machine, many restrictions have been lifted.


    I will be able to provide you with as many Magic Energy Stones as you need with the pretext of using them for the war. Make good use of them to train and increase your level."


    Linfel was obviously happy to hear that. "Great! Please find us Red Magic Stones. Can you?"


    "I already sent a hundred to your room earlier," Litivia already expected that. "Use as you see fit. Also, the academy is getting quite empty, so all the facilities are available for use. There is no need for you to pay anything."


    "Thanks," Alvin spoke, still somewhat lost. "Senior Litivia, can you help me with my father? Would be okay to bring him to the academy?"


    "I will arrange that he is brought to live with you here for the time being," Litivia had to keep Alvin and his Familiars safe, so allowing Alvin''s father to stay would be another guarantee Alvin wouldn''t try to leave.


    They spoke for a while longer, and Alvin was finally allowed to return to his room. There, he saw a box in front of his room. It was the type that sealed Magic Energy inside. Checking the contents, he felt the brimming Magic Energy coming out and the red color. They were all Low-Grade Red Magic Stones, which would be considered a dream to someone like Alvin.


    Alvin entered the room with Linfel and Felia and sat on his bed. Even the Magic Stones didn''t seem to improve his mood.


    "Master, are you worried about Connor?" Felia asked.


    Alvin nodded. "That''s for sure... but it is not just that."


    Linfel took several of the Red Magic Energy stones inside the box excitedly. "Hahaha! So much Magic Energy. Let''s go! We will start our training straight away."


    Alvin looked at him, not liking his behavior. "Doesn''t the war bother you at all?"


    "Nope!" Linfel shook his head. "Compared to what Horan made me go through, a war of such a small scale is not enough for me to be concerned." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Small... scale?" Alvin and Felia were taken aback.


    Linfel thought about the past and spoke. "There was once when Horan received the information that the Zaifan Clan got into a war against the Klondaus Sect. Both powers controlled two solar systems close to each other and had trillions of experts. After some point, the resources were not enough for either side, so one of them had to go down."


    Linfel then put the Red Magic Stones around himself, ready to use them. "Horan, that idiot, looked at me and said: Well, they will all be in need of as much Primordial Energy as possible. I guess a Wisp will be a nice snack. I''m sending you to survive on one of the planets affected by the war for a week. Do your best."


    Linfel seemed to get angry just thinking about that. "I couldn''t even argue. He simply grabbed me and left me on a planet called Gogofis. I lost count of how many times I escaped the fate of being captured. By the time I finally survived a week, he came back and laughed at my face and said: ''Hahaha! You seem distressed.


    And here I thought you were having fun.''"


    "Fun? FUN?!" Linfel almost exploded in Alvin''s room. "HIS ASS! I wanted to beat him so badly... Unfortunately, he was still too strong for someone like me. I hope he is still alive!


    I will not forget it! THERE WILL BE PAY BACK!"


    Alvin and Felia looked at Linfel with weird expressions, causing Linfel to calm down again. "A-Ahem... Anyway, compared to that war he forced me to participate in, this one you guys are going through truly looks like nothing but child''s play."


    "Of course, I''m not saying you shouldn''t care. A war is still a war. Many will die, no doubt," Linfel continued. "If I could, I would prevent it from happening. But, at the same time, this is obviously an opportunity. We should use it well."


    Alvin wondered if Horan, who Linfel spoke about so many times, was truly Linfel''s friend, as he always said. "So I should take this opportunity and train. I understand. I will try to focus on leveling up and nothing else."


    "Hum? What are you talking about?" Linfel looked at him, puzzled.


    Alvin and Felia were even more puzzled. "Didn''t you just say we should use this opportunity?"


    "I did," Linfel nodded with a smile. "What better opportunity to train in real Life and Death situations are there other than wars? We are obviously taking part in it! It will be so much fun!"


    Alvin and Felia were speechless. The wisp had just complained about Horan talking about fun during his time, so how can he say it will be fun now? Something definitely wasn''t right in that wisp''s mind.

 Chapter 60: Follow Me

    Alvin took a deep breath and asked. "What are your plans?"


    "Master?" Felia looked at Alvin, surprised. Shouldn''t he have refused the idea straight away? After all, he hates danger.


    Linfel faintly smiled and nodded. "So you don''t like the idea of the other students putting their lives at risk while you hide here, uh?"


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. Linfel easily saw through him. "Connor is my brother, so that''s what bothers me the most. I just feel like... I can''t look eye to eye at him once everything is over. The same goes for the other Maguses and Familiars of our academy that were sent out."


    "Master... you truly changed." Felia was happy to hear that, although she was also concerned.


    Linfel then landed on Alvin''s shoulder with his core and spoke. "Just hold on to that feeling; you will need it. Anyway, we won''t stay in the academy for long. One week! We will leave for the one in one week."


    "One week?" Felia and Alvin looked at each other, confused. "Why one week?"


    Linfel laughed but didn''t answer. After that, they started their daily training.


    ---


    A day later, Alvin was in his room with Felia and Linfel when he received a message. He quickly ran outside and headed to the academy''s entrance. There, an old man looked at the academy with deep thoughts. The old man had only come to this place once, and he was not allowed past the entrance, just like now.


    "Father!" Alvin called out inside the academy.


    The old man was obviously Lucau, Alvin''s father. "Oh! You are finally here."


    Alvin smiled and pulled his father''s hand. "We can talk more inside, come."


    "Inside?" Lucau was puzzled. "But I can''t enter."


    "You can now," Alvin showed his MCOM. There, there was an ID on the academy website with Lucau''s information, including his special status.


    "I see..." Lucau nodded and followed Alvin inside. They went to the cafeteria, which was obviously pretty much empty. Nonetheless, the equipment and the workers who weren''t soldiers or maguses were still operating.


    Once there, Alvin asked for some food and they began to talk as they ate. "Father, I asked the academy to allow you to stay here during the duration of the war."


    "So it was really true, uh?" Lucau sighed. "I''ve heard in the news that our neighbors are attacking Haffel together. I was immediately evacuated from the South Sea on the same day and sent further into the country."


    "Yes," Alvin confirmed. "We were in the middle of a field exam when the attack started. We were stranded deep inside the forest and almost died on our way back."


    Alvin then proceeded to speak about the whole event until he finally arrived at the academy. "And now we are here..."


    Lucau narrowed his eyes in doubt. "That doesn''t make sense. If all the Level One Maguses and Familiars and above were sent to the war, why did you return? You are not like those pompous young masters who had the background to escape the drafting..."


    Alvin looked at Linfel, who nodded and spoke while using his Magic Energy so that only Lucau would hear. For the next hour, he spoke about the Double Master Familiar Connection and how the Academy Principal considered it too important. ''In the end, he passed an order that we are to stay in the academy until everything is over.


    Well, we can''t tell if the Heffal Country will survive this attack, though. If not, then Xalafel''s protection won''t be of much use.''


    Lucau was obviously surprised to hear all of that. He knew Linfel was a wisp, but he didn''t expect Linfel''s abilities to have such a repercussion. "You truly are different..." Lucau whispered.


    Later that day, Lucau was brought to Alvin''s room, where they could talk more. "So, Alvin, all we need to do is wait here, right?"


    "For you, that''s correct," Alvin nodded. "As for me, I''m leaving in six days."


    "But didn''t you say you were supposed to stay?" Lucau wondered.


    "I can''t wait, father," Alvin shook his head, though. "Connor and my classmates are all out there. How can I look at them when they come back? No! I must help as well."


    Lucau went silent for a moment before he looked at Alvin''s face. "You changed quite a bit since Linfel appeared. The Alvin I know would never take such risk."


    "Aren''t you angry? I thought you would immediately prohibit me from trying such a thing. I was even expecting you to go out and warn the academy about my plans." Alvin asked back, finding his father''s calm countenance unexpected.


    Lucau obviously didn''t have such plans. "My son is telling me he can''t abandon his friends. Why would I feel angry? Why would I try to stop you? Were I in your shoes, I would have gone as well. However, I do feel worried.


    Do you have a plan to survive?"


    "Leave it to me," Linfel spoke. "I''ve been in such situations before, so I know how to act. I won''t be an idiot and say that I can absolutely guarantee his safety. However, his chances will definitely be better with me around. Besides, it is like I told Alvin, this is an opportunity. Danger is the best method for breakthroughs and improvement."


    Lucau was still worried, but he could only accept that. "Very well. All I ask you is to make sure you consider your life the main priority. Linfel, you always wanted to pay me for saving you, right? This is how you will pay me, bringing Alvin back alive."


    Linfel was happy to comply. "I will do my best."


    "Thank you, Father." Alvin also felt happy his father understood.


    "Alright," Lucau got up and headed to the door. "I was given the room next to yours to stay during this time, so you can look for me there. I will only get in the way if I continue here. Make sure to tell me when you decide to leave. Felia, I''m also counting on you to keep my son safe."


    "I''ll do that even if I have to lay down my life, old master," Felia patted her chest.


    Lucau''s expression warmed, and he nodded, leaving the room right after.


    "Okay, we can''t waste time. Let''s continue!" Linfel quickly called the two, and they left the room. Since the entire academy was available for them, Linfel ensured he would use this advantage well.


    ---


    Floating Blades Faction...


    One week quickly passed. Linfel, Alvin, and Felia already prepared their plan to leave the academy and knew exactly where they were going. They would go west, the same west where Connor was. But before that, they passed by the Floating Blades Faction one last time.


    "Do you need to do it?" Linfel asked, puzzled.


    Alvin quickly nodded. "They helped us a lot, so I must at least leave some information, don''t you think? Well, people like Milia, Rin, Pamil, and others are most likely confined inside their homes by their families, just like all the other rich guys. I tried to get in contact with them through the MCOMs, but they are all offline."


    Inside the faction, the attendant was still there. After all, the guy wasn''t a magus and received his payment from the members of the Floating Blades Faction. He had to keep the equipment in order, and the academy was indeed one of the safest places to be, so why wouldn''t he?


    "Oh! Master Alvin, you are still in the academy?" Droval was surprised to see them there.


    Alvin nodded. "Due to some circumstances, I was requested to stay behind."


    Droval didn''t find it weird. "It is fine. None of our members were sent to the war anyway. All their families recalled them back, and they will most likely stay away for a while."


    ''Hum?'' As Alvin and Droval spoke, Linfel noticed something with his Magic Sense.


    Alvin didn''t continue for long. "Alright, Droval. I only came here to leave a letter in the Faction Leader''s room. I won''t be long." To make sure no one would see, a letter was still the best choice. Besides, he couldn''t contact Pamil through the MCOM anyway.


    "No problem," Droval didn''t mind. "I still have a few things to do, so I''ll take my leave. I''m still being paid, after all. Call me through my MCOM if you need anything. "


    Alvin just smiled and went into the Floating Blades Faction. He only took a minute to reach the room and enter it. The letter was left on the table before they left and made their way out of the Faction... or so Alvin intended to. However, Linfel pulled him over with Felia while speaking into their minds. ''You two, follow me.


    Stay quiet.''


    Alvin and Felia were taken aback for a moment. Nonetheless, they nodded and followed Linfel. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and Felia soon noticed they headed into a part of the building they had never been to before. ''What are you looking for, Linfel?''


    They arrived in front of an inconspicuous door at the back of the building. Finally, Linfel opened it, immediately startling the people inside. "Who''s there?!"


    How could Alvin''s group not recognize that voice? It was none other than Pamil, the Faction Leader. "SENIOR PAMIL!" Alvin exclaimed, not expecting to see the guy at all.


    "It''s not only him," Linfel spoke. At the back of the room, Milia, Natalie, and William were also looking at them, surprised.


    Pamil gritted his teeth and quickly pulled Linfel''s group inside before closing the door. "Fuck! Why don''t you speak louder? Then you can call the entire academy over!"


    "What is happening here?" Sure enough, that was the real question there.

 Chapter 61: Lets Move Out

    "That''s not your problem," Pamil answered with a serious question. "Instead, tell me. Did anyone follow you?"


    Linfel answered that. "Not really. If anyone with Magic Energy in their bodies had got close to us, I would have known. You guys know about my Magic Energy Sensitivity, after all."


    Pamil sighed in relief. "That''s good, that''s good. Go back to your room and pretend you didn''t see us, okay? I''m sure to compensate you later."


    "Wait!" Milia quickly intervened. "How did they find us here?"


    Alvin and Felia pointed at Linfel. "Linfel told us to follow him."


    Linfel shrugged. "I just said, didn''t I? Magic Energy Sensitivity."


    "Oh!" Milia quickly understood. "So he noticed our Magic Energy Energies. That makes sense since our Faction is pretty much empty with or without war."


    Natalie hurried them. "Alright, we don''t have much time. Send them away, and let''s go."


    "Yes," Pamil agreed with her. "Go back, Alvin, Linfel, Felia. We will talk another day."


    Alvin smiled and nodded. "Don''t worry, Senior Pamil. We won''t tell anyone. Oh, by the way, I left you a letter in your office room earlier. Take a look when you find the time."


    "A letter?" Pamil got puzzled. "About what?"


    "You will see," Alvin didn''t elaborate, though. "Now then, I''m going back. I hope we can see each other later."


    Pamil narrowed his eyes but didn''t insist. His group didn''t have much time left. "Alright, I will take a look later. Let''s hope everything ends well."


    Alvin turned around to leave. Yet, as soon as he opened the door, he bumped into Droval. "D-Droval..."


    "Alvin? What are you doing here?" Droval asked, seeming a little nervous.


    "Droval, come in," Pamil quickly pulled Droval as well before speaking to Alvin. "Don''t worry. Droval also knows about our presence. Droval, what do you want?"


    Droval sighed in relief and passed a letter to Pamil. "Well... Alvin left it for you."


    "My letter!" Alvin was taken aback and tried to take it from Droval''s hand.


    *Zush!*


    However, Pamil was even faster and took the letter instead. "What is this?" Since the letter was there, he decided to take a look straight away.


    Droval scratched the back of his head, feeling apologetic. "Sorry, Alvin. Pamil asked me to report everything strange to him, and your letter definitely didn''t seem normal..." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pamil ignored that and read the letter. "You..."


    Alvin didn''t know how to explain. "Please, keep quiet about it, okay? I''m going to the west border. My brother, Connor, was drafted there. And yet, I was told to stay in the academy until the war was over. I just can''t stay here and pretend nothing is happening, so I''m going as well."


    Linfel quickly helped. "Pamil, you want us to keep silent about your presence here, so keep silent about our departure, will you?"


    Pamil and the others didn''t look shocked. Instead, they all held weird expressions. "Well, at least he is truly worth being a member of our Floating Blades Faction..."


    "Could it be..." Linfel noticed something.


    Pamil''s group nodded. "We are also making our way to the war frontlines."


    "Why?" Felia found it strange. "You all have strong backgrounds, and your elders are all high-level Maguses and Familiars. They will be fighting or contributing with lots of resources in exchange for keeping you guys out of danger. Isn''t that right? We saw pretty much everyone similar to you being taken back to their homes."


    Milia closed her eyes for a moment. "The same reason as you all. We are all Rank A Students in this academy, and yet we are being sent home. How ridiculous is that? The Academy was forced to send all the lower ranked Students and Familiars. Now, they are there risking their lives while we are back home drinking tea?


    I absolutely can''t accept that, so I hid out before anyone could come to fetch me."


    Pamil and Natalie nodded. "The same goes for the two of us. Still, it took us a while before we secured a route where we could leave the academy without being noticed to make our way to the frontlines."


    Linfel looked at William, the dwarf. "You too?"


    William shook his head, though. "No. My family couldn''t care less whether I go and die in the war or not. I''m like this, I have dwarfism. So they can''t wait just to get rid of me. Still, I want to help Pamil and the others since they don''t mind my problem, so I decided to go with them."


    Linfel narrowed his eyes. He could see such great potential in William with his different Magic Energy Channels; how could his family not see this? "Hmph! It''s their loss."


    The others smiled. They didn''t care about William''s situation. Otherwise, why would they let him join the Floating Blades Faction?


    "Still," Natalie found it strange. "Why would you be forced to stay in the academy. You don''t have a background like us, so you should have been drafted like everyone else, no?"


    Other than Linfel''s group, only Milia and Nori, her Familiar, knew about Alvin''s double MFC. "A few things happened in the last Field Exam that Alvin and I participated in together. Don''t try to pry too much into it, will you?"


    Pamil didn''t expect that answer, especially seeing Milia, the ice queen, covering for someone. "Did he steal your virginity?"


    *Pah!*


    *Ouch!*


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Natalie spoke after slapping Pamil''s back head. She then quickly turned to Milia, expecting her to explode in anger at any moment. Milia always had a short temper, after all. However... she just looked away as a tinge of red appeared on her face. "You can''t be serious..."


    "OF COURSE NOT!" Alvin quickly intervened, not noticing Milia''s reaction at all. "She knows a little secret between me and my Familiars, that''s all."


    Milia nodded slightly, still finding it hard to look at Alvin. "That''s basically it..."


    Nori looked at his Master. It took time before he was fixed, so he missed most of Milia''s interactions with Alvin after the events in the Field Exam. Nonetheless, Nori knew her master better than anyone else. ''Milia, what happened?'' he whispered in her ears, seeing that she was acting in a way he had never seen before.


    ''Nothing...'' Milia didn''t elaborate, though.


    Pamil and Natalie looked at Alvin and Milia several times. Alvin seemed to be acting normal as if he didn''t see anything wrong. However, they also have known Milia for a while, so they definitely noticed that weird reaction.


    Pamil quickly approached Natalie and used his Magic Energy to whisper in her ears. ''I only said that as a joke. Do you think I was right?''


    Natalie wanted to deny it, but she found it hard to do so. ''I wouldn''t go as far as losing her virginity... but something must have happened. It''s just that Alvin himself seems to be oblivious to it all.''


    Felia smiled. Her master was indeed oblivious, but it was becoming more and more obvious to her. ''Could there truly be something there?'' She wondered in her mind.


    Linfel was as clueless as ever, though. "What is the problem? Why the silence?"


    "Ahem!" Natalie stopped there. "Alvin has a secret, and Milia knows it, that''s all. Now then, can we talk about the war?"


    Pamil followed suit. "Yes. Alvin, normally, I wouldn''t allow you to go against the orders you received. Too bad, though. Except for William, we are all going against our orders. I simply don''t have the right to condemn you since I''m doing the same thing."


    Natalie turned her attention to Droval. "Droval, go back to your work and keep an eye open. If anything happens, let us know."


    "Alright," Droval accepted the task and left.


    "How do you intend to leave the Academy without anyone knowing?" William asked Linfel''s group.


    "This..." Alvin was taken aback for a moment.


    Linfel came up with a plan to use someone else''s Magic Energy signature to pass through the checkpoints on the way out. Everyone believed Magic Energy Signatures couldn''t be copied, but Linfel obviously could do so. However, they couldn''t possibly tell Pamil and the others about this ability Linfel has, right?


    "Seems like it is hard to speak," Pamil noticed the conflict on Alvin''s face. "Forget it. Why don''t you come with us, then? We also have a way out and already prepared transportation to the frontlines."


    Alvin pondered a bit and asked. "But I''m going to the west border. Were you planning to go there as well?"


    "Yes," Pamil nodded. "Pretty much all the Maguses and Familiars of our Academy were sent to the West Border, so we obviously are going there too. It is the closest front line, so it makes sense that our Academy was being used there."


    Linfel and Alvin looked at each other and nodded. They must have their own way of leaving, and it wouldn''t require Linfel to use his ability to copy Magic Energy Signatures. That would reduce the risks of his secrets being found. "Please, bring us with you."


    *Beep...*


    Suddenly, a beep went off in the room, and everyone looked at William.


    "It is here. We need to go now," William spoke. "We are truly bringing Alvin, Linfel, and Felia with us, right?"


    "If we don''t, they will move on their own," Pamil shrugged. "I would rather have our members close by than somewhere else."


    "Very well," William spoke and went to the back of the room. There, a secret passage opened, revealing a tunnel. "Let''s move out."

 Chapter 62: On The Way

    They all ventured into the tunnel, a hidden passage that appeared remarkably well-preserved.


    "Where does this tunnel lead? It''s unfathomable that the Academy, with its stringent security measures to safeguard the Maguses and Familiars, could be oblivious to such a passage," Alvin pondered, his curiosity piqued.


    "Oh, but they do know about it," Pamil answered straight away. "This isn''t the only one either. Pretty much all factions have these secret exits that allow you to come out in different locations in the city."


    "They do?" Alvin''s voice was tinged with disbelief, his surprise palpable.


    "It makes sense if you think about it," Linfel continued from there. "The academy is a gathering of all future prospects of the country, after all. If, let''s say, a rival country decided to get rid of it. An attack, for example, just like what is happening now. You wouldn''t want your best Maguses and Familiars, which are usually members of the several Factions, to have no where else to run.


    These tunnels make the perfect escape."


    Pamil agreed with Linfel. "He is right. The academy has a lot of security in place to keep things in order. But sometimes, these same security measures might get in the way of an evacuation. That is another reason for these tunnels. There is no risk of them being used to invade the Academy either.


    You can only use the tunnels to leave. You won''t be able to go back through them even if you want to."


    *Clac, Drum, Dram...*


    "What''s this sound?" Felia and the others heard.


    Natalie smiled in response. "Don''t worry. These tunnels are special. They are like a spiderweb, all connected. The routes of the various tunnels change on their own. Once again, security to make sure you can''t use them to access the academy, only leave."


    "Sh! Quiet!" Willian suddenly spoke. He seemed to have noticed something.


    "To our left, five Magic Energy concentrations moving," Linfel mentioned right after. "Judging by their forms, it''s three Maguses and two Familiars."


    Everyone looked at Linfel. "We knew your Magic Energy Sense was ridiculously high, but it seems like we underestimated it..."


    "That doesn''t matter now," Linfel spoke. "Who are they? People from the Academy?"


    Pamil thought for a moment and remembered. "No, they are the maintenance. Someone has to keep all these everchanging tunnels working, right?"


    "Linfel, help us avoid them on our way out," William asked.


    Linfel nodded and guided everyone. The guys Linfel felt didn''t seem to be in a hurry, which confirmed that they were probably just a maintenance team. Finally, they fell too far behind and left Linfel''s Sense Range.


    Around an hour later, they finally saw the end of the tunnel. William took the lead and opened a door. They found themselves on the northwest side of Sastasha City, right by a cliff''s side. Looking back, the door closed, and it was pretty clear it wouldn''t open from the outside like it did from the inside. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They weren''t the only ones there, though.


    "We have been waiting, you know?" A woman approached William with a smile, seeming to know him.


    William''s expression didn''t change. He simply took out his MCOM and used it for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the woman. "You can check it, Kalana."


    Kalana''s smile brightened even more as she checked her MCOM. "Just as agreed. Come, we have prepared the transportation. Just remember, once we drop you off near the west border, you are on your own."


    "That''s fine." William didn''t mind and called his group to follow him.


    As William mentioned before, his family didn''t care what he did, so he was basically the only one in their Faction who could go in and out of the academy any time he wanted. He had to go and find a way to bring his group to the front lines. Fortunately, he was still someone from an influential family in the city, so he knew a few contacts he could use.


    The use of his MCOM just now was just him paying for the transportation.


    The woman began to run, and Linfel''s group followed close behind. Another two hours passed in a flash, but they eventually arrived at an open field where a fairly rundown airship waited for them. "Come on, get inside."


    On the bridge, Kalana''s two companions were already imputing the commands. It didn''t take long for the airship to take flight and fly in the west border''s direction.


    Kalana looked at one of her people. "How''s the blockade?"


    The guy checked some information on his screen. "It is still fine. We are running the country''s flag, and we are registered as a cargo unit, which isn''t a lie. We are indeed bringing some cargo to deliver there. We can easily pass the checkpoints until we land at Fort Kansas."


    Kalana nodded and passed her orders. "Land somewhere else before we enter Fort Cansas'' detection range. Our friends will be on their own from there."


    "Understood!"


    The airship wasn''t anywhere as fast as the ones used by the academy to transport the students to the field exams. Because of that, it still took them almost six hours to reach their destination once they passed all the checkpoints. Finally, the airship landed on another open patch in a remote region of the west side of the country, allowing Linfel and the others to come out.


    But before that, Kalanda passed them a few cards. "I''m always open for business. If you need transportation again, call this number."


    "You just want to rip us off, that is," William complained. The price he had to pay wasn''t something he could come up with easily.


    "Like I said, business. Hahaha!" Kalana then returned to her airship, and they took off, disappearing in the distance a few moments later.


    "So, this is it, guys," Pamil spoke to everyone. "At the moment, we are in the Trolia Region. The front lines we can reach from here are the ones in the Yugislaw, Fonguis, and Qateva. At least that is the information I have."


    "I have one doubt," Linfel spoke. "If we suddenly turn up on the front lines, won''t we be captured by our own country? We weren''t supposed to be there, after all."


    Alvin and Felia also had been wondering that.


    "Don''t worry, we don''t need to hide," Natalie took the chance to give Linfel, Felia, and Alvin a new MCOM each. "A good thing about having connections is that everything can be arranged. In this case, my Uncle is already waiting for us."


    "Your... Uncle?"


    Natalia nodded. "He is a Level Five Magus, commanding his own battalion. He doesn''t approve of our Families'' idea of not allowing the descendants to take part in the battle. For him, the battlefield is the best place to build one''s character. So, I got in contact with him in secret. He has already prepared some fake IDs just to join his forces, so make sure you don''t lose these MCOMs."


    "Oh!" Linfel took a look at the information. "This is pretty good. Are you sure your Uncle won''t denounce us, though?"


    "Hahaha!" Natalie laughed in response. "You clearly don''t know the figure as I do. Trust me on that."


    Natalie then checked her MCOM again. "Pamil, his battalion is in the Yugislaw Region. There are quite a few known faces from the academy there, too, it seems."


    "Can you see the students in there?" Alvin was surprised and quickly asked.


    "Only the students, and that''s because I still have access to the Academy''s Portal in my MCOM," Natalie explained.


    Alvin didn''t waste time. "Please, can you check where I can find Connor?"


    "Connor?" Natalie pondered a bit. "Oh! That friend of yours that visited our Faction with you the first time, right? What''s his student ID?"


    Alvin quickly provided it to Natalie so that she could check. After a minute, she found Connor. "Sorry, he is somewhere in the Wateva Region. That''s all I can tell. Which battalion or specific location, however, I don''t know."


    Alvin took a deep breath and nodded. "Then I guess we will part ways here. I came to fight with my brother, so I can''t just go to your Uncle''s group."


    "The MCOMs I gave you won''t be of any use other than my Uncle''s battalion, you know?" Natalie quickly warned him.


    Linfel smiled, not concerned at all. "Don''t worry. Don''t forget that our initial plan didn''t include you guys. We have our own way of not being identified when we get there."


    Pamil, William, and Natalie looked at each other and nodded before looking back at Linfel''s group. "Then we wish you luck. Make sure you survive." It was not their place to tell what Linfel and his group could or could not do.


    Alvin smiled and opened the MCOM. It at least had the map of the regions around, prepared by Natalie''s Uncle, so it would be useful. "I wish you guys luck too."


    Yet, just as Linfel was about to leave with Alvin and Felia...


    "I''m going with him."


    Milia joined his side, much to everyone''s surprise.

 Chapter 63: What Really Happened?

    "With him? Why?" Pamil didn''t understand.


    "He is our newest member, isn''t he?" Milia answered while looking away. "I need to make sure he doesn''t die, or others will think we don''t treat our members well. It is already hard as it is to find Maguses who prefer to give their Familiars the option to go independent."


    Pamil and Natalie narrowed their eyes. Sure, Milia''s reasoning seemed flawless... but that was Milia! The Ice Queen! She couldn''t care less about such things. It''s not that she wouldn''t help her faction members, but the way others saw her or the faction mattered little to her.


    Milia glanced at Alvin a little and looked away a few times while she waited to see what Pamil and the others would say.


    Natalie, however, noticed that and smiled, quickly approaching Milia''s ear. ''You don''t give a shit to what others think. But...'' She then glanced at Alvin, who seemed completely clueless. ''I approve him. He is not bad. Just make sure you tell me everything next time.''


    Milia''s expression went completely red. "You are mistaken!"


    "Of course I am! Hahaha!" Natalie jumped back while laughing. "Pamil, William, let''s go. Alvin is in good hands."


    "Eh?" Pamil and William were lost. "Is that really okay?"


    "That''s perfect!" Natalie pulled the two away, not giving them a chance to complain. "What are we if we can''t even support our members, right? Trust them! Let''s go! Hahaha!"


    Linfel looked at that without understanding it very well. "What was all that about?"


    Alvin shook his head in response. "You tell me..." Right after, he looked back at Milia and Nori. "Are you two sure? I mean, I don''t want to drag you two down."


    Milia calmed down from Natalie''s comments and nodded as she returned to her cold self. "It is fine. Like I said, it will be bad for our Faction if others find out we don''t help our new members." She still couldn''t look directly at him, though.


    Alvin and Linfel looked at each other and decided to forget it. "Since you say so..."


    Following that, Alvin took a look at the MCOM and opened the map. "Alright, if we run all the way while using Magic Energy, we should get to Wateva Region Frontlines in a few hours. Is that fine, Lady Milia?"


    ''Milia...'' Milia turned her head around and murmured.


    "Sorry?" Alvin didn''t hear well, though.


    "Call me Milia!" Milia turned back to Alvin, trying to look at him this time. "What if we are in a fight and need to communicate? Are you going to call me Lady Milia every time? Every second could be the difference between life and death, so give up the Lady thing."


    "Oh!" Linfel nodded in understanding. "That is true. Milia it is, then."


    Alvin wasn''t as comfortable as Linfel, though. "A-Ahem... M-Mi-Milia..."


    Felia felt like laughing right there and then, seeming to be the only one who really understood the situation there. As Alvin''s Familiar, she had to be truthful with him all the time and tell everything she knew. However, in this one case, she decided to stay silent. ''This is something you have to do yourself, Master.''


    Milia showed a faint smile, but it quickly disappeared. "Good, A-Alvin. Now, let''s go!"


    Milia quickly dashed ahead, quickly being followed by Linfel and the others.


    As they ran through the terrain, Nori looked at Alvin behind with a cold expression. Then, he looked at Linfel and Felia before using his Magic Energy to speak with them only. ''You better keep your Master very far from my Milia.''


    Linfel was taken aback. ''What are you talking about? She was the one who asked to come with us, you know?''


    ''Linfel, leave it to me,'' Felia took the lead and used her Magic Energy to answer Nori. Poor Linfel was excluded from the conversation instantly. ''There is no point in telling Linfel or even my Master about it. Neither of them have noticed anything. If you want to talk, talk to me.''


    ''Hmph!'' Nori didn''t mind. ''So be it. I warned you. Keep this guy far away from my Master.''


    ''She is not your Master. You are independent, did you forget?'' Felia answered with a smile. ''That said, you have no say in her decisions, let alone in my master''s decisions. If the two get along, so be it.''


    ''As if I would let a weakling like him take advantage of Milia!'' Nori was determined to not let this go through.


    Felia''s expression changed into a sad one. ''Oh, such an ingrate Familiar. If your Master just knew it...''


    ''What?! What are you talking about?'' Nori felt something wasn''t right.


    Felia pointed at Alvin. ''Who do you think saved both Milia and YOU during the last exam? It was none other than MY MASTER! You two are only alive because HE put his life at risk to stone that Green Snake. Oh, right! A certain someone broke as soon as he blocked the Green Snake''s first attack, so he became an extra burden for my Master to save as well.''


    Back when the Green Snake attacked Alvin and Milia, Milia had used Nori in his sword form to block its attack. However, the Level Four Magic Beast was too strong, so Nori was damaged and lost consciousness. In the end, it was Linfel, Felia, and Alvin who saved Milia and Nori before Xalafel appeared to finish the Green Snake. It all happened during Alvin''s first Field Exam.


    However, because Linfel used Double Master Familiar Connection, Xalafel ordered that the information was not supposed to be shared. In the end, Milia only told Nori that principal Xalafel appeared at the last moment and saved them. It wasn''t that Milia didn''t trust Nori. If anything, Milia trusted Nori more than anyone else.


    It''s just that Milia also didn''t want to cause trouble for Alvin, so she never told Nori the full story.


    ''You lying! It was Principal Xalafel who saved us!'' Nori, obviously, didn''t believe it.


    ''That is also true,'' Felia didn''t deny that. ''But who do you think kept you and Milia alive until he arrived? My master truly almost died, and that''s how you repay him? How many Level One Maguses out there do you know would throw themselves in front of a Level Four Magic Beast just to save someone else? Hmph! If you don''t believe me, ask Milia yourself!''


    Nori ended his conversation with Felia and returned to Milia''s side.


    Meanwhile, Alvin asked Felia. "I''m not blind, you know? What were you and Milia''s Familiar talking about?"


    Felia smiled. "Oh! We were talking about Master''s marriage with Milia."


    *Pan!*


    Alvin immediately tripped and almost fell with his face on the ground, but he recovered before that and continued to run. ''What the hell are you talking about? There is no way such a thing would happen!''


    ''So you two are going to marry, after all!'' Linfel nodded, satisfied. ''She has a great DNA. Your descendants are bound to be good.''


    Alvin wanted to cry already. ''Shut up, you two! This is not time for jokes.''


    ''Master, you obviously took a liking for the girl... as did most men around your age in the academy. But that doesn''t mean you need to give up,'' Felia insisted.


    ''You said it yourself... She has countless prospects to choose from, so why would she even look in my direction? I''m a nobody! Now, let''s forget about it and focus on the reason we came here.'' Alvin obviously wasn''t that confident.


    Felia, however, smiled in response. ''Well, you never know, Master. We will be on a long trip together. Couldn''t some feelings take root, perhaps?''


    ''Alvin!'' Linfel suddenly shouted in Alvin''s mind. ''Don''t forget! As long as you are breathing, there is a chance! You can''t give up the idea of reproducing with her. I will give you my support!''


    ''Can you fucking forget about the reproduction thing?!'' Alvin and Felia tried to grab the wisp to give him a beating. Linfel, obviously, was much faster than them and didn''t give the two a chance.


    ''Stop running!''


    ''Like hell I will!'' S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia glanced behind and saw Linfel, Felia, and Alvin acting all weird. For some reason, Alvin''s group was always like that, which she couldn''t help but smile and find funny.


    ''Ahem... Milia.'' Looking at Milia''s rare smile, Nori finally had the courage to ask. ''What really happened when we were attacked by the Green Snake?''

 Chapter 64: 67th Platoon

    Milia was surprised by the question, although she did notice Nori seemed to be talking with his Magic Energy earlier. ''So that''s what you were talking to their group. How much have they told you?''


    ''That Alvin saved our lives?'' Nori made it simple. ''Is that true? Why did you keep it secret from me?''


    Milia pondered a bit. It seemed like they didn''t tell Nori about the Double Master Connection Alvin, Felia, and Linfel could do. However, she didn''t intend to hide it all now that Nori was told part of the story. ''It went like this...''


    A few minutes later, Nori turned back to Alvin, who was still puzzled about why Nori kept looking at him. Finally, Nori pointed at him and spoke loudly. "I''m not ungrateful. Thanks for saving me and, especially, Milia. However, I still don''t like you!" S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh?" Alvin didn''t know what to say about it. "You''re welcome... I guess? I don''t understand why you said that next part, though. Did I do something wrong?"


    Nori nodded with a solemn expression. "What Milia is- MmmMhmhmmhmmm..."


    Milia instantly grabbed Nori''s Core and prevented him from speaking any further. "Ignore Nori. He is a little stressed about what we are doing. You know... he didn''t want me to come to join the frontlines. That''s all."


    "Oh!" Alvin and Linfel nodded together. "That makes sense."


    Nori glanced at Milia while speaking with his Magic Energy so that only she could hear. ''Milia, I''m not blind! So what if he saved us? He is not worth it!''


    ''I don''t know what you are talking about.'' Milia was still in denial, though.


    ''Hmph!'' Nori didn''t insist. ''That better be the case.''


    Linfel''s group continued to run for several hours. By the time they arrived at Wateva Region, the sun was already going down. Nonetheless, they didn''t stop and made their way straight for the Forhu Army, the army that was stationed there.


    "Stop!" Suddenly, Linfel spoke to their group, who knew better than to ignore Linfel''s Magic Energy Sense.


    Following that, a few soldiers appeared. Some of them were Mguses and their Familiars while the others were normal people.


    "Surrender now or we will attack," spoke one of them while the others pointed their weapons at Linfel''s group.


    "We surrender," Linfel spoke. "However, we aren''t the enemy. We found out about the war while we were on an academy task nearby. It took some time, but we managed to get here once that was over. I can see the emblems on your uniforms. You are members of the Forhu Army, right?


    We would like to join the fight. We are also students from the Magus Academy in Sastasha City."


    "From Sastasha? We did indeed receive a lot of your students who are fighting now. Why didn''t you come with the other students in the airships?" The guy obviously had his doubts.


    "Because we weren''t at the academy when the draft happened," Linfel explained. "Anyway, please check our identities, and you will see we are not lying." Following that, Linfel tossed an MCOM to the guy in front.


    Once again, Linfel used his ability to copy Magic Energy Signatures to pose as someone else.


    The man quickly checked the MCOM and confirmed it was indeed an MCOM that you could only acquire at Sastasha Academy. Nonetheless, he took a small device out and asked Linfel to come forward. "Fifob, right? Use your Magic Energy on the device so I can confirm the information on the MCOM you gave me."


    Linfel smiled and filled the device with his Magic Energy. Not long after, the information of a Familiar called Fifob appeared on the device''s screen, confirming the Familiar was truly who he was saying to be. However, that wouldn''t be enough to convince the scout. What truly convinced the guy was the information attached to Fifob.


    "No wonder you only got here now. You were lucky to have been assigned a mission to the Coludam Waterfalls Magic Beast Region." The guy raised his hand, and all the other soldiers around lowered their weapons.


    As Linfel had mentioned, his group had prepared beforehand to join the army. Linfel did it by using his ability to copy the Magic Energy Signature. To make it more credible, Linfel used the Magic Energy Signature of one of the Rank B Familiars. Not only that, but he also used Fifob''s Magic Energy Signature to apply to an Academy Task to the Coludam Waterfalls.


    One might think, but what about the real Fifob? Well, turns out Fifob was one of those Familiars without emotions that only followed his masters'' orders. Linfel chose this specific familiar because he knew his Master wouldn''t take part in the war. Fifob''s Master was like most of the students in the Rank A and B classes.


    He had the necessary background to avoid the war since his elders or organization paid for it.


    So, unless the real Fifob, who only moved at his master''s orders, suddenly decided to get an MCOM and check his own information, no one would ever notice there was another ''Fifob'' taking part in the war. All Linfel had to do was add Milia and Nori to the information he showed in the MCOM.


    "Alright, Suan, come here," the scout ordered while he used his MCOM to pass a message to his superiors.


    "Here, sir!" Suan, one of the soldiers, quickly got close.


    "Bring these guys to the second battalion. They can register there. The rest of you, come with me. We still have a lot of terrain to cover," the guy then put Linfel''s group to the back of his mind and left with his companions, leaving only Suan behind.


    "You heard the captain. Come with me," Suan took the front and began to run to the so-called second battalion. "Still, the waterfalls Magic Beast territory? You academy students are quite crazy. Be happy you made your way here."


    Alvin approached and nodded. "We sure were. We heard about the first strike from the Xanzion Country forces. It was unexpected and generated a lot of casualties. Nonetheless, as you can imagine, we were told to come here once our task was over. There was a problem, though...


    There were no more airships available."


    "Obviously," Suan nodded, already expecting that. "With the sudden strike from the coalition, all the resources were redirected to the war straight away. There was no way you would get an airship to fetch you to the Coludam Waterfalls at such a time."


    Linfel took the chance to ask. "By the way, friend. We heard a friend of ours, a guy called Connor Triglan, was also sent to the west borders like us. Do you know if we can find him?"


    "Sorry, but I''m not exactly free to go around and ask for names," Suan shook his head. "You can inquire once you get to the second Batallion, though."


    "Alright, thank you," Alvin sighed.


    Milia was still puzzled, so she asked Linfel through Magic Energy. ''How did you do that? I know Fifob and his master, and you and Alvin definitely aren''t them.''


    Linfel faintly smiled. ''I told you, didn''t I? We had our methods.''


    ''But that was a Magic Energy Signature!'' Nori spoke on the side. ''Wait, did you hack the system back at the academy and swap your information? No, that is not possible... You... You have some insiders on the academy board, right? You asked these contacts of yours to alter the information about your group.''


    In the end, Nori didn''t consider even for a second that Linfel might have just copied someone''s Magic Energy signature. In fact, even Milia believed that to be the case, as she also fixed her eyes on Linfel. She always found Linfel to be too weird.


    Linfel pondered a bit and smiled at them. ''Sorry, that is Alvin and my little secret.''


    Neither Nori nor Milia liked that, so they made a mental note to investigate it once they returned to the academy.


    ---


    The second battalion wasn''t much further since there were scouts around this area. It only took around an hour for their group to arrive there. Suan passed his identification forward and brought Linfel''s group in, quickly delivering their group to the registration booth. "Alright, you can be assigned here. I need to go back to my companions, so I bid you farewell here. Good luck."


    "Thank you, Suan," Alvin spoke.


    Linfel and the others entered the booth, which was quite empty.


    "Hum?" One of the soldiers registering everyone was puzzled when he saw their group. "The next batch of soldiers was supposed to arrive in two hours. How come you are here already? And where is the rest?"


    "Sorry, sir." Alvin shook his head. "We are students from Sastasha City Magus Academy." He then proceeded to tell the same lie as before... which became the truth with Linfel''s little help.


    "Well, you are all pretty young indeed," the soldier said as he checked the MCOM. After nodding, he went to a box and took another five MCOMs from inside. Three made for Familiars, and two for Maguses. "Wear those. You can use your Magic Energy Signature to bind the MCOMs to yourself. You can check your assignment through it as well.


    As for your own MCOMs, you will need to leave them here. That''s the army''s rules."


    Alvin, Milia, Felia, and Nori passed their MCOMs to the soldier, except Linfel. Well, it was pretty obvious Linfel wasn''t holding any MCOM anyway. Still, Milia narrowed her eyes as she remembered something. ''Didn''t he have an MCOM a while earlier? Where did it go...?''


    Naturally, it was back inside Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    Still, she quickly shook her head and activated her new MCOM after passing her own MCOM back to the soldier.


    The soldier saw them following his request and nodded. "All MCOMs from you Students and Familiars of Sastasha Academy will be sent back to the academy later. You can take it back once everything is over... if you survive, of course. Now, go away. We are done here."


    Alvin didn''t forget to ask, though. "Sir, I''m also looking for a friend who was drafted in the first batches. His name is Connor Triglan. There shouldn''t be any other students here in Wateva with this name other than him. Would it be possible to locate him?"


    "What do I look like, a detective? The position of all the Maguses and Familiars can only be checked by the higher-ups. Also, you said he was in the first batch, right? The first three days of the war were quite bloody.


    That should be pretty obvious since the war was pushed all the way here to the Wateva Region, which is almost five hundred kilometers away from where the border armies usually are stationed. They truly took us with our guards down. Lots of the maguses from the academies died in these first three days, so I wouldn''t hold much hope he is still around."


    Alvin swallowed hard. "Isn''t there a way to verify?"


    "You can try to talk to the captain of your Platoon. He should have access to the information. I can''t do anything from here. Anyway, I have other things to do, so leave already."


    Their group nodded and left the booth. Alvin activated his MCOM, which only had very basic functions related to the army. You could receive orders, had a map to locate yourself, things like that. "According to what is said here, I''m assigned to the 67th Platoon. Linfel, even though he is independent, is still classified as my Familiar in this MCOM, so he is with me. What about you, Milia?"


    "Same here," Milia confirmed in her MCOM and Nori''s. "Makes sense since we are both students and arrived together."


    Their group walked through the second battalion, looking for their Platoon. "Oh, there it is." Linfel pointed in the distance, and they saw a tent with the number 67 on it. They quickly got inside, but there were only two people there at the moment.


    "Already?" A man who seemed to be in his early thirties approached. "I thought I would receive more members a few hours later with th next batch. Well, even better. I''m Claus, the 67th Platoon commander."


    A woman, the second person in the tent, approached as well. "Already talking about yourself as commander, uh? You have just received that promotion, so don''t get cocky." She turned to Linfel and the others. "I''m Falagita, second in command, not that it has much of a meaning in a small Platoon like ours."


    Alvin was just about to introduce himself. However, it was at that moment all their MCOMs vibrated.


    Without even looking at it, Claus already knew what it was about. "Shit! Already? The next batch isn''t even here yet. Fuck that. Let''s go!"


    "Go where?" Milia asked on the back.


    "Where else? To the frontlines, of course!" Falagita spoke with a serious expression now.


    ---


    Author''s note: We got a contract. ????


    Thank you all! Don''t forget to leave some power stones to help. ????

 Chapter 65: Forget It!

    Claus immediately threw a few weapons at Alvin and Milia. "Use your MCOMs to add your ID to the weapons. They will only be able to be used by you. Let''s go."


    *Zush, zush, zush...*


    When they left the tents, three rays of green light passed over their heads, disappearing in the distance. "What was that?"


    Claus began to run as they followed him. "Our battalion has three Level Four Maguses and Familiars; those lights were them."


    "I saw some nice armor on their bodies. Now that I think about it, Principal Xalafel used one as well back then," Linfel thought about it. "Are those armors the reason they can fly?"


    Falagita nodded. "I don''t know much about this Principal Xalafel you talked about, but you were right about your first question. Those armors are the reason they can fly. Forget about acquiring one, though. They are extremely expensive and regulated. Besides, they are useless if you aren''t at Level Four at least." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel was pretty interested in those, although they wouldn''t be of much use for a Wisp like him. "I see..."


    After a while, they arrived at the gathering field, where various other platoons waited. Naturally, their platoon was pretty empty compared to the others since it hadn''t received its reinforcements yet. No one paid attention to them, though.


    "Stand in line," Claus warned them. "Stay silent and let the commander speak."


    Soon, one of those Level Four Maguses appeared above everyone and spoke in a loud voice. "Xanzion is advancing, so we are moving out. Our battalion will join the 11th and 4th battalions in the Selevas area. Let''s go!"


    Without saying anything else, the man flew away without looking back. The entire battalion moved out instantly with serious expressions.


    As they did, Milia took the chance to ask Claus a few things. "Is this battalion of ours made of Maguses and Familiars only? I don''t see any normal soldiers here."


    "That''s correct," Claus confirmed. "But don''t think we are safer because of it. If anything, we would be a primary target instead. And we are going to the Selevas area, which is very big. The various platoons will be forced to separate to cover the entire extent of that place. We are on our own."


    "But we don''t have a full platoon yet..." Alvin couldn''t help but mention it.


    "Don''t worry, I already checked the assigment," Claus said and showed his MCOM to his group. "We will join a platoon of the 4th battalion once we get there for the time being."


    Linfel and the others nodded and entered a few vehicles that drove away. After no more than a few tens of minutes, Linfel''s group began to hear the sound of explosions while several airships passed above their heads. More of those vehicles with soldiers joined their battalion, all making their way to the same frontline.


    At some point, the vehicles separated into various groups that headed in different directions. Linfel''s own was on the leftmost side of those groups. In the distance, they noticed some small hills with a few trees. It was quite an open area with few places to hide.


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion happened on the right side of Linfel''s group, causing one of the vehicles to break down.


    "Everyone, out now!" Claus shouted and jumped out of the vehicle. Linfel and the others quickly followed Claus, who headed to one of the small hills. After taking cover behind it, more Maguses and Familiars joined them in there.


    "Are you Claus?" One of the Maguses there asked with urgency.


    "That is me!" Claus nodded, showing his ID.


    The man nodded and showed his ID as well. "I''m Tubian, the captain of the 43rd platoon of the 4th battalion. I''m taking the command of your platoon as per the assignment."


    "Yes, sir!" Claus quickly accepted. Orders were absolute.


    Tubian was aware Claus'' platoon had few members already. Otherwise, he would be asked to merge with them for this battle. "Here''s the plan. The enemy forces are mostly concentrated north-northwest from here. The headquarters wants us to attack it from the south with a few other platoons and make our way up."


    "From the south?!" Claus was taken aback. "But that area is completely open. We will be sitting ducks!"


    "Do you think I don''t know that?" Tubian asked back with a dark expression. "Nonetheless, those are our orders. Most likely, we are just a distraction so that the real attack can take the enemy by surprise. Anyway, that''s it. Let''s go."


    Tubian turned around and shot a flare signal upwards. Several other flares filled the sky, signalizing the start of the plan. Immediately, the various platoons moved through the south side of the Selevas area while keeping their distance from each other, just like Claus mentioned earlier.


    Alvin was nervous as he stepped out with Milia and the others. In the next minute, they were already in the open field, which obviously caught the attention of the enemy.


    "Here they come!" Tubian spoke as he looked ahead and to the sky.


    The fire began to rain down on the various platoons while everyone protected themselves with their Magic Energy.


    There was a good thing about a group made solely of Maguses and Familiars. They could create a very sturdy Magic Barrier, and that allowed them to defend against the projectiles as they advanced. Besides, they could move several faster than normal soldiers with their Magic Energy, so they were hard to target properly.


    *Boom!*


    *Ahhhhhh!*


    Unfortunately, the enemy head artillery made to deal with Maguses and Familiars as well. In the first minute, two platoons were hit, causing quite a few casualties. The Maguses and Familiars tried to aim at the shells coming their way before they hit the ground, but it was easier said than done. Nonetheless, everyone continued to advance.


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    "Fuck!"


    The sound of one of the shells came in their direction. It was already dark, and hard to see things coming from the sky. Tubian and his ground all used their Magic Energy to shoot in the sky''s direction, trying to destroy whatever was coming for them.


    *Boom!*


    They didn''t hit the projectile, but it didn''t hit their group either. It fell just a few meters to the side, and their Magic Energy was enough to bar the explosion. Nonetheless, their platoon was forced several meters to the right before they could stabilize.


    "Keep moving!" Tubian shouted and resumed their run.


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    More explosions came all around while bullets also hit their Magic Energy Barrier nonstop.


    Suddenly, another one headed in their direction, but it was still impossible to see anything. When it finally got close enough to be seen with their eyes, the shell was already in front of them. It was going to easily pierce their Magic Energy Barrier and explode right in the middle of their platoon. There was simply no time to target it and cast any Magic Attack.


    *Boom!*


    However, out of nowhere, a Lightning Bolt left their platoon, striking the artillery shell right in the middle. An explosion of both Fire and Magic Energy spread around, but it was too far to cause trouble to their Magic Energy barrier.


    Tubian and Claus sighed in relief before looking in the direction the Lightning Bolt came from. There, Linfel was connected with Alvin while Felia waited on the side.


    Milia, too, looked at them, surprised. However, she wasn''t surprised by the fact they hit the shell when no one else could see it. Instead, what caught her attention was the Red Magic Energy coming from Alvin and Linfel. ''Since when are they Level Two?''


    There was a reason for Linfel to ask Alvin and Felia to wait one week before coming out. He wanted to use the Red Magic Stones they got to bring Alvin, Felia, and himself to Level Two before departing. His ability to clean the Magic Energy improved a lot as time passed, which made their group''s training even faster.


    On the sixth day after they returned to the academy, Linfel''s group finally reached Level Two together.


    However, one thing made Milia confused. Linfel and Felia were both Familiars. The color of the Magic Energy of a Familiar''s Ethereal body showed what level they were. Both Linfel and Felia were yellow, which should have meant they were still Level One Familiars. And yet, Linfel and Felia both had Red Colors now. ''Did the three of them just level up?


    All three of them at the same time?'' Milia found it hard to believe.


    Naturally, similar questions popped on Claus and the others'' heads. It was just that it didn''t matter now.


    "Well done, you two," Tubian spoke.


    Alvin nodded. "Sir, focus on running ahead. Linfel, Felia and I will deal with any artillery shell coming from the skies."


    "Wait, what?!" Tubian and the others were taken aback. They thought Alvin was just lucky enough to have prepared an attack as soon as the shell appeared. That''s why he hit it at the last moment... or so they believed. "Are you saying you can tell when and where the shells will appear?"


    "Yes!" Alvin nodded. "We don''t have time. Let''s keep going."


    Tubian narrowed his eyes. "Gondo, Hetie, Leandro, you three also pay attention to the skies and try to shoot anything coming down."


    "But," Alvin wanted to speak.


    "I know what you said, but I can''t believe you alone. They will be your support," Tubian explained. "Now, let''s get moving."


    Alvin nodded.


    Milia got to Alvin and Linfel''s side and spoke with her Magic Energy. ''It was Linfel again, wasn''t it?''


    Linfel and Alvin faintly smiled. ''Yes.''


    ''Alright, I will also give you my support,'' Milia took a deep breath. There wasn''t enough time for Linfel to speak to her and then to shoot the shells. However, she could simply imitate their movements, and she was very confident in her abilities with Nori''s help.


    The artillery shells were made to deal with Maguses. So, obviously, they were also made with Magic Energy inside. That was basically telling Linfel where they all are located when they enter his Magic Sense Range. Not only that, after Linfel reached Level Two, his Magic Sense increased several times. He had a full picture of the Magic Energy in the surroundings fifty or so meters.


    That''s why he was able to identify the shell and hit it perfectly with Alvin''s help.


    *Boom, boom, boom...*


    As other platoons fell or got their numbers reduced, Tubian was among the few that hadn''t got a single injury yet. Every time one of the shells entered Linfel''s Magic Energy sense, he and Alvin shot it perfectly. Linfel''s Magic Energy Control was indeed flawless.


    The even more impressive thing was that Milia truly managed to follow their movements. She was very talented and could cast her attacks even faster than Alvin. So, with her precision and speed, she managed to release her Magic Energy attacks at the same time as Alvin and Linfel. She wasn''t as perfect as Linfel with Magic Energy control, but she definitely wasn''t bad.


    At some point, Tubian told Gondo, Hetie, and Leandro to simply join the rest of the group that was keeping the Magic Energy Barrier up. If he didn''t believe Alvin and Milia could do it before, now he had absolutely no doubt.


    As they advanced, Tubian looked to his side. "Claus-"


    "Forget it!" Claus instantly cut his words.


    "I haven''t said anything yet," Tubian complained.


    "Hmph!" Yet, Claus was well aware of what Tubian wanted. "They are MY soldiers. Like hell I would give them to you."


    "Tch..." Tubian clicked his tongue. That was indeed what he intended to ask.

 Chapter 66: In and Out

    "Sir, we are pretty much without Magic Energy already," Leandro informed Tubian on the side. They had been advancing against enemy fire for several minutes already. They were almost there, but because several of the platoons fell, a lot of the enemies shifted their attention to the platoons that survived this far.


    TUbian narrowed his eyes. There were pretty much no covers they could take, and running back would be difficult. "If things turn out bad, separate and retreat to any cover you can find, even if it is hard to find one. Just try to stay alive."


    *BOOM!* sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, another explosion sound echoed. However, this time, the sound didn''t come from the shells of artillery coming from the skies. Instead, it came from behind the enemy lines. Several balls of fire rose into the skies, causing pretty much all attacks coming for the platoons, including Linfel''s one, to diminish considerably.


    "What happened?" Alvin asked.


    Tubian and Claus smiled. "Oh yeah, they finally made it in!"


    As mentioned, the plan was to catch the attention of the enemy with their advance. At the same time, another group would circle behind to attack. It was a basic strategy that the enemy was most likely aware of the possibility. Nonetheless, the frontal attack was too dangerous to ignore, so the enemy could only play along.


    There were several casualties on the other side as well. Fortunately, the lack of soldiers from the Xanzion Contry helped the plan work.


    "Forward!" Tubian pointed ahead and ordered his group. Since the number of fires shot in their direction diminished, they had to force their way to not give the enemy any chance.


    "Alvin, Milia, this is it," Claus spoke to his new members. "We are jumping inside, and it will be tight. You will be fighting other humans, just like you. I know it is hard for students like you to fight, but it is your lives on the line. Do not hold back, do not hesitate, understood?"


    Milia and Alvin nodded. Alvin stopped his connection with Linfel and Changed it to Felia so that Linfel could give support from the sides. Milia, too, had Nori take his Fire Sword form and attach himself to her hand.


    "In line, attack!" Finally, they reached the enemy lines, and they jumped in. Naturally, the soldiers from Xanzion Country immediately connected to their own Familiars and retaliated.


    Linfel''s group was the very first one to arrive, so most of the soldiers around focused on them. Fortunately, it helped the remaining platoons to arrive even faster. In the next minutes, over thirty platoons pierced the enemy lines all around, taking the opportunity created by Linfel''s group.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin''s Red Magic Energy created a much harder Spear Fist than he could before. His body flashed while he punched and killed the first enemy. Alvin''s expression was terrible, but thanks to the previous Field Exam, he was at least able to deal with the feeling.


    *Kabrum!*


    A bolt of Lightning enveloped in Fire then hit another soldier on Alvin''s side. The guy didn''t even see when the attack was prepared. He was also a Magus, but it was too fast. Linfel then came from behind Alvin while his Red Magic Energy circulated around his body. Linfel truly knew how to fight in the midst of a crowd. Horan''s training paid off beautifully.


    *Clang, clang, clang...*


    On the side, Milia fought another Level Two Magus, just like her. Her sword, Nori, collided with the guy''s shield. It was easy to see that the shield was also a transformed Familiar connected to his master. However, the difference in talent was just too big. Milia held the advantage until...


    *Zash!*


    *Arrrghhhhh!*


    The arm that was holding the shield was cut off by Milia and Nori. The enemy Magus fell down and only had time to see Milia''s Sword coming from his head. Immediately, he closed his eyes.


    However, the eternal darkness he expected to take him didn''t come. He opened his eyes and saw Nori''s blade right in front of his eyes. The guy could feel the Fire Element inside Nori as Milia held him, but she didn''t finish him off. Instead, Milia''s hands were trembling. She... had never killed anyone in her life.


    *Bzzz...*


    Suddenly, the Familiar, who was in a shield form, returned to his normal form and attacked Milia from the side in that last moment of hesitation.


    "Milia!" Nori shouted to her, waking her.


    Milia instantly jumped away from the Familiar, but an ice icicle had already gone past Nori in her hand and targeted her head. The Familiar was using the rest of his Magic Energy to perform a suicidal attack to take Milia with him and save his master.


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    It didn''t go as the Familiar expected, though. Suddenly, his core stopped and began to crack all over. In the next instant, it broke apart and began to dissipate into specs of blue light. As it disappeared, Milia saw a brown spike falling to the ground. It was an Earth Element attack that Alvin shot at the last moment.


    Milia glanced at Alvin and noticed Linfel''s Core attached to Alvin''s hand as well as Felia''s Glove Form. Linfel used the Double Master Familiar Connection at Alvin''s request at the last moment. Linfel controlled the Magic Energy, while Alvin simply created the spike with Felia''s help.


    "T-That..." The fallen soldier from Xanzion saw that as well. "T-Two Famil-"


    *Puct!*


    He didn''t have the time to speak. That''s because a spear passed through his head from behind. It was Claus, their platoon leader. "What are you all waiting for?! I told you to not hesitate! Let''s go!


    It is not over yet!" Claus completely ignored Linfel, Alvin, and Felia, darting in the direction of the next soldier.


    Linfel quickly separated himself from Alvin so no one else would notice them. As for Alvin, he approached Milia with a worried expression. "Are you alright?"


    Milia nodded slightly as her eyes seemed on the verge of tearing up. "Yes... I will not hesitate again. Sorry for the disappointing you three."


    Alvin shook his head in response. "We are not disappointed."


    Linfel agreed. "If you had truly killed him on your first try without hesitating, you wouldn''t be a human. However, you saw how you almost died just now, and it is far from over."


    Felia continued, remembering when Alvin had to kill for the first time back in the Field Exam. "Master also hesitated, and so did Connor and Kafril, the two other Maguses who were with us in the Field Exam."


    "Master," Nori spoke. "It is fine you hesitated, but you also saw how you almost died. Take this as experience. Next time, you know what to expect, so pierce through it."


    Linfel, Alvin, and Felia nodded. "Nori is right."


    Milia got up from the ground and looked at the dead soldier on her side. She quickly rubbed her eyes and returned to her normal cold expression. "Let''s go!"


    With the enemy''s position being attacked from both sides, the enemy''s defenses quickly crumbled. Milia saw herself fighting another Level Two Magus from Xanzion Country, just like the last time. Victory came easily, but her blade still hesitated for a fraction of a second. She gritted her teeth and pushed it forward, this time getting rid of the enemy.


    A burnt cut severed the enemy''s head before Nori''s blade slashed once again, this time cutting the guy''s Familiar Core in two.


    *Shuff, shuff, shuff!*


    Several Earth Pikes sprouted from the ground, finishing another Magus and his Familiar. It was Felia and Alvin working together while Linfel tried his Red Magic Energy. Without a doubt, Linfel was the most efficient in this battle in their group. Yet, he had the lowest death count. All he cared about getting used to the Red Magic Energy while teaching Alvin and Felia.


    At some point, Tubian came back and passed his order. "Everyone, gather! We are retreating!"


    "Retreating?" Milia asked, puzzled. "Aren''t we with the upper hand? Shouldn''t we finish off the enemies?"


    Tubian narrowed his eyes and looked at her. It was obvious he had no intention of giving explanations now.


    Milia immediately shut her mouth. For a moment, she forgot she joined the army even though she was a student. You don''t question orders in the army; you follow them as long as they don''t cross the line. "I''m sorry, sir!"


    "Good!" Tubian''s expression improved. Nonetheless, he still gave an explanation. "We did great here, but we don''t have time. The Xanzion Country still has more soldiers than us, and the other frontlines here in the Selesva Region aren''t doing so well. I just got a report reinforcements are on the way. If we don''t leave now, we will be surrounded and annihilated.


    Let''s get out of here!"


    Tubian''s platoon quickly left the hill and joined the battalions that were retreating. They all entered the vehicles that were left further back and got away.


    Linfel looked behind, and saw several airships approaching in the distance, quite a few of them landing on the hill they just left a few minutes ago. Tubian''s orders were right. They would be in a bad position if they hadn''t left.


    Sometime later, the vehicles separated again, and only the vehicles from the 12th battalion remained together as they made their way back to their encampment. Naturally, Tubian''s group also left, which made Claus once again the captain of their small group.


    Falagita looked around and couldn''t help but sigh. "We lost at least 30% of the soldiers we left with."


    Claus nodded. "The fact the four of us and our Familiars survived is already a good thing. Also, 30% in exchange for taking down the enemies on that hill was definitely a worthy trade."


    Falagita and Claus looked at Alvin. "You were incredible back there. How were you able to tell from where the artillery shells were coming?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled while Linfel looked away, pretending he didn''t hear anything. "Errr... Ahem! I''m quite good at seeing in the dark..."


    Falagita and Claus were taken aback. Good at seeing in the dark? What was he? A cat? "Is... Is that so?" They obviously had their doubts, but it wasn''t their place to comment about it.


    Linfel thought about the time he used Double Master Connection with Alvin. Others might not have noticed, but Claus should have to. Yet, he wasn''t saying anything. ''Could it be he didn''t actually notice?'' Linfel wondered since Claus made no question regarding that. ''Oh well, whatever.''

 Chapter 67: Not Zero

    By the time they were back, the night was already giving space to daylight. Claus came down from the vehicle with Linfel and the others before passing his orders. "Falagita, bring everyone back to our tent. If any of you are injured, make sure to pay a visit to the medics. Otherwise, GO SLEEP! Things are only getting more tense from now on." Right after, he left. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had to report everything that happened during the last battle.


    "Before that, we need to eat," Falagita smiled and brought them to the cafeteria. Everything there was nutritious but very simple. Not that Alvin cared about it. Only Milia was used to expensive food and things like that.


    Only after filling their bellies did they finally return to the tent as Claus mentioned.


    Alvin instantly collapsed on one of the beds there and fell asleep. Milia wasn''t much different, quickly passing out. That only left Linfel and Nori awake with Falagita and her Familiar.


    "Hum? Shouldn''t you deactivate yourself to allow your master to sleep?" Falagita asked Linfel at the front of the tent, puzzled.


    Linfel glanced at Nori, who stayed close to Milia. Only then did he look back at Falagita to speak. "We are both independent Familiars. We don''t have that constant Soul Connection anymore with our Masters. We just follow them."


    "Oh!" Falagita nodded. "That is rare, independent Familiars." She looked around and saw no one was around. "Tell me, did you, Alvin, and Felia all Level Up at the same time?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Seems like it. We were on the verge of leveling up for a while already, all three of us. I believe the tension of the battle allowed us to take the last step into Level Two." Linfel was now with a Red Ethereal Body, the characteristics of a Level Two Familiar.


    "I see..." Falagita didn''t know whether to believe it or not.


    Suddenly, the tent opened, and Claus got inside, looking quite tired as well. Falagita quickly passed a bag to him, which contained food she brought from the cafeteria. "Oh, thanks. It saves me time."


    "Master, you need to sleep," Claus''s Familiar spoke to him while canceling their Master Familiar Connection.


    "I understand, Gusan." Claus didn''t seem to take Gusan''s words to his heart that much, though. He began to swallow the food while looking into his MCOM. "Milia and Alvin seemed to be doing fine."


    Falagita nodded. "How was the meeting?"


    "Sigh..." Claus laid back on his bed and shook his head. Nori and Linfel also approached, interested in the topic. Claus didn''t mind, though. They would easily find out if they asked around anyway. "Not good. Isn''t Milia and Alvin here?


    They are students, so you can guess just how desperate we are for Maguses and Familiars to help defend the country."


    "You mean...?" Linfel felt there was something else to it.


    Claus continued. "From what I heard, we barely have any other Maguses and Familiars to send to the frontlines anymore. We are being attacked by three countries at the same time, after all. And none of them could be said to be weaker than us."


    Falagita understood and explained more to Linfel and Nori. "The first three days that you weren''t here were the worst ones. Our country truly didn''t expect such a coalition attack out of nowhere. Most of the higher-ups in those three countries didn''t even know it was going to happen. Only when their leaders came forward and announced did everyone find out.


    But that was when their armies were sent to invade. We couldn''t react, so we lost a lot of our forces the three first days."


    "Exactly," Claus remembered that. "I also received news that our platoon will only have seven members. So, only another three are coming."


    "Only three?" Falagita was taken aback. "That makes only seven of us. That is not even a platoon anymore. It is only a small squad. Wouldn''t it be better for us to join other platoons together to make up the right numbers?"


    "You were right about a Squad," Claus commented. "We are not the 67th platoon anymore. From today onwards, we are just a squad. As for your question about joining with other platoons, I also asked the same. However, it seems like the strategists got a little impressed with our display in that attack and thought it to be better for us to stay with small numbers.


    We will probably be used for more specific tasks now."


    "Small numbers?" Falagita didn''t like it at all. "That is crazy! I don''t see why they would do such a thing."


    Linfel spoke from there. "One Level Three Magus and Familiar in Claus and Gusan. Then we have another three Level Two Maguses with Falagita, Milia, and Alvin. Each of them has a Level Two Familiar of their own. Then, there is also me, a Level Two Familiar. Can''t you see it?


    There isn''t a single member of our group below Level Two. How many platoons do you know in this battalion to have such a lineup?"


    "This..." Falagita finally understood.


    Claus couldn''t help but bitterly smile. "He is right. Most platoons in our battalion have a single Level Two Magus, maybe two. The rest is made of normal soldiers. Platoons with Level Three Magus and Familiar like me are quite rare. And yet, we have another three Level Two Maguses and four Level Two Familiars.


    We obviously were built for something else. The fact we were ordered to join a platoon with only Maguses in the last attack shows that we are different."


    *Flap...*


    Suddenly, the tent was opened again, and three people entered, followed by their Familiars. "Hello. Is this the 67th platoon?"


    Claus sat up again and nodded as the newcomers. His expression wasn''t very good, seeing that all three of the maguses weren''t really soldiers but city maguses. "This is the 67th platoon indeed. Well, to be more specific, we are now a squad. I''m Claus, the captain of our squad."


    Those three were somewhat confused but nodded.


    The first then came forward. He was a man who seemed to be close to his late twenties. "I''m Julios, a Level Two Magus, and this is my Familiar, Socra. He is Level One Familiar, though."


    "I''m Warthon, also a Level Two Magus," another young man spoke. From his clothes, Nori could tell he came from another Magus Academy in their country. "And this is my Familiar, Zenio, same level."


    The last one was a woman around her late thirties. "You can call me Vera, and this is my Familiar, Sando. We are both Level Two as well."


    Claus smiled. "Other than Warthon, the other two don''t seem very happy to be here."


    Julios didn''t deny it. "I''m not a soldier, you know? I''m a Magic Device Developer. The army pretty much forced me to come. I got basic training in the last seven days, but I truly shouldn''t be here."


    "And I work on the communications of Jenis City," Vera wasn''t any better. "Why are they even relying on someone like me?"


    "But you all graduated from the Magus Academy, didn''t you?" Nori asked them. "Everyone in all Magus Academies in our country receives battle lessons and learns how to fight as it is mandatory. You aren''t as powerless as you think."


    "We never took any Field Exam, though." Julios sighed. "How can we even battle anyone?"


    "I understand your position." Claus wasn''t surprised. They weren''t the first ones in such a situation. "But the fact is that if the country goes down, so will you. There is no way out unless you decide to desert. Well, I wouldn''t recommend that. The country is in such a bad situation that any deserters are to be killed on the spot."


    Fear appeared on Julios and Vera''s faces. Their Familiars tried to soothe them, but it wasn''t of much use.


    "Hey, it is not too bad," Linfel commented. "Who knows? Perhaps you will survive. I highly doubt so, considering your experiences so far, but the chances aren''t zero, right? Hahaha!"


    Everyone looked at Linfel with weird expressions. Was that supposed to make them feel better?


    "Ahem..." Claus intervened before things turned too weird. "Just take a bed for yourselves and rest. Our two friends there just came back from the previous battle, so it will take a while for them to wake up. Falagita and I will sleep as well. Later today, let''s try to get some basic group formation between us for the battles to come.


    Remember, you are not dead yet, and I will do my best as your captain to stay that way. Just don''t panic."


    Finally, Falagita and Claus went to sleep as well. It wasn''t before the afternoon that everyone was finally awake. Linfel and Nori just waited around since they didn''t really need to sleep. The three new members and their familiars didn''t seem to want to talk either, so nothing happened during that down time.


    "Alright," Claus got up, invigorated. "Now, time for the bad news."

 Chapter 68: Real Abilities

    Linfel and Nori had told Milia and Alvin about the previous conversation they had with Falagita and Claus. All they had said was already bad news, so how come the bad news was coming out just now?


    Claus continued. "Because of the fast pace of the Xanzion Country''s advance, our base here won''t be able to stay here for long. Projections are that they will advance to this location in the next two to three days at most. If you look outside, you will see that a lot of the equipment is already being moved out."


    "However, if we continue to be pushed back like that, we will eventually be trapped between Xanzion and Volztain in the north. Volztain is also advancing with all they have and giving no chance for us to breathe. On the south, things are slightly beter since Porfate Country is located on the other side of the South Sea. For now, we don''t need to worry about them."


    "Nonetheless, this can not continue. That''s why I believe the higher ups will come up with some plan by tomorrow at most," Claus explained. "So, I don''t want to scare you, but things should get pretty dangerous for everyone. We need to find a way to at least stop the Xanzion Country, after all."


    Linfel shrugged. "It was already dangerous during the last battle anyway. Nothing new here."


    "I''m happy you think like that... although you seem to be the only one to do that," Claus said while looking at the worried faces of the rest of his squad. "Sigh... I''m still not sure what will happen. All is just a theory on my part. Who knows?


    Perhaps our Heffal Country will reach an agreement with Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate and bring an end to the war. Let''s hope to be the case."


    Claus then made his way out of the tent. "Alright, let''s go to the training field. I want to see what our three new members can do."


    The training field was quite packed. With the last batch of Maguses, Familiars, and normal soldiers for the 12th battalion, all the platoons had to understand their new members. Several drills were happening all around and around the base.


    Claus''s squad was no different. He performed some very basic formations and watched Julius, Warthon, and Vera''s abilities.


    Warthon and his Familiar, Zenio, were better at Wind Element. So Falagita, who had the same affinity, helped them. The good thing about Warthon was that he was still in the Magus Academy, although he was close to graduation. He had done quite a few Field Exams as well. That meant he at least had a good understanding of his own strength and could work well with his Familiar and others.


    Julius and his Familiar were the same as Milia and Nori, a duo good at using Fire Element. Too bad that he wasn''t lying. Julius wasn''t a fighter. Although he could use Fire Attacks while connected to his Familiar, they were far from being precise. Both Milia and Julius were Level Two Maguses, but Milia could absolutely destroy him in a matter of seconds.


    One would wonder if Julius''s presence in their group was bad instead.


    Vera and Sando weren''t much different from Julius. They also had little experience with fighting. She had Water Element affinity, so Claus was able to instruct her directly since he, too, was a Water Element user. Nonetheless, there was only so much that could be achieved in such a short amount of time.


    ''Linfel,'' Alvin called Linfel''s attention. ''What do you think about this group of ours?'' Alvin''s confidence in Linfel''s experience was unwavering now.


    ''Hum...'' Linfel pondered a bit. ''Claus is a very good leader. He definitely has a lot of experience leading, and Falagita supports him well. With you, Felia, Milia, Nori, and I in the mix, I would say we are quite above average. I watched the other battalions and their members fighting during the last encounter in Saleves Region.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say we are not far from being an elite little group.''


    Linfel then looked at Warthon. ''He, too, is obviously quite talented. Not at Milia''s level, but definitely above you and Connor before you met me. Now, I would say you and Warthon are pretty similar, with Warthon being slightly better. He is much older, so that makes sense. Well, you now have experience fighting other humans, while Warthon probably doesn''t.


    I will need to see more from him when the time comes. Nonetheless, seems promising.''


    Linfel''s expression changed a little when he turned to Julius. ''Julius is no doubt a lost cause. He truly has no experience. If you ask me, his presence will do more harm than otherwise in our group. If he doesn''t die soon, I''ll be quite impressed.''


    ''The wild card in our group, however, is Vera...'' Linfel commented with a faint smile.


    ''Vera?'' Alvin was taken aback. Vera seemed to be having as much difficulty as Julius in his eyes. ''Why?'' Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel shook his head and moved closer to Vera while pretending to be just observing. Yet, Alvin saw things clearly. Right behind Linfel''s core, there was a small sphere of water. He had seen Linfel used it before. He compresses it with his Magic Energy to a high degree and releases a shot of water that is quite painful if it hits.


    Back in the academy, during their one week of training, Linfel used it many times against Alvin and Felia.


    *Ziu!*


    Suddenly, Linfel''s core went a few centimeters to the side before the Water Ball shot like a bullet. It didn''t have the power to kill anyone, but if it hit, it would definitely hurt quite a lot. The target? Vera and Sando, who seemed to be having difficulty following Claus''s instructions.


    Yet, just as the water ball was about to hit Vera straight on the back, Vera''s eyes changed, and Sando changed form. A blade similar to a Katar took shape from Sando''s Core before Vera rotated and slashed the Water Ball.


    *Slash!*


    The Water Ball Linfel shot at Vera was sliced in two, flying in two different directions past Vera. "What the hell are you doing?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Just checking how good your combat skills are. Seems like the communication companies back in Jenis City also give quite some good self-defense training."


    Everyone immediately looked at Vera. However, Claus, who was instructing Vera a moment ago, was the most impressed. That was definitely not the movements of someone who had no experience in combat.


    Vera''s expression changed while she looked around. Yet, her main focus was Linfel. Just how did he notice her real abilities?

 Chapter 69: Reward

    "Care to explain?" Claus asked Vera, his expression serious.


    "Sigh..." Vera straightened herself while Sando, her Familiar, went back to his Familiar form. "Listen, I didn''t want to come, okay? My plan was simple, I would pretend to be completely useless, forcing the battalion to kick me back to Jenis City." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She might be a spy from the other countries," Falagita immediately retorted.


    "No," however, Claus discarded that idea. "You know very well that Magic Energy Signatures can''t be forged. For her to be sent here, she must have been born and raised in Heffal. Let me guess, The Culling Forces?"


    Vera and Sando''s expressions changed. "How do you..."


    Claus raised his hand, stopping her words. "There is no need for you to say anything else. You movements just now. It reminded me of a friend of mine. Simple, fast, silent, precise. The only thing I don''t understand is why someone from the Culling Forces was sent to my encampment."


    Vera began to walk away from the group. "I still don''t have the answer for that myself. Just keep doing your training, I''m going back to the tent to rest."


    Claus nodded. "Alright."


    "Claus!" Falagita couldn''t help but try to get his attention.


    However, Claus just shook his head in Falagita''s direction. Seeing that, Falagita went silent and didn''t say anything else.


    Vera glanced one last at Linfel before disappearing into the crowd of soldiers.


    Suddenly, Claus felt like his knees were giving away, and fell with his back on the ground. "So scary..."


    Falagita and the others were taken aback. Falagita, especially, had never seen Claus acting like that. "Claus, what is this Culling Forces you talked about?"


    Claus sat up and looked at Linfel instead of answering Falagita. "How did you find out?"


    Linfel didn''t feel like he did anything impressive. "Hum? It was pretty clear, no? From the moment she began to make her movements, it was obvious she was holding back. It was completely different from Julius, for example, who evidently doesn''t have any experience whatsoever."


    Julius scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for being useless..."


    Claus faintly smiled and shook his head. "It is not that bad. It means we can focus on you a little more now that Vera is out. She doesn''t need our help. In fact, Vera''s style is the type that only works when she fights alone. She will definitely act on her own during the next time we are deployed."


    "The Culling Forces..." Milia came from an influential Family, the Frondors. She obviously knew more about the dark corners of society than most. "The assassin team?"


    Claus was surprised to hear that. "You know them?"


    "I only hear the stories from my uncle," Milia continued. "They are a force tasked to eliminate any threat to the country. Each one of them is an extremely skilled assassin specialized in covert missions. They aren''t especially strong themselves. However, even Level Four and higher Maguses and Familiars wouldn''t underestimate them.


    All they need is one chance, and you wouldn''t see the morning of the next day anymore."


    Except for Linfel, everyone else swallowed hard once they heard the story. "Is there such a thing?"


    "There is," Claus confirmed. "However, do not talk about it to anyone else. They aren''t an officially recognized force. Just like Milia mentioned, they are a covert force that doesn''t really exist in the country''s records. I myself only know about them because of a friend of mine... who is already dead.


    I didn''t think I would ever see or hear about them again in my life. Yet, lo and behold..."


    Claus finally got up and had his Familiar change into his spear form. "Alright, this is good news for us. Someone like Vera is bound to make our group stronger even if she doesn''t act as a group." Right after, he pointed his spear at Julius. "Julius, you aren''t as helpless as you think. Just focus on your job and it will increase everyone''s chance of survival by a lot."


    "Alright!" Julius nodded, knowing there was no way out. Vera''s story, instead gave him some extra hope of surviving this war.


    Linfel, Milia, Alvin, and everyone else also worked together for the rest of the day. Yet, everyone still had Claus''s words in their minds. That their group is completely made of Level Two or higher Maguses and Familiars. The only exception was Julius Familiar, who was Level One. Still, it was rare.


    Claus mentioned that the group would probably have to do something different next time they were deployed, and Vera''s presence only made it more likely to happen.


    *Huuuuuuuuooooooooonnnnnnnnn...*


    Suddenly, an alarm echoed over the entire 12th battalion. Everyone there took out their MCOMs and checked inside. Sure enough, a new deployment was happening. At the same time, a voice appeared on the megaphones. "Xanzion Country is advancing and will soon be passing through the Diangrun Area. All personnel prepare to engage.


    All commanders must check their MCOMs and get into position according to the orders."


    Claus did exactly that. Yet, his eyes narrowed as soon as he looked at what was written there. However, he quickly calmed himself and looked back. "Alright, we have our orders. Let''s go."


    "What about Vera?" Linfel couldn''t help but ask.


    "Don''t worry, she will come," Claus assured.


    As they ran, Linfel and the others noticed something strange. They were running in the opposition direction as all the other soldiers. While everyone jumped on the vehicles and drove into the distance, their group went to the back of the battalion instead. "Are we going in the right direction?"


    Claus glanced at Julius. "I usually don''t mind answering questions. But when we are in a hurry, please just follow the orders, alright? Just come with me."


    "Sorry, sir!" Julius didn''t complain. If anything, Claus was quite a likable captain.


    Finally, they found a few people moving in the same direction as them. Just by looking at the Familiars following them, it was pretty obvious everyone here was Magus and Familiar duos. Even more remarkable was that there were almost no Yellow Familiars, the sign of Level One Familiars. Almost all of them were at least Red in color, level two ones, and their masters most likely were at the same level.


    A few of them were brown, like Claus''s Gusan, meaning level three.


    A moment after Linfel''s group arrived, Vera and Sando joined them, although no one said anything.


    Suddenly, a Green ray of light passed over their heads and stopped at the center of the field those Maguses and Familiars were gathered. No doubt that was one of the three Level Four Maguses of the 12th Battalion. "You were called here because you have a different task this time."


    Behind him, five airships landed. "Each group will be sent on a covert mission, making use of a hidden passage. I''m not going to say where and how you will get there. All you need to know is that you will be dropped behind enemy lines, and your mission is to destroy their provisions, which should be in the process of relocating at the moment.


    If successful, it will be a major blow to Xanzion that will delay their advances for at least a few weeks, buying us time. Now, go!"


    "Yes, sir!" No one complained.


    Claus checked the number of his airship and guided his group into it. A moment later, those five airships took flight and separated.


    Julius was the most nervous. Fortunately, now it seemed they had some time. "Captain..."


    "I know what you are thinking," Claus stopped him. "This is a suicide mission. If we are dropped behind enemy lines, we will still be surrounded even if we manage to destroy their provisions. There will be a of angry people charging to take our heads."


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other. Alvin came to look for Connor, and he took some time to ask Claus about Connor during their previous training that afternoon. Claus indeed had access to more information regarding the soldiers. The problem was that it only included the 12th Battalion he was part of, and Connor was not listed there.


    He didn''t have access to the information from other battalions in the Wateva Region, so Alvin was wondering if he should leave with Milia.


    Unfortunately, before they could devise a plan, this mission started, and they couldn''t retreat anymore. Anyone who tried to desert would be killed, no exception.


    Claus laid back on the wall of the airship. "However, I don''t intend to simply die there. If we manage to pull it off and escape, we are definitely in for a great reward."


    "Rewards?!" Linfel''s spirit immediately began to boil. He quickly rushed over and pulled Claus''s collar with his little ethereal hands. "What rewards?!"


    Claus was taken aback. "T-This... probably Universal Credits, which is what the army pays... I supposed?"


    Linfel got even closer to Claus''s face. "How much?!!!"


    Claus tried to come up with a number. "I... I don''t know. This mission will have a huge impact in the war, so I guess at least a few tens of thousands?"


    "Hehehe... Hahaha!" Linfel laughed out loud. "Yes! Alvin!" Instantly, he rushed to Alvin and spoke with a serious expression. "We are absolutely completing this mission! We will raze their provisions to the ground and...


    and... and we will be RICH! Hahahaha!"


    Alvin didn''t know how to react to that. "That''s... a lot of confidence..."


    Everyone around was speechless. As Linfel cheered the news, the others murmured in Alvin''s ears. ''You have a peculiar taste for Familiars...''


    Alvin wanted to cry already. Why was he being judged instead of the wisp? It''s always him...


    Milia, on the side, had to turn around. She found it hard to hold her laugh. But then, a thought occurred to her. She never laughs, and yet, she just couldn''t help it when she was together with Alvin and Linfel.

 Chapter 70: No Concerns

    At some point, the airship began to descend and change shape. That was a scouting-type airship. Good at avoiding detection like radars and other methods, not to mention it was very silent. Linfel''s group ad to stay pretty close to each other, and there was almost no space remaining inside.


    Yet, all of the airship''s abilities mattered little... except for a single one. It could get very small, packing those inside even closer. That one ability was the main one that would help it get behind enemy lines.


    *Zush!*


    Suddenly, the little light that could be seen from outside disappeared, and the airship disappeared underground. It didn''t have the ability to drill. Instead, it entered a cave near a mountain, quite far away from the rest of the action.


    The pilot skillfully controlled the airship while following a route pre-determined through the tunnels underground.


    *Splash!*


    Finally, it hit an underground water body. That was the main reason why few knew about the caves and the places they were connected to. The water made it hard to navigate. Even those who knew it weren''t very sure if it was safe to get through. Nonetheless, the pilot knew what he signed for and continued to follow the route.


    At the same time, several kilometers above the ground, the Xanzion and Heffal forces met once again. Heffal arrived earlier than Xanzion expected, forcing them to halt their advance and take Haffal head-on. That battle instantly turned into the biggest one to have happened between Heffal and Xanzion since the start of the invasion.


    That was also part of the plan. To give the five hidden teams a chance to get rid of the provisions from Xanzion, Heffal country had to catch their attention. Engaging in that battle earlier than expected was their way to make Xanzion think they were taking the initiative.


    Back underground, the pilot navigated the tunnels for twenty minutes straight. Twice, he hit a dead end and was forced to look for alternative routes on his own. Nonetheless, he still managed to go back to the route depicted on his equipment before exiting the tunnels filled with water.


    -Attention. We are getting close to the dropping zone. Get ready.-


    The pilot''s voice echoed in the back as Linfel and the others waited.


    Finally, the airship got to this drop zone and landed several hundreds of meters before it. All its lights were out, and its equipment was turned off almost instantly. A moment later, the back entrance of the airship opened, and Claus came out first, followed by Linfel and the others.


    Claus quickly checked his MCOM. All the communication there was being interfered with, so he couldn''t really connect to any network, nor did he intend to. He only used it to check the map. The location of their drop zone was initially blocked. Now, however, it has finally become available for Claus to see.


    "Alright, according to the orders, Xanzion should be engaging our army in the Diangrun area. All their back support should be around seventy kilometers away. If what I''m seeing here isn''t wrong, they should be passing..." Claus''s eyes opened wide as he looked up.


    Everyone followed his eyes and noticed that the ground seemed to be trembling slightly. Claus''s voice continued as they all looked at it. "They should be passing right above of us..."


    Vera and Sando didn''t waste time. She took out her own MCOM and checked her orders before darting into the distance. Claus and the others didn''t even have time to ask her anything.


    "Is that okay?" Falagita asked, worried.


    However, Claus just shook his head. "Now that she doesn''t need to hide her identity, she simply doesn''t care. Leave her be. Our objective is to find a way to get rid of the provision vehicles passing over our heads. Let''s go. The exit is on this side."


    Their group followed Claus. Soon, they got to the exit, which was camouflaged.


    "Claus," Alvin couldn''t help but call his attention. "I was in a Field Exam when Volztain attacked. Their airships had equipment to find our location, and we were attacked twice. If we go out now, we will be found, won''t we?"


    "No," Claus shook his head in response. "In the same way that Xanzion is jamming all signals in this region, so is our Heffal Country. Their equipment shouldn''t be very useful at the moment. If we could be spotted that easily, we wouldn''t have been sent here in the first place. Let''s go."


    Claus was the first one to step out while the others followed him in a proper formation. Julius stayed at the very back, being the one with the least experience in their group. Finally, they sneaked through the vegetation and got to a vantage point where they could take a good look around.


    "Just how are they expecting us to do anything here?" Falagita couldn''t help but comment in a low voice. She just wanted to turn back and flee into the cave again.


    There were hundreds of giant vehicles, and each one of them had its own defenses. They weren''t like the Magical Tanks and airships, nowhere the same defense or attack. Nonetheless, they were definitely not something that their little group could do anything against. If they were lucky, they might be able to take down one or two before they are surrounded and killed, let alone hundreds.


    Above them, a few airships patrolled in various directions. Xanzion wasn''t a country of idiots. They knew that they needed their provision, so they left enough protection behind. Their main advantage was that they could spare the extra protection to their provision since Heffal Country had to deal with three countries at the same time.


    They had the luxury of being on the safe side and still held the numeric advantage on the front lines.


    Last but not least, although the majority weren''t Maguses, there were still thousands of soldiers standing by those giant vehicles. Even if not a single one of them was a Magus or a Familiar, it would be a miracle if they could kill even a hundredth of them all. Each of them had their own magical firearms, the same type that Alvin''s group had to deal with back in the Field Exam.


    Everyone there thought it was a lost cause... except for one. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hum... no wonder we were brought here. We are in a great position to take everything down," said Linfel, who didn''t seem the least bit concerned.

 Chapter 71: The Distraction

    "We can?" No one understood anything, including Claus. They looked back at the sea of soldiers and vehicles with mounted weapons on their tops. Showing themselves should be nothing but suicide.


    Linfel looked back at them and didn''t say anything. Instead, looked to the side and whispered in the direction of the shadows. "Vera, did you find it?"


    *Shushushushu...*


    Suddenly, Vera came out of the bushes with Sando already in his katar form in her hand. "I did..." Her expression was cold, just like it had always been since her identity was found. "You will definitely be a pain in the ass of any assassin."


    Linfel put his hands on his waist. "Good thing everyone loves me. I''m a very likable character." Seeing everyone''s weird expressions, Linfel wasn''t as confident anymore. "I am, right?"


    "Ahem..." Claus quickly changed the topic. "Would you two mind telling us what Linfel is talking about?"


    Vera got down with the rest of the group and took out her MCOM. Right after, another map opened. There were a total of seven red marks on the map, each being one of the transportation vehicles they were seeing. "These seven trucks are filled with Magic Fusion Fuel rods."


    Everyone was still puzzled. "So?"


    Magic Fusion Fuel Rods were used in many pieces of equipment where a powerful and constant influx of power was necessary. Magic Stones could only do so much, after all. Most airships of medium and grand ports used them, as well as any heavy vehicle. No doubt, all the trucks they saw carrying the provisions also used such fuel rods.


    However, they didn''t understand the meaning behind finding the trucks carrying these Fuel Rods. Fuel Rods aren''t explosive or anything. Even if you fired a pile of fuel rods, all you would get was a blast of Magic Energy that didn''t really cause any serious damage. What created the firepower was the equipment charged by the Fuel Rods, not the Rods themselves.


    Right after, Vera looked at Linfel. She wanted to see if he understood what she was supposed to do. "You tell them the rest."


    "Me?" Linfel was taken aback. "Err... alright. All I have is a theory, so correct me if I''m wrong. I had the chance to work with those Fuel Rods back in Sastasha City at the Vaxuwel Research Facility. They have a lot of equipment there that Magic Stones aren''t enough to power up, so they also use these Fuel Rods."


    Linfel continued. "Fuel Rods aren''t explosive themselves, so just attacking them is of no use. However, they can be explosive... as long as you inject them with Reactive Magic Energy." Linfel then pointed at Vera''s backpack. "I think that what you are carrying there is exactly that, Reactive Magic Energy devices. However, you have to have a very big concentration of Magic Fusion Fuel Rods. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, you won''t get a reaction big enough to cause the explosion. Once it does, however, the more Fuel Rods, the bigger will be the destruction."


    Vera sighed and nodded. She wondered if Linfel had sneaked into her bag without her noticing before they arrived. "You are correct." following that, Vera took several of those devices and distributed them between her group. "We don''t need to get all seven vehicles. As long as we manage to inject the Reactive Magic Energy into the Fuel Rods of one of those vehicles, the rest will play out by itself."


    Claus took a look at the device and then turned his attention back to the sea of vehicles. He easily found one of those pointed in the map, and it was definitely very well protected. Since they knew Reactive Magic Energy could do such a thing, so did Xanzion. That said, the trucks that carried these rods were being watched closely. "Alright, I understand the plan.


    Still, I don''t see how we will get anywhere near those vehicles. Let alone open one of them to inject the Reactive Magic Energy. We will all be killed way before we can get anywhere near one of them."


    Milia pondered a bit and understood. "That''s why we have five teams, right?"


    Vera faintly smiled. At least for once, it wasn''t Linfel who spoke. For some reason, she didn''t like that Familiar. "Correct. We prepared these exits before Xanzion got this far. Look under your feet."


    Claus and the others quickly dug the ground and found a few bags there. Inside, there were several uniforms... uniforms exactly the same as Xanzion Soldiers. "We are pretending to be one of them?"


    "I''m sorry, but Xanzion Country would need to be filled with idiots if they hadn''t thought about this kind of thing before," Alvin didn''t like it. Which force wouldn''t be aware of sabotage or spies in the middle of a war? If anything, dressing as a Xanzion Soldier looked like a terrible idea.


    "Normally, yes." Vera didn''t deny it. "But not now. Xanzion holds an absolute advantage. In this case, sabotage seems to be even more of a possibility, but it is also because of this that they will let their guards down. Because they think they have everything covered."


    "Soon, the other four teams that left with us will cause a distraction. We will pretend to be soldiers running to check the cause of the commotion... and it just so happens that we will pass close to those trucks," Vera explained. "That will be our only chance. The devices in your hands are prepared for it. Aim at the gaps in the cargo and shoot.


    That''s why we gathered available Level Two Maguses and Familiars here. With the power of our Magic Energies, we should manage to get past the shall of the cargo carrying those Fuel Rods when we shot."


    Everyone felt a chill on their backs. Even if they succeed, wouldn''t they be instantly identified as the enemy and filled with holes by all the soldiers around?


    "I... I can''t do it!" Julius trembled. He wasn''t a soldier and definitely wouldn''t just go out on a suicide mission. "I can''t do it! I''m going back. I''m going back to the cave!


    I don''t want to die!"


    He quickly got up and ran back to the camouflaged cave entrance... or so he tried. The moment he began to get up, Vera''s Katar came for his head.


    *Clang!*


    However, her Katar met with a Yellow Glove covered in hardened Earth. It was Alvin, who reacted in the last second and blocked the attack!

 Chapter 72: Bigger Distraction

    Julius, scared of his wits, fell with his but on the ground.


    "Deserters are to be killed on the spot. Are you going against military orders?" Vera asked without a hint of remorse as she looked at Alvin.


    Unsurprisingly, Alvin was also quite scared. Nonetheless, he didn''t regret intervening. "I... I just think all this plan is bullshit. That''s why I stopped you."


    Vera raised her Katar. She wasn''t very good at head-on combats, but she would carry the orders through. "Does that mean you are also a deserter?"


    Claus tried to calm them down. "Het, stop it! Xanzion will notice us!"


    It was then that Linfel spoke for Alvin. "Vera, I think there is more to it than what you know. Alvin seems to have understood something, too. Can you at least give him the chance to speak? How long do we have until the distractions start?"


    Vera looked around. Everyone seemed to be getting concerned. It wasn''t just Julius. No one there liked the idea of simply dying to get the plan to work. "I see that none of you have what it takes to carry the mission. You better pull yourselves together.


    The distraction should start any minute now. We have the chance to change the flow of the war with our hands. How can you all be such cowards?"


    "That''s the problem," Alvin spoke in a low voice, still connected to Felia and standing between Vera and Julius. "Vera, look at us. Other than Claus and you, do you see anyone here that would simply charge into enemy forces to carry out such a plan?"


    Vera narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"


    Linfel joined Alvin. "He is right. It doesn''t make sense. If someone was supposed to carry out such a suicide mission, it had to be a group of people prepared to die for it. It makes no sense to hide it from us just so we would find out minutes before the plan had to be carried out. Just as Alvin said, this is a bullshit plan.


    It is obvious some of us, if not all of us, would step back."


    "Wasn''t it you who spoke of this plan with me?" Vera asked Linfel. How come he considered the plan to be bullshit now?


    "The plan is good," Linfel continued. "The part of using the Reactive Magic Energy to explode the trucks with the Magic Fusion Fuel Rods would definitely cause a chain reaction and get rid of at least half of everything in this place. That''s the part I spoke about. I''ve never talked about going for a suicide attack, have I?"


    "Don''t you all see?" Alvin carried along. "We are not the team charged to carry out this mission... We are supposed to be the distraction."


    Everyone was taken aback, including Vera. However, Vera wasn''t an idiot. She disconnected herself from her Familiar, Sando, and got down with the rest of the group before they caught anyone''s attention. "I see..."


    Alvin sighed in relief. "That''s the only thing that makes sense. Milia, Warthon and I are all students from the Magus Academies. We had never been to war before. Julius is even worse, being someone who never took part in a Field Exam. The higher-ups knew it from the very start.


    The moment Vera talked about the plan, we would all try to flee, and Vera would be forced to carry the army''s rules."


    Claus and the others caught the whole meaning. "The idea from the very start was to have us become the distraction. Most likely, just like Vera thought, only a single group, a group that came prepared to die for the plan, would carry it out. It''s just that this group isn''t us.


    We are all Level Two or higher, We would definitely give this army some trouble before we were killed, especially since we would be trying to flee. That was more than enough."


    "If that''s the case..." Linfel looked behind. "Julius, check the tunnel entrance."


    "Okay," Julius quickly went there before coming back with a terrified expression. "It is closed! The entrance is closed!"


    "What?!" The others felt their blood running cold. "That''s our only path of retreat."


    "Exactly," Linfel continued. "We were supposed to be a distraction, so how could the army allow us to run back into the tunnels? So... the moment we passed through the exit, the pilot that stayed inside closed it. Now, we could only run on the surface, and it would catch even more attention."


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion happened in another location not too far from Linfel''s group. Down below, the soldiers all began to run, trying to find the reason.


    "It''s Heffal! They are attacking!" One of the soldiers screamed. Soon, the information spread everywhere. Many soldiers rushed to the front, having received orders to engage the enemy.


    Right after, Linfel''s group noticed a few figures running away from the location of the explosion. It was hard to see due to the distance, but it was pretty obvious they were fleeing with everything they had. Another one of the distractions was set off.


    It didn''t take long for another two groups to appear in another two different locations, but all to the same side of that regiment. They were all located to the south, and each one of the Maguses and Familiars didn''t think to resist; they just fled without thinking about anything else.


    "This is not good! We are also on the path of the soldiers. They will check our hiding place sooner or later!" Julius spoke, still fearing the worst.


    Linfel ignored Julius, though. Instead, his Magic Energy concentrated in front of him as he looked in a completely different direction. Even further in the distance, he noticed a few shadows rushing into the enemy ranks with identical Uniforms. he recognized that group. Not the people but the group itself.


    There was only one group with more than ten members that was gathered for this mission, and the shadows Linfel saw just matched the number. They easily blended in the midst of the soldiers that were running to the front and began to make their way to the trucks with Magic Fusion Fuel Rods.


    "The real attacking group is out," Linfel commented.


    The others looked at him. "How do you know?"


    "I can see them," Linfel explained. "I''m quite good at controlling magic Energy to increase my field of view."


    "Is there such a thing?" Claus couldn''t help but ask.


    "Have you noticed that Linfel is almost always quite good at everything?" Falagita added.


    "Ahem..." Linfel pretended he didn''t hear anything. "Leaving that aside, we should act soon. The soldiers from Xanzion are coming in our direction, too."


    Claus and the others ignored Linfel''s ''special'' abilities and grew nervous. "What now?"


    "I will not just ignore it," Vera suddenly made a decision. "Since I''m a distraction, so be it. That will buy time for the real team to destroy those Fusion Fueld Rods. As for the rest of you, do whatever you want."


    "Just a moment." Yet Linfel blocked her path.


    "Move!" Vera spoke with a cold voice, ready to attack Linfel.


    "I will, but I have a better plan for distraction. Will you hear me? Not only can the distraction be even bigger, but we might have a chance at survival."


    Sure enough, that caught Vera''s attention. She looked at the commotion around and decided to give it a chance. "You have thirty seconds to explain and put it in motion." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel smiled. "Good!" Right after, he looked at Alvin, Milia, and the others. "Alright, take off your clothes."

 Chapter 73: The Hidden Entrances

    Exactly thirty seconds later, Vera came out of their hiding place with everyone else. They were all wearing the Xanzion Uniforms that had been prepared and charged down.


    The Xanzion Soldiers noticed that and were alert. Although the Uniform was the same, they had found othr groups also wearing their Uniforms.


    Suddenly, Vera began to exclaim! "We found a secret passage on the back! Quick, we neem to blast the entrance!"


    "Halt!" However, the closest soldiers to them didn''t charge. "Show your Magic Energy Signature!" As he said that, he extended his hand with an MCOM in his hand. The other soldiers on his back all pointed their weapons at Linfel''s group.


    "We are from the same country, idiots! Give me this fucking MCOM!" Vera said and approached with her Familiar. She grabbed the MCOM and used her Magic Energy Signature on it before throwing it back.


    The man quickly checked and finally sighed in relief. "Lativia, right? What were you doing out of your position?"


    Vera''s expression turned dark. "Didn''t you see? Several squads from Heffal appeared all around! It is obvious they had been hiding to ambush us. We simply started to search places where we had no eyes. Shouldn''t you be doing the same?


    No, forget that! We found a secret entrance there on top! We need more soldiers!"


    The guy still had some doubts. According to the information in the MCOM, Lativia was part of the 22nd Battalion, which should have been fighting at the frontlines. However, the Magic Energy Signature doesn''t lie. That woman is definitely Lativia.


    In the end, the guy turned around and passed his orders. "You, you, and you! Go up there and check if there is truly a hidden entrance!"


    "Yes, sir!" Three soldiers quickly passed by Alvin and the others and reached the top of the elevation in a few seconds. When they checked the bushes, they quickly found the sealed entrance that Linfel''s group had passed through. "It''s here! There is a hidden cave entrance sealed by metal!"


    "Fuck!" The captain of that group cursed. Now, it was obvious Lativia wasn''t lying. Without wasting time, he used his MCOM to warn the commanders, who instantly sent hundreds of soldiers to that hidden passage sealed.


    Not only that but with the discovery of that hidden entrance, it became clear that the other squads from Heffal probably used similar things to get so close to their regiment of provisions. In an instant, the thousands of soldiers in that place began to look for hidden entrances to the caves below... and they found various!


    "Sir!" Vera... or Lativia, in this case, quickly spoke. "What are our orders? Should we also search those tunnels?"


    The guy narrowed his eyes. He was still curious about why someone who was supposed to be on the front lines was all the way back here. But then again, her squad had just made a great contribution by finding those entrances. Not to mention that in a war, it wasn''t hard to believe some information was registered incorrectly, especially since it was just a small squad.


    However, his cautious nature won, and he looked at Alvin a few meters away. "You, come here."


    Alvin quickly approached. "Yes, sir!"


    "Use your Magic Energy Signature!" He spoke, passing the MCOM to Alvin this time.


    Alvin didn''t delay and used his Magic Energy Signature.


    "Romulo, same squad as Lativia..." Finally, he truly accepted this group was from his own country. "Why are you not on the frontlines?"


    "Frontlines?" Everyone looked at him, puzzled. "We have never been in the frontlines, sir."


    "Sure enough..." That confirmed his suspicion. "Forget about it for now. Spread out and look for more of those hidden entrances."


    "Yes, sir!" Without wasting time, Vera brought her group away to look for hidden entrances like the one they had just reported. However...


    *Boom!*


    A sudden explosion took place not far away. A giant ball of fire and Magic Energy spread all around, blasting everything in its way with intense Destructive Magic Power. One of the guys who were trying to destroy the trucks with the Fuel Rods succeeded!


    Going back a minute in the past, Linfel explained his plan to everyone. Heffal had closed their path of retreat, and that same path was also camouflaged. However, Heffal had never thought that that same closed entrance could be used in such a manner.


    The plan was simple. They knew there were more of those entrances and that below, many intricate tunnels could be found. As long as they pointed out the entrance of one of those tunnels, Xanzion commanders would understand that there was bound to be more. After all, they had just found three hidden squads that appeared out of nowhere.


    They weren''t idiots. There was a chance of more of those hidden tunnels being all around the place their trucks were passing by, so the order to look for those entrances was passed ahead. That mobilized at least half of all the soldiers in that provisions regiment. Xanzion forces in this place were already on high alert because of the groups that tried to run away.


    They couldn''t give Heffal a chance to strike from within their regiment.


    Yet, what one would say to be the right call... at that moment... was the worst thing the Xanzion Forces could do. All the soldiers began to look for these hidden tunnels, and that caused the entire regiment to have soldiers sneaking everywhere. To make things worse, they did indeed find more of those tunnels, so more soldiers were mobilized.


    That gave the hidden suicide group, the same one that was trying to destroy the vehicles with the Magic Fusion Fuel Rods, the necessary distraction to get closer to those trucks. Finally, one of them succeeded and injected the device with Reactive Magic Energy. From that moment onwards, Xanzion Provision Regiment was done for.


    One explosion would carry out even more of the Reactive Magic Energy to other trucks carrying stocks of those Fuel Rods. A chain reaction initiated, causing those other trucks to also explode, and so did other provisions that could add to the destruction''s power.


    Linfel used that single hidden entrance they came from, the same one that was closed to trap them out, to cause the biggest commotion of all! Now, the fireworks wouldn''t stop anytime soon.


    As for those Magic Energy Signatures... they were obviously copied by Linfel. One must not forget that Linfel already went to battle one time against Xanzion as soon as he arrived. During that time, he made sure to take a look at the Magic Energy inside the bodies of the soldiers they killed and remembered them.


    When Vera and Alvin used their Magic Energy Signature in the MCOM, in fact, it was Linfel who sneakily moved between the two and used his altered Magic Energy to create the fake information.


    *Boom!*


    Not long after, another explosion took place. The previous explosion had too much Reactive Magic Energy in it, and the Fuel Rods in the second truck with even more of them reacted to it.


    "Not good!" Everyone who knew about the Fuel Rods grew in panic. "Run!" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vera and their group didn''t even need to pretend anymore. They began to run with all their might. They knew what was coming. As long as one of the trucks exploded with Reactive Magic Energy, the other trucks that had as many Fuel Rods in the same place would definitely follow suit. They were still in the range of the explosion, so they had to run as fast as they could.


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!*


    Another three of the seven known trucks that carried the Magic Fusion Fuel Rods became another three big balls of fire and reactive magic energy. Thousands of soldiers were killed in an instant, and it caused even things to explode.


    Sure, the Fuel Rods were the main target since they would cause the main explosion. Still, this is a provisions regiment, so they were definitely carryin a lot of other things that could cause more explosions as well. It''s just that it wouldn''t have happened if the Fuel Rods hadn''t been destroyed first.


    "Fuck! We are dead!" Julius cried, seeing that the explosions were catching up to them.


    "Shut your mouth and run!" Vera shouted back.


    "Come with me!" It was then that Linfel spoke and changed direction.


    Everyone looked at him and didn''t know what to do. Linfel had changed direction. He wasn''t running in the direction of the explosions, but he wasn''t running away from them either. He was going sideways.


    *Zush, zush!*


    Yet, Alvin and Milia didn''t think twice before changing direction and following Linfel. They knew very well how sensitive Linfel was to Magic Energy. If he changed direction, it was because he found a better route to help them survive.


    A few seconds later, Linfel jumped in the middle of a few rocks. Milia and Alvin didn''t care and did the same, disappearing in a moment. Only when Claus and the others jumped into that place did they finally understand. That was another one of the hidden caves, although this one was not used. It didn''t matter, though. It was the perfect place to hide.


    *Brummmmm...*


    *Bang!*


    A blast came from the entrance, almost hitting Julius''s back. They continued to run while the cave trembled. Rocks fell, and they didn''t know if it would hold the destructive power. They found a place to escape the explosions, but they might end up being buried alive as well.

 Chapter 74: Aftermath

    One didn''t need to think much to know that the entrance of the hidden cave they entered collapsed when the explosions passed by it. The rocks from the ceiling continued to fall as Linfel''s group ran deeper and deeper.


    *Kabrum!*


    *Bang!*


    Everything began to get dark when a bolt of lightning came from Linfel''s Core, hitting a falling rock that almost crushed Julius''s head. Milia saw that and didn''t waste time. Nori changed into his Flame Sword form and used his Magic Energy to intensify the flames. That helped illuminate the surroundings as they kept running.


    *Crumble!*


    Suddenly, the passage behind them fell down completely. Their group couldn''t help but swallow hard, having escaped the fate of being buried alive by a few seconds.


    As they went deeper, the tremors began to die, allowing everyone to finally sigh in relief. "Is it over...?"


    They looked in the ceiling''s direction, and it didn''t seem it was going down anytime soon. "For now, at least..."


    "What happened to the provisions regiment from Garisan? Did anyone see?" Falagita couldn''t help but ask.


    "Who cares?" Julius was still at his wit''s end. "We almost died because of that shit! Heffal trapped us outside! Closed our path of retreat and wanted to use us as bait for this fucking mission! Who cares about Xanzion''s invasion anymore. If I survive, I''m definitely leaving this shit country!"


    Hearing that, Vera looked at him with a cold expression. She made it clear that deserters shall be killed.


    *Gulp!*


    Julius quickly closed his mouth, knowing he was pocking the tiger.


    "Let''s calm down first, shall we?" Claus tried to calm them down. The last thing he needed was Vera attacking members of his group. "Vera, you kept looking back as we ran. You should have an answer."


    Vera''s expression relaxed a bit, and she had Sando disconnect from her. "Yes. Considering the size of the explosions and their power, it is safe to say pretty much everything was destroyed and the soldiers killed. I would be surprised if even 10% of those present survived. Forget about the provisions. With this, the mission was a success."


    She then looked at Linfel. "Speak. How did you fool the Xanzion MCOM? It is impossible to fake Magic Energy Signatures."


    "Of course!" Linfel agreed with her. "Let''s just say I used a little trick. However, that guy was too nervous to notice, that''s all. If he had paid a little more attention, we wouldn''t have been so lucky."


    "What trick?" The others asked.


    "That... is a little secret of mine," Linfel answered with a smile.


    Vera narrowed her eyes. She was extremely alert at that moment and didn''t see anything strange. What kind of trick was it that even she, someone with vast experience, couldn''t notice? "Whatever. You fulfilled your promise and created an even bigger commotion than I could possibly have done myself. We even managed to survive, which I found hard to believe.


    Everyone here has no need to worry. I will report everything, and you all will receive the proper rewards for your efforts."


    That definitely improved the mood of the whole group. Nonetheless, they weren''t out of the water yet. "That''s good and all, but what do we do about this place?" They were locked deep underground and definitely couldn''t make their way back from where they came.


    Alvin and Milia quickly looked at Linfel. ''Can you find a way out?''


    ''Hum...'' Linfel pondered a bit. ''Hard to say. I can''t feel any currents of Magic Energy. There are two possible reasons for that. We are too far away from any exit, or there isn''t an exit to start with.'' Now that Linfel was at Level Two, his senses improved even more. Too bad he truly couldn''t feel any currents.


    Claus went to a corner and sat down. "Whatever we do, we escaped by a thread. Let''s rest a little first."


    "Are you even a soldier?" Vera couldn''t help but complain.


    Claus just smiled in response. "Obviously! Don''t forget I''m not only a soldier, but I''m also your captain, and your captain is saying you should sit and rest a little."


    "I was given authority to move as I saw fit before I joined your squad." Sure enough, Vera didn''t care about Claus''s orders.


    Well, neither did Claus. "Is that so? Then you are free to continue on your own." As he said that, everyone sat together with Claus, all of them with tired expressions.


    Vera gritted her teeth. She wanted to just leave them all behind... but she couldn''t really force herself to do so. In the end, they were indeed tricked to serve as bait, including herself. Even if it was for the future of the country, the feeling of being tricked into dying wasn''t very good. "Sigh...


    fine! Let''s rest, but just for one hour." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s good enough." No one complained.


    ---


    Far above the surface, a flash of blue light suddenly appeared in the sky right above where the provisions regiment was decimated. It was a Magus. The color of the Magic Energy and the Armor he was wearing were proof of his status as a Level Five Magus. The guy looked down, and blood came from the corner of his mouth as the man tried to swallow his anger. "How?! How did this happen?!"


    Suddenly, his MCOM activated. Taking a look at the message, he could only report everything he was seeing. Following that, he shot into the distance, disappearing in the frontlines'' direction. Xanzion and Heffal''s fight was still ongoing. They were supposed to have the advantage. But with their main regiment of provisions gone, things changed.


    ---


    On the Heffal Country''s side, the commander in charge watched the battle from behind with his advisors. Orders were being passed right and left nonstop. Suddenly, someone entered his tent in a hurry.


    "Report!" The man quickly began to speak. "A gigantic explosion happened far on the back of the Xanzion Army. It is hard to tell what happened since we don''t have enough scouts. However, the Xanzion Country''s Army seems to be reacting to it."


    The commander''s eyes lit up, and he immediately looked at a man on the side. If Linfel and the others were here, they would definitely have identified that man. It was one of the Level Four Maguses of the 12th Battalion, the same one that passed them the orders before they left. "Franco, your suicide squad did it!"


    Franco also sighed in relief after hearing those words. "Yes, they did it. And for that, we sent almost seventy people to die as bait without them even knowing. Now, they are all dead, all of them Level Two or Three Maguses and Familiars. Quite a few were mere students from Magus Academies."


    The joyous mood in the tent instantly disappeared. The commander closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. "You have their identities, right? I''ll make sure their families are taken care of."


    Franco didn''t seem that much happier with the commander''s words. Instead, he began to make his way out of the tent. "Understood, Kritos. In any case, we need to make use of this chance. Xanzion will definitely retreat soon, so we need to kill as many as possible. I''ll be going as well." Right after, he took flight and disappeared.


    Kritos sighed and didn''t say anything, sending his mind back to the battlefield. "Prepare to change formations. As soon as Xanzion shows any sign of retreating, we give chase. Don''t go too far, though. Lest we fall for some trap."


    ---


    Back underground, one hour passed fast, and their group was ready to move again. "Alright, let''s get out of this hole."

 Chapter 75: Linfel Doesnt Pay Attention

    Milia walked in front with Nori in his sword form, flames continued to come from his blade, illuminating the path ahead. Vera and Claus followed by her side while the others were right behind. They had been walking for two hours, and they passed by various intersections already. Nonetheless, it didn''t seem like they were going up or down.


    "I wonder how these caves formed? It is almost as if they were made by someone," Milia commented on the way.


    Alvin, who was close, understood what she meant. "You are talking about the tunnels connected to the factions back in the Academy, right?"


    "Oh!" Claus felt nostalgic. "So you were also part of factions, uh? My faction had such tunnels as well. We even used it once to sneak out during an obligatory field exam week. When we came back, the teacher truly made us regret our decision. Hahaha!"


    "Hey, look!" Falagita noticed something and pointed to the right side. Barely visible, there was another path, although slightly smaller.


    Milia approached it with the others and looked inside. Different from the paths they followed so far, this was the first one that seemed to be going up instead of moving in a straight line. "What do we do?"


    Vera didn''t waste time and entered that path. "What else? If it is going up, we follow it. Perhaps there is an exit at the end."


    Everyone looked at each other and back at Vera. Even now, she was still acting on her own. Well, it wasn''t like they had any better ideas, so they followed the woman and her familiar.


    At some point, Linfel came from the back of their group and used his Magic Energy to ignite a small fireball. It floated in front of him, illuminating the path ahead even better than Nori. "Milia, Nori, you two should rest."


    Nori''s Core quickly returned to normal before he landed on Milia''s shoulder. To keep his sword form, Nori and Milia have to be connected, and the flames he produced require Magic Energy. It wasn''t much, but after over two hours, even they began to run out of it.


    "Hum?" Vera suddenly crouched and touched the ground before grabbing some dirt. She rubbed it against her fingers and looked up. "The ground is damp."


    *Drip, drip, drip...*


    It didn''t take long for drops of water to begin to come from the ceiling, catching their attention. "Are we under some lake or something?"


    Linfel instantly shook his head. He memorized the entire map. He tried to check his MCOM inside his Spatial Storage a few times, but it couldn''t connect to anything due to the profundity and the jammed signals above the ground. So, he could only rely on his memory. "That''s not possible. I''m certain the area we attacked doesn''t have a single lake or river in over a hundred-kilometer radius."


    Vera checked her own MCOM, which was also without connection, and confirmed Linfel''s words. "He is right. I don''t know where we are, but we definitely haven''t moved over a hundred kilometers from our starting point. Whatever is above us, it is not a lake."


    "It is one of those underwater tunnels, then," Falagita concluded. The airship that brought them did go through some of the tunnels submerged in water, so that was the only explanation.


    "Perhaps it is a little too risk to continue forward, no?" Julius, nervous as ever, already wanted to turn back. "What if the ceiling falls and we are caught by the water. We will die without air."


    Nonetheless, everyone felt Julius'' words weren''t without merit. The explosion of the Fuel Rods back on the surface caused a huge tremor that spread for who knows how many kilometers. Who can guarantee that the ceiling of this tunnel hasn''t been affected? S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, let''s make a detour," Claus decided, and even Vera didn''t complain. "We passed by other paths on our way up, so we just nee-"


    *Bzzzzz...*


    Yet, before Claus could finish talking, his expression changed as fear took place. Not only him, but so did the others. That''s because, right in front of them, Linfel''s Fireball suddenly increased in size and power several times. It didn''t matter how one looked at it. That was definitely the action of someone who intended to release it!


    "Stop!"


    Linfel wasn''t paying attention, though. "FIRE IN THE HOLE! No, wait, FIRE IN THE CEILING!"


    The fireball was released, traveling several meters ahead before hitting the ceiling, where most of the drops of water seemed to concentrate.


    *BOOM!*


    *SHUAAA!!!*


    The ceiling ahead crumbled, and a huge amount of water began to come down. Everyone quickly released their Magic Energy and shielded themselves. They all wanted to run, but the water was too strong. If they tried to move, they would be carried away.


    Soon, the tunnel was inundated, making it impossible to breathe... or so it was supposed to be the case. However, everyone had a sphere of air around their heads that allowed them to take some air for a short while. Once again, it was Linfel''s doing. He used his Magic Energy to gather both water and wing elements and create those breathing bubbles.


    At the same time, his voice echoed inside the bubbles. "That''s a lot of water. Well, we were also dirty because of everything that happened so far, so that this chance to wash yourselves a little. No need to thank me."


    No one could hear it since they were underwater. However, it wasn''t hard to tell that every single person with their heads inside those bubbles was cursing Linfel to the end of time. Vera even wondered if she was the assassin or Linfel instead.


    Yet, something surprising happened after the water fell for a minute... it stopped! The water continued to run down the path they came from, and now everyone was standing on the ground again, although they were completely drenched by the water a moment ago. They all breathed heavily, having used a lot of their Magic Energy to resist the water-pushing force so that they wouldn''t be carried down.


    "Sure enough, everyone is a lot cleaner now. It feels good, right?" Linfel seemed very satisfied with his actions.


    "Like hell!" Vera was the first one to recover enough to speak. "What were you thinking?! Were you trying to kill us? Come here! I''m going to kill you first! And then I''m going to kill your master!"


    Alvin looked at that and bitterly smiled. Once again, he was being dragged into Linfel''s mess. ''I don''t even have the energy to complain anymore...''


    Linfel was puzzled, though. "Why are you angry? Weren''t you in a hurry to find an exit?"


    Vera and the others were taken aback for a moment. "What does this have to do with anything?"


    Linfel moved under the part of the ceiling that crumbled and used another small fireball to illuminate above. "What else? If there was water above, then there were other tunnels. There were plenty of tunnels below to take all the water from the tunnels above. Don''t forget, we passed through various of these tunnels in the airship, and none of them lasted long."


    He continued. "Obviously, each submerged tunnel had only so much water that probably accumulated over a long time. As long as we had a place to send all that water, it would open another passage." Suddenly, Linfel felt a slight current of Magic Energy and smiled. "There we go. Seems like the exit isn''t too far."


    Other than Milia, Alvin, Nori, and Felia, everyone else was skeptical of Linfel''s words. Not for too long, though. They didn''t know about Linfel''s abilities. They helped each other go to the tunnels above, and they were surprised that they didn''t crumble with Linfel''s craziness. Alvin even wondered if Linfel knew exactly how to use the Fireball earlier to achieve this result.


    From there, Linfel continued to lead the group, but this time, Claus and Vear stayed right to his side. If Linfel tried anything like that again, they definitely would cut him down. They only hadn''t done so yet because of this exit he mentioned.


    They walked for another three hours, and Vera was already losing her patience. However, before she lost it, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel after they turned a corner. No doubt that was the light of the day. The group''s anger changed into surprise, and they again measured Linfel. ''Just how does he do it...''


    Yet, Linfel''s next words dampened their mood. "Well, this is not good..."


    "What is it?" Vera asked, and only then did she notice Linfel had an MCOM on his little ethereal hands. ''Where the hell did it come from?''


    Nonetheless, she quickly shook her head and checked her own MCOM. After opening the map, she noticed there was a signal from the satellites... and that Linfel had a good reason to say those words. "We should have just died in the explosion... At least it would have been faster."

 Chapter 76: Little Bit

    Seeing that the MCOMs were working, the others also took their own out. Opening the map, they found their location. There was a very big red name on it, as well as various warnings of danger.


    "The Magic Decay Valley..." Claus felt a chill on his back when he read the name.


    Magic Energy could be used in many forms. For Maguses and Familiars, you had natural Magic Energy with various levels for their training. For big vehicles like aircraft, ships, etc, everyone would use Magic Fusion Fuel Rods, which are great for big bursts of power but terrible and potentially harmful for any Magus or Familiar to use in their leveling process.


    Then, you had what people considered waste: Magic Energy used in various types of processes that became too contaminated and lost all their power for further use. If that was all, it wouldn''t be a problem, though. The issue was that this kind of magic energy waste was also a poison.


    Even in an advanced society like the one on this planet, there was only so much that could be done to deal with this kind of waste. Decayed Magic Energy was a fitting name, as any living thing that relied on Magic Energy would soon or later wither and die if in contact with this type of energy. Those who survived would often mutate and turn dangerous themselves.


    Plants, humans, magic beasts, it mattered not.


    One must not misunderstand. It was not the same as the impurities that Linfel removed from both the Magic Stones and the Magic Energy in the surroundings. Even though impure, the Magic Energy that Linfel got rid of could still be used to power devices, for example. It still had its powering properties and wouldn''t really kill anything.


    For example, Linfel could totally use the impure Magic Energy to power his MCOM... and he did exactly that all the time.


    Now, their group arrived in the Magic Decay Valley, a place reserved for dumping this kind of magic energy waste. This is a place that Heffal, Volztain, and Xanzion agreed to be the best location to let go of this Magic Energy. It was at the intersection of all three countries'' borders. It was the one place no one would even think about using to launch an attack.


    The chances of having more losses than gains were definitely many times higher.


    "Look!" Julius pointed at the entrance in the distance, scared.


    There, Linfel and the others saw some kind of gray and slightly purple mist in the air, slightly above the ground.


    *Cough, cough...*


    Milia couldn''t help but cough a little. They were already quite close to it, and even though not dangerous yet, her throat was already complaining. The others didn''t take long to begin to feel the side effects either. Even the Familiars would be at risk. They don''t breathe, but they do absorb the surrounding Magic Energy to sustain themselves, so it wasn''t much different.


    "I vote to go back and try to find another place to go," Julius quickly gave up going out of that tunnel.


    However, Vera immediately cut him off. "Terrible idea. We seemed to be quite deep into the valley, which stretches for over a hundred kilometers. Still, I didn''t expect we had moved so far from the point where we first entered the tunnels."


    Linfel agreed. "Indeed. We walked most of the way, so even though we kept moving for almost ten hours, I thought we would still be somewhere around 100 or so kilometers from the place we first went underground. Unfortunately, it seems like our sense of direction didn''t work very well down there. We have definitely gone much further."


    Alvin approached Linfel and asked through a magic energy-guided whisper. ''Can you deal with that like you do with the impurities of Magic Energy?''


    Linfel narrowed his ethereal eyes. He only heard about this Magic Energy back in the Vaxwell Research Facility. Their work there obviously generated quite some of this Decayed Magic Energy. Yet, he never had to go and deal with this Decayed Magic Energy himself. There were others paid for this kind of job. ''I don''t know.


    I would need to try.''


    "Hey, don''t we have a signal in our MCOMs? Let''s just stay far away from the entrance and call for help. Sure the army will send someone to rescue us here," Falagita suggested.


    Unfortunately, Vera instantly rejected the idea. "Out of the question. We are too close to the border between the three countries. Chances are that Xanzion would be the first one to catch our signal once we send it out. Besides, do you really think the army has the time to dispatch a rescue team in the middle of this war?"


    Falagita sighed. "No, they don''t. If I were the one in charge, I wouldn''t send anyone either."


    Vera nodded. "It''s good that you understand."


    Nori was also looking in the same direction when he noticed something. "What are those purple rocks there?"


    "Purple Rocks?" They all turned their attention to the left side of the cave, not too far away from where they were. They were only half to the exit. The rocks were completely different from the rest of the cave, which made them quite conspicuous.


    "Fuck!" Claus began to take a few steps back. "They aren''t rocks, they are eggs!"


    One thing was certain about places with Decayed Magic Energy. Anything that could survive inside such a place was definitely not easy to deal with. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ahem... I wouldn''t go back into the cave if I were you," Linfel spoke to Claus.


    "What? Do you want to stay here and wait for Mama and Papa to come back? I''ve never heard about any Magic Beast that isn''t at least Level Three in strength living in these places," Claus warned Linfel and finally turned around. The choice was now obvious. It was better to go deeper into the caves again and look for another exit. They might be able to avoid the Decayed Magic Energy as well.


    However, Claus''s steps froze when he heard Linfel''s next words. "Well, I highly doubt our big friend over there will let you go back underground to look for other exits."


    Those words instantly made everyone turn around. Right after, they saw a pair of vertical slit eyes approaching silently. Even with little light, its giant purple body extended further down the tunnel, making it impossible to see the end.


    Claus''s legs began to walk back to the exit slowly. "Now that I think about it, I believe a little bit of Decayed Magic Energy isn''t that bad."


    Surprisingly, or perhaps not, everyone seemed to be of the same mind at that moment.

 Chapter 77: Whirlwind

    "Kssssssssssss!!!*


    Seeing that Claus and the others noticed its approach, the giant snake, even bigger than the one that attacked Linfel''s group back in the Field Exam, immediately pounced at their group.


    *Boom!*


    However, Linfel was even faster. He reached Alvin and connected with him. By using both their Magic Energies together, Linfel cast a powerful fireball at the ceiling between the Magic Beast and his group. The ceiling immediately came down, smashing against the Snake Magic Beast''s head!


    *sssssssssssss!!!*


    The Snake screamed in pain and used the back of its body to pull its head back into the tunnel. Right after, the ceiling crumbled completely. Had the Magic Beast tried to force its way through the Falling rocks, it would definitely have been buried there.


    *Brum...*


    "Run!" Vera shouted to the others. Linfel didn''t hold back, and the cave continued to come down. They were still at risk.


    Linfel was the fastest one, controlling Alvin''s body to grab Felia and Milia and pulling the two away with him. Claus and the others weren''t much slower. Their Magic Energy rushed out of their bodies, and they ran for their lives, charging outside the cave.


    *Brummm...*


    Everyone then looked behind, seeing the cave entrance disappearing under the rubble. They weren''t out of the water yet, though.


    "We can''t stay here for long!" Claus warned. "We need to find a safe spot without Decayed Magic Energy!"


    The gray-purple mist enveloped everyone''s bodies, and they could feel the Decayed Magic Energy penetrating their bodies slowly. Without thinking twice, everyone closed their Magic Energy Meridans and Channels, stopping their bodies and cores from absorbing anything from outside.


    Vera looked around and tried to find a usable path. "We need to go to a higher point."


    *Cough, cough, cough...*


    Julius took a little longer to close his meridians and breathed some of the Decayed Magic Energy mist. "I feel dizzy..."


    Without anyone noticing, Linfel let go of his connection with Alvin and floated higher in the air. If he wanted, he could go even higher, different from the Familiars. Familiars were able to float by creating a kind of invisible Magic Energy connection between their cores and the ground. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was like they were actually standing on a pillar of Magic Energy to prevent themselves from landing on the ground. It wasn''t the same as flying. Linfel, however, could truly float as high as he wished as long as he had the Magic Energy to sustain it.


    Linfel never floated that high, though. After all, that was the same as saying he wasn''t really a Familiar. Too bad his group wouldn''t survive for long if they didn''t find a way out of this place. He soon floated high enough to leave the gray-purple mist and have a good look at the surroundings. Finally, he saw an elevated hill in the distance.


    He quickly came down behind Alvin and stood on Alvin''s shoulder, connecting to him again. ''Alvin, do as I say,'' Linfel made his voice echo inside Alvin''s mind.


    Alvin nodded and called the others. "Everyone, get closer to me. Falagita, Warthon, help me a little."


    Falagita and Warthon didn''t know what Alvin wanted. Still, they didn''t know what to do, so they quickly approached. Everyone got close to each other before Alvin''s Magic Energy merged with Linfel''s. The Wind Element moved, creating a whirlwind around their group.


    The air from above the gray-purple mist came down. Soon, an opening inside that mist was created with Alvin and Linfel''s efforts. That allowed their group to finally breathe clean air again. "Falagita, Warthon, you two have Wind Affinity, so help me keep this whirlwind going. Remember, do it the same way as I am so that the clean air from above forces the Decayed Magic Energy mist away from us."


    Warthon and Falagita didn''t need to hear twice. Their magic energies circulated, and the whirlwind stabilized. Naturally, they also connected to their own Familiars to have access to more Magic Energy to keep their efforts longer.


    "Well done, Alvin!" Claus was happy to see that.


    Alvin bitterly smiled, and so did Falagita and Warthon. "This is just a temporary measure. The mists here go quite high in the air. Forcing the clean air from above to come down and clear an area utilizes a lot of Magic Energy. Even with the three of us, I doubt we can keep this going for more than five minutes."


    "I thought you were good with Earth Element..." Vera couldn''t help but comment, seeing Alvin manipulate the Wind Element so well.


    "Does it matter now?" Alvin asked back.


    "No..." Vera shook her head and looked above. Right after, she connected with Sando and accumulated their Magic Energy on her legs.


    *Bam!*


    She stomped the ground below and rose over ten meters in the air while spinning slightly. That allowed Vera to fly above the mist and take a good look at the surroundings. Just like Linfel, she noticed an elevated hill not too far from them before landing back on the ground. "Can you guys move while keeping this opening?"


    "Yes," Alvin, Falagita, and Warthon nodded. "Just don''t move too fast."


    Vera heard them. "That''s good enough. There is an elevation in that direction. It is just a kilometer and a half away, more or less. It seems to be high enough for the mist to not reach us. Five minutes should be just enough."


    "Then let''s go!" Claus quickly gave the order. "Vera, you and I will take the front just in case something comes out of the mist to attack us."


    "No problem." Vera joined Claus at the front.


    Julius wasn''t of much help, so he just stayed behind. Their group then moved as one and made their way to that elevation. Visibility was poor, but Vera would jump once in a while to confirm they were in the right direction.


    While they moved, Warthon and Falagita looked at Alvin with different eyes. They were indeed helping to keep the whirlwind going, but no doubt Alvin was doing the hardest part, which was to keep the currents of air flowing in the right direction. None of the two could do that. Little did they know that it was Linfel instead that was controlling Alvin and the magic energy in their bodies.


    Alvin''s only contribution was that he made it as easy as possible for Linfel to control his Magic Energy. That showed his trust in the wisp.


    *Awooooooooooooo!!!*


    Unfortunately, their brazen movements didn''t go unnoticed. Few Magic Beasts could live in such a place, but each and every single one of them was powerful. Claus wasn''t wrong. Except for Magic Beasts that were too young, all others that managed to live here were definitely at level three or higher.


    Linfel''s Magic Energy Sense was the first one to catch the presence of the Magic Beasts. "Five concentrations of Magic Energies coming from the left side. Each one of them is at the same level as Claus, Level Three. We need to get out of the mist now!" Linfel''s Sense at Level Two had a range of almost a hundred meters when unobstructed.


    The mist was thick, but it couldn''t block his senses, so he caught the direction of the Magic Beasts quite early.


    *Bam!*


    Vera jumped one more time, confirming the distance from the hill. "We are around three hundred meters away from our target."


    Claus looked at everyone behind and gritted his teeth. "Alvin, Falagita, Warthon. Stop the whirlwind when I count to three. Everyone, close your Magic Energy Meridians and Channels. As soon as the whirlwind stops, we run with everything we have. We are dead meat in the midst of the Decayed Magic Energy.


    We can only try to get to the hill ahead as fast as possible before the Magic Beasts reach us."


    Julius was pale. "B-But, can we fight those Magic Beasts there?"


    Claus didn''t answer. They probably couldn''t due to the difference in strength. However, at least there was a chance. In the middle of the mist, on the other hand, their chances were definitely zero. "One, two... three!"


    Alvin, Falagita, and Warthon instantly stopped manipulating the Wind Element. The whirlwind disappeared, and the mist began to get close.


    "Run!"


    Claus only gave that order before his Brown Magic Energy exploded while connected to Gusan, his Familiar. They were the only Level Three in their group, so they took the front to try to force their way open in case anything else appeared.


    Alvin, Milia, and the others followed from behind as fast as they could. At the same time, Linfel''s senses were focused on the Magic Beasts. ''70 meters... 50 meters... 30 meters... they are too fast...''


    Linfel quickly controlled his Magic Energy and Alvin''s, merging them together before accumulating Earth Element. The accumulated Magic Energy and Earth Element then entered the ground below as their group passed.


    A few seconds later...


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Everyone heard the sound of something crashing. They didn''t know what happened, but none of them waited to see what it was.


    Linfel''s senses continued to focus on the Magic Beasts. ''Seems like it worked.'' A moment earlier, he used his Magic Energy to create a trap. As long as something passed above the area where he left his Magic Energy and Earth Element, it would activate and create a wall of earth, the same one Alvin liked to use.


    The Magic Beasts behind were pursuing them at full speed, so they didn''t have time to avoid and crashed against it. Linfel could tell that they didn''t suffer any real damage, but that definitely confused their senses, forcing them to stop for a moment.


    Suddenly, they began to go up. They finally reached the hill and quickly climbed. The gray-purple mist soon grew thin until everyone''s heads popped out of it. They now could breath again. Now, the problem was the Magic Beasts that were pursuing them.

 Chapter 78: Bubbles

    The hill wasn''t that big, allowing them to climb no more than a few tens of meters above the mist below. They all made a circle formation and watched the mist on all sides, waiting for the Magic Beasts.


    ''Alvin, Felia,'' Linfel spoke into Alvin and Felia''s minds again. ''If it is only you two, I can bring you out of here. I''m a wisp, and I can float. We might be able to float from one high point to the other and make intervals to recover our Magic Energy. However, I definitely don''t have the Magic Energy to bring the others. So, if push comes to shove, I''m only helping you two.''


    Alvin and Felia were taken aback. However, before they could answer, they noticed movements.


    *Vush, vush... vush, vush, vush...*


    Several shadows appeared and disappeared a the border of the gray-purple mist of Decayed Magic Energy. However, none of them jumped out of there. It was as if they found some impediment that prevented them from going further up that hill.


    *Awooooooo!!!*


    After several minutes of tension, the howl of one of them could be heard in the distance. As a result, the Magic Beasts running at the border of the mist around the hill disappeared. Linfel''s group could hear their steps growing further away. At some point, the area went silent, and nothing more happened.


    "They... left?" Falagita asked everyone, finding it hard to believe.


    Linfel''s Magic Energy Sense checked the surroundings. "Seems like it. At the very least, they left the range of my senses. As to why they did that or where did they go, I have no idea."


    "Sigh..." Claus dropped to the ground and sighed in relief. "Finally, some time to relax..."


    "Relax?" Vera narrowed her eyes. They didn''t seem to be in a situation where they could relax at all. "Take a look around. How can you relax? We need to find a way out!"


    Claus sat up and didn''t mind Vera''s complaints. "And we will think about a solution, so relax. I''ll ask you the same thing, look around. Can you see an escape route? I don''t think you can fly, nor can I, so we can give it some time for us to rest and think about a solution."


    "That is good," Warthon agreed. "Alvin, Falagita, and I, as well as our Familiars, spent quite a lot of Magic Energy to keep the whirlwind running. Give us an hour to recover."


    Vera could only accept it. "Fine... Since we are staying still, does anyone here have any idea about how to escape this hell?"


    Linfel nodded. "Sure!" Everyone instantly looked as Linfel continued to talk. "We can simply surrender to Xanzion. Didn''t you say sending a message from here would most likely be intercepted? We can do exactly that and wait for Xanzion to appear. We will be imprisoned, but at least we will leave this place."


    "Out of the question!" Vera instantly refused. Not only her, but no one there liked the idea either.


    "Julius tried as well. "Can we map our way out through other hills?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Julius pointed in the distance. That wasn''t the only hill that appeared about the gray-purple mist. There were various other high-plane places that could be used to avoid the mist. "We can try to go from one hill to another and see if we can make our way out."


    Linfel and the others looked at the elevated places that they could see. Some weren''t that far, but others truly were just too out of reach. From their point of view, they would get stuck on some other hill sooner or later. "We can consider that option if nothing better comes up."


    It was early morning, and the sun continued to rise in the skies. Everyone was silently contemplating their next move. Alvin took that chance to talk to Linfel about his words earlier, though. ''I can''t just leave everyone behind.''


    Linfel expected that. ''I know. But I also can''t save everyone. I''m not sure if I can even save ourselves with that plan.''


    Felia joined the conversation. ''Linfel, you are wasting your time. Master will definitely not leave Milia here. He wants to have kids with her.''


    Alvin almost vomited blood. ''Couldn''t you think about a better reason?''


    ''Am I wrong?'' Felia asked with a knowing smile.


    Alvin didn''t answer anymore.


    Seeing that, Linfel understood he could only give up. ''Fine. Let''s see what we can manage.'' He could control Alvin''s body when they were connected, but that was only as long as Alvin didn''t try to block his connection. If Alvin did it, then not even Linfel couldn''t force Alvin to move as he wanted.


    Some time later, Linfel noticed something. "Is it me, or did the mist retreat a little since we first arrived here?"


    Alvin and the others took a look at the mist. They hadn''t paid attention since they were more concerned about what lived inside. However, they all watched it for the next ten minutes or so. "It truly does seem to be going down."


    "Is it the sun?" Claus wondered on the side.


    "Probably. Even though it has Decayed Magic Energy in the mix, it is still mist," Linfel commented. "The sun is still rising, so I believe it should go even further down. Let''s wait. Once it gets to midday, it should make a big difference in our field of view. Perhaps we can truly find a route to leave this place like Julius proposed."


    This time, even Vera didn''t complain. They simply waited at the top of that hill for several hours. During this time, the mist went further and further down. By midday, the mist, which initially stretched around ten meters in the air, now only reached around three meters. However, there was also a problem with that phenomenon. "Look at the mist.


    It is definitely down. Yet..."


    They looked at it. Initially, the mist was a mix of gray and purple colors. Now, however, it was mostly purple. With the absence of the mist, most of the concentration was pure Decayed Magic Energy. There was still mist mixed within, but Decayed Magic Energy definitely made the majority of the content. It goes without saying that breathing or absorbing that mist now would be even more dangerous.


    "From the looks of it, we have two options," Claus concluded. "The concentration of Decayed Magic Energy in the air is relative to the amount of mist. During daytime, we can see more, but the concentration of Decayed Magic Energy is several times higher."


    He continued. "On the other hand, we can wait for after midnight, when the mist will be at its peak. The Decayed Magic Energy seems to mix with it, so its concentration will be much lower, making it safer to travel through it. Perhaps the Decayed Magic Energy will spread thin enough to the point we can breathe it for a while, allowing us to move unimpeded.


    It''s just that it will be a lot harder to deal with any Magic Beasts that come our way as well. We need to choose one of the options."


    Vera pondered it. Although she didn''t like to wait, so having the ability to move more freely was definitely preferable. Besides, she was an assassin; moving in the dark was her specialty. It would be easier for her to attack, defend, or even escape at that point. "Alright, let''s wait for nigh-"


    *Griiiii!*


    Poor Vera barely had time to finish her words, though.


    *Griiiii!*


    *Griiiii!* sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Griiiii!*


    A weird sound came from above, quickly catching their group''s attention. Soon, the skies seemed to grow dark as a cloud began to make its way in their direction. Not long after, their group understood it was no cloud but a swarm of insects. They all came from within the Decayed Magic Energy, rising in the thousands.


    "Shit!" Claus instantly recognized them. "Purple Wing Horned Wasps! Forget about the waiting-for-the-night plan! We need to run now!"


    "But, the Decayed Magic Energy..." Julius couldn''t help but mention.


    Claus was already running downhill, though. "The mist will kill us slowly. The wasps, however, will kill us in seconds once they catch up. It is up to you if you want to stay behind and try your luck."


    No one had to hear Claus a second time. They all rushed down the hill, even though they would plunge into the far more concentrated Decayed Magic Energy.


    ''Alvin-'' Linfel tried to convince him.


    ''No!'' Yet, Alvin refused before Linfel could even finish speaking.


    Because of that, Linfel wondered if he should just leave on his own. However, he simply couldn''t force himself to abandon Alvin and Felia, just like Alvin couldn''t abandon Milia and Nori. ''Well, fuck it. Let''s hope it works.''


    In the next moment, Water Element accumulated around Alvin''s head and Felia''s core. That Bubble shined with a slight reddish color of Linfel''s Red Magic Energy.


    "What is this?" Alvin asked.


    "It will keep the Decayed Magic Energy out. However, there is only so much air to breathe inside. The whirlwind will not cut since there is too little mist. A lot of Decayed Magic Energy would escape and reach us."


    Linfel didn''t forget the others. He connected to Alvin and used his perfect control of Magic Energy to create similar bubbles around the heads of all Familiars and Maguses. "Everyone, it is hard to keep all of these up at once. Alvin and I will use a lot of Magic Energy."


    Claus shook his head. "I''m very good at Water Element; it''s my affinity. There is no need for you to do this for me. Just focus on the others and I will copy your idea for myself."


    "No," Linfel refused. "The rest of you should focus on running and dealing with the Magic Beasts, especially you, Claus. You and your Familiar are the only Level Three here. There is no time to discuss; let''s enter the Decayed Magic Energy."

 Chapter 79: Flee

    The Purple Qing Horned Wasps continued to spread everywhere. When they got close to the Decayed Magic Energy near the ground, they seemed to slowly absorb the Magic Energy. From the looks of it, they adapted to survive on that type of Magic Energy even though it was toxic. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel and the others ignored that, though. Decayed Magic Energy couldn''t be considered food, so if they delayed, they would be on the wasps'' menu.


    *Bzzzzzzzzzzzz...*


    As they ran, the sound of the wasps approaching could be heard behind. Linfel focused on his and Alvin''s Magic Energy completely, and even so, he found it difficult to maintain all those bubbles around everyone''s heads and cores. He couldn''t even speak normally, so he had to communicate with Alvin through their minds. ''Alvin, Magic Beasts around 80 meters top right. Three of them.''


    Alvin nodded and spoke to Claus. "Claus, Magic Beasts'' incoming."


    Claus looked in the direction Alvin pointed out, and sure enough, three Magic Beasts jumped out of the mist, targetting Julius on the side. Vera and Claus didn''t waste time. Claus Familiar changed into his Spear Form, while Vera''s Familiar became the same Katar as before.


    Milia and Falagita quickly followed the two by the side and incomed the Magic Beasts. The Magis Beasts looked like wolves, although they had five legs and scaled on their heads. It was obviously some race that lived here before but mutated due to the prolonged exposure to the Decayed Magic Energy.


    Claus circulated his Brown Magic Energy and accumulated Water Element around his spear. His movements were fluid, blocking the first Magic Beast attack and aiming for its belly.


    *Pct!*


    His spear pierced the chest of the Magic Beast. However, it couldn''t go more than a few centimeters inside. The Magic Beast used its own Magic Energy to strengthen its defenses and avoid being killed. The other two wolves on the side immediately took the chance and attacked Claus while he held the first one.


    However, Milia and Falagita attacked the right wolf while Vear attacked the left one. Fire, Wind, and Water Elements collided with the wolves'' bodies, forcing them back for a moment.


    Unfortunately, just like Claus mentioned, no Magic Beast capable of living in this environment would be weaker than a Level Three Magus or Familiar. Vera, Falagita, and Milia''s only advantage was that they were working together with their Familiars and had access to their Magic Energy. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have even been able to force those two wolves back.


    *Bang!*


    Suddenly, a sphere with highly concentrated Wind Element fell right in between Linfel''s group and the wolves. It didn''t have much of an attack power, but it definitely had the strength to blow away anyone close to it. Warthon was the one to use that attack, trying to build distance between his group and the wolves.


    "Warthon, use another one!" Milia shouted on the side.


    "But it doesn''t have any attack power!" Warthon quickly answered.


    "Just do it! Once you throw it at them, start running again."


    Warthon gritted his teeth and summoned another one of those spheres of wind element and threw it in the direction of wolves. Right after, he resumed his run with Claus and the others.


    Milia saw that and shouted again. "Julius!"


    "O-Okay!" Julius understood what she wanted.


    Milia and Julius both had Fire Element affinity. They quickly summoned two Fire Balls and shot them. The two Fire Balls encountered Warthon''s Wind Sphere, causing a reaction.


    *Boom!*


    An explosion of fire, which seemed to be fueled by the Decayed Magic Energy, quickly blasted everything around. The three wolf Magic Beasts, who didn''t have much intelligence, were caught by the explosion and sent flying.


    Nonetheless, Milia, Warthon, Julius, and their Familiars were only Level Two. The wolves were at least Level Three. Their attacks didn''t cause many injuries, allowing the wolves to recover their balance a moment later. If anything, the explosion only made them angrier.


    However, before the wolves could even resume their pursuit, their expressions changed. The sound of something that even creatures like them could identify could be heard from behind.


    *Bzzzzz!*


    Out of nowhere, thousands of Purple Wing Horned Wasps pierced through the Decayed Magic Energy mist and surrounded the wolves. The wolves instantly gave up the pursuit and tried to run away.


    Unfortunately for them, that was Milia''s plan from the start. The explosion wasn''t supposed to kill the wolves but use them as bait for the wasps instead.


    *Roarr!*


    The wolves tried to run and attack the wasps in their bodies. Yet, it was a meaningless struggle. More and more wasps came out of the mist, and the wolves were engulfed in the swarm. They soon disappeared from Linfel''s group vision in the Decayed Magic Energy mist, so they couldn''t see what turned out of those Magic Beasts.


    Around ten seconds later... ''Those three Magic Beasts'' Magic Energy disappeared,'' Linfel''s voice echoed inside Alvin''s head.


    "Already?!" Alvin was taken aback. They had just left the wolves behind, and they had strength similar to Level Three maguses or Familiars. Yet, they died that fast! Alvin didn''t waste time and warned the others of Linfel''s message, causing their group to increase their pace even more.


    *Bzzzzzzz!*


    The sound of the wasps intensified with each step. Claus and the others even wondered if they were running away from them or running at them instead. Besides, the air inside the Water Bubbles Linfel created began to grow thin.


    ''Alvin, the wasps entered my Magic Energy sense again. They are around 90 meters behind us and approaching fast,'' Linfel warned. ''Tell everyone to focus their Magic Energy on their legs and jump, just like Vera did before. They need to jump more than three meters so that their bodies will leave the Decayed Magic Energy for a moment.''


    Alvin grew nervous but followed Linfel''s orders. The others didn''t know what he was planning, but they didn''t have many ideas anyway. Together, they circulated the Magic Energy inside their Cores and Dantians without taking in any of the outside Magic Energy. The Magic Energy accumulated on their legs, and they all jumped at once.


    The moment their bodies left the Decayed Magic Energy mist, Linfel''s Water Bubbles popped. That obviously scared them all since they would fall back into the mist and have to breathe the mist. However, before their bodies touched the mist again, new Water Bubbles formed with Water Element around the Maguses'' heads and Familiars'' Cores.


    They all had the same reddish color as Linfel and Alvin''s Red Magic Energy.


    When they touched the ground again, they immediately continued to run. They weren''t idiots. Linfel told them to jump so that he could renew the Water Bubbles. Now, they had more air to breathe inside the bubbles and could run at full speed again.


    ''More Magic Beasts!'' Linfel didn''t lose his focus. ''They are right ahead of us, six of them.''


    Alvin passed Linfel''s message to everyone, and Claus instantly changed direction. They all run to the right, going sideways from both wasps and magic beasts. The wasps and the magic beasts soon noticed each other. Linfel could see with his Magic Energy Sense that the Magic Beasts didn''t continue the pursuit but fled instead.


    ''Seems like nothing in this place can deal with the wasps...'' he thought for a moment.


    Nonetheless, Claus''s call was right. In the same way that the Magic Beasts noticed the wasps, so did the wasps notice the Magic Beasts. Before they all left Linfel''s sense again, Linfel saw that at least half of the wasps on their back went after the Magic Beasts instead.


    Around a minute later, their group jumped above the Decayed Magic Energy mist again, allowing Linfel to renew the bubbles and the air inside so they wouldn''t have to breathe on the ground. Yet, time was running out. Controlling all those bubbles with such precision and fueling them with Red Magic Energy used way too much of his and Alvin''s reserves.


    They definitely wouldn''t be able to run for more than ten minutes before Linfel and Alvin were completely empty. Linfel could also call Felia to join and offer her Red Magic Energy, but it would only give them a few more minutes again.


    Suddenly, Linfel had an idea. ''Right! Nothing in this place has the courage to face the wasps!''

 Chapter 80: Wasted Chance

    ''Alvin, Felia,'' Linfel quickly spoke to those two through their minds. ''We are turning back.''


    ''What?!'' Alvin and Felia almost tripped after hearing that. ''Are you crazy? We will be eaten alive!''


    ''We will be eaten alive regardless,'' Linfel continued. ''However, there is something I would like to test. If it works, then we will have a chance to make it out of this place.''


    Alvin and Felia looked at each other. In the end, they have survived this far, thanks to Linfel, so they might as well continue to believe him. ''Alright. But what about the others?''


    ''Tell Claus to lead the group ahead. He will have to use the bubbles instead of me. He doesn''t have the same Magic Energy Control as me. However, he is a Level Three Magus, and so is his Familiar. He can make up for it with his Brown Magic Energy alone,'' Linfel explained. ''As long as the wasps aren''t pursuing them, they will have a higher chance of escaping this place as well.''


    Alvin thought about it for a moment and nodded. He knew through Linfel that the wasps were much faster than them. They would be caught again, and when that happens, only death awaited. "Claus, Linfel asked you to exchange places with him and control the water bubbles."


    Claus was taken aback. "Really? Are you two already without Magic Energy? I can do that, but we won''t be able to move as fast as now since my control isn''t as good."


    "It''s fine," Alvin didn''t mind. "I''m going back with Linfel and Felia to attract the wasps somewhere else. You will have enough time to adjust and lead everyone out of here. Or, at the very least, reach another high place."


    Everyone was taken aback. Alvin and his Familiars will run back? "Are you guys out of your mind?!"


    However, Linfel stopped using the Bubbles, not giving time for Claus to speak anymore, as he quickly took control of them. "Claus, keep going. We will try to deal with the wasps. Just make sure everyone gets out. Also, Vera, don''t forget our rewards!"


    In the next moment, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia turned around and ran in the opposite direction. They soon disappeared from everyone''s eyes in the middle of the highly concentrated gray-purple mist.


    Claus and the others couldn''t believe that. However, even Claus, as a Level Three Magus, had his limit. His Magic Energy Reserves would run out soon or later, so he couldn''t spare time to go after Alvin. "Do not waste their efforts. Keep running; just do it a little slower so that I can control the Water Bubbles."


    Tens of meters back, Alvin began to hear the approaching of the wasps. No doubt, the wasps also noticed him and his group since they seemed to accelerate even more.


    "Felia!" Linfel shouted.


    Felia understood and quickly connected to Alvin. They were once again using the Double Master Familiar Connection, giving Linfel access to all their Magic Energy. ''Felia, Alvin, I know you two don''t have Water Element Affinity, but try to control the water bubble for a few seconds. I need to concentrate.''


    ''Alright!'' Felia quickly answered. ''Do we need to cover you as well?''


    ''No,'' Linfel quickly rejected. ''I can resist the Decaying Magic Energy. Now, I''m releasing it.'' sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel completely stopped using Magic Energy in the water bubbles. Alvin and Felia immediately took control of them, but they couldn''t move. They didn''t know how to use Water Element, so just maintaining the bubble was hard enough, let alone moving while doing it.


    *Bzzzzzzzzzzz!*


    Suddenly, hundreds of wasps came from behind the mist, instantly spreading and trying to swarm Linfel''s group. Linfel still underestimated the wasps, though. In the last few meters, the wasps'' speed increased once again, much to his shock. ''Shit! Too fast! Run!''


    Alvin and Felia didn''t expect that and took some time to react. It was too late to run now, as the wasps had already reached their group.


    Linfel changed his approached and accumulated Fire Element. he could only try to create a barrier to try to buy his group some time. Unfortunately, the wasps were indeed too close. By the time he finished accumulating the Fire Element, the wasps were already on Alvin''s face!


    *swish!*


    *shaaaaaaaa!*


    Yet, just as they were to be completely swarmed, a flash of red passed right between his group and the wasps. The flash of red was followed by a wave of fire, burning all the wasps that tried to attack Alvin! In the next moment, a woman holding a flaming sword landed on Alvin''s side while coughing nonstop.


    "Milia!" Naturally, Alvin easily identified the girl. "What are you doing?!"


    "I told everyone in our- cough, cough, cough... our faction that I would come with you to make sure you would survive, did you forget?!" She answered with a serious expression.


    "You are crazy!" Alvin quickly held her. She didn''t have the Water Bubble around her head like him. She obviously separated from Claus and the others to come after Alvin. Alvin did his best to control that water bubble inside his head and include Milia inside. Only then would she be able to breathe a little.


    She didn''t breathe much of the Decayed Magic Energy, but it still affected the girl since it was in its most concentrated state at the moment.


    Of course, the problems didn''t end there. Milia''s attack only bought their group a few seconds. More and more wasps came out of the gray-purple mist and quickly passed by the dying flames of Milia and Nori''s attack. Even worse, Milia wasn''t in a state to attack again.


    "Well done!" However, Linfel couldn''t be happier. Milia bought him exactly the amount of time he needed. Even better, the dead wasps on the ground due to Milia''s attack made his life even easier.


    Linfel''s Red Magic Energy quickly spread around, stopping at around two meters from Alvin''s body. "Come to Papa!"


    Hundreds of wasps entered Linfel''s Magic Energy and advanced. However, just as they were about to sting Alvin and Milia from all sides... they stopped!


    More and more wasps entered Linfel''s range, and in the same way as the previous wasps, they all stopped as well. Not before long, Linfel''s group was surrounded by wasps flying close to them. Yet, they didn''t do anything. They flew in a very organized manner, something you wouldn''t expect from a swarm.


    "Linfel..." Alvin, Milia, Felia, and Nori looked at him.


    Linfel mentally sighed in relief. "As expected, they are Magic Beasts, but they aren''t anywhere near Level One. There is very little Magic Energy in their bodies, which makes it quite easy to control. All these wasps are under my command now."


    Linfel glanced at Milia and couldn''t help but feel happy that she had come. She bought him enough time with her attack, and he was able to use the dead bodies of the wasps to analyze their Magic Energy. The wasps'' Magic Energy Channels were extremely simple, and they had so little Magic Energy that one might not even call them Magic Beasts... or Magic Insects, for that matter.


    Linfel was already Level Two, and he was already capable of controlling a Level One Magus before while he was at Level One as well, albeit for a few seconds only. The wasps were nowhere near Level One, so the result was pretty obvious.


    Even better than that, the wasps that Linfel just took control of acted as a shield that confused the other wasps outside of his control range. For the other wasps, it was as if they were just passing by their own race members. They didn''t have intelligence, but they didn''t attack each other. That was the perfect shield, a living, deadly, and toxic shield.


    "Now then," Linfel quickly regained control over the Water Bubbles. "Do you two prefer to keep using the same water bubble, or should I create one for each?"


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other and saw their faces so close that a slight movement could end up in a kiss right there and then. Instantly, their faces went completely red. "Se-Separated ones... please."


    Linfel sighed in response. "Another reproduction chance wasted..."

 Chapter 81: Dont you think?

    As mentioned before, Alvin and Milia will have to jump above the mist so that Linfel can recast the Water Bubbles and fill their outer shell with Red Magic Energy. The Water Bubbles only covered their heads, so it was quite the task to jump while both Alvin and Milia shared the same one.


    *Zin!*


    It was then that Alvin felt a hot sensation on the back of his neck. It was Milia''s flame sword, Nori. He acted on his own and was ready to cut Alvin''s head right there and then. "Boy, you better not have any funny ideas."


    Felia instantly complained. "You shit! Can''t you just shut up?"


    "Like hell I will!" Nori didn''t care, though. No one would take Milia from him. "Let''s get over with it and jump!"


    Alvin agreed with some sweat on his face. Nori definitely wasn''t joking. "L-Let''s jump... then."


    Milia, feeling just as hot, but for another reason, nodded slightly. "Y-Yes, let''s do it."


    Fortunately, it was a lot easier to jump above the mist with their Magic Energy during the day since the Decayed Magic Energy accumulated much closer to the ground. After jumping just four or five meters, they were already out, allowing Linfel to remake the Water Bubbles around Milia and Alvin''s heads separately.


    Of course, all of that happened while the wasps that Linfel was controlling followed them around. When they landed on the ground, Linfel quickly spoke. "Alright, I can talk if I have to control only two Water Bubbles. Just run. We need to catch up to everyone."


    Alvin and Milia nodded while Nori and Felia followed. Felia passed almost all her Magic Energy to Linfel and then disconnected from Alvin, only sitting on his shoulder this time. After all, the others don''t know that Alvin can connect to Linfel and Felia at the same time.


    Further ahead, Claus was already feeling tired. He wasn''t anywhere near as good as Linfel at controlling the water bubbles. His only salvation was his and his familiar''s Level Three magic Energy. Nonetheless, they were moving a lot slower.


    "Do you think they are alive?" Julius couldn''t help but ask. "Milia suddenly ran away after Alvin. Perhaps she helped them?"


    "Forget them!" Vera spoke, although there was a slight tinge of worry on her face. As cold as she was, it was a fact she went through a lot with this group. Not to mention, Alvin volunteered to act as bait. He can''t really force herself to hate someone like that. "If we don''t make out, then their sacrifice will have been for nothing! Focus on escaping the Decayed Magic Energy range."


    Falagita and Warthon looked at each other and sighed. The two felt the most useless at the moment.


    *Roar!*


    Suddenly, the sound of Magic Beasts came from the right side. Falagita, Vera, and Warthon instantly took the front. Claus was their only level three, but he couldn''t do anything else other than control the Water Bubbles. Julius once again stayed behind them, ready to give support since he wasn''t good at fighting.


    "There is no such thing as Level Two Magic Beasts in a Decayed Magic Energy environment..." Falagita couldn''t help but comment as her hands trembled a little.


    Vera and Warthon gripped their Familiar Weapons and continued to move with Claus and the others. Finally, four shadows appeared in the mist and ran after them. They looked like giant lizards, although they had six legs and two tails while their skin seemed somewhat dark silver. "Iron Lizards! Careful with their teeth. They are venomous," Claus quickly warned.


    The closest Lizard didn''t give them time to think and pounced at their group as soon as it got close enough. Its speed was incredible even though its body was quite big. Claus could tell that Level Three Magic Energy circulated inside its body, and he couldn''t do anything to help while keeping the water bubbles.


    Vera didn''t feel as helpless, though. She shot forward, and Sando, her Familiar, changed into his Katar Form. Water Element gathered around Vera before Vera punched forward. A spear of water was generated, going straight for the Lizard''s eye while he was in the air due to having pounced.


    *Pft!*


    The water spear easily pierced the Iron Lizard''s eyes, who wasn''t used to fighting such opponents. It missed its mark and fell to the ground, rolling quite a few meters while shaking its head in pain. The previous Iron Lizard mess affected the other three behind him, who collided with it.


    Julius, Falagita, and Wharton didn''t lose that chance. Falagita and Wharton, both having Wind Element Affinity, used the same strategy as Milia did previously. Two spheres of highly concentrated Wing Element were shot at the Iron Lizard. Following that, Julius used his magic Energy to create a Fire Lance and shot it at the sphere.


    *Boom, boom!*


    "Keep running! Ignore the wasps for now. Aim for somewhere elevated so we can move freely," Vera ordered. She knew that their attacks wouldn''t hold the Iron Lizards for long. Their level was just too low to cause any real damage.


    Claus gritted his teeth and released even more of his Level Three Magic Energy to try to keep the Water Bubbles running while they moved faster than before. However...


    *Zush! Zush! Zush!*


    From within the smoke caused by the explosion, three shadows jumped out, all three with burnt marks over their bodies. The explosions earlier only served to enrage them even more. The fourth Lizard was still shaking his head in pain, so it didn''t follow.


    *Ban, ban, ban, ban...*


    The Three Iron Lizards swiftly surrounded Claus and the others. In the end, they didn''t have to worry about the Decayed Magic Energy, so it was easy for them to trap everyone.


    Claus''s group quickly made a circle around Claus. They had to protect Claus above all else, or the Water Bubbles would be gone. They can''t absorb Magic Energy from the environment for obvious reasons either, so their reserves in their cores were all they had to use. The Iron Lizard, seeing their prey trapped, finally attacked from all three sides!


    *Bzzzzzz!*


    However, it was at this moment that a sound capable of scaring all Magic Beasts in this region echoed in the surroundings. The three Iron Lizards, who seemed furious a moment ago, instantly changed. They looked in the direction of the sound hissed. While at that, they all took steps back slowly, unwilling to give up their prey.


    *BZZZZZZZZZZ!!!*


    However, the sound increased even more, showing that their fear was even closer.


    *Zush, zush, zush, zush, zush, zush, zush...*


    Finally, hundreds of Purple Wing Horned Wasps flew from the mist, going straight for the meal in the distance. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that, the Lizards finally gave up and turned around to flee. In this place, nothing can go against the rule of the Purple Wing Horned Wasps! Level matters not!


    Claus and the others felt even more helpless. They couldn''t run because they were surrounded by the Iron Lizards. By the time the Lizards finally decided to run away, the Wasps were already all over them. All they could do was increase the amount of Magic Energy around their bodies to act as shields.


    *Bzzzz!*


    Falagita saw the wasps getting to her and closed her eyes. However... the stings she was expecting didn''t happen. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the wasps flying through the gaps in her group, flying really close. Yet, not a single one attacked them. Instead, they began to fly around in an orderly manner.


    It was as if they were making a protective shell so no other wasps would get close.


    *Step, step, step...*


    "Oh! Look, I told you I could feel their Magic Energies," Linfel spoke as Alvin and Milia approached. The impressive thing was that they were barely visible. That''s because even more wasps flew around their group. Only when Linfel''s group returned to Claus''s group''s side did the wasps spread, forming a larger protective circle around them. "Hello, everyone!


    Long time no see! The air, the view, the animals... It''s a beautiful day for a stroll, don''t you think?"

 Chapter 82: Out of the Valley

    Claus was sweating nonstop as the wasps flew near him. "Wh-What is this? Are you con-controlling the Purple Wings Horned Wasps?"Linfel nodded. "Yes. Because of that, I can''t help you with the Water Bubbles. The bubbles need a lot more precision, surprisingly enough. Anyway, there is another hill outside the mist eighty meters ahead and a little to the right. Let''s go there first."


    Claus and the others could only nod and walk there. Claus was also exausted, so for him to not lose control over the Water Bubbles, they refrained from running. Finally, they began to go up and left the mist of Decayed Magic Energy once again, allowing them to take a look around.


    *Gasp, gasp...*


    Claus finally let go of the Water Bubbles and sat on the floor, trying to rest. "I don''t know how you can control so many Water Bubbles while we move at full speed, Linfel. I''m at a higher level, and I can''t do anything as precise as you."


    "Who cares about that?" Vera quickly intervened. The wasps were still flying in a circular manner around their group, so she felt quite nervous. "What is this? How are you even controlling them?"


    Linfel shrugged, separating himself from Alvin. "It is not as hard as you think. The only problem is that you need to have a Magic Energy precision as good as mine. Otherwise, you can''t penetrate the Wasps'' Magic Energy channels. But these Wasps'' bodies are so simple that once you manage to do it, you can give them orders. It is quite convenient."


    Vera had never heard about controlling others, Magic Beasts or not, with Magic Energy. "Magic Energy precision... That is definitely out of my league. I''ve never seen someone with such incredible control as you."


    Milia, now having recovered a little, was still worried. "Linfel, can you keep controlling the wasps for long? What if your Red Magic Energy reserves end?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Don''t worry. Controlling the wasps truly spends almost no Magic Energy whatsoever. As I said, the secret is in the precision, not the amount of Magic Energy. At the moment, I''m not using even a tenth of the Red Magic Energy necessary to control a single Water Bubble around your head. I can recover Magic Energy faster than I spend it."


    Julius was taken aback. "You are absorbing this place''s Decayed Magic Energy?"


    *Pah!*


    Falagita hit Julius''s back head. "Are you an idiot? Take a look around! The Decayed Magic Energy is concentrated within the mist below near the ground. Here, on the top of the hill, there is no Decayed Magic Energy. Could it be you didn''t recover your Magic Energy when we were on the top of the previous hill?"


    "This..." Julius rubbed the back of his head and opened his Magic Energy channels. He had kept them closed ever since they entered this place. Sure enough, the Magic Energy around didn''t have good quality and was quite thin. Nonetheless, it wasn''t difficult to absorb, nor was it toxic. "S-Sorry... You should have told me last time.


    I was almost without any Magic Energy inside my core."


    Truth be told, Lifnel didn''t need to worry about such things. Inside his Spatial Storage, he had a lot of Red Magic Stones he got from the Vice-Principal. As long as he had time to focus, he could absorb them directly. Not that he would tell the others about it, of course. Only Linfel, Alvin, and Felia knew about it. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Bzzzzz...*


    Wharton watched the wasps flying near the mist of Decayed Magic Energy not far away. "So... can''t you send these wasps away, Linfel? They make me nervous."


    "No," Linfel immediately refused. "The reason we are alive is because nothing in this Magic Decay Valley dares to cause trouble to these wasps. If I let them go, we will lose our protection against the other Magic Beasts. We will use them to walk away from this place."


    "Then we need to start moving fast," Claus warned, doing his best to absorb the Magic Energy of the surroundings. "Purple Wing Horned Wasps only operate during the day. If we wait for the night to come, they will fall asleep."


    "Is that so?" Linfel didn''t know about that. Even though he was controlling the wasps, he didn''t know if he would be able to order them to continue flying during the night or if they would fall asleep regardless. "Then we need to move.


    If the wasps don''t operate during night time, the Magic Beasts that are hunting during such time probably won''t recognize them and attack regardless of their presence."


    Vera sat down as well and began to recover her Magic Energy. "Then let''s spend an hour recovering. After that, we are not stopping until we leave this valley. The rest of the daylight should be enough to exit this place."


    No one complained, and they continued to recover their Magic Energy. Once one hour was up, the job of controlling the water bubbles was once again given to Claus. However, Vera also had Water Element, so she helped as well. She hadn''t done it before because they needed Vera to fight the Magic Beasts.


    Since the Magic Beasts will not get close to the wasps, she can use her Magic Energy together with Claus.


    Linfel and Alvin, on the other hand, connected again and shared the expenditure of Magic Energy to control the wasps, even if it wasn''t much. Finally, to be safe, Falagita and the others followed by the sides, ready to fight if necessary. Everyone then came down from the hill and continued to press forward.


    The fear the wasps caused to all the Magic Beasts in the Magic Decay Valley was no joke. After two hours and a few stops, they finally could see the end of the mist. During this time, not a single Magic Beast dared get close. They heard the howl and roar of a few who seemed to have got close to their group.


    However, once the sound of the wasps reached their ears, they immediately turned around and ran. It was truly an uneventful stroll to the exit.


    Claus sighed in relief and let go of the Water Bubbles he was controlling. There was a little bit of Decayed Magic Energy and mist still. However, nothing he and the others couldn''t resist. Vera did the same, happy that they somehow survived this adventure.


    *Tud... tud, tud, tud...*


    Suddenly, the wasps flying around their group began to fall to the ground, much to their surprise. "Already? Shouldn''t they start sleeping during night time?"


    Linfel immediately shook his head. "They aren''t sleeping. They are dying..."


    *Tud, tud, tud, tud, tud, tud, tud...*


    The several hundred wasps Linfel was controlling fell one after another, lifeless. "Seems like the Purple Wing Horned Wasps truly mutated to live with Decayed Magic Energy. Now that there is almost no Decayed Magic Energy, they are dying."


    *Tud.*


    Finally, the last one fell flat to the ground, ending their shield of wasps. As it died, Linfel''s group finally made their way out of the valley. "Well, this should be enough. The Magic Beasts that live in the Magic Decay Valley never come out, so they probably have the same problem as the wasps. In any case, let''s get away from here, just in case."


    Around an hour later, the light of the day began to disappear once again as it gave place to nighttime. Vera checked her MCOM, which started to not work properly due to the jamming of the war again. "Seems like we are on the west side of the valley."


    "Doesn''t that mean..." Falagita began to speak, and Claus concluded. "Yes, we are in Xanzion Country now."

 Chapter 83: Negotiations

    As mentioned before, the Magic Decay Valley was located in the division between Xanzion, Volztain, and Heffal. Having exited it through the west side, which seemed to be the fastest route to get out of the valley, they obviously came out in Xanzion."How do we even go back now?" Falagita couldn''t help but get nervous. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claus looked at Vera. As someone usually tasked to move in the shadows, she definitely has methods to infiltrate enemy territory without being noticed. "That''s your area. What do we do from here?"


    Vera nodded. "First, we need to find a city, settlement, or anything. Good thing we are still using the uniforms from Xanzion, and with the ongoing war, it won''t be too weird to see us passing by." Right after, she looked at Linfel. "Do you think you can use that trick of yours to fool any identification system?"


    "Only if I am the one using the Magic Energy Signature, but I can''t guarantee," Linfel explained. "I could try to hide under your clothes like the last time and do it, but I would rather not risk it."


    Vera was satisfied. "Don''t worry. I usually wouldn''t rely on such methods anyway since Magic Energy signatures were supposed to be impossible to fake. I don''t know this trick of yours either. So I will only rely on it if absolutely necessary."


    She continued. "Chances are that any cities near the border have been evacuated or at least are under martial law. The best-case scenario would be to steal one of their airships and go around the fighting zones."


    "Wouldn''t we be found straight away if we stole an airship?" Julius couldn''t help but ask.


    "Probably," Vera didn''t deny that. "But if we flee at full speed and avoid any fighting zone by a long distance, Xanzion won''t send many other airships after us since the war is more important. Besides, we don''t really need to fly all the way to the center of Heffal Country. We only need to go far enough to be inside the Haffal Territory and far from the fighting zones.


    Then, we can simply abandon the airship and let Xanzion do whatever it wants with it. We will cover the rest of the journey on the ground."


    "Have you stolen an airship before?" Alvin was curious.


    "As a matter of fact, I have," Vera faintly smiled. "I can''t tell much about where, how, or why, but I have experience with it. I can pilot one, too, if necessary."


    "What if we can''t steal an airship?" Milia was more worried about the plan failing.


    "Like I said, that is the best-case scenario," Vera shrugged. "It is fairly hard to accomplish since any airship will be located inside military bases or at least guarded places. If an airship is out of the question, we will have to take the long way around."


    "I see..." Linfel understood what Vera intended. "Volztain to the north, Xanzion to the west, and Porfate on the south. However, we are also bordering one more country."


    "Binnan to the east..." Claus commented. "You intend to leave Xanzion through Lergen Country on the northwest and go all the way around until we reach Binnan. Since we aren''t at war against them, we should be able to make our way back once we get there."


    Vera confirmed. "That''s the idea, but this one will take us various days because of the closed borders."


    "That''s great!" Julius couldn''t be happier. "It is much safer than stealing any airships. Let''s do that!"


    Vera narrowed her eyes. "I wanted to go back immediately. With the provisions taken down, we have the perfect opportunity to strike back."


    "It''s not like we would make much of a difference anyway," Claus agreed with Julius. Julius was a coward, but he was right this time. "I also vote for us to go around, even if it takes a few days."


    Falagita, Alvin, and Milia quickly agreed. "We also prefer to go around. We helped the country in that suicide mission and managed to come out alive, thanks to Linfel. Can''t see why we should go back so fast since they sent us to die without us even knowing it."


    Vera looked at that united front. It was obvious that she was the only one willing to go back and join the army as fast as she could. But then again, she found it hard to blame them, considering the circumstances. Heffal does owe this group a lot. "Sigh... fine.


    Then we will go around. From what I can see on the map, the nearest city is Tuliyal. But we can ignore that one. The best choice is to go around and far away from it until we reach another of the cities on the back."


    Claus was happy that Vera relented, which didn''t happen often. "Good. How about Cinxeti City northwest from here? It is far away from the border, and although it might be under vigilance, it shouldn''t be completely blocked."


    Linfel agreed. "It makes sense. Three countries attacked Heffal at once. They shouldn''t expect any counterattacks anytime soon, so the country should be working more or less normally further away from the borders. Military presence is definitely expected, but not as much as near the borders."


    Vera checked the map as well and nodded. "Seems good enough. Let''s go."


    ---


    As Linfel''s group moved to the Xanzion Country, things turned interesting back in Heffal.


    "They disappeared, right?" The question came through the MCOM, reaching the ears of Litivia, the Vice-Principal. Naturally, the one asked was Xalafel, who was on the South Sea fighting against Porfate Country.


    Litivia felt helpless and answered back. "Alvin''s father said he was supposed to be in his room, training during the last few days. However, it had been some time since Alvin and his Familiars came out to ask for more Red Magic Stones, so I went there to check. Since I got no answer, I forced my way in, but there was no one in the room. There hasn''t been for a while already.


    Alvin''s father insists he doesn''t know anything."


    "Don''t worry," Surprisingly, Xalafel didn''t seem worried. "Just let them be. They will come back sooner or later. Meanwhile, try to find Milia. That Frondor fella is complaining on my ears nonstop. See if you can find any information about her last location or whatever."


    Litivia was taken aback, not expecting Xalafel''s weak reaction. "M-Milia? O-Okay, I will see what I can do." The communication ended a moment later, leaving Litivia even more confused. ''Could it be he knew Alvin left? But how...? In any case, it is not my problem anymore.'' She sighed in relief and left to carry the other orders.


    ---


    At the Heffal Headquarters, news about the mission success against Xanzion provisions had arrived almost as soon as it happened. At the moment, the Heffal President, Mano Valdin, was sitting in front of several screens where he could see various other important figures from other countries. "And that''s the gist of it. What do you think? That should be more than enough time to get here."


    One of the figures on the screens heard that and was the first one to answer. "I commend you for succeeding in taking down Xanzion''s provisions. However, the price is still not right. We would be using our own Maguses and Familiars, after all. Each death will be heavy on our rankings."


    Mano narrowed his eyes. "Erto, you never change... Fine. What else do you all want?"


    "Three years of Magic Energy Stones supply and a pledge," Erto answered with a faint smile.


    *Bang!*


    Mano slammed the table in anger. "Are you trying to cripple our country forever?"


    Erto didn''t seem to mind, though. "It is that, or the fall of Heffal. It is up to you."


    The other figures all nodded, looking very pleased with the way things were going on the table.


    Mano got up and paced a little as his advisors discussed the pros and cons of the deal. In the end, they all reached the same conclusion, albeit with heavy hearts. "We can''t offer three years. We would be guaranteed to be destroyed in the future if we do it, so it wouldn''t make any change. Two years is our absolute maximum."


    Erto and the others didn''t seem the least bit disappointed. "Hahaha! You made the right decision, Mano. Then it shall be two years. Leave the rest to us."


    A few hours later, the negotiations ended, and Mano exited the room with a tired expression. Nonetheless, he seemed relieved. "Let''s see how far Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate are willing to push this war now."

 Chapter 84: Appetizer

    Linfel''s group knew nothing about the war situation. They arrived at the northwest border of the Xanzion Country, shared with Lergen. As one would expect, the border roads were closed due to the war. Nonetheless, the security wasn''t all that tight since Xanzion wasn''t expecting an attack from Lergen anyway.By now, they had already passed Cinxeti City as they had agreed previously. They acquired a few civilian clothes and got rid of the Xanzion Army Uniforms. After resting and filling their bellies, they left and made their way to the border. Finally, they ignored the roads and crossed the border without being seen.


    Lergen wasn''t part of the alliance attacking Heffal, so there wasn''t a need to hide their identities there. Plenty of residents from Heffal ended up trapped in Lergen exactly because they couldn''t make their way back home. That helped as Vera and the others simply pretended to be a few more of these same residents.


    By using public transportation, they arrived at the border between Lergen and Colsfal Country, their next stop. This kind of movement continued for various days. Vera was like a fish in the water. She had several methods of acquiring what she wanted while in another country''s borders, and that helped them get this far.


    ---


    Tolistel Country, North of Volztain...


    Alvin and the others were having a meal while traveling on public transportation. Linfel and the other Familiars obviously didn''t need to eat, so they just talked and observed. In the end, Vera''s idea wasn''t only hers. Quite a few other residents from Heffal were also making their way around and trying to reach home by going through Binnan Country.


    In this vehicle alone there were another four Heffal Residents.


    As they talked, the TV on the transportation showed various news regarding the war from time to time. That helped Linfel and the others to keep up with the war developments. By now, they found out that the invasion suffered a big set back, obviously because of them.


    However, the surprising news appeared at the end of that day.


    -Urgent News just came from Haffal and Binnan Countries. Heffal has signed an alliance with Binnan, Goruto, and Tinfal countries. These three countries pledged to send military support as well as part of their Maguses and Familiars to support Heffal against the invasion.-


    -Binnan is being used as the bridge for Goruto and Tinfal to enter the country, and it is expected that their reinforcements will join Heffal''s frontlines in at most two days'' time. Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate still haven''t shown any signs of change. We will keep you posted on any new developments.-


    *WOW!*


    The Heffal Country people immediately cheered in the transportation.


    "This is great!" Julius was definitely the happiest there. "It will be four against three! We can finally push Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate back! The war will be over."


    Vera shrugged. "You are too innocent. Those three new countries wouldn''t send too much of their forces. Yet, they definitely asked for a hefty price from Heffal to come. At most, Heffal will reach a stalemate, but I hardly believe they will be able to cause any real damage to Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate."


    "I believe all sides expect the same thing. Heffal''s side is pushing for an end to the war without losing any of its territories. Meanwhile, Volztain''s side will probably try to hold what they acquired. In the end, neither side will be able to force the other out, and an agreement will have to be made," Claus sighed in response.


    "Do you mean our Heffal Country will get smaller?" Alvin asked.


    "Yes," Vera agreed with Claus''s explanation. "Binnan and the others definitely won''t commit to forcing Volztain and the others all the way back from where they came. They are in it for one reason and one reason only, reap as many benefits as possible."


    Linfel heard all of that and watched the presenter on the TV giving their opinions about the ongoing situations in Heffal. A map appeared on the TV, which showed several vectors of what the news reporters believed would be the next moves of the countries involved. ''As I assumed... Good thing I sent him out ahead of time,'' Linfel thought to himself.


    Right after, he turned to Alvin. "Alvin, show me a map of Heffal and the other countries on your MCOM."


    Alvin didn''t expect that request but followed Linfel''s wishes. Soon, a big map appeared on the MCOM, which included all the countries involved.


    Linfel had a screw loose in his mind, but he wasn''t an idiot. When it came to important topics, he usually was spot on, so everyone couldn''t help but pay attention to him. "Is anything wrong, Linfel?"


    Linfel looked at the TV and then at the map that Alvin showed. "Claus, how does a country treat the civilians of a country they conquer? To be more specific, Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate."


    Claus found that question strange. Still, as a captain of his own squad and a veteran in the army, he knew more about such things. "That depends on the country that takes over. Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate aren''t bad. As long as the civilians didn''t cause trouble for any of the three when they began to share the spoils, they wouldn''t be hurt for no reason. Why?


    Do you think they can still win with Binnan and the others joining the battlefield?"


    Linfel didn''t answer. Instead, he went to the side and pressed a button on the vehicle. A few moments later, it stopped by the road and opened its door. "Alvin, Felia, let''s leave."


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback. Yet, Linfel didn''t stop, so he was forced to follow Linfel.


    As Linfel moved out, he left a few words for Claus and the others. "Once you get to Binnan, do not reveal your identities as maguses of Heffal. Get through the border and only show yourselves after you are back to safety. Let''s go, Alvin, Felia."


    "Wait!" Alvin and Felia felt helpless but exited the vehicle regardless.


    Seeing that, Vera struggled to decide if she should follow or continue her travel. From what Linfel spoke, they would at least manage to go back. And for her, returning to Heffal was the only priority. The rest didn''t matter.


    "I''m staying with Vera," Julius didn''t come out either. Vera was the one helping them get everything done on their way back. He only wanted to go back, especially now that the war seemed to be reaching its end.


    Claus, Wharton, and Falagita were just as confused. But seeing that Vera didn''t move, they also decided to stay with her. "He probably has his motives; let him be."


    "Vera, aren''t you going to attack Linfel, Alvin, and Felia? They are kind of deserting, aren''t they?" Falagita couldn''t help but ask.


    However, Vera shook her head. She knew she had no chance to take Linfel by surprise. She tried already. Her priority was to return. She could report about Linfel''s group, and that would be it. "Forget it.


    Attacking him would only cause trouble for ourselves. I''ll pretend I didn''t see anything." Well, the truth was that she also thought Linfel had a good reason. ''Could it be he thinks Heffal will lose?'' She wondered to herself.


    In the end, only Linfel, Alvin, and Felia exited the vehicle, leaving the others behind... or so it was supposed to be.


    "I''m coming with you," Milia spoke as she carried Nori on her shoulder.


    Vera and the others looked at Linfel and his group outside. "Are you truly staying behind?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled. He didn''t even know why he was staying in this place, let alone Felia, Milia, and Nori.


    Linfel, however, seemed certain he was doing the right thing. "That we are. Or, at the very least, I am. Don''t forget what I said, do not reveal your identities as soldiers or maguses and familiar of Heffal. Hide your Familiars'' Cores or whatever. Just make sure you get to the other side without revealing yourselves."


    Vera couldn''t hold back anymore and asked before the transportation started to move again. "Speak truly. Do you think Heffal will lose?"


    Linfel went silent. "If I say yes, will you stay behind?"


    "No!" Vera immediately shook her head.


    "Then this is a meaningless question," Linfel answered.


    Vera sighed and sat on her seat again. "Very well. I hope we can meet again."


    Claus and the others didn''t know what to do about that situation. But in the end, they still wanted to return, so they stayed with Vera. They didn''t see how Heffal would lose that war with the new alliance. Finally, the transportation vehicle closed its doors and departed, leaving Linfel''s group behind. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Linfel, can you speak now?" Alvin quickly asked.


    Linfel then took out his MCOM and showed it to Alvin. He quickly expanded the map, pointing several vectors through the routes that connected Binnan to the other two countries that signed an alliance with Heffal. "What do you see here?"


    "Alvin, Milia, Nori, and Felia looked at the map and were completely confused. It was very similar to the map that the TV news was showing. Just some minor differences. "Reinforcements?"


    Linfel shook his head, though. "No, this is a disaster. No wonder Binnan didn''t join the alliance to take down Heffal. Let me change my question. Why would Volztain, Xanzion, and Portafe attack if Binnan could serve as a hub for reinforcements from other countries to Heffal?"


    "This..." None of them could come up with an answer. "Perhaps they couldn''t convince Binnan to join them?"


    "Perhaps..." Linfel nodded. "Or... Heffal is just the appetizer."

 Chapter 85: The Further, The Better

    "Appetizer?" Alvin and the others couldn''t see how that was possible.Linfel then zoomed out the map and pointed at another six countries surrounding Volztain, Xanzion, and Portafe. "It is hard to perceive since Heffal took all the attention away. Even if you notice it, you would most likely cast it aside as some madness. Unless you look at it in the whole context, it won''t make sense."


    "Honjel, Flangion, Teruna, Lindblom, Azunia, and Lergen. When you look at these six countries separately, it doesn''t seem like they would try anything. However, if they acted together, they would have a golden opportunity in their hands," Linfel explained.


    "What kind of golden opportunity?" Milia was just as curious as the others.


    Linfel then used a few vectors that pointed these six countries into Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate. "The six countries could totally take advantage of the fact Volztain, Xanzion, and Portafe were attacking Heffal and attack those three. Neither of the three would be able to defend against these six countries."


    He continued. "However, that is not happening. First of all, this coalition between Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate doesn''t make any sense. You have seen it yourselves. These three countries are committing their entire forces to try to take Heffal down. It looks like the right decision.


    Take Heffal down fast and share the spoils."


    "But it isn''t. No sane country would ever leave its other borders unprotected while they are committing its forces to attack someone else. They would at least have some protection in case of emergencies. However, what did we see so far?"


    Milia, Alvin, and the Familiars were taken aback. "We passed through the border between Lergen and Xanzion with easy..." They finally began to see the same picture as Linfel.


    "Exactly," Linfel smiled in response. "Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate... None of these three countries are holding back at all. They truly are sending everything they have to force Heffal''s hand. Yet, Lergen and the other five countries I mentioned aren''t using this opportunity to invade Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate. It doesn''t make sense."


    "What you mean is that they know those six countries will not attack, right?" Alvin spoke with a dark expression.


    "Yes," Linfel nodded. "Now, Heffal managed to convince Binnan, Tinfal, and Goruto to send reinforcements. As I mentioned before, neither of these three countries will send the bulk of their armies to help Heffal. However, to deal with Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate, they will be forced to at least relocate 30% or more of their forces, perhaps half of it. Why?


    Because that''s the best way to prevent you from losing too many of your forces."


    "If you show a display of strength from the start, you would be forcing Xanzion and the others to reconsider continuing a war where both sides will lose. Thus, an agreement would be made, and the war would be over. However, such an agreement will not happen.


    When Binnan, Goruto, and Tinfal mobilize these big armies and send them into Heffal, it will be the moment the coalition''s real power will be displayed."


    Milia and the others finally understood the whole picture. "Simply put, the enemy was already expecting Heffal to ally with Binnand and the others and receive help. Once that happened, the coalition of three countries would show to everyone that they are actually a coalition of nine countries instead."


    "That''s what I expect," Linfel confirmed. "The reason for that is pretty simple, look at the east side of Heffal. Or, to be more specific, look at the borders of Binnan, Goruto, and Tinfal. These three are located to the east of Heffal, but what do they have on their east side?"


    "The sea..." Alvin murmured.


    "Yes, the sea," Linfel repeated as well. "These three countries are surrounded by the sea and would not be able to ask for reinforcements from other countries. Well, they can, but I doubt any country would help due to the logistical nightmare that this sea would cause. In the end, Heffal is fated to fall first.


    Binnan and the other two will soon follow after losing the reinforcements they sent to Heffal, having no one to ask for help."


    Felia couldn''t help but ask. "You arrived at this conclusion just because we found no protection between Lergen and Xanzion when we crossed the border?"


    "Not really," Linfel shook his head in response. "I already checked this scenario way before we left the academy. Unfortunately, I didn''t have a better picture of the overall situation, so I wasn''t certain. I had other scenarios in my head, but they were also quite blurry. After seeing the news on the TV, I''m more or less confident this is the scenario that will take place. Of course, I might be wrong.


    We should have an answer in a week at most. That''s why I separated from Vera and the others, who would definitely go back to Heffal regardless."


    "I don''t blame them," Milia sighed and looked in the direction Vera and the others left. "All you are saying looks like madness. It is just too hard to believe. How could such an alliance of nine countries take place, and no one found out about it? All countries have spies within each other, you know?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "And yet, Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate took Heffal by surprise without anyone knowing they would attack together. If three countries can do it, why not nine? Even better, with all the attention focused on those three, why would anyone care about the other six, who seemed to be minding their own businesses?"


    "I..." Milia couldn''t give Linfel an answer, and neither could Alvin, Felia, or Nori. Indeed, Heffal didn''t find out about the coalition until it started the attack, so was it really impossible? Obviously not.


    "Wait!" Alvin grew tense. "My father is still there! We need to go back, too! I need to take him out before this breaks out!"


    Linfel shook his head. "There is not enough time. It would take over a week to enter and leave Heffal. Besides, there is no need."


    "It is obviously needed!" Alvin and Felia complained at the same time.


    "It is not," Linfel seemed calm. "I already got him out of the country. After all, Binnan is now in an alliance with Heffal, so the borders between these countries should be open to each other."


    "This..." Alvin and Felia were taken aback. However, Alvin was still skeptical.


    "You don''t believe me?" Linfel asked with a smile. "Catch!"


    Alvin was taken by surprise and quickly extended his hand. Linfel threw him his own MCOM. "What is this?"


    "My MCOM, obviously!" Linfel answer. "Call your father. If he is outside Heffal, you should be able to connect to him since there are no jamings here." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin took a deep breath and called his father''s number. "He-Hello?"


    -Oh!- Lucau''s voice quickly came out of it as the video opened. -That was faster than I expected. Are you already in Clondure? Hey, Linfel, it was just like you said. Binnan''s borders were open. I got here yesterday.-


    Milia, Felia, Nori, and Alvin looked at Linfel with scared expressions. Just how far has he seen?


    Too bad Linfel didn''t feel like he did anything out of the norm. "Hey, senior Lucau. No, we had to change our plans. Initially, I was going to drag Alvin to Binnan once he got to experience enough battles, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, we ended up in Xanzion instead. Don''t worry, though. We should get to Clondure Country by tomorrow at most."


    -Good!- Lucau nodded with a smile. -The further away we are from Heffal, the better.-

 Chapter 86: Cant Leave Behind

    "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Alvin couldn''t hold himself anymore. "What is happening here? How did you get to do all of this?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."Hum?" Linfel pondered a bit about the past. "I told you I considered a few patterns of how this war could turn out to be, right? One of them would be the one we just talked about. I knew that you would absolutely want to go back and take your father with you, so I couldn''t really leave him behind."


    He continued. "That said, I met senior Lucau alone and told him about the scenario of a bigger alliance. If everything went as I expected, the borders would open between Heffal and Binnan. Senior Lucau only had to take a bus or whatever and cross the border. From Binnan, who wasn''t at war yet, he only had to take an airship and go to Clondure further north and out of the influence of the alliances."


    -It was quite expensive for the airship ticket, you know?- Lucau complained. -I had to use quite a bit of my savings. I''m only a fisher, so things aren''t that easy.-


    Alvin felt helpless. "Fine... If my father is safe, then I truly don''t have to worry about him. But..." Alvin looked in the direction of Heffal Country. "What about Connor?"


    Milia joined. "And the Floating Blades Faction? I can''t simply leave them behind."


    Linfel turned serious. "I can''t do much for Connor, sorry. However, the guys from the Floating Blades Faction still have a chance... as long as they take me seriously."


    "What do you mean?" Milia and Alvin asked at the same time.


    ---


    Meanwhile, back in the Wateva Region, Pamil and the other members were having a conversation inside their regiment. They went to a corner where no one could hear them because they got a message from Linfel.


    "When did he leave this message?" Pamil couldn''t help but ask.


    Natalie knew how. "Do you remember when I distributed the MCOMs that my uncle prepared for us?" Everyone nodded and waited for her to continue. "I also gave Alvin and Milia one. Those MCOMs use the military server, so as long as we aren''t inside Xanzion''s jamming influence, we could receive a message from them. Look at the time Linfel wrote the message."


    Everyone paid attention to their MCOMs. Sure enough, Linfel had prepared that message weeks ago when they were still together. It''s just that the message had been scheduled to be delivered today. As long as Pamil and the others were within the communication system''s range, they would receive it.


    "Alright, he scheduled the message, which means he predicted all of this before we even separated," William commented. "The problem here is only one. All he is saying here looks like madness. Would there truly be an alliance of another extra six countries?"


    Their group went silent. They had been fighting for a while while Natalie''s uncle covered for their identity like she said he would. They experienced their own challenges, not to mention that Pamil and Natalie brushed death twice. None of them regretted this decision to join the war instead of using their backgrounds to avoid it. But...


    if what Linfel described in his message was true, then this wasn''t a war that could be salvaged anymore. Heffal would fall. There was nothing that could be done.


    It''s just that it was too hard to believe. This message, in particular, was even harder to believe. Linfel was now a lot more certain he was right, but that''s because he saw the borders between Xanzion and Lergen, where almost no protection existed. When he scheduled this message, he obviously hadn''t seen that yet. So, at the moment, his message only spoke about it as if it was a remote possibility.


    He obviously couldn''t contact them anymore from where he was.


    Natalie finally made a decision. "I''m going to see my uncle and pass him this message."


    "I think it is meaningless," William interjected. "No one would believe such a thing could happen. To be honest, I don''t believe it can. I say we just ignore this message and continue with our plans. We gained a lot by fighting in this war. I can feel my core''s color changing slightly, even though I entered Level Three not long ago.


    With the alliance Heffal made with Binnan and the others, reinforcements will come, and it will give us a better opportunity to force Xanzion and the others back. Are we truly losing that opportunity to participate?"


    "I think we should consider it," Qanda, Pamil''s Familiar, decided to give his opinion. "Master, Linfel is very weird. The few interactions we had with him and the reports of his achievements were even weirder. However, he is anything but an idiot. If he went to such extent to leave us this message, there might truly be some truth behind it."


    "I agree," Vigrus, Natalie''s Familiar, quickly followed. The Familiars seemed to be of the same mind on this topic. They were independent, so there was no need to think their words were biased toward their masters. "The main point here is whether Linfel is right or wrong. And so far, everything happened as he described.


    I would say the most glaring event is the alliance between Binnan, Tinfal, Goruto, and our country. He got it perfectly correct."


    "Hmph!" William''s Familiar, Mongis, was definitely the one who didn''t like Linfel the most. Yet... "As much as I hate to admit, Linfel did help my master find out about his hidden potential. No one had seen it before. I have no idea if he was right or wrong, and I don''t want him to be right. However, if he is, then only death awaits us.


    At the very least, we will have to surrender once this hidden alliance of nine countries happens and Heffal falls. I would rather bring William away before that happens."


    Pamil, William, and Natalie looked at their Familiars. They trust their Familiars more than anything. "Let''s pretend we believe Linfel is right. We all have families left behind. Can we really flee and leave them behind?"


    "Ha!" William heard that as if it was a joke. "Perhaps you two have families that you care about. But I''m different. It is not like you don''t know what my family thinks about me because of my dwarfism. I couldn''t care less about those guys who think I would be better dead than alive."


    "Sorry..." Pamil scratched the back of his head. He forgot for a moment that William''s situation was a lot more complicated.


    "Pamil," Natalia patted his shoulder. "There is no need for you to worry about our families either. Did you forget who we are? Do you think the elders of my Family or the higher-ups of your Organization haven''t prepared escape routes in case things go south? We are talking about those shred geezers here."


    "Oh..." Pamil had to admit Natalie was right. "Now that you said that... Yes, they definitely prepared ahead of time, no doubt. In that case, we don''t really need to worry about our families... Hum..."


    Pamil looked at the others. "Let''s vote. Those who think we should use this chance to leave Heffal, please raise your hands."


    William was basically the only one who raised his hand. He still found it hard to believe Linfel''s scenario was correct. However, he was the only one. Even his Familiar thought Linfel might truly be right.


    "Do you want to stay, Master?" Mongis asked with a concerned expression. "If you stay, then so will I."


    William looked at everyone''s raised hands and sighed. "Fine. Let''s get out of here. I hate the idea of abandoning our country to its fate, but if Linfel is right, staying behind is basically suicide."


    Natalie quickly began to type a few things in her MCOM and sent a message right after. "In any case, I sent this message to my Uncle. I hope he takes it seriously. Now then, William, do you think you can get your friend to bring us back to the academy."


    Let''s not forget they paid a cargo airship to hide them so that they could come here to fight.


    William nodded. "As long as the price is right, she will give us a lift. It will not be cheap, though."


    "No problem," Pamil didn''t care. "We still have some Universal Credits saved. Let''s gather them together. It should be enough. Alright, everyone. We are leaving this place."


    "Yes!" Everyone agreed.


    Willian then asked one more thing. "By the way... should I bring that guy as well?"


    They all looked in the direction of the tents in their regiment. If Alvin had been here, he would have immediately identified the guy. It was none other than Connor, who wasn''t supposed to be in this regiment.

 Chapter 87: In or Out?

    Connor had a serious expression. These previous weeks of fight were especially harsh to him due to his level. Level One magus with a Level One Familiar. Above all, he was a Rank F Student. Such students were put at the very forefront as cannon fodder, and there was nothing they could do about it. Someone had to do this job, and the weakest would always be the first in that regard.There were already a few scars on his body, and some parts hadn''t even healed well yet. As someone who participated in the first confronts, the situation was quite bloody. However, Connor still tried to keep his bright behavior to try to fend away his fear... until six days ago.


    During a battle that happened in the Ofrical Region, his regiment suffered heavy casualties, including some friends he made in this place. But, above all, he got very close to dying. The only reason he didn''t was because his Familiar, Tratil, sacrificed himself to save his life.


    His regiment managed to retreat in the end, but Connor changed completely after that. This is also the reason why Connor was brought to the same regiment as Natalie and the others. His own regiment had been almost completely destroyed, so it couldn''t be maintained anymore. Its survivors were distributed between other regiments, and Alvin was sent to this one.


    Natalie found him the next day, although she didn''t know much about him. Nonetheless, she knew Alvin came to the war to look for Alvin and to fight together with him. Without Connor''s presence, Alvin wouldn''t have come with Linfel. On top of that, her group wouldn''t have received Linfel''s message about future events Linfel believes will happen.


    In a certain way, Connor''s presence might have just saved their lives.


    "I don''t know," Natalie spoke. "When I told him Alvin also came to look for him, he didn''t seem to care that much. It was as if his soul wasn''t even there anymore."


    William got up and walked in Connor''s direction. "Forget it. I will consider this as paying Linfel''s favor for helping me reach Level Three and finding out about my meridians'' hidden capability. Let me grab him. I''ll force him to come even if I have to knock him out."


    ---


    Time passed, and five days went by...


    Clondure South Border, Regardia City.


    At the moment, Linfel, Alvin, Milia, and Nori had already met with Lucau and had been waiting here since them. So far, no new piece of news appeared on the TVs. According to Linfel''s prediction, the other six countries would join Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate in at most a week, but there had been no signs until now.


    They would be considered deserters at the moment, so if Linfel''s scenario didn''t play, going back would incur some heavy punishment. Besides, Alvin and Linfel left the Magus Academy against Xalafel''s orders so the old man would make things even worse once they returned.


    Alvin, Lucau, and Milia were eating at a restaurant while Linfel and the two Familiars were talking outside.


    "Nori, there is one thing I didn''t account for," Linfel spoke.


    Nori still didn''t like Linfel and the others since he didn''t like how Milia and Alvin were getting close. Nonetheless, he still talked to them. "What? Just speak already. If it is about Master and that idiot, don''t even bother."


    Linfel looked at Milia in the restaurant and shook his head. "That''s not it. When I made my plans to have Alvin leave Heffal, I did not include Milia in those plans, only his father. After all, he would never agree to stay outside if Lucau was in danger. I now know that the civilians probably would be spared if Heffal loses, but Alvin would still return to Heffal regardless."


    Linfel continued. "But Milia was different. I didn''t plan anything for her family. I was expecting her to eventually go back to Heffal since her parents are there, but she doesn''t seem to want to do it at all. Is she okay?"


    Nori looked at Milia and then back at Linfel. "There is no need to worry. For the Frondor Family, it is impossible that they didn''t plan a way to escape in case things went south. Besides, even if they hadn''t, Milia wouldn''t go back. You heard about William''s relationship with his family, right?"


    Linfel nodded. "Something about they not caring about whether he was alive or not, right?"


    "Exactly," Nori nodded. "Milia is the opposite. Her Family, especially her father, does consider her to be important. However, not because she is family, but because she is an asset. With her talent, the family considers my master to be of great use in a political marriage."


    Nori looked in the skies'' direction. "You might consider me a terrible Familiar, but I''m happy that Heffal will fall. I hope it falls. If it happens, the Frondor Family would be too busy to care about my master anymore. A daughter from a family that escaped a ruined country wouldn''t be very enticing either. She would be free to do as she wishes."


    Felia was hearing on the side. "You mean she can now make her own choices, right?"


    "Exactly," Nori nodded.


    Felia smiled in response. "Great! Once she chooses Alvin, you will have nothing to complain about. After all, it is her choice."


    "OVER MY DEAD CORE!" Nori instantly exploded. Felia obviously used his words against him.


    "What are you talking about?" Suddenly, Milia appeared on their side with Alvin and Lucau. They had just finished lunch.


    "Ah!" Nori quickly calmed down. "Ahem... nothing, nothing at all... They were just making some jokes that I didn''t like."


    Milia and Alvin looked at Linfel. "What did you do now?"


    Linfel felt like crying. For the first time, it wasn''t his fault, and yet... "I, your grandfather, am innocent!" S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was at that moment that the mood in the restaurant changed. Linfel''s group looked inside, and noticed everyone was looking at the TV in there. Since the war in Heffal was happening quite close to Clondure, the news kept sharing constant information with its country''s population. Now, a new piece of news just emerged.


    Linfel quickly entered the restaurant again with everyone and watched it.


    -A sudden turn of events just took place in the war of Heffal. Lergen, Serzes, Flangion, Teruna, Lindblom, and Azunia joined Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate in a coalition of nine countries to take down Heffal. They also dispatched all their troops to join in the fight at lightning speed.


    By the time we received this news, those countries had already sent their troops into Heffal to support Volztain and the others. The future of Heffal and its three other allied countries seems bleak. Our expert in military affairs, Dablin, will now give his opinion on the topic.-


    Alvin and the others looked straight at Linfel, who waved back at them in response. "It has started."

 Chapter 88: Good For You

    Milia took out her MCOM and immediately tried to contact Pamil and the others. She had been doing this ever since Linfel told everyone he had warned Pamil''s group. However, so far, she hasn''t seen any signs of them. "Perhaps they didn''t see your message, Linfel?""I can''t deny that possibility," Linfel spoke. "I can just hope they did, and they are now out of Binnan."


    Alvin noticed something. "Wait, you told them in that message of yours that they should leave Heffal through Binnan, right? But... what about after it? Where did you ask them to go?"


    "Eh?" Linfel was taken aback. "I didn''t ask them to go anywhere. I just mentioned that they should use Binnan to get out, so they could have gone pretty much to any other country."


    Milia''s expression turned dark. "Fuck! Why didn''t you say that earlier?! Wait, let me try to use our secret online forum."


    "Secret... online forum?" Linfel had never heard about that. "What is it?"


    Alvin took his MCOm and showed Linfel. "It''s simply a place where you can also leave messages, although they are usually open for everyone to see instead of only those you target with the message. It is a good way to discuss some topics in a closed community."


    "Aha!" Milia couldn''t help but laugh. "I knew it! They didn''t come to Clondure. They went to Saloton!"


    "Saloton?" Linfel took his own MCOM and checked where it was. "Oh! They went pretty far away, didn''t they? Even by airship, it would take us two days to get there."


    Milia didn''t seem to care. She quickly posted an answer to the topic Pamil made recently, giving him her new MCOM number. After all, her own MCOM stayed back in Heffal, and the military MCOM she got from Natalie was pretty much useless outside of Heffal Country.


    *Plin!*


    Surprisingly, she got an answer from Pamil almost instantly. After adding his contact, she quickly called over. "Pamil! You are out!"


    -Hey, I''ve been scared out of my mind, you know? I thought you didn''t make it out of Heffal. Did you see the news?-


    Milia nodded before showing her MCOm to everyone so they could see the video call with Pamil. "We all saw it. Linfel was correct about everything."


    Natalie then appeared like a ghost on Pamil''s side. -Did you say Linfel? There he is! Linfel, how the hell did you manage to see it coming? They just announced exactly the six countries you mentioned would join the coalition. Are you perhaps a super spy inside all these countries or something?-


    Linfel laughed in response. "Hahaha! How can a Level One Familiar be such an amazing spy? I just used the most common method, I analyzed all the information and tried to come out with a few scenarios. That''s all."


    -That''s pretty impressive in and out of itself,- Natalie was still surprised. -Oh, right! Where are you guys calling from? We are in Saloton now.-


    Alvin took it from there. "We are in Clondure. Things went pretty crazy back in Heffal, and we were forced to flee through Xanzion instead."


    -Oh! It is Alvin! Milia, good job protecting him. You truly kept your word to keep him alive.-


    Milia bitterly smiled. Protect him? She was alive and outside of Heffal now because of Linfel, Alvin''s Familiar. In a certain way, it was Alvin who saved her instead. "Forget about it. Should we meet?"


    William then joined the conversation. -That is a bad idea. It is not that it is dangerous or anything, but that we are just too far from each other. I''ll be honest; we used pretty much all our savings to get out of Heffal through Binnan before taking an Airship there. We don''t have the money to fly to Clondure, especially since it is on the other side of the countries at war.-


    "This..." Milia looked at Lucau and Alvin, who shook their heads.


    "We are also pretty much empty," The father and son spoke.


    -Who''s the old man?- Pamil asked, curious.


    "He''s my father," Alvin spoke. "Linfel also convinced him to get out of Heffal through the same method, so we met in Clondure."


    Pamil looked at them. -Oh, I can see the similarities indeed. Anyway, Milia, neither you nor we have money at the moment. And since we kind of fled from our families, I believe you know they won''t give us a single Universal Credit, especially since they should be a lot more busy making an escape from Heffal now that things have turned bad.-


    "I understand..." Milia was okay with it. "Seems like we are stranded. Also, I don''t have many Universe Credits with me either. Does anyone have any good ideas?"


    Linfel couldn''t help but sigh. "If things hadn''t turned out as I imagined, we would be in Heffal by now, and the military would have paid us quite a good sum for our success in the mission. My beloved reward... gone, just like that."


    -We have been discussing it for a while,- Natalie added. -We are all Maguses and Familiars, so we can definitely make use of it. With Heffal''s situation, we can ask the governments of Saloton to take us a refugies. If Heffal truly ends up falling, I''m pretty sure Saloton would receive us with open arms as new Maguses and Familiars of their country. You should try the same thing.


    No country would let such an opportunity pass.-


    "Seems reasonable..." Milia agreed with the plan. "What do you think, Alvin?"


    "Eh?" Alvin was taken aback. He pondered a bit and finally agreed as well. "Well, why not? I became a Magus for my Father, and since he is with me, I don''t really mind which country I''m part of."


    Lucau shrugged. "And I told you a thousand times you shouldn''t bother about it. Anyway, I should be of some use. Because Alvin is still a minor, they will have to talk to me first. Let your old man do the honors."


    Pamil, William, and Natalie were all adults already, so they didn''t have such issues. The only one who had it was Milia, who separated from her Family.


    -Sounds like a plan,- Pamil commented. -But what about Milia? She is fifteen, just like Alvin.-


    Milia narrowed her eyes. She could try to contact her Family since she was sure they would manage to escape somehow. However, Milia absolutely didn''t want to do so. For her, it was better if they thought she was dead instead.


    It was then that Linfel pointed at Lucau. "Why so much drama? Just have Lucau pretend to be responsible for her. Oh! What about saying Milia and Alvin are boyfriend and girlfriend who fled the war together? Done! Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That''s the perfect plan!"


    Milia and Alvin''s expression turned completely red again. "What kind of idea is that?"


    -That''s a very good idea,- Natalie smiled on the other side of the video call.


    -Senior Lucau, please take care of her,- Pamil already spoke as if the plan was accepted.


    However, there was a certain someone who absolutely couldn''t tolerate it. "Like hell he will!" Naturally, that was Nori, Milia''s Familiar. "I will not accept this arrangement!"


    Felia got to his side and patted his little ethereal shoulder. "It is that, or having to call Milia''s family to speak for her. Which one do you choose?"


    "I..." Nori was speechless. It was one terrible idea in exchange for another one just a little better, but still terrible. He had to weigh which one seemed worse, letting the Frondor family know about Milia''s situation or accepting the arrangement with Alvin''s father.


    -It''s good we reached a decision,- Pamil spoke again. He truly didn''t want to give Milia any chance to say otherwise. -Now, leaving that aside. Alvin, I have someone here with me you probably want to see.- Finally, Pamil pulled Connor into the video call.


    "Connor!" Alvin was shocked to see him there. "How?!"


    However, Connor didn''t seem as excited as Alvin. "H-Hey... Alvin. So you survived... and so did your Familiars, uh? Good for you..."

 Chapter 89: The Only Question is When

    Alvin was then made aware of Connor''s situation and the reason behind his change. In the end, Connor and Alvin exchanged numbers with their new MCOMs and talked alone, leaving Linfel and the others behind. That was something for the two of them to discuss."Thank you for bringing him together with you," Lucau bowed to Pamil and the others on the other side of the video call. He had known Connor since he was a kid, too.


    -It''s fine,- Pamil didn''t mind. -Alright, the fact is that we all managed to get out before things turned worse in Heffal. We will take our leave now since we are still working on our situation here due to the lack of money. We will need to wait for a while since trying to join Saloton before Heffal truly falls would be considered desertion. Let us know if anything happens, okay?-


    "Yes," Millia and Nori nodded before the call was finished.


    After that, Linfel and the others waited for Alvin to finish his talk with Connor, which took over an hour. Only then did Alvin return to their group. "Sigh... Tratil died in the war, that''s why he is like that. Fortunately, Pamil and the others are there with him."


    Everyone in the Floating Blades Faction had independent Familiars, which proved how much they cared about them. Listening that Tratil was destroyed to save Connor left them definitely didn''t sit well with their group.


    "Alright, Connor is a bright kid; he will recover," Lucau took the lead there as the adult in charge. "What we need to focus now is on what we are supposed to do. Are you guys truly going to try to join Clondure Country as Maguses and Familiars?"


    Alvin and Milia did have that plan. Nori and Felia also found it to be the best option. However, Linfel was different. "You guys go ahead and do it. I have other plans."


    "Other... plans?" Alvin asked him back. "Are you not waiting to see if the war will be over?"


    "I''m not," Linfel shook his head. "With these events just now, I reached the conclusion that staying in one place doesn''t really suit me. Back when I lived with Horan, we were in constant movement while he threw me into the craziest situations to train. I guess I grew used to it now. I will still try to register as a Familiar from Clondure, but I will travel around while increasing my level. Then...


    Well, I guess I will leave the planet and learn more about today''s Universe."


    "Horan? Training?" Milia and Nori were completely confused. "What is he talking about?"


    "This..." Alvin and Felia didn''t know what to say. Did the wisp forget Milia and Nori were still there?


    However, Linfel was well aware of that fact. "It is fine. I believe Milia proved to be someone we can trust, don''t you think?"


    "O-Of course!" Alvin quickly agreed, although Felia had her doubts due to Nori.


    Milia and Nori only got more confused, though. "Care to explain?"


    "Let''s return to our hotel first," Lucau suggested.


    Finally, they were alone in their room, so Linfel started. "First, let me finish my whole story. Then you can ask me anything you want, okay?"


    Neither Milia nor Nori had any troubles with that arrangement. If anything, they had always felt that Linfel was not simple. His abilities far surpassed what Familiars should be capable of doing.


    Linfel didn''t waste time and recounted the events that led him to this place today, including the fact he wasn''t really a Familiar. "Even now, I still don''t know why I woke in the middle of the ocean. But, from what I''ve learned, one thing is certain. Today''s Universe is definitely many, many years in the future.


    I''m from a time when Magic Energy didn''t even exist, and from the looks of it, no information remains of what my Wisp Race once was. I couldn''t find anything about Primordial Energy either."


    "Wisp race..." Milia and Nori had shocked expressions from the start to the end of Linfel''s story. "Then... what about the Double Master Familiar Connection?"


    Alvin patted Milia''s shoulder while looking at Nori. "Can you two connect for a moment?"


    Milia and Nori looked at each other and nodded. Immediately, Nori changed into his Flame Sword form and was held by Milia. Following that, Linfel landed on Milia''s shoulder. "Give me a few seconds. Do not block me."


    Finally, Linfel managed to match Milia and Nori''s Soul Waves, connecting his own with theirs. Their Magic Energy merged with each other, and now Milia was the one using Double Master Familiar Connection. "Unbelievable..."


    Milia could feel all that energy, far surpassing anything she had ever done before. "Why does it feel like my connection with Linfel is even more precise than with Nori?" Milia couldn''t help but ask.


    "Because I can match your soul perfectly," Linfel explained. "Wisps are beings of soul and energy, literally. We were extremely weak in the past, but in this future Universe, the story seems to be different. Magic Energy truly fits me, and matching your souls is not an issue at all. It is quite easy.


    Just so that you know, if you and I did the Master Familiar Connection test, our soul compatibility would be around 99%."


    "Ah!" Nori then remembered something. "Right, back at the Academy Entrance Exam for Familiars. You did reach 99% in your first test, didn''t you?"


    "I did," Linfel laughed and disconnected from Milia. "I had to work pretty hard to get it down to 70%, and Alvin complained a lot."


    Alvin sighed. "What did you want me to do? A Master Familiar Compatibility of 99%! You have no idea how ridiculous that number is."


    Milia and Nori couldn''t agree more. "This is just ridiculous!"


    "You can match my Soul Waves so perfectly..." Milia continued. "Then... that trick with Magic Energy Signatures you talked about during the war..."


    "Aren''t you a smart girl?" Linfel commented. "That''s correct. It is no trick. I can simply read someone''s soul waves and magic energy and copy it. I can basically pretend to be anyone at any time as long as I have a chance to memorize their soul waves and magic energy patterns."


    "Such a cheat power!" Nori was truly impressed.


    "Well, that is one of the reasons I told you the truth," Linfel faintly smiled. "I can pretend to be a completely new Familiar when Alvin decides to register as a Clondure Magus. I can help you guys in the future, too. It''s just that I can''t teach anyone how to do this. You would need to be a wisp, just like me. Anyway, that is the end of the story."


    Milia and Nori fell into deep thoughts while Lucau took the chance to ask. "Linfel. According to your predictions, how long will it take for Heffal to lose? And... can they avert this crisis?"


    Linfel pondered a bit. "To be honest, I don''t know. I mentioned before that no other country would meddle in this war since it seems like a lost cause. However, I lack too much information. I don''t know if Heffal, Binnan, Tinfal, and Goruto don''t have some hidden cards in their pockets.


    In any case, Binnan, Tinfal, and Goruto will immediately give up helping Heffal and lock themselves to try to defend against that alliance of nine countries."


    "If Heffal doesn''t have some other plan..." Linfel sighed. "I would give them five days at most before they announced their surrender. As for Binnan and the others, they are not at the center of the chaos, so they have a better chance to survive. We will see. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I still think this alliance of nine countries considered all possible outcomes, so the truth is that Binnan and the others will also fall at some point; the only question is when."

 Chapter 90: I Can Only Try

    Late that night, Nori and Milia were in their own room as the others rested. "Milia, what do you think about Linfel''s story?"Milia pondered a bit. "It is hard to believe. And yet, you saw it yourself. He connected to both of us without any issues. He even pretended to be me and used my own Magic Energy Signature in my MCOM to unblock it. I''ve never heard about any familiar capable of doing such things.


    If there was, the countries of the world would have devised countermeasures."


    Nori nodded. "So it is basically as me. Whether he is really this wisp or whatever, I don''t know. But... do you think we can use it for your benefit somehow? This information might be worth a lot, enough to even buy you a way out of the Frondor Family''s claw."


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "Are you telling me to speak about it to Clondure?"


    Nori didn''t deny that. "It is dangerous, but if played correctly, you could be truly free."


    Milia shook her head, though. "No can do. He saved me with Alvin... twice! If my freedom means betraying my benefactor, then I might as well go back to the Frondor Family on my own."


    Nori wasn''t sad to hear that, though. "You sure never change..." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ---


    On another room, Linfel, Alvin, and Felia were togehter.


    "So, these are all the Red Magic Stones I got from Lativia," Linfel spoke as he brought everything out of his Spatial Storage. "Use them to increase your level. As a Level Two magus and Familiar, you two should have quite a good future ahead."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "I don''t like it. Our deal was that you would help me level up."


    "Help you level up in the academy," Linfel corrected him. "Soon, the academy will be no more. Besides, I have already helped a lot to bring both of you to Level Two in such a short time. You can''t rely on me forever. You need to stand on your two feet."


    "Is there no way to convince you to stay?" Felia asked back.


    "There isn''t," Linfel had made up his mind already, though. "Such a life in a single place just isn''t for me. But you have my MCOM contact. If you ever need help, you can just call me. I''ll try to come over. Now, let''s continue our training today.


    You better use the days we stay together to the best you can."


    Alvin and Felia sighed but nodded in the end. Just like that, Linfel began to absorb and clean the Magic Stones while sharing the energy with the two. Finally, Alvin and Linfel reached their limit for the day and went to sleep.


    ---


    Things played just as Linfe mentioned. Heffal ended up being conquered fairly easily, while the alliance of nine countries killed or captured pretty much all Maguses, Familiars, and normal soldiers. From there, they shifted their attention to Binnan and the other two, starting a new war that Binnan''s group had little chance of winning.


    At the same time, Heffal''s president announced the country''s surrender. The alliance of nine countries promised the news media that they would not touch the civilians. They would be accepted as new citizens of the nine countries and work to hel share the resources of Heffal. In the end, it was all about that, the lack of resources.


    By now, Linfel and Alvin had already concluded their registration in Clondure as refugies. They weren''t the only ones. Quite a few Maguses and Familiars from Haffal, Binnan, etc, kept fleeing those countries and asking for asylum. Those countries who received them happily accepted every single one as they would boost their own countries'' power.


    They didn''t need to worry about Heffal''s group either since they wouldn''t be around for long.


    ---


    Country of Ternubes, several countries of distance to the north of Clondure. It had been over a month since the events in Heffal. Binnan had now fallen, and Tinfal was close to following the same path, while Goruto made a shocking agreement with the alliance of nine countries, saving its own ass.


    Today, a Familiar came out of an Airship in Ternubes and looked around with excitement. He quickly went through the procedures of entering a new country and gave his Magic Energy Signature.


    -Linfel-


    -Level Two Familiar-


    -Country of Origin: Clondure-


    -Master: Independent Familiar-


    A completely new Magic Energy Signature was used in Clondure when Alvin registered him. Even though he was using the same name, no one would find Linfel since he had a different ID. Even his ethereal humanoid form was different now.


    Linfel then floated out of the door and looked at the gigantic tower that extended to the skies. "Turnubes Space Elevator..."


    "I say, aren''t you a little too hasty?" It was then that a voice echoed on his side.


    Linfel looked at the guy and shrugged. "I don''t even know why you are here. Your best prospect for reproduction was right there in Clondure. And yet, you still decided to follow me. Since you are here, I don''t want to hear complaints, Alvin."


    Alvin laughed in response. "Hahaha! Come on, I couldn''t lose such a chance to see the world, you know? Besides, I improved the most while following you, so I decided to continue to do so." Sure, he liked Milia. However, there wasn''t a single hint of regret on his face.


    Back in Clondure, Alvin went to talk to his father about his decision just a day before he went with Linfel to make a new registration. Surprisingly, Lucau seemed to have seen it coming. Lucau simply said that the good thing about being young is the adventures you can have and gave his support right there and then.


    He even commented that he and Alvin''s mother had done quite a few crazy things before they settled down in that fishing city.


    Alvin didn''t tell Milia about his decision since he didn''t want to bother the woman who had more serious things to deal with.


    As for Felia, Alvin requested his Familiar to stay with Lucau and protect him. Felia definitely didn''t want to leave Alvin behind. Unfortunately for her, she couldn''t just abandon Lucau either. Not to mention, she wasn''t an independent Familiar, so she had to follow Alvin''s orders.


    Finally, Alvin and Linfel hopped in an airship, even though Linfel warned Alvin he had no intention to come back anytime soon. Now... Linfel was looking to leave the planet.


    "So... tell me more about what is it that you are looking for, Linfel," Alvin asked as they walked through the city and looked at the Space Elevator.


    Linfel nodded. "If this is indeed the same Universe as the one I was, then there is a planet I want to visit. I don''t know if I will manage to find it, but I can only try, right?"

 Chapter 91: Level Three?

    Alvin found it quite hard to accomplish. "We believe you had been asleep for millions or even billions of years. After all, no records remain about this Primordial Energy you mentioned. If that''s the case, it is hard to believe this planet you want to visit still exists.""And yet, I am here on this planet, am I not?" Linfel asked back. "I''m not sure if I was transported left and right during my sleep, but if I haven''t, then this planet has existed since my time."


    Alvin opened his MCOM and checked the geological information on the planet''s internet. "From what I can see here, it is believed our Serfen Planet was formed 2,5 billion years ago... or so the geologists say. I guess it makes sense. Anyway, what''s the name of this Planet you are looking for?"


    Linfel took out his own MCOM and imputed the name in the search. "It is called Warfel Planet. It was Horan''s birth planet. This planet and the entire galaxy around it had grown so much in power that no one dared to use the same name... or so Horan told me."


    Alvin also used the same name. "Warfel, uh? I feel like I heard this name before..."


    It only took a few seconds for Linfel and Alvin to find some results. "This..." Not only that but there were countless results regarding Warfel. Linfel and Alvin looked at each other and opened the first result, which was nothing less than the Warfel Official Website!


    -Welcome to the Warfel Galaxy Empire Official Website.-


    "I knew I had heard about it before!" Alvin couldn''t help but exclaim. "It''s the Warfel Imperial Family! There were quite a few classes regarding them back in school. This empire is considered the strongest power in our Universe, and its influence extends over several clusters."


    Linfel was just as surprised. "Here, it says that the principal planet in that Galaxy is also called Warfel. Although I don''t know if it is a coincidence or not, at least I have a clue. Well, I have way too many clues actually. There is information about this empire all over the planetary network. But...


    why would this empire have an official website on such a remote planet like ours? From what is saying here, Warfel is literally located on the other side of the Universe, far from its territorial influence."


    "Oh! That isn''t that weird," Alvin explained. "Not only Warfel, but many other empires, democracies, alliances, and other types of powers in our Universe use this method to spread their influence. This is a very good way to attract investments and highly skilled professionals. It would be a lot harder to find an inhabited planet without an official website from these powers."


    "Is that so?" Linfel was surprised to hear that. "Then it makes things easier. If I can get recruited by them, I might be able to travel to Warfel, right?"


    Alvin shook his head, though. "Not from a place like this one."


    "What?! Why?"


    Alvin continued. "We live way too far away from Warfel. Why don''t you access the interplanetary traveling websites and check about the problems with this journey?"


    Linfel was curious and quickly searched for it. However, not a single one of such websites offered the option to travel to Warfel. Let alone Warfel, they didn''t cover more than a small percentage of their own Galaxy. "This... why are there no spaceships going out of our galaxy?"


    "Time," Alvin answered Linfel''s question. "Let me show you. There is a nice website that can make the calculation of the amount of time necessary to travel between galaxies all over the Universe. It is quite fun."


    Alvin quickly accessed that website and inputted the information.


    -Journey Time: 86156 years-


    Linfel bitterly smiled. "Ei... Eighty-six thousand years?!" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin shrugged. "Yeap. And this is already extremely fast. Do you know how many times faster than light you would need to move to make it all the way to the Warfel Empire in only eighty-six thousand years? It is all thanks to the fourth-dimensional spatial magic engine that such a thing is even possible."


    Alvin continued. "That''s why you won''t be able to join the Warfel Empire from here. Both you and I would be dead long before we made even 10% of the way. However, you can invest in Warfel since Universal Credits is the system used over the entire Universe nowadays."


    Seeing Linfel''s dark expression, Alvin smiled. "However, it is not impossible to make it there in a few decades."


    "Oh!" Linfel''s eyes lit up. "Tell me more."


    "Wormholes," Alvin explained. "That''s how long-distance journeys are made through the Universe."


    Linfel quickly checked wormholes in his MCOM. After all, such a term didn''t exist back in his time. "Oh... so they are kind of tunnels that connect two different points in the Universe, uh?"


    Alvin nodded. "There are three in our galaxy that connect to the Warfel Empire area. Too bad that wormhole traversal is strictly regulated. For example, only one person on our planet has the capability to request to use them."


    "Only one?" Linfel was surprised to hear that. "What is so special about him?"


    Alvin smiled. "His name is Rangro, the only Level Eight Magus of our Serfen Planet."


    "Is Level Eight that impressive?" Linfel asked.


    Alvin sighed in response. "Linfel, there is only one in the entire planet. What do you think? It is obviously impressive! Even his Familiars, Wiral and Dunedin, haven''t reached Level Eight yet. Anyway, he can use wormhole because of his status as a Level Eight Magus."


    "Is there no other way?" Linfel asked again.


    "Well, there are always some other methods. It''s just that none of them are available in our Serfen Planet," Alvin said while shaking his head. "Rangro didn''t become a Level Eight Magus in our Serfen Planet. Instead, he got to that level in the Ventis Sect, a hegemon that controls around 30% of our galaxy... or so the stories say on the websites.


    In any case, this Ventis Sect has some special privileges. If you have the status of a high-elder there, you can also use the wormholes."


    Linfel nodded. "Ventis Sect it is, then."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Do you think joining them is that easy? Also, didn''t you say you wanted to travel more? How come you now want to settle in the Ventis Sect?"


    "I''m not stopping there, idiot," Linfel retorted. "I will just join to get this high-elder status."


    Alvin felt helpless. "As the old saying goes, ignorance is bliss. There is no way maguses and familiars like us could be accepted into the Ventis Sect."


    Linfel was already inside the Ventis Sect website. Sure enough, it also existed on this planet. "You never know if you don''t try, right? Look, the recruitment happens once every six months, and it also includes our planet."


    Alvin then pointed at the requirements. "It also says all maguses and familiars intending to take the test on our planet must be at least Level Three before the age of 17. I''m already sixteen and I barely reached Level Two. Even Milia, who was considered a top genius back in the academy, is still Level Two."


    Linfel pondered a bit. "How long until you turn seventeen?"


    Alvin was taken aback. "Errr... five months and nine days?"


    Linfel nodded with a happy expression. "Then there is no problem. The test is four months from now. We will reach Level Three before it."

 Chapter 92: Justice

    Alvin felt that notion ridiculous. "I know I can level up much faster when I''m connected to you. However, we have already used so many Red Magic Stones just to get to Level Two. Just how many do you think we will need to reach Level Three in just four months? Do you think Brown Magic Stones are cheap?"Linfel didn''t seem concerned. "I guess you were the one who forgot who I am. I can simply find some rich guy and copy his Magic Energy Signature. Then we can use his funds to buy Brown Magic Stones and level up fast."


    Alvin shrugged. "And who do you think you are fooling? You would never steal someone else''s credits for no reason. I know you well enough to understand this much."


    "Fine," Linfel didn''t deny that. "I wouldn''t steal from anyone... who doesn''t deserve to be stolen from, that is. Hahaha!"


    "Ah!" Alvin immediately understood. Naturally, there are plenty of people who don''t deserve what they have, especially outlaws. However, because Universal Credits are literally a currency registered for use in the entire Universe, no government can touch these credits without the owner''s consent. Forcing the issue was impossible because of the Universal Credits Laws.


    "There are a lot of frauds where the perpetrators were jailed but refused to give back the money and are just waiting to come out. Indeed, I wouldn''t feel the least bit burdened if I took away what they have."


    "That''s about it," Linfel nodded. "However, it would be better if it was someone whose culprit couldn''t be proven since no one could access his Universe Credits account. The others, at least, are already jailed, and going after them might attract too much attention."


    Alvin didn''t waste time and used his MCOM to check the news regarding such things. Regardless of the time, there were always those who escaped the law even though investigations were carried out just because not enough proof was found. In a country as big as Ternubes, which had a Spacial Elevator, such things were bound to fall in the news.


    "Here''s a list of guys understood to be in the wrong, but the law can''t touch them..." Alvin quickly pointed it out in his MCOM.


    Linfel looked at that and felt a little sorry for Ternubes. Even though this country was considered stable, there were plenty of scandals in its government. What kept it working was basically the profits of the Spacial Elevator that sustained all the extra expenditures due to corruption.


    "Whatever... let''s see." Linfel perused through the various news, some dating back to over a decade without resolution. "What about this guy?"


    Alvin took a look. Linfel was talking about a Governor from the Yusluve State... or a previous one, actually. The guy''s mandate was taken away after several cases of fraud in the farming system. The investigations pointed out that various contracts were being given to companies close to the ex-Governor himself.


    However, because the guy had many people in his pocket, he managed to stay out of jail up to this day.


    "Why him?" Alvin wondered.


    "Very simple," Linfel pointed at the date. "His scandal happened almost two decades ago. Most people don''t even remember him anymore. By now, he is pretty much certain he will be free until the end of his life and should have his guard down. Someone like him must have a lot of Universal Credits from those times he was a corrupt governor."


    Alvin pondered a bit and faintly smiled. "The reason he wasn''t caught was the lack of proofs, and the news from that time also mentions how he had the legislative in his hand... but if you copy his Magic Energy Signature, that means you can also get access to a lot of his personal information. Linfel, you wouldn''t mind playing the hero a little, would you?"


    Linfel looked at Alvin''s smile and laughed. "Hahaha! You truly want to bring all his old operations down, don''t you? Sure, why not? Let''s bring them all down. He will have no time to worry about our Universal Credits Transfer once the news outlets begin to disclose all the new proofs that will ''mysteriously'' appear in their e-mails."


    "Hahaha!" Alvin laughed as well. "As everyone says, there is no such thing as evil or good. It all depends on the individual."


    It wasn''t hard to find out where Romero, the ex-governor of Yusluve, was living nowadays. He just so happened to be in the same city since it was where the Spacial Elevator existed. Of course, even if he had been forgotten over time, it didn''t mean Romero had no security whatsoever.


    With all the Universal Credits he earned during his ears as governor, he had plenty to build himself his own mansion, which was protected by its guards 24/7.


    Alvin arrived at the mansion with Linfel, which was quite extravagant. "Who says crime doesn''t compensate? Look at this guy. He is living the dream!"


    "A dream earned over the sweat of others, that is," Linfel complemented. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin couldn''t agree more. "So, how will we meet th-"


    Before Alvin could even finish speaking, Linfel had already moved to the front gate of the mansion, quickly reaching for the doorbell. "Hello, my name is Duroi. I''m from the repair company. Could we get in?"


    Alvin almost vomited blood. Could Linfel be any more invasive than that? "What the hell are you doing?! They would never believe such an obvious-"


    -Finally! I called you guys about the Magical Environment Spectrum three days ago! Come in already!-


    Alvin wanted to cry already. "D-Did you know they were waiting for someone?"


    "Not really," Linfel shrugged as the gate opened for them. "I just thought we wouldn''t lose anything if we tried."


    However, before entering the mansion, Linfel turned to Alvin. "You don''t really need to come with me, you know? I''m using a fake Magic Energy Signature."


    Alvin sighed. "Since we got this far, I might as well watch it to the end."


    Later that day, all the news outlets in Ternubes and even a few more in nearby countries went into a frenzy. Romero, the ex-governor of Yusluve State, was taken by the authorities. Thousands of new pieces of evidence were found against him, so much so that it would be impossible for him to escape this time.


    Meanwhile, no one noticed as millions of Universal Credits suddenly disappeared from Romero''s own account.

 Chapter 93: Decisions

    Alvin and Linfel watched the news as Romero and a bunch of other people related to the same scandal were taken into custody. Sure enough, the one who released all that information was Linfel, who managed to get in contact with Romero.While pretending to work on the problem in the mansion, Linfel also got access to one of the terminals. Naturally, nothing in there was supposed to be open for anyone to see other than Romero. But, with Romero''s Magic Energy Signature, it wasn''t a problem. Linfel copied everything.


    "It doesn''t feel half bad. Still, it was very nice of you to send most of the Universe Credits back to the government coffers. Too bad that quite a good part of it will end up being misused once again at some point," Alvin spoke.


    "It is fine," Linfel didn''t mind. "The country didn''t even expect to get it back anymore, so that should be of some consolation. I left Romero without a single cent as well. Anyway, it should be about to arrive any moment now."


    *Knock, knock...*


    As soon as Linfel finished speaking, someone arrived at the door of their room. Linfel and Alvin were staying in a pretty average hotel, not catching anyone''s attention. They opened the door, and it was the delivery guy. "Sir Rimaldo, right?"


    "That''s me," Linfel spoke with a smile. Right after, he used the guy called Rimaldo''s Magic Energy Signature and received his package. He quickly brought it to the center of the room and opened it. "Now, that''s more like it."


    Inside, there were a thousand Brown Colored Magic Stones. Such stones were very erxpensive, and Linfel used most of the Universal Credits he got from Romero in them. Nonetheless, he didn''t care. If he needed more, he wouldn''t mind playing the hero once more. "Let''s start, Alvin."


    Now that Linfel and Alvin were Level Two, the level of Magic Stones they could use went higher as well. Linfel bought Low-Grade Brown Magic Stones as well since he could clean them and make them as good High-Grade ones.


    Linfel and Alvin quickly connected to each other and Linfel started his job. Their training speed instantly multiplied, and they only stopped the absorption when Alvin''s core reached its limit for the day.


    During the day, Linfel and Alvin rented a training facility. In a world of Maguses and Familiars, such places became a necessity. The Sastasha City Academy, for example, had quite a few of them.


    The best way to help Alvin''s Core stabilize that much Brown Energy was through combat and constant use of his own Magic Energy. With that in mind, Linfel pushed Alvin to his limit, even paying some Level Three Maguses to come and be his sparring partner.


    Linfel didn''t forget to fight alongside Alvin, either. In some of those fights, Alvin and Linfel did connect, which increased their power with the merge of their Magic Energies. In others, Linfel only acted as support, while Alvin had to do his best to fulfill Linfel''s training schedule. Alvin wasn''t the only one benefiting, though.


    Magic Energy was something new to Linfel, so the more he trained with Alvin, the better he got at using it.


    Also, Linfel wasn''t an idiot. As much as he wanted Alvin to reach Level Three before the exam, Linfel never forced Alvin beyond what he should. They only stopped to absorb more Brown Magic Energy when Linfel was absolutely certain Alvin''s Core was in pristine condition, and no side effects would be left behind.


    Linfel wasn''t different in this aspect. Let''s not forget what happened to Linfel when he tried to absorb High-Grade Red Magic Energy while he was still a Level One Wisp. His soul almost got damaged. In a certain way, that training also played a crucial factor for Linfel himself.


    This kind of training continued for the next months. By the time two months went by, all one thousand Brown Magic Stones were gone. Neither Linfel nor Alvin cared, though. They once again went through the news of the past decade or so and quickly found their new target.


    This target was even easier than the previous one. Her name was Laura, the granddaughter of a company owner in Ternubes. She oversaw the sacking of the company, causing the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the company''s bankruptcy. She enjoyed her days on a beach and was surrounded by security almost 24/7.


    However, little did she ever expect that one of the workers in one of the stores she frequented wasn''t a worker at all. It was none other than Linfel and Alvin! They used Linfel''s Magic Energy Signature ability to pretend to work there. All Linfel needed was one touch, and the Magic Energy and Soul Waves were clearly memorized.


    Just like the last time, all the information was leaked into the news outlets from Laura''s own accounts. It was the second time such a thing happened, so some people began to wonder if it was a coincidence or not. Nonetheless, Laura was also taken away, and most of the money she had was sent back to their owners.


    Linfel and Alvin obviously used the remaining money to buy more and more Brown Magic Stones. That was their payment for playing on the side of justice.


    Finally, just eight days before the exam of the Ventis Sect, Alvin and Linfel''s cores changed color completely. Brown energy began to take shape inside and became available for use. Well, Linfel could already use Brown Energy before, although very little. Now, he could fill his entire energy pool with it. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin took a deep breath, raising his hand and controlling the Brown Magic Energy in his Core. "So this is how it feels to be at Level Three..."


    Linfel smiled in response. "This is just the start. Since you decided to come along, I will use the fact you are my ''master'' to its full extent." Yet, his expression turned serious. "However, passing this exam also means leaving this planet. Alvin, I will ask one more time. Do you really want to leave your father?


    I truly can''t tell when you would be able to come back or if you could at all."


    Alvin nodded with conviction. "After you mentioned you would take the exam, I had a long conversation with my father about this. He said he was certain I would regret it if I stayed behind. How could I go against his words?"


    Linfel was happy he felt like that. "Then let''s stop using Magic Stones for now. We will spend the next seven days getting used to Brown Magic Energy. After that, we will go to the exam site."

 Chapter 94: Dont Worry

    One day before the exam, Linfel and Alvin had to take an airship to another country. The exam happened in Lebeu, another city in a further away country that also had a Space Elevator. This city, however, was much bigger, and the Space Elevator it had was obviously capable of carrying much more content.The exam just so happened to take part in there. On the day that Linfel and Alvin got to Level Three, they used their ID as a Clondure Magus and Familiar to register for the exam. They had to demonstrate that they were indeed capable of controlling Brown Magic Energy, and only then was their registration accepted.


    At the base of the Space Elevator from Lebeu, one could see several enormous queues. All of them were filled with young Maguses and Familiars. This was only one of such cities, so one could imagine how many more participants were taking the exam around the globe. Also, let''s remember this is only one planet of the thousands inside Ventis Sect Territory.


    Alvin felt nervous, aware that every single one of the young Maguses and Familiars there was at Level Three... and he could see thousands of them! "I knew Heffal was only one of the thousands of countries on our planet, but seeing so many under seventeen Maguses and Familiars makes me realize how small the war for Heffal truly was."


    Linfel nodded with a smile. "If you had all these youngsters on Heffal''s side during the war, even that coalition of nine countries wouldn''t be able to make their way into Heffal. But then again, this city alone is probably gathering the young geniuses of a few hundred countries around. So, excited already?"


    "Excited...?" Alvin didn''t understand the wisp. "I feel more like crying... There is no way I can do better than these guys."


    "Now that I think about it," Linfel remembered something, "What exactly are the requirements to enter Ventis Sect?"


    Alvin almost fell with his face on the ground. "You planned to take the test to achieve your objective and you don''t even know what you have to do?"


    Linfel nodded. "We just need to pass, right? No big deal. So, what is it?"


    Alvin truly couldn''t tell where all that confidence was coming from. "Sigh... So, according to the official website, there are five rounds of selection, each of them with their own exams. However, only the exams of the first three rounds are made public." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin continued as he and Linfel entered the queue. "The first round is taken before we go up in the Space Elevator. It is quite a simple test, actually, aiming to get rid of at least 70% of the candidates. It is a Magic Energy Output test."


    "Output?" Linfel looked back at him. "There wasn''t a test like that back in the academy, right?"


    Alvin shook his head. "There was, but because you joined mid-season, you weren''t there to see it. Do you remember? You ended up as an Independent Familiar, but the test before that was just so I could register you."


    "Anyway," Alvin didn''t stop. "You will touch a Magic Energy Receptor, and you will have ten seconds to channel as much Magic Energy inside the receptor as possible."


    "What''s the requirement to pass?" Linfel asked back.


    "There is none," Alvin answered with a bitter smile. "There is only one rule, the bottom 70% of the entire planet will be excluded, simple as that. The other 30% will be allowed to go up the Space Elevator to take the second exam. So, unless you get a very obvious position from the start, you won''t know if you passed until the end of the exam."


    "Oh! I like that, very simple." The exam got Linfel''s seal of approval.


    "You... did you hear what I said at all?" Alvin felt helpless. "We have just become Level Three! Most of the Maguses and Familiars here probably have been at Level Three for at least a year. They progressed their training and had time to increase their Magic Energy pool. I''ll be impressed if we make it to the top 50% already, let alone the top 30!"


    Linfel floated a little higher and looked at the end of the queue. "Still, this queue will take forever. Won''t we be disqualified if we run out of time?"


    Seeing Linfel completely ignoring his concerns, Alvin could only try to ignore them as well. "It is fine. Everyone who joined the queue will have their chance. Besides, there will be many receptors and workers on this. Considering each test takes ten seconds, the results plus and change of candidates, no more than thirty seconds to a minute will pass between contestants... or so says the website."


    At exactly midday, all the speakers around the area began the announcement.


    -The Ventis Sect Exam starts now. Make sure you have registered on the official website since your Magic Energy Signature will be checked. Do not dwell near the Magic Energy Receptors for long. Channel your energy, check your results, and move to the waiting area. We count on everyone''s cooperation.-


    The queue began to move slowly, but the rhythm quickly picked up. Alvin was right. There were quite a few workers and receptors connected to the exam results prepared. Every minute, at least forty to fifty contestants were checked. Even with a few thousand contestants, the queues moved pretty fast.


    Alvin opened his MCOM and checked the leaderboard on the official website. As there were many other cities going through this exam, the leaderboard updated over a thousand new IDs every minute, too.


    Once Alvin and Linfel made half way through the queue, a few names became pretty apparent on the leaderboard. One point to take note was the contestant''s level, shown just on the side of their names.


    -1st | Ramuh Canfrisei: 773 Points - Level 4 Magus-


    -2nd | Winnia Popelis: 772 Points - Level 4 Magus-


    -3rd | Glooden Qa''tri: 772 Points - Level 4 Magus-


    At the same time, there was also a leaderboard for the Familiars.


    -1st | Titifi: 761 Points - Level 4 Familiar-


    -2nd | Quay''taba: 761 Points - Level 4 Familiar-


    -3rd | Trin...


    "Level Four..." Alvin bitterly smiled again.


    "Oh!" Linfel also looked at that, surprised. "They make people like you and Milia look like trash."


    Alvin almost vomited blood. "Do you need to say it like that?!"


    Linfel quickly patted Alvin''s shoulder as he spoke confidently: "Don''t worry. You are a good trash, my trash."


    Alvin felt like giving up the exam right there and then...

 Chapter 95: How Rude!

    The queue continued to move at a fast pace, and the positions at the top of the leaderboard more or less stabilized. As one might imagine, the top thousand or more were all Level Four Maguses and Familiars. Yet, it was at this moment that an uproar happened in the queues and the waiting area."Holy shit!"


    "Look at that!"


    "It must be a mistake, right?" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin noticed that and quickly checked his MCOM.


    -1st | Xifrin Lou''dian: 845 Points - Level 5 Magus.-


    "It is the same level as our Academy''s principal..." Alvin took a deep breath, seeing that information.


    Linfel was also impressed. "The test only accepts those below the age of seventeen. Truly remarkable. However, this is good."


    "How come?" Alvin asked.


    "Now everyone looks like trash, not only you," Linfel explained.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. Why does he still ask? He knows nothing good can come from the wisp, and yet he just can''t learn his lesson...


    That wasn''t the only Level Five. Ten minutes later, a Familiar of the same level appeared.


    -1st | Trodeu: 869 Points - Level 5 Familiar.-


    Alvin obviously didn''t lose that chance. "Now that guy makes you look like trash."


    Linfel looked back at him, genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? I''m not even a familiar. It is meaningless to compare me to them."


    Poor Alvin... His words did absolutely no damage to the wisp, damaging Alvin even more instead.


    "Hey, seems like we are finally there," Linfel called Alvin''s attention. They finally got to the front.


    There, Linfe and Alvin were separated, one being sent to a different receptor from the other. Due the the characteristics of Familiars and Humans, that had to be done to test the best of each side.


    "Alvin," Linfel spoke to Alvin as they moved away. "Just do your best, trust our training."


    Alvin took a deep breath and nodded. He quickly positioned himself in front of the receptor and put his hand on it. Then, he looked at the worker there, waiting for his signal to start.


    "Your ID has been checked. As soon as you start pouring Magic Energy into the receptor, your ten-second countdown will begin. You can start now," the guy quickly explained.


    Alvin then channeled all the Magic Energy in his core through his meridians and finally on the receptor ahead. Immediately, the ten-second mark appeared on a screen in front of him while the receptor shined with a brown color. Obviously, the color of his Level Three Magic Energy.


    As Alvin did his best, the worker on the side couldn''t help but glance at the receptor. ''Isn''t it shining a little too much...?'' He had seen hundreds of contestants so far, ten of which were already at Level Four. Surprisingly, the receptor seemed to shine as much as when the Level Four Contestant tried it out. Nonetheless, that wasn''t his problem, so he just waited for the ten seconds to be over.


    On the other side, Linfel just started doing the same thing, not feeling the least bit worried. ''Hum... pretty similar to the receptors back in the Magus Academy. I wonder how Aelua is doing now.'' Aelua, the researcher about Magic Energy from space Linfel worked for.


    Linfel''s receptor shined even more than Alvin''s. For Linfel, no such thing as Magic Channels existed in his core. It was all about using the core itself to send Magic Energy out. Naturally, that also caught the attention of a few eyes watching the test.


    The first one to finish his test was Alvin. The ten-second mark was over, and the receptor refused to accept even a single iota of Magic Energy anymore.


    "Sigh..." Alvin looked at the screen, which was calculating his result. "I did what I could, now to hope that I can make it to the top 30% at least..."


    A few seconds later, the result came out.


    -17th | Alvin Brunes: 759 Points - Level Three Magus.-


    Immediately, the surroundings went silent. Every single eye looked in Alvin''s direction, not believing what they were seeing. The main screen, which showed the result for everyone, had a hundred names on it, and Alvin was literally the only Level Three Magus in there. The rest were all Level Four or Five! Not only that, he was in the 17th position! How ridiculous was that?


    "759 Points?! A Level Three Magus with fucking 759?!"


    "Incredible! How did he do that?"


    "It''s a mistake! It has to be!"


    "Hey, swap the receptor! There is no way he did 759 points!"


    "Yes, that''s the result of a Level Four Magus and a top-ranked one at that."


    Alvin was just as shocked. "This..." He didn''t understand how he could have achieved 759 points. It made no sense.


    *WOW!*


    Yet, his thunder was quickly stolen by someone else, a certain wisp not too far from him.


    -1st | Linfel: 999 Points - Level Three Familiar.-


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. ''Let''s pretend I don''t know him... Maybe he forgot I exist.''


    Not only in Lebeu, but all the other cities across the planet fell into a frenzy after seeing that result. A Level Three Magus had just done something unbelievable... just for a Familiar to create a miracle a few seconds later.


    Linfel checked at that result, feeling satisfied. He ignored all the looks and returned to Alvin, much to the young man''s sadness. "That wasn''t so bad, was it? Oh, seems like our training paid off, you also got quite a good result yourself. This should be enough to get to the second test, yeah?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled and walked to the waiting area. Not even god would believe Alvin had no relation with Linfel now. Still, even though Alvin expected anything and everything from Linfel, he still couldn''t understand his own result.


    ''Linfel,'' Alvin couldn''t hold back anymore and whispered with his magic energy so only Linfel could hear. ''How did I get that result? I''m better than most Level Four Maguses...''


    ''Oh, that?'' Linfel didn''t find it strange. ''You are receiving Magic Energy from me, which is the cleanest Magic Energy you could ever hope to get. Naturally, this long-time training with my Magic Energy not only cleaned your meridians but further developed them. I believe I mentioned something like that in the past, didn''t I?''


    Alvin was taken aback. He did hear Linfel commenting something similar, but at that time, he truly didn''t pay much attention. Alvin simply thought that, at most, it would make him get a little closer to the geniuses from the academy. He never expected he would create a result that could completely trash them. ''Am I becoming a monster like you?''


    ''How rude!'' Linfel complained back. ''I''m no monster; I''m a wisp. Besides, we are just starting.''

 Chapter 96: Traitor!

    Alvin wanted nothing more than to disappear. Every single eye in the waiting area was on him. Well, Linfel was also a target of the looks, but Linfel probably didn''t even notice. Alvin, however, was truly a Magus and got a result as good as the Level Four Maguses while being only at Level Three. It was impossible to not notice him."Hey, friend," Someone in the waiting area finally had the courage to come to ask. "I heard your familiar speaking about some special training. What kind of training is that? Your magic Energy Output is absolutely crazy!"


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "That''s a misunderstanding, that''s all. There is probably something wrong with the equipment. Hehe..."


    "Hmph!" Someone else snorted. "Something wrong with the equipment? The Ventis Sect Equipment? Ridiculous! If the organizers had the slightest doubt of the equipment''s integrity they would have demanded you to repeat the test. The fact they didn''t only serve to show that the equipment was fine.


    You truly have an unbelievable Magic Energy Output."


    Those words only caused people to feel even more impressed. Indeed, that was the Ventis Sect they were talking about. A hegemon that few and far between could hope to join. How could a mistake like that go without notice? Alvin and linfel must truly be that good.


    Linfel smiled, feeling proud. ''Alvin, just enjoy the moment. The results are out, and there is nothing we can do to change it. Besides, you know what I''m going after, right? Do you think I can get what I want by keeping a low profile?'' He spoke in Alvin''s mind.


    Alvin remembered how Linfel needed to travel to the other side of the Universe to look for a planet. Indeed, a low profile wouldn''t be of much use. If Linfel wanted to get the authority to use the wormholes, he would need to charge up the ranks fast. The position of High Elder gave you such authority, but there were bound to be other methods in there, too.


    Finally, Alvin put his hands on his waist and nodded. Since it had already started, he might push it to the end and act accordingly. "Alright, I do have a good Magic Energy Output, but it isn''t something I can teach any of you about. Everyone has their secrets, and so do I. However, this is only impressive on our planet.


    Do you think what I did is really worth mentioning within the Ventis Sect Territory?"


    "This..." The other participants went silent. Alvin was right, it might be impressive here, but they all know this planet is quite a weak and isolated one in the Ventis Sect Territory. What Alvin did probably wouldn''t catch many eyes on other more advanced planets, let alone inside the Ventis Sect itself.


    ''Well said!'' Linfel was happy to see Alvin adapting this fast... although it was obvious that Alvin was still forcing himself to act that confident.


    Various conversations went right and left, but no one could find a fault with Alvin''s words. No one could force him to reveal his methods either. In the end, some tried to befriend him, while others just ignored the situation. Regardless, the test continued while the Ventis Sect organizers acted as if nothing out of the norm happened in the test.


    Some Familiars also approached Linfel, but Linfel pretended he didn''t do anything impressive, using exactly the same excuse as Alvin.


    While Linfel and Alvin waited for the test to end, Alvin''s MCOM suddenly went off. "Hum?"


    Alvin quickly took it and opened the call; it was his father. "Dad... did you call because of the test?"


    "What? Are you taking the test already?" Lucau asked back, not aware of the situation.


    "Eh?" Alvin thought Lucau called him because of how he appeared in the middle of the top-ranked maguses. "Is that not it?"


    "Not really..." Lucau didn''t deny that. "But since you mentioned, how is the test going? Have you failed? If you did, don''t bother. You can always come back."


    Alvin scratched the back of the head. "Actually, I most likely will pass the first test."


    "Oh!" Lucau nodded, surprised. "That is a pretty amazing sect, isn''t it? Oh, right! I almost forgot. Have you seen Milia and Nori?"


    "Milia and Nori?" Alvin didn''t expect that question. "Not at all. Why would you ask?"


    Lucau then explained the situation. Alvin and Linfel left without telling anyone other than Lucau and Felia. When Milia found out that Alvin went on a trip with Linfel and that Lucau didn''t know when they would be back, she seemed quite angry, talking about something regarding being a member of the Floating Blades Faction.


    Yet, it wasn''t like Lucau could do anything about it. During the next months, Milia and Nori got quite involved with the Clondure Country as Magus and Familiar, taking various missions for the country or some of the companies in there. They seemed to be doing quite well in this new environment. Lucau often reported to Alvin about it.


    After all, Milia never called Alvin after he left, and Alvin simply thought she didn''t care about him anymore, so he never called as well.


    "However, a week ago, she finished a mission and returned home with Nori," Lucau continued. "I always mention to her about you and Linfel, but she simply ignores me when it comes to news about the two of you. This time, she seemed a little different, though. When I went to check on her the next day, she was gone. At first, I thought she had gone to work again, but she hadn''t come back for a week.


    That''s why I wondered if you didn''t know something."


    Alvin shook his head, although he wasn''t concerned. "There is no need to worry. She is a Level Two Magus, and Nori is a Level Two Familiar. She can take care of herself. In any case, chances are we will never meet again, so why bother?"


    Suddenly, a weird expression appeared on Lucau''s face, confusing Alvin. "Is something wrong, Dad?"


    Lucau looked through the video call at a certain person right behind Alvin. "Ahem... I think you should look behind you. By the way, I remember I have... errr... Right!


    I have to wash a few things. Goodbye and take care." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The call ended abruptly... and at the same time, a delicate hand landed on Alvin''s shoulder from behind. "Why bother, right? Why bother indeed!"


    Alvin felt like his body dropped inside an ice lake. How could he not recognize that voice? He quickly looked to his side, trying to understand why Linfel didn''t warn him... just to find out Linfel was nowhere to be seen. The wisp knows how to run pretty fast. ''Traitor!''

 Chapter 97: Why?

    Alvin then turned to the other side, looking at the all too familiar face of the young woman. "Oh! Look if it isn''t Milia! Long time no see, uh? How have you bee-"*Peng!*


    Quite a lot of people were still looking at Alvin due to his results, so they also saw when Milia kicked a certain very, very, very delicate part in Alvin''s body. All the men couldn''t help but show contorted faces as if they were the ones who had been hit at that moment.


    As for the women, they closed their eyes... or just pretended to. How could they not feel interested in that?


    "What is happening there?!" Immediately, one of the workers of the Ventis Sect responsible for keeping the order came out. "Young girl, do you know where you are? What''s the meaning of-"


    "It... It''s fine..." Alvin extended his hand forward, trying to calm the guy. "It was just a misunderstanding, and it was my fault. Ther... ouch... there is no need for sir to bother with me."


    The man narrowed his eyes, but since Alvin, who is the victim, insisted he was fine, he could only let it slide. "Fine. However, if I see that again, you two will be disqualified. I don''t give a shit about how good your results were. In the Ventis Sect, geniuses are nothing but ordinary."


    Milia still had a dark expression as she grabbed Alvin''s collar and pulled him close. "So, how come you suddenly disappeared without saying anything? Do you think this is how a Floating Blades Faction member should act? We were supposed to look after each other."


    Alvin was still in pain, but he felt ashamed nonetheless. "Sorry... It''s just that I talked to Linfel, and he decided he wanted to leave. I simply thought there was no need to have you following me around. After all, you have your own life."


    "I know you two are happy to see each other," Linfel suddenly appeared out of thin air. "However, do you truly want to have this conversation here?"


    Only then did Milia notice that she was the center of attention. She might be cold, but she wasn''t made of stone. She quickly let Alvin go and walked away, trying to avoid all the eyes.


    The women around looked at Alvin with disgust. In their eyes, it has to be Alvin''s fault.


    Alvin bitterly smiled, knowing that it was true, but not for the reason the others were thinking. He then shifted his attention to Linfel, and his anger came up. "Where the hell did you go? Couldn''t you have warned me?"


    "Hum?" Linfel was confused, though. "I did notice Milia, so I left for a moment to check her results. Why? Did she say something?"


    Alvin was helpless. "Whatever, let''s go after Milia. Wait, her results? Right! Why is Milia here?"


    Linfel then took out his MCOM and showed it to Alvin. "Here, look."


    -2876th | Milia Frondor: 596 Points - Level Three Magus.- S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -3125th | Nori: 512 Points - Level Three Familiar.-


    Only then did Alvin''s eyes move in Milia''s direction, who was walking away with Nori. The Brown Color of Nori''s Ethereal body proved it. They reached Level Three. "She wasn''t one of the top geniuses of our academy for nothing. Also, she is ranked so high..."


    Alvin wasn''t lying. 2876th might look low, but there were hundreds of thousands of young Maguses and Familiars taking the test for the Ventis Sect around the planet. More than half of the participants had already taken the first test. The fact she was all the way up to 2876th position put her well within the top 5%, let alone the top 30% rule. The same goes for Nori.


    It''s just that Alvin and Linfel''s results were so ridiculous that they robbed the spotlight of someone like Milia.


    Alvin quickly recovered and ran after the girl. As for the crowd, none of them wanted to get involved in a couple''s fight. If anything, it was good those two were fighting since it would increase their own chances during the next tests.


    Finally, Milia arrived at a slightly less crowded corner where no one had witnessed what she had just done. "Nori, why didn''t you stop me? I acted like that in front of so many people..."


    Nori seemed in a very good mood, though. He never liked Alvin to start with. "You did nothing wrong! That man is a piece of shit. He is not worth your attention."


    "Ahem..." Alvin finally caught up. "M-Milia..."


    Milia''s expression turned cold again before she turned her face in Alvin''s direction. "What? There is no need to pay attention to me or our friends of the Floating Blades Faction. Why bother, right? I overreacted earlier, so just pretend I don''t exist like you did before."


    Linfel nodded, relieved. "Phew... and here I thought you were angry. Since you are okay, we will take our leave."


    Alvin and Milia looked at Linfel with weird expressions. The wisp truly couldn''t read the mood at all.


    "Ahem..." Alvin quickly intervened. "Forget the floating core of nonsense. You helped me so much all the way, so how could I continue to bother you? You never bothered me, not even once. It was just not right to continue to depend on you. So, when Linfel said he wanted to leave, I thought it was the right opportunity to spread my wings and especially to leave you to care for your own life.


    Linfel got os the Clondure Identities, so there was no need to worry about your Frondor Family anymore, either."


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "So you thought you were bothering me? That''s how you saw me all this time?"


    "Was... was that wrong?" Alvin was taken aback. He still had his complex of inferiority. After all, he hasn''t been this ''impressive'' for very long.


    Milia sighed in response. "You were never a bother. I liked our ti-" She immediately stopped her words as her face went completely red. "Ahem... I mean, you shouldn''t have worried about such nonsense. If you were a problem, I would have told you so."


    Alvin''s eyes lit up. "Really?"


    "R-Really..." Milia nodded while looking away. She still found it hard to control her emotions, so she quickly changed the topic. "Anyway, how come you are here?"


    "That''s what puzzled me," Alvin quickly spoke. "Why are you here as well?"

 Chapter 98: Space Elevator

    Milia didn''t answer and looked angrily at Alvin. "I asked it first.""Ah... right, right!" Alvin switched instantly and began to explain. "You know about Linfel, right? So... there is a planet Linfel intends to visit. The only problem is that this planet is on the other side of the Universe."


    "What?!" Milia didn''t believe that. "Do you take me for a fool? Don''t you know how impossible that is? It would take tens of thousands of years to get there. The only way is through the Worm-" She suddenly stopped. "You can''t be serious..."


    "Sure enough, you are also aware of these limitations," Alvin spoke with a bitter smile. "That''s what Linfel intends to do. He wants to become an elder Familiar so he can get the authorization to use the Wormhole."


    Linfel didn''t deny it. "Why do you always speak as if I''m already done for? You guys should learn to accept the challenges of life. Besides, there might be other ways to get to the Wormhole without having to become an elder, you know? We just need to search a little once we join the Ventis Sect."


    Alvin shrugged with a bitter smile. As for Milia and Nori, they found Linfel''s idea simply ridiculous. "Just so that you know, one can only become an elder of the Ventis Sect is they are at least Level Eight. Our entire planet has only one Level Eight Magus, so you can imagine how difficult it is, not counting the time it will take."


    Linfel simply ignored that. "Whatever. I said it before, and I will say it again here. I''m not forcing any of you to follow me. Even if I have to do this alone, I will do it. I need to find out more about Horan, and my only clue is his birth planet.


    I won''t blame either of you if you decide to drop from the exam now."


    Alvin shook his head. "Even if I ignore your idea to get access to a wormhole, there is still the fact that I might be able to join the Ventis Sect. For me, this trip with you is already very interesting. I have no intention to drop off now, and I WILL help you with everything I can during this journey." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia had her reasons, too. "Well, I also didn''t expect to find you two here. After Alvin disappeared, I remembered that Linfel did help me with a new identity that is not connected to the Frondor Family. That said, I decided to challenge myself. It was around that time that I heard about the Ventis Sect exam approaching."


    Nori continued from there. "First, we worked hard in Clondure to earn as many Magic Stones as possible. Then, we focused on our absorption. Milia and I were already close to Level Three back in the academy, so we just needed a little extra push. The only reason we didn''t do it before was because we were reinforcing our foundations."


    Milia nodded. "The battles in Heffal definitely helped with it, so we managed to breakthrough into Level Three in the end. We then used the rest of the time to get used to our new strength and came here to take the test. Fortunately, we went way better than we expected."


    Milia smiled. "In the end, my coming to this test had nothing to do with you two. Regardless if I find Linfel''s idea ridiculous or not, I''m not here to intervene with it. I''m here for myself, and so is Nori."


    Linfel was satisifed. "That''s more like it. You have talent; you only lack opportunity. Just focus on yourself, and you will go far."


    "What about me?" Alvin asked, excited.


    "Errr..." Linfel didn''t know how to say it. "You are still my good trash. Keep working hard!"


    Alvin almost vomited blood. Isn''t that the same as saying he has no talent whatsoever? Well, it wasn''t like he didn''t know it.


    Milia couldn''t help but giggle again. Their interactions always make her smile. But then, she remembered something. "Wait, how the hell did you get that result, Alvin?"


    "Oh..." Alvin forgot to speak about that.


    Linfel was the one to explain, though. He used his method to communicate direct to one''s soul, scaring Milia and Nori for a moment. After finishing the explanation, Milia and Nori finally understood just how absurd Linfel''s existence really was. "Was there such a thing? That makes you-" Milia wanted to say that Linfel is a treasure himself through and through. However, Milia stopped there.


    Speaking any further might attract unnecessary attention to Linfel. After all, he is still Familiar in everyone''s eyes. Not to mention, she heard the story of how Wisps were treated back in Linfel''s time. Saying such a thing wouldn''t be nice.


    Finally, Milia decided to let go of the past and focus on the test. "Whatever. I''ll tell my seniors of the Floating Blades Faction about you later. I will let it slide this time, but you better make up for me."


    Alvin smiled happily. "Yes, yes! I will definitely make it up to you."


    After that, they watched the rest of the test unfold. There were several position changes, but Linfel''s first place was unbeatable until the very end. As for Alvin, he did fall a few more positions as more Level Four Maguses took the test. Nonetheless, he still finished 28th.


    Milia and Nori were obviously down around 3000s, but that was far above necessary to get in the top 30%


    When the test finished, all the screens in the area changed. At the same time, a video stream was made available for all the participants who made it to the top 30% to watch in their MCOMs. Everyone was excited since the second test onwards was always a secret.


    -Congratulations to all the participants who made it to the top 30%. With this, the first test is over. However, don''t drop your guard, as things will only get more difficult. As everyone knows, there are five tests in the Ventis Sect Exam, and the second test will cut the remaining number by another 90%.-


    Suddenly, tens of thousands of cameras equipped with Magical Energy Sensors flew up in the sky, surrounding the Space Elevator all the way to the clouds and beyond.


    -The next test is to climb the Space Elevator all the way to the Space Station. The first 10% of Maguses and Familiars to get there will take the third test.-


    Everyone was dumbstruck by the news... except Linfel. "Whoever organized this test would definitely be good friends with Horan. Hahaha!"

 Chapter 99: Nope

    "This is ridiculous!" It didn''t take long for someone to complain."How do they expect us to climb to the Space Station? It is literally a thousand kilometers up!"


    "And what about the air to break?!"


    "Air?!" Someone saw bigger problems. "Air is the least of our problems! What do we do about the temperature and radiation of space?!"


    Of course, the video on the screen didn''t take long to continue. The guy speaking only stopped for a moment as he knew everyone would burst with complaints. Once they calmed down, he continued.


    -All Space Elevators around this planet have exactly a thousand kilometers of height. The only difference between them is their length, with some having bigger lengths to carry more things. Regardless, it won''t matter which Space Elevator you climb; you will have a thousand kilometers to cover.-


    -Yes, due to their locations, the weather in the region, and things like that, some Space Elevators might be slightly easier or harder to climb. For anyone thinking this is unfair, life is unfair, so deal with it.- S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The organizers of the Ventis Sect truly had no mercy. This was only one of countless planets in their territory, so why would they care?


    -Now, every single one of you will receive a breather that can be refilled on the mini stations along the way. Each mini-station can be found every twenty-five kilometers. There, you can sit down, rest, recover your Magic Energy, or simply stay there until the end of the exam if you feel like it. There is definitely enough space for everyone in each and every single mini-station.-


    He continued.


    -Other than that, no other equipment is allowed. We have countless cameras watching every inch of the Space Elevator, not to mention experienced supervisors who have taken care of this kind of test many times. If someone tries to cheat, believe me, we will know. For your own good, you better not try it.-


    -Last but not least, anyone concerned about the temperature, radiation of space, or whatever, they can all be blocked by Magic Energy. Whether you know how to use your Magic Energy correctly or not is your problem. But be aware of this, Level Three should be enough for you to make at least twenty-five kilometers between mini stations. If you can''t, then you are not good enough.


    The mini stations can be used to recover Magic Energy, so you can make the stops in between.-


    As the guy on the screen spoke, the worker from the event passed by the qualified Maguses and gave them breathers. Even though it was small, it could last one hour if used nonstop.


    As for the Familiars, they didn''t need to breathe to start with. Instead, they received a very tiny device that they could attach to their cores or simply carry with their Magic Energy.


    -Now, then, the breathers have a small button in front that you can press if you need help. We will immediately use a Gravitational Ray to take you back to the planet. However, that also means you will fail the test. The same goes for the Familiars. The small device we gave you is simply used to call out for help in case you get in trouble. Again, using it means failing the test.-


    Alvin couldn''t help but wonder. "Those at Level Four and above can already fly, can''t they?"


    Milia shook her head. "In their case, they need to have flying armor. Only at Level Five you can truly fly freely. Didn''t you see back during the war? The three Level Four Maguses of our battalion all used armor while flying."


    "Oh!" Alvin indeed saw that. "What about the Familiars? They already float naturally."


    Nori shrugged. "So what? Did you forget? The first 10% Maguses and the first 10% Familiars will get to the next test. Simply put, I can leave all of you behind and try to reach the Space Station first. Regardless of how I do, my outcome will not affect any of the Maguses."


    "I see..." Alvin understood.


    Still, Milia spoke with concern. "Nori, don''t exert yourself too much. You will need a lot of Magic Energy to resist the open space at your level. Make sure to stop at the Mini Stations and only leave them once you are fully recovered."


    "I''m more worried about you," Nori spoke back. "This is obviously a test about endurance as it is about speed. The men will definitely have an advantage here by simple physical strength."


    "The guy on the screen said it, didn''t he?" Linfel smiled in response. "Life isn''t fair. Most likely, they are well aware of this difference and simply don''t care. On the other hand, the women who make it into the top 10% will be a lot more well-regarded in the Ventis Sect than the men. Let''s not forget that the third test and beyond might be easier for females instead of males, too.


    They seem to be this kind of organization, and I don''t think they are wrong."


    Milia agreed with him. "Linfel is right. Anyway, you know what kind of training I receive. Sure, I''m not a man, but I am confident."


    "Fine..." Nori could only accept it and hope she would do well.


    Yet, the organizer still had one more piece of news to give.


    -Maguses and Familiars... when you speak about one, you also speak about the other. Which Famous Magus isn''t remembered together with his Familiar? Which Familiar isn''t remembered together with his Magus? That said, there is a last piece of rule.-


    -There are Maguses who passed the first test while their Familiars didn''t. There are Familiars who passed the first test while their Maguses didn''t. For these ones, they can only hope to keep going forward and reach the Space Station within the top 10%.-


    -However, for the Maguses and their Familiars who passed the test together, there will be another way to complete the test, and there will also be a bonus.-


    -They can use their Master Familiar Connection and climb together. For the first one thousand duos who make it to the top, they will be sent straight to the fourth test. They won''t need to take the third like the others.-


    Alvin couldn''t help but get excited. "Linfel, we can go up together!"


    Linfel glanced at him, not sharing the same excitement. "Your ass! You will climb this thing alone, understood? Hmph! You will not get an easier life just because you are with me. I said I would train you, and I will make sure to do it properly."

 Chapter 100: On The Way

    "I..." Alvin didn''t know what to say.Linfel didn''t give him a chance to complain, though. "Enough. Don''t forget your position in the rank. With your Magic Energy output, do you think you will be far behind? You should also have much better control over your Magic Energy than most after everything we have gone through. You have absolutely no excuse to not make it into the top 10%."


    Linfel then smiled. "Well, if you don''t make it into the top 10%, that just means our journey together will end here. Like I said, you didn''t need to follow me on this journey. That was your choice. You can give up now if you feel like it."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "Fine! Just you look! I''m definitely making it into the top 10%! No! I will definitely be in the top 5%!"


    Milia patted Alvin''s shoulder. "That''s how a member of the Floating Blades Faction should be. I will also make it through this test on my own. I want to see this third test that everyone will try to skip."


    "No," Linfel intervened. "Milia and Nori should use their Master Familiar Connection and go ahead of us."


    "Why?" Milia, Nori, and Alvin didn''t understand the reason for that request.


    Linfel looked up to the sky. "I''m not looking down on you, Milia, Nori. But it is plain as day that you two are at your best when you two are connected. I know that this is the same for all Maguses and Familiars partners, but you two are in an even higher league compared to most of the others. Climbing the tower alone would be a waste of your shared gift."


    Seeing Milia and Nori weren''t convinced, Linfel added. "Simply put, neither of you will gain anything by climbing this tower alone. On the other hand, you can really make a case for yourselves in the Ventis Sect if you climb together and show your real power."


    Alvin sighed and looked at the two. "We have been following Linfel''s plan all this time. Has he ever been wrong? Well, a lot of things he said look like craziness but somehow turn out right."


    "There was no need to for the late part of your comment..." Linfel complained.


    Milia and Nori couldn''t go against that logic. "Fine... But what about Alvin? Linfel, you can achieve perfect connections, no doubt better than Nori and I. Does Alvin have anything to gain by climbing alone?"


    "Yes," Linfel confirmed. "Different from you and Nori, who will always be together, Alvin and I might get separated at some point. Don''t forget, Alvin and I aren''t really Master and Familiar. We are friends, close ones at that, but we have no obligation to follow the other. If Alvin decides to leave one day, I have no reason to stop him, and the same goes for me.


    I want Alvin to learn how to do things by himself."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "I should have brought Felia with me..."


    Linfel shrugged. "Unfortunately, I wouldn''t be able to push all three of us to Level Three in time for the exam. We barely made it to level three with just the two of us. If you had brought Felia, then I would have to go separate ways since I wouldn''t lose this chance to enter the Ventis Sect."


    "Well, that''s true." Alvin didn''t forget the effort they had to put in and the many Red Magic Stones they had to use to get to this level. "Anyway, no point complaining now. I only have to climb, right? I will climb. Just watch. Also, I have no intention of letting you go separate ways anytime soon, so be prepared to stay together for a while."


    Linfel smiled. "I hope you aren''t wrong. Traveling with you is fun."


    Suddenly, an alarm went off, catching all the participant''s attention.


    -Everyone, please proceed to the starting area. We have prepared a few platforms at the Space Elevator''s side so everyone can start climbing from the same point.-


    Linfel''s group quickly followed the orders and joined the thousands of remaining participants on the way to the platform.


    On the way, Milia grew a little concerned and asked Linfel privately by redirecting her voice with her Magic Energy. ''Linfel... there are only a thousand slots for duos of Master and Familiar while we have hundreds of thousands of participants around the world. Do you truly think Nori and I can make it to the top 1000?


    We definitely didn''t get to the top 1000 Maguses and Familiars individually at the end of the first test.''


    ''How the hell would I know that?'' Linfel asked back in confusion. ''I don''t know any of the participants, so this is a meaningless question.''


    Milia''s mouth twitched, and she was just about to complain when Linfel continued his words. ''What I know is that you two are much better together than individually. As to whether you can make it to the top 1000 or not, that is still up for debate.''


    ''However, you and Nori have reached Level Three recently, so I don''t think your chances are much different if you follow the individual path. You would be going against many youngsters who had more experience, training, and time to get used to their Level Three or who might be getting very close to Level Four already.'' S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia pondered Linfel''s words and had to admit they made sense. She had a very good score of Magic Energy Output, but it was a fact that her Energy Pool was still small compared to Maguses who reached Level Three much earlier, let alone Level Four ones. ''Thank you. I will give it a try with Nori.''


    On the platform, all the participants selected a position where they could start climbing straight away. Alvin and the others did the same.


    Linfel looked up to the sky, smiling.


    -The test will start in ten seconds. Get ready!-


    -10, 09, 08... 03, 02, 01-


    -Start!-


    *Kabrum!*


    Lightning Element Circulated around Linfel''s core, and he shot up to the skies like a bullet. Magic Energy Control? Conservation? Recovery? He was the best at them all. The only thing he lost to higher-level Familiars was in Energy Reserves, but his Magic Energy recovery more than made up for this difference since he was much more efficient with its usage.


    Three and a half minutes later, three names appeared on the screens around the exam areas worldwide almost at the same time.


    -25 Kilometers | 1st - Xifrin Lou''dian: 02:27 - Level Five Magus.-


    -25 Kilometers | 2nd - Trodeu: 02:29 - Level Five Familiar.-


    -25 Kilometers | 3rd - Linfel: 02:31 - Level Three Familiar.-

 Chapter 101: First Results

    Flying... no one was surprised to see Xifrin there. As a Level Five Magus, one could indeed fly without the help of equipment like Level Four Maguses needed.As mentioned in the past, Familiars already float naturally, but it isn''t the same as flying. The further from the ground they are, the harder it is to go higher. Most Familiars didn''t float more than one or two meters from the ground as it was a huge waste of energy. Why? Because they needed to have something to connect their Magic Energy to. In this case, the ground.


    That limitation was only conquered like the Maguses at Level Five. They could only fly as the real meaning of the word at the same level as Maguses. Simply put, Familiars below Level Five needed a surface to attach their Magic Energy to, which kept them floating.


    The Space Elevator was perfect for that. The surface doesn''t need to be horizontal. It could be a vertical surface as well. Nonetheless, that truly made it several times easier for Familiars to float up the Space Elevator than it was for Maguses to climb.


    Looking at the Space Elevator after just a minute, you could already see a huge difference in distance between the Familiars above and the Maguses below. Xifrin, the Level Five Magus, was literally the only Magus without that problem, being able to fly as he wished.


    Trodeu, as a Level Five Familiar, could also fly. That''s why he was close behind Xifrin since he didn''t need to waste Magic Energy to attach himself to the Space Elevator, different from the other Familiars. No one doubted that Xifrin and Trodeu would reach the Space Station at the top of the Space Elevator faster than anyone else... until Linfel appeared.


    "How can he be following those two?" The comments on the Elevator and those watching from below quickly started at all Space Elevator Sites.


    "It''s that same Familiar!"


    "Yes, the one who did 999 Points!"


    "I wish I was at that Space Elevator to of that Linfel to see it."


    "Idiot! Would you really let go of this Elevator? Xifrin is here."


    "Still, that makes no sense. His magic Energy Reserves to connect to the Elevator''s Surface shouldn''t allow him to have enough to charge ahead like Xifrin and Trodeu."


    Those and many other questions were raised about Linfel.


    However, they quickly died down when the screens changed to the first Mini Station at 25 kilometers of altitude. There, Linfel''s ethereal body was feeble, and he took his time to absorb the Magic Energy in that safe environment.


    Xifrin and Trodeu, however, didn''t stop at all. They continued to fly higher, and even though it took longer for them to reach the second Mini Station, they did that with ease. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -50 Kilometers | 1st - Xifrin Lou''dian: 05:36 - Level Five Magus.-


    -50 Kilometers | 2nd - Trodeu: 05:49 - Level Five Familiar.-


    They finally stopped at that second Mini Station to recover their energies while Linfel was still recovering his energy at the first station.


    "So that Linfel just so happens to have a great Magic Energy Control."


    "Yes, look at him. He isn''t completely exhausted, but he definitely wouldn''t be able to make it all the way to the second Mini Station like Xifrin and Trodeu."


    "Why do you speak like it was a bad thing. Look at all the other Level Three Familiars! They are nowhere near Linfel''s location!"


    "Indeed, he should feel proud that he could charge to the first Mini Station with his energy reserves like that."


    Linfel, unaware of what everyone was thinking, spent his leisure time in the first Mini Station. ''Safety first. Who knows what could happen were I need more Magic Energy.''


    It turns out Linfel could have charged to the second Mini Station as well. He just didn''t see a need for it. He decided he would always recover completely and then go to the next Mini Station before recovering completely again. As long as he is in the top 10%, he doesn''t need anything else.


    ''Besides, if I charged to the second Mini Station, I might catch too much attention. It is better to keep a low profile a little more,'' he thought to himself. The wisp had no idea he was already as famous as Xifrin and Trodeu, perhaps more.


    Down below, Alvin focused his Magic Energy on his legs and hands as he quickly climbed the Elevator. After ten minutes of climbing, he could see a few tens of Maguses ahead, which didn''t surprise him. There are plenty of Level Four Maguses, after all.


    However, what surprised Alvin was that the Maguses ahead weren''t anywhere as plenty as those climbing below. He didn''t feel tired, being able to control his Magic Energy quite well. Linfel''s hellish training and understanding of Magic Energy truly paid off now. ''Incredible... I said I would reach the top 5%. Yet, it feels more like I''m well within the top 1% instead.''


    He wasn''t wrong. Even considering the other Space Elevators around the world, he was indeed climbing with the leading groups. He was even ahead of many Level Four Maguses. Alvin couldn''t help but get a little excited and climb a little faster. ''Linfel''s bullying wasn''t for nothing...'' But then, he remembered the painful days under Linfel''s guidance as a few tears fell from his eyes.


    ''It is still not worth it, though...''


    After thirteen minutes, Alvin''s result appeared on the leading board.


    -25 Kilometers | 297th - Alvin Brunes: 13:49 - Level Three Magus.-


    It wasn''t in the top 100 like he did with his Magic Energy output, but he was definitely far ahead of any other Level Three Magus in this exam.


    Slightly below, Milia and Nori were connected. Nori had his Flame Sword form attached to Milia''s back as the two worked together to control their merged Magic Energy. The two of them were definitely good with it, just like Linfel mentioned.


    The results of their efforts came out at the first Mini Station. The leading board updated, showing also the ranking for the Maguses and Familiars who decided to climb together while connected.


    -25 Kilometers | 528th - Milia and Nori: 14:28 - Level Three Magus and Familiar.-


    Milia quickly sat down and started to recover her magic Energy together with Nori. Nonetheless, a rare smile appeared on her face. She didn''t know if she could reach the top 1000, but this early result lifted some of the weight on her shoulders. ''Perhaps I really can do it... but I can''t drop my guard. The Level Four Magus and Familiar Duos have bigger energy pools and recovery speed.


    I''m still not in the clear since they can restart climbing earlier than I can.''


    Still, by the time Alvin and Milia reached the first Mini Station, Linfel was already reaching the second.

 Chapter 102: Still Not a Challenge

    -50 Kilometers | 3rd - Linfel: 15:25 - Level Three Familiar.-Linfel was indeed far behind the two Level Five Participants. Yet, he was head and shoulder ahead of everyone else. He once again stopped at the Mini Station and started to recover his Magic Energy. ''Guess this should be a good enough progress speed.''


    Third minutes into the test, Xifrin and Trodeu reached the Fourth Mini Station at 100km of altitude. They finally reached the division between what you would consider Space and Planet. From there onwards, they would have to use their Magic Energies to defend against Space Radiation, Temperature, etc.


    A few minutes later, Linfel got to the third Mini Station. He was purposely keeping himself halfway between the participants below and the level five guys above.


    Alvin and Milia reached the second Mini Station, still far within their objective. So far, there was no doubt they would either make it into the top 10% for Alvin or the top 100 for Milia and Nori.


    48 minutes into the test, Linfel was now leaving the Fourth Mini Station. However, things didn''t go as smoothly as he had previously thought. As soon as he flew a few tens of meters away from the Mini Station, several drones shot at him. ''Hum?''


    Linfel quickly dodged, finding it not a big deal. Of course, that''s because he could truly fly. It''s just that he always kept himself very close to the Space Elevator''s surface to make it look like he was connected to it. ''Sure enough, they wouldn''t make everyone''s life easy. These Magic Bullets aren''t that fast and don''t seem to carry much power.


    Nonetheless, the Magic Energy necessary to dodge or defend against them will cause a lot of trouble. This is going to be a good test for Alvin, Milia, and Nori.'' He looked down for a moment before focusing on flying once again.


    It wasn''t before one hour and thirty-five minutes that Alvin exited the Fourth Mini Station. However, he had an easier life than Linfel at first. The reason was simple, he was climbing together with the other Level Four Maguses. The drones had to focus on all the competitors in their fire range instead of only Alvin.


    Milia appeared ten minutes later, also being targeted. She held Nori and slashed out every time she thought she couldn''t dodge. That would definitely increase her Magic Energy expenditure, but Milia gritted her teeth and continued upwards. As long as she could stop between Mini Stations, she would be fine.


    Little by little, the Maguses and Familiars began to fall, especially after the two-hour mark, which was when Level Three Maguses and Familiars began to exit the Fourth Mini Station. Various rays of yellow light shot from the ground of the planet, hitting the Maguses and Familiars who pressed the give-up button. That ensured their safe return to the Planet but also their disqualification.


    -550 Kilometers | 1st - Xifrin Lou''dian: 02:15:13 - Level Five Magus.-


    -550 Kilometers | 2nd - Trodeu: 02:23:19 - Level Five Familiar.-


    Xifrin and Trodeu continued to progress without issues. They didn''t have to pretend they didn''t know how to fly and could distance themselves from the Elevator if they felt like it. There was no rule that you had to keep in contact with the Space Elevator, after all. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some might think this was unfair, but the Ventis Sect would simply tell anyone who complained to go train and reach level five as well. Then they could do the same thing. The strong will succeed; it was that simple.


    -350 Kilometers | 3rd - Linfel: 02:38:51 - Level Three Familiar.-


    Sure enough, Linfel was still third when he reached the Fourteenth Mini Station. The others below haven''t even got to the Tenth Mini Station yet. As he recovered his Magic Energy, Linfel took a look at his MCOM in his Spatial Storage. Let''s not forget the test was being transmitted over the planet network. He wanted to see how Alvin and Milia were doing.


    The difference between Level Three and Four Maguses and Familiars became more apparent after the attacks from the drones started. Those at Level Four had a lot more Magic Energy to defend and run, after all. They spent less time in the Mini Stations to recover while those at Level Three had to stay for much longer.


    Alvin was basically the only exception other than Linfel. Although he now fell below the top 500 Maguses climbing alone, it was still in the midst of the Level Four Maguses. He didn''t force himself and followed Linfel''s teachings regarding Magic Energy conservation and circulation.


    Milia, on the other hand, began to fall behind. When she reached the Nineth Mini Station, she was already in the 734th position between those climbing together with their Familiars while connected. There was one good thing, though. Those ahead of her were mostly Level Four Maguses and Familiars.


    Those below were almost all at Level Three, just like Milia and Nori, so she should be able to hold to her position in the top 1000 if things continued like that.


    Time passed, and over three hours of test went by. Linfel had now reached the 500km mark, half way to the finish line. The drones posed no issues to him until now, so he left the Mini Station after recovering as always. However, the situation changed once again.


    *Fuuuuuu...*


    Suddenly, he felt a wave of Wind Element even though he was well within the void of space. Linfel looked around, and he saw countless drones with many Magic Runes shining around the Elevator. That Wind was obviously being created by then, and it was very strong. Even he had to increase his Magic Energy expenditure to force his way forward.


    Not only that, but the drones still attacked him just like before.


    Linfel pondered a bit. ''Hum... the Ventis Sect mentioned the top 10% Maguses and the top 10% Familiars would make it to the next test. However, considering the Magic Energy Reserves of Level Three Maguses and Familiars, I''m not sure even 10% of the participants will be able to make it to the end.''


    He then faintly smiled. ''Well, not my problem. Hahaha!''


    Sparks of Lightning Element circulated around Linfel and he shot upwards once again. This was still not a challenge for him.

 Chapter 103: Minor Elder

    Without any surprises, Xifrin and Trodeu were the first ones to arrive at the Space Station. They did that before anyone else even reached half of the climbing distance. Well... anyone but Linfel, who was already on the 750km mark by the time the first Level Four Maguses and Familiars arrived at the 500km.There was a private room inside a different Space Station from where Linfel''s group was taking their test. There, a woman watched the examiners climbing the Space Elevator with curiosity. Her name was Alexandra, a minor elder of the Ventis Sect.


    All the planets that had exams of the Ventis Sect had to have at least one Minor Elder or someone more important overseeing the entire process. They might be Maguses, or they might be Familiars. Alexandra, obviously, was a Magus. And, for this round, Alexandra was the one in charge.


    One might imagine that Alexandra was paying attention to Xifrin and Trodeu. After all, they were the only Level Five Magus and Familiar taking part in this test. However, that wasn''t the case. Instead, her eyes were focused on a certain Familiar who was climbing alone, far ahead of all the other groups. ''That''s quite a weird Familiar.


    Only level three but already has such enormous Magic Energy Reserves and Control.''


    She didn''t care too much about Xifrin and Trodeu. The reason was simple. On this planet, it might look impressive that Xifrin and Trodeu made it to Level Five before the age of seventeen. However, when you take the countless planets inside the Ventis Sect Territory, Level Five Maguses and Familiars weren''t anything uncommon.


    If anything, most of the new disciples accepted by the Ventis Sect ended up being at Level Five or Level Four. There were even cases where the Maguses and Familiars were already at Level Six when they took the exam, although you would not find such geniuses on an isolated planet like this one. Rarely did someone at Level Three join them.


    Alexandra smiled as she checked Linfel''s Magic Energy Output score. ''This is the weirdest part. How are his Magic Channels not bursting apart with such an output? No doubt, the materials used to create this Familiar were very rare and expensive.''


    She then looked back at the screen as Linfel flew through the drones'' attacks and cut through the wind element with ease. ''Yet, the materials matter little. What is truly impressive is his soul. If the soul can''t match the level of the core, the expensive core would be nothing but a waste of good materials. Linfel''s soul, however, truly makes full use of the amazing core he possesses.


    It is rare to find such Familiars on a planet like this one.''


    Right after, Alexandra''s screen changed. The images of the Maguses'' groups appeared, specifically the furthest group which was basically made of Level Four Maguses. Yet, the camera quickly zoomed into someone, and Alvin''s image was shown. Alvin was the only Level Three Magus in there.


    ''Not as impressive as the Familiar called Linfel, but still not too bad. His score in Magic Energy Output is over 700, even though he is still at Level Three. Even better, he seems to know how to use it properly. He has been keeping the pace of the Level Four Maguses in the front group until now. He must have received quite some good training regarding Magic Energy Conservation and Circulation.''


    Alexandra continued to check the information regarding Linfel and Alvin. ''So they are Magus and Familiar duo... Oh! Alvin already allowed Linfel to take the Independent Familiar Test. That''s quite unexpected. Pretty much no Magus would allow his Familiar to go independent when they are that good.


    Nonetheless, they seem to still be together, so I guess they trust each other that much. Whether it is a good thing or not can only be seen in the future, though.''


    After thinking for a moment, Alexandra pressed a few options on her screen. Linfel and Alvin''s names changed color before the options closed. ''Let''s see how things will work out.''


    Alvin almost fell when the first gust of Wind Element hit him. However, he controlled his Magic Energy and pulled himself in the Space Elevator''s direction again. "Phew... that was close."


    *pew, pew, pew...*


    The drones didn''t stop attacking, though. Alvin quickly moved and seemed to have become a target. The drones followed him for a few seconds before finally changing to another target. Seeing that he was in the clear, Alvin sighed in relief. "The people who programmed those drones are truly merciless. The moment I lost my grip, the drones focused on me, trying to make sure I would fall."


    *Ahhhhhh...*


    *Nooooo!!!*


    Several Level Four Maguses fell by Alvin, having been shot or thrown away by the wind. Sure enough, Alvin wasn''t the only one the Drones targeted when they saw someone losing their grip. Not long after, more rays of yellow light shot from the planet''s surface, catching those Maguses. They were disqualified.


    Alvin looked down, feeling a little concerned. ''Milia shouldn''t be far behind. Perhaps I should wait here to warn her about the changes...''


    However, Alvin quickly shook his head and pressed forward. ''Milia would probably kick my ass if I tried to do such a thing.'' S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin was right. It wasn''t that Milia would never ask for help. She wasn''t an idiot who thought she could do everything alone. However, this exam was all about individual power, or, in this case, dual power, since she was climbing with Nori while connected. Receiving help wasn''t prohibited, but it wouldn''t look well in the eyes of the others.


    Twenty-two minutes later, Milia reached the wind challenge. She was a serious girl, so she never dropped her guard. Besides, Nori always kept an eye out for the drones that kept attacking and noticed the new ones. When the wind appeared, Milia and Nori were prepared and managed to keep their grip and balance.


    "This is good," Nori commented.


    "Indeed," Milia agreed. "We can probably gain a few positions if we are careful. Let''s keep the good pace."


    Time passed, and the third competitor finally arrived at the Space Station. Linfel passed through the barrier, separating the empty space and the Station, taking a look around. He was alone in the waiting area. Xifrin and Trodeu were in other Space Elevators, so he had the whole room for himself. "Well... I guess I can only wait now."

 Chapter 104: At The Top

    Down below, Alvin didn''t betray Linfel''s confidence in him. He got to the 900km mark, feeling tired. However, Alvin was with the first ones and still the only Level Three Magus in that group. Of course, we can''t discount the Maguses and Familiars who resolved to climb together while using the Master Familiar Connection. They have both Magic Energy Pools, so they have a higher amount to use.Alvin ignored those duos at Level Three and looked up, and there was no doubt the same drones and wind would continue. If anything, the number of attacks increased, and the wind got stronger. "Better recover fully this time before continuing," he murmured to himself.


    Milia wasn''t too far behind. She had just got to the 850km mark and was still good to go. She was right about the sudden changes in the positions. Several Maguses and familiars duos who were ahead of her were taken by surprise and ended up falling. Thanks to that, Milia was once again within the top 600 of those climbing while connected.


    *Zul...*


    Linfel heard the sound of the barrier moving, quickly looking in that direction. There, a Level Four Familiar passed through the barrier, landing on a corner. "Yo-you..." The Familiar was almost without Magic Energy. "H-How did you make it to the top s-so fast? You are only Level Three... Even if you have a great output, that fact doesn''t change...


    or it shouldn''t, at least."


    Linfel smiled. "Well, Magic Energy output isn''t really my specialty. The thing I''m truly good at is Magic Energy Control. Naturally, I know how to use it efficiently, much more than you guys, at least."


    Linfel then pointed at the screen where you could watch the others climbing still. "Take a look at them, Maguses and Familiars. Just like you and me, they are all very young. All their training was about increasing their level and combat power. Magic Control was also included in the menu, but how many of them really paid proper attention to it?


    How many do you know to have worked on their Magic Energy Conservation, Circulation, and Efficiency? These three factors are hard to train and, above all, boring and slow. Such things are usually learned much later in life. I, on the other hand, didn''t neglect it even once. It is that simple." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel wasn''t lying. Even though he wasn''t really a Familiar and had his advantages, he truly took his training seriously. He had to... Otherwise, he felt like Horan would appear out of nowhere and kick his core like he always did when Linfel performed poorly. Horan was definitely dead by now when you consider the time that had passed. Yet, Linfel wouldn''t leave it to chance.


    The Familiar was surprised with the answer. Indeed, he is young; all familiars in this test are. One''s level was always everything; the rest simply followed. He had to admit that he truly didn''t put too much effort into such attributes. "So I was wrong all along..."


    Linfel smiled. "What''s your name, friend."


    "You can call me Hebego," the Familiar answered.


    Linfel quickly checked his MCOM and found Hegebo. He was ranked 79th in the Magic Energy Output test. Yet, he was the second to arrive after Linfel.


    "I''m Linfel," he continued. "There is no need for you to worry. Those attributes can be trained later, and your approach isn''t completely wrong. Having more Magic Energy and a higher level will make your life easier. Still, because you will be starting later, it will be harder to gain the new feeling of these attributes.


    If I were you, I would ignore your leveling Training for at least a few months, best for a year or two, and focus completely on these three points. The later you wait to master them, the harder it will be. Leveling, on the other hand, will never change."


    "Well said!" Suddenly, a man entered the room, followed by a few Maguses and Familiars. He looked at Linfel, feeling satisfied. "We don''t actually make it public knowledge, but our Ventis Sect does focus a lot on these points. Magic Conservation, Circulation, and Efficiency. It is all part of one''s Magic Energy Control.


    All our new disciples are prohibited from leveling for the next two years in the Sect. Of course, it only goes for disciples from planets like this one. There are plenty of planets that already understand Linfel''s point and focus on them from a young age."


    The man then stopped in front of Linfel. "Hello there, I''m Glien, one of the organizers."


    Linfel smiled back. "Hello, senior Glien. It is nice to meet you."


    Glien nodded, and his attention turned to the barrier separating the station from the void. "Anyway, I only came here because it should be about time the Familiars start arriving. The Maguses shouldn''t be too far behind. I will also be explaining the next test once this one is over."


    As soon as he finished saying those words, another two Familiars went through the barrier. They, too, seemed tired and without Magic Energy, so they quickly started to absorb the Magic Energy inside the Station.


    Glien watched with a happy expression while his subordinates checked on the Familiars. If something went wrong, the Ventis Sect disciples would help these Familiars or the Maguses later.


    Time continued to pass, and 21 hours went by since the start of the second test. Only now did the first Magus traverse the barrier, which didn''t surprise anyone. Familiars would have an easier time climbing; that was already a fact. That''s why the test was separated between the Maguses and Familiars.


    More Maguses and Familiars continued to enter the Station, but their numbers were a far cry from the ones who started the test. Finally, thirty minutes later, Alvin got through the barrier, collapsing on the ground. He was the first lone Level Three Magus to make it to the Station.


    Linfel came to check on him and could tell Alvin was just tired and deprived of Magic Energy. "Not bad, not bad at all. I counted the Maguses, and you were the 41st to arrive at the top of our Elevator. Well, taking all the Elevators around the world into consideration, you were 487th. That is still inside the top 5% you mentioned you would achieve, so congratulations."


    Alvin bitterly smiled. "All that training, especially the boring ones, paid off, it seems."


    Alvin then sat in a corner and looked at the barrier. "Do you know how Milia is doing?"


    Linfel nodded. "She just left the Mini Station at the 950km mark. She is taking her time to climb the rest of the elevator now. That is the right approach. She probably checked her MCOM every time she stopped by the Mini Stations, so Milia should know she and Nori are well within the top 1000 Master Familiar duos."


    Another hour and twenty minutes were gone. Finally, another duo entered the barrier, catching Alvin and Linfel''s attention. Naturally, it was Milia, landing on the ground with several injuries on her body. Nothing out of the norm since the drones attacked all the way to the top. Alvin wasn''t much better when he arrived, either. They weren''t anything serious.


    The disciples of the Ventis Sect quickly treated her and Nori while Linfel and Alvin approached.


    Seeing Linfel and Alvin there, Milia forced a smile. "You were right, Linfel. My best chance was indeed with Nori by my side."


    Linfel nodded. "Congratulations."

 Chapter 105: Lets Take a Look

    The test hasn''t finished yet, obviously. As Linfel projected, the obstacles on the way to the Space Station were hard to deal with, causing most of the Maguses and Familiars to end up falling from the Space Elevator and being rescued by the Gravity Ray from the planet''s surface.Thanks to that, many Level Three Familiars and Maguses saw a chance to still make it into the top 10% or the top 1000 for Magus-Familiar Duos. The test had a time limit, though. After all, even if there weren''t enough Maguses and Familiars to fill the top 10% quota, it wasn''t like they could wait several days as the remaining participants analyzed their situations slowly.


    The time limit was 48 hours, and at the 41-hour mark, the Familiars finally filled the first 10% quota. At the moment the last Familiar of the top 10% entered the Stations, many rays of yellow light shot from the surface of the planet, catching the few remaining familiars who were still climbing the various elevators. They were all disqualified at once.


    The second ones to fill their quota were the Magus-Familiar duos, reaching the 1000 number. It was to be expected since they could use both their Magic Energy Reserves together.


    Maguses, as everyone knows, would take longer to finish climbing the Elevator. Yet, they still managed to fill the top 10% quota with just 32 minutes remaining to the end of the test. Linfel was quite surprised to see that since he thought there wouldn''t be enough contestants remaining to do that. ''I guess I underestimated the overall strength of the Maguses and Familiars on this planet a little bit.


    Well, that only makes things funnier.''


    *Clap, clap, clap...*


    Glien clapped his hands while using a little bit of Magic Energy to increase the sound. "Congratulations, everyone. Those here have completed the second test. First, all the Magus and Familiar duos, please follow my assistant here. Berold, go with them."


    Berold quickly accepted the order. "Everyone, please follow me."


    Milia and Nori looked at Linfel and Alvin. "We will see you later."


    During the explanation of the second test, it was said that those who completed the second test in a Master Familiar Connection would be exempt from the third test, being sent to the fourth test straight away. That''s because all Maguses and Familiars would rather take the tests together if there were no penalties.


    However, because only the top 1000 of those duos would get to join the next test, the number of duos who took the test wasn''t as big. Nonetheless, there were tens of thousands of them around the world, and only the top 1000 made it, Milia included. The rest got eliminated.


    Alvin and Linfel already expected that and nodded back at Milia. However, before Berold left, Glien called his attention. "Just a moment." Right after, he approached Linfel and Alvin. "You two, you are also exempt from the third test. Follow Berold and wait with the others until the fourth test starts."


    "What?!" Let alone Linfel and Alvin, all the other participants in the Space Station, were taken aback by the sudden event.


    "That''s ridiculous!" Someone immediately complained.


    "Since when does the Ventis Sect change its rules that easily?"


    "I also want to go to the fourth test!"


    "Hey, I finished ahead of this Alvin guy, so I should also go to the fourth test straight away. First of all, he is only a Level Three Magus, so why is he exempt from it?!"


    Those and more complaints continued to come. In fact, even Linfel complained. "We already took our tests separately because we wanted to take the third test, so sending us to the fourth one would actually work against our plans."


    "ENOUGH!" Finally, Glien lost his patience. "This is my station, and these are my rules. I have the authority to give a free pass to whoever I fucking want to. If I feel like it, I can send them straight to the Ventis Sect, and none of you has anything to do with it! If you don''t like it, there is a simple way to resolve this. You can simply give up the test. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Done! Easy, right? I''m not going to stop any of you."


    Everyone went quiet. Who would give up at this stage? It''s just that they had never heard about such things before. But then again, it wasn''t like the Ventis Sect would go out there and make every single decision they made public for the rest. There were bound to be similar situations in the past.


    Glien turned to Linfel. However, he didn''t speak loudly, but used his magic Energy so only Linfel and Alvin could hear. ''As for your idea of taking part in the third test on purpose, there is no need. You two would easily pass the next test since it pretty much revolves around magic Energy Control. I saw you two during the climbing, so don''t waste your time and just go.


    Otherwise, I will simply disqualify you two here.''


    Linfel and Alvin didn''t expect that. Indeed, considering what they did and the fact they are partners, it was easy to tell both had far better Magic Energy Control than most. Since that was the case, Linfel accepted it begrudgingly, while Alvin felt happy instead. ''Alright, then we will go to the fourth test.''


    As Linfel and Alvin walked out of the room, Alexandra watched the event unfold through the cameras. ''As expected of Glien, he has sharp eyes. Seems like I don''t need to intervene myself.''


    Alvin and Linfel then joined Milia and Nori and followed Berold to another room where they would wait. The fourth test would only start once after the third test was over.


    Alvin looked around and could see the piercing eyes of most of the participants. ''Don''t look at me! I''m not the one who did this... although I''m damn happy that I was given a free pass... hehe!''


    Linfel didn''t even notice, though... or perhaps he simply didn''t care. "So sad... how can one have fun like this?"


    Milia didn''t know what to say, so Nori spoke for her. "Stop complaining. Everyone else would kill to have such an opportunity. If you are that curious about the third test, just check your MCOM and watch the live stream of the test."


    "Oh! Right!" Linfel immediately focused on his MCOM inside his Spatial Storage. "Let''s take a look."

 Chapter 106: One Hour

    Glien wasn''t wrong. The third test was all about Magic Control. It was during that test that Alvin understood why the Ventis Sect prohibits leveling for the first two years. Alvin had been under Linfel''s care and a hellish training to get used to Magic Control, above all, he had Linfel''s clean energy that no doubt accelerated the process many times.Watching people trying to do the fine management of their Magic Energy and comparing it to what he could do now seemed like two completely different leagues. One part of the third test was very similar to Linfel''s one, where the contestants had to hit the targets precisely. Alvin watched that, and sometimes, he wondered how he would have fared in it had he not met Linfel.


    "Linfel..." out of curiosity, Alvin asked. "How do they compare to me when we met?"


    Milia and Nori were by their side, so they also got curious about what would be Linfel''s answer. They hadn''t seen Alvin much during the time they were in the Floating Blades Faction, let alone the several months Linfel and Alvin spent together after leaving Clondure.


    Linfel looked back at Alvin, and his expression turned weird. It was as if Linfel was struggling to come up with some words that wouldn''t hurt Alvin too much. "Errr... Oh, right! Can you see the female Maguses in the third test?"


    Alvin got confused but still nodded. "Yes, what about it?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s just say none of them would wish to reproduce with the past you," Linfel completed.


    Alvin almost fell with his face on the floor. "What kind of comparison is that?! Couldn''t you come up with a better way of saying this?!"


    Milia was completely red, while Nori felt like something was wrong with the familiar''s soul. No, wait, they know Linfel isn''t a Familiar...


    Linfel took the request seriously. "Hum... they are not bad, while ''the past you'' would have to improve a lot to be considered bad. How about that?"


    Somehow, Alvin felt even more hurt after those words. Did he have any value as a magus at all? Alvin began to have some doubts.


    "Don''t worry, though," Linfel continued. "You are at least as good as the top ones in the stream now. I would put your actual Magic Energy Control in the top 10%."


    Alvin''s mood improved again. "Really? That''s great!" Alvin wasn''t disappointed. It still hasn''t been a year since he met Linfel, so his progress could only be said to be insane.


    The third test ended, and as one can imagine, the majority of the qualified Maguses and Familiars were those at Level Four. Just like before, only 10% of the groups around the planet passed to the next phase. The Ventis Sect truly liked to cut down the numbers.


    Xifrin and Trodeu, the Level Five Magus and Familiar, did not take part in the third exam. They, too, were sent straight to the fourth test, just like Linfel and Alvin. With their Level alone, they already acquired a better Magic Control, so it would be useless to test them.


    Above all, even if their Magic Energy Control was bad, the fact they managed to reach level five on this planet makes up for it. They can spend their time in the Ventis Sect to learn the proper way to control their Magic Energy.


    A few minutes later, the participants who made it through the third test appeared in Linfel''s group room. With the last results, their Space Elevator participants had now fallen to miserly 1653. Around the world, the number was slightly below twenty thousand.


    Glien entered the room, looking at the participants of his Space Station. "Not bad, not bad at all. Although 99% of you won''t make it to the Ventis Sect, you already achieved results that will make you famous in your country for many years to come. Many resources will be spent on you by your home countries, hoping you can one day reach Level Six or maybe Level Seven."


    Glien continued. "However, that''s not what any of you want. That is nothing but a secondary plan, a safety net, somewhere to lay down. What you all want is to join the Ventis Sect. That said, let''s talk about the fourth test."


    Immediately, the screens in the room changed, and the live footage of an asteroid was made visible. The thing was at least fifty kilometers wide, quite a big one. Asteroids are rocky, metallic, or icy bodies with no atmosphere... or so it was supposed to be. However, this one did seem to have some atmosphere in it. When the image approached, everyone understood why.


    Thousands of poles had been attached to it, and they created some kind of barrier that separated the empty space from the asteroid. Together with some other equipment, the pseudo atmosphere was made possible there.


    "The Ventis Sect is a power that controls one-third of our galaxy. Naturally, there are plenty of times when we have to deal with our enemy with force, and these times aren''t always in the comfort of a planet. For the fourth phase, you will be tested in a zero gravity environment."


    Seeing the puzzled faces of the participants, Glien understood what they were thinking. "Some of you might be wondering why we didn''t just use anti-gravity runes in some area on the planet to test it. Or perhaps that there are manipulated fields on this planet that can be used in the same way. Well... would any of you truly feel the terror of space by staying on the planet?"


    Glien faintly smiled. "For the fourth test, there will be no such thing as safety. If you drift into space, goodbye; no one will go after you."


    Immediately, all the Maguses and Familiars became nervous. It didn''t matter if you were either one. Both Maguses and Familiars would be fucked if they were left alone in space with no way to go back. The only difference was that a Familiar would survive longer since they don''t need to breathe, but that''s it.


    Glien then pressed a few options in his MCOM, which caused the MCOMs of all participants to receive a message. "For this test, you truly are at the risk of dying, even more than when you were sent to deal with Magic Beasts or other Maguses and Familiars outlaws. We won''t force anyone. You have one hour to decide if you want to take this test or not.


    If you decide to give up, just answer the message we sent to all of you in your MCOMs. You will be released and sent back to the planet''s surface without repercussions. Now then, I''ll see you again in one hour... or at least those still here by then."

 Chapter 107: A Lot Of Fun

    Alvin got nervous, not liking the idea of being adrift in space and without being able to breathe. "What do you think, Linfel?"Linfel looked at everyone and then at Alvin, Milia, and Nori. "Well, you don''t seem to be the only one concerned, especially since the objective of the fourth test hasn''t been explained yet. It''s like Glein mentioned, it is a decision you have to make. I can''t speak for you here."


    Linfel then looked at the live stream of the asteroid. "As for the asteroid, it is quite big, so it might have a very low gravity, not by much. The trick will be to use your Magic Energy to keep yourself attached to the ground. There are many holes and equipment there that I don''t know their purpose, so expect anything."


    Finally, Linfel smiled at them. "Well, you haven''t forgotten our time in the war, right? Basically, it is another place with a high risk of death. You have gone through this issue before. The question is whether you can take it again or not."


    Milia didn''t even need to think. "It is no secret that deaths occur during the Ventis Sect exam. Anyone who signed up for this is aware of the risks. I''m definitely in."


    "Obviously, I''m following you," Nori added. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin looked at that and felt ashamed of his concern. However, Linfel suddenly sent him a mind message. ''Take a good look with your Magic Sense at her hands.''


    Alvin was taken aback and followed Linfel''s words. Finally, he understood. Milia seemed calm on the surface, but her hands were trembling slightly. It was true they had been to war, but this is space! Space is frightening, simple as that. "Alright, I''m definitely making it through!


    Let''s work together!"


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. "Now, that''s what I wanted to hear."


    Pretty much no withdrawals were made during the hour that followed. It was just like Milia mentioned. Everyone knew about the risk of death during this exam.


    Glien came back an hour later, not surprised to see most of the participants still there. "Good! You guys seem to have some courage. Now, follow me. Our spaceship is waiting."


    Everyone was brought to one of the docks where an enormous spaceship of the Ventis Sect was waiting. It could easily fit more than ten thousand triplets, let alone the little more than a thousand from this Space Elevator. Once everyone got inside, the spaceship quickly detached and drove into space.


    Looking to the outside, Alvin felt a little excited. "I''ve never left the planet before..."


    Milia, as a member of the Frondor Family, was different. "I was brought to Ferthis and Osango Planets once during the holidays. We should be entering the hyperspace anytime now. If I were you, I would take a seat."


    The fourth dimension magical engines activated, and the view outside suddenly became a sea of blue colors. Alvin immediately felt sick and found it hard to keep his balance. He looked at his hand, which now seemed to have several of them. Finally, he fell on his butt, trying his best to get used to that feeling.


    Milia had gone through this in the past, but she didn''t feel much better. She took a seat by the side and took a deep breath, just waiting for it to be over. As for Nori, Familiar Souls are also affected by the Fourth Dimensional Travel, so he had to stay on Milia''s lap for the time being.


    All around, the Maguses and Familiars seemed to be in the same positions. Some were faring better than others due to experience, but none of them were completely immune. Only the crew of the spaceship seemed unconcerned, having gone through this event many times.


    "Oh! So this is how the Fourth Dimension Engines work..." Yet, there was one guy completely fine. Naturally, it was Linfel, who seemed very interested in the hyperspace outside. "It is quite different from the time Horan brought me around."


    Alvin tried to not puke right there and then while asking. "Ho-How.... ugh... how was it back in your... time?"


    Linfel''s memories went to the past. "It was always Horan who did the journey while I simply tagged along. Back then, primordial energy allowed for Space-Bending. I believe you understand the theory. It is like the wormholes you mentioned, but it could be created at will. Magic Energy might be able to achieve the same thing, but you would truly need a huge amount of it.


    After all, Magic Energy is a lot weaker. I wonder if there are any spaceships out there that can do that. With the right runes, perhaps."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori were surprised. It was basically the theory of folding space and passing through when the two sides touch. The wormholes did that, but they didn''t expect the experts from the past could do that as well. Even more impressive, Linfel seemed convinced it might be possible to be done nowadays. Could that be true?


    The asteroid was on a nearby solar system, which everyone was brought to. The journey lasted only fifteen minutes with the fourth-dimensional travel, though. Alvin then tried to get up to look outside, still feeling a little sick. Finally, he was able to see the asteroid up close. "So big... I saw it in the live stream, but isn''t this stage a little too big for the exam?


    Even with the twenty thousand remaining participants, it might take forever to end as there are just too many places to hide and run."


    "We don''t even know what is the fourth test about yet," Linfel shook his head. "Let''s wait and see. Besides..." Linfel looked in another direction. Suddenly, many spaceships began to come out of hyperspace, just like their own did a few seconds ago. "I don''t think we are alone."


    Alvin swallowed hard. Spaceships kept coming out, all of them carrying the emblem of the Ventis Sect. On Alvin''s field of view alone he could count more than two hundred, and he couldn''t see the other side of the asteroid. "Could it be..."


    Linfel nodded. "You don''t think the Ventis Sect would make it easy, right? No doubt, they are gathering all the participants who passed the third test on various planets in the nearby solar systems. Considering the size of the Ventis Sect Territory, I would have done the same."


    Linfel looked excited. "There is a lot of fun still."

 Chapter 108: Star Rays

    Linfel and the various other participants from Serfen Planet had to wait for days in the spaceships. Some of the solar systems were a little too far away, so there wasn''t another choice. Nonetheless, all the spaceships gathered, counting more than five hundred.


    Linfel''s spaceship carried more than a thousand participants, so one could have an idea of how many Maguses and familiars would take part in this.


    Another day passed without any other spaceships arriving. That extra day was given to the latest comers so they could recover from the fourth-dimensional journey. Everyone received a message stating the time when the explanation about the fourth test would start.


    *Zanm, zanm, zanm, zanm, zanm, zanm...*


    Linfel and his group were in the main hall of the airship, waiting with everyone else, when the screens all turned on. The same thing happened in all the other spaceships.


    On the screen, a man who wore the emblem of the Ventis Sect appeared, smiling at everyone. On the back, one could see a few more people with the same attire and emblem. One of them was Alexandra, responsible for the test in Serfen Planet. The others were the Minor Elders sent to supervise the tests on the other planets. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man looked at the time and finally began to speak. "Hello, my little friends. My name is Mosie Suan, an Inner Elder of the Ventis Sect. Congratulations on making it this far. You are all the cream of the crop of your planets, and I''m happy to see the seedlings this time around are even better than the last time.


    Some of you, in particular, caught my attention quite a bit, so I''m looking forward to your performances."


    Mosie continued. "Alright, I''m sure you all can only think about the fourth test, so let''s talk about it. As all of you know, the test will happen on the asteroid in a zero-gravity environment. Well, it isn''t completely zero, but it is barely perceptible at all. Anyway, the fourth test is all about high scores. The top 1% of the participants will make it to the fourth test."


    Everyone took a deep, cold breath. So far, it has always been the top 10%, but now it will be the top 1% only. Considering the number of spaceships, there are bound to be five hundred to a million participants. To have just a single percent succeed was quite brutal.


    "Some of you might be curious. For this test, we have a little over seven hundred thousand participants. Of these, only seven thousand will go to the next phase," Mosie commented. "Now then, release!"


    All the screens immediately changed to the surface of the asteroid. From its countless dark holes, even more Magic Beasts began to fly out. They had weird shapes, looking a little like stingrays. Their skins had the same colors as the space outside, dark with various white spots similar to stars on both sides of their bodies.


    Alvin and Linfel glanced at that and didn''t know what they were looking at. Those Magic Beasts didn''t only move inside the artificial atmosphere of the asteroid, though. They all could feel they were free and immediately flew out of the asteroid range.


    Nonetheless, they didn''t seem to feel anything. They could all survive in the middle of space without problems. It was a rare life form that didn''t need a planet to exist. One can only imagine what kind of evolutionary process had to happen for such a creature to exist. Their bodies shined with blue light, which seemed to be used to move in the zero gravity.


    Unfortunately for them, they weren''t able to fly much longer. A few kilometers away from the asteroid, they hit some kind of invisible barrier that bounced them all back. That caused them to start flying around aimlessly as they couldn''t dive deeper into the open space.


    Alvin was quite marveled by the creature. However, it was then that he noticed the expressions of a very of the Maguses around. The majority seemed confused or interested in the creatures, but the few who knew it were anything but pleased.


    "I give up the exam!" One of the participants installed jumped out of the ship.


    "I''m out too!" Another one quickly followed.


    "The Ventis Sect is crazy! How can they be using those things? I''m definitely not going!"


    Similar requests came up one after another, not surprising the crew of the spaceship at all. If anything, the organizers of the test already expect this reaction.


    However, there were also those who knew about these creatures but didn''t give up. Nonetheless, their expressions didn''t look good at all. They watched as the creatures flew around randomly all around the asteroid. There were tens of millions of them, maybe hundreds.


    Suddenly, the screens changed again, and Mosie''s face was shown. "Would you look at that? There seems to be a lot of you willing to give up already. I can''t blame you, though. Don''t worry; if you decide to give up now, our Ventis Sect won''t force you."


    Half of the screen then showed a scoreboard as Mosie continued his explanation. "While in zero gravity, you will have to survive for 40 Clicks."


    Every planet has its own time measurement. In Serfen, it is hours, but on other planets, they have different ways of counting time. Because of that, a universal measurement has been accepted a long time ago, the Clicks. For Alvin and Linfel, a single click was pretty much the same as a single hour, so it made things easier for them. There were just a few seconds of difference.


    Mosie continued to talk about the creatures and the rules. "If you kill a single one of those little guys, you are disqualified. Also, just because you are disqualified, it doesn''t mean we will come to save you. No one will enter that asteroid range until the 40 Clicks are over; keep that in mind. Once you are there, you will have to stay there until the end of the test."


    Mosie looked at the Magic Beasts as well. "You see, they are very special creatures. They are called Star Rays. Their bodies are capable of interacting with their target''s Magic Energy. Once they work together, they can even act like a magnet that can pull any source of Magic Energy towards them. Obviously, that includes your Cores."


    "Their method of hunting is very simple. They enter the planets, pull many living creatures with magic energy in their bodies all the way to space, and wait for them to die in the open space environment. They never need to get anywhere near their prey before it is already dead. They usually do it at clear nights, so you can understand why their bodies seem to be like the night sky itself."


    "Oh, and one more thing," Mosie added, "The effect on Magic Energy includes hallucinations, so make sure you take good care of your Magic Energy and don''t let it fall under these creatures'' control. Otherwise, you will try to fly into open space by yourself and won''t even notice you are dying. These little guys haven''t eaten for a while, so I''m pretty sure they will appreciate the free meal."


    "Alright, I''m finished explaining about the Star Rays. Now, let''s talk about the score and how to gain points."

 Chapter 109: Absolutely so

    By now, everyone understood why those Familiars and Maguses gave up out of nowhere. There are millions of those things, and they are hungry. Not to mention, you have to spend 40 Clicks on the Asteroid, and you won''t be rescued even if you are disqualified or give up midway. It truly looked like a one-way trip to the other side.


    Mosie did not care about what the participants were thinking and continued his explanation. "Now then, each of the Star Rays has a magic Energy Token on their back. As long as you touch it, the token will disappear, and points will be scored. There are three different colors of tokens, Yellow, Blue, and Green."


    "Yellow tokens are on the back of Level One Star Rays and are worth a single point."


    "Blue Tokens are on the back of Level Two Star Rays, and they are worth ten points."


    "Finally, the Green Tokens can be found on the back of Level Three Star Rays, and they are worth one hundred points each."


    "It goes without saying that you have a lot more Level One Star Rays than Level Three. Not to mention that they are easier to deal with. Level Three Star Rays, especially, always have a bunch of lower Level Star Rays following it. Trying to get its token won''t be easy, and you might actually become the prey instead, so be careful."


    "Another thing to keep in mind is that once a token is taken, the Star Ray who carried it will have nothing left, so you also need to be fast before the others take the tokens first."


    "Well, that''s basically it. You don''t need to worry about how we will identify who took which token. We have saved all your Magic Energy Signatures, so we will know who took the tokens without the need for any extra devices."


    "This exam can be taken in two different ways. You can do it with your Familiars, and in that case, your score will be equally shared between the two of you, or you can take it alone. Regardless of your choice, only the top 1% will make it to the next phase, so make sure you consider which approach to take very well.


    Finally, Mosie completed. "Alright, that''s all. In ten minutes, all of you will be carried by the gravity rays to the Asteroid. The gravity rays will also protect you when you get there, so don''t move until we give the order. Once we give the start signal, all gravity rays will disappear, and then you will be on your own. Good luck!"


    Linfel heard all the explanations and found it a very interesting exam. He then glanced to the side and saw a certain someone sneaking out, ready to give up the exam. Too bad Linfel pulled him right back. "Let''s go, Alvin, to the hangar! Hahaha!"


    "Errr... We can always try the next one, right? There is no need to try it now." Alvin tried to come up with an excuse.


    "What are you talking about?" Linfel didn''t agree. "You are almost seventeen. There is no second chance for you anymore. Hahaha!"


    Alvin bitterly smiled and just let Linfel pull him away.


    Milia couldn''t help but giggle a little while Nori snorted. Alvin, in the end, was still Alvin. "Let''s go, Nori. We will work together on this one, too."


    Nori, however, was still concerned. "Milia, are you sure you want to take this test? It is the type of test that those at lower levels will definitely struggle more. The risk is truly high."


    "Sure? I''m obviously not sure!" Milia explained. "But Alvin and Linfel are doing it, so can I stay behind?"


    Nori glanced at the tearful Alvin in the distance. "It looks more like only one of them truly wants to do it..."


    Milia smiled and shook her head. "Don''t worry. Alvin might be like that, but when it comes to it, he always pulls his weight. Don''t forget who saved us back then." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Linfel?" Nori asked back.


    "Nope," Milia corrected him. "Linfel told me it was Alvin who reacted first, and he just followed."


    ---


    Ten minutes passed fast, and the gravity rays caught all the participants. They were sent through the sea of Star Rays, landing on the asteroid. Because of the protection, the Star Rays couldn''t feel the Maguses and Familiars'' Magic Energy yet.


    More and more participants landed on the asteroid all around its extensions. At some point, the asteroid looked nothing more than a yellow light show.


    Yet, there weren''t seven hundred thousand participants on the asteroid. No, after hearing the explanation about the Star Rays and the test rules, a huge number of Maguses and Familiars gave up. Only a little less than five hundred thousand landed on the asteroid in the end. The rest stayed behind after giving up the test.


    Of course, the top 1% is still around seven thousand participants. After all, the ones who gave up were still part of this test until a few minutes ago.


    Finally, the last gravity ray delivered the last participants, and Mosie''s voice echoed all over the asteroid. "That''s about it! Forty Clicks! The test starts now!"


    *Ziu!*


    Immediately, all the gravity rays disappeared instantly. The moment it happened, the Star Rays seemed to grow restless, feeling the sudden appearance of so many sources of Magic Energy. Mosie wasn''t lying when he said they were quite hungry. It only took a few seconds before the Star Rays formed countless small groups and came after the Maguses and Familiars.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    Alvin looked to the side, just in time to see a small group of Star Rays pulling a magus away with them out of the asteroid''s atmosphere.


    Of course, even if it meant being disqualified, the guy wouldn''t just let himself die. He immediately circulated his Magic Energy and sent an attack, killing two Star Rays. That disrupted the group work, which the magus used to force himself back to the asteroid''s surface.


    Unfortunately for him, his display of Magic Energy attracted even more Star Rays. They all joined forces and began to drag him away. The guy continued to attack, but he couldn''t do anything against so many of those Star Rays. The more he used his magic Energy the more Star Rays he attracted. At some point, he lost control over his Magic Energy and began to hallucinate.


    In the end, he simply let himself be pulled away. Anyone seeing this knew that he would become food very soon.


    Similar scenes happened all around, scaring many of the Maguses and Familiars. Those who weren''t targeted straight away understood that using their Magic Energy to attack the Star Rays didn''t just disqualify you. It also made themselves become beacons of Magic Energy that the Star Rays swarmed with gusto.


    Suddenly, Alvin heard someone''s voice.


    "Oh! So this is the yellow token..." It was Linfel. Right at that moment, there were ten Star Rays around him. However... the Star Rays didn''t try to bring Linfel away. No, when they tried to pull Linfel away, Linfel used that connection to take control of their bodies.


    Somehow... Linfel got ten new bodyguards...


    Linfel touched the tokens on the Star Rays'' backs, and his score instantly jumped to ten. "Alvin, what are you waiting for? Go grab a few Star Rays. Otherwise, I will release my new friends here all over you."


    "Fuck!" Alvin already knew Linfel''s training methods. If he said he would that that, he absolutely would do so!

 Chapter 110: What?!

    Alvin knew how Linfel achieved that result, but he couldn''t do the same. He could only hope he wouldn''t attract too much attention. He controlled his Magic Energy so that not much of it would escape, potentially making him a harder target to be noticed.


    Yet, things turned out weird a few moments later. "What is happening here?"


    Alvin got close to one of the Star Rays, ready to flee if it tried to call its friends. Yet, it was as if the Star Ray couldn''t even see him. He slowly approached its back, and after touching the Yellow Magic Token, it disappeared while a point was added to his score. "Could it be this little guy is sick?" He couldn''t help but wonder.


    Alvin slowly got away from the Star Ray and found another one that had a few others not too far from it. This one was also a lot bigger and moved faster, so Alvin had to increase his speed. Fortunately, Linfel didn''t slack when it came to Alvin''s physical training. Linfel used his Magic Energy to improve Alvin''s body while putting him under tremendous stress.


    Ultimately, Alvin became very fit over time, and he definitely surpassed his peers in physical strength alone... although he wasn''t aware of this yet. Alvin could move as fast as a Level One Magus even without using a single iota of Magic Energy.


    Alvin caught up to the Star Ray and touched its back. This time, however, Alvin was surprised. Not only did the Star Ray not respond, but it also had a Blue Token on its back. Just like that, another ten points were added to Alvin''s score. ''So that''s why there were more Star Rays around this one; it was a Level Two Star Ray. They were this guy''s followers!


    Yet... they still can''t see me somehow.''


    Alvin then looked around, looking for another magus or familiar nearby. It wasn''t hard to find one since there were so many. However, the guy he saw was already running away while quite a few Star Rays pursued him. Naturally, the Star Rays were seeing that guy without a problem. ''This makes no sense... Did Linfel do something to the Star Rays around me without anyone noticing?''


    Alvin tried it a few more times, and the same thing happened, so his score continued to increase. Finally, Alvin''s confusion reached his limit, and he turned around to ask Linfel in the distance. Yet, when he saw Linfel, he didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    "Alright, now sit!" Linfel commanded.


    A group of around fifty Star Rays all fell to the ground, only slightly lifting the front part of their bodies.


    "Good! Now, turn!" Linfel ordered again.


    All the Star Rays around him made a full 360 before ending in the same position.


    "Hahaha!" Linfel felt quite happy. "Alvin, look! This is quite funny. So that''s how you humans feel when you teach your dogs a few tricks. It also reminds me of when you manage to complete the training I give you. So satisfying..."


    "Dogs..." Alvin wanted to cry. Now, Alvin was being compared to a dog. No, even worse, there were five Star Rays in Linfel''s group that were as big as the one he just touched. They were all Level Two Star Rays, but they still followed every command from Linfel... just like dogs indeed.


    "Ahem..." Alvin tried to recover from his hurt ego. "Linfel, I''m managing to take the tokens. But how come the Star Rays can''t see me? They simply ignore my existence. There was even one who passed by me and went away, running after another Magus."


    "Hum?" Linfel looked back at Alvin like he was looking at an idiot. He then released the Star Rays, allowing them to return to space and clearing the area around Linfel and Alvin. "Isn''t that obvious? There is pretty much no Magic Energy escaping from your body. That''s called Magic Energy Control, you know? Mosie commented about it back in the spaceships before the test.


    If there is no Magic Energy, how can the Star Rays see you? They don''t have eyes."


    Linfel then pointed at another Magus not too far away. "Look at that magus there. He is focusing all his attention on controlling his Magic Energy. Can you see any Star Rays closing on him?"


    A few Star Rays seemed to get close to the guy, but after a few seconds floating around the Magus, they left, seemingly uninterested. Still, Alvin could see beds of sweat running down from the guy''s face. No doubt he was having to do his best just to keep that condition. "So that''s how it is..."


    It was then that Alvin noticed. "Wait, I know that guy. He was one of the Level Four Magus who climbed the same Elevator as me. How come he is struggling so much?"


    "Because he is terrible at controlling Magic Energy," Linfel explained. "Could it be you still haven''t understood?"


    "Understood what?" Alvin asked back?


    "This test is not just to see who can score more points. It is also a trial by fire to teach the future prospects of the Ventis Sect about how important Magic Energy Control is," Linfel shrugged. "If you manage to survive and score points, you will leave this place with a huge advantage for your future.


    Even if you don''t get into the top 1%, just this experience alone will prove invaluable in the places they came from."


    Suddenly, a familiar ran in Alvin and Linfel''s direction, seeing that there were no Star Rays near them. He wanted to use Linfel and Alvin to bait the Star Rays that were pursuing him.


    Alvin couldn''t help but turn around. There were at least thirty Star Rays after that Familiar. However, Linfel held him back. "Magic Energy Control. Don''t forget it."


    Alvin swallowed hard and nodded, feeling his body tense.


    The Familiar flashed past Linfel and Alvin. However, when it looked back, all the Star Rays pursuing it didn''t stop. They passed by Linfel and Alvin as if they didn''t exist and continued to pursue. "What? Fuck!" In the end, it had to use more Magic Energy to continue its escapade. Linfel and Alvin didn''t know, but this Familiar was taken away by the Star Rays a few minutes later.


    Linfel faintly smiled and released his Magic Energy again. Immediately, a few Star Rays noticed his presence and came after him. When they tried to pull Linfel through his Magic Energy, Linfel used that connection to take control of their bodies. He touched their backs, took the points, and suppressed his Magic Energy again before ordering the Star Rays to go away. "I quite like the Ventis Sect.


    Their tests are very thorough. They know very well what they are looking for and what to do to get the expected results."


    Alvin sighed. He got more impressed with himself and Linfel''s methods by the day. "Then I''m going out to score a few more points."


    "Sure, but don''t drop your guard. You need to control your Magic Energy like that for 40 Clicks or a little bit over 40 hours. It will be quite tiresome," Linfel warned. "Also, you can check the scoreboard with your MCOM if you are interested."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. Just how many Maguses and Familiars on this asteroid even had the time to care about their MCOMs? Seems like Linfel did... and so did Alvin. "Okay..." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was then that Alvin remembered something. "Wait! How is Milia doing?"


    "Milia?" Linfel pointed in another direction. "That girl with a flame sword in the distance is probably her. Oh! The Star Rays are bringing her away. Guess she will become food soon." Linfel spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.


    "I see..." Alvin nodded and turned around to go collect more tokens... Then, he froze. "WHAT?!"

 Chapter 111: Just Great

    Alvin immediately rushed over, releasing his Magic Energy and catching the attention of the Star Rays. However, he didn''t care. Alvin approached Milia''s location and gathered his magic Energy on his legs. Finally, he jumped... or so he tried.


    *Zack*


    At the last moment, a concentration of Magic Energy grabbed Alvin''s leg, pulling him back to the ground. Alvin looked to the side and saw Linfel there. "What are you doing?!"


    Linfel shrugged while he used his Magic Energy to take control of the Star Rays, who got close to Alvin. Otherwise, they would pull Alvin into space as well. "You were going to kill the Star Rays, right? If you did, you would be disqualified. Obviously, I stopped you. Now, concentrate and suppress your Magic Energy again."


    "Fuck that! I have to help Milia!" Alvin complained.


    Linfel looked in Milia''s direction and spoke. "Do you think she needs your help? Pay attention, idiot. Can you see she attacking any of the Star Rays?"


    "Uh?" Alvin quickly calmed down and looked as well. Sure enough, Milia and Nori were still. Nori was a flame sword, but at the moment, barely any flame came out of him. As for Milia, she just kept her eyes closed while a slightly big ball of Magic Energy floated in front of her body.


    Then, a Star Ray approached and ate the ball, ignoring Milia. The moment it happened, Milia slightly touched its back, catching a Yellow Token. That kind of occurrence continued a few more times. Milia generated another small concentration of magic Energy near her body and that attracted the Star Rays.


    "She... is baiting the Star Rays? But why is she floating in midair then?" Alvin was confused. "Wouldn''t it be too risky? The Star Rays might catch her at any moment. Also, you said she was being pulled away."


    Linfel faintly smiled. "But she is. The reason she is in midair is so that she can attract more Star Rays. She let them take her for a moment and then suppressed her Magic Energy. She wasn''t as good as you at suppressing her Magic Energy, but because she created those baits, the baits caught more of the Star Rays'' attention than her body or Nori''s. Now, she just needs to keep repeating that process.


    Of course, it is quite tiresome, so she should come back down soon."


    Linfel was right. A few minutes later, Milia took a deep breath and completely stopped circulating her Magic Energy together with Nori. The two of them worked together, using their connection to better look after each other.


    The Star Rays, not being able to feel their magic Energy, quickly lost interest. The asteroid might be in midspace, but it still had a very slight gravity. So, very slowly, Milia and Nori began to fall down back to the asteroid. It took another few minutes, but they were back to the ground eventually.


    Alvin approached, relieved she was fine. "You gave me a scare there."


    "Ah!" Milia was the one to get a scare this time, though. She was so concentrated on her Magic Energy circulation that Alvin''s sudden comment near her made her lose her control.


    Immediately, several Star Rays came down, aiming to catch Milia and Nori again. They didn''t get to learn from Linfel how to suppress their Magic Energy properly, so it was indeed a hard task for both of them.


    "Idiot! Look what you have done!" Nori cursed.


    Milia and Nori got nervous. They were already tired, so they had to focus again. However, the Star Rays were right there. Without another choice, Nori burst with lames while Milia circulated her Magic Energy. They would have to kill the Star Rays now since it was better than dying out in space.


    Alvin didn''t expect that and felt guilty, so he also prepared to attack while circulating his Magic Energy. He could control his Magic Energy easily, but he couldn''t do that for Milia and Nori.


    Yet, just as they were about to attack, Linfel''s words echoed around.


    "Sit!"


    In the next second, all the Star Rays that had caught Milia and Nori''s Magic Energy presence repeated the same actions as Alvin saw a while ago.


    Linfel approached one of them and patted its body. "Good boys and girls. Now, go find someone else to eat, okay? Don''t bother my friends here."


    As if they understood Linfel''s words, all the Star Rays around left, leaving quite a gap in the middle where Linfel''s group was staying. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia and Nori looked at that with wide-open eyes. "Is that..."


    Linfel nodded. "You know about it already."


    Back when Linfel explained about himself, he also explained how he took control of the soldier''s body. Milia and Nori could only guess he did the same thing now... but not to such an extent. He controlled tens of Star Rays at once! "You truly are quite ridiculous."


    "That''s rude. I just saved your asses, you know?" Linfel sighed in response.


    Milia and Nori finally had the chance to properly calm down and suppress their Magic Energy correctly. With Linfel nearby, they felt safe.


    Linfel saw that and floated away, signaling Alvin to follow him. Alvin, of course, could only do as Linfel asked. "Shouldn''t you stay close in case they need?"


    "I shouldn''t have even helped to start with," Linfel explained. "She is grasping the meaning of this exam about Magic Energy control, so the best is to leave her alone. I only intervened because you were the reason they were almost caught, so it wasn''t fair."


    "That''s because you also said they were going to become food soon!" Alvin complained once again.


    "Oh! Right! I did say that, didn''t I? Sorry, sorry. Guess I was overthinking it." Linfel didn''t seem very apologetic, though.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. It was obvious Linfel did that on purpose. "You are hateful!"


    Linfel didn''t mind. "And you are impulsive. You should have analyzed the situation first instead of doing what you did. If you had truly jumped to save Milia, how would you come back? Just how many Star Rays would you have attracted after you started killing some? Above all, you almost made Milia fail her exam, not to mention you two would end up dying together instead."


    "This..." Alvin didn''t have an answer for that. "I will pay more attention next time."


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. "You better do. Now, go collect more tokens, and be careful. My helping just now was just because of the circumstances. I won''t help if you screw up on your own again. Hum...


    I need to come up with a training method to help with your impulses."


    Alvin felt a chill on his back. Somehow, he felt he would hate this new training as much as all the others. ''Just great...''

 Chapter 112: Just Forget

    The first Click went by, and over a fifth of the Maguses and Familiars were already taken away by the Star Rays. Some of the Maguses and Familiar on the asteroid didn''t even have the courage to look up. After all, those who were taken away were killed and then eaten. The scene outside of the asteroid''s atmosphere wasn''t anything beautiful.


    Back in the spaceships, the various Minor Elders and the Inner Elder watched the competition leisurely. They had seen this kind of thing many, many times. They didn''t feel any pit either. Every single participant knew exactly what they were signing for, so it was their fault they died.


    First of all, most of the elders there were once participants in these kinds of exams and went through similar experiences.


    Alexandra, obviously, kept her eyes on the Maguses and Familiars from the planet she was put in charge of, Serfen. She ignored the Level Five ones, though. The Level Five Familiar and Magus were having an easy time. Even if they hadn''t spent much time learning about Magic Energy Control and went full-throttle into leveling, their levels made everything much easier.


    The strongest Star Ray was only Level Three. Both Xifrin and Trodeu could easily knock out the Star Rays who tried to take them away. Yes, they looked like giant beacons of Magic Energy that attracted many other Star Rays, but they easily dispatched all Star Rays who tried their luck. They didn''t kill a single one, though. They only gave a beating and scared them off.


    The main reason was obviously the fact both Xifrin and Trodeu could fly in the real meaning of the word. Even if a few Star Rays managed to pull Xifrin and Trodeu''s Magic Energy together with their bodies, Trodeu and Xifrin only had to fly back to the asteroid.


    That said, Alexandra didn''t even pay attention to those two. The only way either of them could die in this exam was if they didn''t save enough Magic Energy to last the 40 Clicks of time. But if that happened, they could only blame themselves.


    Alexandra, instead, paid more attention to Linfel and Alvin. She couldn''t help but laugh every time she saw Linfel controlling the Star Rays like they were dogs. Alexandra wasn''t surprised. When she saw Linfel''s 999 points in Magic Energy Output while being only a Level Three Familiar, she was certain Linfel had peerless Magic Energy Control as well.


    She was still curious about how Linfel managed to control the Star Rays, but it wasn''t like there wasn''t anyone in the Ventis Sect with similar abilities.


    Her attention then turned to Alvin, who seemed to be Linfel''s master. Alvin wasn''t bad, considering the others. He could easily suppress his Magic Energy, making himself invisible to the Star Rays. Looking at Linfel and Alvin''s Scores, they were doing pretty great for their levels.


    Still, she was curious. ''Both of them could make much more points if they wished to. Most likely they are holding back, afraid of attracting more attention than necessary. Hehe. They are heads and shoulders above any other Magus or Familiar at Level Three and ahead of most Level Four, too. Who are they trying to fool?''


    She then looked at Mosie, who was stroking his beard with an interested expression. Xifrin and Trodeu obviously weren''t the only Level Five Maguses and Familiars. After all, this asteroid united the participants of many planets in a single place. There were more of them here. Yet, she could tell by Mosie''s expression that he was interested in something else.


    Level Five Maguses and Familiars weren''t enough to get his attention.


    She decided to approach the man, who didn''t really mind it. On the screen he was watching, Linfel was playing with his Star Rays without a care for the world. "Oh! I see Senior Mosie found my little chicken."


    Mosie glanced at Alexandra with a smile. "A very interesting chicken indeed. Controlling lower-level creatures without intelligence isn''t exactly that rare."


    He then changed his screen, showing another three Maguses and two Familiars. They, too, seemed capable of controlling the Star Rays. However, none of them could control more than one or two at the same time, and they suffered quite a lot to keep that control.


    "These guys can do it as well, and they are all at Level Four. Yet, none of them is anywhere near Leve Three Familiar''s control. Not only that, he is doing it as if it is the easiest thing in the world. I checked his score during the first test. 999 wasn''t bad at all. We should have brought a measuring orb that could go over 1000 points to see his real potential.


    Oh well, we can check it another time anyway."


    Mosie then looked back at Alexandra. "Such a soul is hard to come by in a Familiar. Only spending a fortune on the materials of his core is far from enough. It is all up to chance when it comes to souls, and his master truly hit the jackpot."


    Alexandra touched the screen as well, changing it to Alvin. "His master isn''t all that bad either. Of course, it looks good in this forgotten corner of our Ventis Sect Territory. It''s nothing special back in the sect, though."


    Mosie shook his head. "Don''t say that. It is impressive he got such a level of Magic Energy Control and Output in this place. That in itself is already worth paying attention to. I just wonder who taught him that Magic Energy Control. People here in this area only care about leveling."


    "That I wasn''t able to find," Alexandra had tried to check, but there wasn''t much information about Linfel and Alvin. She knows they came from Heffal and that they fled the war, joining Clondure later. Nonetheless, the data she was able to get only mentioned Linfel and Alvin weren''t anything that impressive back in Heffal. Were they hiding their strength? If so, why?


    Nonetheless, neither Alexandra nor Mosie cared about it. "In any case, what matters is that they are showing what they are capable of during the exam. Their past matters not for us. Let''s hope they can hold for 40 Clicks," Mosie said and changed the screen again. He also wanted to check other Maguses and Familiars.


    ---


    Ten Clicks went by, and Alvin began to get tired. Suppressing his Magic Energy for such a long time truly took a great toll on his body. He went back to Linfel, who had already gotten bored of controlling the Star Rays like Dogs.


    Linfel now just stayed there in the middle of the air while releasing a slight amount of Magic Energy. Like that, one or another Star Ray passed by to check on him. He used that opportunity to control them for a moment, take their token, and order them to go away. His points were steadily going up, but not enough to take the top 100. Still far more than enough for the top 1000, though.


    Since 7000 or so would pass, that was all he needed to do.


    "Lin, Linfel... can you keep an eye out while I rest a little?" Alvin asked. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel glanced at Alvin and then pointed into the distance. There, Milia and Nori still worked hard to get used to controlling their Magic Energy. "Aren''t you ashamed? Nori and Milia are doing their best there. If you are tired, then rest, but I won''t protect you."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Milia and Nori can work together to give each other some time to rest. I''m on my own, you know? If I rest, I will let my Magic Energy circulate a little. That will attract the Star Rays."


    "No doubt," Linfel agreed. "So make sure to rest where there aren''t too many Star Rays."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. That didn''t help much. "Fine, I will find a way myself."


    "Of course you will!" Linfel nodded. "Don''t forget, you are my trash."


    "Can''t you say something nicer?" Alvin complained. "Like, like... like a friend?"


    Linfel was trying to be nice, though... "Oh! Alright, you are my trash friend."


    Alvin wanted to cry already. "Just forget the word trash, please!"

 Chapter 113: Not Fair

    Alvin did find a way to get some rest in the end. In fact, he did pretty much the same as the other Maguses. Suppressing his Magic Energy that long made it tiresome, so Alvin would release his Magic Energy and let it circulate naturally. When the Star Rays came after him, he would immediately suppress again and change to another position.


    Because the Star Rays went after him in that previous location, the other areas nearby would have fewer of them for a short time. He then released his Magic Energy again and rested until the Star Rays appeared once more. After that, he repeated the same process.


    Linfel watched that and smiled. ''He can do it on his own. He just needs to let go of his complex of inferiority.''


    After twenty Clicks of time were gone, the number of deaths had decreased massively. Not just because there were few Maguses and Familiars. That was indeed part of the reason but not the main point. The real reason was that the Maguses and Familiar who had survived until now, had finally understood how to Control their Magic Energy and suppress it.


    Thanks to that, few were being caught by the Star Rays, and as time passed, even fewer got caught. When the test reached the 30 Clicks times, it was already not a test of survival anymore. It all became a test of who could score more points. Top 7000, that''s what mattered. As for the number of Maguises and Familiars, there were slightly over 150000 remaining.


    But then, the Maguses and Familiars found a problem. Sure, there were millions of Star Rays, and all of them had tokens... at the start. By now, most of the tokens were caught by the participants. The Maguses and Familiars used their experience to finally attract the Star Rays, but more often than not, they had already lost the tokens on their backs. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That made it extremely difficult for anyone below the top 20000 to make their way into the top 7000, let alone those below. There were simply not enough tokens for everyone who was still competing.


    Linfel and Alvin, fortunately, didn''t have such an issue. They could already suppress and Control their Magic Energy from the start. Thanks to that, they bathed in Tokens, although Linfel had many more. At the moment, Linfel was ranked 78th on the scoreboard. As for Alvin, he was in the 514th position.


    Both Linfel and Alvin were, by far, the Level Three Magus and Familiar with most points, especially Linfel.


    Truth be told, Linfel could have won. He can fly like the Level Five Maguses and Familiars, so he could have simply jumped in the middle of the mobs of Star Rays and taken the tokens nonstop. Too bad he wasn''t really viewing for the first place. 78 was already an accomplishment good enough for him.


    Alvin returned to Linfel''s side. He kept looking for more tokens, but there were none, so he decided to stop. "Well, it seems like we can stay put until the end of the test, and we will easily make it into the top 7000 or something. I hardly doubt either of us will drop below the top 1000 even if we don''t get a single extra token anymore."


    Linfel agreed with Alvin about that. "Nonetheless, it was a good training for you. You can go and try to get more if you feel like it, but since you already understood the main point of this test and got used to it, there isn''t really a need anymore. Just do as you like."


    Alvin sighed in relief. He was worried Linfel would have sent him to keep looking for Star Rays until the very last second. But then again, Linfel never gave Alvin meaningless training, and continuing with this test wouldn''t add much to Alvin''s abilities.


    Alvin sat down, still suppressing his Magic Energy so the Star Rays would ignore him. He opened his MCOM and took a look at the ranking. "Oh! Milia and Nori are doing pretty good too."


    Linfel floated higher and looked in the distance. There, he could see Milia and Nori still working together to catch more Star Rays with the tokens. It''s just that most of the Star Rays had nothing. "Milia and Nori seem fine. Their Magic Energy Control improved quite a bit. They will need several months to catch up to what you are doing now, but they are definitely on the right path."


    Linfel returned to the surface of the asteroid and looked into Milia''s Rank. "As expected of someone with real talent. Even without my help, she is still inside the top 3000. She isn''t at risk of falling out of the top 7000 anymore either."


    Alvin looked at the time and thought about the Star Rays that had no more tokens. "What about all the rest of the Maguses and Familiars that learned the tricks of this test too late? Without more tokens, they can''t catch up anymore. Do you think the Ventis Sect will add some rules towards the end? Like... kill a magus or a Familiar, and you gain their points?"


    "I can''t guarantee it, but I don''t think they will change this test towards the end," Linfel commented.


    "Really?!" Alvin was obviously happy to hear that. "Why?"


    "So what if there aren''t any tokens anymore?" Linfel asked back. "If you took too long to get used to this test, then that''s your problem. That''s how they have been operating so far. Those who learned fast are exactly the ones the Ventis Sect is looking for. They will not add that rule you mentioned. Otherwise, they might be giving a chance to Maguses and Familiars who are slower at learning.


    I don''t think they will risk it. Last but not least, if the Ventis Sect truly wants to put the Maguses and Familiars against each other, they will do it in another test, not this one. This test is all about learning how to control your Magic Energy."


    "That''s quite unfair... Even if they learned slower, they did manage to do it," Alvin sighed in response. "Some people just aren''t as talented as Milia. As for me, if I didn''t meet you, I wouldn''t even be considered to be average. I feel quite bad for them."


    Linfel could understand it. "Indeed. However, life isn''t fair, and the Ventis Sect even less so. Just wait for the time to be over."


    Time continued to pass, and when there was only one Click remaining, Milia joined Alvin and Linfel in their respite. She simply couldn''t find any Star Rays with tokens anymore. Pretty much the only participants looking for tokens were those near the 7000 position. There were those afraid of falling below and those doing their best to try to barely make their way in.


    Finally, 40 Clicks went by, and Gravity Rays shot from the many Spaceships outside the test range. All the survivors were quickly brought out of the asteroid. The fourth test was over.

 Chapter 114: One Second!

    Alvin, Linfel, Milia, and Nori appeared in the same Spaceship as before. There, a few Maguses and Familiars who didn''t take part in the test were still waiting. Other than them, there were also those who survived the test.


    Alvin couldn''t help but find somewhere to sit straight away, and so did Milia. Nori wasn''t much better, lying on Milia''s lap with a very feeble amount of Magic Energy coming from his core. 40 Clicks, or a little bit over 40 hours... No sleep, no real rest. The times they took to rest their bodies on the asteroid were filled with tension since they had to pay attention to their surroundings nonstop.


    It was physically, mentally, and magically tiring.


    *Zun, zun, zun, zun, zun...*


    The various screens once again turned ON, and Mosie appeared with the other elders. "Congratulations! Everyone who survived this test should feel proud of themselves. Even if you hadn''t made it into the top 7032, which was the exact 1% of the participants, you still gained a lot. You can use that experience for the next test if you are still within the age limit.


    Or, in case you won''t be anymore, use it in your life as Maguses and Familiars."


    Mosie continued. "Now then, I''m well aware that you all are very tired. Maguses and Familiars at your levels shouldn''t have a problem staying awake this long, but the situation itself was hundreds of times harder to deal with. I will let you all sleep soon."


    "But first, check your MCOMs. Those who passed the test should have received a message," Mosie spoke. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel''s group did as they were asked, checking their MCOMs. Sure enough, the four of them passed, and their final rankings were written there. The same went for the other participants who passed.


    "Now then, I believe you all checked it already. Those who passed the fourth test will be taking a different Spaceship. As for the rest, you will all be sent back to your own planets. Please cooperate with the organizers."


    Linfel looked at Alvin and the others. "Come on, get up. We need to move to the next Spaceship."


    Alvin, Nori, and Milia couldn''t help but silently curse. The wisp got it so easy that he wasn''t even a little bit tired. They wish they could say the same.


    Of their spaceship, only 14 Maguses and Familiars made into the top 7000. That was a pretty low number, considering the number that came first. The others could only watch and sigh, jealous that they couldn''t follow that group. Obviously, Linfel''s group were the only Level Three participants of their Spaceship.


    The next Spaceship, a much bigger one, arrived shortly after, taking Linfel and the others. Inside the new Spaceship of the Ventis Sect, they met the other participants of the fourth test. The numbers continued to increase as the Spaceship passed by the other Spaceships and collected everyone. Finally, a total of 7032 participants came aboard.


    A few minutes later, Linfel saw through the window the many spaceships disappearing in rays of blue light, all of them entering the fourth-dimensional realm. "There goes our friends."


    Alvin saw that as well. "We are still here. Could it be the next test is also on the asteroid?"


    Before Linfel could answer, Mosie arrived with the other elders, including Alexandra. He went to the middle and up to the stage that had been prepared in advance. "37 Level Five Maguses and Familiars, 6815 Level Four Maguses and Familiars, last but not least, 180 Level Three Maguses and Familiars. You are the 7032 successful victors of the fourth test. Well done."


    *fiuuuuuu...*


    Suddenly, the entire room was filled with a faint gray light, covering all the participants who made it to the next test. As it happened, Mosie continued to speak. "For the fifth exam, only one thing will be tested: Your mental strength! Have a good night!"


    *Tud...*


    Alvin looked to the side and saw Milia falling to the ground. "Milia!"


    *Tud... tud, tud, tud, tud...*


    Before he could check what happened, Nori fell by Milia''s side. They weren''t the only ones. Familiars and Maguses began to fall one after another. Alvin felt his vision spin for a moment and quickly followed the rest of the participants, falling on the ground as well. Other than the Level Five Maguses and Familiars, Alvin had been one of the last to fall.


    Finally, those at Level Five fell asleep as well, not being able to fight that sleepiness. Whatever was happening, it affected both Familiars and Maguses. Without a doubt, it was something related to the soul.


    Looking at that, Mosie nodded, satisfied. "It will take a few hours before the first one wakes up. Let''s go have a tea while we wai-"


    "Ahem... excuse me..." It was then that a voice cut Mosie''s voice, surprising the elders in the stage.


    Mosie and the others looked over, and there a Wis- Ahem! A Familiar floated, seemingly fine. "You... how are you still awake?"


    Naturally, that was Linfel. "I see. So it was truly you who put them to sleep. What kind of test is this? It doesn''t seem like my master is in any danger from what I can feel in his body."


    Mosie, obviously, recognized Linfel. "Aren''t you the Familiar who played with the Star Rays like they were dogs?"


    Linfel nodded, scratching the back of his head, ashamed. "Oh, you saw that? Sorry, sorry. I wasn''t trying to do anything bad to them."


    Mosie, still surprised, shook his head. "Forget about that. Just answer my question. How are you still awake? Do you know what we did just now?"


    Linfel was completely confused. "I have absolutely no idea. All I can tell is that this gray energy, or whatever it is, entered everyone''s souls. Then, everyone fell asleep. It was quite weird... for a second, I felt like I saw a past friend of mine.


    Then, he smiled and disappeared. From the moment he appeared to the moment he disappeared, I felt like I lost the track of time, too. What was that about?"


    Mosie and the others were even more surprised. That was a common test of mental fortitude in the Ventis Sect. It used Soul Power, which was quite powerful against Low-Level experts. However, only Level Eight Maguses, Familiars, or higher level ones could use Soul Power, which explains why Linfel didn''t know about it. Serfen Planet didn''t have a single Magus or Familiar at Level Eight, after all.


    That wasn''t a problem here, though. If you wanted to become a Minor Elder in the Ventis Sect, you had to reach Level Eight at the very least. There was no lack of such individuals in this Spaceship, especially Mosie, who was at Level Nine.


    Hearing Linfel''s description, it was obvious that he was also affected by the soul power technique. It was supposed to make him fall into a deep sleep and have a dream. What kind of dream would depend on the individual, and even the elders didn''t know what kind. However, that dream would also test the participants'' mental fortitude or willpower.


    Level mattered not here. All that mattered was how long it would take for you to wake up. The sooner you did, the faster you passed the willpower test in your dreams. Linfel... was affected by the Soul Power, and he did lose his consciousness... for a second!


    That was how long his willpower test lasted. That''s how strong Linfel''s Mental Fortitude was!


    Mosie''s mouth twitched when he realized that fact. "Errr... Ahem! Congratulations. You passed."

 Chapter 115: How To Make An Appearance

    "I passed?" Linfel looked around, seeing all the Maguses and Familiars unconscious. Familiars didn''t need to sleep. At most, they had to deactivate themselves and enter some short hibernation mode while their masters slept. Yet, that was not necessary for Independent Familiars since they didn''t have that special connection anymore. Nori is a good example. Yet, he, too, was unconscious.


    "Is this supposed to be right? I kind of feel like I cheated or something."


    "It is not unheard of participants who wake up in just a few seconds, but they are extremely rare," Mosie commented. "Usually, such participants received very strict mental training, and even so it is not guaranteed to work. Not to mention, this kind of thing only happens in higher-ranked planets, not in a place like this. Still, to think you had no more than a second off.


    That might just be a new record."


    Linfel then looked at Alvin, seeing his eyes narrowing. He wasn''t the only one. All the Maguses around seemed to be going through similar processes. "Are they really fine?"


    "They are," Mosie calmed down. "Come up to the stage and have a talk with us. It should take a few hours before the first one of them wakes up. Tell us more about your life. I''m quite curious how you reached your level in this place."


    Linfel shook his head, though. "I would rather stay with my friends if you don''t mind. Even if you said they are fine, I still get worried."


    "That''s fine too," Mosie didn''t mind, although he was a little disappointed Linfel couldn''t answer his questions. But then again, the Maguses and Familiars'' pasts don''t matter in the test. All that matters is ability, and this Familiar called Linfel seemed to be really good.


    Linfel approached Alvin and connected to him through their Soul Waves. ''Hum... he is truly completely asleep. I wonder what kind of dream he is having. That guy said the faster you wake up, the stronger your willpower is. Let''s try to take a look.


    Perhaps I can use our connection to see if I can nullify the force that is keeping him unconscious.''


    Usually, Linfel wouldn''t want to help Alvin. However, Alvin wasn''t exactly an example of willpower. If Linfel left him like this, he most likely would be one of the very last Maguses to wake. Who knows, he might never wake up again.


    Linfel tried to remember that sensation when the gray light entered his core and soul. While he kept his Soul Waves matched with Alvin''s, he controlled his Magic Energy to create a similar energy. However, it didn''t work. His Magic Energy always lacked something.


    ''Hum... that energy managed to affect our souls, but how?'' Linfel continued to ponder about the issue for the next hour without success.


    ---


    Meanwhile, in Alvin''s dream, he was on his father''s boat as Alvin tried to pull a huge fish from the water. However, even though he used all the strength of the equipment in the boat, it simply wasn''t enough.


    "Alvin, this thing is too strong. We must let it go!" Lucau spoke. He was in the cabin, looking as Alvin worked.


    Yet, Alvin felt like he shouldn''t let it happen for some reason. "Father. This is the biggest fish we ever caught. How can I let it go?"


    *Shua!*


    The enormous fish then struggled again, pulling the entire boat down into the water for a moment before the boat returned to the surface. Alvin almost fell into the water but managed to hold on. He looked at Lucau, who also held to the boat. "Are you okay?"


    Lucau nodded. "Obviously! However, the boat won''t last for much longer like this. Just let it go, son."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. Considering his personality, he should have let the fish go a long time ago. Yet, his hands simply didn''t want to relax.


    That situation continued for over a an hour, and the boat got more and more damaged. Cracks began to appear on the hull while Lucau did his best to throw the water away. "Alvin! You did enough! Just let it go!"


    Little did Alvin know, but if he let the fish go for real, the dream would reset, he would lose his memories of it, and everything would repeat from the start.


    Finally, Alvin felt like the situation got too dangerous, and his hands began to tremble. It was then that his father stopped taking the water out of the boat and asked. "Why can''t you let it go? Why do you insist in following the Path of a Magus?"


    "D-Dad?" Alvin was taken aback. The fish struggled even more while those words echoed in Alvin''s mind.


    "Alvin," Lucau continued, "What are you even trying to do? The Ventis Sect? One of the strongest forces in our Galaxy? What could someone like you possibly accomplish in that place?"


    "I..." Alvin''s hands began to let go of the fish. Indeed, he has never been talented to start with. If anything, he was below average. There must be something wrong with his head to think he could take such a test.


    Lucau patted his shoulder, nodding with a smile. "That''s right. Your place is here with me, in Serfen Planet. We can buy another boat, and we will fish together every day. All you need to do is let this fish go, and everything will be okay. Don''t you want to stay with your father?"


    "I... I do... but..." Alvin was almost convinced. However, it was then that time seemed to come to a stop. Out of nowhere, the fishing rod in his hand disappeared, and everything went calm. Right after, a woman appeared on the boat with Alvin.


    It was Milia, looking at him with an angry expression. "Are you truly letting me go to the Ventis Sect alone? I thought you were much more than that, Alvin."


    Alvin looked at her with a bitter smile. "But you don''t need me. You never did. You will do fine on your own, I''m sure of it."


    "Yes," Milia nodded, approaching Alvin and putting her hands on his face. "I can definitely go alone and thrive. However, is that what you want? Do you truly want me to go alone? Meet other people? Soar through the skies on my own?


    Even though you know you have a chance to be by my side when that moment comes?"


    "I..." Alvin was taken aback. "Do you think I have what it takes to be by your side? Me? A nobody who would have never had the chance to talk to you had Linfel never appeared? Do you truly think I''m such a guy?"


    Milia nodded sweetly. "I do. After all, when the Magic Beast was about to kill me back then, who took the initiative to block it? Linfel told me. It was you who acted first. He just connected with you to give you support, but your reaction was faster than anyone else.


    Why was that?"


    "Because..." Alvin thought about it. "Because I didn''t want you to get hurt..."


    "If I go alone, I might get hurt as well," Milia spoke. "Will you truly stay behind and let that happen?"


    "Master!" Out of nowhere, Felia also took form. "You didn''t leave behind for nothing. Remember, I''m here to take care of the Old Master." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Felia..." Alvin felt her determination.


    "Alvin," Milia spoke again. "I need you."


    Alvin''s expression changed, and he gritted his teeth. Time started to move again, and the fishing rod in Alvin''s hand returned, becoming even harder to hold. Yet, Alvin''s expression showed determination. His grip stabilized, and he circulated his Magic Energy to assist. "Dad, I do find the idea of fishing with you... quite boring, to be honest.


    Besides, there is someone I just can''t let go either!"


    Lucau was taken aback. "Is this person more important than me?"


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "However, she does occupy a similar space in my heart. I will come back to visit, don''t worry."


    Alvin then focused on the fishing rod and the struggling fish. "For now, let me hold to my objectives for a while longer. I''ll make sure you won''t regret letting go of me."


    The fish appeared on the surface! Alvin''s Magic Energy burst out as he gave it one last pull! The fish jumped out of the water, and Alvin moved the fishing rod, pulling it in his direction. Finally, the fish fell into his hands... or so it was supposed to.


    *Boom!*


    Out of nowhere, an explosion of rainbow colors happened between Alvin and his fish. Right after, a floating ball of energy appeared. The explosion broke Alvin''s fishing rod, and the fish escaped. Only Alvin''s tears remained.


    "Oh! It seems like it worked. Hey, Alvin, how are you doing?" Said the floating ball of energy. Linfel... truly knows when to make an appearance.

 Chapter 116: Help Her

    "Hum?" Seeing the tears flowing down from Alvin''s eyes, Linfel couldn''t help but get worried. "What happened? Don''t worry, I''m here. I''ll help you!"


    "HELP YOUR ASS!" Alvin exploded. "Look at what you have done! My fish... I struggled so much to finally catch it. I was going to get everything. I was going to convince Dad, I was about to go with Milia, I was about to overcome my own fears!


    But then, but then..."


    It was at this moment that Alvin realized. "Wait, that''s not right... Why am I fishing?" Alvin looked around and noticed his father was gone as well. The memories came back like a wave. "Weren''t we supposed to be in the spaceship to take the fifth test?"


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    Suddenly, the environment began to break down, much to Alvin''s surprise.


    Linfel couldn''t help but smile, though. "Now, that''s impressive. I came in because I was afraid you wouldn''t be able to overcome your hurdles on your own. Yet, seems like my concerns were unfounded. It seems like you do have some willpower, after all. That''s great!


    I was concerned that I would need to help you to cheat, but there is no need."


    "What is happening?!" Alvin was still confused.


    "This is just a dream, Alvin," Linfel explained. "You are now waking up. When you do, make sure to act surprised. It seems like the faster you wake up, the bigger your willpower. That is the fifth test of the Ventis Sect, and you will pass it with flying colors."


    Alvin was still shocked, but he quickly connected the dots. "So... that''s how this is. Is this what they call a lucid dream? After all, I''m talking to you about the events outside."


    "Oh, no, no, no..." Linfel shook his head. "I''m real. I just used the same power as those elders to invade your dream. Milia, Lucau, and Felia are truly a Dream, though. Anyway, I''m going ahead. See you outside."


    Alvin didn''t know what to do anymore. "Is there anything that Wisp can''t do? Wait! He won''t appear in my wet dreams, will he?" Then, the world collapsed, and everything went dark.


    In the next second, Alvin opened his eyes in the Spaceship. He got up slowly, noticing he wasn''t the only one awake. Most of the Maguses and Familiars were still sleeping, but there were seven of them standing like Alvin. "Ouch... my head. I feel like I was hit by a truck..."


    Mosie looked at Alvin in the distance, nodding. "You passed the fifth test."


    "I... did?" Alvin looked at Linfel, who was sitting on his shoulder. ''I remember everything.''


    Linfel already expected that. ''The other guys who woke up before you seem to remember as well. You don''t need to tell anyone about it, though. It seems like not even the elders on the stage know what kind of dreams everyone had.'' Linfel then explained how the exam worked after Mosie''s group put everyone to sleep.


    "I see..." Alvin didn''t forget Linfel''s words in his dream, so he acted surprised. "To think such test existed. So everyone took over an hour to wake up, is it?"


    "Almost. It seems like I only slept for a second, so Mosie there was quite shocked." Linfel spoke as if it wasn''t anything worth mentioning.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched again. However, he quickly ignored the Wisp. Why should he feel impressed with everything Linfel does? It will never end if he continue to do so. ''Ignore him, ignore him. Let''s just pretend he doesn''t exist.''


    "By the way, Alvin," Linfel called his attention.


    "What is it?" Alvin asked back.


    "What is a wet dream?" Linfel was genuinely curious. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Cough, cough, cough...*


    Alvin almost lost his balance. It seems like Linfel was still around before his dream was truly over. "Ahem... let''s just say it is a good way to have a dream."


    Linfel was confused, but he didn''t insist. "I understand... I think..."


    "Ah!" Only then did Alvin remember about Milia. He looked to the side and noticed the girl sleeping with Nori close by. "She is still going through the test, is it?"


    "Yes," Linfel confirmed. "They should be fine, though. How many people do you know to be as strong-willed as she? I wouldn''t be surprised if she wakes up soon."


    "Well, that''s true," Alvin agreed with Linfel. Nonetheless, he couldn''t help but worry. ''Psiu, Linfel,'' Alvin spoke with his Magic Energy. ''Can''t you take a look, just to be sure? You can enter her dream too, right?''


    Linfel pondered a bit. ''Well, I can give it a try. Just a moment.''


    Alvin sat by Milia''s side, pretending to just be worried about her. It was no secret they were friends, so no one found it weird.


    Linfel, too, touched the girl and began to copy her soul waves before connecting to her. ''Let''s see... I need to make my Magic Energy go through my soul and have it energize the Magic Energy itself. That way, I can create this Soul Magic Energy. They called it Soul Power, I believe? Anyway...''


    Linfel''s Soul Power was different, though. Since he could copy any target''s Soul Waves, he could use it to send his Soul Power into their minds and see what was there. It wasn''t easy, though. While Linfel took only a try to use the Master Familiar Connection for the first time, he took hundreds of tries to understand Soul Power. Naturally, it also made it difficult to use it to enter someone''s mind.


    Above all, the target could defend against it by simply circulating their magic Energy around their Soul. The process was so delicate that even Linfel wouldn''t be able to do it in that case. He only succeeded because they were all deep asleep, so no one was trying to defend.


    Finally, Linfel''s projection appeared in Milia''s Dream. "Hum? I can''t see shit!"


    Everything was dark. Linfel even wondered if he had failed in his attempt to invade her Dream. However, it was then that he noticed a small light not too far. Linfel approached it, and noticed a little girl on the ground. She head her head between her knees, staying there and doing nothing. If she didn''t look to be breathing, Linfel would have thought she was dead, considering how immovable she was.


    "Hum... this doesn''t seem right."


    Linfel quickly approached the little girl. "Hey, Milia, it''s you, isn''t it?"


    The little girl finally showed a little movement. However, the moment she lifted her head, the face of a monster appeared, who immediately attacked Linfel, trying to swallow him whole! "Holy shit!"


    Linfel shot back like a bullet, but the monster followed. Soon, he found more of those small sources of light, and more little girls were there. Yet, they seemed to notice the one pursuing Linfel. Each and every single one of them was a monster, just like the first one. They got up and joined in Linfel''s pursuit.


    "What kind of dream is this girl having?!" Linfel couldn''t help but complain. For a moment, Linfel thought about using his new knowledge about Soul Power to wake up Milia. All he had to do was to get rid of the Soul Power that had entered her head at the start of the fifth test. He could feel it and knew what he had to do.


    Yet, he felt like it wasn''t the right call. "No, this is a test about willpower. Everyone seems to be trying to overcome some kind of mental hurdle, just like Alvin did. Forcing Milia to wake up will indeed make her pass the test, but this kind of dream... What kind of mental demon does this girl have?"


    Linfel pondered a bit and thought about a plan. "This isn''t working, and I don''t care that much about Milia to be of much use. Yeap, it''s decided. Let''s try to bring Alvin''s consciousness inside her Dream as well. Perhaps he can help her have a wet dream."

 Chapter 117: We Run

    Linfel returned his attention to the outside world, looking at Alvin immediately. ''So, the thing is, there are a lot of little girls inside Milia''s Dreams, but they are all monsters, and they all kept pursuing me nonstop.''


    Alvin was taken aback by all that information in such a short time. ''What the hell does that even mean?!''


    ''Why are you asking me? I don''t know!'' Linfel answered straight away.


    ''Alright, alright,'' Alvin tried to calm down. ''You can help her wake up, right? Whatever is her mental blockage, it doesn''t seem something easy to overcome. Perhaps she won''t overcome it at all.''


    ''I can,'' Linfel confirmed. ''I can use my own Soul Power and get rid of the Soul Power that is causing Milia to have that dream. However...'' Linfel turned serious. ''It also means she will be losing her chance to overcome whatever was her mental demon. You managed to overcome yours, right? Do you think it was a waste of time?''


    Alvin shook his head straight away. ''No... That dream made me realize many things. But... should we truly just wait to see if she wakes up?''


    Linfel faintly smiled. ''Just sit on her side. I''m going to use my Soul Power to pull your consciousness into hers. Basically, you will see her dream. Don''t worry, though. Whatever happens inside will be nothing more than scary.


    It will have no real effect on your soul.''


    ''You can do that?'' Alvin felt like he was hearing some impossible thing.


    ''Hum... I have never tried it before, but I think it is possible. It is all about making a bridge between your Soul Waves and Milia''s. In any case, it has no risk for you or her, so it is worth a try,'' Linfel explained.


    Alvin pondered about it and looked at the elders on the stage. ''Won''t they notice?''


    ''Don''t worry,'' Linfel faintly smiled. ''I will be connected to you and Milia at the same time. Obviously, I can use my Magic Energy to control your body. I''ll make it look like you are awake and just taking care of her. Most of the Maguses and Familiars are still sleeping anyway, so no one will bother you.''


    Alvin remembered how Linfel used their connection to control his body before, so he understood it was possible. ''Alright, let''s give it a try.''


    Linfel nodded and connected with Alvin and Milia while using a very feeble Magic Energy circulation. After all, there wasn''t supposed to be a Familiar that could connect with two Maguses at the same time. Even if one of the elders came to check on them, they wouldn''t really understand what was happening as the process was quite different.


    Linfel''s newly acquired Soul Power flowed out of his body before entering Alvin and Milia''s souls. Through his own core, he made the bridge between their consciousness. ''Alvin, do not fight me. Soul Power is very hard to control and extremely easy to defend. If you use even a little bit of Magic Energy around your soul, I will immediately lose my connection with your mind.


    Then I will have to start again.''


    ''Understood.'' Alvin had very good control over Magic Energy, thanks to Linfel, so he didn''t have a problem doing what Linfel asked.


    Finally, the connection between the two souls happened, and Alvin''s consciousness was pulled into Milia''s dream.


    "Hum?" Alvin opened his eyes, although he couldn''t see anything due to the darkness in there.


    *Zush!*


    Right after, Linfel appeared on his side, and his ethereal form finally illuminated the surroundings a bit. "Well, seems like it worked. Good. Your soul wasn''t destroyed."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Des... troyed? I think I remember you mentioning there was no risk involved."


    Linfel nodded. "Exactly. However, that was just my opinion. I have never tried it before, so I couldn''t be sure, right? Perhaps the consciousness of another magus could have caused some weird conflict that would kill you two. Anyway, everything is fine, just as I thought."


    #%@$#$@%!!!


    It took a minute for Alvin to calm down, but he eventually did. He also noticed that his body was all ethereal, just like Linfel''s. It''s just that it didn''t give any light.


    *grrrr...*


    Suddenly, he heard a growl from behind. He turned around and noticed a little girl approaching. "Is that..."


    "Yes," Linfel nodded. "She is one of the Little Girls I mentioned. It''s weird, though. The little girls that pursued me had their faces changed into some grotesque monsters before coming after me. This one, however, just seems an angry kid."


    Alvin approached with caution, and Linfel followed. Once they got closer, the light coming from Linfel''s body illuminated the girl''s face better. "It is truly Milia... although she looks very, very young."


    The girl took a step back and continued to growl at him, seeming afraid. Alvin looked around, and didn''t see the monster Linfel mentioned, so he got on his knees and smiled at the girl, who was most likely Milia. "Hey, Milia, do you remember me?"


    He then tried to extend his hand...


    *Grawl!*


    However, the girl immediately bit it... or so she tried. Her attempt passed straight through Alvin''s hand, only scaring him for a moment.


    "You are just a projection of your consciousness. Naturally, you don''t have a body," Linfel explained. "Well, I also took a few minutes to notice this obvious point, so I ran from them for a while when I came here my first time."


    Alvin sighed. "You should just tell everything at once. So, I can''t touch her?"


    "You can," Linfel nodded. "Just focus on your hand and wish for it. Then, it shall be. This is a dream world, after all."


    The girl tried to bite Alvin again, but she always missed. In one of the attempts, Alvin waited for her to miss and caught her, holding the girl. "Calm down, calm down. Why are you angry? Tell your brother Alvin. He will hear you."


    Yet, as soon as he did that, several other sources of light appeared everywhere around him. Many other little girls got up and looked at Alvin for a moment.


    When they did, Alvin noticed the girl in his arms trembling. When he turned his eyes back at the other girls, all their faces transformed into the monsters Linfel mentioned earlier... and attacked.


    "See, I wasn''t lying," Linfel nodded, satisfied.


    Alvin quickly got up and jumped out of the way when the monsters tried to attack him. "Holy shit!" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the moment Alvin jumped out, he noticed the monsters didn''t come after him. Instead, they all pounced at the little Milia he was holding just a moment ago. The little Milia just closed her eyes, seeming to accept her fate. She intended to let the monsters eat her.


    "Fuck!" Alvin immediately circulated his Magic Energy and stomped the ground. Several Earth Spikes sprout from below, impaling the monsters that tried to catch the little Milia. "Oh, it works!"


    "As I said, all you need to do is wish for it," Linfel smiled in response.


    Alvin just ignored the wisp and caught the little Milia again. However, even more sources of light filled the darkness as many, many more of those little girls with monster faces took form. They all came after the Little Milia.


    Of course, Alvin tried to retaliate... but soon noticed his control over his Magic Energy wasn''t doing much good. "What is happening?"


    Linfel, who helped on the side, explained. "I believe it''s because this is not your dream; it''s hers. Your wishes don''t carry much power here."


    "Fuck!" Alvin complained. "What do we do?"


    Linfel looked around, seeing that they were about to be surrounded. "What else? We run!"

 Chapter 118: Ill Kill Them All!

    With Linfel''s help, they were able to outrun the monsters. Still, Alvin was confused. "Wait, why are we running? Even if they catch us of this small Milia, it is not like anything bad will happen."


    "True," Linfel agreed. "However, the dream will reset every time the Magus or Familiar fails to overcome their mental issues. If you let little Milia go, she will die, and the dream will start again. From the looks of it, this little Milia is the real one, or at least connected to the real one. Do you truly wish to start again and have to find this little Milia once more?"


    Alvin quickly shook his head. "Forget it. By the way, you sure know a lot of what is happening, uh?"


    "It is good that you think that," Linfel smiled back. "After all, everything I just said is theories. I could be totally wrong. Hahaha!"


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Fuck that."


    *Bang!*


    Suddenly, Linfel and Alvin hit some kind of invisible wall, preventing them from fleeing further. "What is this?"


    "Probably the limit of the dream..." Linfel answered.


    "Is that another one of your theories?" Alvin asked back, skeptical.


    "Yeap!" and Linfel confirmed with a hint of shame.


    Another one of those monsters got close. Alvin put little Milia behind him and summoned his gloves. "Oh, at least I can pretend I have Felia equipped even though she isn''t here."


    Right after, he punched forward, and an Earth Spike took form on his glove. The spike pierced through the monster''s face, killing it instantly. No, killing it would be the wrong way to put it. The monster simply disappeared instead.


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel''s Lightning Strike hit another one, which also disappeared in the next second.


    However, more and more of those monsters continued to come, all crazy to get little Milia at all costs. Because their back was closed, Alvin and Linfel couldn''t flee anymore and got easily surrounded by the monsters.


    *Boom, boom, crash, kabrum...*


    They did their best to get rid of the monsters. Fortunately, the monsters themselves were very weak, mostly dying with a single hit. The problem was the numbers. It was quickly reaching a situation that Alvin and Linfel couldn''t take care of them all alone.


    "Milia!" Alvin shouted from the front. "Get up! We need your help."


    Little Milia just growled slightly and didn''t move. She averted her eyes from the monsters, only waiting for them to come and consume her.


    "Is that how a member of the Floating Blades Faction should act? Is that why you came to take the Ventis Sect exam?" Alvin continued to try to call Milia''s attention.


    Hearing the Floating Blades Faction name, little Milia seemed to react for a moment, looking at Alvin. However, her eyes quickly turned blank as before and she looked away.


    "Fuck!" Alvin cursed. "Why isn''t she retaliating? Is this her mental issue?"


    "These monsters probably represent something that Milia can''t get rid of her mind, her mental demons," Linfel guessed. "They are too strong, so perhaps forcing her to face them isn''t the right choice."


    "Then what?" Alvin asked.


    Linfel pondered a bit. "Right, how about you try to make Milia have a wet dream."


    "What?!" Alvin was almost bitten by one of the monsters. "What the hell are you asking?!"


    Linfel didn''t find anything wrong. "You said wet dreams are good dreams, right? Can''t you do something to make Milia have a wet dream instead?"


    "I..." Alvin wanted to punch himself in the face. Sure, he was a man, and he had his fair share of fantasies with Milia''s image. But... trying to do this in Milia''s dream? Above all, the Milia behind him was obviously a kid, so it would look even worse.


    It was then that Alvin had an idea. "She is still a woman... Linfel, hold the monster for a moment."


    Linfel didn''t know what Alvin intended to do, but he accepted. "Alright." His Soul Power increased, and that allowed him to have more power in Milia''s dream as well. However, it was hard to control that state. "Be fast. I won''t won''t last more than a minute."


    Alvin approached little Milia and looked at an empty space right in front of her. Whether she wished or not, she would see what was happening there since she was trying to avoid making eye contact with the monsters.


    Then... another Milia appeared. This time, it was the big Milia, the same sixteen years old one. "If you wish, it shall happen..." Alvin murmured. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Little Milia seemed surprised for a moment, not expecting to see her big self there. However, what truly woke her up was what that big Milia did next. She... began to take off her clothes. Right in front of Alvin!


    "Hey, baby," the Big Milia began to speak to Alvin. "This place seems so boring. How about we have some fun together."


    Alvin smiled in satisfaction. "Oh, yeah! Why don''t you come to my embrace, beauty?"


    The Big Milia nodded, and just as she was about to take her underwear...


    *Bang!*


    *Arrrgh!*


    Alvin was kicked and sent flying! At the same time, the almost naked Milia vanished like smoke.


    "What the hell are you doing?! Are you looking to die?!" Spoke the little Milia, fuming! "It''s, it''s, it''s still too early for us to do such things!!!"


    Alvin tried to get up with some difficulty. "H-Hey... look who is back. Seems like you gave up your kid form as well."


    Milia was taken aback as she looked at herself. She wasn''t the Little Milia anymore, but her real self. Only then did she notice Linfel fighting the monsters, who went even crazier now that she was awake. "Ahhhh!" Milia immediately put her hands on her head while screaming. "Get away!"


    Alvin rapidly approached Milia again. She began to show signs of returning to the little Milia form, and he didn''t intend to let that happen. "Do you want to get rid of them?"


    "Yes," Milia nodded, trembling.


    Alvin smiled and patted her head. "Then let''s beat them. Look at me."


    Milia faced Alvin, although she was still scared.


    "I''m here," Alvin explained. "All you need to do is beat them. If any of them show any sign of hurting you, I will beat them for you. Simply, right? We are members of the Floating Blades Faction. What could some weak monsters do to us?"


    "But..." Milia wasn''t confident.


    "Look," Alvin made Milia face Linfel''s direction. "The wisp is here too. You know what that thing is capable of, don''t you? We are both here, so why fear what you can simply destroy?"


    "Calling me a thing is very rude!" Linfel complained as he got rid of another monster.


    Still, Milia didn''t seem to want to go. So... Alvin had to give a final push. "Hum... I wonder what you look like without your underwear. Let''s fantasize another one."


    *Bang!*


    In the next second, Milia kicked one of the monsters. "I''ll kill them all!"

 Chapter 119: Im Clueless

    The moment Milia destroyed one of the monsters, several images began to appear in the surroundings. Images from her life in the Frondor Family. Alvin looked at that and recognized the man in one of the images. ''It''s Lutian Frondor, Milia''s father...''


    "Do not shame the Family. Train well and level up..."


    "You are our bargaining chip for future alliances. Make sure to keep yourself clean..."


    "Do I look like I have time for such academy activities? Stop wasting my time..."


    Milia continued to kill the monsters. The more she got rid of, the more images of her time in the Frondor Family appeared. Her father, mothers, the elders of the family...


    "You have some talent. Perhaps you can stay in the family instead of being married off..." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Floating Blades Faction? Why would you waste your time in such a useless Faction? Whatever! As long as you don''t shame the family, that''s enough..."


    "Sigh... why do you have to be a woman? If your older brother had your talent, our family would have a proper successor..."


    "*Pah!* Move! Who said you can rest? Your father is counting on you to find a proper suitor willing to become a member of our family. You must be good enough to attract someone worthy of the position!"


    Alvin then looked at Milia and the tears coming from her eyes. At first, she did destroy the monsters because of Alvin''s threat. Now, however, she destroyed them out of her own volution. Alvin couldn''t help but sigh seeing that. ''So that''s what she meant back then when she said her father probably couldn''t care less about her. She was basically an object to her Frondor Family.''


    Suddenly, one of the monsters sneaked behind Milia and tried to bite her.


    *Kabrum!*


    However, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, destroying it even faster than Milia. "Hey, Milia, is that your family? You humans truly have some weird tastes. By the way, did you find a suitor in the end?"


    Milia''s expression darkened as she destroyed another monster. "Fuck them all! Who the hell wants to marry someone they have never seen before?"


    *Bang!*


    Another monster died, but this time, it was Alvin who destroyed. "Obviously! You will marry me and no one else. They can all go to hell!"


    Milia couldn''t help but grow red. "I... I haven''t said anything about marrying you!"


    Linfel agreed. "She is right, Alvin. Procreation is a serious topic. She is still looking for the best genes."


    "Your ass!" Milia tried to kick Linfel instead. Too bad Linfel was much faster than her, even in her dream. "I don''t even know if I will choose someone yet. Don''t make decisions for me!"


    The moment she said her last words, the dark environment began to light up.


    Alvin smiled, knowing that his plan worked. He looked at Milia, who seemed startled by the sudden change. "That''s more like it. That was your mental hurdle. Your life was basically determined by your family, never your choices. Even after you left Heffal and got a new identity with Linfel''s help, their shadow still lingered in your mind."


    Milia felt those words resonating with her soul. Then, she noticed the monsters became lethargic. They could barely keep their forms. At that moment, Milia felt like she understood something.


    Alvin moved ahead, ready to destroy another one. However, Milia immediately jumped in front of him, blocking his path. "No need."


    Milia walked forward and let the monster come to her. Yet, to Alvin and Linfel''s surprise, she didn''t defend against it, nor did she attack. The monster pounced at her, and Milia simply let it bite her. An expression of pain appeared on Milia''s face, but she bore it and still didn''t attack the monster. Instead, she moved her free head and patted its ugly head. "It is okay; they are not here anymore.


    We have a new family, a real family, so it is fine now."


    After saying those words, the monster head in the little girl''s body began to change. Slowly, the monster features disappeared, and another little Milia appeared, crying.


    Milia put the girl down and continued to pat her head. "Look."


    The little Milia stopped biting the big one and looked in the direction Milia was pointing at. Through Milia''s own wishes, the image of the people in the Floating Blades Faction appeared in that space, right beside Linfel and Alvin. That was her dream, so if she wished, she could make them appear. It was now a lucid dream.


    Alvin and Linfel recognized everyone but didn''t say anything. They just waited.


    Milia seemed happy as she explained to little Milia. "They had always been there. We just haven''t noticed them before."


    "But..." the little Milia spoke as the various other monsters in the surroundings slowly lost their monster faces. They all became different versions of little Milia. "But father... the family... our duty..."


    The real Milia shook her head. "They are most likely out there, somewhere. You and I know that the war in Heffal wouldn''t be enough to wipe out our family. However, it matters not because calling them family is wrong. We already have a real family, and it is not father, nor the Frondor family members. If they ever come after us one day, we can say with pride that we don''t need them."


    "Truly...?" The little Milia asked, a little more hopeful.


    "Of course!" Milia confirmed with conviction. "Who do you think we are? We are Milia Frondor, we have Nori, we are the best! Who needs them?"


    Milai then looked straight at the little Milia. "Do we need them?"


    The little Milia wiped her tears and shook her head. "No!"


    "Exactly!" Milia nodded. "It took us some time to understand, but we do now. We don''t need anyone! We can soar through the skies on our own and Nori!"


    "Yes!" the Little Milia answered. "We definitely can! Right, everyone?!" She looked behind, and all the little Milia spoke at the same time. "Yes! We Can!"


    The environment finally lit up completely, giving a warm feeling to Alvin and Linfel.


    The real Milia sighed in relief and got up. "Right... I can do it on my own... I always could..."


    However, at that moment, all the Little Milias ran in Linfel and Alvin''s direction, much to Milia, Linfel, and Alvin''s surprise. Then, several of them hugged Alvin while several other pulled his hands. "However, we want him! We absolutely want him! We are not giving him to anyone else!"


    Milia''s expression turned even redder. She wanted nothing more than to throw her head in hole. "Is... Is that what my subconscious really thinks?"


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    Finally, the mental world began to fall, and the dream reached its last moments.


    Alvin and Linfel looked at each other, satisfied. "Guess this dream is over..."


    "A dream..." Milia calmed down as the many little Milias disappeared one after another. "So it was all truly a dream, uh? Good, good... I would kill myself if Alvin truly had seen all of this."


    Alvin and Linfel were taken aback. However, before they could say anything, the dream world collapsed, and their consciousness returned to their bodies.


    On the side, Milia''s eyes opened slowly, just in time to see her head lying against Alvin''s lap. In fact, even Alvin was taken aback. He doesn''t remember having put Milia in that position at all. It had to be Linfel while controlling his body!


    "Ah!" Milia instantly got away from Alvin, surprised by the things that just happened.


    "Congratulations, you passed," Mosie noticed Milia getting up and simply announced while he and the other elders continued to drink tea on the stage. None of them knew what happened in Milia''s dream.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry... I just didn''t think it was nice to leave you sleeping on the floor." At the same time, he cursed himself. ''Fuck! I wanted to be conscious while she slept on my lap! Sigh...


    I guess there is no helping it. At least we managed to help her conquer her mental demons.''


    Milia came back, still puzzled. "W-What happened?"


    Linfel and Alvin quickly explained everything, surprising the girl. "So that''s what happened."


    Then, Linfel used his Magic Energy to speak to Milia and Alvin alone. ''In any case, it is good that I managed to pull Alvin and myself into your dream to help you. If you feel anything weird, let me know. I''m still new to this Soul Power thing.''


    ''Fuck!'' Alvin cursed mentally. He wanted to pretend he didn''t know anything, but now it was too late.


    Milia felt her entire body growing hot as her face was basically a tomato. ''You saw everything?! Then... then... then when the little ones hugged you and spoke that they wanted... wanted...


    wanted... y-y-yo... ahhhh!''


    Alvin looked away, trying to not make eye contact with Milia.


    Linfel found it weird, though. ''Is that what you care about? The little Milias hugging Alvin? So weird... What about when Alvin wished for a naked Milia to appear? I thought you humans cared about those things a lot more.''


    Immediately, Alvin and Milia froze in place. Then, a dark aura seemed to come from Milia''s body as she stared at Alvin. "You..."


    Alvin continued to avoid eye contact. "I have no idea what he is talking about."

 Chapter 120: Fluids

    Milia began to approach Alvin while clacking her fists. Poor Alvin felt a chill on his back as he desperately tried to think about some excuse. Finally, an idea appeared in his mind. "Milia, what about Nori?"


    Milia immediately stopped. Indeed, what about Nori. he must have gone through the same test. Milia looked around and found Nori''s core lying near where she woke up. She quickly grabbed it, confirming that it was truly Nori, although he gave no answer.


    ''Linfel,'' Milia asked straight away. ''Can you take a look at his dream?''


    ''No,'' Linfel immediately shook his head.


    Both Alvin and Milia were taken aback. ''Why? Is it because he is a Familiar?''


    Linfel shook his head, though. ''That''s not it. The problem is that we attracted too much attention.''


    Alvin and Milia seemed to have understood and glanced back. There on the stage, a few elders seemed to be looking at them. Over 99% of the Maguses and Familiars were still asleep. Yet, Linfel''s group, in which the elders definitely got the information they were friends, got three of their members to wake up. Wasn''t that too much coincidence?


    Linfel sighed... or he would if he had lungs... ''They weren''t paying much attention when I entered Alvin''s mind. However, after we got to help Milia to wake up, I started feeling those elders'' senses focused on us. They seem all able to use Soul Power, and they are skeptical about us... or me, to be more precise.


    I''m afraid that if I try to use Soul Power now, I will definitely be caught. It seems like Soul Power isn''t something you should be able to use at my level, or we would have heard about it in the past.''


    Milia and Alvin looked at each other and then back at Linfel. They couldn''t feel Soul Power, but even they felt like they were being watched now that Linfel pointed it out.


    ''But... what if he gets trapped in his dream with his mental demons?'' Milia couldn''t help but ask Linfel. ''Will he stay asleep forever?''


    ''Not at all,'' Linfel assured her. ''I could have woken you up straight away if I wished. I just didn''t do so because I thought it was important for you to overcome your mental demons. I''m pretty sure the elders on the stage can do the same thing if they wish so. Even if they can''t, I can do it another time after we are over here, so don''t worry.''


    Milia still didn''t like it. If Nori truly doesn''t wake up, he will fail the test. Different from most of the Familiars in this place, Nori is an independent Familiar. If he fails the test, he will be considered a single individual instead of Milia''s Familiar. She won''t be able to bring him to the Ventis Sect with her.


    It was then that Milia remembered something. She turned to the elders on the stage, curious. "Seniors, we have passed the test... but what exactly are the rules? Is there a time frame for my Familiar to wake up if he wants to pass the test?"


    Alexandra answered that. "There is. How many of them will wake up, we don''t know. Unless, of course, we intervene, in which case they will wake straight away. This test lasts 10 Clicks, which is a little more than ten hours in your planet. If your Familiar doesn''t wake up by then, we will consider he failed the test and we will wake him up together with the others who are still asleep by that time."


    Milia nodded. "I understand, seniors. Would you please tell me how long it has been since the test started?"


    "You could have just checked your MCOM, you know?" Alexandra asked back. "Oh well, anyway. Two and a half Clicks have gone by already. He has Seven and a half Clicks."


    "Thank you," Milia showed her gratitude before she found a place to sit and put Nori''s core on her lap. "You can do it; I know it!"


    Alvin got concerned. Considering Milia''s Mental Demons and the fact Nori had always been with Milia since he was born, perhaps his mental demons were as strong or even stronger than Milia''s. ''Linfel,'' Alvin asked the wisp alone, ''If we didn''t intervene, do you think Milia would have woken up?''


    Linfel pondered a bit and shook his head. ''Highly doubt so. You witnessed her state yourself. Milia simply didn''t even want to try to fight her mental demons. They probably kept eating her and resetting the dream many, many times before you and I appeared there.''


    ''I see...'' Alvin nodded as he began to think about some way to help Nori wake up. Obviously, it can''t be with Linfel''s help if they don''t want to be found out. He couldn''t help but wonder. ''Linfel, Milia, do you think he can hear us even in this state?''


    Milia wondered the same thing, while Linfel didn''t have an answer. ''I don''t know. When I helped Alvin, I never tried to call him out from the outside. Same thing for Milia; we simply went into her dreams and never tried to speak to her.''


    ''It would be good if he could...'' Milia commented. ''I''ll try to call him out.''


    ''Yes, give it a try. Perhaps it will help,'' Alvin agreed with her.


    Milia then proceeded to call Nori and talked about some things between the two of them for quite some time. Yet, Nori didn''t seem to answer at all, making Milia more concerned. ''Perhaps he can''t hear after all.''


    It was at that moment Linfel had an idea. ''Hum... it is still not guaranteed he can''t hear you, Milia.''


    Milia and Alvin got interested. ''Did you get an idea?''


    Linfel nodded, feeling pretty sure it would work. ''Yes. There is one thing, and one thing only, that Nori absolutely doesn''t want to happen.''


    ''Something he doesn''t want to happen?'' Milia only had to think about it for a second to remember what. ''This...''


    What has Nori always tried to do? He always tried to get Alvin away from Milia! He simply didn''t like Alvin at all, especially since he noticed Milia seemed to have feeling for Alvin. Pretty much nothing bothered him more than that.


    ''Oh!'' Alvin finally caught the gist. ''Wait! But that...''


    Linfel shrugged. ''We still have six Clicks. If you don''t want to give it a try, then just wait until near the end.''


    Alvin and Milia got embarrassed and nodded. ''Let''s... Let''s wai-''


    ''But,'' Linfel continued, ''the longer we take, the deeper he might fall into the hands of his own mental demons. Well, he is not my Familiar, so you decide for yourself.''


    Milia immediately made up her mind. ''Let''s do it!''


    Alvin was taken aback, but Milia didn''t give him time to think. She stopped using her Magic Energy to speak to Linfel and Alvin alone and switched back to her normal voice. "Alvin, I w-w-want to be with y-y-y-y-ou..." Too bad she struggled a lot to speak the words.


    Alvin felt nervous. "I also w-want to be wi-with you..."


    The elders and the few Maguses and Familiars who woke up looked at that, feeling uncomfortable. ''Is this truly the place to confess your love...?'' Of course, none of them intervened. If anything, they very much wanted to watch the show.


    Linfel smiled and remembered what humans liked to do. He didn''t understand why, but who cares? It should help. "Alright, since you want to procreate, you might as well start with exchanging mouth fluids."


    Alvin and Milia felt like dying. The wisp was truly terrible with these things.


    "Ahem..." Alvin tried to calm down. "C-Can, I kiss... you?"


    Milia, red as a tomato, nodded. "Yes... please."


    Alvin and Milia''s hearts beat like crazy to the point they felt they would come out of their mouths. Alvin, of course, was still the man, so he took the initiative. He approached Milia''s face, ready to have his first experience when suddenly.


    "You dare!"


    *Shaaaaaaaaa!*


    A burst of flames came from the Core on Milia''s lap, hitting Alvin''s face and burning his lips.


    "Arrrghhh! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" Alvin immediately jumped that, putting out the flames while using his Magic Energy. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then looked at Milia''s lap, seeing a small ethereal boy with an extremely angry expression. It was Nori. "Try to get close to my Milia again. I''ll burn you to a crisp!"


    "Nori!" Milia didn''t care about anything else anymore. She just caught the little boy by the core and hugged it. "I knew you would wake up!"

 Chapter 121: Except One

    Mosie watched that and finally understood what Alvin and Milia were trying to do. Yet, he couldn''t do anything about it since the test clearly stated that those who woke up in Ten Click''s time would pass the test. "Sigh... you pass."


    Nori, who was glaring at Alvin, finally came back to himself. "Eh? Pass? Pass what? What happened?"


    Alvin finally managed to manage the burnt with his Magic Energy, although he looked quite weird with that mark on his face. "Ahem... there is a reason for our actions earlier."


    Finally, Milia explained to Nori what happened and why they acted like that. Nori then looked back at Linfel, who came up with the idea. "Next time, forget about me. You better never try to put them together, even if it means I will sleep for all eternity."


    Linfel shrugged. "And I couldn''t care less about what you want."


    "You..." Nori felt like killing the wisp right there and then.


    However, Milia immediately stopped him. "Enough! What bullshit eternity? Don''t ever say such a thing again!"


    "I..." Guilty filled Nori''s soul, understanding he did say something he shouldn''t. "Sorry. I misspoke. Of course, I want to stay with you forever... and that doesn''t include Alvin."


    Alvin sighed and shrugged. At least Linfel''s plan worked... although he would have preferred Nori would take a little longer to wake up. ''I was sooooooo close!''


    Time continued to pass, and Nine Clicks went by. At the moment, not even 10% of the Maguses and Familiars managed to wake up yet, much to Linfel''s group''s surprise. "This willpower test is truly hard..."


    That reminded Milia of something. "Nori, what kind of dream were you having before you woke up?"


    "Me?" Nori pondered a bit. "Well... it was all about the Frondor Family taking you away from me. I always felt afraid of them appearing someday and getting in our way. I guess that became kind of a mental demon for me."


    Milia nodded. "It is good that you managed to wake up, even if it was through a... not very conventional... method. You can also forget this fear of yours. We have passed the exam, so we are now part of the Ventis Sect."


    Nori''s joy was palpable. "Yes! The Ventis Sect is beyond the reach of the Frondor Family. We are truly free now," he exclaimed, his relief and happiness echoing in the room.


    Alvin joined the conversation, and then they talked about their plans for the future. Meanwhile, Linfel sat on Alvin''s shoulder and let his core stay there. He had just learned how to use that Soul Power, and there were too many things he didn''t understand. He spent most of his time controlling it and getting used to the feeling. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Ten Clicks were over, which propelled Mosie to stand up. "Those who are awake, gather on the back. We removed everyone who was sleeping there."


    Linfel and the others followed Mosie''s orders.


    Following that, Mosie''s Soul Power spread all over the room, entering the souls of the Maguses and Familiars who were still asleep. He was also helped by the other elders, who could use Soul Power, albeit to a lesser degree.


    *Ouch...*


    "My head..."


    "Why am I on the floor?"


    "I feel like I''m missing something..."


    The other participants woke up one by one, and a few minutes later, they were all up once more. Only then did Mosie continue his speech. "For those who are not on the back, you have failed. Stay in this Spaceship for now. We will send you back to your own planets soon."


    "What?!"


    "Failed?! Failed how?!"


    "Is this a joke?!"


    "You can''t be serious!"


    That and many more complaints came from the recently awakened participants. However, Mosie''s expression turned dark, and his Magic Energy spread through the room.


    *Bang!*


    The sheer power of his Magic Energy forced the bodies of all the Maguses and Familiars who were complaining to the ground. None of them could resist it, however hard they tried, regardless of how much they circulated their Magic Energy.


    "In here, I''m the only one allowed to complain. I will let you off... this one time. If anyone opens their mouth again, they will make a trip to the space outside. Let me see just how long you can survive out there. I will definitely open a few bets with my fellow elders here."


    Finally, Mosie let go of his Magic Energy pressure, and everyone was allowed to stand up again. No one complained this time, though. They were reminded that they were dealing with the Ventis Sect. Their planet''s laws and rules had absolutely no meaning in the Ventis Sect''s eyes.


    "That''s more like it," Mosie spoke, satisfied. "You failed because you didn''t manage to wake up in time. You will receive a full review of your performance in each test, including their rules. Once you go back, work out the reason for your mental demons to keep you down for so long. That is something that will deeply affect your futures."


    He continued. "This time, out of the 37 Level Five Maguses and Familiars, only three passed. Out of the 6815 Level Four Maguses and Familiars, only 53 passed. Ultimately, the group that impressed me the most this time. Out of 180 Level Three Maguses and Familiars, 21 passed. To think over ten percent of those at Level Three had made it is truly remarkable."


    Linfel group only counted as four of those at level three, so the rest did wake up on their own indeed.


    A few moments later, another Spaceship arrived, quickly connecting to the Spaceship where Linfel''s group had their fifth test. The elders came down from the stage as Mosie led them. "Those who passed, come with me. We are taking a different Spaceship to the Ventis Sect. As for the rest, good luck next time."


    The other spaceship was much, much smaller. Still, Mosie and the other elders didn''t seem to mind. It was much more than enough to make the journey back to the Ventis Sect since the number of Maguses and Familiars who passed was always very low. If you count all the planets that had their own tests before joining together at the asteroid, you would literally have tens of millions of participants.


    Yet, only 77 ended up joining the Ventis Sect. That alone showed just how terrifyingly hard it was to get through this hurdle... except for one little guy.


    ''The tests were easier than I expected...'' Linfel couldn''t help but think in the end.

 Chapter 122: The Entire Planet

    *Vishu!*


    The Spaceship came out of the Fourth Dimensional Realm, and an enormous planet, at least twenty times bigger than Serfen, appeared in everyone''s sight. They had been traveling through Fourth Dimensional Space for almost a month, having passed countless solar systems on the way.


    It was obviously Linfel''s Spaceship, as well as the other participants, who made it past the fifth test. As far as Linfel''s group could see, Spaceships kept coming and going from the thousands of different Space Stations on the top of Space Elevators. They could see only one side of the planet, though. The other side was bound to be just as busy.


    The Spaceship flew in the planet''s direction before turning to the side and following its circumference. Their journey lasted another hour before the spaceship finally arrived on the other side of the planet. There, the land below seemed completely illuminated. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is that thing?" Linfel pointed below.


    Even though they were so far high in space, they saw a construction that covered tens of thousands of kilometers. It was round with an enormous appeared at the center. On the sides, four needle-like towers pointed in the space''s direction. These towers were even taller than any of the Space Elevators, not to mention much thicker.


    Alvin also saw that and felt impressed. "I wish I knew..."


    They weren''t the only ones. The Maguses and Familiars who made it through the test all came from an isolated region of the Ventis Sect Territory. Serfen, Linfel''s planet, obviously included. They knew pretty much nothing about the Ventis Sect since none of them ever had the chance to come here.


    Alexandra and the other elders were already used to that, so she simply explained. "That is the Wormhole Cannon."


    Linfel''s interest was immediately picked. "Wormhole Cannon?"


    Alexandra nodded. "Anyone intending to travel through the wormhole will have to activate the Cannon to open the passage into the Blackhole. Without a Wormhole Cannon, Wormhole Travel is basically impossible since you would die before getting anywhere near the Wormhole inside the Blackholes."


    Linfel couldn''t help but feel excited. That was exactly the thing he needed to use to go to the other side of the Universe. "How do we use it to travel? Can I do it?"


    "Hahaha!" Alexandra laughed. "Sure. You just need to become a High Elder of the Ventis Sect and pay the price to use the Cannon."


    The other elders also smiled. Linfel''s words showed his naivety.


    Linfel didn''t care, though. "What is the price to activate it?"


    Alexandra didn''t mind telling him. It wasn''t any secret anyway. "Magic Stones can only go up to Level Nine. Above it, you would enter the realm of Divine Magic Stones. Anyway, that is not something you can hope to see for many years. All you need to know is that you would need at least a million Level Six Divine Magic Stones to activate the Cannon."


    Linfel and the others took a deep breath. How the hell would anyone be able to pay for such a thing. Linfel felt like even if he robbed everyone''s Universal Credits, he probably wouldn''t have enough to pay for the Cannon.


    Still, he wasn''t idiot. "That''s just the price, right? It is not like you truly gather a million Level Six Divine Magic Stones and feed it to the Cannon."


    Alexandra confirmed. "Obviously. How bothersome such a thing would be? The Wormhole Cannon has its own source of Magic Energy that can hold all that energy in a single place for the Cannon''s usage. All I did was to give you a number that you could comprehend."


    Linfel looked with even more interest. "I see... The Magic Energy is not the normal Magic Energy we use. The source... Is it the Core of the Planet?"


    This time, Alexandra was surprised. "Have you read about it before?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No. But I''m quite good with Circuitry Rune Arrays and Diagrams. I couldn''t think of another source of such abundant energy other than the Sun. This Cannon isn''t placed on the Sun, so it could only be using the Planet''s Core instead. It is more like the builders had no other choice as they needed something to act as the stabilizer, and a planet was just perfect for it."


    "That is also correct," Alexandra commented. Feeling interested, she decided to speak a little bit more. "But it is not like there aren''t Wormhole Cannons that use Suns as a source of Energy. It''s just that you won''t find one in our Galaxy. The technology involved is just too advanced, and the work necessary is something even our Ventis Sect would have a hard time providing.


    Perhaps you will be able to see a Wormhole Cannon using the Sun energy one day."


    Linfel didn''t seem to be bothered by the hurdle to use it at all.


    Alvin looked at Linfel, knowing that Linfel wanted to use it, so he asked Alexandra something else. "How often is the cannon activated?"


    Alexandra pondered a bit. Every time the Cannon was activated, it could be felt over the entire planet. It wasn''t something you could hide anyway. "Even preparing it to open the passage to the Wormholes takes some time, so it usually shoots once every three years. During such time, we have to send everything we intend to send out at once, or it isn''t worth the action."


    Linfel couldn''t help but ask. "What if I just waited for when it activated and took a ride?"


    "Hahaha!" Alexandra laughed once again. "Sure, if you want your soul to be destroyed, by all means, give it a try. I''m definitely not stopping you."


    "Oh?" Linfel was curious and was about to ask more.


    However, Mosie stopped them. "Alright, we are here. You can learn more about the Wormhole Cannon in the future. Once we dock on the Spacestation, just follow me. I''ll bring you all to the ground so that you can be registered."


    "So when will we enter the Ventis Sect?" Someone else asked, curious.


    Mosie shrugged. "You are already here. The entire planet is the Ventis Sect."

 Chapter 124: Safe Place

    The Maguses and Familiars of this group looked at each other outside. There wasn''t anyone else there to give them any explanation.


    "It can''t be like that, right?" Someone asked.


    "Could this also be a test?" Another question came up.


    However, no one could answer that.


    Linfel looked at that and then called Alvin, Milia, and Nori out. "Alright, let''s go outside. This place is just too crowded."


    They followed the exit signs and eventually ended in the middle of one of the cities in the Ventis Sect. At the same time Linfel looked into the app in his MCOM, trying to figure things out.


    "Let''s check which city this is and see if there is any kind of support that new disciples receive. There has to be some trick behind this," Alvin finally spoke.


    Right after, Linfel pointed out something in his MCOM. "It seems like the guy back there wasn''t lying. Take a look."


    In the MCOM, Linfel now had access to the Ventis Sect Network. He quickly searched about their situation and countless links appeared. The main ones give a more detailed explanation of what they just experienced.


    "Let''s see..." Alvin and the others took a look.


    Turned out that this was indeed a test for the new disciples. However, there was no punishment or anything like that. It was simply a test to see if the new disciples could at least take care of themselves during their time here. The Ventis Sect even provided a link where you could access and then give up being a disciple straight away.


    If you selected that, you would be brought back to your planet once a transport was available.


    However, the information also showed that the majority didn''t do that and would rather live in the streets. That said, the information gave some steps that new disciples could follow.


    "The safe route seems to be to accept missions from the Ventis Sect App in the Mission Board Option. Still, for Level Three Maguses and Familiars like us, the missions available only provide a single Centis Credit," Alvin commented.


    Milia sighed. "We would need to spend almost an entire month doing those missions, and they are all menial tasks. Why do I feel like I''m still in the Academy back in Heffal?"


    "It would be good if that was the case," Alvin shrugged. "At least there we have a room and food provided. Here, it is different. The Ventis Sect doesn''t give you anything for free. We still need to think about our provisions."


    Indeed. Even if they did the missions nonstop, they would still not be able to buy a single carrot if they intended to rent a room somewhere. The prices of the simplest rooms in the city they are at the moment were 30 Ventis Credits.


    "Is there no other way to make Ventis Credit?" Nori asked. He also checked his own MCOM, and the missions, just like Milia mentioned, were all menial tasks. Each one of them had to be performed for an entire day, and only then would they gain a single Ventis Credit. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They browsed the other options. That was the safest method, according to the posts. There were obviously harder options that paid more.


    "A... Assassination?!" Milia was taken aback by one of them. Taking a deep look, it was said the sect had no issues with killing as long as it wasn''t done inside any of the cities. On top of that, you could use your MCOM to take away the Ventis Credits from your victims. Because of that, a lot of higher-level Maguses and Familiars opted to simply kill and get what they wanted.


    "But there is a problem, look," Alvin pointed out. Anyone who selected to kill fellow disciples would be banished from the cities for a year. Once a year was gone, they could enter the cities again. Not only that but other than the Ventis Sect App, you would be excluded from the network entirely. That meant you couldn''t use your MCOM for anything else.


    Linfel understood. "Simply put, if you decide you want to kill for Ventis Credits, you must also be prepared to spend a year outside, isolated from everything. Well, if I were to guess, I would say there are plenty of settlements outside for these kinds of disciples with blood in their hands to spend their time."


    "Isn''t it a little too much?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask.


    Linfel shook his head. "Did you forget what the Elders explained during the exam? The Ventis Sect often gets into fights all over its territories. Pirates, rebellions, wars, you name it. If it happens inside the Ventis Sect Territory, the Ventis Sect might join it. That means you will have to kill at some point.


    The Ventis Sect understands this point and knows they can''t be soft, so they encourage their new disciples to draw blood by themselves."


    Milia sighed. "Seven to Nine Million new disciples every six months... They definitely don''t lack the numbers to constantly carry this kind of trial."


    Linfel then changed to another option. "Of course, killing other disciples isn''t the only option available. Private contractors seem to be an option as well. It''s just that we would need to check what they would need us for."


    "This... This can''t be right... right?" Alvin found one of those contractors, and the task was quite unbelievable.


    -Maguses needed for body experimentations. Look for any one of our branches in the Ventis Sect Cities.-


    -Reward: 20 Ventis Credits per day.-


    They could only imagine what kind of experimentation they were to pay so many credits for a single day. There were more, and that included Familiars.


    -Familiar Souls at Level Three and Above are necessary. If you are a master and don''t need your Familiar anymore, give his soul to us. We pay 25 Credits for each Level Three Soul. Level Four Familiar Souls get paid 100 Ventis Credit! Tramdex Familiar Engeneering. 235 years of experience in the field of artificial souls.


    You can count on us.-


    "This place... is pretty much a nightmare..." Nori complained.


    "In fact, this is a pretty safe place," Linfel disagreed.


    "Safe?! Are you crazy?"


    Linfel shrugged. "You are missing the point. None of these contracts can be forced by the companies. Also, no one can do anything to the Maguses and Familiars in the Cities of the Ventis Sect, only outside. Look around and check how crowded this city is. Do you see anyone here who seems to be afraid of suddenly being killed?


    The Ventis Sect is literally giving you the option to meddle in these matters or not. So, yes, this is quite a safe place to be."


    Linfel continued. "Besides, you saw yourself. You can simply give up being a disciple at any time. No one is forcing you to live here. If you feel this is too much. Just access the app and select the option to give up.


    Easy, simple, straightforward. I quite like it."

 Chapter 125: Strange Conversations

    Alvin looked at Linfel and couldn''t help but ask. "Ahem... Linfel, how about you use your little trick to get us some Ventis Credits?"


    Linfel immediately refused. "First, that kills the purpose of the Ventis Sect''s training, which is to get you to be able to soar on your own. Second, if I do such a thing here, I will most likely be caught."


    "Caught?" Alvin didn''t expect that. "How?"


    Linfel shrugged. "The Ventis Sect Network, which uses Ventis Credit, is a lot smaller than the Universe''s Universal Credits. If Ventis Credits suddenly start disappearing, all the Ventis Sect needs to do is follow the Credits. Do you think the Ventis Sect can''t check its own system? Come on..."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "It''s indeed not worth the risk..."


    Milia sighed. "Alright. Using Linfel''s trick doesn''t work. Killing... I don''t think I''m ready for that yet. Different from the war, this is just indiscriminate slaughter for money.


    I don''t think Ventis Credits is a good enough reason for me to go out and start killing people. As for the contractors..." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Contractors are always preying on poor Maguses and Familiars like us. That was pretty common in my time," Linfel explained. "Well, at least there are the safe heavens called cities here in Ventis Sect. However, it doesn''t mean all contracts are bad. There are quite a few that are dangerous but are not ethically wrong or anything." Linfel then opened one of the contracts he found.


    -Looking for Maguses or Familiars to collect Magic Energy Cores of Level Four or higher Magic Beasts in the Tromhue Magic Beast Forest. Ten Level Four Cores per one Ventis Credit. Numbers don''t matter. We will buy everything you have.-


    "See?" Linfel commented.


    Milia and Alvin took a deep breath. Level Four Cores are obviously Level Four Magic Beasts. And you need ten cores to gain a single credit. That seemed even more risky. "Let''s... continue to look into the contractors."


    *Pin!*


    Suddenly, Linfel''s group MCOMs received a message in their Ventis Sect App. After opening it, they felt relieved.


    -According to Rule 178.3, all new disciples will receive 10 Ventis Credits once they finish their registration. Please check your balances in the Sect''s App.-


    Nori and Linfel were considered independent Familiars, so they also got 10 credits each. That put their group with a grand total of 40 Ventis Credits, which would be enough to rent a common room in Gertei City, the same city they are at the moment.


    Alvin touched his belly, feeling quite hungry. "I didn''t want to bring it out. But now that we have some credits, how about we go eat something. We haven''t eaten anything since we arrived in this place, and Maguses consume especially a lot of energy."


    Milia agreed, and they moved to the restaurant. Meanwhile, Linfel continued to look into the thousands of contracts. Suddenly, one contract caught his attention, so he showed it to Alvin and Milia, who were having lunch.


    -Magic Beast Territory Delivery. Any Magus or Familiar accepted. We are looking for disciples willing to bring our wares to the settlements in various Magic Beast Territories around the planet. Look for one of our Dinval Delivery branches in any Ventis Sect City.-


    -Payment: 05 Ventis Sect Credit for every successful delivery.-


    Alvin was impressed by the huge pay. "That''s quite a lot. That probably means we would take a few days to get to deliver whatever they want us to."


    "Maybe," Linfel nodded. "However, we can also take Magic Beast Material Contracts and complete these contracts in the meantime. A single Contract doesn''t seem to be enough for us to sustain ourselves. That''s the trick here. With so many Contracts, we can take several at once."


    "I see..." Alvin and Milia nodded.


    Nori, on the other hand, was looking for something else. "Oh! There are really a lot of them. However, they are all 30 credits at the very least."


    -Seventh District-


    -One Room and One Toilet-


    -30 Credits per month-


    "30 credits..." Alvin felt a pain in his heart. And that''s not counting other expenses. "Now I know why my father kept complaining about bills."


    Nori then approached Linfel and Alvin before extending his hand. "Alright, give me."


    "Give what?"


    "Your Ventis Credits, idiots. We need to rent a room to stay," Nori explained.


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other and finally remembered a small detail. "Does that mean we will live together...?"


    "As if!" Nori snorted. "I will rent a room for Milia; you two find something else."


    "Keep dreaming!" Linfel immediately refused. "My credits are mine. I don''t mind sharing a room, but I''m absolutely not handing over my Credits for nothing."


    "That''s enough, Nori," Milia intervened. "Alvin, Linfel, let''s share the room. We truly can''t stay on the streets."


    "But..." Nori obviously didn''t like the idea of having Milia and Alvin in the same room.


    "I have decided already!" Milia gave no room for discussion. Besides, it wasn''t like she was completely against the idea. At least her subconscious... or all the little Milias... seemed to already have made their decisions...


    Linfel had no problem if that was the case. "Then let''s go get it."


    The seventh district was one of the cheapest in the entire Gertei City. That also made it quite crowded... Well, who are we fooling here? That was almost the same as the slums but with a room for yourself. In the end, they decided to have Linfel hold their credits and pay for the room.


    The room was as basic as it could be. One bed, one small toilet and, a simple washing machine, and a table. No kitchen or anything like that.


    Alvin looked at Milia, feeling a little embarrassed. Milia was no different, and that irritated Nori. Seeing that, Alvin forced himself to think about something to talk. "Now that I think about it, we have one more problem..."


    "Which is?" Linfel asked, checking the room and completely oblivious to the mood in the air.


    "Clothes..." Alvin commented while looking at his attire. "We went to get the Ventis Sect Test, expecting to return to our planet afterward. The clothes we have on us at the moment... are literally the only clothes we have at all..."


    As a man, Alvin wasn''t that bothered. Milia, however, immediately forgot about the sharing-the-room-with-Avin issue. She absolutely didn''t want to keep wearing that same clothes. Milia was, after all, a member of the Frondor Family. She never had to worry about such things.


    Linfel had to admit Alvin was right. "Can''t you just wash your clothes and reuse them? There is a washing machine right there, you know?"


    "Well, we can..." Alvin glanced at Milia. "But how will we do it without a spare to use in the meantime?"


    "What kind of question is that? Just get naked and get over with it," Linfel answered as if it was the most common thing in the world.


    "As if I would get naked in front of you!" Milia obviously got mad and all red again, imagining the situation.


    Linfel didn''t seem to care. "Whatever. Just go to the toilet, partially close the door, and pass the clothes to Alvin or Nori to put in the washing machine. See? Easy! You just have to wait for it to be ready.


    You can even take a shower in the meantime. Why are humans always this complicated?"


    He then remembered something. "Oh, right! We need other things. There is no electricity or running water. From what I''m seeing here, they also use Ventis Credits and can be turned on instantly once paid for. Both cost 01 Ventis Credit per day.


    With the room and the meal you had earlier, we already spent 32 of the 40 credits we had available."


    Linfel then pointed to the toilet. "I don''t really care, but you humans seem to do, so we also need soap and all that shit. Milia is a woman, so she obviously need those things that women use to deal with their periods, right? They also cost Ventis Credits."


    Milia felt like dying. Did he have to mention it out loud? "I... will think about something."


    "Linfel, you are making my master uncomfortable!" Nori complained.


    "What? Does soap make her uncomfortable? I thought humans liked to be clean... Sorry, my mistake. Forget the soap," Linfel answered, relieved he would be able to save more Ventis Credits.


    "Not the soap, idiot!" Nori complained. "The periods! My master periods are very regular, but you don''t need to mention them."


    Milia felt like dying already.


    As for Linfel, he was as confused as ever. "Why would she feel uncomfortable about periods? That is a vital mechanism for human reproduction. It would be much worse if she didn''t have them. After all, that would mean she is infertile... Wait!


    Milia, could it be you are infertile? Alvin, you won''t be able to pass you genes forward like that."


    *Bang!*


    Milia finally snapped and tried to kick Linfel. Too bad Linfel was much faster, so he easily dodged, so she ended up hitting the floor and cracking it. "Shut up! I''m fertile! Very fertile! Just stop talking about it already!"


    Alvin agreed, looking away and trying to not think about ''reproduction'' with Milia. "She is right. Just let it go for now."


    Linfel nodded. "Fine... but they still cost Ventis Credit, so you won''t be able to run from this. Anyway, we just lost two credits."


    "What?!" Everyone was taken aback. "How?!"


    Linfel opened his MCOM and showed the message.


    -For damaging the room, you will be fined in two Ventis Credits. A contractor will be with you shortly to fix the damage.-


    Milia was already crying. "That was your fault!"


    "Sigh..." Linfel finally gave up. "Alright, no more periods. We have 06 Ventis Credits remaining. What do you want to do first?"

 Chapter 126: Time To Go Out

    After getting the damage to the room fixed due to Milia''s periods, their group decided to pay for the water and electricity next, which cost 02 Ventis Credits. It would only work for a single day, and then they would need to pay again. Still, that was enough for now.


    Suddenly, Alvin had an idea. "Linfel, how about the Magic Stones. Can we sell them?" Alvin knew Linfel had over a hundred High-Quality Red Magic Stones in his Spatial Storage. They bought it together after getting all the Universal Credits from those criminals back in Serfen Planet.


    Linfel quickly opened his MCOM and looked for it. Surprisingly, Red Magic Stones could be sold for ten Ventis Credits each. However, there was a rule and made them helpless. Only Magic Stones with the Ventis Sect Magic Signature could be commercialized. Let''s not forget that even back in the Academy, the Magic Stones were already marked, so one would always know where it came from.


    That was to prevent any improper use by the students, and it wasn''t different here in the Ventis Sect.


    They quickly opened the rules in the Ventis Sect app, finding out that any disciple caught buying or selling Magic Stones not approved by the Sect would be immediately banished from the Ventis Sect.


    "Perhaps we can use them to trade directly with the Maguses and Familiars," Linfel gave the idea. "It would still be risky, though."


    Alvin and Milia shook their heads. "No, we better not push our luck. It is obvious the Ventis Sect wants to push us to the breaking point with all these restrictions."


    "We can still use them for leveling... although we can''t do that now. We have to pass the Magic Control Test that happens every month. Otherwise, we will also be banished," Linfel commented.


    "Alright, let''s go out and use the rest of our Ventis Sect Credits to buy food," Nori spoke from there. "We can use Linfel''s Spatial Storage to keep it and go out to do the missions. Let''s take as many contracts as we can so we can make a living for now."


    "Agreed!" No one had complaints. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They looked for the cheapest food out there and spent the rest of the Ventis Credits. Milia and Alvin were the only ones who needed it, so they got enough for five days if they rationed. Besides, Linfel checked the network and found more about foraging. Since they were going to enter a Magic Beast Territory, they might as well look for food there.


    They could even cook the Magic Beasts'' meat, so it wasn''t that big of a problem.


    In the end, they accepted four different contracts. The first one was obviously the contract for delivery to the settlements in a nearby Magic Beast forest called Lungan Forest. The delivery would pay them five credits, but since Linfel, Milia, Alvin, and Nori took a contract each, they were able to take for packages. There was only one rule. The package had to be delivered in perfect condition.


    Any damage would make that mission invalid.


    Obviously, such a problem didn''t exist. They simply threw everything into Linfel''s Spatial Storage. It was a separate dimensional attached to Linfel''s core, so nothing would happen inside.


    Following that, they took contracts related to Magic Beast Cores for the same area. The strongest Magic Beasts in there were at Level Five, but they were quite rare as the Ventis Sect kept tight control. Most were at Level Three or Four. Linfel''s group is all at Level Three, but that Forest was the easiest place to go.


    That made sense since you couldn''t join the Ventis Sect if you weren''t at least at Level Three anyway.


    The other two contracts were related to herb collection and Magic Beast Materials. They had to acquire a certain amount and trade bade for Ventis Credit. Once they got everything, they returned to their room and rested. Their electricity and water would last only a single day, so they also took their showers and washed the only clothes they had on their bodies...


    using the idea of one staying in the toilet while the other stayed naked in the room during the washing time. One might wonder if they hadn''t fallen for a scam when they joined the Ventis Sect instead...


    Finally, Milia and Alvin went to sleep, which wasn''t very easy. There was one bed, and although Alvin offered to sleep on the floor, Milia refused to accept that. Nori, to make sure nothing would happen, stayed right in between the two while they slept. ''Hmph! Let me see if you dare take advantage of this situation with me here,'' he thought to himself, feeling proud.


    The next day quickly arrived as Linfel passed his night studying about the Ventis Sect rules. There were many, and they were all focused on making the lives of the new disciples as hard as possible. Linfel''s group was already lucky that they stuck together to share the costs and had Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    Usually, one is checked when they get to the planet to make sure they aren''t bringing anything with them. For example, the sect prevents Magic Stones from coming inside. It didn''t matter if you used your Universal Credits to buy something from some other planet to be delivered in the Ventis Sect. It would never make it to the hands of the disciples.


    ''They truly are trying to make the disciples go out of the cities and kill each other...'' Linfel thought about it. ''Alvin and Milia didn''t talk about it, but they aren''t idiots. They know that even if we took contracts that had nothing to do with other disciples, chances are we will bump in some of them during our time out. Well, we will see what happens.''


    The electricity and water stopped working in the early morning, just as they expected. They didn''t care, though. They were ready to go out anyway. Using their MCOMs, they selected the best route and left through the south side of the city. Thousands of Maguses and Familiars could be seen coming and going from the city, which was to be expected.


    However, Linfel''s group stood out quite a bit. After all, they were at level Three, and Level Three disciples were rarely accepted. All they could do was ignore the eyes on them and run into the distance. It was time to experience the dangers of the Ventis Sect.

 Chapter 127: Good Luck

    You could pay to be brought to the Lungan Forest, but it was rarely used by new disciples. That said, Linfel''s group had to keep running for almost an entire day. Fortunately, they were Maguses and Familiars, so they could control their Magic Energy to keep the rhythm. On the other hand, they saw themselves forced to spend more of the food and the Red Magic Stones in Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    Linfel also had a few Brown Magic Stones, but he decided to keep them in case they needed to recover their magic Energy fast during this journey.


    As the trees began to dominate the landscape, the group''s anticipation grew. By the end of the first day, they spotted several other Maguses and Familiars heading towards the forest''s entrance. They had prepared well and had even found a settlement at the entrance, which they were eager to use before venturing into the forest itself.


    "There it is," Linfel commented, pointing in the distance.


    Several wooden and earth houses began to appear in their view. The entrance of the forest was quite crowded, with the disciples coming and going. Seemed like everyone liked to use that settlement as a bridge between the inside and outside. "Too bad the place we need to deliver those boxes is deep within the forest..." Alvin commented.


    If he could, he would just leave the boxes there and return to the city.


    Diverse booths covered the side of the main street in the settlement as various Maguses and Familiars sold various items they got from the Forest. Most of them were Magic Beasts Materials, but there were a few ores and other materials.


    Alvin then noticed that one of the booths was selling Level Four Magic Cores, which obviously caught his attention. "Hello, friend. How much are you charging for Level Four Cores?"


    Then Magus looked at him and saw Alvin''s level straight away. He didn''t expect much from Alvin but gave his price. "Ten cores go for ten Ventis Credits."


    Alvin almost froze in place. The contractor was paying a single Ventis Credit for every ten cores. Yet, this guy was asking for one credit for each. It was ten times more expensive. "Why so expensive? The contractor is only giving a single Ventis Credit for every ten."


    "Hmph!" The Magus snorted in response. "Seems like your group is new here in the sect. Anyone who stays for over two years gains access to a new feature in the Ventis Sect App. It is called the Away Tokens, which allows you to go out of the planet to carry out various tasks for the Ventis Sect. That contractor you mentioned, for example, will give you one Away Token for every ten cores.


    These tokens can''t be bought with Ventis Credits, though. Only by completing missions can you acquire those tokens."


    "I see..." Alvin and the others immediately understood. They aren''t paying ten Ventis Credits for ten Cores. Instead, they are paying ten Credits for a Token since they can simply bring it back to the City and finish a contract that requires those tokens.


    "Well, that''s not an option for us at the moment, so forget it," Linfel spoke.


    They continued walking between the booths, and various other items were also available for sale. However, the point is that almost no one was buying anything. It made the sight quite strange. If no one was willing to pay the prices, why are the prices still that high?


    They found the answer not long after. The problem was that Ventis Credits were also hard to come by. All the missions, contracts, and other methods to gain Ventis Sect usually paid very little. Besides, you spend Ventis Credit for everything else. Home, food, magic stones, etc.


    But, at the same time, there are those who need to go out of the planet for whatever reason, so they don''t mind paying a lot more for a fast contract conclusion. That''s why all those booths didn''t mind keeping the prices high since sooner or later, someone would appear and buy their wares.


    Looking around, Linfel''s group noticed that most of the booths were made by Maguses and Familiars who hadn''t completed two years in the sect yet, so they needed credits a lot more than those tokens. Above all, it was safer. You could risk your life to kill only ten Level Four Magic Beasts and then sell their cores for ten Ventis Credit.


    Even if you had to wait for days, it was still much better than to sell the cores to the contractors since you would need to kill 100 of the same beasts to acquire the same ten credits.


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "Perhaps it will be better for us to simply kill ten Level Four Magic Beasts as well. Then we can come back and sell the cores here."


    Linfel immediately shook his head. "It could take various days to find a buyer."


    "Then let''s drop the price," Alvin insisted. "We don''t need to sell them for ten credits. Let sell ten cores for just five Ventis Credits. Sure it would sell very fast."


    Linfel sighed. "You couldn''t possibly be thinking you were the first one to think about that, right?"


    "This..." Alvin noticed another problem. "Manipulation?"


    Linfel nodded. "Most likely, there are a lot of price control in the background. If we try to sell for cheaper, we might be making some undesired enemies from the other Maguses and Familiars. Of course, this is just speculation, but I would rather not risk it."


    Milia had already lost interest in that. "Forget it. Let''s go into the forest and make our deliveries. I don''t want to look overconfident, but I truly would rather follow the proper path. It is all training."


    "Well said!" Linfel nodded, satisfied. "Let''s go. We can take a look again when we come back."


    Finally, they exited the settlement from the other side, entering the forest together with various other Maguses and Familiars. The place was truly lively.


    Linfel used his Magic Sense, spreading it over two hundred meters. It went further than any Level Four Familiar, only barely losing to Level Five ones. Then, he looked into the map in his MCOM, finding the best route. "Let''s go."


    Not long after, the number of disciples began to grow scarce as everyone followed their own paths. Alvin, Milia, and Nori were quite nervous. From the moment they left the city, they could be attacked at any moment. However, it was in the forest where it would most likely happen since the terrain was much better for ambushes and the like.


    Yet, even though they kept moving for over an hour, not a single soul seemed to have shown interest in them. The few Maguses and Familiar who passed by them simply glanced at them and avoided getting too close before going on their way.


    "I thought there would be a lot more danger than this," Alvin couldn''t help but comment.


    Linfel shrugged. "That''s because we haven''t found anyone marked as a killer yet."


    "Marked... as a killer?" Milia, Alvin, and Nori looked at Linfel.


    Linfel nodded. Then, he opened his MCOM and showed another rule in the Ventis Sect App.


    -Once a disciple kills another, he is allowed to take all his belongings and Ventis Credits. However, that disciple won''t be allowed to return to any city for a year from the moment he killed his last target.-


    That part Alvin, Milia, and Nori already knew about. What they missed was the next part.


    -Such disciples will be market as ''killers'' and can be killed by any disciple without any repercussion. Disciples who kill killers will also gain double the amount of Ventis Credits in the killer''s body, so be aware.-


    "This..." The reason it was hard to find killers became obvious. "It kind of reminds me of a few online games," Alvin commented.


    Not only you can''t hide in a city, you will become a target yourself. Others can literally kill you without being marked as killers themselves. On top of that, they will gain double the amount of Ventis Credits on your body, so you immediately become a very fat sheep in everyone else''s eyes. That also included other killers.


    Only those absolutely confident in their abilities to stay alive for that long would attempt to do such a thing.


    Of course, that didn''t mean they didn''t exist. In the end, being a killer is probably one of the fastest way to accumulate a lot of Ventis Credits in a short time... as long as you survive long enough to lose your killer mark. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, we might not find a single one during our time fulfilling the contracts," Linfel concluded.


    Alvin and the others sighed in relief. That made them relax a little more.


    *shush, shush...*


    Linfel''s Magic Sense suddenly caught something entering his range, warning the others. "Oh! I was wondering when the Magic Beasts would start appearing. Seems like they understand that staying close to the settlement is very dangerous. That''s why it took so long to find one."


    "Find one?" Alvin and the others looked around. "Where?"


    Linfel pointed out. "There. It is hiding in the foliage and making its way in our direction. I studied the Magic Beasts of this forest while you two slept last night. It''s a Level Four Magic Beast, the Fetou Centipede."


    "Level Four..." Milia, Alvin, and Nori immediately remembered the snake they found back in Serfen Planet. They almost lost their lives to that back then.


    Linfel then laid on a tree nearby. "Alright, that is yours to take care of. Milia, I''m prohibiting you from using Master Familiar Connection. As for Alvin, I''m not doing anything anyway, so he will be on his own as well. Good luck."

 Chapter 128: Thats The Plan

    Alvin and the others looked at Linfel, who just stood on the branch of a tree. "You won''t help?"


    Linfel shrugged. "What''s the point of me helping? Just stop complaining and go for it. If things grow too dangerous, I''ll step in."


    Milia narrowed her eyes but immediately ran forward. Her Magic Energy circulated through her meridians as Fire Element took form. At the same time, Nori changed into his Flaming Blade form, landing on Milia''s hand. They didn''t use the Master Familiar Connection, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t use each other.


    "Shit!" As for Alvin, his weapon had always been his gloves, which Felia transformed. Yet, Felia stayed back in Serfen with Alvin''s father, so he had no weapon to use.


    Nonetheless, he also ran forward and controlled his Magic Energy while remembering Linfel''s Magic Control training. Finally, a pair of spikes made of hard rock formed on his fists through his control of Earth Element. "I''ll take the front since I''m better a defense. Milia, Nori, wait for an opening and strike it down."


    "Alright!" Milia immediately accepted together with Nori.


    *Zsha!*


    The centipede noticed it was seen and gave up hiding. It immediately jumped out of the cover of the forest and pounced at Alvin, who was closest. It was five meters long and had powerful jaws. Above all, it could use its body and the Magic Energy in its core to use its body as a spring to pounce.


    "Fuck!" Alvin didn''t expect the centipede to be that fast. He lifted his Erth Spikes to block the attack just as the centipede was about to strike his chest.


    *Bang!*


    A Level Four Magic Beast was no joke. Alvin was instantly sent flying by the force of the attack, losing his balance in the process.


    The centipede took that chance and pounced again. However...


    *Tsssss... swish!*


    The flaming sword from Milia came slashing down from the side, using the perfect moment where the centipede struck Alvin''s defenses to land a hit on its body. She wasn''t considered a genius back in Heffal for nothing. Even Alvin, who received Linfel''s full attention in th past months of training, still wasn''t as precise as her.


    *Clang!*


    *Crack!*


    Yet, the Centipede''s defenses were hard to break. All Milia managed to do was create a small crack on the carapace of the Magic Beast before the centipede turned its attention to her. Its tail, which was about to be use as the support for it to spring forward, suddenly changed direction, swinging straight at Milia''s torso.


    *Pam!*


    However, an Earth Pillar appeared out of nowhere, creating a barrier between the tail and Milia. Milia had bought enough time for Alvin to regain his balance, which he used to stomp the ground and send his Earth Element through it, creating that Earth Pillar. It didn''t have enough power to injure the Centipede, but it definitely could use for defense.


    *Bang! Boom!*


    The Earth Pillar was easily shattered into countless pieces. However, that also gave Milia the time to step back. Alvin, Milia, and Nori were working very well together. Their time in the army wasn''t forgotten yet.


    *Ksssssss...*


    The centipede didn''t end its assault, though. From the start of the fight, it hasn''t been injured in the least, and only a small crack in its carapace could be seen, which didn''t bother it. Even worse, it understood Alvin and Milia didn''t have enough attack power to get past its defenses, so it shot forward with even more power.


    Alvin didn''t lose his calm. He now had more time to understand what kind of monster he was facing, and his Magic Energy was practically full still. Alvin also shot forward, meeting the centipede''s jaws without any fear. Just as the two were about to crash, Alvin''s Earth Element intensified on his legs, and he sent it through the ground one more.


    *Zash!*


    *Bang!*


    Another Earth Pillar shot from the ground, hitting the centipede from below. Its carapace also covered the bottom, so it didn''t receive any damage. That''s what Alvin was aiming at, though. Instead, the Earth Pillar changed the centipede''s direction slightly, which he used to strike the side of its head with his Earth Spike fists.


    *Bang, bang!*


    The force of the centipede and Alvin''s all-out attack met each other, and both of them were forced back. Yet, Alvin faintly smiled in response. He knew he managed to send the centipede in the right direction.


    *Shaaaa, swish!*


    Milia''s Flaming Sword came from the side once again. This time, even more flames sprouted from the sword as Nori used his Magic Energy to the maximum. It could be even higher if Nori and Milia were using Master Familiar Connections, but Linfel prohibited that. It didn''t matter, though. Milia was definitely good enough to hit the same place twice!


    *tsssssss...*


    The Flaming Sword broke through the cracked part of the centipede''s carapace, piercing deep into its body. Flames burst from inside it, causing excruciating pain to the centipede.


    *Kssssss!!!*


    The centipede immediately forgot Alvin and attacked Milia, but Alvin wouldn''t just let it do as it wished. He attacked once again during that small window where the centipede was struck and felt the pain.


    *Bang! Bang!*


    His Earth Spike Fists hit the centipede''s head twice, making the centipede go dizzy for a moment.


    Its survival instincts immediately kicked in, and the centipede rolled its body all over, eventually forcing Milia away with Nori in her hands. Right after, it turned around and shot away!


    "It''s trying to flee. Are you truly willing to let your first Level Four Magic Beast escape?" Linfel''s voice came from the tree away.


    Milia, Alvin, and Nori obviously wouldn''t let that happen. They were now faster, thanks to the serious injury they left behind on the centipede''s body, quickly catching up to it.


    From that point onwards, it was an attrition battle. Milia and Alvin didn''t take any big risks. Yet, because the centipede was heavily injured, all that extra movement only made things worse. Finally...


    *Pucth!*


    Milia''s sword managed to pierce the centipede''s body once again, this time near the head, right in the middle of its back. That severed several connections the centipede had with the rest of its body, and it began to wriggle everywhere without control.


    *Sush, sush, sush!*


    Several Earth Spike sprout from the earth, courtesy of Alvin. They were still not strong enough to pierce its carapace, but they definitely could make some strong impacts to worsen the centipedes inside.


    Then, five minutes later, the centipede stopped, and its purple blood was the only thing that still moved as it spread through the ground.


    Linfel then came flying and landed on the tired shoulder of Alvin. "Not bad, not bad at all. You truly learned how to save your Magic Energy well. I can see you still have over half of your reserves."


    He looked at Milia and Nori in the next second. "Milia is definitely much better at moving her body, no doubt due to her talent and the intense training she received both in the academy and her family estate. However, both Milia and Nori''s Magic Energies are almost completely spent. I''ll focus on both your Magic Energy Control training from now own, so you better be prepared.


    Alvin couldn''t help but feel sorry for Milia and Nori. "Errr... just try to not kill them, will you?"


    Nori didn''t like Linfel''s comments at all. He quickly returned to his Familiar Form, complaining. "Do you even have the right to talk like that?! You did nothing! Weren''t you just afraid of the centipede and pretended to be all bossy? Uh?


    UH?!"


    *Kabrum!*


    Suddenly, a blade of lightning appeared in the air. It happened so fast that it sent shivers in Nori''s core. That blade of Lightning slashed the Centipede''s carapace, splitting it in half in a single go. From inside, a Level Four Core came rolling out intact. "My second Level Four Core... Not bad, not bad..."


    Nori swallowed all his words in a second. That carapace, which Milia, Alvin, and himself had so much difficulty breaking, was cut through by Linfel''s attack as if it was made of butter. No, it was even worse. Linfel cut the Centipede''s body segment in half, so he attack had to cut the entire carapace in a single go instead of just a small part of it like he and Milia did.


    Linfel then looked back at Nori. "Were you saying?"


    "No... Nothing..." Nori had no ground to complain anymore. Linfel just proved the obvious. If he had joined the fray... the Fetou Centipede would have met an instant death. No training would have been carried out at all. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia took a deep breath and stabilized her Magic Energy. Alvin, in fact, used several times more Earth Skills than she did. And yet, Linfel just said Alvin used only half of his Magic Energy Reserves. Meanwhile, Linfel was right. She and Nori truly used pretty much all their Magic Energy. The difference in Magic Energy Control between her and Alvin was unbelievable.


    Truly difficult to believe, considering they hadn''t seen each other for just a few months. "Linfel, don''t make it easy for me. Give me the full course!"


    Linfel smiled in response. "That''s the plan."

 Chapter 129: Good Learning Speed

    Linfel took out his MCOM again and checked the map with the others. After checking their route, they resumed their journey. This time, however, they moved more cautiously since they were getting deeper into the Lungan Forest.


    As they walked, Milia looked at Alvin and felt conflicted. In that last battle, even though she wasn''t connected to Nori, the two of them were still fighting as one. Nori used his Magic Energy to keep the destructive flames of his sword form while she focused on maneuvering it in the battle.


    Yet, Alvin acted on his one, and you could say that he arguably did more in that fight than she and Nori did together. It was always Alvin the one receiving the attacks, catching the attention of the centipede, and being sent flying right and left. Alvin wasn''t anywhere near as good as her before, but those months with Linfel truly transformed him. ''I have to catch up...''


    It didn''t take long for them to find the next Magic Beast, but this one was at Level Three. Linfel once again stepped aside, not fighting at all. "Only one of you will fight this one. Nori, you are up!"


    Nori nodded and shot forward. Milia wasn''t the only one feeling like falling behind. After seeing Linfel''s Lightning Blade, Nori also had the urge to catch up, even though Linfel wasn''t really a Familiar.


    Nori''s Core burst with flames as he used his Magic Energy to also move around this time. Fighting on his own was a lot different. He couldn''t focus his entire power into the flames. He had to pay attention to his surroundings and the Magic Beast that tried to destroy him. Assuming his sword form was also out of the question since his ability to move would be highly impaired in that shape.


    Fire lances, Fire Explosions, Wall of Flames, Flame Tornados... Nori used his full repertory of skills he learned over the years, but they were all lacking in power. The good thing was that his opponent didn''t have intelligence and was at the same level as him. If it was a Level Four Magic Beast, he definitely would have been caught already.


    Suddenly, Linfel''s voice echoed in his mind. ''You are not using your Magic Channels to their best. Your Magic Channels in your Core are not just connected to the outside world, but also to each other. You probably haven''t noticed since you are usually in Sword Form, but your Magic Energy is colliding in those connections. Every time it happens, a lot of Magic Energy is lost.


    Not only that but the amount of Magic Energy you can use after channeling it is not even 50% of what I believe you can do.''


    Nori was taken aback, almost falling for one of the Magic Beast''s attacks. He couldn''t understand how Linfel could speak straight into his soul.


    Linfel didn''t mind that, though. He just continued speaking. ''There is a good way to start getting used to control those connected channels. Your Magic Channels are connected to your Magic Energy pool, and you are forcing your Magic Energy through all the exits, trying to bring it out to create your flames. Stop doing that.


    Select just a few channels far away from each other in your Magic Energy pool and use them. Leave the rest empty.''


    Nori, now more alert, immediately shouted back. "But if I do that, I won''t be able to generate enough Magic Energy to continue fighting!"


    Milia and Alvin were puzzled. They obviously couldn''t hear Linfel''s voice. Nonetheless, they imagined it was Linfel the reason behind, so they said nothing.


    Linfel continued. ''That''s a price you will have to pay. And if you do it outside of battle, it will take even longer to learn. You need the pressure of battle to bring out your potential. Milia created your Core with quite impressive materials for the Serfen Planet; don''t waste it.''


    ''Do it like this: Start using the channels far away from each other. That will help you understand the various intertwined paths of Magic Channels in your core. Of course, you will have way less Magic Energy to work with. So, if you see that you are in a position where you might truly die, forget this method and use all channels until you fall into a safe position again.


    Right after, stop using all channels at once and resume your training with just a few channels far away from each other.''


    "Do you think this will really work?" Nori shouted back while a wall of flames was formed again. The Magic Beast was forced to go around, giving Nori some time.


    ''How would I know?'' Linfel answered as if stating a fact. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nori almost stumbled with that answer and wanted to curse.


    Fortunately, Linfel continued. ''I''m not really a Familiar. I don''t have Magic Energy Channels. All my Magic Energy passes through my Core Walls. You could say my entire Core is a single huge Magic Channel. However, I spent these various months with Alvin, and he does have his Magic Energy Channels, or Meridians, in their case.


    I was still able to devise a good method for him to reach his level now. So, I''ve been observing you, and I believe this method should pay dividends in a short time. I will use the same method with Milia.''


    ''The only question is,'' Linfel became serious. ''Are you willing to put everything on the line to improve? Or are you fine with falling behind Milia and becoming a burden? Or even worse... never be on par with Alvin and see Milia exchanging you for him.''


    As if gasoline was thrown in the fire, Nori immediately burst with determination. "LIKE HELL I WILL!"


    Following that, Nori stopped his Magic Energy from leaving through all his Magic Channels. He selected a few of them in his Magic Energy pool that were fairly far from each other and channeled the Magic Energy through them. Just like mentioned, his attack power and movement speed through the air instantly decreased, making it even harder to deal with the Magic Beast.


    "Nori!" Milia got worried and wanted to step forward.


    However, Linfel stopped her. "You stay right there. This is his training. If things turn to worse, I''ll step in, so don''t intervene."


    The battle continued for another two minutes. During this time, Nori was forced to open all his Magic Channels over ten times to escape danger before returning to using just a few. However, one thing has already begun to become apparent. Nori was wasting less Magic Energy than before. The difference was subtle, but Linfel could easily see that. ''He wasn''t an independent familiar for nothing, it seems.


    Good learning speed.''

 Chapter 130: Brutal Training

    Nori returned victorious... and almost empty of Magic Energy. "Is it me... or are the Magic Beasts in this Planet Stronger?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    Linfel agreed with him. "They are," then he looked around and Magic Energy accumulated around him. "The concentration of Magic Energy in the air is at least three times higher than back in Serfen Planet. Well, that''s what you would expect of the Ventis Sect that controls such a huge territory. But..."


    Linfel looked at the body of the Magic Beast that Nori just killed. "That also makes the Magic Beasts on the planet stronger by default. It is not bad, though. They proportionate even better training for all disciples venturing into the Magic Beast Territories."


    Their group moved, and this time, Linfel gave Milia a task. She could use only ten Magic Energy Channels at a time. Also, she could not go back to the previously used Ten Magic Channels, or meridians, until she used all the other channels in her body.


    Alvin heard that and bitterly smiled. He absolutely remembers when Linfel put him through that kind of training. It was a kind of training you would not see anyone using in Serfen Planet since it impaired their leveling speed. The concept of focusing so much on Magic Energy Control was pretty much unheard of. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin thought about Linfel''s words back then, which were the same he used for Milia. "The Meridians of Maguses are different from the Magic Energy Channels from Familiars. They are living things that are connected to your senses of the body. However, because you have used them all at once during your entire life, you can''t even distinguish each one."


    Alvin tried to focus on his meridians, but he noticed how hard it was to pay attention to a single one. "Yeah.. it is quite difficulty."


    Linfel continued. "I can imagine. So, from now on, you will use only ten meridians at a time and not repeat them until you have gone through all the meridians."


    "Is that even possible...?" Alvin couldn''t help but comment.


    "Hmph!" Linfel didn''t seem to care. "If you can''t even control your Meridians independently, what kind of Magic Energy Control do you think you can achieve? There is no such thing as possible or impossible; you just have to do it! I don''t mind if you keep messing up during the start. However, if I sense that you gave up and returned to your normal usage of all meridians... Hehe!"


    Back in the present, Alvin felt a chill on his back. He failed... many times... and every time he did, an even more hellish punishment awaited for him. Eventually, he managed to use ten at a time and alternate without repeating.


    Sometime later, Linfel had him actively change those numbers. Ten at a time, then fifteen, then twenty, then five, and keep a mix of random numbers. Today, Alvin could easily feel, close, and open every single one of his meridians... but that was anything but easy. A huge part of his great Magic Energy Control came through this method.


    "What are you looking at?" Linfel looked at Alvin. "Does it feel funny seeing Milia starting the same training as you did? Very well, we can''t stop your training either. Do the same thing as Milia, but add three meridians every turn. Also, you can''t use the meridians for more than a second before going to the next ones, or you will pay later."


    "A SECOND?!" Alvin felt like crying. "That''s too much! I will absolutely mess up!"


    "Good!" Linfel nodded. "It''s through trial and error that you will get proficiency. Now, quit complaining and do it! You already know what will happen if I sense you slacking out."


    Alvin gritted his teeth as tears fell from his eyes and focused on his meridians.


    *Tud!*


    Too bad such a task required so much concentration that he stumbled a few seconds later, falling with his face on the ground. Fortunately, he was used to Linfel''s ridiculous methods, so he quickly got up and restarted. What he absolutely couldn''t do was to stop. If he did, then he would be in for even more pain.


    "Seems like I tamed y- Ahem... trained you pretty well," Linfel nodded, satisfied.


    "You said tame, right? Right?!" Alvin complained again.


    *Bzzz!*


    *Arrghh!*


    Suddenly, a spark of lightning hit Alvin''s butt, making him jump. Sure enough, it was Linfel. "You lost your focus again."


    Alvin continued crying and returned his attention to the task while they kept running.


    Milia looked at Alvin''s expression and couldn''t help but giggle.


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    Too bad Linfel never took his senses from her either. "What? Were you jealous of his punishment? Don''t worry, I''m completely full of Magic Energy to use, so I can zap your butt as many times as I will probably zap his."


    Milia glared at Linfel, but Linfel seemed to not care. Even worse, she couldn''t do anything. Linfel was faster, stronger, had better control, and was more intelligent. Getting revenge for that attack was a dream within a dream.


    "Hmph!" How could Linfel not tell what she was thinking? "You said it yourself. I should not hold back, so I won''t. What you will go through is the same as Alvin did, so I recommend you to focus on your task."


    Nori was just as angry, but he was really spent after the last battle, so he barely had the energy to complain.


    *Bzz!*


    *ouch!*


    *Zap!*


    *Arrghh!*


    *Bzt!*


    *Yai!*


    Another hour went by in that fashion, Linfel being merciless. Because Alvin''s task was several times harder than Milia, he got zapped just as much as her. As for Milia, her task was obviously much easier, but she had never done that before, thus the similar number of zaps.


    Still, Linfel couldn''t help but feel impressed. ''Compared to Alvin back then, her proficiency is definitely much higher. I''m not zapping her anywhere near as much as I did Alvin. Well, at least Alvin had the perseverance to push it to the end. That''s the most important.''


    Suddenly, another Magic Beast entered Linfel''s Magic Sense. "Halt!"


    Alvin and Milia stopped before quickly moving to Linfel''s side. Both of them had their hands rubbing their buttocks, several holes in their pants after so many shocks. They already had no extra clothes, so how will they deal with it later. That was a question for the future.


    "Above, a Level Four Zoinhic Hawk, the main element is wind. Alvin and Milia will fight together. Nori will wait on the side with me. Don''t use more than half of your meridians at once, and you must swap to other meridians every thirty seconds. Now then, go ahead."


    Alvin and Milia, seeing each other''s butts, weren''t even in the mood to feel embarrassed. Linfel didn''t give them that comfort. They could only tighten their fists and jump ahead to face the Level Four Zoinhic Hawk.

 Chapter 131: Me Too!

    Milia, Nori, and Alvin already had such difficulty to defeat the Fetou Centipede before, a Level Four Magic Beast. And they did that while they had access to all their meridians and magic channels. Now, Linfel asked for Milia and Alvin to fight without Nori and not use more than half of their meridians at the same time. Not to mention, they had to swap to other meridians every thirty seconds.


    "Is he trying to kill us?" Milia complained as she stepped ahead.


    Alvin didn''t even feel like laughing. "I''ve asked myself that question hundreds of times during the time Linfel and I were traveling together..."


    Finally, the Zoinhic Hawk arrived, diving through the trees while its magic Energy controlled the Magic Energy in its surroundings. A whirlwind of wind element appeared on both its wings, which spun at a speed capable of cutting its enemies.


    Alvin was just about to step ahead again. However, Milia took the front this time, using only half of her meridians to control her fire element. A sphere of fire quickly took form, and she used her Magic Energy to shoot that forward.


    The two whirlwinds on the Hawk''s wings also shot in Milia''s direction. They hit Milia''s fireball, and acting as fuel, an explosion took place in midair.


    *Boom!*


    Alvin understood Milia''s plan. He immediately used the explosion as a cover and stomped the ground. Several earth spikes shot upwards until they reached Alvin''s shoulder in height. Right after, Alvin filled his fists with Earth Element and created two gauntlets of Earth before punching forward.


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!*


    The Earth Spikes were used like bullets, passing through the explosion''s aftermath and coming on the other side.


    The Hawk was taken aback by the sudden appearance of those spikes and flew downwards to escape. Although it was a Level Four Magic Beast, it didn''t have a very high defense like the Fetou Centipede. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, as soon as it dodged the spikes, another attack came from below, this one burning with flames. Milia didn''t have Nori, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t create a blade of flames with her Magic Energy alone.


    Linfel watched their work in group and nodded, satisfied. ''They don''t have much Magic Energy to work with due to the restrictions I created. That said, being on the defense would only bring their destruction. Milia understood it immediately and took the initiative. Above all, she understood her Fire Element could be used to much greater efficiency against the Hawk''s wind element.


    Alvin also noticed that and made sure to give support. His Magic Energy control is still many times better than Milia''s, but she is doing pretty well.''


    Because Milia and Alvin couldn''t use too much Magic Energy, their attacks didn''t have much power behind them. The Hawk got injured a few times, but it also managed to injure Milia and Alvin. Milia and Alvin''s only advantage was never to use the trees, so the Hawk would have a hard time maneuvering.


    Their fight lasted another ten minutes, and the Hawk finally understood it most likely wouldn''t win easily. It was probably a 50-50 to both sides. So it turned around and tried to flee. It could hunt something else.


    Alvin and Milia bitterly smiled as they saw that. They couldn''t fly like the Hawk, so they obviously couldn''t give chase. However...


    *Bang!*


    Out of nowhere, a burst of Wind Element happened right above the Zoinhic Hawk. Wind Element was supposed to be his main weapon, but even the Hawk couldn''t resist that burst. The blast of Wind immediately forced it downwards, and it barely managed to stabilize itself before hitting the ground.


    Nori looked at Linfel, impressed. While Milia and Alvin fought, he saw Linfel preparing those sphere of Wind Element and hiding them between the foliage of the trees. When the Hawk tried to escape, Linfel burst one of them. Not only that, Linfel made it in a way that the Hawk would not be able to flee but wouldn''t be hurt either. ''I knew his control was incredible, but this is ridiculous...''


    Alvin and Milia were taken aback, but they quickly understood what happened. Without another choice, they attacked the Hawk once again, and the Hawk obviously retaliated. Their struggles continued.


    It wasn''t before twenty minutes went by that Alvin managed to land a clean hit with his Earth Spike fist in one of the Hawk''s wings, breaking its bones. From there onwards, they held the absolute advantaged, and the Hawk was finished shortly after.


    Both Alvin and Milia were covered in cuts and bleeding from everywhere, Milia especially since she wasn''t very good at defense like Alvin. She was also a lot worse in Magic Energy reserves since her control was way below Alvin''s. Nonetheless, she managed to last to the end.


    Nori quickly approached, worried. "This is not good. You are too hurt! How are we going to continue this mission if you are in this state?"


    Milia laid down on her back, breathing with difficulty. "At... At least... we managed to fulfill Linfel''s task."


    Linfel arrived at her side a moment later. "That you did. Alright, let''s take care of your injuries. Alvin, go ahead and collect the core of that Hawk. It is another Level Four Core, after all."


    Alvin nodded and bore the pain of the injuries, leaving Linfel''s side. He knew what was going to happen next.


    *Blub, blub, blub...*


    Suddenly, several spheres of water appeared above Milia before slowly coming down. Each one of them was filled with rich and pure Magic Energy. They landed on all of Milia''s injuries, and the Magic Energy inside began to work on them.


    Milia didn''t have the strength to even try to fight against it, so she just let Linfel do as he wished. She wasn''t concerned Linfel would do anything to her either, so it was fine.


    *Ugh...*


    Milia felt all her injuries, internal and external, hurting at the same time. But that wasn''t all. She was also able to see that the injuries began to heal slowly. "This..."


    Nori was also surprised. "What kind of ability is this?"


    Linfel quickly explained. "Maguses'' bodies are highly receptive to Magic Energy, especially extremely pure Magic Energy, like mine. I practiced this on Alvin many times until I understood how to activate the cells through my Magic Energy to increase the speed of healing. It can''t be used during battle since it needs high precision and a lot of time.


    We are obviously not battling anything now, so I have enough time to work on her."


    "You are truly overpowered, you know?" Alvin finally returned, already carrying the Core in his hand. Not only that, he also brought the tail feathers and the talons of the Hawks. They were materials that could be sold to the contractors.


    "It is not that incredible. Suppose you have an affinity with Water Element and Pure Magic Energy. In that case, you should be able to do something similar," Linfel explained.


    Alvin sighed. "I''m still to meet anyone with Magic Energy as pure as yours, you know?"


    "Well, that''s true. Hahaha!" Linfel laughed. "Anyway, sit down and focus on recovering your Magic Energy. Milia, Alvin, go back to using the Meridians like I mentioned. Every second not doing it is a second of training wasted."


    Nori got angry. "Can''t you see how injured both of them are? Let them recover first!" Surprisingly, he even defended Alvin this time.


    "Really?" Linfel pointed at Alvin. The guy had already started to follow Linfel''s orders even though he was injured as well.


    Milia saw that and gritted her teeth. "Ten meridians, ten meridians..."


    Nori now felt like he was the only one being lazy. "Fine! I''ll do that too!"

 Chapter 132: A Good Amount

    As they got deeper to the forest, the more they found Magic Beasts. In the end, Linfel had to intervene twice to save Milia and Nori. Alvin, as someone further into Linfel''s training, managed to hold on his own. The day passed like that, and after they dealt with 13 Magic Beasts, Linfel finally gave them time to rest. "Alright, this is enough for today.


    Even though I can heal your bodies, I can''t get rid of the fatigue. Any more than this, and it will have a detrimental effect on your body, including Nori''s core."


    Alvin immediately went to a tree and sat down, laying his back against it. "What a day..."


    Milia nodded and sat beside Alvin. "So this is the type of training Linfel had made you go through during these various months. It basically brute forces the concepts of magic Energy Control into your brain."


    Nori landed on Milia''s lap, his Magic Energy feeble. "It''s just too hard... Milia, I''m turning myself off. Even my soul is feeling strained after all of this," And so Nori''s ethereal body disappeared, leaving only the core behind. He didn''t even have the will to warn Alvin to not do anything anymore.


    Linfel got close to those two. "So... are you going to sleep here in the open?"


    Alvin shook his head and got up once again. "Of course not! I just needed a few seconds."


    Milia was just about to get up, but Alvin stopped her. "You stay here. I''m already used to this, as Linfel brought me into Magic Beast territories before. I''ll be back in a few minutes."


    Milia didn''t have time to answer before seeing Alvin shot into the distance. "How does he have so much energy still?"


    Linfel shrugged. "I didn''t train only his Magic Control but also his physic. Or could it be you didn''t notice the difference? He definitely got a few extra muscles since we separated from you."


    Milia looked away, pretending she didn''t know anything. "If you say so..." Well, she definitely noticed it, but she didn''t comment, that was all.


    A few minutes later, Alvin returned. On his hands, two beds made of leaves could be seen. They weren''t anything like real beds, but they were definitely better than the ground. "Here, one for you. I''ll use the other one. Also, come with me. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I found a nice corner for us to sleep."


    Milia and Linfel nodded and moved to another location. It was s small cliff of just a few meters. It couldn''t be considered an obstacle for any Magic Beast, Magus, and Familiar at all. Nonetheless, it offered a place to take over. As Alvin put his bed of leaves on the ground, he spoke with a smile.


    "One thing I noticed during my training sessions with Linfel is that a human truly doesn''t feel at ease if they try to sleep in an open space. We need something nearby, some kind of wall or similar."


    Milia put her own bed down and laid down while holding Nori''s core. "Indeed... I just couldn''t feel safe laying on that tree."


    "Alright, that''s enough, you two," Linfel intervened. "Just eat this and go to sleep." He then took some of the food they prepared before coming from his Spatial Storage.


    Milia didn''t complain and quickly filled themselves. The fatigue kicked in almost instantly as their bodies relaxed. "But... will we be safe here as well?"


    Linfel assured that. "Don''t worry, I''m here. I have done pretty much nothing other than watch your training today, so I''m completely fine. Besides, wisps don''t sleep to start with. I will keep watch during the night while I train to control this Soul Power thing."


    Milia and Alvin wanted to ask more about it, but Linfel didn''t seem willing to talk. In the end, they just laid down and went to sleep... which happened pretty fast. In less than five minutes, those two were already in the land of dreams.


    Linfel looked at that and faintly smiled. Then, his humanoid ethereal form disappeared, and he returned to his core enveloped in Magic Energy form instead. That was his real form, and he just kept his humanoid ethereal body in case he bumped in some Magus or Familiar on the way.


    *Bzzz...*


    Linfel summoned the same Blade of Lightning as he used against the body of the Centipede, looking at it with interest. ''This Soul Power is truly something else. Normally, my Lightning Blade wouldn''t have cut through that Centipede''s body that easily. Yet, the Soul Power seems to boost the Magic Energy. It is still not as strong as Primordial Energy, but it should be around 10% comparable now.''


    *Zush!*


    The Lightning Blade then shot into the distance, piercing a tree not far away.


    *Roar!*


    Then, a Leopard-like Magic beast with a spiked tail fell down from behind it, a hole in its head. It was moving silently, trying to ambush their group. Too bad that it could never escape Linfel''s Magic Energy sense. Just like that, a Level Four Magic Beast died. Alvin, Milia, and Nori didn''t hear anything. Linfel had covered their surroundings with his Magic Energy, so no sound reached them.


    ''Still, this Soul Power is truly difficult to control. Primordial was also difficult, but soul power is difficult in another way. It requires a very delicate control, and even I am struggling a bit to get it right. Primordial was basically extremely powerful and chaotic. I guess to go from one end of the spectrum to another is a challenge even for wisps...''


    Following that, Linfel took out his MCOM. The entire planet was covered in the Ventis Sect Network, so it had signal even in this place. He took his time to learn more about the Ventis Sect and especially the fastest way to become a High Elder.


    Night gave way to the first rays of light. Behind Linfel, Milia felt those rays of light hit her eyes, which succeeded in waking her up. She opened her eyes, and it was then that her body froze. At that very moment, Milia was hugging Alvin very closely. She looked more like an octopus tangled around him. "Eh?"


    Alvin faintly smiled at her. He obviously ended up waking up a lot earlier due to that situation. "Hello... did you sleep well?"


    "Ah!" She immediately jumped back, letting go of Alvin. "It, it, it wasn''t on purpose!"


    Alvin nodded. "Don''t worry, I know. I just woke up a few minutes back anyway. It''s just that I didn''t want to wake you up. Of course, didn''t do anything! You can ask Linfel."


    Milia, red as a tomato, just nodded. "I trust you..."


    She then looked to the side, and her body froze once again. Alvin did the same, and his reaction was just as spectacular.


    Finally, Nori''s Core burst with Magic Energy, and his ethereal body appeared again. He floated up, looking at Alvin and Milia''s expression. "Hey, did someth-" Yet, his words stopped when he looked in the same direction.


    There, Linfel floated with his MCOM open. Yet, that wasn''t the problem. The problem was the terrain around him. At least thirty corpses of Magic Beasts were fallen all over the place! Did he kill all of that? On his own?!


    And the answer was yes! After killing the first one, the smell of blood attracted the next. Then the next came, and the next, and the next, and the next... The more blood in the surroundings, the more Magic Beasts came. At some point, all the Magic Beasts in the surrounding area came to this place... just to die.


    Linfel closed his MCOM, looking back. "Oh! You three are awake. Good. Let''s continue. If we move fast, we should reach the settlement where we need to deliver the packages in the next three days."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori didn''t even know what to say. He killed all those Magic Beasts, and yet, he didn''t seem the least bit tired. Was Linfel really so powerful like that?


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Linfel got confused. "Oh! Right, right! Don''t worry, I removed all their cores. Now, we have 44 Level Four Cores to bring back to the contractors later. I also got the Materials that could be traded with other contractors as well.


    It should provide us quite a good amount of Ventis Credit."

 Chapter 133: Red Spots

    Alvin and Milia didn''t know what to say. Sure, they cores and other materials were important, no doubt. But above all, Linfel''s strength while being at Level Three seemed just ridiculous. "Ignore it, Milia," said Alvin. "Thinking too much about it will needlessly drive you crazy." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia began to get used to that. "I see what you mean..."


    Nori looked into his own MCOM and found it strange. "Linfel said we should reach the settlement in three days... but the settlement is only one day ahead from what I''m seeing in the map."


    Alvin and Milia trembled a little and checked their own MCOMs as well. "Indeed. We aren''t that far, Linfel."


    Linfel nodded. "Obviously not. However, a single extra day of training is far from enough. We need to use this opportunity well, so I selected another route that will take a long roundabout before getting there. There is no need to thank me. I''m doing it for our mutual good."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori didn''t feel very happy, though. Nonetheless, they knew he was doing it for them... or perhaps he was having fun seeing them suffer? Maybe a little of both. In any case, they asked for it, and Linfel was taking it seriously.


    Another day, another and danger-filled training. Linfel didn''t hold back, having Milia, Nori, and Alvin repeat the same process as the previous days but with added difficulty.


    "Why the hell did you swap meridians earlier?!"


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    "What? You were going to die if you didn''t? Then you did wrong from the very start!"


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ghhh!*


    "Uh? Do I look like I care? Since I said to use only ten percent of Magic Energy through the Magic Channels of your core, you have to use only ten percent of Magic Energy!"


    *Bzzz!*


    *Fuck!*


    Not only did Milia and Alvin''s buttocks smell like cooked meat, but even Nori''s core had more black marks than his brown color at Level Three. Linfel was spartan to a fault. Of course, Linfel would still heal them once in a while when he saw they got in too bad of a shape. However, that would only happen after a long time of hellish struggle.


    During the second night, Milia made sure to make her bed very far from Alvin, all to make sure that she would roll over and entangle him once more... which proved ineffective. When she opened her eyes again, her own bed of leaves was several meters away while she held Alvin very, very comfortably. "That''s not possible!"


    Alvin tried to raise his hand, which was a little hard since she held him hard. "Wo-Would you let me go first?"


    "Ah!" Milia quickly got away. Then, she looked at Linfel not far away... and there were more Level Four Magic Beast bodies around. She ignored that this time, though. "Linfel! It must be you.


    You are carrying me to Alvin, aren''t you?"


    Linfel looked back at Milia, confused. "Hum? Does that mean you wanted me to carry you to him? Then why don''t you simply go sleep with him from the start?"


    "No!" Milia immediately denied it. "I''m saying you are carrying me there on purpose!"


    "Is that true, Linfel?" Alvin asked, a little disappointed. If that''s the case, then Milia wasn''t really coming for him on her own.


    Yet, Linfel felt wronged. "I did no such thing, look!" He then turned his MCOM to Milia and Alvin, and a recording began to play. In the middle of the night, just a little bit over an hour after they had fallen asleep. There, Milia suddenly got up on her own and made her way to Alvin''s side.


    She got down on his bed of leaves, hugged him tight, and finally settled down with a very big and satisfied smile on her face. She couldn''t look any happier.


    Alvin glanced at Milia, who had her hands covering her face. She now couldn''t deny it. "It... It must be the fatigue. Yes! The nights were cold, and I automatically looked for the closest source of heat.


    That''s it! Yes, absolutely!"


    Linfel nodded. "I see... humans are creatures of warm blood, after all." The clueless wisp believed Milia''s words without even questioning.


    Somehow, Milia felt relieved Linfel was like that. Still, there was an Alvin on the side who seemed to try to hold his laugh. "You! Don''t say anything!"


    Alvin raised his hands. "Yes. I won''t say anything."


    Nori woke up not long after. "What are you guys talking about?"


    Milia immediately cut him off. "Nothing! Let''s keep going!"


    "Well said!" Linfel nodded approvingly. "Training first, the rest is the rest. Let''s go!"


    Finally, through Milia, Nori, and Alvin''s efforts, they managed to get to their destination. It only took them three days, but it felt as well an eternity. As for the nights of sleepwalking... Milia basically asked Linfel in secret to make sure she wouldn''t go to his side, and Linfel helped.


    She simply came with an excuse that moving during the night would interfere with her fatigue recover, which Linfel bought quite easily.


    "Look!" Alvin''s eyes shined with hope. "It''s the settlement!"


    Milia''s dead-looking eyes seemed to react as her face raised in the direction Alvin pointed at. As if finding paradise itself, her eyes became teary.


    Even Nori''s feeble Magic Energy around his cores seemed to increase in concentration when he noticed the same place.


    A few Maguses could be seen leaving while some others arrived. It was quite a busy settlement in the middle of the Magic Beast Forest. No doubt it had some kind of Magical Array in place that kept the Magic Beasts away.


    Linfel, obviously, noticed that as well. "Hum... I guess we are finally here. That''s good enough. However, you should be careful. Lift your MCOMs and turn them in the direction of the settlement with the camera activated.


    Make sure the Ventis Sect App is open as well."


    Alvin and the others did as Linfel mentioned. Immediately, hundreds of red spots appeared with several different names. "This..."


    Linfel smiled, excited. "This is a fun place, full of killers. Of course, majority here are still in the clean since there are bound to be tens of thousands of Maguses and Familiars around. Still, there seems to be some rules in place to prevent people from ganging up on the killers. In any case, just be careful. Let''s go."

 Chapter 134: Bound to be fun

    Their group entered the settlement, which looked like a place with a mix of medieval and advanced technology. Wooden houses of diverse sizes could be seen while several types of Magic Array Devices were in every corner. The place seemed to have the same stalls where the Maguses and Familiars sold their materials, cores, herbs, etc, for higher prices.


    Above all, it seemed easier to sell as well, and that''s because prices here were slightly smaller than the settlement at the entrance of the Forest.


    Linfel''s group followed the location in the MCOM, arriving at a three-story wooden building with the emblem of the Ventis Sect in front. The Ventis Sect was also present here to receive the contracts and other things. It''s just that they didn''t intervene with anything that happened in this place.


    Inside, Linfel found an opening to bring the delivery packages out of his Spatial Store without anyone seeing. Then, they went to a counter, where Linfel showed the contracts they got.


    "Hum? Four Packages?" The attendant looked at Linfel''s group''s information in his terminal. "That''s not bad. All packages are in pristine condition, which is rare for newly arrived Maguses and Familiars. There is no sign of opening either. As per the agreement, you will receive 05 Ventis Credits per package."


    Soon, Linfel and the others received 05 Ventis Credits each. "Thank you, friend. We also have some other things to deliver here."


    Alvin and Milia then pulled two huge sacs from their backs and put them on the counter. Following that, they also showed the other contracts they had for Magic Beast Cores and Materials... and they were a lot!


    "Now, that''s surprising," the attendant admitted. "Still, why are you selling it here? Aren''t you going to open a stall and sell to higher-level Maguses and Familiars or two with more than two years in the sect who come by? Do you know about the Away Tokens?"


    "We do," Linfel answered. "However, we also know that it might take various days to sell the materials, and we have quite a lot of them. Besides, this place is not exactly protected. If we open a stall with this many items, that will pretty much put a target on our backs." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The attendant faintly smiled. "Well, it seems like you aren''t completely clueless of the rules here. Alright, give me everything."


    The attendant checked the contracts and the items that went for each one. However, as the materials kept coming, his expression began to change. He quickly checked his terminal just to make sure, confirming Linfel''s group arrived on the planet just five days before. Yet, the number of Magic Beasts they killed was astounding.


    Above all, he could easily tell they were all Level Three Maguses and Familiars. It seemed hard to believe.


    "212 Level Four Magic Beast Cores. Level Three Magic Beasts don''t have cores, but you still got other materials from them, which means you probably killed over 300 on your way here..." The attendant looked at Linfel''s group with doubts. "Were it really you guys who killed all these Magic Beasts?"


    "Are you thinking we got help?" Linfel asked back.


    "Did you not?" The attendant answered with another question.


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Well, that''s up to your imagination. As far as we are aware, there is no rule about getting help in such a way."


    "True..." The attendant admitted. If robbing was fine, so why not a helping hand? Perhaps they had some High-Level Magus or Familiar friends. Or, most likely, they had a background in the sect and had it help them with their contracts. "Alright, who will receive the whole payment?"


    Linfel quickly floated forward. "Just send everything into my Ventis Sect Account."


    The attendant nodded, once again a little surprised. Usually, the Maguses, who were the masters, received everything. Well, that wasn''t his problem.


    Linfel quickly opened his MCOM and then the app, showing their earning to Milia, Alvin, and Nori.


    -Ventis Credits: 102-


    -Away Tokens: 21-


    That was quite a big number, and 60 to 70% of all of that was contributed by Linfel alone. While they slept, Linfel killed Magic Beasts like there was no tomorrow, and he made it look extremely easy on top of that.


    Linfel turned back to the attendant, who was putting the materials away. "Bother, can we take more contracts to fulfill on our way back?"


    "But of course!" The attendant quickly replied. He pointed to a terminal on the side. "That terminal is connected to the various companies in the cities. Just check the contracts in there and get as many as you think you can fulfill."


    Linfel and the others did as mentioned and took more delivery contracts with their own city as a destination. Other than that, they just checked the contracts for materials but didn''t take them this time. It would be faster to simply see what they needed and then take the contracts back in the city at the company themselves. They would be able to take and deliver the goods at the same time.


    However... "If you are thinking about just note down the items for the contracts, you shouldn''t. Make sure you take the contracts now."


    Linfel and the others turned back. "Why?"


    "Because the contracts are constantly changing," the attendant explained. "If you gather the materials and go back to the city without the contract, the company itself might have no need for the materials anymore. Then, you would be left with a bunch of useless items you have no use for.


    However, if you have the contract, they will have to take the items regardless if they need the item or not since you already signed with them."


    "I see..." Alvin looked at the contracts. "Linfel, should we just take the contracts from before?"


    Linfel pondered a bit. "Friend, can we take a bunch of contracts? Are there penalties if we don''t complete them all?"


    "There are," the guy nodded. "You will have to pay half of the Ventis Credits that you were supposed to receive if you completed the contract."


    "Then forget it," Linfel spoke. Right after, he sent the mind messages to Alvin, Milia, and Nori. ''It matters not if the contracts disappear when we get back in the city. I can simply keep everything inside my Spatial Storage, so we won''t have to walk around with anything.''


    Milia and the others nodded. ''This Spatial Storage is truly convenient...'' they thought, feeling a little bit jealous.


    With that concluded, they left the Ventis Sect building and headed outside. There wasn''t much for them to do there anyway, and they definitely didn''t want to attract anyone''s attention. Finally, they were back in the forest, this time heading back to the city.


    "Let''s make a little turn," Linfel suddenly asked, changing direction.


    Alvin and the others didn''t mind. They were used to Linfel changing the routes to give them some ''very amicable'' training twists. However, his voice echoed in their minds again. ''We have a few new friends to play with coming from the settlement. I told you, this place is bound to be fun.''

 Chapter 135: Ambush

    Alvin, Milia, and Nori were surprised to hear that, but they didn''t show it on their faces. After what they passed in the war, they got some experience. Above all, that gave them an element of surprise if they were truly being targeted.


    Linfel landed on Alvin''s shoulder, and their group kept on their way back to the outside of the Forest. As they got further away from the settlement, the number of Maguses and Familiars around also went down. They didn''t stop, though. Finally, they got far enough that it would be hard to bump into any Familiar or Magus, especially since they were following another route.


    *Sush, sush, sush...*


    Suddenly, four Maguses jumped out of the trees ahead, already using their Master Familiar connection with their Familiars. Linfel looked at them through the MCOM, but only one of them was marked as a Killer. They others seemed to be in the clean.


    "Well, well, well... so we have Level Three newcomers. How unfortunate for you guys," said the guy with Killer Mark. He was obviously this group leader, especially since he was the only Level Five Magus there. "How about we make things easy for big brother Vantun here? Just transfer your Ventis Credits to me, and of course, show me your accounts, and then you can leave.


    No harm done."


    Alvin had a scared expression while Milia hid behind him. They were the full picture of a mouse in a trap. "P-Please, we don''t want trouble. We don''t have many Ventis Credits either. Wh-Why would you even care about the Ventis Credits of such low-level experts like us?" Alvin asked.


    Vantun snorted in response. "It is exactly because you are this weak that you make a great target. Sure, I don''t expect any of you to have many Ventis Credits, but it is a guaranteed income without any risks. Now, open your MCOM and show your credits."


    Linfel looked at the other Maguses and Familiars who didn''t have Killer Marks. No doubt they were there only as support and to make sure his group would escape. If a kill was truly necessary to be made, the Vantun guy most likely would do it. In exchange, he shared the Ventis Credits with his subordinates, and his subordinates could go back to the city to acquire anything Vantun needed.


    Alvin, Linfel, Nori, and Milia quickly nodded at each other and took out their MCOMs. Sure enough, their full balances came into view, surprising Vantun. "Now, that''s unexpected. I wonder how long it took you guys to earn all these Ventis Credits. Although it is not that much to me, it is still a lot more than I expected from ants like you."


    Vantun then approached while releasing his Magic Energy, pressuring Alvin and Milia together with Linfel and Nori. His subordinates also approached from the sides with their weapons pointed at Linfel''s group and ready to attack at any moment.


    Out there in the open, one couldn''t simply transfer their Ventis Credits. That only worked in the cities. To make the transfers, one had to make contact with the other''s MCOM. Such a limitation was created exactly so the assailants would have to approach their targets, giving more chances for sudden developments. The Ventis Sect wanted to see as many struggles as possible.


    Vantun touched Alvin''s MCOM first, thinking him to be the leader of Linfel''s group. None of his people were the least bit worried. They were all Level Four, while Vantun was Level Five. The difference in strength was just too great.


    *Sush!*


    Suddenly, a Magic Beast came running at their group. It wasn''t anything out of the norm. They were in the middle of the Magic Beast Forest, after all. One of Vantun''s companions immediately broke formation and faced the Level Four Magic Beast.


    However, that sudden movement still robbed Vantun and his group out of their attention for a split second.


    *Kabrum!*


    From the very start, Linfel was connected to Alvin, and the two worked together. That allowed him to use not only his own Magic Energy but also Alvin''s. That made him even faster since he could bring Magic Energy out from both his and Alvin''s cores to complete his attack.


    The same blade of Lightning, filled with Soul Power, appeared in mid-air and pierced through Vantun''s body in half! Linfel didn''t just aim at Vantun''s body, though. He aimed at both Vantun and his Familiar, which had a breastplate form while using his Master Familiar connection. Linfel and Alvin, working together, took down a Level Five Magus and Familiar.


    Everything was planned from the start. Linfel guided the group to this area until he found a Magic Beast inside his Magic Sense. Then, he stopped close enough to attract its attention eventually. When the Magic Beast came out, Vantun and the others were bound to divert their attention, even if just for an extremely short moment.


    Milia wasn''t any slower. The moment the Magic Beast appeared and one of the guys broke out to intercept it, she also connected to Nori and slashed out at one of the guys.


    Too bad that she wasn''t as fast as Linfel. The guy she aimed at was able to move in the last moment, avoiding a fatal injury. Nonetheless, he was still caught by the side, and his arm flew off while the flames cauterized the injury, adding to the pain. Milia had no mercy for anyone who helped with such schemes.


    "You!" The third guy saw how a Level Five Magus died in an instant while his other friend lost an arm. However, he believed that only happened because they were careless, having underestimated Linfel''s group because of their level. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Water Element gathered around his body before it froze and created several icicles that shot in Linfel and Alvin''s direction. The guy who lost an arm was also furious. Unfortunately for him, the arm he lost was his dominant one, so he got a lot weaker, especially due to the pain. Milia followed with a barrage of attacks, not giving him time to recover. The battle was just starting.

 Chapter 136: Killing

    The last Level Four Magus was still fighting the Magic Beast, so he could not come to help his companions either. Just like that, it became an even field... if one of his group''s enemies wasn''t Linfel, that is.


    Wing flowed through Alvin and Linfel, and Alvin''s body moved from his position like a bullet. All the icicles missed the target. Alvin''s fists turned into two spiked weapons, and with Linfel''s help, they closed in on the Water guy. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?!" He couldn''t believe Alvin and Linfel''s speed. They were even faster than himself. In the end, he changed his tactic to defense. Countless shards of ice spread from his body, creating a barrier that he could manipulate.


    Alvin''s earth spike fists came forward, and the shards concentrated in front of them, blocking Alvin''s attack.


    *Bang! Bang!*


    *Crack, crack, crash!*


    Yet, the power behind the attacks were so great that the ice shards barrier crumbled almost instantly. By now, the enemy knew that they had piqued a fight with the wrong opponent. Linfel''s group was much stronger than what you would expect from their levels.


    Finally, Alvin and Linfel''s opponent gave up the attack and turned around to flee. He might not be able to face them, but if he and his familiar used all their Magic Energy to run, they should be able to outlast Linfel and Alvin with their extra Magic Energy. They were sure the fast movements performed by Linfel and Alvin consumed huge amounts of Magic Energy as well.


    Truth be told, Alvin and Linfel''s Magic Control was better than Vantun, the Level Five Magus. So... they were actually using a lot less Magic Energy than the Level Four Magus and Familiar. They would definitely outlast the guy if they wanted. Yet, Linfel saw no need for it.


    *Boom!*


    As soon as the guy turned around to flee, he ended face to face with a fireball! Linfel''s control allowed him to manipulate Magic Energy much further away than his enemies as well, so he prepared that in advance. The guy was sent flying, crashing against the ground and kicking a few times.


    *Arrrgh!*


    On the other side, Milia and Nori landed another heavy attack on her enemy. They were far from having Alvin and especially Linfel''s Magic Energy Control. Nonetheless, they improved quite a bit.


    The last guy was scared out of his mind as he fought the Magic Beast. Never would have he thought his companions, who were all at higher levels, would lose so miserably. It made him wonder who was ambushing who for real. He gritted his teeth and a burst of magic Energy came from his body.


    An enormous hammer of Earth Element came crashing down on the Magic Beast, forcing it to retreat for a moment. Without thinking twice, the guy turned around and fled! He didn''t want to have anything to do with his companions anymore. The only thing that mattered in this place was to stay alive, and he wouldn''t stay alive for much longer if he stayed there.


    Linfel noticed that but didn''t do anything. Instead, he communicated with Alvin, who quickly grabbed the dead guy''s MCOM and retreated to Milia''s side. The two joined together and easily broke several bones of the last Magus while cracking his Familiar''s Core. Yet, they didn''t kill the guy. Even in this situation, if they landed a killing blow, they would be the ones to be marked as Killers.


    "Got them! Let''s go!" Linfel''s orders came. The Magic Beast was still there, and the commotion was bound to attract more of them. They weren''t too far from the settlement yet, so there was also a chance of more Maguses and Familiar appearing as well.


    The two guys who were still alive felt the despair. They were in terrible condition and could barely move. Linfel and his group had no intention of helping, leaving them for the Magic Beast to deal with. If they survived, then that''s it. If not, then they could only blame themselves.


    *Roar!*


    Sure enough, the Magic Beast lost track of the guy it was fighting and then returned, just to see the two Maguses trying to run away while spilling blood all over the ground. How could it let them go? It immediately attacked. As for what happened after that, Linfel''s group wasn''t close enough to watch.


    Thirty minutes later, Linfel''s group stopped. "Now, that''s what I call a good day''s work," Linfel said with a smile. Right after, he took out three MCOMs, one of them being the Level Five Magus and Familiar''s MCOM. He touched those MCOMs to his own. He couldn''t access the information of those maguses and Familiars, but he could definitely rob them of their Ventis Credits thanks to the Ventis Sect app.


    Soon, the Ventis Credits inside those three MCOMs entered Linfel''s account.


    -Ventis Credits: 659-


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori looked at that and sighed. "No wonder there are people willing to attack others. Such huge rewards..."


    Linfel smiled. "Well, we got rid of one of the killers, so the Ventis Credits in his MCOM were doubled when they fell into my account."


    "That''s true..." The other agreed.


    Linfel then threw the MCOMs away. He could copy those guys'' Magic Energy and use the MCOMs as if he were them. However, it was better to only display this ability of his if extremely necessary. "Well then, we have made our first killing, no pun intended."


    Alvin''s eyes lit up. "Then let''s just go back to the City and use the credits."


    "Of course!" Linfel nodded. "After we finish our next cycle of training. Good thing we used some of our Ventis Credits to buy food in the settlement. We can stay out in the open for another week. By the way, the direction we have been moving is actually a lot more towards the center of the Forest than the City. I want to meet a few Level Five Magic Beasts while we are still here.


    Let''s go."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori trembled slightly. Obviously, Linfel still hasn''t had enough of ''fun'' in this journey. "Well... It wasn''t like I didn''t expect that," Milia commented with a sigh. She was getting used to Linfel''s craziness.

 Chapter 137: Gray Spiked Wolf

    It wasn''t that Linfel was stronger than the Level Five Magus and Familiar combo. He definitely held the advantage against those at Level Four but a great margin, but a Level Five duo should be more or less within his capabilities when connected to Alvin.


    However, the absolute advantage of Linfel''s group was no doubt their levels. Other Maguses and Familiars would more than likely underestimate his group. Alvin had always been a scared cat and only recently he began to change. Still, that experience made it a lot easier to pretend to be scared. The guy almost deserved an Oscar.


    On their way to the central part of the Forest, their group stopped to fight the Magic Beasts that were part of the contracts they took earlier. The days that followed seemed to take forever. Obviously, Linfel kept the restrictions so they could get a better control over their Magic Energy.


    Then, it finally came the time for their group to face a Level Five Magic Beast, the Gray Spiked Wolf. This Magic Best didn''t really use any Magic Energy attacks. All of it was gathered in its body and fortified it as the wolf grew up. That made them even more fearsome than most of the Level Five Magic Beasts in this forest.


    *Bang!* S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin''s Earth Wall was easily broken by a spike shot from the wolf. In the next instant, the wolf jumped over rubble, pouncing at Alvin''s neck. Once again, Alvin acted as the vanguard for th fight. Linfel also allowed everyone to use all their Magic Channels this time.


    Alvin jumped back, but his speed was nowhere near as fast as the wolf, so it caught up to him in a flash. However, the moment the wolf was about to land a bite, Linfel''s Magic Energy condensed in between Alvin and the Wolf, creating another burst of air.


    Alvin was sent tumbling down in one direction while the wolf went on another. The difference was that the wolf recovered his balance much faster.


    *Zash!*


    He wasn''t alone, though. Even though he recovered his Balance, Milia was already at his landing point, slashing out as soon as he was about to touch the ground. Her Flame Sword came down, fire spread and the attack was bound to hit the wolf at point-blank distance.


    Yet, the wolf hasn''t reached Level Five for nothing. The moment Milia''s attack was about to land, various of the spikes on the wolf''s body turned in Milia''s direction.


    *chut, chut, chut...*


    The spikes, which had easily destroyed Alvin''s Earth Wall, were all aimed perfectly against Milia''s Sword, Nori.*


    *Clang!*


    The power behind the spikes not only forced Milia''s sword back but shooting them also helped the wolf to change his direction in mid-air, landing a few meters away. The wolf didn''t waste time and pounced at Milia, more spikes shooting from his body.


    *clang, clang, clang...*


    Milia''s Sword slashed as fast as she could, but each strike of a spike made her hand numb. The difference in level was just too high. It was already incredible she lasted a few seconds against it, but it definitely would last more than that.


    Good thing she wasn''t alone. Those exchanges now gave Alvin and Linfel time to recover. Alvin came running as his Earth Spike Fist aimed at the Wofl''s open spot. It wasn''t like the wolf could shoot those Spike forever. Each one he used was a spot open in his body, and it would take a few days to recover.


    The wolf once again saw itself forced to change targets. Its claws moved like lightning, rotating his body to increase the force of the attack.


    *Bang!*


    *Crumble!*


    Alvin was more resistant than Milia, but because he threw himself head-on, the force of the attacks he received was much higher. His Eart Spike fists were destroyed by the impact, and he saw himself at the mercy of the Spikes that followed the opening in his defense.


    *Ptch, ptch, ptch!*


    Alvin tried to dodge the gray wolf''s spikes, but he was still too slow compared to the wolf, and three spikes landed on his leg, abdomen, and shoulder. All he could do was prevent them from hitting a vital organ.


    The wolf obviously followed, but its instincts immediately made it stop. Then, from behind Alvin, Linfel''s core appeared. This time, not only one blade of Lightning was summoned, but ten of them at the same time. ''As expected of a Magic Beast that survived to Level Five. It truly knows when to force the issue and when not. Too bad, though.


    You are looking in the wrong direction.''


    *Zush, zush, zush!*


    The wolf had Linfel, Milia, Alvin, and Nori in his sights, so it didn''t pay attention to his back. From behind the tree, three Lightning Blades appeared out of nowhere. To make sure the Wolf wouldn''t notice them, Linfel even shot his own Lightning Blades, forcing the wolf to pay attention to them. When it dodged the attack, the three Lightning Blades landed on its blind spot.


    *swish, swish, swish!*


    *Roar!*


    Linfel''s hidden Lightning Blades pierced through several of the spikes and went deep into the wolf''s body. Lightning and Soul Power quickly spread. The Soul Power made the wolf''s reaction''s slow, and the Lightning caused havoc in his body.


    *Slash!*


    Yet, the finishing blow didn''t come from Linfel, but Milia and Nori instead. With that little opening, she landed her Flame Sword on the open without spikes, piercing all the way into the Wolf''s Heart before jumping back.


    The Gray Spiked Wolf coughed and turned around, trying to flee. Unfortunately, the damage in his body, especially his heart, was too great. It only managed to move a few meters before it was too much for it to resist.


    *Tud!*


    *grrr...*


    It fell to the ground, trying to get up. But soon, its vision went black, and its body stopped moving forever.


    "Alvin!" Milia ignored the fallen wolf and quickly run to Alvin''s side. He was pierced by the wolf''s spikes, which were quite big.


    Linfel didn''t seem as worried, though. "Not bad, Alvin. I had my Lightning Blades ready to counter the spikes if you didn''t move away in time. However, you did move and avoided fatal damage. Never give up. That''s how you do it."


    *Arrgh...*


    "Ca-Can you just... heal me up already?" Alvin wasn''t in the mood to receive compliments, though.


    Linfel nodded and used his Magic Energy to remove all three spikes at once. However, his Magic Energy also prevented any blood from coming out as the healing process immediately started. "Milia, go take the wolf''s core. We need to leave before more Magic Beasts come after the smell of blood."


    As Linfel healed Alvin, he also used his Magic Energy to lift his body and move away from the scene. Milia did as Linfel told. Not only that, she also collected a few of spikes that seemed the hardest, which she had seen a contract for. A few moments later, their group was gone from there.


    *Roar!*


    *Awuuu!*


    Linfel''s words were correct. Even after gaining some distance, they soon heard the sound of other Magic Beasts from their backs. No doubt, Magic Beasts began to fight over the wolf''s carcass. Linfel''s group only stopped one hour later, and Linfel focused on healing Alvin completely. "Alright, guess this is it."


    Alvin got up, seeing that not even a scar was left behind. "Sigh... that one was close. Linfel, I hope you aren''t planning to fight another Level Five Beast so soon."


    Milia and Nori agreed. Even they were at their limit, and one misstep could have ended with those spikes inside their body or core instead.


    Linfel pondered a bit and decided to call it quits there. "Alright, this should be enough for our first time out. Besides, the Magic Control test is approaching, and if we want to use Magic Energy to increase our level, we must pass that test first. Let''s return to the city."

 Chapter 138: Blow Off Some Steam

    Linfel''s group made a beeline back to Gertei City, only stopping to fight the Magic Beasts on the way. No other Maguses or Familiars tried to bar their way. Just as mentioned before, Killers were just too rare considering the issues of being one of them carried.


    Back in the city, their room was still there, quite dusty after being empty for over a week. They didn''t waste time and immediately paid for the electricity and water, which was one Ventis Credit per day.


    From there, they divided their tasks, and everyone went out again. Milia and Nori went after clothes and other common house items... including the ones for her periods, of course. Milia was happy they returned when they did since it was only three days before her special days arrived.


    Alvin and Linfel, on the other hand, went to the contractors to deliver the cores and other materials. They also took extra contracts regarding the extra materials they got from magic Beasts that were not part of their initial contracts.


    They paid special attention to the Magic Core of the Gray Spiked Wolf, which was a Level Five Core. They were worth one Ventis Credit each. It made sense since you needed ten Level Four Cores for a single Credit, so the Wolf''s one was worth ten times more.


    Enjoy reading at m v le_mp-yr


    However, Linfel and Alvin decided to not sell it in the end. A single Ventis Credit wouldn''t make much of a chance for them at the moment. Besides, Linfel said the Core itself had a very high concentration of Magic Energy. It was even better than Brown Magic Energy Stones.


    Normally, no one would be idiot enough to try to absorb the Magic Energy in a Magic Beast Core. The Magic Energy inside was completely different than the Magic Energy one absorbs from magic Stone or in the environment. It would pollute the Maguses and Familiars'' Cores faster than any other source of Magic Energy.


    However, that was not an issue for Linfel. He could get rid of all the impurities related to the Magic Beast. It''s just that once he was done with the cleaning, not much Magic Energy remained. It was still a high level of Magic Energy, though. Simply put, it was worth keeping it if the Core was at least two Levels higher than Linfel''s group.


    Level Four ones were better to be sold off and then use the Ventis Credits to buy Brown Magic Stones instead.


    The Spikes of the Gray Spiked Wolf were different. They were worth a Ventis Credit each, and Milia collected twenty of them together with the core. Those ones they had no use for, so they sold everything.


    In the end, after all contracts and materials were exchanged, Linfel''s group had a grand total of 943 Ventis Credits. Above all, they got the untradable Away Tokens, which were shared between the four members of the group. Linfel and the others ended with 13 Away Tokens each.


    Following that, Alvin and Linfel went after the food and also clothes for Alvin. Alvin and Milia felt quite embarrassed as they walked around the city. The lightning sparks Linfel hit their buttocks with had created several holes there. And since they didn''t have spares, they were literally using leaves to cover, which attracted quite some attention.


    That''s the reason Milia went to buy clothes for herself as her first task.


    After buying food and other necessary items, the four of them returned to their room.


    "Alright, we have everything necessary to live here for a while," Linfel started. "Not only that, we still have 712 Ventis Credits remaining."


    Alvin sighed. "Food, everyday items, and especially clothes, they were truly expensive. We risked our lives several times, and over 200 Ventis Credits only bought us a single month of supplies."


    Milia agreed with him, now wearing new clothes and feeling more relaxed. "The Ventis Sect truly intends to push you to the brink. Have you seen the streets? Everything is very advanced, all systems work perfectly, and yet..."


    Alvin knew what she was talking about. As they walked through the city, they saw a few of the Maguses and Familiars who arrived with them in the Ventis Sect. They lived in the cheapest district at the moment, so it made sense those guys also came here. Yet, they didn''t seem to even have a place to live.


    It made sense. Alvin, Milia, Nori, and Linfel were considered a participant each during the Ventis Sect Exams. When they passed, they gained 10 Ventis Credits each, which were put together since they were friends. They could trust each other.


    The other Maguses and Familiars were mostly single entities. Let''s not forget the huge majority of Familiars are not independent. That''s the norm. So, both the Familiar and its Master got just 10 Ventis Credits to be used by both of them. Even worse, after checking how the Ventis Sect worked, could they trust someone else like Linfel''s group did?


    Could they pass the Ventis Credits they had to someone else to get a room or something? That was a hard task to accomplish. Thus, a few were still on the streets even now. The streets had plenty of Maguses and Familiars in those conditions.


    "There is no point feeling sad for the others," Linfel cut in. "Most of them are at Level Four or Level Five. What about us? We are only Level Three and we still managed to get ourselves together. If they can''t find people to trust, that is not our problem. Instead, we have something else to focus on now; take a look."


    Linfel pulled his MCOM, and the information regarding the next Magic Control test was shown to them. As explained when they arrived, there was one Magic Control test every two months. If you wanted to use Magic Energy for leveling again, you had to pass this test. Otherwise, you would need to wait two years. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And, by the end of two years, if you still didn''t pass the test, you would not be a disciple anymore.


    However, now that they had the conditions to take the test, the requirements took them by surprise.


    "150 Ventis Credits for a change?!" Alvin exclaimed. "Holy shit! That''s a robbery!"


    Linfel shrugged. "Well, to be more specific, it costs 50 Ventis Credits for each level of the participants. So, Level Four Maguses and Familiars will need to pay 200 Ventis Credits to take the test. Our lower level played in our favor this time."


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "However, because Linfel and Nori are independent Familiars, they need to pay for themselves. Well, I wouldn''t change my mind regarding Nori''s independence anyway."


    Linfel smiled. "Alright, the test will start after tomorrow. However, Milia, Nori, I''ll be honest, I find it very hard to believe you two will pass it." Then, Linfel showed the score necessary to be approved.


    -Minimal Score: 800 Points-


    Alvin felt nervous. "Linfel... Even I don''t know if I can make 800 points."


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, but you have a real chance after this last week in a half of training."


    Milia looked at Linfel, sighing. "I understand it, Linfel. It is better if Nori and I don''t take the test and save the 300 Ventis Credits. Otherwise, it will be a waste since we can''t reach 800 points."


    "Uh? What are you talking about?" Linfel asked back. "You are absolutely taking the test, idiot."


    "Eh?" Nori and Milia didn''t understand. "Why?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Linfel smiled. "Experience! Without taking it at least once, how will you prepare for the next time? 300 Ventis Credits will be very well spent even if you fail, and that includes Alvin."


    Linfel closed his MCOM and sent it back into the Spatial Storage. "Well then. We just returned from our training, so I want you two to relax during the next two days. I read in the forums of your human race that sex is often a very good way to blow off some steam. Since you are in the same room, you should try it out. Oh, right!


    We need to buy some contraceptives since a kid right now would be too much of a bother."


    Alvin and Milia almost vomited blood. Not because Linfel gave them such an option. Instead, Linfel truly, from the bottom of his soul, believed that it was fine to just go to bed and have sex right there and then. "We... don''t think it would be a very good idea..."


    "Is that so?" Linfel took his MCOM out again. "Weird. The people in those forums seemed very confident about it."


    Alvin put his hand on Linfel''s MCOM. "Just don''t look at those forums anymore, okay?"


    "You sure?" Linfel felt there was some potential there. "What about these anal-"


    "WE SAID FORGET IT!" Milia, Alvin, and Nori shouted at the same time.


    "Fine, fine!" Linfel felt wronged. "And here I was, trying to help. Such a letdown."

 Chapter 139: A Friend

    Linfel''s group spent the next two days just relaxing... except Linfel himself. His Soul Power training was difficult, but it wasn''t something that made him tired. It was like making an easy and boring job but that you only got good after many years of practice. So, instead of staying still with Alvin, Milia, and Nori, Linfel went out on his own, saying he would be back before the day of the test.


    Two days later, in the morning, Alvin''s group left for the Magic Control test.


    "No news about Linfel?" Milia couldn''t help but ask.


    Alvin shook his head. "He only sent a message yesterday that he would meet us at the test site. As to what he was doing, I have no idea."


    "I just hope he didn''t do anything idiotic. That guy has a very peculiar train of thought," Nori commented.


    Milia and Alvin looked at each other. They, too, had the same fear.


    They took the public transportation available in the city, which brought them to the city center. There, one could find the Ventis Sect building where they would take the test.


    Obviously, they weren''t the only ones there. Several queues already began to form as various Maguses and Familiars at Level Three, Four, and Five joined it. Most of them were returners, while just a few, mostly from the last batch of disciples accepted, were here for the first time.


    Alvin joined the same Queue with Milia, while Nori had to leave and join another queue for Familiars.


    "What time does it start?" Asked someone on the side.


    "At midday sharp," someone else answered. "Until then, we have to wait to even enter the building."


    Milia looked at her MCOM, seeing there were still an hour to go, so she had a conversation with Alvin in the meantime. Nori, on the other hand, just talked with the Familiars near him, asking about their experiences.


    The queues increased, and at least a few thousand Maguses and Familiars were now waiting. Finally, the clock marked the right time, and the building opened its doors. Until now, Linfel still hasn''t appeared. Alvin tried to contact him, but the wisp seemed to be out of reach.


    Experience tales at m-vl-e-mpyr


    At first, the building didn''t seem that big, with just a few floors when you looked from the outside. However, once inside, things changed completely. The space extended several hundred meters in all directions, and that was only the first floor. The insides definitely didn''t seem to fit the size from the outside. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Spatial Magic Arrays..." Alvin commented.


    Milia nodded, feeling just as impressed. They knew about arrays capable to control space, but those things were extremely expensive. A planet like Serfen, from where they came, probably didn''t have more than a handful of places that used it. Neither Milia nor Alvin had ever seen it at work before.


    Reaching the terminal, they put their hands on the receptors, confirming their Magic Energy signatures. That allowed them to enter the next room, which was also also manipulated with Spatial Magic Arrays.


    "Hey, aren''t you Alvin?" Suddenly, someone called Alvin from behind.


    Alvin and Milia turned around, looking at the Magus that had just arrived. Yet, their expression turned weird. They truly couldn''t remember that person at all. "Errr... do I know you, friend?" Alvin asked in the end.


    "Come on. Don''t you even remember me?" The guy asked. "I was one of the Maguses that passed the last exam. I was literally in the same batch of Maguses and Familiars that came down to the planet."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry... I don''t remember most of the people that came with us. We all went our separate ways after we landed, after all. And I don''t think you ever tried to talk to me back there either."


    "Sigh..." The guy could only introduce himself. "I''m Zandel Dorin, a Level Four Magus."


    Only then did Milia remember. "Oh! I saw your name in the rankings. You were one of the first Maguses to reach the necessary score with your Familiar during the Asteroid Test."


    Let''s not forget you could take your test alone or with your Familiar. Back then, Linfel and Alvin took their test alone, while Milia and Nori took it together. Naturally, she paid more attention to the score of Magus Familiar Duos than the individual scores that Linfel and Alvin were part of.


    Zandel finally showed a smile of appreciation. "THANK YOU! Geez, and here I thought I was some kind of ghost already. By the way, I also saw you. Milia, right? You took the Asteroid test with your Familiar.


    I was really impressed you made it through at your Level."


    Milia nodded. "It wasn''t easy, but it is good we both made it."


    Zandel then turned to Alvin. "So, Alvin, I called you because I saw your Magic Output Score. I''m not from the same planet as you, but I did check all the Maguses and Familiars who entered the Ventis Sect with me. I was truly impressed by your score. I was planning to call you eventually to ask about how you did that. Fortunately, I met you here.


    It seems like you also managed to earn some Ventis Credits despite all the difficulties."


    Alvin finally understood. Indeed, his Magic Energy Output score, the one calculated before climbing the towers, was very high. "Yeah, the Ventis Sect truly made it so that you will have to put your life on the line to make a living. As for my Magic Output Score, it was all due to training. You will eventually get there. After all, Magic Energy Output is part of one Magic Energy Control.


    The better you can control, the more you can release at once."


    Zandel was happy to hear that. "No wonder the Ventis Sect insists we must pass the Magic Energy Control test before we can do leveling again. Would you mind telling me more about your training methods? I don''t mind paying some Ventis Credits for it."


    "Well, I would need t-" Alvin began to talk, but a voice suddenly cut in.


    -Attention all participants. The Magic Control Test will start in five minutes. Proceed to the center of the room where the Magic Array is located. A supervisor will explain the test shortly.-


    Alvin sighed. "Well, let''s just exchange MCOM numbers. We can talk more after this test is over."


    Zandel saw no problems with that. "Sure."


    After giving each other their numbers, the three Maguses went to the center of the room. Finally, a door opened on the back, and the supervisor of the exam moved to the center of the Magic Array. "Ahem... Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Magic Control Test. This is my first time doing this job, so take it easy on me."


    Alvin and Milia''s mouths twitched when they heard that voice. When they turned their heads in the direction of the supervisor, a certain... wisp... was there, talking to everyone.


    The supervisor this time around... was none other than Linfel!

 Chapter 140: Pay Attention

    Alvin smiled and shook his head slightly. "Sigh... seems like I haven''t rested enough after all that training. I could swear the supervisor is our guy."


    Milia nodded, refusing to believe her eyes. "Indeed. Still, there are a lot of Familiars that look like each other in this Universe. That supervisor is just somewhat identical to him. That''s all."


    Then, the ''supervisor'' looked at Alvin''s group. "Oh! Alvin, Milia, you came. However, don''t expect me to go easy on you two. As the supervisor this time around, I''m absolutely doing my best."


    Milia and Alvin''s mouths twitched. Two days... they hadn''t seen Linfel for just two days! Finally, they couldn''t hold it back anymore. "HOW THE HELL YOU BECAME A SUPERVISOR OF THE VENTIS SECT?!"


    ---


    Going back two days in time, Linfel was at the city center, gathering information. He wanted to find the fastest way to become an elder. It was then that he received a call through his MCOM. Seeing the person''s name, he got confused. "Hum? Elder Alexandra?"


    -Hi, Linfel. It''s been over a week since we last saw each other.-


    Linfel nodded. "Indeed. I just didn''t expect senior Alexandra to contact me like this. Did I do something wrong?"


    -Not at all,- Alexandra shook her head. -Instead, it is something good. I showed your test results to the higher-ups in the sect, and they are quite surprised with your scores. Above all, they saw how your Magic Energy Control was the best within all the participants of the last test. So, I just want to tell that you have been cleared from the exam. You can start leveling anytime you feel like it.-


    "I have?" Linfel was surprised. It was indeed good news. I won''t need to pay 150 Ventis Credits to take the test anymore. "That''s great!"


    Of course, since Alexandra called him, he had to take the chance to ask. "By the way, Elder Alexandra. I intend to go up in the ranks of the Ventis Sect as fast as possible. I wish to become an elder in the future. Do you know a way to realize this fast?"


    Alexandra couldn''t help but laugh. -Hahaha! An elder? Little guy, it took me almost a hundred years to reach Level Eight. That''s what you need to do, reach Level Eight first. You have many years ahead of you still.-


    "Level Eight..." Linfel remembered that it was indeed a requirement back when he searched for it with Alvin. "That''s gonna take a while..."


    -Well, that''s not the only way, of course.- Alexandra added. -You can also become kind of a supporting elder at lower levels, but that requires huge contributions.-


    Linfel''s interest was piqued. "What kind of contributions? If it is Universal Credits, I''m afraid I''m not very rich."


    -What? Universal Credits? There is no way you could become an elder of the Ventis Sect through Universal Credits. Boy, do you think the Ventis Sect lacks Universal Credits at all?- sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well... that''s true," Linfel admitted he was wrong. "Then what kind of contributions."


    -Pretty much any kind. But usually, a supporting elder is exactly that, a kind of support. They were disciples who had cleared the Magic Control Test and started to help out with other Sect Tasks that demanded some particular sets of skills.-


    She continued. -For example, do you remember Glien?-


    Linfel nodded. "He was one of the organizers of the test on Serfen Planet, right?" Glien was the same guy Linfel met at the top of the Space Elevator. He even spoke to Linfel about how the Ventis Sect put immense importance on one''s Magic Energy Control before anything else. He also allowed Linfel and Alvin to get past the third test without taking it.


    -That''s him alright. He is what you could call a supporting Elder. He isn''t a Minor Elder like me, much less an Inner Elder like Mosie. A supporting elder is below in the hierarchy chain. Nonetheless, they are given almost similar treatment to Minor Elders like me due to their great contributions to the Sect. It is definitely worth becoming one...


    and also incredible difficulty.-


    -In Glien''s case, he proved that his organizational skills, test building, talent checking, and things like that were top-notch. Every time the exams start to be carried out every six months, you can be sure he will be included in the teams organizing such exams.-


    Linfel was more than happy to accept the role of a supporting elder. "Something you excel at... I''m extremely confident in my Magic Energy Control. Is there some way I can use it to vie for a Supporting Elder Role?"


    -Well... considering that Magic Energy Control is an absolute must in the Ventis Sect, we are filled with Maguses and Familiars who excel at it. You would need to add something to the bag on top of that.-


    "Hum..." Then, Linfel remembered the Magic Energy Control test in two days. "Right! I''m not only good at Magic Energy Control but also at feeling the Magic Energy around me. It is particularly efficient to help others in their training. You remember Alvin, right? He became like that by following my instructions.


    I could be some kind of teacher or whatever."


    -Let me see... Well, it would still take a few years, and you will have to do a lot, but it should be possible. Still, I saw what you were capable of, so I''ll give you a cup of tea. There is another magic Energy Control test happening in your area soon. I will send a message to the testing area and have them test you instead. If you pass their test, you can become a supervisor for the exams.


    It won''t make you a supporting elder, but it is definitely a good start. Or, of course, you could level up and wait to reach Stage Eight.-


    Linfel didn''t need to hear it twice. "Great! Then, let me take the test to become a supervisor of the exam."


    The next day, Linfel went through various tests, most regarding his Magic Energy Control and his situational view of things. It goes without saying he smashed all Magic Energy Control tests, with few ever being as good at it as him during the same Level. But, above all, he was great at identifying and guiding talents through Magic Energy Sense.


    It was to the point that the Manager of the testing building in the area sent a message back to Alexandra, thanking her for finding him a good new supervisor for the exams since they were slightly lacking people at that time... although he commented about Linfel''s weird common sense, which Alexandra just told him to ignore.


    It was all in Linfel''s files about how he was born through very weird choices during his soul creation. They even had access to Heffal Country''s files regarding these issues.


    Thus, Linfel was now there, acting as supervisor of the exam for the first time. It was his initial step to become a supporting elder. He even asked to test his friends. Normally, such a thing wouldn''t be allowed. The supervisors would always be selected at random within those available in the testing building. But...


    just for this one little thing, Linfel used his Magic Energy Copy to make sure he was the one testing Alvin and the others. It still looked like he was selected at random, though.


    Well, there was no need for anyone to worry, even if they found out what Linfel did. The reason was simple. He absolutely wouldn''t go easy on Alvin and Milia. If anything, he might go even harder on them on purpose.


    ---


    Read the continuation at m-vl-em,pyr


    Back in the present, Linfel turned to the rest of the participants. "Alright, I will now explain your test this time around. Pay attention since I won''t do it twice."

 Chapter 141: Bonus

    "Usually, the Ventis Sect would add some targets in various forms, checking your reactions and control over Magic Energy. However, I believe such a method is a little outdated, so I''m introducing a new method. This should give you a better view of your own capacity, which the score would hardly translate," Linfel explained.


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask Milia on his side. "He just became a supervisor... Can he change the Ventis Sect like that?"


    Milia sighed. "Well, I doubt the Manager of this place would let him do such a thing if he hasn''t shown his method ahead of time."


    Linfel then activated the Magic Array, and it connected to his Core. Following that, Linfel''s Magic Sense spread as the Array followed. Finally, everyone''s bodies began to show various lines that covered all their bodies, much to the participants'' surprise.


    Seeing that, Linfel nodded, satisfied. "I believe you all can tell what these are. They are projections of the Magic Channels in your bodies. Magic Energy Control has a lot to do with how well you control your channels. The test''s score will be based on that instead of any target practicing or those kinds of bullshit. You are all in luck.


    Even if you fail today, you will leave this place with a huge advantage. The Ventis Credits you paid to take this test will look cheap."


    Milia and Alvin immediately understood what Linfel was doing. After all, that was the kind of training that Linfel put them through back in the Lungan Forest.


    "Alvin," Linfel called him.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head and moved to the front. "So you really called me in the end..."


    Linfel smiled. "But of course!" Then, he turned his attention to all the Maguses in the room. "Everyone, please pay attention. Alvin is someone who has been under my tutelage for around half a year now. I want you all to try to reproduce in your Magic Channels what he will show to you."


    Returning his attention to Alvin, Linfel started. "Alright, Alvin, this is also your test, and the Magic Array will give you the final score. So, even if we know each other, I can''t, nor would I change the results. Start by circulating your Magic Energy through twenty channels for five seconds, then swap to the next twenty channels.


    Continue in this fashion until you cover all your channels only once."


    Indeed, Linfel had Alvin repeat the training he did. With all the eyes on him, Alvin could only follow the orders and do a full rotation. He wasn''t worried, though. He could do that with ease since he had been practicing for quite some time. However, just as he tried the first circulation, the Magic Array activated.


    *Bzzzz!*


    Suddenly, Alvin felt his Magic Energy go chaotic, finding it really hard to control it inside his Magic Channels. Beads of sweat soon appeared on his face, now understanding that things wouldn''t really be easy. When he finished a full rotation, he was left gasping for air.


    "Good!" Linfel was happy that Alvin completed a full rotation with the Magic Array''s intervention. "Everyone, you saw it. Now, I want you to do the same thing. Of course, Alvin is used to this, so I had to add some obstacles in his way, as you all noticed. You, on the other hand, won''t be influenced by that. You are free to use your Magic Channels normally.


    This is your first test out of three. The degree of difficulty will increase. You can start now."


    Everyone looked at how Alvin''s Magic Channels worked and tried to copy. Too bad it was truly difficult. And for everyone, the Magic Array wasn''t even bothering them. That was truly a fine control of Magic Channels they hadn''t tried before, especially the new Maguses. Some of the older ones managed to use twenty channels for five seconds before swapping to another twenty.


    However, they couldn''t do it one after another and ended up failing after the third or fourth test.


    "This is too difficulty!" One of the Maguses immediately complained. He was especially angry since he had gotten used to the normal test, and he was confident he could finally pass the test today. Unfortunately, Linfel just had to appear.


    Linfel smiled at him. "Your control over the Magic Energy after they leave the Meridians isn''t too bad. Unfortunately, you are wasting too much Magic Energy. For the normal Magic Energy Control test, you truly would have a good chance of succeeding, but that wouldn''t really make you as good as Alvin here."


    Linfel approached him and then used his own Magic Energy. "Can you feel my Magic Energy in your body?"


    The guy nodded, confused. It wasn''t a Master Familiar Connection. Linfel was just throwing Magic Energy inside, which pretty much anyone could do as long as the other part allowed it to happen. "What about it?"


    Linfel''s fine control over his Magic Energy then changed it into several threads, with a number exactly the same as the number of Magic Energy Channels as the guy. "What about now?"


    "This..." The Magus was surprised. Linfel made him feel his Magic Energy Channels with ease. He quickly tried to use twenty as once for five seconds and swap to the next twenty. "So easy..."


    "Focus," Linfel warned him.


    Sometime later, the guy completed a full rotation. "I did it... and it cost me so little Magic Energy..."


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. "I''m a supervisor of the Ventis Sect for this exam. But that doesn''t mean I can''t help you as long as I don''t interfere with the result. Obviously, your attempt just now didn''t count. However, you can use your memory of this experience to try again. Go ahead.


    The exam will last all day. You have time."


    "Friend! Help me now!" One of the Magus didn''t waste time and approached Linfel. He was close to the last Magus Linfel just helped, so he was able to see the difference clearly. He found it hard to believe he was looking at the same Magus.


    "Me too!"


    "Hey, I was here first!"


    "Fuck you! I want to try it next!"


    Linfel quickly intervened. "Everyone will have one chance to work with me. There is no need to worry. We have plenty of time. No one will be left behind."


    At that moment, Milia finally completed a full rotation on her own. She was still not used to it, but she had experience. It''s just that the Magic Array didn''t bother her like it did with Alvin. Soon, a green light was projected in front of her, giving a message. -First Stage Concluded. Congratulations.-


    Milia smiled and then sat by the tired Alvin''s side. "And this is just the first test. I wonder if anyone will pass it at all..."


    Alvin shrugged. "Hard to say. However, even if they don''t pass the test, I don''t think a single Magus here will complain after spending a day with Linfel and his training methods. He is not only examining everyone; he is helping them to improve." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia looked around, aware that the examination was definitely being watched to make sure the exam was fair and according to the rules. "If he wanted to get attention, he definitely will after today."


    Milia couldn''t be more correct. The Manager who employed Linfel for this Exam was looking at the examination at this very moment. "Alexandra... just where did you find this piece of work?" He murmured to himself.


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    Yet, he was happy; the test was definitely difficult enough, and Linfel followed the rules. It was Linfel''s idea, but above all, it was something that only someone with astonishing Magic Energy Control could pull off. Usually, such Magic Energy Control wouldn''t be achieved before Level Seven, Level Eight being the norm.


    Too bad that such high-level experts would never waste their time in these exams, so Linfel was a heaven-sent. "Guess I have to give him a bonus at the end of the test today to make sure I can get him back next time."

 Chapter 142: Not Surprised

    A few hours later, a few of the Maguses managed to get past the first test. That didn''t mean the others failed. Until the day was over, the tests would continue to run. Nonetheless, Linfel gave everyone the exact same treatment, one after another. Only then did he jump to the next part. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, everyone. Now, for the second test, I want you all to focus on the Magic Channels displayed by the array on your bodies. In the first test, I asked you to use twenty channels alone and then switch. This is very good training for those who want to get better at Magic Energy Control and efficiency. In the second test, however, I want you to do the opposite."


    He continued. "I want you all to use almost all your Magic Channels and leave only twenty of them empty. Then, switch to another twenty channels after thirty seconds. This one is even harder since your senses will be clouded by the Magic Energy circulating in most of your Magic Channels."


    "Alvin!" Linfel turned to his guinea pi- ahem, friend. "Show to them. They will all watch and use their own magic Energy Senses to see how you switch between channels."


    Alvin nodded but had some doubts. "Will the Magic Array intervene with my test again?"


    "Of course!" Linfel didn''t hold back. "You are already used to this, and that''s why your Magic Energy Control is the best in this room. I was able to evaluate that after checking all the candidates. If I give you a test with the same difficulty, wouldn''t it be unfair to them who never tried this before?"


    "But..." Alvin insisted. "This test is to see if we have the necessary Magic Energy Control. It doesn''t really matter if the person is already used to it or not, right? So... even if I am, the test should still be the same so my score can be displayed correctly."


    The Maguses around narrowed their eyes but had to admit Alvin''s words made sense. It wasn''t a contest against each other. There was no need for fairness in this exam since anyone would pass as long as they reached the score. Explore more stories at m-vl_em,pyr


    "Stop complaining! Aren''t you a man?!" Someone immediately blurted.


    "Yes! You deserve a higher difficulty!" and another Magus joined.


    "Hmph! That''s what you deserve for pulling ahead."


    "Just do it!"


    It''s just that the Maguses didn''t say they agreed with Alvin since they didn''t like the fact Alvin had Linfel for himself all this while. They wanted Linfel instead, so they were angry. They were more than happy to see him suffer!


    "See?" Linfel pointed at everyone. "Will you truly ignore the voice of the people? I''m the supervisor in this test. What I can''t do is make an exam easier for someone. However, I can definitely make it harder, and the Ventis Sect will be more than happy to accommodate my wishes."


    Alvin felt like crying. Why does he have to go through all of this? "Fine! All of you, watch closely."


    Alvin concentrated and immediately circulated his Magic Energy through all his Magic Channels. Then, twenty of those Magic Channels were emptied.


    A few seconds later, the Magic Array activated again, and Alvin''s body was flooded with Magic Energy. That made it very hard to keep those specific twenty channels empty nonstop while the rest were circulating Magic Energy to the brim.


    Alvin gritted his teeth and switched to another twenty channels once the time was right. He continued to do that another four times... until he missed. "Fuck! This is too difficult!"


    Linfel shrugged. "That means it is good training. Continue trying. If you don''t do it, you won''t pass the second test." Right after, he turned to the rest of the Maguses. "Alright, same thing as before. I will help you understand your channels better, and you will have to repeat the process on your own.


    Who''s first?"


    "Me!"


    "No, me!"


    "I got here first!"


    Linfel laughed. "Hahaha! Alright, alright. Same sequence of people as before. Let''s start."


    This time, Milia was the first one to finish. Linfel didn''t use the Magic Array to make the test harder for her since she just started his training recently. She obviously caught a few eyes since she was must faster, though.


    Alvin was the second one, once again lying on the ground while gasping for air. Linfel truly didn''t know how to take it easy on him.


    As for the rest of the Maguses, it wouldn''t be before three hours later that the first one managed to do a full rotation on his own. The Magic Array didn''t bother him, but he was even more tired than Alvin.


    Now, the room had Maguses stuck in the first and second tests. Linfel didn''t mind it, though. He kept waiting for another hour, and a total of only six Maguses made it past the second test.


    "Okay, everyone. Stop for a moment. I will now explain the third test since we are getting to the end of the day. Even if you haven''t got this far, you definitely wanna see it," Linfel explained.


    The Maguses all stopped instantly and focused on Linfel.


    "The third and last test will focus on Magic Energy efficiency," as soon as he said that, the Magic Array activated, and several orbs appeared in the room, one for each Magus there. "These Magic Energy Receptors have the same number of Magic Channels as your bodies.


    I prepared them so that the Magic Energy Channels will only receive Magic Energy from the channels displayed by the array in your own bodies. If you use as much as a single Magic Channel wrong, the receptor will be emptied straight away, and you will have to start from again."


    Even the Maguses who reached the third test felt terrified. They only managed to make a single rotation. To fill the receptor, they will probably need to repeat the process hundreds of times.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel wasn''t that hard on them, though. "For the receptor to fill up, you only need to repeat a full rotation ten times. Do that, and you will pass the third test."


    Ten times was still hard to imagine, but at least the Maguses could accept it.


    There was one exception, though. "Alvin, your orb will need a hundred rotations, and the Magic Array will interfere with your Magic Energy Channels all the time. You can start."


    Alvin could already feel the agony... "Why am I not surprised anymore..."

 Chapter 143: New Place

    At exactly midnight, the Magic Control test was over... and only four people made it through in Linfel''s group. There wasn''t anything strange about this number. Usually, no more than an average of six or seven passes it during every exam, so Linfel''s numbers was just a little smaller.


    Milia... was not among those who passed the test, though. She ended the first two tests faster than the rest of the groups. Unfortunately, the third test went beyond what Linfel taught her. She barely began her training of swapping magic channels to gain better Magic Control. It would be weird if she suddenly was better than even the Level Five Maguses present.


    The third test required Magic Control not only about one''s Magic Energy Channel but about the Magic Energy outside their bodies and the Magic Energy inside their Cores. While she excelled at the completely focused Magic Energy Channel tests, the last one was out of her range.


    She wasn''t disappointed, though. The Magic Array still followed a fair scoring method, and it showed a score of 657 out of the 800 necessary to pass. Most of those who were taking this test for the first time didn''t even reach 500 points.


    One of the four successful participants was obviously Alvin. Once again, the Magic Array was fair, and Linfel couldn''t interfere with the calculation of results it made. Alvin ended up having a score of 1325, far above the other three who passed. The reason for such a monumental score was Linfel''s obstacles.


    The interference were caused by the array, so the array considered Alvin''s performances to be worth even more points than it did to the other Maguses.


    The other three were two females and one male. The Two females were Leel Four Maguses, while the other Male was a Level Five. All three of them had been here in the Ventis Sect for over a year, so they worked a lot on their Magic Control.


    Normally, the rest of the Maguses would feel dejected that they didn''t make it through the test. Yet, today was different. What Linfel showed to them all, and especially the difference his training made right from the start, gave all of them hope. Those methods were just too effective!


    "Supervisor Linfel," one of the Maguses quickly came to Linfel''s side. "I''m Olix Dunnes. Would you perhaps have time for a paid tutelage? I''ve saved quite a bit of Ventis Credits since I arrived and would like to receive more of your teachings. I''m sure to pass the test next time if you take me."


    "Get out of the way!" Another magus intervened. "Senior Linfel... No! Master Linfel! I also have Ventis Credits, and I''m already at Level Five. Please accept me instead.


    Just one month! That''s all I need from you."


    "Ha! Bunch of idiots. Supervisor Linfel wouldn''t lose his time with the likes of you. I, on the other hand, have plenty of Ventis Credits I''ve been saving. Senior Linfel, I can pay more than any of these Maguses. Take me."


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other. Linfel had easily become the center of attention after he helped all the maguses in the exam. No other supervisors did that for them before. Alvin then whispered in Milia''s ears. ''Let''s leave quickly. These guys are all over Linfel and willing to pay for his help.


    If they find out we aren''t paying anything, we will become the focus of their anger.''


    Milia was taken aback and nodded vigorously. They down down and walked fast between the Maguses. The results mattered little at the moment.


    However, Linfel suddenly flashed in front of the two. "Hey, where are you going? Don''t leave me behind. The test results are out, so my job for today is over. Let''s go home together."


    All the eyes immediately turned to Alvin and Milia. "Do you guys live in the same place?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes. They are my friends. We came from the same planet, so I''m also helping them train. Anyway, everyone. I can''t help with your training since I already have these two under my wings.


    Goodbye." Right after, Linfel grabbed them and walked out, ignoring all the requests from the Maguses behind. Discover more adventures with m_vl_em_p_yr


    Milia and Alvin walked out with their heads down, feeling all the jealousy targeted at them. Couldn''t this wisp have at least waited for them to come out? S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Outside the room, Nori quickly runs in Milia''s direction. His test ended a lot earlier. "Milia!"


    "Nori!" Milia grabbed the guy with a smile. "How was it? Did you do well?"


    Nori shook his head. "Nowhere near it. I scored 612 points only. What about you?"


    "657 points. I didn''t pass either," she explained as they made their way out of the building.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel was satisfied, though. "Your scores are within what I expected. Above all, you know how the tests work. Well, one of the tests was given by me, but that''s okay."


    "Given... by you?" Nori was puzzled, so Milia had to explain everything to Nori. "What?! You became a supervisor?! How?!"


    Milia and Alvin quickly turned to Linfel. They were just as curious.


    However, before Linfel could talk, the manager of the testing building appeared. "Linfel, good work today."


    "Oh! Senior Truqil. I hope my new method proved efficient," Linfel was happy to see the man. It was Truqil who gave the final word that accepted him as a supervisor for this exam.


    Truqil nodded, satisfied. "It was great. Not many passed, but you set the ground for those Maguses to improve. Not all supervisors spend much time doing such things. By the way, can you come with me for a moment? I want to talk about the next exam in two months."


    Linfel looked at Alvin, who just nodded back. "We can find our way back home. Just meet us there later."


    "Very well," Linfel quickly nodded and joined Truqil. "Let''s go, senior Truqil."


    It wasn''t before two hours later that Linfel arrived back in their shared room. "Hey there, I''m back!"


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori quickly gathered around him, not leaving much space in the already small room. "So, how did you do that?"


    Linfel didn''t talk about it, though. "I will explain later. For now, gather your things. We are leaving."


    "Leaving?" Alvin''s group obviously got confused. "Why?"


    Linfel then took out his MCOM and showed the map. "We are moving to the city center. I just got us a house... paid by the Ventis Sect. Hahaha!"

 Chapter 144: Hired!

    Close to where the tests for Magic Control happened, Linfel and his group stared at a giant residential complex. At the gate, Linfel used his Magic Energy Signature, and also took the chance to register Alvin and the others. Finally, they moved to their house, not too far from the entrance gate. "Well, this is the one."


    Embark on a journey with m-vl-em,pyr


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori were still surprised. Alvin even took out his MCOM just to check how many Ventis Credits you would need to rent something like this for a month. "3000... Ventis Credits..." he barely was able to pronounce it.


    Milia and Nori were skeptical. "Are you sure this is ours to use? We won''t suddenly get charged for trespassing, will we?"


    "It''s fine. It''s fine!" Linfel said as he entered the house with them. It had four rooms, kitchen, baths, everything they would need. "This is part of my payment for being a supervisor in the exam every two months."


    Still, Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "Wouldn''t it be better if you had got the payment in Ventis Credits instead of this house? We could have simply rented something much cheaper and kept the rest of the Credits."


    Linfel shrugged. "I thought about that. Unfortunately, the amount of Ventis Credits you can be paid for working as a supervisor of the exam has a limit. It''s just that Truqil didn''t want to lose me, so he offered this house, which is property of the Ventis Sect, on the side. He is not paying me anything extra, and the house isn''t mine either. We can only use it.


    We still have to pay for water and electricity, though."


    "So that''s how it is..." They were all happy. Since that was the case, they weren''t losing anything and got a much better place to live.


    "We can continue here as long as I continue working on the tests as supervisor every two months," Linfel concluded.


    Suddenly, Alvin heard his MCOM and brought it out. "Oh! Shit! I completely forgot about him. It''s Zandel."


    "Zandel?" Linfel remembered that name from his test just a few hours ago.


    Alvin and Milia quickly explained about their meeting in the exam, and the fact he wanted to talk to Linfel.


    "He wanted to learn about the training I gave you?" Linfel asked back. "Well... even if he offered Ventis Credits, it doesn''t matter much. There were plenty of Maguses in the previous test who offered Ventis Credits for me to take them. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen."


    "Why is that?" Milia asked, curious.


    "Do you need to ask?" Linfel didn''t seem very willing. "Not only do I have to focus on my own training, I''m already helping the three of you. There is only so much I can do on my own. You saw it back in the test. Just to help the various magus with that simple task took me hours and more hours. Try to guess if I gave them the same treatment I''m giving you."


    Alvin couldn''t help but feel a little bad for Zandel. "Can''t you make an exception? There is no need to bring him with us. Just give him some time when we are in the city. I very much would like to see people from our planetary area do well here."


    Linfel pondered a bit and gave in in the end. "Fine, call and tell him to meet us here. I''ll take a look at his progress. I already have an idea after checking him earlier in the test. I''m too nice for my own good."


    Later that day, Zandel arrived at their house, feeling impressed Alvin''s group could afford such a thing. "How did you even get that many Ventis Credits? You have some backing in the Sect, right? Right?!"


    Alvin shook his head and explained what happened. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That only made Zandel more interested in their training methods, though. He quickly turned to Linfel in the room, bowing in a polite manner. "Friend Linfel, help me out. I don''t have as many Ventis Credits as the guys back in the exam, but I will pay whatever I can. I just need to get the necessary Magic Energy Control as soon as possible so I can use the Away Tokens."


    "You need to leave the planet?" Milia asked out of curiosity.


    Zandel scratched the back of his head. "Not exactly. You see, the missions and contracts you get inside the sect aren''t really considered of great importance. If you want to become a focus of the Ventis Sect resources, you need to appear more. The Away Tokens allow you to take missions in the name of the sect on other planets, and that''s where the real rewards come from.


    I could even manage to buy Blue Magic Stones with it."


    "Blue Magic Stones!" Alvin''s group took a deep breath. It was the same Magic Energy color as Level Five Maguses and Familiars.


    Linfel looked at Alvin. "Well, you passed the exam, so we can use the Away Tokens we got so far to take such missions."


    Alvin remembered something. "Right! You became a supervisor, but did you even take the exam? You still haven''t explained to us how you became a supervisor at all."


    "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you the story," Linfel nodded. It wasn''t any secret, so he didn''t mind speaking about it with Zandel There. He told how Alexandra contacted him and how the higher-ups considered that Linfel had no need for the test. Finally, due to Linfel''s wishes to become an elder, he ended up hearing about the Support Elder position that didn''t need you to become a Level Eight Familiar.


    He would need to help the sect with several tasks, and the Supervisor Exam for Magic Control was one of the ways to show his utility.


    Alvin and the rest didn''t know about that. "It must be pretty rare for someone to get exempt from the exam..."


    "If it is or not, that I don''t know," Linfel commented. "But it was pretty convenient."


    Alvin then returned to the previous topic. "What about the missions outside the planet? Should we take it?"


    Linfel looked at Milia and Nori, who still didn''t have the necessary Magic Energy Control. "Since I''m helping the three of you, it would be better if you all could use Magic Energy for leveling. Milia can''t do that at the moment, so I''m also prohibiting you from doing it, Alvin."


    "Why?" Alvin asked back.


    "It will be better if you, Milia, and Nori are on an equal footing when I''m focusing my Magic Sense on your bodies so I can make a proper comparison," Linfel explained. "Don''t worry. Milia and Nori didn''t pass the exam this time, but I''m certain they will pass the next one in two months. They just didn''t have enough time to train under the same conditions I put you several months go."


    Linfel then turned to Zandel. "And that brings me to you. Truth be told, I don''t have much use for Ventis Credits at the moment since we aren''t buying any Magic Stones. What can you offer to have me help you as well?"


    "This..." Zandel immediately went silent. He only had Ventis Credits, and only a few of them. "I... am quite good at cooking?"


    "You are hired!" Linfel answered instantly.

 Chapter 145: New Member

    "Coo...king?" Alvin and Milia didn''t know what to say. "Is that the reason?"


    Linfel glared at the two. "Do you think I didn''t see what you did back in the room we were sharing? I don''t need to eat, but even I could tell that what you made there wasn''t food. It was poison! Holy shit! How the hell have you got to burn so many things?"


    "I... never really had to cook anything in my life," Milia was the first one to answer.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Dad cooked for me, then I got into the Magus Academy and simply ate at the cafeterias..."


    Linfel nodded. "Exactly. But here in the Ventis Sect, nothing comes for free, and you were wasting Ventis Credits! I will not stand for food waste! You know about me and the place I came from. Do you know how hard it was for the people back then to get something as simple as food?"


    Zandel couldn''t help but get curious. ''Isn''t Alvin Linfel''s Master? Did they go separate ways at some point since Linfel''s creation?'' He wondered to himself but didn''t say it out loud.


    Linfel turned to Zandel. "Alvin and Milia as humans, just like you. They need proper sustenance. If I help you, I will have you cook all their food for the next months until the next test. Are you up for it?"


    Zandel didn''t need to hear that question twice. "Of course! I can even pay for the food myself!" He wasn''t kidding. Paying for the food would be way cheaper than what he would need to pay Linfel for the tutelage. Especially if you compare his savings to the other Maguses who wanted to hire Linfel back in the test.


    Nori felt relieved to hear that. "Good work, Linfel. Milia absolutely couldn''t keep going with that."


    "Thank you for warning me in the MCOM as well," Linfel nodded at him. On this point, they were of the same idea.


    Alvin and Milia looked away. It was just cooking. Was it really that bad to not know how to do it?


    Linfel then turned to Zandel. "Since that the case, go out there and prepare food for two weeks. We are leaving the city tomorrow morning."


    "Two weeks?!" Zandel was taken aback. However, he quickly recovered. Linfel obviously had the plans set for them. "A-Alright! I''ll be right back. Leave today''s dinner with me as well.


    It will be a feast!"


    That was quite a calm and happy night for their group. Linfel even allowed Zandel to stay in the house since they would leave the next day anyway. By the morning, everyone felt invigorated, having rested really well.


    "Okay. First, the contracts. Where should we go this time?" Linfel asked everyone.


    They all opened their MCOMs and started to take a look. There were many things available. Going out to collect Magic Beast Materials was a good call. Delivering items would be easy, too. However, the Ventis Sect offered many options, and Linfel didn''t want to return to the same forest again.


    Hearing that, Zandel gave them an idea. "Well, how about doing what I did for some Ventis Credtis? What you did is also good, but my method isn''t any worse. When I arrived, I dove into the information in the Ventis Sect Network and found this." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He quickly turned his MCOM to everyone.


    -Fucoes Dungeon Investigation. The Larwerty Foundation is looking for Maguses and Familiars to wear its devices and go down the Fucoes Dungeon. It will be necessary to reach the third floor for the readings to be worth the Ventis Credits.-


    -Rewards: Reaching the third floor: 100 Ventis Credits.-


    -Extra Rewards: 50 more Ventis Credits for each extra floor explored while wearing our devices.-


    "Dungeon? Now it truly feels like a game," Alvin commented, remembering about the killers back in the Forest.


    "You took this kind of job before?" Milia asked Zandel. In the contracts, the danger of each task is closely related to the Ventis Credits paid. If the Larwerty Foundation was paying 100 credits just to reach the third floor, one could imagine things weren''t that easy.


    Zandel, obviously, understood that. "That''s how this sect operates, right? It forces you to put your life on the line if you want to make a living, let alone if you want to pay for the Magic Control Exams. I went down three times since we arrived several weeks ago. And yes, I won''t lie, it is dangerous. That''s why I joined other groups when I did.


    Of the more than twenty people I met during my journeys, two already died."


    "That is perfect!" Linfel quickly opened the contract in his own MCOM. The contract was valid, and the reward was real. They just needed to go to the Larwerty Foundation to have to take the devices.


    Read the full story on m-vl-em-py-r


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori understood Linfel''s behavior. Now that he made up his mind, he wouldn''t change it. Even worse, if they said they didn''t want to go, Linfel would simply go on his own.


    On the way to the Larwerty Foundation, they stopped by Zandel''s room. He, too, was renting a cheap one for him to live. There, they met Kefin, Zandel''s Familiar, also at Level Four. He wasn''t independent, though. Zandel was still his master.


    Neither Alvin nor Milia paid much attention to it. That was the norm in the Magus World. Independent Familiars like theirs were pretty rare, so there wasn''t anything wrong with Zandel''s handling of the issue. Besides, judging by the way Zandel and Kefin interacted to each other, they seemed to get along quite well.


    Finally, they arrived at the Larwerty Foundation, and presented the contract at the counter. The Foundation was used to those contracts and quickly brought them to the back to receive their devices.


    Alvin, Milia, and Zandel received a bracelet each that was attached to their arm. As for Linfel and Nori, they got a device similar to the Familiar''s MCOM. Familiars usually changed the shape of their Core to hold the MCOMs, so Nori simply had to do the same. Linfel, on the other hand, just threw it inside the Spatial Inventory when no one was looking.


    He couldn''t change the shape of his Core, after all.


    "What are the functions of these devices?" Alvin asked Zandel on the way to the Fucoes Dungeon.


    "They vary," Zandel pondered about the ones he wore during the times he went down. "Some do monitoring of the conditions of the Dungeon, like the Magic Energy Concentration, Elemental Balance, etc. Milia''s one seems to be exactly that. Others do some different probing. For example, Nori and I are definitely using Magic Energy Output devices.


    They will read into our Magic Energy when we fight the Magic Beasts down there and send the data back to the Larwerty Foundation."


    "Anyway, it''s these kind of things. The Larwerty Foundation works for the Ventis Sect, like many other companies, and they help making sure everything is running as it should. In this case, the Fucoes Dungeon environment," Zandel explained.


    Everyone nodded. "Well, if they are paying, so be it."


    The Fucoes Dungeon was three days away from the city... if you refused to pay for transportation. Linfel''s group definitely had some Ventis Credits now, so they used it this time... or so they wanted.


    *bzzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    "Run!" Linfel shouted from behind after zapping Zandel''s buttocks. "Do not look down on your physical development. It is as important as your Level! Run like your life depends on it! And while you run, support your body with Magic Energy. However, only ten Magic Channels can be used at a time."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori glanced at Zandel and Kefin, feeling pity for them. They know way too well how that feels... and how he would suffer for the foreseeable future. Well, most likely, they would suffer, too.

 Chapter 146: Die is Good

    *Gasp, gasp, gasp...*


    Zandel fell to the floor like a dead log. His body simply couldn''t take another step, and he couldn''t even bother to pay attention to his buttocks appearing. He was zapped there by Linfel so many times that he didn''t even know if he still had everything there.


    Kefin wasn''t much better. As a Familiar, he only had his core... However, the Green Color that demonstrated its Level Four was gone. All one could see was a charred, black core. He was even worse than Nori at using his Magic Channels, courtesy of a life dedicated to Leveling Up nonstop.


    "M...Master... W-why are we doing... this?" Kefin couldn''t help but ask, not sure if it was all worth it.


    Zandel bitterly smiled. If he had known that the training he would go through was something like this, he probably wouldn''t have accepted. That wasn''t all. At some point, he really got angry and trying to give up. Unfortunately, Linfel completely rejected his request, saying that if he stopped running, he would make sure he wouldn''t be allowed to take a single Magic Control Test anymore.


    Zandel highly doubted Linfel could really do it. That would be going against the rules. However, he also remembered how the Ventis Sect got a luxurious house for Linfel just a few weeks after he arrived on the planet, all because Linfel was that necessary. Perhaps... the Ventis Sect would think it was better to sacrifice Zandel to make sure they kept Linfel.


    And so, he continued run, run, and run even more. Now, he was almost dead, and so was his Familiar.


    Linfel approached him, nodding in satisfaction. "That''s good. A very nice smell of cooked meat, or cooked buttocks, for that matter."


    Zandel wanted to cry. "You are a familiar. You can''t even smell things!"


    "Wrong!" Linfel immediately denied it. "A familiar can smell things as long as they know how to use their magic Energy to interact with the environment. If you don''t believe me, check your MCOM."


    "Its... It''s true... Master," Kefin confirmed Linfel''s words. "I saw it being mentioned in the Ventis Sect network while I gathered information about our new life here. However, that was supposed to be something you can only do at Level Six or higher..."


    "Wrong again!" Linfel cut him off. "The reason it only happens at Level Six is because it is around that time a Familiar gets a high enough Magic Energy Control to achieve this effect. I, on the other hand, already have it. Do you think they exempted me from the test just because I was a little better than other Familiars? No!


    I was exempt because I absolutely can trash any other familiar at similar levels. And that''s the kind of Magic Energy Control that I''m drilling into your bodies." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zandel and kefin went silent. They didn''t have much energy to move anyway.


    Alvin approached, scratching the back of his head while rubbing his buttocks as well. He wasn''t zapped anywhere as much as Zandel, but he was still punished a few times on the way. Linfel''s Sparta supervision was all-encompassing. Milia even went behind a tree to change her pants since they were also full of holes due to Linfel''s Lightning Attacks.


    "Here, take it," Alvin spoke.


    Zandel raised his head and saw a new pair of pants. "Th-Thank you... Seems like you came prepared."


    Milia arrived right after, now with new pants, nodding at Zandel. "We spent almost a hundred Ventis Credits buying new pants and underwear. We will probably need a new pair every day from now on. Don''t worry. We knew it was going to happen, so we have plenty for you as well."


    Zandel finally got a little bit of energy back and slowly got up. "I... I will change. Give me a moment." Just like Mlia, he also went to a hidden corner and only came back after changing his destroyed pants and underwear.


    Linfel looked at all of that and didn''t seem to care. "Hmph! Be happy I''m being lenient. If it was a certain friend of mine from the past, you wouldn''t even have clothes anymore by the time he finished with you at the end of the day." Linfel wasn''t lying. Horan was indeed that much Sparta than him.


    He continued. "In any case, you are just like Alvin and Milia were back then, absolutely terrible physical strength."


    "I spent my life trying to reach Level Four before the exam," Zandel explained. "Anything physically related before it, I compensated by circulating more Magic Energy through my body. I don''t regret it since I indeed managed to join the Ventis Sect with Kefin."


    Linfel nodded. "And you shouldn''t. You had a plan in mind; you were young, and you still got through it. There is nothing wrong with that. However, now that I''m in charge, I will beat the hell of your body and Kefin''s core to extract every single IOTA of potential. Physical training also strengthens the Magic Channels, so you will gain a lot from this, even if you don''t see it now."


    Right after, Linfel accessed his Spatial Storage and took out the food Zandel had prepared before they left. "Anyway, time to eat. Make sure to stuff everything down."


    Alvin and Milia''s eyes lit up. They had been waiting for this. "Finally!"


    Zandel, however, found it hard to feel hungry. It was a normal condition when someone had just started physical training to such an extent for the first time. However, Alvin warned him. "Eat, even if you have to force it down, and try to keep it inside at all costs. Believe me! You will regret it if you don''t recover your energy."


    Milia nodded vigorously, feeling a little scared when she remembered her first days. "Regret is an understatement..." She quickly shook her head right after, trying to push those memories away.


    Linfel ignored that and checked everyone''s bodies more carefully while they ate or recovered their Magic Energy in the Familiar''s cases. "Alright, here''s the report of the first day. Well, truth be told, it was all about Magic Channel Control today, so there isn''t much I can add other than that you are getting better with it.


    Naturally, the level of difficulty to each of your is based on your actual level. So, Alvin is having the hardest training together with me. Milia and Nori are having the second hardest, while Zandel and Kefin are just starting the basics. I will check how you do tomorrow and adjust your steps accordingly."


    Zandel looked at Linfel, who seemed completely fine. Was Linfel really training at all? And having the hardest type of training? He found it hard to believe. ''If he is, then he is even more of a monster than I thought...''


    Night fell, and their group found a hotel to stay. They weren''t passing through any Magic Beast territories, so the trip was relatively safe... as long as a Killer didn''t appear, of course. Nonetheless, Killers were rare in the Magic Beast Territories, so outside them, it was even harder to find one.


    The next day, Alvin, Nori, and Milia got up early and waited outside. Linfel was already there, hidden in a corner not too far from the entrance, controlling four different blades of elements. Fire, Lightning, Wing, and Water. They couldn''t see it, but he was adding his Soul Power to each one of them.


    Zandel and Kefin arrived a few minutes later, and the shock in their eyes was easy for anyone to see. "Four elements at once?!"


    Alvin and Milia patted his shoulder. "Ignore him. Trust us; it is for the good of your own mental health."


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    Linfel then stopped using his Magic Energy and Soul Power, and the blades vanished. "So you are all here. Because Zandel was new, I took it easy during the first day. That is not gonna happen today, though. So..."


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    Three bags weighing 70, 60, and 40kg, respectively, fell to the ground. "Put them on your backs. Since we don''t have Magic Beasts to fight, there is no need to worry about sudden developments. We will run at 30% more speed today as well."


    Zandel trembled all over. "I... I will not last..."


    "Good!" Linfel nodded. "Remember, if you think your are going to die, then the training is going according to the plan. Alvin, the bag with 70kg. Milia, the bag with 60kg. And Zandel, the bag with 40kg. Today, Alvin has to alternate between three sets of five Magic Channels every fifteen seconds.


    Milia and Zandel will do it with ten Magic Channels. Nori and Kefin will use three sets of seven."


    *Bzzzzz!*


    Then, several arcs of lightning began to dance around Linfel. "Now, run! I''ll be right behind, making sure you will have to wear a new pair of pants and underwear by the end of the day."

 Chapter 147: No Doubts

    Fucoes Dungeon was constantly being used as an initial area for new Maguses and Familiars. It was even more popular than Lungan Forest since it was far from any Magic Beast Territories. As mentioned before, that also reduced the chances of killers appearing. Also, transportation to this dungeon was free to those who accepted contracts related to it.


    Today, an airship landed on the south side of the dungeon entrance, and several Maguses and Familiars came out, looking forward to what they could get. The Ventis Sect Entrance Exam happened pretty much all year round due to its enormous territory, so new Maguses and Familiars constantly arrived on the planet.


    Naturally, these new guys constantly flooded places like this since most of them didn''t have a single penny to their name.


    One of those Maguses looked at the pyramid-like construction ahead, which was s few tens of meters tall. It wasn''t that big compared to many of the buildings in the city, but it was still easily spotted in this empty region.


    He turned around, intending to go check one of the various stalls there. Suddenly, the image of a ghost appeared by his side, making him jump back in scare. Then, another two such ghosts appeared by the first ghost''s side, walking forward like they would fall at any moment.


    *Tud, tud, tud...*


    Those three ghosts then fell with their faces on the ground, seemingly completely dead. Only when the Magus paid more attention did he notice that they weren''t ghosts. They were humans, just like him. It''s just that they were so pale and badly ravaged that the thought of a human wasn''t the first thing you would think about them.


    If one paid attention, they would also see another two black cores lading by those ghosts'' sides. Feeble Magic Energy came out of those charcoal cores, making one wonder if it was some new kind of Magic Stone with a new color.


    That group easily caught the attention of the new and old Maguses who came to enter the Dungeon. Just what could have happened for them to end in such a state?


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    Finally, that first Magus ran forward and caught one of the ghosts. "Brother, get up! What happened?!"


    Someone else arrived by his side. "That''s sad. Killers aren''t common outside the Magic Beast Forests, but it isn''t impossible to bump into some. Their group must have been attacked, and only these three survived."


    "Look at their injuries; their bodies don''t even have water to sweat anymore. The killers must have played with their lives all the way here."


    "Don''t worry, friends. The killers won''t dare to get close to the entrance of the Dungeon. There are too many Maguses and Familiars here for them to risk approaching this place since their heads are worth double the amount of Ventis Credits they carry."


    The ghost on the Magus''s arm then tried to turn his body around, pointing in a certain direction. It was hard to do since a heavy bag was attached to his back. There, a Familiar floated calmly ahead, approaching the group of Maguses and Familiars who gathered to help the ghosts. The ghost could barely utter a few words. "M-Mons...ter... B-Be careful..."


    When the Familiar arrived, he looked at the ghosts and shook his head, disappointed. "How rude! Here am I, using my priceless time to help you five train your bodies, and you all me monster? All I did was make you run a little bit." Naturally, that was Linfel, not satisfied with the ''exaggeration'' shown in front of him.


    Run... a little bit? Training? What kind of training is this? These guys are pretty much dead already!


    Linfel then conjured three water ball and purposely made them salty with his Earth Element. Then, he threw it at the three Maguses and Two charred Familiars on the ground.


    *Shua!*


    *ARRRRRGGGHHHHH!*


    The three ghosts immediately jumped from the ground as the saltwater splashed all over their injuries. That wasn''t training anymore. That was torture! The two charred Familiars weren''t much better since Linfel also added a little bit of his Magic Energy into the two Water Balls in a way that made their souls tremble. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As one can imagine, the three ghosts and the two charred cores were none other than Alvin and the rest. The one who called Linfle monster was Zandel, the ''new'' member of the group.


    Alvin finally recovered some of his will and complained... falling to the ground again. "Can''t you take it easier? Why did we need to move twice as fast in the last two hours? And you even threatened us with harsher training if we didn''t make it here in time."


    Zandel''s ghost face also showed some anger. "He is right! And what with the disappointed expression? It is a miracle we even made it!"


    Milia, who was usually cold and aloof, lost all of that by now. "Linfel. That was too much. I''m a lady!" Milia never used the lady card, NEVER! That was how determined she usually was. Today...


    she made an exception...


    Nori and Kefin couldn''t even speak the poor Familiars. Linfel zapped them so much that their magic channels couldn''t spread Magic Energy correct, which made it hard to transform Magic Energy into sounds. They were, however, just as indignant.


    Linfel completely ignored their complaints, though. "Good. Since you have so much energy to talk, you obviously don''t need to rest. Let''s enter the dungeon straight away."


    The Maguses and Familiars around didn''t know what to say about that situation. Would anyone push their training to such a half-dead state? Was it truly a good thing for their bodies and cores? Of course, none of them knew Linfel had the capability to heal them all, so it wasn''t really a problem.


    Alvin and the others immediately trembled in fear. "Ahem... We were not complaining. We... Yes! We were just giving a spirited opinion.


    That was all!"


    Zandel nodded vigorously. "He is right. I didn''t say monster. I said... I said... Right!


    I said Mommy! I was just feeling a little homesick and thought about her."


    Milia, the princess of the Magus Academy, today learned how to lie beautifully. "Little Fel, training is good, but so is our mental health, right? If we can''t concentrate in the dungeon, then the training might do more harm than good. Sure you wouldn''t force us to go in and get a bad result, no?"


    Linfel glanced at them all, feeling a little apologetic. "I see. Feeling homesick is normal. Giving sincere opinions is not bad either. Seems like it was my mistake. Let''s find some corner to rest and sleep.


    Tomorrow, we are entering the Dungeon."


    Then, their group walked away from the commotion.


    As for the crowd watching... ''Did that Familiar truly believe that bullshit?''


    Oh, my friends, Linfel didn''t doubt a single word...

 Chapter 148: A Better Challenge

    Linfel''s group caused a little bit of commotion, but with the number of Maguses and Familiars coming and going in this Dungeon, they were quickly forgotten by the time the next day arrived.


    Linfel made sure to heal all their injuries, while Alvin, Milia, and Zandel had to once again change their clothes. They had a great dinner, and the night went by without issues since Linfel watched over them.


    Finally, they stepped in front of the Dungeon entrance, ready to get inside.


    "So... Zandel, you had been here before. Where do we go from here?" Avin asked.


    Zandel moved forward. "Right, it will be better if you follow me. The Dungeon has thousands of different routes leading to the lower floors. Usually, I join other groups and we follow the most used routes to guarantee our safety. After all, we are already making a good amount of Ventis Credits from the contracts. We can do the same during the next few days on our way down."


    Linfel nodded. "Good. We will take the absolutely most unused route."


    Alvin''s group immediately sighed. They expected something like this was going to happen.


    Zandel was still not used to it, though. "Did you hear what I just said...?"


    "Of course!" Linfel was already floating into the Dungeon. "The safe routes have so many Maguses and Familiars that there will be barely any Magic Beasts for us. Naturally, we have to take the routes that will benefit us the most. So... we are taking the routes no one uses. Our objective for the first day is to take down at least thirty Magic Beasts.


    Let''s go."


    "Just one second," Alvin quickly stopped him and looked at Zandel. "What kind of Dungeon is this one? It would be better to hear that first."


    Zandel thought they had checked in the MCOM already. Nonetheless, he still explained. "Okay, it is like this..."


    This Dungeon was a cave-type one, mainly filled with Earth Element Magic Beasts and with low to no illumination. There were various Magic Beast of flesh and blood, but so were those of rock and metal, like golems and spirits.


    Above all, new traps took form every day, which was the reason for most new Maguses and Familiars to use the main routes. Not only would the traps be easily found due to the higher number of experts passing by, even if you were caught by one, you could still ask for help... although anyone willing to help during such moments would ask for payment in exchange.


    "That''s basically it," Zandel completed. "Oh, and there are also a few safe points for people to rest. After all, going down the floors takes various days."


    Linfel and the others got the picture. "Alright, seems simple enough."


    And so, their group went down the Dungeon. At first, the various other Maguses and Familiars could be seen everywhere. But as they strand further from the main routes, the numbers started to go down rapidly. Zandel also reduced his pace so that they would end up calling more than one Magic Beast at once.


    *Pluc, pluc, pluc...*


    Suddenly, the rocks on the walls began to move, catching their attention.


    *Zush, zush, zush, zush...*


    The rocks then shot into each other, quickly creating a mass of rocks and took a big humanoid form. A core soon materialized inside that thing, creating a true golem.


    Alvin and the others raised their guards, ready to fight, when Linfel sighed in disappointment.


    "This is kinda ridiculous..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    *Kabrum!*


    A bolt of lightning immediately took form, striking the core of the golem and piercing it through. The mass of rocks immediately stopped taking form, and the golem wasn''t able to take a single step. "That wasn''t even a Magic Beast, just a shit Magic Puppet or something like that. What was the use for it?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zandel''s mouth twitched. He had met a few Golems in the past, and they had a power similar to Level Four Maguses. Yet, Linfel destroyed it with one attack. "Aren''t you a little too overpowered for a Level Three Familiar?"


    Linfel glanced at him. However, he didn''t answer Zandel. Instead, he looked at Milia, Nori, and Alvin. "Do you know why I''m disappointed?"


    Alvin nodded. He understood it the moment Linfel struck the Golem down. "Yes, it was indeed somewhat ridiculous."


    Milia followed. "The core. While the golem took form, the core was pretty much exposed. Linfel attacked it before the armor of rocks could even finish gathering. Unless we purposely waited for it to take form to then fight, defeating that thing can''t even be considered a challenge."


    "Ah!" Zandel and Kefin finally understood. "Why haven''t we thought about that before?" All the times they came down here, they took distance from the Golem when it started taking form. It seemed so simple, so why hasn''t he ever noticed that?


    "Hum...?" Linfel went to the area where the Golem died and noticed that the core of the Golem dissipated. "That''s weird, where are the Golem Magic Strings?"


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    For the golem to control its body, the Magus Strings were necessary. It spread through the rocks and allowed the core to control the Golem. It was also the Magic Strings that could be sold to contractors. Yet, the Magic Strings, which should have been there, were nowhere to be seen.


    Zandel raised his hand. "You killed the Golem before it could even take form. So... I think the magic Strings didn''t have time to take form either."


    "Oh..." Linfel nodded. "So killing the Golem before they take form is nothing but a waste of Magic Energy, uh? And here I thought they were useless. Seems like there was some thought behind their creation."


    Linfel moved to the back, not intending to do anything anymore. "Good, let''s keep moving forward. Next time we see one, Zandel will wait for the Golem to form and fight it. Kefin and the others must just watch."


    "What?!" Zandel was taken aback. He wasn''t afraid of fighting a single Golem since it was similar in power to a Level Four Magus like him. However, that was while Zandel was connected to his Familiar. Fighting alone would be too dangerous. "That''s not a good idea."


    Linfel pondered a bit and had to admit Zandel was right. "Indeed, that''s not a good idea."


    Finally, Zandel sighed in relief... for a second.


    "We came here to train our Magic Control since we can''t level up. Zandel will fight alone and can''t use more than thirty Magic Channels at once," Linfel completed. "There. This should pose a slightly better challenge."

 Chapter 149: Zandels Baptism

    ''Me and my big mouth...'' Zandel wanted to kill himself.


    *Bzzzz!*


    Yet, the moment he heard the Lightning Sound from Linfel, he quickly ran ahead. "Here, golem, golem, golem. Hereeeeee, golem, golem, golem..."


    It wasn''t a golem what they found next, though. Instead, several bars of bronze-like metals detached from the walls and gathered. In a moment, something like a star-shaped being appeared. This one didn''t seem to have a core like the golem, either.


    Zandel got nervous. He knew it was a Bronze Elemental. Nonetheless, he gritted his teeth and charged forward.


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    Too bad he was zapped on his buttocks the moment he tried to do that. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Zush!*


    Then, the Bronze Element came crashing down on him, all the bars pointing forward, trying to pierce Zandel''s body.


    Zandel was scared of his mind and immediately tried to jump away. Linfel''s intervention completely threw him out of synch.


    *Bang!*


    Unfortunately, one of the thick bronze bars hit his chest, sending him flying against the wall. He coughed out blood and then looked at Linfel in the distance. Why did he do that? Is Linfel trying to kill him?


    However, Linfel just spoke without caring too much. "I said thirty magic channels; you used thirty-one just now when you tried to charge at the Bronze Elemental. I will zap you every time you miss the target."


    The Bronze Elemental didn''t wait for Zandel and Linfel to finish their words, though. It once again shot in Zandel''s direction, trying to finish the job.


    Zandel, without another choice, focused even more on his Magic Channels, this time truly only using thirty. He then managed to avoid the impact of the bronze bars, turning around and attacking with his Magic Energy and Element. There, his element appeared for the first time.


    Various roots or vines sprouted from the ground and tried to pierce the Bronze Elementals'' bars. Zandel was a Wood Element user.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Unfortunately, the Bronze Element was too resistant. The roots completely failed to cause any damage whatsoever. All they succeeded in was to slow the Bronze Elemental slightly for Zandel to take some distance. "Linfel, this doesn''t work! My affinity with this thing is too poor!


    Even worse, just thirty magic channels is way too little to be able to produce any powerful enough attack to damage this thing! I''m gonna die here!"


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    The Bronze Elemental continued to attack, forcing Zandel to dodge nonstop and use his Wood Element to create vines and roots to hold and slow it down. It was particularly difficult since the first attack broke a few of Zanel''s ribs, all because of Linfel''s intervention.


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    Linfel watched all of that, not concerned. "Is that so? Good! I told you, didn''t I? If you think you are going to die, then the training is going as planned. Give it your best!"


    "What?!" Zandel began to think about running away. This was ridiculous. He was at too much of a disadvantage! "Kefin, help me!"


    However, Linfel held Kefin in place, not allowing Zandel''s Familiar to charge to help Zandel. Had Linfel not done that, Kefin would have jumped at the Bronze Elemental a long time ago. "That won''t do."


    Zandel noticed that in the distance and wanted to cry. Was he going to die here today? Zandel finally decided that he would use all his Magic Channels. If Linfel tried to zap him again, he would just flee.


    However, Linfel''s words reached his ears before he made his move. "Zandel, this is not your limit. You are at risk at the moment and hoping for our help. However, what will happen if no one is near you next time you fall into danger? Will you just give up? What if you don''t even have the choice of fleeing?"


    "Focus! This Bronze Elemental has a strength similar to your own at Level Four. It''s just that I''m not allowing you to use all your Magic Channels at once. Look at the Bronze Elemental. Why is it moving? Something must be controlling it, but what?


    You know this dungeon and the type of Magic Beasts and the Ventis Sect puppets like the golems. Don''t give up that easily. Find a way out instead!"


    *Bang!*


    Zandel was taken aback, dodging another attack from the Bronze Elemental. Indeed, how are these bars moving together even though they are not attached to each other? There is no core here, so what is controlling it.


    It was then that Zandel remembered his last three days running while using just a few magic channels and changing them constantly. It was all about Magic Control... and with Magic Control, you also get better at Magic Sense.


    *Zush, zush, zush!*


    Zandel accumulated as much Magic Energy as he could with his thirty available magic channels and once again created the vines and roots. They all shot at the Bronze Elemental, but it wasn''t an attack. Instead, they tried to hold it down.


    *Snap, snap, snap...*


    Yet, it was obvious they wouldn''t hold for more than a second or two. That was enough, though. All Zandel wanted was a small moment of respite so he could focus his own Magic Sense on the Bronze Elemental.


    *Snap!*


    Finally, the last roots and vines broke, and the Bronze Elemental got free. It spun at high speeds and shot in Zandel''s direction again. It was as if it got angry for being held just now.


    However, Zandel ignored it and turned to the side. "There!" He once again controlled his Wood Element, and several vines and roots shot from the ground, piercing a specific point on the wall.


    *Crack! Crash!*


    As soon as they did, an inconspicuous rock fell to the ground and broke into several parts. Yet, the insides were completely different. They looked like a yellow gem that had just been shattered.


    When that happened, the Bronze Elemental Bars immediately stopped.


    *Clang, clang, clang...*


    All the Bronze Bars fell to the ground, hitting each other with metallic sounds until they became inactive. The Bronze Elemental was no more.


    Zandel looked to his side, feeling a chill on his back. The Bronze Bars were just a few meters from him. If that last attack hadn''t worked, he would have been pierced and probably killed. "So close..."


    "Master!" Kefin quickly came to Zandel''s side, feeling concerned.


    *Clap, clap, clap!*


    Yet, Alvin, Nori, and Milia clapped at him. "Well done, Zandel. That was great! Consider it your baptism. We all went through this craziness."


    Linfel approached as well. "It wasn''t that terrible. I still had to give you a clue, but you figured it out in the end. Let me heal you, and let''s find our next target. Someone go there and collect the Bronze Elemental parts. There are definitely contracts that buy them."


    Zandel bitterly smiled. "I hope I can survive to the end..."

 Chapter 150: Perhaps...

    From there onward, Linfel''s group simply continued with the same training methods as before. Linfel would choose who would fight and what they could and could not use during such fights. Of course, there had been times he had to intervene or allow someone else to help. It wasn''t like he knew all the Magic Beasts and Ventis Sect controlled monsters of this Dungeon, after all.


    Due to them taking unused routes and having to fight more enemies as a result, they took three days just to get to the entrance of the second floor. The second floor, which had a higher concentration of traps and enemies, took even longer. They only arrived at the third floor after five days.


    Still, even though they didn''t take common routes, it wasn''t like they never met any magus or familiar. In fact, they met quite a few of them. Not everyone was afraid of exploring distant patches. Some even considered it good training, just like Linfel. There were those who were just lost al well, of course.


    Other than that, they also found a few corpses or broken cores of Familiars. There were actually more than the ones Alvin and Milia found back in Lungan Forest. Since the Dungeon was used by many more experts, it was only normal for it to have more deaths. Proportionally, though, it had a smaller death toll than the Forest.


    Linfel''s group then stopped somewhere on the third floor, taking some time for Zandel, Alvin, and Milia to have their food while Linfel healed them. It also gave time for Nori and Kefin to recover their Magic Energy.


    As they ate, another Magus-Familiar duo passed by them. They just looked at each other for a moment before the Magus and Familiar kept going on their way. Even if killers were much rarer in this Dungeon, anyone could become one at any given time if they wanted to. So, most of the Maguses and Familiars who avoided the mainly used routes wouldn''t approach others if they could.


    After that duo left, Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "We have passed by so many Maguses and Familiars. We even found one or another Level Three, just like us. Yet, I haven''t seen a single Level Five until now. How come? Back in Lungan Forest, there weren''t many, but there were still some."


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    "Oh! That''s because they can''t enter the Dungeon," Zandel immediately explained. "This dungeon is considered an area for new disciples. To make sure no one will abuse of the resources in this dungeon, the Sect blocks the entrance of any Level Five Magus and Familiar or above. You probably didn''t notice that since you obviously don''t fit the criteria to be barred.


    Those at Level Five don''t even come here to start with since there is nothing for them to do."


    "I see..." Alvin nodded, surprised. "We should have come here first instead of the Lungan Forest..."


    Milia shook her head. "It matters not. Lungan Forest was closer, so many of us would still chose to go there instead to save time."


    "Milia is right," Linfel joined the conversation. "That''s probably why we haven''t seen a single Level Five Magic Beast or one of these Dungeon-Controlled monsters. Most likely, there isn''t any here."


    Zandel shook his head, though. "There are level Five ones, but you can only find them from the fourth floor onwards. Before that, you will only encounter Level Three and Four opponents."


    "Oh!" Linfel got interested. "That makes me wonder, how many floors are there in this Dungeon?"


    Alvin took out his MCOM and checked the information of the Fucoes Dungeon. Yet, regardless of where he looked, forums, official websites, etc, he couldn''t find an answer. "Hum? There doesn''t seem to be any information regarding it."


    Zandel agreed with him. "I checked that as well. The furthest people and familiars had gone was the fifth floor, which basically has Level Five Magic Beasts and the controlled enemies like the golems and elementals. Since no one at Level Five or above can enter, no one tried to venture much further since it was a meaningless risk." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin couldn''t help but laugh. "Hahaha! See, it truly looks just like a game. Guess what? There is probably a great treasure waiting for anyone who reaches the end of the Dungeon. Who knows?


    There might even be a Dungeon Boss."


    Milia sighed. "What''s the point of any of that if no one can get there. Forget about it. We came here to train and fulfill the contracts. Let''s finish eating and continue."


    Yet, they suddenly noticed that someone seemed to be trembling. When they glanced to the side, they saw the look of excitement in the face of a certain wisp. "Treasures! Boss! Isn''t that great?! Let''s go take a look!"


    Everyone froze for a moment. However, they quickly resumed their conversation as if nothing had happened. "Zandel, these ribs taste really good. How did you make them so juicy?"


    Zandel smiled brightly in response. "There is a little secret behind it, the sauce! However, you need to control the temperature of the oven very well so the juice doesn''t dry while the sauce gets absorbed by the meat. This is one of my best dishes."


    Milia ate another piece, nodding. "This is incredible indeed. No wonder Linfel said we needed proper food. It feels completely different to train after we put proper food in our belies."


    On the side, Nori spoke to Kefin. "So you see? Milia and I had been together since I was born, but she made me independent very soon. Nonetheless, I always stayed by her side."


    Too bad Linfel''s patience didn''t last long. "Stop fucking ignoring me! Did you even hear what I just said?"


    Alvin glanced at him. "I only heard someone giving an absolutely bullshit idea. Go to the end of the Dungeon? Find the boss? I only said that for fun! Did you even hear what Zandel said?


    There are pretty much only Level Five Magic Beasts and controlled enemies on the fifth floor. The fourth level doesn''t have as many, but it still has Level Five enemies as well. How do you expect to survive all of that?"


    Milia nodded. "Linfel, I understand your Sparta-like methods and accept them since they bring the results, but what you suggested is beyond risking life and death. That is nothing but suicide. Did you forget the Level Five Gray Spiked Wolf? The four of us had to fight together and it was still dangerous. It was just a single Level Five Magic Beast, and there are plenty on the fifth floor.


    Are you crazy?"


    Zandel was happy he wasn''t the only one who thought like that. "To end this discussion, you haven''t thought of the worst yet, Linfel. Let''s say we manage to get past the fifth floor, so what? Is the sixth floor the last one? No, let''s pretend we somehow get past that as well and find this so-called boss. Do you think we could defeat it?


    I''m absolutely not going."


    Hearing all those comments, Linfel had to admit it was too much. "Fine! We will turn back as soon as we enter the fifth floor."


    He still wishes to reach the fifth floor... Well, that was still plausible since there were very few Level Five opponents on the fourth floor. Besides, just reaching the fifth floor would add more Ventis Credits to their contracts.


    Later that day... Linfel''s group found themselves deep into the so-called sixth floor... Linfel turned to Alvin and the others, seeing their ugly expressions. "Errr... Ahem! Look!


    Perhaps we can truly find the boss. Isn''t that nice?"

 Chapter 151: Sixth Floor

    "Your ass!" Zandel finally exploded. "We are so dead! So fucking dead!"


    Alvin and Milia looked around nervously. "Just how will we even leave this place? Zandel, since this is the sixth floor, does that mean we might find a Level Six Magic Beast?"


    Zandel trembled. "I... I don''t know..."


    ---


    To understand how they ended in this place, we need to return a while to the past...


    Linfel''s group was still in the third floor, following the routes few Maguses and Familiars used. Because Linfel''s Magic Sense far surpassed anyone at Level Three or Four, he obviously had an easier time identifying dangers ahead. Traps, magic Beasts, or the Monsters controlled by the Ventis Sect. It didn''t matter if they couldn''t see as far as Linfel did.


    However, there was another advantage to having such a big Magic Sense: the fact that Linfel could find hidden places. According to Zandel, this Dungeon was indeed very similar to games or purpose, so there were even some secret rooms that were created now and then through the Magic Array that operated the entire Dungeon.


    He wasn''t very hopeful about finding one, though. After all, they would hold big rewards that the Sect couldn''t simply give to everyone. Zandel spoke with his groups during the other times he entered this place, and none of them had ever found such hidden rooms, let alone the rewards.


    That made sense. After all, Zandel only used the main routes to complete the contracts. Even if he did go to the far away paths, it would still be difficult to find such a place.


    Yet, that was exactly what Linfel did. It was different from what happened back in the Canyon, though. Back then, Linfel felt the flow of Magic Energy, and that ended up being the cave where they found the Spiritual Pool and the Level Four Snake Magic Beast. This time, however, his Magic Sense passed through the walls.


    Once his Magic Sense hit a physical thing, it would be deterred. So, while Linfel''s Magic Energy could go 200 meters of distance in thin air, once aimed at the ground or the walls, the farthest he could see was around 20 meters.


    That was more than enough, though. Linfel was walking with his group, looking for the next opponent, when his magic Sense found an empty passage around ten meters deep into the cave walls. Naturally, everyone thought Linfel found a hidden room with the so-called rewards, so they all worked together to open it.


    After opening a passage for them to pass through, they followed that path a few tens of meters. Finally, they entered an open area where nothing could be seen. For a moment, they all were a little dejected. There were no rewards, treasures, or whatever. It was as if it was a wasted effort.


    It didn''t end like that, of course. They still entered the area and began to look for anything else. It was them that Linfel''s Magic Sense caught something and called everyone. "There is another path below us," Linfel explained.


    They all looked down to the ground, not being able to sense as far as Linfel. "We are quite close to one of the various passage to the fourth floor," Zandel commented. "Could it be another passage into there?"


    "So that''s where the reward is? Let''s take a look!" Linfel didn''t wait for an answer and immediately used his Magic Energy to control the earth elements. In a single swoop, the entire ground vanished from under everyone''s feet, and they went fell.


    Alvin and the others felt like crying, but it was too late. As for Nori and Kefin, they could float, but they wouldn''t leave Milia and Zandel behind, so they obviously threw themselves inside as well.


    However, they didn''t fall just for a few moments. Instead, they kept falling for almost a minute straight. The passage acted like a slider, and they simply couldn''t find grip to stop the fall.


    Finally, they ended up inside another empty area. Not only that, the passage they had just come in caved right behind their group, making it impossible to turn back.


    "Linfel! Couldn''t you have waited a little?!" Alvin couldn''t help but complain.


    "That was too risky," Zandel agreed. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel shrugged. "We were already going to the fourth floor anyway, so why bother? Besides, there might be a treasure here, right? Let''s take a look!"


    Linfel''s words obviously caught everyone''s attention. They were already here anyway, so they might as well check it. However, as soon as they took out their MCOMs so they could refresh their maps, the name on the corner of the map made their bodies freeze.


    -Fucoes Dungeon: Sixth Floor-


    And thus, they were now here.


    ---


    "First, let''s go back into previous room and get some rest," Linfel spoke. "If we are to adventure further into the Sixth Floor, we need to recover first."


    They all looked at Linfel with angry expressions. It''s just that Linfel was also their main hope to leave this place. With his huge Magic Sense, perhaps they can avoid the Magic Beasts and Monsters before finding a way up.


    "Let''s first think about a plan," Alvin called out. "Linfel, the training is over. We will use all our Magic Channels now." Only on m v|le|mp|yr


    "I understand," Linfel wasn''t an idiot. "Still, this does work as a training, even if just to check the results of the past week and a half. Zandel is definitely the one to have improved the most since he started from zero. And since he is at Level Four, it should help with our cause."


    Zandel didn''t know about that. Even since joining Linfel''s group, he hasn''t been allowed to use all his magic channels at once, so he doesn''t know if he truly made progress or not. "I just hope you aren''t asking me to take the front."


    "That will be me," Alvin immediately volunteered. "Earth Element Maguses are much better for this kind of thing."


    Linfel agreed. "Milia and Nori will stay close to Alvin, attacking from the flanks in case we end up fighting something. As for Zandel and Kefin, your Wood Element is very good for support, so you stay on the back. I will obviously be with Alvin."


    Zandel sighed in relief for a moment. But then, he remembered how he was Level Four while Milia and Alvin were only at Level Three. He couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed that he was happy to stay on the back. "I..."


    Alvin stopped him. "I know what you are thinking. There is no need for you to worry about your higher level, Zandel. I''m much better at controlling Magic Energy, even though my level is lower. With my Earth Element, I have to be at the front. It is that simple."


    Linfel also added a piece. "Truth be told, if Alvin and Zandel fought each other, Alvin would most likely win. Zandel, that is the difference between your Magic Energy Controls. Even Milia would give you some work to do, although you probably can win against her since she started to train with me recently as well."


    Zandel took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. Then let''s follow your plan."

 Chapter 152: Simple Way

    After taking their rest and being relieved that no enemies appeared during that time, they found themselves in a pitch-black environment. Linfel had to use his Magic Energy to conjure a small but highly concentrated fireball. It consumed a good amount of Magic Energy, but Linfel could keep up with it with his absorption skills.


    Looking at the map, everything was also black. However, the map on their MCOMs at least showed them where was north. Judging from where they came from and the map from the floors above, they had a small idea of which direction to go. It''s just that they didn''t know what they would find.


    However, several minutes passed, and not a single soul could be seen. Then half an hour, then one hour, two hours, three hours... So far, they haven''t found a single Magic Beast or one of the Controlled Golems and Elementals. Everything was completely empty.


    "Could it be that the sixth floor doesn''t have anything?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask.


    "Perhaps because the Ventis Sect never expected anyone to come here, they hadn''t added any Magic Beasts or anything else. We haven''t found a single trap either," Milia added.


    Linfel didn''t think that to be the case. Magic Beasts don''t really follow any logic since they don''t have intelligence. The only reason he thought for none to live here was because all the ''food'' was on the top levels. It didn''t mean they wouldn''t find any during their travels.


    As they kept walking, Linfel began to grow tense. He could feel that something wasn''t right, although he simply couldn''t tell what. The Magic Energy flow was pretty much stagnated, so using it to guide himself wasn''t an option.


    It was then that Linfel''s expression changed. "We need to go back."


    Alvin and the others were taken aback. "What?! Why? It took us one hour to get here."


    Linfel shook his head. "Just follow me." Without explaining, he began to float back from where he came at high speeds. Everyone was forced to use their Magic Energies to the maximum just to keep up with Linfel.


    However, they didn''t need to do that for long. In just two minutes, they arrived at their destination. "This..." Seeing the passage ahead, Alvin and the others finally understood why Linfel asked them to go back. "But we have been walking for over three hours!"


    Linfel felt like an idiot. "I knew it. It is not that the sixth floor is empty; it is just that we barely left the area where we arrived at all."


    They were back exactly at the place where they fell. The caved passage was still there, and so were their footprints. "How is this possible?!"


    Linfel now understood why he felt something wasn''t right. "It isn''t that hard to guess, right? Back in the Magic Control Exam Building, the entire building''s insides were manipulated by Spatial Magic Arrays. A room that was supposed to be no more than a few meters wide extended for over a kilometers when you got inside.


    I think it is safe to say the entire Sixth Floor is being manipulated by a similar array."


    It was possible. The entire Dungeon already had Magic Arrays controlling the Golems, Elementals, and Magic Beasts. Why couldn''t there be a floor where Spatial Arrays were used?


    "I''m starting to think that perhaps it was better if this floor simply had Level Five Magic Beasts or the equivalent of those controlled puppets," Milia couldn''t help but comment.


    "Forget that," Zandel tried to reason things. "Perhaps this isn''t a bad thing. If the sixth floor is dedicated to Spatial Array Traps, perhaps there is a way out without having to fight anything. We just need to find a way to do that." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and Nori agreed. "He is right. Level Five Enemies would definitely be more dangerous, especially if there were many of them. Still, how exactly will we find a way out? We walked for over three hours, going up, down, right, left, you name it."


    Find new worlds at m-vl-em-py-r


    "We took several different paths," Linfel explained. "And yet, how many divisions of path have you guys seen on our way back?"


    Only then did they notice. "None... It was a straight line all the way here, with no different paths."


    Linfel was happy that he wasn''t the only one to notice it. "Then perhaps the trick lies behind the paths we chose. We are quite lucky already. It only took us three hours to notice this problem. How long would other groups take to notice it? Let''s go out again.


    We need to gather more information."


    Everyone nodded, and they followed Linfel. After a few minutes, they found the first division of paths even though there was no such thing on their way back. "Okay, there are three paths to choose, but the number isn''t always the same. We saw divisions with only two paths and others with four or five paths to choose from. We need to find something that would tell us which direction to go.


    Spread out and see if you can find any clues."


    Everyone began to look at the different entrances, using their Magic Sense up close to find any information. Linfel, obviously, did the same, and his Magic Sense could go deeper into the walls than anyone else''s. Unfortunately, all they could see and feel were rocks and more rocks. Dirt and more dirt. There didn''t seem to be anything out of the ordinary there.


    "There is nothing here," Alvin finally gave up looking.


    Zandel, Milia, Nori, and Kefin eventually did the same and returned to the center. "Nothing for us either."


    Finally, Linfel joined them. "I can''t find anything different. And that''s the problem."


    "We know," Alvin shrugged. "We are looking for clues, after all. Finding nothing isn''t a good thing."


    "That''s not what I meant," Linfel shook his head, though. "There is a Magic Array trapping us in this place, and yet, I can''t catch anything different with the flow of Magic Energy in the surroundings. In fact, there isn''t any flow at all. For the Magic Array to work on us all, there was supposed to be some difference in the Magic Energy Flow that feeds the Magic Array and keeps us in the same place.


    Since even I can''t feel it, we must be missing something, anything."


    "Can we disrupt the array somehow?" Alvin asked out of curiosity.


    Immediately, Linfel''s eyes lit up. "That''s it! Alvin, you are a genius!"


    "I am?" Alvin didn''t hear those words often. "Sure... but why am I a genius?"


    *Zush!*


    Suddenly, several rolls of thin thread reels, like the ones used for fishing, appeared on the ground, coming straight out of Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    "I meant to ask it a few times, but I guess now is better than never," Zandel commented after seeing that. "Just where are you keeping all these things?"


    Kefin nodded. He had been curious all this while as well.


    "I''m more curious about why you keep fishing line with you..." Alvin asked, and that was something Milia and Nori had to agree they were curious about.


    "I''ll explain later," Linfel didn''t answer, though. "Grab one each and knot them together. There is a very simple way to disrupt this Spatial Magic Array."

 Chapter 153: Probably Not

    After knotting the lines together, Linfel pointed at the entrances. "Each of us will go in one direction. There is enough line for 500 meters in each roll, and since we are knotting them together, there is a kilometer from one end to the other. That should be much more than the total area of effect of the Magic Array."


    Everyone felt confused. "How would that disrupt the Magic Array?"


    "That is quite simple," Linfel explained. "The Spatial Array must be focusing on us individually. If my theory is correct, it works like a bubble, and we are inside this bubble. Once we go in different directions, the Magic Array will have to create a bubble for each of us."


    "However, because we are connected by the fishing lines, we can''t truly disconnect from each other," he continued. "The array will have trouble separating us into our own bubbles and will be forced to expand the original bubble instead. I doubt it was made with that plan in mind, so the array should show some reaction. At least, I think it will."


    No one had a better idea at the moment, so they all agreed with the plan. "Alright. But what if we break out of this Magic Array? What would we expect to find?"


    "Who knows?" Linfel shrugged. "If I had the answer to that question, I would be working with the Ventis Sect here, too. Of course, be prepared for everything. Perhaps as soon as we break out of it, if we break, of course, we might end up in the middle of a pack of Magic Beats."


    Alvin and the others didn''t even want to think about it. "Okay, let''s give it a try."


    Linfel nodded. "Let''s keep moving away from each other until the end of our lines. Simply, we are locked inside some kind of Spatial Bubble; there is no need to go walking. Just start running, and I will float at the same speed. Alvin, you are on your own since I will go back."


    Alvin didn''t like the idea of going into one of the paths alone, but there wasn''t much of a choice if they wanted to cover all four paths. "Let''s do this."


    Then, Alvin rushed into the left path. Milia and Nori took the middle one, while Zandel and Kefin went to the right. Linfel, obviously, turned around and rushed back to where they started.


    The lines expanded, and for the first tens of meters, nothing ordinary seemed to be happening. However, after they crossed a hundred meters of line in their reels, the space around them began to show signs of instability. Surprisingly, this simple plan truly seemed to be working.


    They kept running, and soon, all four sides had gone 400 meters away from each other, or basically, 200 meters of their lines were used. The space continued to contort even more. The weird thing was that the pitch-black cave began to show cracks of light everywhere.


    Alvin stopped for a moment. ''Is this okay? This is far more than just a disruption...''


    Then, he heard a voice echoing from behind. "Everyone, you are probably seeing the same thing as me," Linfel spoke. He was using his Magic Energy to amplify his voice and make it go further enough to reach the others easily. "The Magic Energy is not stagnant anymore, so the plan is working. Don''t worry, though. The Magic Energy isn''t in a state that can cause us harm either.


    Just keep moving further away from each other in case you stopped moving."


    "Alright!" Milia''s voice was the next one to echo a second later. She also had stopped for the same reason. "Let''s keep going!"


    Alvin took a deep breath and turned around again, immediately resuming his run away from Linfel and the others. "It''s not like I have a better idea anyway," he murmured to himself.


    In the end, there was no need to use all the five hundred meters of line in each reel. By the time they reached three hundred, the space around finally collapsed. Light entered everyone''s eyes, so bright that they were forced to close them. Even Linfel and the other Familiars seemed to be affected by that, and they didn''t even have eyes.


    After a few seconds, the light began to normalize, allowing everyone to see again. All around them, shards of what seemed a broken glass disappeared in the air. Inside those glasses, the image of the dark cave could be seen before it disappeared with the glasses. Obviously, they were made of Magic Energy, and now that they lost their effect, they were dissipating.


    After those shards disappeared, what they found was not the walls of a cave anymore. Instead, they were standing in the middle of an enormous white room. From the looks of it, the room was at least a few kilometers wide from one side to the other. Milia, Alvin, Zandel, Linfel, Nori, and Kefin looked in the direction of their lines and saw each other in the distance.


    They escaped the Spatial Magic Array.


    "It worked!" Zandel couldn''t help but shout. The Ventis Sect wasn''t known for caring about its new disciples'' lives, so Zandel truly thought they might starve to death in those caves. Well, it was obvious they weren''t inside any cave but some kind of Spatial Illusion instead.


    Linfel laughed. "Hahaha! See! It told you the Array wasn''t made for such things."


    Their group quickly gathered again. "Is everyone okay?" Alvin asked, looking at Milia.


    Milia and Nori nodded. "Other than that light and the scare caused by the collapsing of the array, nothing else happened."


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    Zandel then looked around and noticed a huge closed gate at the end of one of the sides of the room. It was basically the only thing in the room that wasn''t completely white, having a blueish color instead. Zandel tried to see if there were any stairs or anything leading upwards, but there was nothing there.


    "Guess we can only open that gate and see where it leads us," Linfel commented, already moving in that direction.


    However, Milia, Zandel, and Alvin quickly stopped him. "Are you crazy? What if that is truly a boss room?!" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel shrugged. "We kill it and get out. What else is there to be done? Come on! It might be fun!"


    Everyone felt like crying. They highly doubted there was anything fun on the other side.

 Chapter 154: How Did You Know?

    Arriving at the gate, it was a lot bigger now up close. At least three times higher than Alvin and the others, let alone the Familiars.


    Alvin went to one side and Zandel to the other. Together, they pushed the gate together, trying to open it. The gate was quite heavy, but it still opened slowly. Alvin and Zandel made sure to open it completely in case they had to leave straight away.


    The insides were once again dark, impossible to see.


    "I wish I had something to put on the ground and prevent the gate from closing..." Alvin couldn''t help but mention it. All boss rooms in most games usually isolate the player from the outside world, and Alvin was afraid the same would happen here.


    Linfel''s Magic Sense spread ahead. The, he got excited and shot inside, disappearing in the darkness. "Come on! Get in already!"


    Alvin and the others didn''t have Linfel''s Magic Sense range, so they couldn''t see much further. "Does he understand things aren''t as easy for us?" Zandel complained in a low voice. Nonetheless, they all entered together.


    *Vup, vup, vup, vup, vup...*


    Several lights began to turn on one after another.


    *Bang!*


    Behind, the gate closed shut, not surprising anyone. Ahead, Linfel was standing in the middle of an arena. Finally, above, there was a chest that truly looked like those from games.


    "Look! That has to be the treasure you guys kept talking about, right?" Linfel asked, his eyes shining... or they would if he had one.


    The chest was almost a hundred meters above, so Milia and the others simply couldn''t tell what was inside, even with their Magic Sense. Of course, they knew Linfel''s Magic Sense. "Can you see what that chest is about?"


    Linfel nodded. "There are some kind of... electronic tickets? I don''t know. They seem to be some electronic cards or whatever. I can''t tell what they are about, though.


    There are twenty of them inside."


    This Dungeon was made so no Magus or Familiar above Level Four can enter. The initial idea was for the chest to be so high that the Magic Senses wouldn''t see what was inside. After all, over a hundred meters was much more than any Magic Sense at Level Four usually could go. Too bad that didn''t work with Linfel there.


    *Dcham!* Original content from M-VL-em|p,yr


    Suddenly, a holographic message appeared above the arena, explaining the rules related to that room.


    -Rewards and risks come hand in hand. Above, there is a huge reward, but to get it, you must go through the risks.- S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -Six participants detected, three maguses and three familiars. There will be no distinguishing between Maguses and Familiars. Six doors will be generated, and only one will be correct. The other five will result in the participant''s death. The six participants must select a single door that will seal everyone''s fate.-


    -Warning: Not selecting a door by the end of the countdown will also result in all the participants'' deaths.-


    -There is one way to open the right door. For every participant dead, one wrong door will be discarded.-


    -You have ten minutes.-


    *Friuuuu...*


    At the back of that room, the six doors appeared one after another. Right above, a countdown started, not giving anyone time to digest the information.


    "Wait, what?!" Alvin almost lost his senses.


    Zandel wasn''t any better. "This is bullshit! This has nothing to do with one''s ability. It is all luck!"


    Alvin shook his head. "There is luck, but the Ventis Sect obviously wants us to kill each other! Why do you think there is an aran behind us?"


    Nori turned to Linfel. "Hey, use your Magic Sense! Can you see anything on the other side of the doors?"


    Linfel shook his head. "They have an array preventing Magic Sense from going through. I have no idea what is on the other side of the doors."


    "Fuck! What now?!" Zandel cursed.


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "Let''s not complain. Think! There must be a trick here to select the right do-"


    *Zup!*


    Then... Linfel opened a door.


    Everyone fell with their faces on the ground. It hasn''t been even ten seconds! However, they quickly got up and prepared to defend themselves. Perhaps the room would attack them somehow. And yet... nothing happened.


    *Tam, Tam, Tam!*


    Then, several colorful holographic images appeared one after another, followed by a message.


    -Congratulations!-


    Milia was as lost as the others, looking at Linfel. "How... did you know that was the right door?"


    Linfel turned back. "I didn''t."


    "What?!" Sure enough, the answer shocked them all. "Then why did you try to open?!"


    Linfel shrugged. "Because there was no right answer. Or, to be more specific, all doors were correct."


    *Zush!*


    As soon as Linfel said that, a video call started where the holographic images were passing. In the call, a young man with green hair and a long beard appeared. -That''s unexpected. How did you know there was no right answer?-


    Everyone looked at the person in surprise. Were they being observed all this while? "W-Who are you, sir?" Zandel asked.


    -Right, where are my manners? I''m Tandlau, the elder in charge of the maintenance of this Dungeon. I created it over thirty years ago, but your group was the very first one to reach this last floor. Congratulations!-


    "Elder?" That was a little hard for them to believe. The young man in front of them didn''t seem to be more than fifteen or so years old. And yet, he did say he created this Dungeon over thirty years ago. "Magic Aging Retrocess..." Zandel commented.


    Milia''s eyes immediately opened wide. As a member of the Frondor Family, she did hear about it. "The natural phenomenon of body aging regression achieved when one reaches Level Nine..."


    Alvin, Nori, and Kefin couldn''t help but tremble a little. Level Ten! For them, such an existence was pretty much a legend!


    Linfel didn''t look all that surprised with Tandlau''s sudden appearance, though. "I mean, we had an elder at Level Eight taking care of something simple as Sect Recruitment. Sure there would be Maguses and Familiars at stage Ten or higher, right? Why all the surprise?"


    Everyone''s felt like kicking Linfel right there and then. The problem wasn''t that there were experts at that level. Instead, the problem was that some nobodies like them were now talking to one. Can''t Linfel understand this incredible fact? Even worse, such a carefree behavior might even anger that elder, which wouldn''t be good for them.


    -Hahaha!- Tandlau didn''t seem to mind it. -You are quite the figure, little one. It is rare to see a Familiar leading a group, but I guess I can see why. So, can you answer my question now? How did you know all doors were correct?-

 Chapter 155: The True Face of the Ventis Sect

    "Because it didn''t make sense," Linfel answered.


    -Hum?- Tandlau''s interest was piqued.


    Linfel continued. "After so many years, people barely made it to the fifth floor, right? And yet, those autonomous golems and spirits, as well as Level Five Magic Beasts, live there in huge amounts. Getting past the fifth floor is simply out of the question. I won''t say it is impossible, but simply not worth the risk."


    "Then, finally, someone made it to the sixth floor and even broke through the Spatial Array. That alone was supposed to be more than enough to gain a prize. However, in the end, there was this thing about the six doors and the correct answer. Isn''t that strange? Several Maguses and Familiars made this far, showing they are great talents, just so that they would kill each other?"


    "That''s when I reached the conclusion. The Ventis Sect wouldn''t want to lose such Maguses and Familiars. Since they don''t want to lose them, there must be no wrong door. At the very least, even if a door was wrong, I highly doubted it would really kill anyone," Linfel concluded. He might have no common sense, but he definitely wasn''t an idiot.


    -Hahaha!- Tandlau couldn''t help but laugh. -Indeed, the Ventis Sect wouldn''t want to kill such talents. However, you didn''t get to the sixth floor by traversing the previous ones. Instead, you just fell here. What do you have to say about that?-


    "That was even more of a reason not to lose anyone," Linfel shrugged. "Without a ridiculously high Magic Sense, sensing the hidden path behind the wall back up there would be impossible. Magic Sense also equals Magic Control, which the sect definitely prioritizes above Magic Level.


    If anything, you are probably much happier that we got here through that hidden path than going through the various floors."


    Tandlau nodded. -You are quite smart. But there is still a flaw in your conjecture. You forgot about the ''kill a participant to reduce the number of wrong doors'' part. If everything you said is true, then I should have never come up with that rule.-


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    Linfel nodded. "Indeed. That last part was nothing but a gamble of mine. Simply put, I would rather deal with whatever might have come out of the choice than kill anyone of my teammates."


    Alvin and the others were taken aback. That''s some resolution right there. Would they be able to say the same thing, or would they end up attacking each other to get out alive? Linfel found the answer, so they didn''t know what they would have done in the end.


    Suddenly, the treasure chest above the room began to float down. -I''m satisfied. The Ventis Sect made so many environments where stepping on others would give you higher rewards, especially in the case of killers. However, what the Maguses and Familiars tend to forget during their years in the sect is that the Ventis Sect is still a Sect.-


    Linfel couldn''t agree more. "I''ve been thinking about that as well. The Ventis Sect controls a third of this Galaxy. How could it be doing that in a situation where the Maguses and Familiars are always at each others'' throats? It didn''t make sense. Such a Sect should have imploded a long time ago."


    "That''s why I went out to do my own research in my spare time. Then, I noticed something interesting. The higher one climbs in the Sect Ladder, the bigger is their responsibility towards not only the sect but also its members. Slowly, the sect''s methods shift from absolute distrust to reliance on each other, especially missions for those who pass the Magic Control Test."


    "I might be wrong, but I believe the initial stages of being a disciple are all about not distrust but about learning how to live by oneself," Linfel finished.


    *Clap, clap, clap...*


    Tandlau clapped his hands, seemingly very satisfied. -Good, good! That''s correct. I believe you all at least had some contact with the elders of the sect during the entrance exams, right? If you had paid attention, you should have noticed that they work together and treat each other very well. They have grown to understand that the Sect can only stand if unified.-


    -Of course, that''s not the only method. There are dictatorships, for example. Still, our Ventis Sect truly believes that voluntary union holds a greater power. You see, the new Maguses and Familiars of the sect usually come from strong backgrounds in their own planets. They are used to relying on the power of their elders, their money, their influence, etc.


    They simply don''t know how to stand on their own.-


    -That''s why this environment of danger exists. It looks like we are promoting deception and killing, but that is a facade. What it is truly promoting is the ability to grow on your own. Once they have grown enough to not depend on anyone else, that''s when unification starts. Which one is better to have your back?


    Someone who can stand for himself, or someone who doesn''t know how to do things on his own?-


    -In the end, those at Level Six and above know they can rely on their companions, and the rules for them are very strict in this case. I''m not saying there is no deception in the Sect. Such a utopia doesn''t exist in this place. You still have to fight for your own resources least someone else takes everything from you. There will be times when you will fall against your fellow disciples.


    However, when it comes to the sect itself, both sides will always stand together.-


    -This is what this test was about. To see whether you would rather stand together against the danger or simply kill each other until only a single door remained. We lose many, many Maguses and Familiars because of things like this, and we don''t regret it one bit. It is all so we can find disciples like you, Linfel.-


    Tandlau then looked at the others. -As for them, you didn''t give enough time for them to decide what they would have done. I can only hope they will keep today''s words in mind.-


    Alvin and the others had weird expressions. They indeed couldn''t tell what they would have done in the end. Linfel was the only one who truly never doubted he would rather not kill anyone. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel smiled in response. "I trust they would still stand with me to the end."


    "Linfel..." Alvin and Milia couldn''t help but tear up. Even Zandel seemed a little touched.


    Tandlau nodded. -In any case, your rewards are inside the chest. Oh, by the way, the thing about no one ever making it to the sixth floor is a lie. It happened many times in the past. It''s just that everyone who makes it here is forced to keep their mouths shut so it won''t prejudice the results of the next Maguses and Familiars. Congratulations, you all passed.


    May we meet each other again.-


    *Ziu!*


    Then, the Video Call ended. There was only the rewards to collect now.

 Chapter 157: Why Always Like This?

    *Zuuuuu...*


    Then, one of the barriers came down, and a shield came flying in Linfel''s direction. Everyone looked at that, surprised to see that happened. "Linfel..."


    Linfel smiled and used his Magic Energy Signature to bind the shield to him. It quickly began to float around his core, following Linfel''s every thought. Finally, it shone with a blue light, and a Magic Barrier took form in from of it, adding a second layer to the shield itself. "Truly impressive. None of the Magic Devices I used so far had such a perfect response.


    The way it moves in the air is even better."


    Alvin felt like crying. "Didn''t you just commend us for saving our Silver Cards?" Obviously, Milia and the others had the same thought as Alvin.


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    "That I did," Linfel answered, not feeling the least bit of shame. "However, my choice has nothing to do with armor. It is called Omnidirectional Shields, and they work apart from each other if you don''t have them all. If you do have more than one, you can make them work together. Simply put, it does not matter whether I buy one now or all of them later. I already made up my mind I want them."


    "So that''s how it is..." Everyone understood.


    Milia sighed. "That makes me feel a little jealous actually. You can work with a single piece, while for us, a single piece of armor would actually be more detrimental than beneficial."


    Alvin and Zandel couldn''t agree more.


    *Vup!*


    Then, the Shield Disappeared without a trace. "Alright, I''m done here."


    In the room, there was a Magic Array for the Maguses and Familiars to use. When they all stepped on it, Fourth Dimensional power flowed around them, and with a flash of blue light, Linfel''s group disappeared.


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    Back in Gertei City, there was a building of the Ventis Sect near the center of the city. The building wasn''t that big, and the insides weren''t manipulated by any Spatial Magic Arrays like the building for the Magic Control Test.


    However, no one random could enter this build. There was a Magic Barrier on its only entrance and exit that prevented anyone from getting inside without special permission. The only ones allowed inside were the few contracted Maguses and Familiars from the Ventis Sect. They had only one job in there, keeping the over one hundred Fourth Dimensional Arrays working nonstop.


    It was very similar to how the Fourth Dimensional Engines worked. Those engines were fast enough for you to travel inside this galaxy from one corner to the other in just a few months. As for these Magic Arrays, they weren''t engines. Instead, they connected two different points that Maguses and Familiars could use to move between.


    Calling it a Teleport Array would be wrong. After all, you are not bending space to disappear in one point to reappear in another. You are still making the journey between two points, but you are going through the Fourth Dimension for that.


    The Fourth Dimensional Journey could bring you from one side of the galaxy to the other in a few months. Now, one can imagine how fast it would be to travel between two Fourth Dimensional Arrays that weren''t more than a few hundred kilometers from each other. It was exactly because such points were not too far that this Array even worked. Otherwise, you would need the Fourth Dimensional Engine.


    In the end, Linfel''s group was transported from the bottom of the Dungeon back to Gertei City in a split second. It was so fast that it almost did look like teleportation. Naturally, the place they appeared was exactly this building in the middle of Gertei City. The same city they live in.


    "Hum?" One of the few Maguses there noticed Linfel''s group appeared while he worked on the maintenance of another Magic Array. "Oh! Seems like we have a few more Card Winners. How was it, first time?"


    Linfel and the others were confused, though. "Where are we?"


    The guy smiled. It was also his job to explain things to any newcomers through the Fourth Dimensional Arrays. "This is the Fourth Dimensional Transportation Building. This is where everyone who got access to the armor exchange area ended up after they were done with whatever they were doing. You are now in Gertei City.


    If you are from some other city, then you will have to make your way back on your own."


    "I see..." Linfel commented. "These Arrays are really convenient. We are from Gertei City, by the way."


    The Magus continued to work on another Array. "Cool. The exit is on that side," he said while pointing out for a moment. "You can go now. Don''t try to come back inside, though. Unless you work here, like me, you can''t enter this building.


    It only exists to receive those who complete the various tasks related to the cards."


    Well, that was very convenient for Linfel''s group. They reached the sixth floor, so their contracts would pay quite well. They also fought plenty of Magic Beasts and those Golems and Elementals. Now, it was time for them to consolidate what they had learned in the past weeks with Linfel. The same went for Linfel since he also practiced on his own in the Dungeon with his Soul Power.


    "Thank you for the information, friend," Alvin nodded. He just wanted to get home already. "We are leaving now."


    "Oh, just one thing," The Magus warned Alvin and the others. "Card owners are highly sought after. There are plenty of onlookers outside, just waiting for any new prey to come out. They can''t do anything to you in the city, but they will definitely mark your faces, so be careful next time you leave the city."


    "What is it? Some kind of Card Hunters?" Zandel complained with a dark expression.


    "Did you know them?" The Magus asked back. "That''s exactly how they are called."


    Zandel''s mouth twitched. He didn''t want to guess anything, but seems like he did guess it... He then turned to Alvin and the others. "What do we do?"


    Alvin pointed in the exit direction. "I don''t think that guy over there cares too much about it..."


    Zandel turned around and wanted to cry again. Already stepping outside, there was a wisp who didn''t give a damn to the Card Hunters or whatever. "Why is he always like this?"


    Milia and Alvin patted his shoulder. "We truly wish we knew the answer for that... Let''s go."

 Chapter 158: Not At All!

    "Linfel, wait!" Zandel tried to stop him, but in the end, he ended up outside with everyone else.


    "Hahaha!" Linfel laughed. "Why wait? It is not like we can stay in the building forever, now can we? Since that''s the case, we might as well come out with a straight face." Linfel looked around, spreading his Magic Sense and taking mental notes of everyone looking at them.


    This was the center of the city, so there were obviously many people and familiars moving around or vehicles passing by. Fortunately, Linfel''s 200-meter Magic Sense was able to cover most of the surrounding area. Following that, Linfel''s mind messages reached everyone in his group. ''There are indeed quite a few interested in us.


    As far as I can see, around 30 eyes are looking in our direction, and most of them seem to be reporting their finding through their MCOMs.''


    Zandel wanted to cry while Alvin and the others just sighed. "So... what do we do?"


    Linfel continued to float away. "We? We will just go home, eat something, rest, review what we learned, and prepare for the next adventure. Besides, we will receive some visits as well. Right! Zandel, prepare a lot of snacks when we come back, okay?"


    Without another choice, Linfel''s group returned to their residence. Zandel went to prepare their food, and the others had a conversation with each other about their time in the dungeon. There were many things to go over.


    However, around an hour later, the first visit arrived, just as Linfel predicted.


    Alvin opened the door, not recognizing the Magus in front of him. "Errr... can I help you?"


    The man took out his hat and introduced himself. "Hello! I''m Ruffus Finwen. I''m here to talk about a little bit of business regarding your Cards. Would you mind if we had a little conversation?"


    Alvin didn''t know what to say, but Linfel appeared on his shoulder a second later. "Oh! It was faster than I expected. Welcome, welcome! Please, come in. What about your friends?"


    Alvin was taken aback and looked behind Ruffus. A few other Maguses and Familiars seemed to be in line, wanting to talk to them as well.


    "We have our own rules, so I will be the first one. They will have their chance to talk to you later," Ruffus explained.


    "That will take too long!" Linfel didn''t like that, though. "Everyone, come inside. Our house is quite big, so we can definitely accommodate you all in the living room. We are also preparing some snacks for you all to eat."


    Linfel then returned inside, leaving Alvin smiling with a weird expression. "You... heard my Familiar. Please, everyone, come inside. One by one won''t work since Linfel will definitely complain."


    Ruffus didn''t like to hear that, but those behind him, especially those further back, were more than happy to follow Linfel''s wishes. Soon, they all entered, and the house door closed behind them.


    In the living room, Zandel finally understood why Linfel asked for many snacks. It wasn''t for Alvin and Milia, but all these people. He approached Alvin, asking in a low voice. ''What are these guys?''


    Alvin had an idea of who they were. ''Most likely related to the people who saw us leaving the Fourth Dimensional Transfer building.''


    Milia joined. ''Weren''t they supposed to mark our faces and try to rob us outside?''


    Alvin and Zandel went silent. This didn''t seem like an attack, and it couldn''t be anyway since this was still inside the city.


    Linfel approached the center of the room, speaking to everyone. "Well, I believe you all came here to negotiate, right?"


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    Ruffus, who had entered first, nodded. "Yes. We would like to buy your cards, regardless of their colors. Since there are six of you, you should have received at least six cards."


    Linfel expected that. "We still don''t know how the rules of the cards work. Is it truly possible to buy the cards? We heard the away tokens can''t be bought, for example."


    "They can," a woman called Jiva took from there. "There are no rules about using Ventis Credits to buy the cards of other Maguses and Familiars. We can also pay through other methods, of course. You can be certain of one thing, we will pay very, very well for every single card."


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "Are the armors on display truly worth so much?"


    Ruffus confirmed. "They are. The Ventis Sect Magic Armors are by far superior to what you can acquire on any of our planets. The Ventis Sect is connected to the other powers of this galaxy but especially with powers from the outside. The technology in those armors might not even be found in our galaxy at all. That''s why everyone wants to have one at least."


    Linfel was more interested in the price. "Okay, how much are you offering?"


    Ruffus showed his MCOM. "For each Bronze Card, we offer a thousand Ventis Credits. For each silver, ten thousand Ventis Credits. Finally, for each Golden Card, we offer one million Ventis Credits." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait, from silver to gold, the price jumps a hundred times?!" Alvin spoke, taking a deep breath.


    Everyone nodded. "It does. Could it be you have Golden Cards?"


    "We wish!" Linfel exclaimed. "But that''s weird. You can swap ten Silver Cars for one Golden Card, according to the terminal exchange we saw back in the Magic Armors Room. Shouldn''t Golden Cards be worth only ten times more then?"


    Ruffus smiled in response. "Do you have ten silver cards to exchange for a golden card?"


    "This..." Linfel immediately understood. "It''s just too hard to acquire ten silver cards, is it? Let alone Golden."


    "That''s correct," Jivas was used to that question from new Maguses and Familiars. "Golden cards are so important that we are willing to pay much more than they should be worth it. Simple as that."


    Finally, Ruffus asked the main question. "Which cards do you have? Also, would you be willing to sell them to us?"


    "Not at all!" Linfel answered without thinking twice.

 Chapter 159: Increase the Collection

    Linfel pointed to the exit. "You guys can leave now. Thank you for the explanation regarding the commerce of cards, though."


    Ruffus and the others didn''t expect such an answer. "You are kidding, right? I''ll be straight with you. These cards will only bring you trouble in the future. There will be plenty of Maguses and Familiars at Level Four and Five coming after you because of them."


    "That''s for sure!" Linfel agreed with him. "However, I''m not an idiot. I checked the information regarding the cards in the Ventis Sect System. It is indeed possible to rob them, but you must have your own cards with you during that moment. Cards have their own ownership, after all. I''m looking forward to gaining a few more cards when your friends come to pay us a visit."


    Alvin''s group felt like crying. They could tell Linfel was dead set on incurring the wrath of all these experts. "Linfel... isn''t it better to consider it a little first? We can try to find more of those dungeons or other methods to get more cards later."


    Ruffus glanced at Alvin and nodded, satisfied. "You should listen to your master. You can prevent meaningless danger right here and right now. That is definitely the best outcome for your future."


    Linfel opened their house''s door. "Not interest. Shoo, shoo! You are wasting my time. Make sure you call everyone interested in our cards as well. Next time I leave the city, I want at least ten of some card owners after me."


    Java, Ruffus, and the other experts were enraged by how Linfel treated them. However, no one could cause trouble inside the cities, so they could only follow the orders. Otherwise, Linfel could even flag them for trespassing.


    With those guys gone, Linfel closed the door and returned to the living room, just to see Milia and the others looking at him with weird expressions. "Linfel. We don''t think that was a good idea at all. We won''t be able to step out of the city for a long time now."


    Linfel shrugged, not feeling the tension like the others. "You are overthinking it. I doubt more than four or five guys will appear next time we leave for missions, contracts, or training. Didn''t you see the order they took just to talk to us? With such a big target on our backs, that also means more danger for anyone following us. Don''t worry.


    We can deal with it. If not, we can just throw our cards away and flee. At that moment, those who came after us would definitely ignore everything and go after the cards."


    They looked at Linfel, wondering if things would turn out that well. Unfortunately, Linfel already gave his final word to those experts. Unless they go out now and try to mend things, there is no way back. Linfel obviously wouldn''t let them do such a thing, though. He was confident they could deal with the danger. If anything, Linfel welcomed the danger instead.


    "Alright, they didn''t eat all the snacks, so make sure you finish them. After that, we will head to the Ventis Sect Building, where you took the magic Control test," Linfel spoke.


    "We will?" They found it strange. "But the next test is still far away."


    "They are," Linfel smiled in response. "However, I work as one of the supervisors of the test, you know? I have some special privileges, and that includes access to the equipment used for the many types of tests. It will be nice to check how far you have gone with your Magic Control."


    No one had any complaints about that plan. Milia, Zandel, and Alvin quickly finish the food, although not everything. Zandel stored what they couldn''t finish for later. Finally, they followed Linfel out and went back to the Ventis Sect Building.


    Meanwhile, the news about Linfel''s group rejecting the deals spread fast among Card Owners. Above all, the fact that only one member of their group was Level Four made them look like an easy target, which excited those interested.


    For the next weeks, there were Maguses and Familiars keeping an eye on Linfel''s house and friends. Everywhere they went, someone followed behind. They didn''t even try to hide it since there were quite a few.


    That obviously bothered Milia and the others, but there was no rule regarding such things. As long as they didn''t invade the house or other private areas or cause trouble, those stalkers could follow anyone they wanted.


    ---


    There was still a month for the next Magic Energy Control test, and Linfel worked with everyone to improve their abilities. Thanks to all the dangers in the previous Dungeon, there was much to be revised, and the Ventis Sect Building equipment was great for it.


    Without any surprises, Zandel, Kefin, Milia, and Nori were the ones who had the greatest improvement. After all, they had never followed Linfel''s instructions before. Alvin also improved, although not as much since it gets harder, the better it becomes. Nonetheless, Linfel recognized Alvin probably would achieve at least 1400, 50 points higher than he did during the previous test.


    Of course, Alvin has already passed the test. The only reason he isn''t leveling up is because Linfel prohibited him from doing so.


    Coming out of the Ventis Sect Testing Building, Linfel felt satisfied with everyone''s progress, including his own. He also put himself to the test during these weeks and was happy that he was managing to merge the Soul Power and Magic Energy together in his attacks with more ease. Stay connected with m-vl_em|p,yr Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Linfel used Magic Energy alone, he could easily surpass 2500 points of score, something you wouldn''t see below Level Five and within some top geniuses on the entire planet. 2500 would only become more commonly seen at Level Six.


    However, when adding Soul Power to the mix, things became a lot more difficult. No doubt the Soul Power increased the strength of Linfel Magic Energy Abilities, but it also made it a lot harder to control. While using Soul Power, Linfel''s score barely hit 1000 points. Of course, it was still a great score for a Level Three Familiar. In the end, it all depended on the situation.


    Linfel''s plan was to get used to Soul Power so he could use it as easily as he did Magic Energy alone.


    "Okay, it is time to put what we learned into practice," Linfel spoke. "We are going to get a few contracts. But first, I''ve found the information about where we could get more cards. Let''s see if we can increase our collection."

 Chapter 160: We Expected That

    After finding out about the cards, it became a lot easier to search for them. However, Linfel also noticed something during his research. The information regarding the cards seemed to be suppressed in the Ventis Network. Unless you were looking specifically for it, you probably wouldn''t just bump into it there.


    That was most likely, so the various maguses and familiars wouldn''t lose sight of their objective. In Linfel''s opinion, it made a lot of sense. Those who still haven''t massed the Magic Control Test should be focused on it instead of looking for those cards. As for the ones who had already passed, it was the right logical step to try to acquire one of those armors.


    Linfel took out his MCOM, showing it to his group. "So, it took me some time, but it seems like we have three options. The first one is actually focused on research than anything else. The Jogtan Organization is in need of Maguses and Familiars to conduct some tests, and the rewards are Bronze Cards. One card every three months of contribution."


    Alvin didn''t like it. "Sounds like those Maguses and Familiar experiments we decided to stay away from..."


    "Exactly," Linfel nodded. "That''s exactly what it is about. So, I guess none of you want to donate your bodies for this cause, right?"


    Linfel heard no complaints there, so he continued into the second option. "The second way to acquire cards is in the monthly Magus and Familiar races."


    "Races?" None of them expected that. "You mean... just trying to see how is fastest and gaining cards if you win?"


    "If it was just that simple..." Linfel shook his head as he said that. "These races obviously are quite dangerous. Simply put, you can attack any other participant, and you must not deviate from the path of the race during this time. The path is made so that there is nowhere to hide either."


    Milia sighed in response. "As always, the Ventis Sect tries to force its members into combat..." Of course, now she knew the real reason the sect did that, so she didn''t complain.


    Alvin looked at the information, seeing that there were various categories. However, there was no mention of cards as rewards. "Are you sure? I can only see Ventis Credists as rewards."


    Linfel faintly smiled and touched a hidden option there. Then, the reward list changed, now displaying the cards as well. "Is that what you were looking for?"


    Alvin was taken aback and did the same on his MCOM. Sure enough, the list was also updated for him. "The Ventis Sect truly went all out to hide the cards, didn''t they?"


    Zandel then looked at the categories. "Doesn''t seem that complicated, though. Level Three Maguses and Familiars can only participate in Level Three Races. The same goes for Level Four and Five. There doesn''t seem to be races for Level Six and above, though." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why would there be races for Level Six and Above?" Linfel asked back. "Such high-level Maguses and Familiars would already be going into away missions outside the planet. I''m pretty sure they can also acquire Ventis Credits and Cards in this way. Make sure to keep all your Away Tokens."


    "I also can''t see Level Six Maguses and Familiars participating in those races to entertain the public," Nori pointed out to the rules. The races were transmitted in the Ventis Sect Network, and from the number of views, they were extremely popular. But, at the same time, it would be quite embarrassing to participate in such things at Level Six and above.


    Alvin then looked at Linfel. "In the Level Three categories, there is a Master Familiar race as well. Linfel, what about we connect and participate. With your control over all elements and my Magic Energy, it should be fairly easy for us to win in this category, no?"


    Linfel looked at him before pointing at the Level Three Familiar category. "I can also win on my own. You just want an easy path to win a few cards."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Well... is that wrong? I mean, I''m an Earth Element user. I have no speed whatsoever."


    "There aren''t only races," Linfel changed the page. "There are also monthly competitions for Strength, Endurance, etc. After everything I taught you, I believe you would do pretty well in the resilience department."


    Alvin had to admit he was interested. Not only him but so did Milia, Zandel, and their Familiars.


    Linfel could understand then, but he still had one last option to give. "Last but not least... we have another dungeon. Who could have imagined that, right? Hahaha!"


    He continued. "From what I found out, we can''t repeat the same dungeon and acquire cards again. Even if we managed to reach the sixth floor back in the Fucoes Dungeon, nothing would be there for us to receive. Anyway, the other Dungeon that is relatively close to us is actually inside a Magic Beast Territory, the Ronmel Mountain range. As for the Dungeon, it''s the Crystal Caves, a labyrinthine system of caves adorned with luminescent crystals... or so says the description."


    Zandel immediately made his choice. "I want the Crystal Caves!"


    "Eh?!" Alvin definitely didn''t think Zandel would choose the Magic Beasts option. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"


    Zandel glanced at him and shrugged. "I''ve seen you, Milia, and your Familiars. At Level Three, you guys truly have a very good chance of winning these monthly contests. However, I''m Level Four, and in the Ventis Sect, I''m not exactly that super talented. I would probably drown in the midfield. Since that''s the case, I might as well take my chances with the Crystal Caves and see if I can get a card. At the very least, now I know I would be going there to look for them."


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    Linfel was happy to hear that. "In fact, the choice was made from the very start. We can take these contests later since the next ones will happen only three days prior to the Magic Control Test. Meanwhile, we must go to the Crystal Caves. Reason being, I want to see what you learned after these long time of training here in the city. Show me what you can do there."


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other. "Yeah... we expected that."

 Chapter 161: Everything Will Be Fine

    Linfel''s group didn''t leave the city through the gate like the last time. Usually, Linfel would have everyone run and battle all the way to the Crystal Caves. However, because the next Magic Control Test would take place in just one month, they might run out of time. That''s because the Crystal Cave was over five thousand kilometers away.


    They went to the public airship transportation and paid the Ventis Credits fee. No one would believe Level Three would spend their Ventis Credits on these things, but Linfel''s group definitely did. They got even more Ventis Credits after returning from the previous dungeon. Right now, their total amount was 1147, after paying for their seats in the airship. They could have even more, but they spent quite a bit here in the city before leaving.


    If Linfel''s group had made their way on foot, there would be quite a few Maguses and Familiars waiting to ambush them and take their cards away. However, trying anything inside the airships of the Ventis Sect was absolutely forbidden. After all, these airships were operated by various companies contracted by the Ventis Sect, so they were out of limits.


    Sure, there were a few idiots who tried to do such a thing before, but without exception, their ending wasn''t very good. Right now, no one even considered the idea anymore.


    "Those guys must be pretty mad..." Alvin couldn''t help but comment, looking down from the airship window. Stay immersed with m_vl_em_p_yr


    "Not so much," Zandel shook his head. "They saw what kind of residence we lived in, right? They probably already considered the possibility that we would use public transportation. It''s just that they can''t do anything to us here."


    "Linfel," Milia looked at the Wisp. "Is there a limit of level for the Crystal Caves as well?"


    "Of course!" Linfel quickly nodded. "The Crystal Caves are forbidden to anyone at Level Six and above. I hardly think someone at that level would go there when they can take away missions, but it is good that the limit exists. After all, there are cases like ours, so some Level Six Maguses or Familiars might throw their pride away and come after us inside. With the limit, those people can''t send anyone beyond Level Five while we are there."


    Zandel was still nervous. "Level Five is still not something we should be able to deal with..."


    Linfel faintly smiled but didn''t say anything.


    Time passed, and around an hour later, the airship landed at the entrance of the Crystal Caves. Hundreds of Maguses and Familiars came out, including Linfel''s group. Linfel didn''t waste time, spreading his Magic Sense around, covering everything in a 200-meter range. Right after, he talked directly into everyone''s minds.


    ''Sure enough, they left some waiting for us. I can see four guys focused on our group, three Level Four and one Level Five. The Level Five guy seems to be alone, while those three at Level Four are acting as a group.''


    None of Linfel''s group expressions changed. Before even leaving their house, Linfel had a conversation with everyone. They must not act suspicious, so as to not hint out that they know they were being followed. With that, they all walked into the Crystal Cave''s entrance.


    The name Crystal Caves was indeed suiting. The entrance already had many crystals protruding out of the walls, and they shined lightly. From what Linfel read about this place, further down the Crystal Caves, you wouldn''t even see dirt anymore. Everything would be covered in crystals.


    Linfel''s Magic Sense continued to observe their new ''friends'' as they tried to hide. Normally, what they did would be enough, but not with Linfel there. ''They don''t seem to want to act right at the entrance, which makes sense since there are plenty of Maguses and Familiars passing by. They will wait until there aren''t many experts or when we get alone.''


    Zandel immediately commented, using his Magic Energy to make sure only Linfel and the others heard his voice. ''Then let''s keep in the main routes. Should be safer.''


    Linel completely ignored him, though. ''Alright, on the count of three, we will all run to the cave passage on the right. That''s the path to the least used routes of the crystal caves. Let''s try to end these things fast. One, two, three!''


    Zandel wanted to cry. End things fast? How? Was Linfel trying to die faster, perhaps? Too bad Zandel''s best chance was still to stick with Linfel''s group, so he also shot forward, trying to keep up with Linfel and the others.


    As one could imagine, the Level Five Magus and the other Level Four Magus/Familiar group noticed that straight away and followed.


    As one of the least used paths, it didn''t take long for the number of Maguses and Familiars to reduce. This place was considered a labyrinth, but Linfel made sure to buy a map of the area. This dungeon didn''t have floors like the previous one. It was all about deepness. All caves headed down, although in different directions. Linfel''s map was enough to not get lost up to fifty kilometers. As for how far the Crystal Cave went, that information he wasn''t able to find.


    Just like the Fucoes Dungeon, it seemed like information regarding the furthest parts was controlled. Let''s not forget that Zandel told Linfel''s group that no one had ever made it to the sixth floor of the Fucoes Dungeon. Yet, they found out back there that actually a lot of people had got there. They just couldn''t mention it outside, or they would be punished. The same went for Linfel''s group, so they never told anyone about the sixth floor and what you could find there.


    "Linfel," Alvin asked as they kept running. "What about the Magic Beasts? Is that really okay to continue running like this?"


    Linfel nodded. "It is fine. The main issue of the Crystal Caves is to find your way further down. Look around; everything looks the same, right? This place is more about not getting lost than fighting Magic Beasts... or at least that''s the case at the start. There are pretty much no Magic Beasts in the first 30 or so kilometers. Beyond that, we might find one or two. It''s only after fifty kilometers that I''m not sure about what we can find."


    Zandel kept glancing back, waiting for the moment their enemies would reveal themselves and attack his group. "What''s the plan? Just wait for them to come?"


    Linfel nodded, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Yeap, just wait. Keep running nonstop. That''s all you need to do. As long as you do that, everything will be fine." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 162: Soon!

    No one understood why Linfel said that. Keep running, and everything will be fine... Why would it be fine? They were getting even further away from the main routes. It will become harder and harder to meet anyone the further they go into these routes. It would instead give their pursuers the perfect chance to attack!


    Linfel could tell what they were thinking, but he didn''t say anything. His Magic Sense, which was definitely bigger than those coming after his group, kept focused on them. "Okay, increase the speed a little."


    Alvin and the others looked at each other and nodded, increasing their speed.


    Half a minute later. "Increase again; go ten kilometers faster."


    Zandel jumped right and left, narrowing his eyes while he pulled Kefin with him. "This terrain is terrible to move through."


    The Crystal Caves weren''t smooth. Giant crystals could also be found on the ground everywhere. To make the most of the situation, Zandin and the others were forced to keep jumping everywhere to keep the increase of speed requested by Linfel.


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    That was the same for everyone. Just like the city, it was also impossible to fly inside a Dungeon due to the Magical Arrays controlling it. The Ventis Sect never made life easy for anyone. Well, that was good for Linfel''s group since not even the Level Five Magus behind could fly, either.


    Linfel kept checking his group''s distance from the Level Five Magus and the trio of Level Four ones. He would tell Alvin and the others to increase their speed now and then; sometimes, he asked them to reduce their speed a little as well. Simply put, Linfel was making sure his pursuers would stay around a hundred meters away.


    That situation continued for over an hour, and exactly as Linfel mentioned, they didn''t find a single Magic Beast. This place truly looked more like a labyrinth than anything else. Everywhere they looked at seemed the same. If not for the map of the first 50 kilometers Linfel acquired, they wouldn''t even be sure if they were lost or not.


    "Hehe!" Linfel laughed a little. "Seems like our friends are getting impatient. Everyone, increase your speed by another 30 kilometers. You can use your Magic Energy normally."


    Behind, both the Level Five Magus and those at Level Four in the other group were indeed getting angry. They kept trying to catch up to Linfel''s group, increasing their speed several times. Yet, Linfel''s group seemed to away be a step too far for them to even see their shadows. They were sure they were ahead, but they couldn''t catch up.


    Little did they know, but Linfel was using his map to go in circles. This dungeon was enormous and with countless different paths. As long as the enemy didn''t catch up, Linfel could bait them around forever.


    Another two hours went by, and the trio of Level Four Maguses and Their Familiars finally found themselves forced to stop. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to pursue Linfel''s group anymore. Instead, they had been using their magic Energy nonstop to move in this weird terrain of crystals while keeping up with Linfel''s group speed. One could just imagine their shock to see that they were running out of steam while Linfel''s group continued to run. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Gasp, gasp...* "How''s that possible..."


    *Gasp, gasp...* "It makes no sense..."


    "Forget it..." *gasp...* "We already knew we probably wouldn''t have a chance with that Level Five guy pursuing them anyway. Let''s go back and wait at the exit. We can''t make a move there, but at least we can report them once they go back to the city."


    Just like that, the Magus Group gave up. In their eyes, Linfel''s group was actually committing suicide. There was no way they could outrun the Level Five Magus reserves of Magic Energy. Once Linfel and the others ran out of Magic Energy, they would become the stronger guy''s prey and would be forced to give away their cards.


    Linfel, obviously, noticed when the trio stopped with his Spiritual Sense. "Good news, our first pursues gave up."


    "What?!" Milia and the others were taken aback. "Why?!"


    Linfel looked at Milia, Alvin, and Zandel. Milia and Zandel''s Familiars were just cores, so carrying them wasn''t a problem. Still, neither of the three seemed tired yet. "Still can''t understand? Did you forget what you looked like when I first started to train your physical bodies without having to rely on Magic Energy? Why do you think I made you all run so much? Tell me, how much Magic Energy have you used until now?" Linfel asked as they continued to run.


    The group was surprised to hear that. Alvin, Milia, and Zandel checked their reserves.


    "I''m still full..." Alvin was the first to answer. As the one who trained with Linfel the longest, he obviously had the best Magic Energy Control. He was using Magic Energy to move fast through the crystals, but his control was so good that he was able to recover more than he used.


    "I''m around 80%," Milia was next. She had been with them for a while longer than Zandel but nowhere near as Alvin.


    "What? I''m already at 50% of my reserves!" Zandel exclaimed. He was at Level Four, and yet he used more Magic Energy than Milia and Alvin, who were at Level Three. Well, it had been just two months since he began to receive his tyrannical magic Energy Control and Physical Training from Linfel, so he still had a long way to go.


    Linfel shrugged. "That''s pretty much it. Magic Energy Control and, in this case, pure body fitness and strength. Those guys behind us are most likely the same as 99%+ of the Maguses of the world. Absolute no physical training, only Magic Leveling and Magic Energy Control. Maguses tend to underestimate the difference of a properly trained body. After all, they can make up for it all by simply adding Magic Energy. Now, you just saw the result of such thinking. We are all still fine to keep runing for many more hours. As for our friends behind..."


    Everyone was quite happy to hear that.


    "Great!" Alvin cheered. "We can just keep running until the Level Five guy gives up. Hahaha! We are safe!"


    "Uh?" Linfel looked at Alvin, confused. "Why would we do such a thing? Be ready. Soon, we will turn around and confront him."


    Alvin almost stumbled when he heard that. Sure enough, things were never that simple when Linfel had the reins.

 Chapter 163: Be Right Back

    "Are you crazy?" Zandel followed with Alvin''s reaction. "That is not a Magic Beast. It''s a magus, one that can think about his moves!"


    Linfel didn''t seem to care. "Good! Then that means we will have a real challenge. Now, shut up and increase the speed. We are changing direction."


    Alvin and Milia did as Linfel told them, forcing Zandel to follow so he wouldn''t be left alone. As Linfel mentioned before, they kept changing directions and going in circles. Once in a while, they bumped into some Magus or Familiar, but those ones didn''t want to have anything to do with Linfel''s group. Now, Linfel repeated the process while the Level Five Magus followed them.


    There was a difference this time. Linfel had his group increase their speed to the maximum, which also forced the enemy to give his best. If Linfel and the others stopped for a moment, they would definitely hear the curses coming from the Magus behind.


    Finally, another thirty minutes later, Zandel began to lose performance. He was still far from having a good physical body or Magic Control. Fortunately for him, Linfel was waiting for that moment. "Alright, on the count of three, everyone stops. I was thinking about charging at our enemy, but it will be better if we pretend we are too tired to continue to flee. One, two, three!" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and the others immediately stopped. It wasn''t hard to pretend to be tired since they had been running forever. Even if Alvin, Milia, and Nori were still full of Magic Energy, they were still sweating quite a lot, let alone Zandel. In his case, he was already using Kefin''s Magic Energy since his own was pretty much gone.


    With their stop, the Level Five Magus caught to them in no time. Just like Linfel''s group, he also was sweating buckets, and his expression was as dark as one could imagine. "Finally... *gasp* you gave up, uh? *gasp!*"


    Alvin turned to him as Linfel was now sitting on his shoulder. "Who are you? Why do you keep following us? We did nothing to you!"


    The guy couldn''t care less. "I''m Zuzei. Now, shut up and hand over your cards. You better be happy that killing others would make me a Killer. Otherwise, I would take your lives right here and right now."


    Well, it was true that killing someone would make Zuzei a killer. However, the guy had no intention of simply taking the cards anymore. He would also break a few bones and take a few limbs. That was his plan. Of course, he wouldn''t tell Linfel and the others about it. But first, he had to take the cards.


    Alvin showed a relieved expression and nodded. "So, will you let us go if we give you our cards?"


    "Yeah, yeah! Fast before I change my mind!" Zuzei approached, now breathing a little bit better. Yet, his Magic Energy was already circulating in his body, ready to attack.


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    Alvin looked at Milia and Zandel, and they quickly gathered their Silver Cards. Seeing that surprised the Magus quite a bit. He was expecting Bronze Cards to come out, definitely not Silver Cards. In his mind, he felt like he hit the jackpot. It was definitely worth all the effort he put into pursuing Linfel''s group.


    As Zuzei approached Alvin, he glanced at Zandel all the time. He could tell that Zandel was the only Level Four member of this group. Although Zuzei was at Level Five, he didn''t want to underestimate Zandel just because of a single level. If Zandel managed to land a hit on him with his full power, even Zuzei might get seriously injured.


    Alvin extended his arm, the cards in his hand. He seemed to be trembling, afraid of what could happen. Well, the trembling wasn''t pretension. Alvin was truly nervous due to the difference in Level. Milia was by his side, holding Nori in his sword form. They were in their Magus Familiar connection. Zandel and Kefin too.


    Zuzei didn''t complain about those two since they were being careful. Nonetheless, once he got the cards, he could definitely beat them.


    Finally, Zuzei extended his hand to grab the Silver Cards. However, his right hand suddenly moved like lightning. He, too, was connected to his Familiar, which had the form of a belt. Their Magic Energy acted together, Fire Element gathered on his hand, and he tried to destroy Alvin''s arm as he took the cards for himself.


    *Bang!*


    However, Zuzei''s plan didn''t work as he expected. Out of nowhere, a shield appeared right where Zuzei was about to strike Alvin''s Arm, completely absorbing the shock as Fire Element spread around.


    *Kabrum!*


    He didn''t have time to think about the shield, though. The moment his right hand hit the shield, a lightning bolt shot from Linfel on Alvin''s shoulder, aiming at Zuzei''s left hand instead. His second hand was trying to catch Alvin''s cards once his right one cut Alvin''s arm away. Now, it was unprotected, and Linfel hit him at point-blank distance.


    *Arrrrghhhh!*


    An arm flew out, disconnected from its body, as the smell of burnt flesh spread in the air. Zuzei lost his arm even faster than he could think. He immediately jumped back, using all his Magic Energy to open some distance from Alvin and Linfel.


    Yet, that was the signal for Zandel, Milia, Nori, and Kefin to act. They attacked Zuzei from behind before he could recompose himself. Alvin also followed from the front... although Linfel was nowhere to be seen.


    "Alright, I got one of his arms. Now, the three of you need to work together to take him down," Linfel spoke from further behind. "Just be careful to not kill him. Oh, and don''t forget to take his Cards. The way he reacted when he saw our own cards is proof that he wants the cards for himself instead of selling to anyone."


    Alvin''s Earth First appeared again, and he attacked Zuzei from the front. His Magic Energy output surpassed what a Level Three Magus should be able to, making it impossible for Zuzei to ignore him.


    *Bang!*


    Zuzui used his only arm to block Alvin and his superior Magic Energy reserves to force Alvin back. Yet, that gave Zandel and Milia time to strike from behind. Of course, Zuzei was still a Level Five Magus, and he was connected with his Familiar, which was also at Level Five. Magic Energy immediately built on his back, creating a barrier to block the attacks.


    Linfel didn''t stay there to watch the show, though. "Alright, you guys continue. Don''t forget his cards. I have something to do. Once you are done, wait for me here. I will be right back."


    Alvin and the others were taken aback. "You are abandoning us?!"


    Linfel laughed as his voice grew further away. "Hahaha! This guy doesn''t have even 10% of his Magic Energy left. If you still lose to him, then that''s all there is to it. Put your training to the test. See you in a moment." And just like that, Linfel disappeared in the distance. Linfel... was the only being in this Dungeon who could still fly!

 Chapter 164: Cant Escape

    Alvin and the others were taken aback. Not even ten 10%? Zuzei was already connected to his Familiar, so there was no doubt Linfel was talking about their total amount of Magic Energy. What about Alvin? He was full! Milia still had around 60 to 70% left.


    Zandel and Kefin were the only ones in a similar state to Zuzei, having around 10% of their magic Energy left. However, let''s not forget that Zandel and Kefin were only at Level Four. For them to have a similar amount of Spiritual Energy to Zuzei after all this long pursuit already shows Linfel''s training results.


    Zuzei obviously heard those words, and his expression became even worse than when he lost his arm. He didn''t know how that Familiar found out about his Magic Energy reserves. Even worse, the Familiar left, saying that this group of Levels Three and Four could deal with him because of that. "You seem to be underestimating me quite a bit, no? Is that because you took one arm? Hmph! Let''s see how this is going to end after I finish with you all."


    Fire Element immediately gathered as his Magic Energy spread and circulated in his body. Without holding back, he shot forward, this time aiming to take Alvin down in a single strike. Even if he had just one arm left, there was no way a Level Three Magus could resist his strike. He was also confident he was faster than Milia and Zandel.


    Alvin wasn''t any slower, though. His Earth Element gathered, and Magic Energy circulated. He crossed his arms, which became covered in an armor of rocks filled with Magic Energy, ready to receive the strike.


    Milia and Zandel also acted, attacking Zuzei from behind, but he wasn''t wrong when he thought he was faster than these Maguses and Familiar. He indeed was... or so he thought.


    Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on Alvin''s face as he stomped his fot on the ground. Who said that Alvin intended to defend? If anything, Alvin understood that he had the best attack opportunity at that moment. Zuzei would be focusing on Milia, Zandel, and their Familiars, afraid of their attacks.


    *Zash!*


    As soon as Zuzei was about to land his strike on Alvin, an earth pillar shot from the ground, aiming straight at his face. Zuzei could barely believe that. It wasn''t like he didn''t think Alvin could attack him. Instead, seeing that Alvin was only at Level Three and was an Earth Element user, he simply thought nothing Alvin did could be faster than himself. Little did Zuzei think Alvin could use his Magic Energy with such speed and precision. That went completely against what he knew about experts at Level Three.


    Zuzei was still experienced, though. In that last split second, he turned his face to the side, and the earth pillar missed a point-blank hit. However, Alvin didn''t completely miss it. The Earth Pillar opened a huge wound on Zuzei''s face right side.


    It didn''t all end there, though. Because Zuzei was forced to give up the attack to not plunge his face into the Earth Pillar, he didn''t have time to think about anything else. He simply drained as much Magic Energy as possible from his core and once again created the Magic Energy barrier on his back, expecting Milia and Zandel''s attack to arrive right after.


    Too bad, though. Milia and Zandel positioned themselves a few meters away, seemingly waiting for something. That Magic Energy barrier turned out to be useless.


    ''Not good!''


    Only then did he understand. Yes! Since he didn''t land his strike against Alvin, that meant Alvin didn''t go anywhere else. In fact, Alvin wasn''t truly intending to defend himself from the very start. When he summoned the Earth Pillar, he already uncrossed his arms, actually revealing his usual Earth Fist Spikes that he was so used to fighting with.


    *Bang!*


    *Pft!!*


    Alvin bellowed as his Earth Spike Fists landed against Zuzei''s chest, opening two big holes before Alvin used the attack strength to send Zuzei flying.


    Zandel and Milia were waiting for exactly that. Well, truth be told, only Milia was. Zandel just followed Milia to see what she was planning to do when she didn''t attack Zuzei. Seeing Zuzei flying straight at them and with big injuries, everything became clear to him.


    Milia''s Flame Sword and Zandel''s Wood Element immediately acted. Both of them landed another two attacks on the now unprotected Zuzei. Milia aimed her sword strike at Zuzei''s Familiar, who had the shape of a belt, while Zandel aimed at Zuzei''s other arm, pulling it apart!


    *Arrrrrghhhh!!!*


    The Belt was easily cut while Zuzei''s last arm separated from him. His body fell right in between Milia and Zandel, who were ready to give the final strike.


    "Stop!"


    However, Alvin quickly arrived, blocking the two. "If you kill him, we are going to become killers. We won''t be able to return to the city anytime soon."


    Only then did Milia and Zandel stop. Indeed, it wouldn''t be the end of the world to become a killer, but that would severely limit their movements.


    "Understood," Milia nodded. "Now, get out of the way. I know what to do."


    Alvin sighed in relief and pulled his Earth Fist Spikes back.


    Then, Milia''s Flame Sword moved.


    *Swish!*


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    *Arrrghhh!*


    Zuzei screamed even more, taking Zandel and Alvin aback. However, they immediately understood. When Zandel used his Vines to pull Zuzei''s arm away from his body, part of it still remained. Milia used her Flame Sword to cut that off as well. She wasn''t trying to kill Zuzei, nor was she torturing him. Instead, Nori was a Flame Sword, and those flames instantly cauterized the injury, stopping the bleeding. If she hadn''t done that, Zuzei would eventually bleed to death.


    Zuzei''s belt then began to change shape, returning to his Core Form. He was very feeble, and a crack could be seen on the core. When Linfel said Zuzei didn''t have much Magic Energy remained, he wasn''t kidding. Zuzei had even used all of his Familiar Magic Energy, so he couldn''t keep his belt form anymore. Even if he did, when Milia cut it, she already limited the Familiar''s strength while connected to Zuzei.


    *Shin!*


    Milia thrust her sword right beside Zuzei''s ear, not giving him time to focus on his pain. "You have two choices. One, we will pin you to the wall and make sure you can''t move. Even if there are pretty much no Magic Beasts in this place, one is bound to appear sooner or later. As long as it kills you, that won''t count as our kill."


    "Two," Milia continued, "give us your cards. We know you have your own. Do that, and we will just leave. At least, you will have the chance to crawl back to the surface on your own. Simply put, your life, or your cards. Choose!"


    Zandel and Alvin looked at that and felt a chill on their back. The woman was savage!


    ---


    Meanwhile, Linfel found what he was looking for. "Hehe! As if I would let my beloved cards escape that easily." Linfel had now caught up to those three Level Four Maguses who were initially pursuing his group!

 Chapter 165: Good Luck

    Those three and their familiars had made it halfway back to the main routes of the Crystal Caves. At first, one might imagine they were quite slow since Linfel spent even more time baiting the Level Five Magus around.


    However, let''s not forget that these Maguses were forced to stop because they ran out of Magic Energy first. Not to mention their much, much higher physical fatigue. They were your normal magus that you can find in every corner of the Ventis Sect. Maguses that used magic Energy for everything, even high-speed pursuits. It''s just that doing it for so long, adding Magic Energy to make sure the body can sustain that speed, also exhausted the body.


    The three Maguses weren''t worried on their way back since these parts of the Crystal Caves were relatively safe, even if you left the mainly used paths. Unfortunately for them, that negligence gave Linfel the perfect moment to act.


    *Kabrum! Kabrum!*


    Two bolts of Lightning suddenly came from behind, filled with a huge concentration of Magic Energy and Soul Power. They struck the magus and familiar on the back of the trio. In an instant, the magus was seriously injured, losing consciousness. The familiar wasn''t any better. The electrical power, combined with the soul power, easily sipped into the core, affecting its soul. The familiar''s core fell by its master''s side, also unconscious.


    "Who''s there?!" The other two Maguses and Familiars obviously noticed that and connected to each other, merging their total Magic Energy. They never expected to be attacked in this place.


    Linfel didn''t try to hide, though. The surprise element was gone, so he just came out in the open. "Hello, friends. You sure made my group run a lot in the past hours. So, as compensation, I decided I might as well come and ask for compensation. Don''t worry, though. As long as you give me your cards, everything will be fine. I can leave immediately."


    None of the two believed what they saw. A single familiar came to intercept them? No, that can''t be possible. The two quickly scanned the surroundings with their Magic Sense. Yet, no magus could be seen. "Where is your master?"


    "Oh? Alvin?" Linfel asked back. "He should have finished that Level Five Magus by now. If he didn''t, well, that''s basically it. Anyway, you shouldn''t worry about him. Come on, cards. Let''s not waste each other''s time."


    The two Maguses, connected to their Familiars, felt Linfel''s actions to be hilarious. "So you abandoned your master to flee from the Level Five Magus, uh? Hehe! Well, you did great to take one of us by surprise. But now that we two know you are here, we might as well capture you to use as an exchange later."


    *Bzzzz...*


    Linfel shrugged as five lightning spears appeared around his body. They were created with both Magic Energy and Soul Power. "Well, you can''t say I didn''t warn you."


    The first magus snorted and didn''t speak anymore. He took out a Magic Device that looked like a fire weapon from his waist, pointing at Linfel. Finally, he pulled the trigger. Charged with his Magic Energy, the weapon shot a ray of red light, obviously filled with dense Fire Element and Magic Energy.


    This was different from your normal firearms, which were useless against Maguses. Its power far surpassed any normal bullet, and it was much faster, too. Unless you had your magic defenses up beforehand, reacting to it was very hard if your level was too low.


    Yet, when the shot reached Linfel, something weird happened. The Magic Energy of the shot suddenly dispersed in mid-air, leaving only the Fire Element, which began to disperse as well.


    The Magus''s eyes opened wide, not understanding what happened to his attack. "What the hell?"


    His friend, using a similar weapon, didn''t know what happened either. However, he didn''t want to give Linfel time to think about anything. He took a similar weapon but with Wind Element, shooting Linfel without thinking twice. Several Magic Shot sounds echoed in the caves, but they all dispersed once they reached within a meter from Linfel''s core. It was as if there was some kind of dead zone for Magic Energy in there.


    The two had terrible expressions and went all out, shooting Linfel nonstop until their Magic Guns went empty. Fire and Wing Magic Shots continued to fly at Linfel, just for them all to disperse in the same way.


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    Linfel, who hadn''t moved yet, nodded with a satisfied expression. "Sure enough, it works. Good thing I didn''t have a use for a Magic Energy Barrier. Blocking that many shots would cost some extra Magic Energy."


    The two maguses didn''t know what Linfel was talking about. Instead, they glanced at each other... and ran! Yes, as soon as their weapons ran out of Magic Energy, they threw caution to the wind and sped away, leaving their friend behind.


    Linfel watched that and laughed. "Hahaha! So, still without Magic Energy? Too bad, I have a lot."


    He knew they were empty, and after their weapons were discharged, there was pretty much nothing left for themselves. When they were pursuing Linfel''s group, they were to tap into their Familiars'' Magic Energy as well. Only when both were almost empty did they finally give up. Yet, having pushed that far was a terrible mistake that put them in this situation. They didn''t have the means to fight Linfel at the moment, even if Linfel was only at Level Three.


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    The Lightning Spears immediately shot at the Maguses, who used their Magic Senses to try to avoid them. They were indeed Ventis Sect Maguses. Even in that situation where they were almost empty of Magic Energy, they received great training, and these ones were obviously used to battles between Maguses and Familiar pairs.


    Still, Lightning Spears continued to rain down on them, making the two feel like crying.


    "How can he cast so many of those spears at Level Three? Even I would be hard-pressed to do such a thing!" One of them complained


    "How would I know? Just keep running until he gives up! Save your Magic Energy!" The other had no answer either.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Everywhere the Lightning Spears fell, a big hole was opened. That scared the Maguses even more since not only Linfel was using many at once, each one of those Spear carried incredible power. Was it even possible to have such huge Magic Control and Magic Energy output at just Level Three?


    Linfel continued to pursue them, shooting his Spears. Yet, inside, he felt bitter. ''Sigh... sure enough, conjuring Magic Energy abilities and adding Soul Power to them takes a long time. Soul Power is just too difficult to control.'' Linfel looked ahead, seeing that the Maguses weren''t that fast. ''Well, practice makes perfect. Let''s continue.''


    Good thing they didn''t know Linfel could be at least three times fast at conjuring Lightning Spears if he didn''t use Soul Power. But then again, Linfel''s Lightning Spears had such huge destruction power exactly because he was using Soul Power. In exchange, he didn''t need much magic Energy to conjure them. He could continue like this for a very long time.


    *Kabrum, kabrum, kabrum... bang, bang, boom, boom...*


    Lightning Spears fell everywhere, some even brushed the Maguses, making them scream in pain as they kept running. Just the electrical part was enough to make their bodies numb for a moment. Their anger quickly changed into fear and then into despair. Linfel didn''t slow down, and the Lightning Spears continued to fall. At some point, one of them finally made a mistake, and one of the spears hit his chest.


    *Bang!*


    *Arrrrgghhh!!!*


    As he was connected to his Familiar, both of them suffered the damage. Or, you could say they shared the damage, which would have been higher for one of them if they weren''t connected. Different from the first Magus and Familiar, Linfel didn''t need to shoot two Lightning Spears to take both down.


    Linfel knew very well how to control himself, though. He easily injured and made those two lose consciousness, but neither of them died.


    Now, only one Magus and Familiar remained, and all the Lightning Spears began to rain down on him.


    The guy finally understood. He had no Magic Energy, and the Familiar pursuing him was a monster! "Wait! I give up! I give up!"


    Linfel instantly stopped his attacks, arriving by the guy''s side in the next second. "And here I thought I could practice for a while longer..."


    When Linfel appeared, the last Magus got even more shocked. He didn''t pay attention to the first Magus and Familiar Linfel took down, nor did he pay attention to the second ones. He just wanted to flee. Now that Linfel was here, he noticed that Linfel was carrying both Maguses and Familiars with his Magic Energy. From the very start, Linfel was keeping at his speed while carrying others! "I will definitely ask your Master later about how to make such an amazing Familiar like you..."


    Linfel was taken aback for a moment but laughed. "Hahaha! Good luck."

 Chapter 166 Make Good Use

    Linfel''s Lightning Spears changed into Lightning Blades, positioning themselves around the guy. "Alright, my beloved stalker, how about you show me your cards. And don''t say you don''t have them. I have already noticed that these cards seemed to react when more cards are nearby."Linfel wasn''t lying. He noticed that peculiar change after he got separated from Alvin and the others. For safety, Alvin asked Linfel to keep his card with him since Linfel had the Spatial Storage. During the times Linfel wasn''t with his group, he noticed that his card seemed to lose its vibrancy somehow. Then, once he returned, the card recovered. It was almost imperceptible. If Linfel hadn''t paid very close attention, he truly would have missed that.


    He didn''t tell Alvin, Milia, Zandel, and the Familiars, though. He didn''t want to have wrong ideas while still in the city. After today, they should understand what i in play, so he will tell them later.


    The magus sighed and immediately brought out five cards, all of them bronze in color. "These are all of them... Just don''t do anything drastic, okay?"


    Linfel took the cards, which disappeared a second later. Obviously he sent them into his Spatial Storage. The magus saw that and wondered where the cards had gone. Nonetheless, he wasn''t in a position to ask questions, so he didn''t ask. "Can I go now?"


    *Zush, zush...*


    Linfel immediately threw the other Maguses and their Familiars at the guy. "Sure. Do me a favor and bring these guys with you, will you? I don''t really have anything against you guys, and I understand why you came after us. I will probably be doing the same in the future, too. No hard feelings."


    The Magus didn''t expect it to be that easy. "Really? No punishment at all?"


    Linfel looked at him, confused? "Do you want me to cut a limb or two from you? I did it to that Level Five Magus deeper in the dungeon. Don''t worry; it will be over in less than a second." Linfel''s Lightning Blades began to move.


    "No, no, no!" He immediately refused the offer, afraid of Linfel''s Lightning Blades. "There is no need at all! Although it is possible to regrow lost limbs in the sect, it will be quite expensive. I would rather not do it."


    Find more to read on empire


    "I guess so..." Linfel didn''t mind, dispersing his Lightning Blades. "Well then, my friend, this is where we part ways. It was good to meet you all, and thank you for your generous offerings. Goodbye!"


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel''s body flashed with arcs of lightning, and his core shot into the distance, disappearing in a couple of seconds. The Magus looked at that, feeling a chill on his back. "And he still had plenty of Magic Energy to use..."


    Then, he grabbed those unconscious companions of him and began to make his way back to the exit. He didn''t look very happy, though. He wasn''t angry about Linfel. Instead, he was angry at the Maguses who contracted his group to rob Linfel and his friends'' cards. "Those fuckers. And they said it would be an easy job with good payment if we succeeded. Easy their arses!" He was determined to seek compensation for the loss of his own cards in the matter.


    With no one in his way, Linfel easily made it back to where Alvin and the others were waiting. Arriving there, he saw that the Level Five Magus was still alive and that his group was keeping an eye on him and his damaged Familiar. "Sure enough, you can deal with him."


    Zandel''s mouth twitched. "Only because he had almost no Magic Energy left! Even so, he underestimated us greatly, which also made things easier. Had these factors not been in play..."


    "Then you would have to deal with it," Milia immediately cut in. "Zandel, do you think everything will always go to plan? That you never will get yourself into some shit against your will? Linfel at least left after confirming this guy had almost no Magic Energy left. There is nothing to complain about here. Instead, I''m more than happy for the earned experience."


    Alvin agreed with her, although he also understood Zandel. He was just like that not long ago. "She is right. Besides, you helped defeat a Level Five magus while only at Level Four. You should feel proud of yourself." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well..." Zandel had to admit their words made sense. "Alright, my bad. Thank you for the opportunity, Linfel."


    Linfel smiled in response. He didn''t have to say anything. "No problem." Then, he looked at the fallen magus. They obviously didn''t kill so as to not be branded as killers. "Did you get his cards?"


    Milia and the others finally smiled. "Here they are!"


    On Milia''s hand, three Silver Cards and four Bronze ones appeared. They were all Zuzei''s cards that he gave away.


    "Hahaha!" Linfel laughed after seeing that. Then, he brought out his own. A total of nine Bronze Cards appeared there. The last Magus Linfel defeated had five Bronze Cards. The other four were in the hands of the first two Maguses he took down. "Guess we have enough bronze cards for an extra silver card now."


    Alvin couldn''t help but comment. "Doesn''t that mean we have nine silver cards in total? That''s almost the same as a golden card!"


    Milia passed her cards to Linfel, knowing that it as indeed safer in his hands. "Are you suggesting we gather ten total and buy a Magic Armor with them?"


    Alvin nodded. "Indeed. Also, I think you should have it, Milia."


    Zandel narrowed his eyes. "Why her? I also want a Magic Armor from the Ventis Sect."


    Linfel understood, though. "It makes sense. Other than me, Milia and Nori do have the highest attack power in our group. Alvin is already good enough with defense, and Zandel''s wood element is great for long-distance support. If the aim is to end the fight as fast as possible, it would be good if she could finish the enemies faster while Alvin and Zandel work together to pin down any enemies."


    Zandel wanted to retort, but he did not have an answer for that. Besides, even without the armor, he is gaining a lot just for being in this group. "Fine! But it is still up to debate who the second armor goes to."


    Milia didn''t expect they would decide it for her that easily. "Are you sure? I mean, I definitely want it, but..."


    Linfel stopped her. "It is decided. Besides, I also want more of those shields. You saw how it worked perfectly against Zuzei. Yet, I also think it will be better for you to have a complete set of your own."


    Finally, Milia accepted. "Okay! I will definitely make good use of it."

 Chapter 1 - 1: What is a Wisp?

    The Universe was still in its primordial state. Stars exploded everywhere; new ones were formed, and galaxies collided on an almost daily basis. Yet, it was within this chaos that life thrived in some luckier locations of the Universe. After all, the abundance of energy made it possible for incredible races to take form over hundreds of millions of years.


    Among these races, one particularly special one was the Wisp Race. This was a race of pure energy, born from heaven and earth when the conditions were just right... and in this primordial Universe, such conditions happened all the time.


    However, the Wisp Race wasn''t exactly a fortuitous one. Their energy was seized by many other races that absorbed these energies to live and get stronger. Any newborn wisp would usually not live past a day. They truly became a high commodity, especially for the intelligent races of this time.


    These kinds of things continued to happen for a very long time... until the conditions that allowed the Wisps to be born began to get rare. The Wisps, who contributed so much with their own lives to the progression of all other races'' development, soon became treasures. Yet, these treasures still had only one use: having their energy absorbed so others could evolve faster.


    Naturally, that was their destiny regardless of their much higher price.


    Deep at the core of a certain planet, a certain being constructed a huge facility that harnessed that planet''s internal energy. He selected this specific planet for a reason. It was barren, with absolutely no chance of life ever flourishing for millions or perhaps billions of years to come. Any other being that cast their eye on this planet would immediately ignore it, if they ever looked at all.


    In that facility, the being constructed a chamber... or perhaps a capsule? A weird cocoon? It was hard to tell. The only thing that was certain was that it seemed to be the central piece of the entire place. The entire facility existed for this one container.


    That being then finished his work on a few runes of an array, causing the entire facility to come to life. The ''capsule'' connected to the facility also shone brightly, showing the success of the being''s experiment.


    "Finally..." The being murmured, satisfied. "I wonder how things will be later on." Yet, he quickly shook his head. "It matters not. I have pretty much no lifespan remaining, so this is my last effort."


    After saying that, the being approached the capsule and brought with him a big box that seemed sealed. He touched the several runes of the box, causing it to open slowly. An extremely cold air came out of the box, almost freezing the being''s hand. Yet, the being cared little about that.


    Inside, he spotted a core, a core that emanated a feeble energy. If not for that, one might have thought it was nothing but a dead core that had long since lost all its uses. The being carefully took the core from the box and put it inside the capsule. As the capsule closed, the being commented with a sad tone. "My little friend, that''s as much as I can do for you.


    I pray for the day that you can walk free in this Universe. Farewell."


    As if it had heard the being''s words, the core trembled slightly. However, it couldn''t do much. That''s because the capsule closed right after, causing all the runes of the facility to start to work. Time seemed to freeze, as did the temperature of that capsule. Outside, the being released the rest of the life energy it still had in its body, passing away on a chair not too far from the capsule itself.


    Judging by the look of satisfaction on his face, it seemed like he didn''t regret anything.


    No one knew about this place. No one would ever come to check this place. Even if anyone landed on this planet in the future, it would be almost impossible to think that they would waste their time examining the planet''s core. The awareness of the existence of the facility was lost with the being''s death. For all intents and purposes, this facility simply ceased to exist.


    The Universe continued to change nonstop. The once primordial energies that gave birth to many wonders slowly disappeared. Races disappeared, and new ones took their place. Empires took form just to be destroyed by other stronger powers... or due to other reasons like internal strife, plagues, wars, natural disasters, etc...


    However, it wasn''t a bad thing. Thanks to that, life was able to flourish even more. After all, a stable Universe would have a better chance of giving the conditions necessary for new beings to take their first steps.


    Just like that... over two billion years went by in a flash. As for the Wisp Race... it had long since disappeared. It was thanks to the primordial energies of the Universe, and the chaos caused by it, that the conditions necessary for their existence were possible. With both gone, Wisps were gone with them.


    All the hunting definitely didn''t slow down this process, either.


    At this date and age, let alone hunting Wisps, pretty much all the races of the Universe didn''t even know Wisps once existed. Or perhaps truly not a single one knew about it anymore. Two billion years was truly a huge amount of time.


    *Crack...*


    The sound of a plate falling to the ground echoed in a small house, breaking into many pieces. The kid who dropped it looked at his mother with fear, knowing that a beating was assured. This was nothing but a simple family, just like billions of others around this planet.


    Yet, deep beneath the earth, at the planet''s core, a similar sound also echoed.


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    A certain forgotten facility, which had been working with the help of its self-repairing ability for countless years, seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. All the runes responsible for keeping the facility intact were damaged, and even the self-repairing ability couldn''t do anything about it.


    The cracking of a certain rune, which was connected to a capsule, set everything in motion. The capsule then fell into a tube, being pulled away from the facility as the facility itself collapsed under the planet''s gravity. One last burst of energy came out of the facility, and the capsule shot through the magma like a bullet.


    When the facility shut down, time once again began to pass inside the capsule. The cold temperature also returned to normal as it made its way through the magma. As for the core that was frozen in time, it slowly began to release some energy again.


    On the planet''s surface, an undersea volcano spilled lava from time to time. It was also the lair for a few beasts that enjoyed the high temperatures of the place. Yet, something different also emerged without anyone knowing. It was a capsule, a capsule that started to float to the surface. One of the beasts saw it and began to chase after the capsule slowly.


    It had never seen anything like it, so it kept its guard up.


    It took some minutes, but it finally reached the surface. It''s just that by the time it finally emerged above the water, the capsule was pretty much done for. That''s because the beast''s patience didn''t last long and began to bite it. If it lasted much longer, the capsule would definitely break and get swallowed by the beast.


    *Boom!*


    It was then that a burst of energy came from inside, blasting the capsule''s lid a few meters away. As for the beast, it was scared by the sudden event and fled. Although it was powerful, it was also easily scared.


    Saltwater began to enter the capsule, which quickly began to sink. But that didn''t matter anymore. Now, a sphere of energy floated above the water. At the same time, it tried to make sense of what was happening around it. "W-where am... I?"


    Its rainbow-colored energy that looked like a flame flickered, showing the obvious lack of energy to sustain the floating. If it were any other time over two billion years ago, it would have easily absorbed the energy of heaven and earth to replenish itself. Yet, it couldn''t feel a single iota of the primordial energy of the past. "No energy... So hungry..."


    *zonnnnnnnn...*


    Suddenly, the sphere of rainbow-colored energy heard a sound coming from the distance. It was weird, something it had never heard before. Not long after, a boat appeared in its view. The sound was from its engine.


    The figure controlling the boat had heard the sound of the explosion caused by the ball of energy when it blasted the capsule''s lid off. He came here to verify what happened, thinking something had happened to another boat. Yet, when he arrived, all he saw was the ball of floating rainbow-colored flames. He stopped the boat near it before he came to check it.


    "What a weird thing..." Asked an old man, puzzled by his finding.


    He didn''t expect to get an answer, though. "Weird? Me? I''m not weird. I''m a Wisp." At the same time that the wisp said those words, it also cursed itself. ''Shit! Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That guy told me to never say I''m a Wisp! He is going to rob my energy!''


    The man was quite astonished by the sudden answer. "You can talk?! And... A Wisp? What is a Wisp?"


    The wisp was taken aback. "You know... a floating ball of primordial energy..." The wisp felt like killing itself, noticing his mistake once again. The question was so unexpected that it answered more or less on reflex. After all, who doesn''t know what a Wisp is?


    "Oh!" The man nodded.


    ''Shit!'' The wisp mentally cursed.


    "Never heard about it," the old man concluded, though.


    "Fuck yeah!" The wisp... couldn''t control his word reflexes very well...

 Chapter 2 - 2: Linfel

    The Wisp''s energy began to flicker more, indicating that he could barely keep himself floating at the moment. The old man noticed this and found it peculiar. "Are... you alright?"


    The Wisp quickly responded, "I''m lacking energy. Without energy, I can''t keep myself floating, so I will soon sink to the bottom of the ocean at this rate. Would you mind if I stood on your boat for a while?"


    The old man scratched his head, still finding the situation quite odd. He had encountered many sea beasts in his life, but never a floating ball of colored energy. "Well, I suppose if you had malicious intentions, you wouldn''t have waited until now to ask."


    "I might simply be without enough energy and could attack you as soon as I recover, you know?" The Wisp replied, once again noticing his tendency to speak whatever came to mind. ''Why do I always do that?''


    "Will you?" The old man inquired.


    "Not really," The Wisp truthfully answered.


    "Then come on board," the old man shrugged.


    "I think you trust others way too easily..." The Wisp couldn''t help but comment as he floated to the deck. Right after, his energy release immediately stopped, and his core fell to the ground. ''Hmm? Wait, am I not doing exactly the same?''


    The Wisp closely watched the old man, who also observed him with a curious gaze. At the very least, it didn''t seem the old man knew what a Wisp was. "So, old... thing, what are you?"


    The old man was taken aback for a moment and laughed. "Seems like we are indeed in the same boat."


    The Wisp looked around. "Isn''t that obvious?"


    "Hahaha!" The old man laughed even more. It was clear the Wisp didn''t understand the meaning of his words. "''Being in the same boat'' means we are experiencing something similar. In this case, I don''t know what you are, and you don''t know what I am, so we are in the same boat, you see?"


    "Oh..." The Wisp felt confused but decided to simply accept it. "So, what are you, in the end?"


    "I''m a human," the old man answered, "and my name is Lucau."


    The Wisp took the chance to ask for something. "Nice to meet you, Lucau, and thanks for allowing me to recover on your boat. I have no idea what a human is, so I hope you forgive me for that. Just one thing... I can''t feel any primordial energy in the environment. Do you have anything that could help me recover some of my energy?


    At this rate, I will eventually die."


    Yet, Lucau was as confused as ever. "Primordial... energy? What is that?"


    The Wisp felt helpless. "How can someone not know what Primordial Energy is?"


    Lucau pointed at the Wisp. "You also don''t know what a human is."


    "Fair enough..." The Wisp had no words to answer that.


    Lucau then pondered a bit and looked back inside his boat. "I don''t know what Primordial Energy is, but I do have some Magic Stones that I use to power the boat''s engine and equipment. Would that be okay?"


    "Magic... Stones?" The Wisp was confused once again. "Never heard of them."


    Lucau was already accustomed to all these ''never heard of them'' exchanges, so he simply stood up and went back into the boat. After a minute or so, he returned with ten pieces of partially transparent stones that shined with a gentle yellow color. "Here you go, Magic Stones."


    The Wisp used a little of his energy to grab the stones and bring them closer. Using that same energy, he infiltrated one of the Magic Stones and became even more confused. "What a strange energy. I''ve never felt it before."


    "Never?" Lucau found it hard to believe. "The whole planet uses Magic Stones to power everything. How come you''ve never seen them before? I''m starting to think you aren''t even from this planet."


    "Even I can''t tell that," the Wisp answered. "Still, this energy... it''s not like I have much choice, so is it okay if I try to use it? Of course, I will try to compensate you as soon as possible if I manage to do so." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lucau didn''t mind. "Oh, don''t worry about that. These are the lowest grade Magic Stones you can buy. They''re very cheap. I literally have hundreds of them down there."


    "Thank you," the Wisp didn''t waste time. Just the process of thinking and speaking already used the little bit of Primordial Energy he had in his core. He used his own energy to extract some of the Magic Stone''s energy and absorbed it into his body.


    Immediately, a change began to occur in the Wisp''s core. Its colored features slowly changed, being replaced by a yellowish color instead. The remaining Primordial Energy in his body also transformed, easily taking the shape of the magical energy from the stones. "This..."


    Finally, his core lit up again, and his energy spread around it. The rainbow-colored features disappeared completely, being replaced by the same yellowish energy instead. "So many impurities. I''ve never felt such terrible energy before." The Wisp couldn''t help but complain.


    Lucau shook his head in response. "I told you, didn''t I? These are the worst type of Magic Stones you can buy. They''re terrible for pretty much anything other than powering some simple machines like the engine and the other equipment in my boat. If you want anything better, you''ll have to get it yourself."


    The Wisp didn''t mind. "It''s fine, Lucau. I''m still immensely grateful for your help. As impure as it might be, it still was enough to save my life. I wouldn''t have lasted more than a few hours if you hadn''t appeared. My race has always been extremely weak, but I will try to make it up to you somehow.


    This is a great debt."


    Lucau faintly smiled. "Well, I don''t really mind since I didn''t lose much, but I''m looking forward to it." Finally, a question popped into Lucau''s mind. "By the way, Wisp is the name of your race, right? That won''t do. What is your name?"


    "My... name?" The Wisp''s memories went back to the past. That being who put him inside the capsule. The Wisp pretty much only had interactions with him his entire life. "My old friend always simply called me Wisp... so...


    I don''t think I have a name."


    "No name?" Lucau didn''t like that. "How can that be?" However, before he continued to speak, Lucau remembered something. "Anyway, come inside the boat. We can talk on the way."


    The Wisp followed Lucau inside and saw many pieces of equipment he had never seen before. Yet, he could feel that magical energy from his body present inside the equipment. "So strange. What are all these for?"


    "Hmm?" Lucau looked around. "This is just a Fishing Boat, so I use the equipment to find where to fish. It''s that simple."


    Lucau then turned on the boat, which once again began to produce the strange noise the Wisp had never heard before. Of course, he wasn''t an idiot; he could tell that magical energy was being used somehow to move the boat... It''s just that he had never seen such concepts before. ''There are no runes in this boat, so how is this all working...?'' The Wisp couldn''t help but wonder.


    At that moment, the Wisp saw a charm hanging at the top of the room, right by the front window. It had the shape of a little man, although it was different from the human in the boat. It was more like a little spirit in humanoid shape instead, quite cute. "What is it?"


    "Hmm? This?" Lucau touched the charm. "This is just a charm my son gave me. It has the same shape as his Familiar."


    "Familiar?" The Wisp asked.


    Lucau looked at the Wisp. "Now that I think about it, aren''t you also a Familiar? You see, Familiars are some kind of spirits given birth by their owners. Any Level One Magus is able to create one, and they will follow their owners for the rest of their lives. Pretty much all of them have more or less a humanoid shape, just like this one, although they also have their own specific appearances.


    That''s why I didn''t think about it when I saw you since you didn''t have a humanoid shape. They are very autonomous, just like you, though. They can go around and do all the things their masters ask. Some Magus created such great Familiars that they can even join the Magus Circle on their own."


    The Wisp quickly denied. "I don''t know what a Magus or the Magus Circle is, but that''s definitely not the case. Wisps are born from the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth when the conditions are just right. No one created us."


    It was then that his energy body began to change shape, taking a similar form to the little charm hanging on the boat ceiling. "Yet, this is good information. How about this, do I look like a Familiar?"


    Lucau was surprised. "At the very least, I would definitely think you are a Familiar now. Even the energy around your body is the same after you absorbed the Magic Stones."


    Then... he had an idea. "Right, your name! Do you have any preferences?"


    The Wisp thought about it. The only thing he knew was that he definitely shouldn''t keep calling himself Wisp. This old man doesn''t know about Wisps, but what about others? "I don''t have any preferences, to be honest, but I do think I need a name."


    "Great!" Lucau nodded. "How about Linfel?"


    "Linfel?" The Wisp felt it had a nice ring. "Seems good."


    Lucau agreed. "I totally agree! My son''s Familiar is called Felia, but your personality seems more aligned with males, so why not Linfel? Of course, if you don''t like the idea, you can forget it."


    "Linfel, huh..." The Wisp thought for a moment. It wasn''t like it mattered that much. "Alright, Linfel. I like it."


    *Plun...*


    Suddenly, a sound came from one of Lucau''s equipment, catching the old man''s attention. "Oh, seems like I got some fish on the radar. I can bring you back to the land later, but I still have work to do if you don''t mind."


    "That''s definitely not a problem," Linfel answered with a smile. He decided it was better to keep this humanoid spirit form, and it was quite useful to express emotions, too. "I can help if possible."


    "Hahaha!" Lucau laughed. "That''s only if you can attract the fish to the net, that is. Anyway, we are here, let''s go outside."


    Lucau then went outside and activated another piece of equipment. Immediately, a feeble wave of magical energy emanated from the boat''s hull, spreading into the ocean. Following that, several nets were released.


    "What are you doing now?" Linfel was curious about all those pieces of equipment.


    "It''s quite simple, actually. I''m a Whiskers Tuna fisher, and these tunas are sensitive to magical energy. However, you can''t use too much, or you will scare them. Anyway, I use the magical energy to attract them into the net area and capture them. If we are lucky, we might catch three or four before they all get scared away," Lucau explained.


    "Sensitive to magical energy?" Linfel felt the energy spreading through the ocean, understanding the logic. The tuna indeed seemed to get interested in that magical energy, but they also seemed very cautious about approaching its source. "Oh, I see it. Can you stop that thing that is spreading the magical energy for a moment?"


    "Why?" Lucau asked.


    "To be honest, this equipment seems pretty shit," Linfel answered, still speaking his mind as always.


    "What?! I paid quite a lot for this Undersea Magical Wave Generator, you know?" Lucau narrowed his eyes.


    Linfel didn''t care, though. "What is shit is shit. What else is there to say? Anyway, trust this Wisp. If it doesn''t work, you can just turn it on again. Let this wisp show you how to control this energy."


    Ten minutes later, the Wisp and the old man were floating in the sea, holding to a plank of the now destroyed boat...


    "Errr... See? This is how you attract fish."


    Lucau''s mouth twitched a little... actually a lot.

 Chapter 3 - 3: I Wonder How Much It is Worth

    Going back ten minutes in the past, Linfel noticed that the waves of magical energy from that generator were not very pleasing. They were indeed feeble and constant, but perhaps because the lowest grade of Magic Stones was being used, it didn''t attract the Tunas very much.


    Linfel, now familiar with this Magical Energy, could feel the presence of this energy in the environment and the sea, although the concentration was many times lower than within the Magic Stones. When he compared the waves created by the generator and the energy within the sea, Linfel had an idea.


    "All I need to do is to recreate the same feeling for the Whiskers Tunas in the area so they think a natural source of Magical Energy is near this boat. The generator isn''t bad, but I can do it much better," Linfel told Lucau. "Watch!"


    Linfel took a few of the Magic Stones that were fuelling the equipment and absorbed their energy. He couldn''t use it all since he was very weak, but he could redirect their energy as soon as it passed through his core. Why? Because he could eliminate a good part of the impurities, making it a lot better for use.


    The only problem was that due to the quantity of impurities, not even 10% of the energy of the stones remained. In fact, if Linfel removed the impurities completely, perhaps not even 1% would be left behind. They were that bad.


    Regardless, he used the now much cleaner energy from the stones and sent it into the water, dissipating it in the surroundings. Linfel was indeed a quite young wisp, not very experienced, especially with this new Magical Energy. He wasn''t able to control his emanated Magical Energy past five meters.


    Still, the Magical Energy itself began to disperse in the surroundings on its own. The result?


    *glush, glush, glush, glush...*


    Out of nowhere, hundreds of Tunas from nearby rushed to the boat with everything they had! The boat even felt a little unstable due to the underwater movement. It was obvious that the Magical Energy created by Linfel was so much better than the Magical Energy from the boat or the Equipment that the Tunas went crazy! sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Holy shit!" Lucau''s eyes lit up, seeing that huge amount of Tuna. The nets attached to the boat, which were made of a special material from this world to be able to hold the tunas, were being filled with them nonstop. "Hahaha! This is great!"


    Lucau quickly went to work, pulling the nets back into the ship and releasing the tuna inside the boat''s container keel. In a few minutes he got more Whiskers Tunas than he would have acquired in several days out in the sea. Soon, he noticed that the container would be filled, so he turned to Linfel. "Little friend, that''s enough. We''ve got everything we need."


    Linfel looked at him, puzzled. "But the big fish has just arrived..."


    "Big... fish?" Lucau got puzzled for a moment.


    *Bang!*


    The boat suddenly got a huge impact from the boat''s hull, which immediately sent it halfway out of the water! If Lucau hadn''t held on to something, he would have fallen in the water already. It was then that he noticed a sea beast jumping off the water for a moment before diving right back in. "What the hell?! It''s a White Stripped Demon Orca!!!"


    Linfel was still floating in the air, so he didn''t seem to mind the impact that much. "Oh! That''s really a big fish. Quick, quick, cast the net!"


    Lucau was speechless. That Orca was almost as big as the boat itself! Not only that... he now saw several of them coming for the boat! "Cast the net YOUR ASS! Stop it now!"


    "But... aren''t they a lot more valuable?" Linfel got puzzled.


    "Sure... they are more valuable... if you are fucking alive to sell them, idiot! Just stop attracting them!" Lucau was already feeling desperate.


    Linfel could only do as asked and let go of his task. Too bad, though. The energy he released in the water was still there, and it would stay for a few minutes.


    *bang, bang, bang...*


    The boat was thrown right and left, but the boat was indeed built to navigate through these waters, so it was very resistant. As the boat went everywhere, Linfel took the chance to ask. "By the way, I feel some Magic Energy in these Whatever Orcas you mentioned. Are they different?"


    Lucau wanted to cry already. It was as if Linfel couldn''t even tell the situation they were in. Fortunately, the Orcas eventually began to leave the boat''s range. "They are Level One Magical Beasts! They are definitely different!"


    Lucau tried to get up, feeling his legs giving away. Seems like the worst part was finally over. "My boat has a Magical Dissonance Device that usually keeps those Magical Beasts far away since it bothers them. Whatever you did must have been incredibly enticing for them to ignore it and come for my boat. Fortunately, the energy you released in the water seemed to have dissipated.


    The Orcas are finally going away, so the dissonance must be working."


    "Dissipated?" Linfel shook his head. "That''s not it."


    *Shua!*


    Suddenly, a giant mouth, capable of engulfing the entire vessel, came from the bottom of the boat. Lucau only had the chance to see the teeth of the creature closing on both sides of the boat while Linfel finished his words. "They were just scared of this guy. Now, this is a big fish! I wonder how much it is worth."


    *Crash!*


    With a single bite, the boat was completely destroyed. Lucau thought for a moment he was dead, but he saw himself floating in the air a few meters above where the Magical Beast had just swallowed his boat. Linfel acted in the last second and pulled both of them away.


    "So scary..." With the source of the Magical Energy gone, that enormous Magical Beast turned in their direction, its eyes glowing.


    Linfel noticed Lucau''s pale face while the Magic Beast was right in front of them. "Errr... See? This is how you attract fish."

 Chapter 4 - 4: Not in the Right Mind

    "Fucking Hell! Just what did you do to attract that monster?!" Lucau finally came back to his senses. "Are we going to die?!"


    "Maybe? Hold on!" Linfel immediately used his Magic Energy and pulled Lucau with him... in the direction of the Magic Beast instead!


    "Where the hell are you going?!" Lucau was terrified when he saw himself and Linfel going after the Magic Beast.


    The Magic Beast, in exchange, immediately pounced at them as well. It''s enormous mouth opened once again, making Linfel and Lucau look like nothing more than ants.


    And yet, just as it was about to swallow both, Linfel changed direction and pulled Lucau with him to the side. At the same time, his Magic Energy condensed into a Lighting Bolt that shot straight into the Magic Beast''s throat!


    *Kabrum!*


    *Roar!*


    The Magic Beast roared in pain as the Electricity flowed through its body. It burnt its insides, causing unbearable pain. However, it was truly a much stronger Magic Beast compared to the orcas. Even though the pain was enormous, it didn''t really suffer any significant damage.


    Linfel then took some distance from it. "We will not be able to outrun it on the water. Our only chance is to force it to give up instead."


    Lucau was still trembling as he saw the Magic Beast contorting in pain. "We are floating! Can''t you just bring us higher in the sky and let it go?"


    "I don''t have a lot of Magic Energy," Linfel explained. "That Lightning Bolt alone already used half of my reserves. We wouldn''t be able to stay in the air for more than a few minutes. If that thing didn''t leave by then, we would be doomed. First of all, this is the first time I''m using this kind of energy, so I''m not used to it and wasted all that Magic Energy just trying to create the bolt.


    I need time to adapt, and time is exactly what we don''t have."


    The Magic Beast finally stopped roaring as it turned in their direction. However, it immediately saw another one of those Lightning Bolts Linfel had just thrown at it a second ago hovering above Linfel. It wasn''t intelligent, so it could only think about the pain it suffered.


    *Zush!*


    Linfel didn''t wait and immediately shot in the Magic Beast''s direction as the Lightning Bolt increased in size. Finally, Linfel shot in the direction of the Magic Beast! And yet, just as Linfel''s attack was about to reach it... the Magic Beast immediately dove into the ocean.


    In a few seconds, it was already tens of meters away, and its speed continued to increase. Finally, not before long, the Magic Beast was completely gone from Linfel''s senses.


    "Where is it? Where is it?!" Lucau asked nervously. He didn''t have Linfel''s senses.


    Linfel went back to the water and dropped Lucau on a floating plank of the now-destroyed boat. "Don''t worry, the plan worked. The second Lightning Bolt I prepared was actually just for show. It didn''t have even a tenth of the power of the first attack. After all, if I used something like that again, I would be completely dry of Magic Energy. I only wanted to scare it away, and fortunately, it worked."


    Lucau sighed in relief for a moment. Still, he was astray in the ocean now. "You better be right! Let''s just hope they won''t come back too soon. With the boat destroyed, the marina guards should have caught the disappearance of the GPS signal. They will come to verify what happened soon." He obviously had to explain to Linfel how the GPS worked, too.


    "Is there such a thing? This place is truly remarkable..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    Lucau nodded and calmed down after a minute. He was an old and experienced captain of his own boat, so he had had his own share of experiences in the past. "And here I thought I had made a killing with today''s catch..."


    "Sorry..." Linfel did feel bad. "You helped me so much, so I truly just wanted to compensate you."


    Lucau looked at Linfel. Although Linfel did almost kill him, he also saved him in the last moment, so the Wisp''s heart at least was in the right place. The Wisp could have just fled on his own, after all. "Whatever. This is why I pay for insurance..."


    "What''s insurance?" Linfel obviously had no idea.


    Without anything better to do, Lucau gave a quick explanation. Only then did Linfel understand. "Oh! You guys have even that? So convenient! You said that''s why you pay for insurance, so you must have your boat destroyed all the time, right?"


    Lucau felt like something wasn''t right in that wisp''s mind. Just where the hell did this Wisp get such an idea? "No one would come out to fish if this is what happened all the time! Are you crazy?!"


    "It''s not?" Linfel asked back. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Forget it..." Lucau didn''t feel like explaining that. "So, how did you manage to bring that thing out of the water? That kind of Magical Beast pretty much never leaves the bottom of the sea."


    "I don''t know. I just cleaned some of the impurities of the Magic Stones'' Energy and spread it underwater," Linfel answered. "I felt like the Whiskers Tunas didn''t seem very pleased with the Magic Energy that generator of yours was spreading, so I made it look a lot better."


    "Cleaned the impurities?" Lucau didn''t know much about the Magus World, but he did know that the cleaner the Magic Energy, the higher the level of the Magic Stones. "You can clean their Magic Stones'' Energy?"


    Linfel nodded. "Pretty much. However, most of the Magic Stones'' Energy is lost in the process. For example, after cleaning the Magic Energy in the boat, only 10% of the Stones'' Energy was left to use underwater."


    "I see..." Lucau pondered a bit. His son, who was a Level One Magus, should know more about it. "I don''t know if this is something impressive or not. However, you would better keep this information for yourself. I''ll ask my son about it when we return to the land."


    Linfel nodded. "Thank you for the advice. Also... would you mind keeping the fact I''m a Wisp secret? I would rather be considered a Familiar. Back from where I came, Wisps were hunted down all the time because of our Primordial Energy."


    Lucau didn''t mind. "Okay, but you better make it up for me later. When the rescue arrives, just pretend you are my Familiar. I''m obviously not a Magus, so if anyone asks, just say you were given to me by my son. Oh, and don''t talk about the battle with the Magic Beast. Just say it swallowed the boat and left."


    "Yes!" Linfel couldn''t help but like this old man more and more. "By the way, Lucau. Would you mind telling me more about this world? What is a Magus?"


    Lucau nodded and was just about to speak when a sound echoed from a distance. Linfel and Lucau looked in that direction, and sure enough, rescue arrived. "That was quite fast..."


    Lucau nodded. "This is an ocean where Magical Beasts live, after all. Although accidents are rare, it is still life-threatening, so the government keeps the marina guards active all the time to help those in need. That''s why we pay taxes, too. Hahaha!"


    Linfel was surprised every time he heard anything new. Government helping the people? Back in his time, the law of strength was all that mattered. Any of the lords of the time would only care about their own welfare. Those who actively helped unknown beings were extremely rare, and they usually had some hidden agenda.


    But then again, Linfel''s old friend, the one who put him in the capsule, was one of such beings. ''I wonder what happened to you, Horan. One day, you asked me to enter that cold box, and the next thing I knew, I was floating in this ocean...''


    A flying vessel approached the location where the boat''s GPS disappeared. Linfel looked at it, excited. The vessel seemed to fly without any kind of propulsion, floating in the air just like him. Yet, it moved extremely fast and precisely even though it was so big. "This is a very nice ship."


    Suddenly, both Linfel and Lucau began to float in the vessel''s direction, being carried by a feeble yellow light coming from the bottom of the vessel. "It''s just a Rescuing Magical Aircraft. But yeah, I do think they look nice too."


    Linfel and Lucau were quickly brought into the Aircraft by the light, and there, Linfel saw something new. That light that brought them into the Aircraft had some kind of very complex diagram that seemed to interact with the Magic Energy. ''Hum? This is not a primordial energy rune, it is a lot more intricate. Could it be that all the equipment around use this?''


    Linfel spent a long time with his old friend in the past, who was an expert in Primordial Arrays. He learned quite a lot about Primordial Runes, so he could tell that Magical Diagram was very different. Linfel kept looking at the Diagram and how it interacted with the Magical Energy for some time. ''Seems very interesting. I''ll ask Lucau later where I can learn more about it.''


    The rescue team made several questions to Lucau, who simply came up with an excuse. "I think my Dissonance Device stopped working, and to count my luck, a giant Magical Beast happened to be near the surface for some reason. I could only jump out of the boat with my Familiar before it was swallowed by that thing."


    "Your entire boat was swallowed?" One of the rescuers found it hard to believe. "Considering the model of your vessel, it would need to be at least a Level Two Magical Beast to be able to eat your boat whole."


    "Believe me, it was much bigger than the boat," Lucau completed with a sigh.


    The rescuers didn''t have a reason to doubt him. They already checked his identity and knew he was a Whiskers Fisher with quite a lot of years of experience. "Send the message to the headquarters and a warning message to all the vessels around. There might be a Level Two Magical Beast in the area, so everyone should be careful. Oh, and ask them to send a Magus as well."

 Chapter 5 - 5: Do You Understand Me?

    The Rescuing Magical Aircraft was very fast. It took only thirty minutes for it to arrive on land, time that Lucau spent talking about the events prior to that to the rescuing team. Linfel didn''t want to catch anyone''s attention, so he just stayed by Lucau''s side all the time, looking at everything with curiosity.


    Once on land, Lucau had to go through some procedures, which was just the norm. It was already late afternoon when they finally stepped out of the rescuing facility and left on their own.


    "Sigh... Guess I will file the report of the loss of my boat to the insurance company tomorrow," Lucau was obviously tired. That was truly an eventful day for any person, let alone someone old like him.


    Suddenly, a different vehicle approached, landing near Lucau. A young man, probably around his teens, quickly came out and hugged Lucau. "Dad! How are you?! Are you hurt?!"


    It was obviously Lucau''s son. "No, but you will definitely break a few of my bones if you don''t release me soon," said Lucau.


    The young man nodded and let go. "What happened? I heard you were attacked by a Level Two Magical Beast! I came straight from the academy when I received the news. How could a Level Two Magical Beast appear there?!"


    As the father and son talked, Linfel looked curiously at the Familiar on the young man''s side. It was quite easy to identify it since it looked just like the charm Lucau had in his boat. "I believe you are Felia, right?"


    The Familiar nodded at Linfel. "That is correct. But what about you? Why are you with the old master?"


    "I''m Linfel-"


    Before Linfel could continue, Lucau called everyone''s attention. "Alright, we can talk more at home. Let''s go back, and then we can talk about all of it."


    Everyone entered the young man''s car, which was a self-driving vehicle. Even if the young man wanted to, he didn''t have the license to drive it anyway. Lucau''s son noticed that Linfel followed Lucau, which he found strange. He didn''t know his father had acquired a Familiar. "This is..." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Home," Lucau stopped his son. "We can talk at home."


    The young man understood his father''s intentions and entered the car with his own Familiar. The car he used wasn''t his but provided by the Magus Academy instead. To make sure they weren''t used for anything illegal, they had cameras inside, so their group could only stay quiet all the way.


    They arrived at a coastal district of the city where one could see many other boats, just like the one Lucau lost. One of the houses near it was Lucau''s, and that''s where the car left them all out. It then took off on its own, leaving the group behind.


    Inside the house, the group could finally talk again. "So... can someone explain to me why all this secrecy?"


    Lucau smiled and introduced the wisp. "This is Linfel, a Wisp... whatever it might be." He also did the opposite. "Linfel, this is my son, Alvin. He is fifteen and a Level One Magus. You probably noticed it already, but the Familiar on his side is Felia."


    Linfel didn''t mind being introduced as a Wisp. If Lucau trusted his son, then so did he. "Hello, Alvin, Felia. Your father saved my life and is helping me out. As he mentioned, I''m a Wisp."


    "I used Felia''s name to make a name for him," Lucau also added.


    Well, Alvin and Felia were obviously confused. "Alright, let''s start from the beginning. Hum... first, what is a wisp?"


    "A Wisp is a Wisp..." Linfel answered. "I don''t know how to explain better than that since my race was supposed to be quite famous... for how good a source of energy they are for other races."


    "Never heard about," Alvin and Felia answered at the same time.


    "Alright, let me tell you everything that happened up to this point," Lucau took the chance to start his explanation.


    Alvin found the story quite weird from the start. However, when Lucau mentioned how the Wisp cleaned the Magical Energy of the Stone, Alvin''s eyes changed. "Wait! What did you say? He cleaned the impurities of the Magic Stones?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yeah, but the process isn''t exactly that good. I lost around 90% of the Magic Energy due to it. This Magic Energy of yours is just too impure."


    "Fuck that!" Alvin still couldn''t believe it, so he quickly ran to the back of the house. A moment later, he brought a few Magic Stones. "These are the same Magic Stones my father used in his boat. He probably explained to you they are low-level ones. To be more specific, they are called Yellow Magic Stones. Let me ask you.


    After you cleaned the energy, did the energy you released into the sea change color?"


    Linfel thought about it for a moment and confirmed. "Well, there was very little of it left, so it was hard to spot any color whatsoever. Nonetheless, I think the cleaned energy was somewhat red? Maybe a yellowish red, but definitely more towards red."


    "Show me! You can use all these Yellow Magic Stones if you want," Alvin asked in a hurry.


    Linfel looked at Lucau, who nodded at him. "Don''t worry, you can absolutely trust my son. Well, that''s if you trust me as well. I told you before I didn''t know if this cleaning process of yours was something impressive or not. Seems like it was."


    Linfel could only accept and take the Magic Stones. It took a few minutes for Linfel to clean that energy. Well, at least clean it to the same level as before. "This is the most I can do at the moment. My Primordial Pool doesn''t have more space." Finally, a feeble red-ish energy gathered in the middle of the room.


    It was very little, but because Linfel concentrated it all in a few centimeters of space, it was easy to see its color.


    "It''s really red!" Alvin''s heart almost stopped. He looked at Lucau, who seemed concerned, and then at the Wisp. "Linfel, you must absolutely NEVER tell anyone you have this capability. Do you understand me?"


    "Red Color..." Lucau remembered something. "Isn''t Red Magic Energy the next level after yellow?"


    Felia nodded. "Yes, old master. This is truly unbelievable."


    "Definitely!" Alvin agreed.


    Yet, Linfel was puzzled. "Can someone explain?"


    By now, even Alvin thought the Wisp wasn''t from their planet. Nonetheless, he decided to explain. "Linfel, Magic Energy is graded through their quality and color in this world. The higher the level, the different the color."


    Felia continued from there. "The Colors are Yellow, Red, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple, and White. Each color has its own sublevels as well. You can determine them by the intensity of that color. For example, the Magic Stones you used were the worst ones you can find. They are Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, and they obviously have Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy inside.


    Then you have Medium-Grade and High-Grade Yellow Magic Stones."


    Alvin nodded. "Once their quality increases, they change color, obviously Red in this case. This Magical Energy you showed us is pale red, which means it is a Low-Grade Red Magic Energy. You would need Low-Grade Red Magic Stones to get access to it."


    Lucau remembered it. "You brought one of these stones home two years ago, didn''t you? I remember you were all smug about it, like a kid who just got a new toy to play with. You even went to take a bath with that thing."


    "Father!" Alvin''s face immediately turned red. "Can you just forget that dark past of mine, please?!"


    "This Red Magical Energy can even change the color of your faces, so weird," said Linfel, genuinely impressed.


    "Hahaha!" Lucau couldn''t help but laugh. "Trust me, the red color on my son''s face has nothing to do with Magic Energy. He''s just embarrassed."


    "Enough of me!" Alvin intervened and tried to compose himself. "Ahem! Anyway, Red Magic Stones are indeed very expensive. I got one when I joined the academy and I was... let''s say a little bit too happy back then. The higher the level of magic Stone, the easier it is to absorb.


    Above all, they can create a better foundation for your Magus Power for the exact same reason you mentioned. They have a lot less impurities."


    Linfel pondered a bit and reabsorbed the Magic Energy back into his core. "Give me a second." He processed that energy even further before releasing it back into the middle of the room. This time, the Pale Red transformed into a normal red. "When it comes to refinement of energy, this is the absolute limit of my capability.


    Keep in mind that around 99% of the Magic Energy was lost to get this little bit."


    Alvin was even more impressed. "Medium-Grade Red Magic Energy! You can make this level of Magic Energy with those useless Low-Grade Yellow ones. Unbelievable!"


    Felia got confused, though. "Wait, didn''t you mention a moment ago the Pale-Red was your limit? Were you lying?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No, what I said was that my core could only hold that amount of energy inside. I was talking about the Yellow Magic Energy. As you can see through the color of my body, I''m using this Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy at this very moment to keep myself alive."


    Alvin understood. "I see... In that regard, you are definitely just like any other Familiar out there. My Felia here also uses Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones as her source of power. Of course, she could also absorb the Magic Energy present in the environment, but that would take a few hours every day to replenish her body.


    It is not worth the trouble, so it is better to simply use the Magic Stones instead."


    "The same goes for me," Linfel was happy to see the similarities. "I can also absorb the energy of the environment now that I know what Magic Energy is. It''s just that there is truly too little of it, so I would rather use Magic Stones as well. Can you tell me more about Familiars?"


    "Felia can tell you more. In exchange, you can tell us more about you as well," said Alvin.


    "Yes, master." Felia then began to explain.


    It turned out that Familiars were created through the use of artificial intelligence, so they could already speak and control Magic Energy normally from the moment they were born. That was definitely different from Wisps. Wisps were born from Heaven and Earth, and if they weren''t hunted down straight away, they would go through the same learning process as any other intelligent race kid.


    However, although they were very weak in the past, they still had high intelligence and learning capabilities. By the time Linfel was five years old, he already had the mind of an adult. Linfel even commented that he was only eight at the moment, which truly didn''t look to be the case when compared to an eight-year-old human kid.


    He just... lacked some common sense...


    Felia then explained that Familiars also had several different levels, just like Magic Stones. The higher their level, the different their body colors. The highest level Familar she met in the academy was a Green one, which would be equivalent to a Level Four Magus. Judging by Felia''s color, she was definitely a Level One Familiar.


    Linfel was still curious about what a Magus is, but he decided to ask it later and hear more about the Familiars first.


    "How does a Familiar increase its level?" Linfel asked.


    "That part is pretty much the same as us humans," Alvin explained. "Just like Familiars, Maguses have their own Cores in their bodies. It''s just that a Magus Core only manifests itself around the age of ten while a Familiar is born with it. Anyway, to increase our level, we need to absorb Magic Energy and slowly integrate it with our cores.


    It is a hard process, and the quality of Magic Energy greatly determines the speed. For someone like me and Felia, it will probably take over ten years before we manage to reach Level Two."


    Linfel focused on the Magic Energy in his body. "Integrate with the Core..." Although the Magic Energy was there, it wasn''t merged with his Core. "How do you do that?"


    "Well... that''s where I can''t be certain," Alvin sighed. "You are not a human or a Familiar, so I''m not sure if our methods would work for you. After all, you are not an artificial life, but you are not a flesh-and-blood living being either."


    Linfel nodded. "I guess I will just have to try both."

 Chapter 6 - 6: Water in the Desert

    "What can you tell about your past?" Alvin asked, having waited for the Wisp to tell more about himself.


    "Well, you could say I was quite lucky," Linfel began to explain. "From where I came from, Wisps are actively hunted nonstop because of the primordial energy in our bodies. It is very pure, so pretty much all races like to use us to train. Naturally, once our energy is used, we cease to exist. However..."


    Linfel continued. Back then, he was born on a lush planet mainly occupied by nonintelligent creatures. Nonetheless, pretty much all beings used Primordial Energy to get stronger, so even if the beasts around weren''t intelligent, they at least knew that swallowing a wisp was a great boost to their power.


    Linfel just so happened to take shape in a rather concealed place. Naturally, he had no knowledge about anything. Every single sight was a new one. It took him over a week to be able to learn how to use his core''s Primordial Energy to float and move around. Until that moment, he simply looked like a sphere of primordial energy fallen to the floor.


    That alone already put Linfel within the top 1% luckiest wisps in the Universe. A ball of concentrated primordial energy wasn''t exactly something hard to perceive, especially since it would always stay put in the same place until the wisp learned how to use it to move.


    A particular characteristic of the wisps, though, was their memory. Pretty much all intelligent races in the Universe only started to create permanent memories a few years after being born. Yet, wisps already had the capability of creating such permanent memories from the very first minute. It highly contributed to the fact that Linfel already had an adult mind by the age of five.


    Once Linfel came out of his hiding place, he found himself in a dense forest where the sounds of primordial beasts echoed everywhere. Yet, the wisp knew nothing, so such sounds only made it more curious. It didn''t take longer than an hour for the wisp to be facing a primordial beast. The beast, seeing the great meal in front of it, obviously attacked.


    "Was it luck or instinct, I don''t know," Linfel recalled of that day. "But when that beast attacked, the first thing I thought to do was to run. I knew nothing and didn''t even know the meaning of being attacked, but I felt the danger. The primordial beast itself was quite slow, though. And the fact I could float, even if just a few meters from the ground, already helped me to run from it."


    "However, I was very poor at absorbing the environment''s primordial energy, and floating while moving at full speed spent a lot of my own reserves. After thirty or so minutes of pursuit, I was finally about to run out of energy. It was then that it happened."


    From the sky, a ball of fire made its way down to the forest. All beasts in the place looked in this direction, feeling the danger it presented. Even the beast pursuing Linfel immediately understood that its life was at risk and turned around, running for its life.


    Linfel, on the other hand, didn''t know what it meant, so he just looked at that thing coming down. Yet, it was also thanks to that that he saw something different. As the ball of fire came down, a very small part of it detached.


    "Was it curiosity? Was it destiny? Did something call to me? It didn''t really matter," said Linfel. "I just thought that I should go after that small thing that came out of the ball of fire. The giant ball of fire passed above me and went further in the back while the small part fell somewhere a few kilometers away.


    I just ignored the giant ball of fire and went after the part that fell nearby. You have no idea just how correct that decision was, even if it wasn''t exactly a conscious one."


    When Linfel arrived at the fallen place of that small part of the ball of fire, he saw something like a capsule, very similar to the one he was put inside on this planet. The capsule was opened, and inside, there was a purple-skinned humanoid being. He approached with curiosity and soon got into the capsule with that being.


    *Cough, cough...*


    The being was of a race known as the Dajoras. He was unconscious and losing blood nonstop. Of course, the wisp had no idea that the man was in bad shape or anything; he just found the sight peculiar.


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion happened far away. The sky turned red as a wave of powerful primordial energy swept through the forest, killing everything in its path. It only took a few seconds to reach the capsule, and it definitely would have killed Linfel and the Dajoras man inside.


    However, the capsule was still active, and when the danger reached its sensors, it immediately closed again, trapping the wisp inside. The wave of destruction arrived in the next moment, blasting the capsule away together with the man and the wisp inside. Anywhere in the nearly thousand kilometers was a death zone, so it wasn''t wrong to say the wisp was saved by its curiosity and lack of knowledge.


    The capsule hit the ground tens of kilometers away again and kicked nonstop as the power of the explosion kept blasting everything in its path. The Dajoras man''s body was being protected by some kind of foam, but the several impacts definitely didn''t help with his condition. As for Linfel, he found himself trapped within the same foam that appeared to protect the man.


    It wasn''t before fifteen or so minutes later and hundreds of kilometers of distance that the sweeping force finally calmed down, allowing the capsule to land in some messed corner and stay there.


    "I remember that capsule kept itself closed. Now that I think about it, the capsule seemed to know that it couldn''t be opened at that moment. The pushing force of the explosion was over, but the environment outside was anything but hospitable," Linfel commented.


    With the capsule now fixed on a place, the foam around the purple man and Linfel disappeared. "My old friend looked terrible, although I wasn''t aware of what being injured meant. All I could tell was that I couldn''t leave the capsule and had to wait there. It was then that I noticed that his body was absorbing the primordial energy of the surroundings even while unconscious."


    The wisp sighed... or at least showed a movement that indicated it. He didn''t really have lungs for such a thing. "I didn''t know that having my Primordial Energy absorbed was a bad thing, and seeing the man absorbing energy similar to what I had in my core, I decided to give mine to him."


    "Why?" Felia couldn''t help but ask.


    Yet, Linfel shook his head. "I don''t know... I just felt that was the right thing to do."


    Sure enough, the released Primordial Energy from the wisp was absorbed by the Dajoras Man, like water being thrown into the desert. Not before long, the wisp was almost empty, and it wouldn''t take much more for him to die without even knowing why.


    However, his actions truly were the salvation of the Dajoras Man. The guy finally opened his eyes, struggling to sit up in the capsule. He held his hand against the head, complaining about the pain. "Fuck! They almost got me! Just you wait!


    I, Horan, shall have my revenge!"


    Only then did he notice that he wasn''t alone in the capsule. "Hum? A Wisp?"


    The wisp was very feeble, having almost no energy left. And yet, it kept releasing its primordial energy, which the Dajoras Man''s body absorbed automatically. That definitely took the man aback. "This..."


    He then touched a few runes inside the capsule and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he seemed to understand what had happened. "That''s quite weird... I have absorbed the Primordial Energy of many wisps in the past, but it is the first time I see one giving me its Primordial Energy of its own volution."


    For a moment, the man thought about simply taking the wisp and absorbing the rest of the wisp''s energy in one go. He was just like any other race, not thinking much about the wisps other than a good source of primordial energy. And yet, he immediately decided against that idea. "Hmph! I definitely don''t like the idea of being saved by someone else, but here we are. Consider yourself luck."


    He then touched another part of the capsule, and a lid opened. Inside, there were many rainbow-colored stones brimming with pure Primordial Energy. He tossed one of the stones to the floating wisp. "Here, take it. Absorb the Primordial Energy inside before you die."


    However, the wisp didn''t answer, nor did it seem to stop releasing its primordial energy. Seeing the lack of response from the wisp, Horan narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to suicide?"


    The wisp floated around, completely confused. Only then did Horan understand what was happening. "Wait... are you a recently born wisp?"


    The wisp continued to float there, still no answer coming from it.


    "As I thought," Horan nodded while absorbing the Primordial Energy of the other stones. "What a joke, saved by a wisp that doesn''t even know what he is doing. No wonder they are such a piece of shit race."


    Back in the present, Felia couldn''t help but curse. "What is wrong with this guy?! You had just saved his life, and you did that unconsciously! He should be kneeling on the floor to thank you! He is the piece of shit! His entire family are pieces of shit!"


    "Hahaha!" Linfel laughed in response. "It''s okay. Trust me, behind that shell, he was truly someone worthy of respect. From that day onwards, he never touched a single other wisp again. If anything, he saved thousands of them in the very few years we lived together. Anyway, let me continue."


    In the capsule, Horan smashed one of the Primordial Stones, which quickly filled the insides with rich Primordial Energy. The wisp finally seemed to have understood that his Primordial Energy wasn''t necessary anymore, so Linfel began to absorb the Primordial Energy from the surroundings instead. Little did he know he was a hair''s way of dying out of energy.


    "And that''s how I got my first interaction with my old friend, Horan. From there on, he brought me everywhere with him, and it was always just the two of us," Linfel explained. "He was the one to teach me how to speak as a wisp, the one to give me knowledge of the universe, to basically make who I am today. One day, he asked me to enter a cold box that had many runes inside.


    I trusted him, so I didn''t ask why. The next thing I knew, I was in the ocean, and Lucau found me a few minutes later. Just where the hell did that guy go to?"


    Lucau couldn''t help but sigh. "That''s quite the story..." He then looked at his son, who definitely knew much more about the Universe than him. "Alvin, have you heard about any race called Dojaras?"


    Alvin shook his head. "Not really. First of all, from what I learned in the academy, our planet is found in a quite remote corner of the Universe, so we rarely get visited by any other races. Truth be told, our planet is quite shit when it comes to its reserves of Magic Energy, so the powerful races don''t even consider getting close to this place."


    Lucau was surprised. "I didn''t know the Universe saw us in such a way."


    Alvin shook his head. "It''s not like the government would go around reciting how poor the Universe thinks our planet to be, you know?"


    "I guess that makes sense..." Lucau sighed. He didn''t quite like that his home was seen in such a way, so it was the right thing for such perspective not to be wantonly revealed. It wasn''t hard to find out about it, though. Anyone more connected to the affairs of the planet and the outside would be aware of it. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By the way," Felia changed the topic as it was too gloomy. "You keep talking about primordial energy, primordial energy, primordial energy... Just what is primordial energy?"


    Lucau turned to Alvin. "Have you heard about it in the academy?"


    Alvin shook his head. "I have never heard about it. But then again, it is not like I went out there to look for this information either. Once I return to the academy, I can try to learn more about it."


    Linfel pondered a bit before speaking. "Primordial Energy, according to my old friend Horan, is the energy that created our Universe. Whether it is true or not, I don''t know. However, what I can tell for sure is that Primordial Energy is far above this Magical Energy of yours. In fact..."


    Linfel concentrated on the Magical Energy inside his core. "I feel like Magic Energy and Primordial Energy are connected. How can I say... It feels like Magic Energy is a transformation of Primordial Energy. The Primordial Energy I had in my core easily changed into Magical Energy when I absorbed Lucau''s Magic Stones, so I''m probably right there."


    "Can you create more Primordial Energy?" Alvin asked, curious.


    However, the wisp shook his head. "No. Wisps only gather Primordial Energy and store it. We don''t create it. Now that it is gone, I have no way to recover more."


    "Is it better than Magical Energy?" Felia was the one to ask now.


    Linfel compared the two and couldn''t give a definitive answer. "I wouldn''t say it is better. Both seem to have their own advantages. Your Magical Energy, for example, is countless times easier to manipulate than Primordial Energy, that''s for sure. Primordial Energy, on the other hand, is a lot more powerful. However, it is also very chaotic.


    Even from where I''m from, training with it has always been very dangerous. Those who died because of it were too many to count."


    "Alright, I spoke a lot of me and my past," Linfel finally decided to ask the obvious. "Now, tell me more about Maguses. What are they?"

 Chapter 7 - 7: Different

    Alvin nodded and began to speak. "To be honest, it has been just three years since I joined the academy, so it is not like I''m all that knowledgeable. Anyway, Maguses are what we call those who train in Magic Energy, which should be obvious."


    "In our world, they are at the top of the food chain. It''s not like you can''t become someone important without being one, but the Maguses definitely have many advantages. First of all, your overall strength increases with each level, and you are able to manipulate more Magic Energy."


    Alvin then extended his hand, and the surrounding Magic Energy gathered around it. "I''m only a Level One Magus, so the amount of Magic Energy I can control is limited. Nonetheless, I can use it for many things. The most obvious one would be battle, but you can also use it for other types of work. For example, I don''t need Magic Stones to power up some simple devices.


    Just the energy I gather naturally as a Level One Magus is enough for it all to work."


    "As your Level as a Magus increases, so does your Magic Energy output. You can also store more and higher levels of magical energy in your core. It goes without saying that the higher the level of Magical Energy, the stronger you are. You can even use Magical Energy to enhance your thinking capability for a limited amount of time. Just don''t overdo it since it puts a huge burden on the brain and soul. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Familiars are not different in this aspect, so be careful."


    Linfel nodded. "I understand. You mentioned being a Level One Magus. That''s definitely different from where I came from. Back there, there was no such thing as levels. Most likely, it was due to the fact that primordial energy didn''t have different levels either.


    Someone''s power was basically determined by how much Primordial Energy they could control and store at once, but in the basics, they were all identical."


    Alvin hasn''t heard about such a system before. "That''s indeed very different. You see, if your Level as a Magus or Familiar doesn''t increase, you will definitely reach the limit soon. For most Maguses, the only way to store more and higher levels of magical energy is to Level Up as a Magus. There is no other choice. In your case, the concept of levels seemed to be nonexistent.


    Is it still the same for you?"


    Linfel tried to manipulate the Red Magic Energy he created and nodded. "Seems like so. I have no issues manipulating this Red Magic Energy. Well, it is obvious since I was the one who created it. The only difference is that I truly can''t store much of it compared to the Yellow Magic Energy. From what I can feel, I can only hold a tenth of Red Magic Energy compared to Yellow.


    That reminds me, didn''t you get a Red Magic Energy Stone before. If you couldn''t use it, then why were you so happy?"


    "Oh, that''s a misconception," Alvin explained. "I indeed can''t manipulate Red Magic Energy, but I can use it to increase my level faster. Do you remember when I said you need to integrate Magic Energy into your core? That''s basically it. Using a higher level of Magic Energy will help your core transform faster."


    "Transform?" Linfel wondered.


    "Yes, when your core gets strong enough, it changes color, just like the Magic Energy. The same goes for the Familiar, as Felia mentioned. Their Spiritual Bodies also change color, showing their higher level. It''s just that a Magus Core exists inside the body, so you can''t really see it."


    Alvin sighed. "Still, your Core is obviously something similar to a Level One Familiar. And yet, you can manipulate Red Magic Energy. There aren''t many Familiars and Maguses who can manipulate a Higher Level of Magical Energy without being at that level."


    "Hum? Didn''t you say one couldn''t manipulate Red Magic Energy as a Level One Magus?" Linfel got confused.


    "Did you forget? I clearly said ''for most maguses'' before. That doesn''t mean they are all like this." Alvin scratched the back of his head, feeling a little helpless. "Well, that''s where talent and resources come in... I''m pretty average, perhaps a little below it. As for resources, it should be obvious we don''t exactly have a lot of it."


    It was a pretty simple concept. Alvin explained that Maguses with high talent and resources are also able to control higher levels of magical Energy even without being at that level. The same goes for familiars. Alvin even saw some Level One Maguses defeating Level Two opponents in the academy before, showing the obvious difference.


    Even if you didn''t really have the necessary talent, it was possible to pile up resources to achieve the same effect. There were always those with a strong background who acquired the ability to use higher levels of Magic Energy through other methods.


    "Simply put, money makes the world go round," Alvin completed his explanation.


    Linfel had never heard that saying before, but he understood what Alvin meant.


    Lucau patted his son''s head, feeling like it was his fault. "Sorry that I couldn''t give you a better chance in life..."


    "Bulshit!" Alvin immediately looked at his father. "I regret nothing! Just look, dad. I will definitely become a high-level Magus in the future. I don''t have the money, but I definitely have the determination!"


    Lucau faintly smiled. He was very proud of his son for sure.


    Linfel then commented. "Well, that''s good for me. I can just pose as a highly talented Familiar in case I need to show my Red Magic Energy."


    "That''s still impressive," Alvin commented. "You said you can only store and use a tenth of Red Magic Energy compared to Yellow, right? Are you talking about all Sublevels of Red Magic Energy or only Low-Grade Red Magic Energy?"


    "Low-Grade," Linfel immediately answered. "The Normal Red Magic Energy... Errrr... Medium-Grade Red Magic, right? Anyway, I can only store around a hundredth of what I can with Yellow Magic Energy."


    Alvin nodded. "Seems like your transformation made you somewhat similar to us. You will need to increase the level of your core if you want to store and manipulate more of higher levels of magic Energy."


    Linfel understood that. Yet, he still felt like he wasn''t the same somehow.


    ---


    The group passed the rest of the day talking about this world, giving the wisp some sense of how things worked. At some point, they reached the topic of the Magic Diagrams. "All the equipment in our world works with Magical Diagrams and Runes. It is a technology that has evolved for thousands of years made to manipulate Magical Energy without the need for a Magus."


    Linfel thought about the runes of the past and drew some simple ones for Alvin to see. "What about runes? Are they not used in this world?"


    "Runes?" Alvin looked at it and shook his head. "I do know they are using in the Diagrams, but I don''t know much about them. Still yours are somewhat similar."


    "I see..." Linfel pondered. "I already tried to draw a few simple ones, but they were made to work with Primordial Energy. At least until now, I haven''t managed to make them work with Magical Energy. Simply put, we used them for many things, just like your equipment. It''s just that yours seems many times more advanced than ours.


    I still think I can modify them to work with Magical Energy, so I might give it a try some other time."


    "I''m not versed in Magical Diagrams and Runes, so I truly can''t help you much in there," said Alvin. "However, since your Runes seem to have some similarities with our Diagrams Runes, you might as well learn about them if you feel like it."


    "That would be nice." Linfel was indeed curious about it.


    "Alright, let''s end it here," suddenly, Lucau intervened before pointing outside. It was already dark, showing they had been talking for many hours. "Let''s eat something first. After all, you need to go back to the academy tomorrow, right?"


    Alvin nodded as he took a device from his pocket to check some information. "I was only allowed to leave because it was an emergency confirmed by the marina guard. Otherwise, it would have taken a month before I could visit you, Father. Now that I know you are okay, the academy will definitely demand me to come back as soon as possible. The most I can do is wait until tomorrow morning.


    The academy''s car will come to take me back."


    Linfel felt bad for them. "Sorry, I used a lot of the few hours you two had."


    "Don''t mind it," Lucau wasn''t concerned. "Anyway, do Wisps eat?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No. As long as we have energy, we don''t need anything else."


    "Another point where you are similar to us, Familiars," Felia added. "We also don''t have a need for food... Well, you could say that Magical Energy is our food. It wouldn''t be wrong."


    As they gathered at the table, Alvin and Lucau ate while Felia talked to Linfel. "What are you going to do? I think the best for you is to come to the academy as well. I doubt anyone would think you are anything but a Familiar. Besides, we need to register you."


    "Register?" Linfel got confused.


    Alvin stopped eating for a moment and explained. "Familiars need to be registered under their masters'' names. It is like an ID that tells the system you exist. Without it, you won''t be able to use most of the facilities of our world. The same goes for us magus and the normal people. I would say you are at a higher risk of being found without an ID than if you had one."


    Linfel was indeed curious about the Maguses and the Familiars, not to mention the Magical Diagrams, so he saw no issues with that plan. Above all, it would be the perfect place to check whether he could truly pass by as a Familiar or not. "That''s great! I''m definitely coming with you then. By the way, would that mean you are my master?"


    "Hum..." Alvin pondered a bit. "That would be the best case. It''s just that I don''t have a connection with you, different from Felia."


    "Connection?" Linfel was puzzled.


    Alvin smiled and extended his hand in Felia''s direction. Suddenly, Felia''s body changed and floated in Alvin''s direction. In front of Linfel, Felia became a piece of equipment in Alvin''s arm. "This is something you can only do with your personal Familiar. That''s because when a Familiar is created, the Magus'' soul is used to match the Familiar''s AI.


    Both the Familiar and the Magus'' Magic Energy merge together, making them a lot stronger. We call it MFC. It''s a simple abbreviation of Master Familiar Connection."


    "So weird..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment. "I''m sorry, but... I''m absolutely sure I can''t do that with you. Felia''s Core changed shape to attach to your body. That''s something my core can''t perform."


    Alvin then released Felia, and the Familiar returned to her small yellow humanoid shape. "It''s fine. It''s not like you need to do it at all costs. Besides, there are many types of MFC shapes. Some Familiars don''t change shape at all and still connect with their Masters. There are those who prefer to not use MFC, either.


    After all, it might be better to have two separate bodies working on a specific task than just one. It goes for all fields, including battles."


    Still, Linfel saw a problem. "But... what if they ask me to connect to you?"


    "Hum..." Alvin pondered a bit. "Usually, such a thing is not necessary. There is nothing in the rules when registering a Familiar that obligates a connection to be shown."


    "Can we pretend?" Linfel asked.


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "If someone tries to test our connection, there are devices that make the measurement. If we have no connection at all, it will be exposed. It''s not something we can just pretend."


    Linfel nodded. "Can you show me your connection again? Since Felia said I don''t need to change shape, then I might at least try this connection."


    "But you don''t have a connection with my soul," Alvin narrowed his eyes.


    Linfel knew that. "I''m not really a Familiar either, so why should I abide by the Familiar x Magus rules? Don''t question it. Let''s just give it a try."


    Lucau narrowed his yes. "Wouldn''t it be dangerous to my son?" He was obviously hearing everything at the table until now.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel wasn''t concerned. "I''m not doing the same as Felia. They are merging their Magic Energy. I, instead, am going to simply match Alvin''s one first. If it goes well, only then we will merge our Magic Energies. There will be the ''so necessary connection,'' but it is nowhere near what Felia and Alvin did.


    In fact, it would be even hard to truly call it a connection at all, but something different instead. There should be no danger whatsoever."


    Alvin took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright." He then got up from the table and extended his hand. Finally, he and Felia executed the same connection again so Linfel could check it up close. They did it slowly, giving Linfel all the time needed.


    A few minutes later, Linfel spoke. "Alright, that''s enough. Felia, come out. Let me give it a try."

 Chapter 8 - 8: Betrayal

    Alvin quickly began to release his Magical Energy in the same way he did with Felia. Felia felt the call, but she didn''t move, knowing he was doing it for Linfel.


    Linfel approached and nodded. "I can feel that connection you mentioned. I''m going to simulate something similar, so we might feel a little weird since it is our first try. Don''t worry; if I feel anything wrong, I''ll stop immediately."


    When Felia and Alvin connected, Linfel could clearly feel their Soul Energy matching each other. That explains why Alvin had to use his soul when creating Felia. Without that, merging their Magical Energies would be a dream within a dream.


    What they didn''t know is that Wisps were nothing more than a core and a soul from the moment they were born. They might have been weak over two billion years ago, but they definitely knew how to use their own soul. It was a simple question of survival! It was their soul that manipulated the Primordial Energy, after all.


    The better they got at it, the less they would spend and the longer they would live.


    It also explained why Linfel had such easy controlling Magical Energy. He had to use his soul to manipulate Primordial Energy his entire life, which was a type of energy countless times more chaotic and dangerous. Simply put, that made pretty much any wisp a master of their own soul. For Linfel, this Magical Energy was nothing but a walk in the park.


    Still, it was the first time Linfel was trying to match his own soul with someone else''s. Also, the other part couldn''t help. He had to do it on his own. He concentrated on that soul energy within Alvin''s Magical Energy Manipulation. Most likely, even Alvin himself couldn''t feel his Soul Energy in there, but Linfel definitely did.


    As Linfel felt Alvin''s Soul Energy, he couldn''t help but smile a little. ''Such a gentle soul, very similar to my old friend, probably even more...'' His mind went back to the past for a second, but he quickly put those thoughts aside. He then focused on matching his soul wave frequency with Alvin.


    At first, it wasn''t easy, causing Alvin and Linfel to truly feel quite a weird sensation. Linfel had never done that before, after all. Yet, the connection was indeed being established. Linfel didn''t go all in. He did the absolutely minimum, just enough for it to be similar to what Alvin and Felia did.


    "To think that such a thing was possible," Linfel commented, having finished his part. "I didn''t know that connecting with each other was possible before I saw you two. I can truly feel Alvin and my Magical Energies working together."


    Alvin also felt that connection, much to his shock. "Unbelievable. Let me give it a try."


    Suddenly, Linfel felt his body moving around without doing anything. It was all through the magical connection between him and Alvin. At the same time, their Magical Energy felt like they were one and the same. Alvin could use Linfel''s Magical Energy without any issues. Not only that, Linfel still had that little bit of Red Magic Energy within his body, and Alvin felt that.


    "This..." Alvin couldn''t help himself after feeling the existence of that Red Magic Energy. He had never had the capability to control it, but now that he is connected to Linfel, that world seemed to open its doors for him. Through his connection with Linfel, who attached himself to Alvin''s backhand, Red Magic Energy made its way out, controlled by Alvin himself.


    "This is great! Hahaha! I feel it; I feel it all! So this is how controlling Red Magic Energy feels like! Amazing!" Alvin laughed nonstop while using it. Of course, Linfel only had a little bit of it, so it was over in a few seconds.


    Linfel then detached himself from Alvin''s backhand, having gotten used to Alvin''s Soul Wave Frequency. "Let me give it a try."


    This time, it was Alvin''s body that moved against his will. That had never happened to Felia before. Of course, Alvin could immediately cut that connection if he wanted, but he let Linfel work with it.


    Linfel used Alvin''s body and Magical energy, truly feeling a lot stronger as well. "Merging Magical Energies is truly something nice. I definitely couldn''t reach this level of Magical Energy on my own at the moment. No wonder maguses and Familiars like to do such a thing."


    Finally, Linfel stopped, cutting the connection with Alvin. "Alright, this is enough."


    Alvin couldn''t help but feel disappointed. The Magical Energy within the wisp was so good that he wouldn''t mind staying like that forever. "Can we try it a little bit more?"


    "Ahem!" It was then that Lucau called their attention. Right after, he pointed to the other side of the table. There... a small Familiar seemed very upset, looking away with an angry expression.


    "Master never acted like that with me," she complained.


    Alvin was taken aback. "T-This... That''s not it, Felia. It''s just that I have never controlled Red Magic before. That''s all!"


    Linfel didn''t like it. "That''s all?! So I''m just that for you? A tool to control Red Magic Energy? I can''t believe I trusted you..."


    Alvin was speechless. Why the hell was this wisp making things worse? First of all, were they ever that close? "Errr... No, that''s not it."


    The two continued to complain while Alvin tried to mediate it. Lucau only watched and laughed, finding that situation absurd.


    "This is betrayal," Felia cried.


    "Yes, this betrayal," Linfel also cried.


    Even Lucau joined the party. "I''m so disappointed in you, son..." pretending to cry.


    Alvin didn''t know what to do. "I''m the one feeling like crying here!"


    Finally, he lost his patience and sat back on the table, eating his food angrily. "You know what? To hell with you all. I''m hungry!"


    Lucau laughed out loud and apologized. Linfel just smiled, finally understanding that it was a joke. As for Felia, she eventually just forgot about that.


    Later, in the living room, the four of them were gathered again. "Okay, explain to me how you managed to connect with me?" Alvin asked. That was the most important at the moment.


    "What else? I just matched your Soul Wave Frequency," Linfel explained. "When you connected with Felia a second time, I paid close attention and understood why it was possible. That''s why your soul was used as a base for Felia''s creation. It was necessary so that you two would have the same Soul Wave Frequency."


    "I know that," Alvin nodded. After all, he had to study the process before creating Felia. "However, I''ve never heard about a Familiar capable of changing their own Soul Wave Frequency. Well, you are not a Familiar, so I can''t really judge you like that."


    "Master," Felia spoke, "Not only Familiars. I don''t think anyone on this planet can do it. Perhaps some other races from outside, but I can guarantee that if they exist, they are very rare. A race capable of controlling their own souls to such an extent would put them at the top of the food chain of our Universe."


    Alvin couldn''t agree more. "I believe so, too. In any case, this is convenient. I wasn''t intending to connect with you at first, Linfel. However, now that you showed it was possible, we should definitely add it to your registration."


    "What do you mean?" Linfel asked.


    Felia was the one to explain. "Your ID only needs to point out who your master is other than your own information. However, it can also contain other information like the level of connection between you and your master. It''s nothing special, but it would show to everyone that you are truly a Familiar created by him. If you weren''t, connecting would be impossible... or so everyone believes."


    Linfel didn''t see why not. "That''s great. However, I''m starting to feel that you are all helping me while I''m doing nothing in exchange. I even destroyed your father''s boat. Is there anything I can do for you in exchange for keeping my secret and helping me out?"


    Alvin nodded. "I''m not exactly a saint either. Initially, I had no intention of doing more than helping you with your registration, for Father''s sake, of course. But after you showed you can clean the Low-Grade Yellow Magical Stones and turn them into Low-Grade Red Magic, I changed my mind."


    Linfel understood. "You can do it all for me, but you require me to create Red Magic for you to increase your level, am I correct?"


    "Yes," Alvin nodded. "I won''t lie here, Linfel. This power of yours to create Red Magic is absolutely heaven-defying. The process of manufacturing Red Magic Stones is very expensive. Usually, you would need at least ten High-Grade Yellow Magic Stones to create a single Low-Grade Red Magic Stone.


    As for Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, at least a thousand would be necessary, not counting the cost of the manufacturing process itself."


    Alvin then took out his device and showed it to Linfel. "This is an MCOM, a Magical Communication Device. You can access the Magical Network and check many things. Let me show you the price of a single Low-Grade Red Magic Stone."


    Linfel had seen a few people using these devices on his way to Lucau''s home, but it was his first time paying attention to them. "Such convenient pieces of equipment..."


    Finally, Alvin opened a website that displayed the price of the stones. He quickly went to the cheapest he could find.


    -Low Grade Red Magic Stone: 1352 UC.-


    "UC?" That was the first he saw that.


    "Universal Credits," Alvin explained. "The Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, for example, cost only 3 UC each. Medium Grade Yellow goes for around 20UC, while High-Grade Yellow should be around 85 or so, depending on the quality and quantity you acquire at once."


    "Red Magic Stones are so much more expensive! Not only that, but these prices don''t seem to follow any specific order," Linfel said as he looked at the prices.


    "I told you, didn''t I?" Alvin reminded him. "It is not only the necessary amount of Yellow Magic Stones necessary. It is also the manufacturing process. Well, even Yellow Magic Stones need to be manufactured, but the quality and amount of energy are so low that they aren''t exactly that hard to make.


    Also, it should go without saying, but the companies also need to make a profit, so the stones definitely cost more than the amount necessary to make them. No one is operating a charity, especially within the Magus Circle."


    Linfel was having a taste of capitalism. "And I am able to make Red Magic Energy..."


    "Yes," Alvin didn''t hide. "Simply put, even though I''m doing all of this for you, your capability of making Red Magic Energy out of Low-Grade Magic Stones is much, much more valuable than anything I can offer. It is up to you if you want to accept this deal or not. I''m not only doing it for you but for me and my father as well." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel didn''t need to think much about it. First of all, it was already very luck that he got to meet such good people, and he was especially certain about it after feeling Alvin''s soul waves. Alvin was trying to act tough, but Linfel thought it didn''t match his real personality very well. "Alright, why not? Looking for other people capable of offering more would be annoying anyway.


    Not to mention, I''m not sure if I would suddenly be captured for some weird research or whatever. Just one question, even if I register as your Familiar, I''ll have full autonomy, right?"


    "Yes," Alvin answered excitedly. "Felia already mentioned it anyway. Familiars have the autonomy to do whatever they want as long as they don''t break the rules. It''s just that they usually stay close to their masters, but that''s not a rule. There are quite a few Familiars living on their own because their Masters abandoned them, they died, or whatever other reason.


    Or they might just be doing their masters'' bid far away as well. So, you don''t need to worry about others finding you weird because you are alone. Just make sure to not cause trouble for me."


    "I obviously wouldn''t cause any trouble," Linfel patted his chest.


    Lucau and Alvin felt a chill running down their backs. For some reason, Linfel''s words didn''t seem very trustworthy...


    Lucau and Alvin quickly recovered. The prospect of having Red Magic Energy to use in training was definitely worth the risk... a very high risk... an extremely high risk... a ridiculous extremely high risk... "Hum...


    maybe you should reconsider," Lucau whispered in Alvin''s ears, having cold feet.


    "Ahem!" Alvin would be lying if he said he didn''t reconsider it for a moment. But he gritted his teeth and decided to go for it. "Then we have a deal. Tomorrow, come with me to the Academy. I''ll register you as my Familiar. Also, if you wish to join the Academy as an independent Familiar, you can take the test there."


    "Very well," Linfel already considered that action when Felia mentioned about Familiars being part of the Academy earlier.


    It was getting late, so everyone decided to retire to their rooms. However, before they even left the living room, someone pressed the doorbell of Lucau''s house.


    Lucau and Alvin looked at each other, puzzled.


    "Were you waiting for someone, father?" Alvin asked.


    However, Lucau shook his head. "I wasn''t even supposed to be home today if my boat hadn''t been destroyed. How could I?"


    The two went to the door and opened it. There, a young woman wearing the Magus Academy Uniform waited with a few other bodyguards on the back.


    "M-M-Milia Frondor!" Seeing who it was, Alvin felt his soul almost leaving his body.

 Chapter 9 - 9: We Are Very Similar, Alvin

    The young woman narrowed her eyes as she looked at Alvin. "Do I know you?" Even though it seemed like he knew her, she had absolutely no idea who he was.


    Alvin tried to calm himself. "Eh? Ah, right! Ahem! No, you don''t. However, I doubt there are many people in the academy who don''t know who you are."


    "I see..." Milia nodded. "You are also a student there then, I believe?"


    "Yes," Alvin then took out his MCOM and opened his academy''s registration ID to show her.


    Milia slightly nodded once again. "That makes things easier. I need to talk about the incident with the fishing boat earlier. The sir on your side should be your father, right? It would be nice to hear the recount of the story from him."


    Lucau was puzzled, though. "You talking about the Magical Sea Beast that swallowed my boat? I already told the Marina Guards everything that happened today."


    "Hey, you two," Felia intervened. "Are you going to keep the visit standing up at the doorsteps?"


    "Right, right!" Alvin quickly came back to himself. "Milia, please come to the living room so we can talk. This is nothing like your mansion, but it''s definitely better than staying outside."


    Milia had no reason to refuse. She looked at her bodyguards outside and gave them an order. "You wait for me here. I shouldn''t take long."


    One of the bodyguards didn''t like it. "Young lady, we can''t allow you to be alone with strangers."


    Milia''s expression turned dark. "I told you to wait outside. Did you not hear me?"


    The bodyguard sighed and accepted the order in the end. "Yes, young lady. We will wait."


    Milia then entered the house with Lucau and Alvin. As for the bodyguard, he took out his own MCOM and made a call, explaining to his employer what had just happened. Soon, an answer came from the other side. "Forget it. No one knew you were going there anyway. Just make sure to not let a single fly enter the house."


    "Yes, sir!" The bodyguard quickly accepted the order and finished the call.


    Inside, Milia was gathered with Felia, Lucau, Alvin, and Linfel.


    "I''m going to prepare something to drink. Linfel, come and help me," Felia.


    "Eh? But I have no idea how to prepare anything..." Linfel, indeed, had never eaten before, so he was clueless.


    Those words puzzled Milia, though. "You... don''t know? But all Familiars come with knowledge of the various types of dishes and drinks of our world. Is he a defective one?"


    Lucau, Alvin, and Felia felt a chill in their bodies.


    "Errr... no, nonono!" Alvin quickly tried to cover for Linfel. "When I created him, I specially configured his AI to not have any knowledge about such things."


    "Why?" Milia didn''t understand. It wasn''t like such knowledge would make the Familiar worse or anything.


    "Why? Why indeed? Hehe... Hehehe! I just liked to mess with the options, I guess? Hahaha!" Alvin answered with a cheap smile.


    At the same time, his father whispered in his ear. ''Is it true?'' Little did he know that a Magus''s hearing ability was exceptional, so Milia heard everything.


    Alvin nodded at his father. ''Have you never noticed that Felia can do pretty much all chores? Do you truly think that I taught her that?''


    ''Now that I think about it, your dormitory in the academy would probably been half destroyed by now if you were the one responsible for its upkeeping...'' Lucau answered, knowing his son very well.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "I''m not that bad!"


    "Said the kid who almost put my house on fire not long ago," Lucau answered without caring at all.


    "I was five! How was it not long ago?! It''s been a decade!" Alvin wanted to cry already. They weren''t even whispering anymore.


    It was then that Felia commented. "Well, he did indeed almost put half of the dormitory down... twice..."


    Alvin bashed his head on the table at the center of the living room. Why is his familiar doing this to him? Did he mess up with the creation process?


    *Psfff...*


    Only then did they notice the girl trying to hold her laugh.


    Linfel then patted Alvin''s shoulder. "It''s okay, Alvin. Now I see we are very alike. I got an entire boa-"


    *Pah!*


    Alvin and Lucau immediately grabbed Linfel''s core, stopping Linfel''s words. "You just shut up!" The idiot wisp almost handed himself out. No one knew he was responsible for destroying the boat, after all...


    Alvin glanced at Milia, who tried to hide her smile with not much success. He got all red again, feeling like burying his head on the ground. Linfel and Lucau didn''t know, but Milia was like a goddess in the academy, and here he was, being humiliated by his family and a wisp he barely even knew! "Enough with the chores thing.


    Felia, Linfel, go prepare something for our visit to drink." He just wanted to change that topic already.


    Felia then pulled Linfel along, both going to the kitchem. There, Felia used her Magic Energy to create a simple sound barrier and spoke to Linfel. "Sigh... I completely forgot about this detail. Indeed, we Familiars are AIs, so we obviously have many random things added to our memory during the moment of the creation of our souls. Linfel, try to not mention such things anymore."


    "Is it that bad to not know how to do chores? To be honest, I truly have absolutely no idea how to do any of this..." Still, Linfel was determined. "However, I''m very willing to learn!"


    For some reason, Felia felt like the whole academy would go down in flames if he tried. Indeed, she could see the similarities between Linfel and her master. "Errr... let''s not mention it anymore, shall we? Just look how I do things, and that should be fine."


    In the living room, Lucau looked with a smile at Milia. "That''s a lovely smile, young lady."


    Milia was taken aback and immediately went back to her cold expression. "What smile? I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "Just now-"


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," Milia insisted, looking away.


    Lucau shrugged his shoulder. "Yes, yes, you don''t..." He then went back to the main topic. "So, why the sudden visit?"


    Milia closed her eyes for a moment before speaking, "I came here due to the incident with the Magical Beast in the ocean that you were involved with."


    "That much I know," Lucau nodded. "But as I said, I have already given the full report of the event."


    "Yes," Milia continued. "The Marina Guard called a Magus to check, and I was selected to carry out the investigation. I found traces of high-level Magical Energy in the water. It became clear to me that someone had tried to lure the beast out of the water, so I''m making this visit to gather more details from you. After all, you were the victim.


    Do you know anything else that could be used to help with this investigation?"


    How could Lucau not know? The culprit was right there in the kitchen, learning how to make tea... not that he would say that, of course. "I''m sorry, but it was too fast. First, I got a lot of Tunas, then the White Stripped Demon Whales arrived. Lastly, they all fled when that monster appeared.


    Now my boat is history..." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "Following the traces, it indicates that it originated right where your boat was located. Are you sure you don''t know anything?"


    Lucau was an old fox, so he showed an angry expression in response. "Are you implying I lured that thing out of the water just to have myself killed and my boat destroyed? I''m sorry, miss, but that doesn''t make much sense."


    Milia shook her head. "Perhaps that wasn''t your intention. Perhaps someone was truly just trying... who knows? Gather more Tunas for you to capture, and things spiraled out of control?"


    Lucau and Alvin couldn''t help but feel impressed. To think this girl would hit the nail that easily. Of course, they still couldn''t mention the truth. "Hum... I definitely tried to attract more Whiskers Tunas, but I used my Undersea Magic Wave Generator to do that, like I did so many times. Could it be that it got some issue and ended up calling that Magical Beast?"


    Milia pondered a bit and couldn''t discard that possibility, even if it was hard to believe. "Such equipment shouldn''t have the capability to achieve such result. However, I will admit it is possible. Unfortunately, the Level Two Magical Beast ate your whole boat, so I can''t check that anymore."


    Lucau nodded. "That''s a bummer indeed. By the way, I''m going to file for insurance tomorrow, so I should get a similar boat to my own again. If you want, you can check the Undersea Magic Wave Generator in it when I get the boat from the insurance company."


    Milia sighed. "It''s pointless. I would need the same one that was taken by the beast."


    Felia then came to the room with several tea cups filled with warm tea. "Here, Miss Milia. It is simple, but I guarantee the quality."


    Milia nodded and took a sip out of respect. "It is indeed very good, thank you," she said without a change of expression.


    Seeing that she wasn''t getting anywhere, she decided to end the conversation there, even though she felt like they were hiding something. "Anyway, it seems like this case will go without resolution. I will just add that it might have been a defective Wave Generator in the report."


    Milia didn''t really care too much about this case. There were no deaths, and any prof was gone with the sea beast. She only dug it deeper out of curiosity. Since the victim himself didn''t seem to want to talk, she had no reason to waste more time here. It was all part of the task given by the academy, after all, and she has completed it.


    Milia then got up, preparing to leave.


    "Ah, wait!" Yet, Alvin couldn''t help but call her attention.


    Felia and Lucau looked at him, puzzled. Why is he stopping her?


    Naturally, so was Milia. "Is there anything else you wish to add?"


    "Eh? Errr... No, not really." Alvin was a little lost at what to do. It wasn''t every day he had the chance to talk with someone like her. If he tried as much as exchange a single word in the academy, he would probably be blocked by her legion of bodyguards before she even noticed his existence. Due to the difference in talents, they were in different classes, too.


    Lucau looked at that and finally understood, so he just faintly smiled and said nothing.


    Finally, Alvin remembered something and decided to ask. "I just wanted to ask you something else. That Level Two Magic Beast. Have you found which one it was?"


    Lucau was taken back to that day by that question. Indeed, he was also curious about it.


    Milia shook her head, though. "Unfortunately, I couldn''t figure out. By the time I arrived, it had gone back to the bottom. However, the few debris that remained were taken, and I should get a result by tomorrow. The teeth marks on them should point out which type."


    Alvin''s eyes lit up. "Alright! I''m going back to the academy tomorrow anyway, so I''ll ask you then. Would that be a problem?"


    Milia pondered a bit and shook her head. "It''s not a problem. Very well. I''ll let my personal know." She could have just said she would send a report through the MCOM. However, she still thought something wasn''t right, so she might as well use this opportunity to find out what.


    Milia left the house, followed by her many bodyguards. Soon, they entered several vehicles and left the premises.


    Once they returned inside, Linfel finally came out of the kitchen. "Did I really have to keep hiding?"


    "Asked the wisp who almost talked about how he destroyed my father''s boat to Milia and got busted," Alvin answered helplessly.


    The wisp looked away, pretending to not hear anything. "It''s such a nice day today, isn''t it?" It was night...


    "Hmph!" Alvin decided to let it slide.


    It was then that an arm appeared around his shoulder¡ªit was his father. "Now, now, now... Why don''t you tell your father more about that young lady? You seemed very interested in continuing that conversation instead of just letting her go away."


    Alvin bitterly smiled. He should have seen it coming.

 Chapter 10 - 10: Procreation

    "Ahem! We should go to sleep," said Alvin, totally trying to run away from the conversation.


    Linfel was still curious, though. "Who is she? Why would a student of your academy be out here carrying the investigation about the boat? Is it normal for you guys?"


    Alvin was happy that the wisp changed the topic away from his ''intentions.'' "Oh, right! Felia, tell them."


    Felia glanced at Alvin, not liking to be used as a scapegoat. Yet, he is her master, after all. "Fine... The Magus Academy has a credit system of points. The government, in order to try to make it as fair as possible for all students regardless of background, created it a long time ago. It''s called AMC, a simple abbreviation for Academy Magic Currency."


    Linfel couldn''t help but comment. "I see that you guys truly like to do a lot of abbreviations in this world, no? And their full names are usually very simple."


    Felia shook her head. "Actually, it is the opposite. Sure, we used simple names, but that''s only when we want to talk about a topic in a general concept. For example, the MCOM is the abbreviation of Magic Communication Device. However, Alvin''s MCOM''s name is a lot more complicated than that."


    Alvin then showed it to the Wisp.


    -Tarzis Magical Signal Spectrum Model H2RT0, version 7.845b-


    "That''s... a very long name indeed..." The Wisp immediately understood why using some simple general names was better. "Let''s just keep the MCOM and the others."


    Felia then returned to the main topic: "Anyway, the academy''s credit system definitely has a bigger name, but let''s just ignore it. Everyone just uses the general name AMC, Academy Credit Currency. No point in using anything else. This system is made so that anyone can get access to the various important facilities of the academy.


    Not only that, but just your time living there will also require AMC, like accommodations and food."


    Alvin continued from there. "In my case, I use most of my AMC to acquire resources for my Magus training. Simply put, Medium Grade Yellow Stones. They are definitely much better than the Low-Grade ones. It goes without saying I would use higher-level ones if I had access to them. Unfortunately, I don''t make enough to afford training with those types."


    Felia took Alvin''s MCOM and accessed the Academy''s Student Website. There, she navigated until she reached the AMC tasks. "Here is a list of the several tasks you can take to acquire AMC."


    Linfel looked through the list and could see countless tasks. There were things very menial, like a simple cleaning, worth a single AMC, to more important things like helping with research, investigations, collection of special items, etc. Naturally, those ones were worth a lot more.


    "Hum?" Linfel noticed one thing when going through the list. "Many of these tasks are marked in gray. Why? There are some marked in red, too."


    "Look at the stars on their side," Felia asked. Linfel took a look and waited for her to continue. "Each star represents the required level as a Magus or Familiar. For example, the tasks marked with two stars require Level Two Maguses or Familiars. Three Stars, naturally, Level Three Maguses or Familiars so on and so forth."


    She then pointed at the red tasks. Some had one and a half stars, while others had two stars. "These marked in red are taking into consideration Master''s Level. He can attempt to complete these tasks, but he must be aware they will be much harder at his actual level."


    Linfel understood. "I see... that basically means Alvin is too weak."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched a little. "Alright, I know I''m nothing impressive, but do you need to say it like that?"


    Linfel got confused. "Is there a better way to call someone weak? Oh! How about incapable?"


    Alvin wanted to cry, not because of the wisp''s words but because he knew the wisp wasn''t trying to make fun of him. Linfel was totally speaking seriously, which hurt much more. "Just... I''m still growing up."


    Linfel finally understood. "Humans prefer to say they are growing up instead of being weak. Noted."


    ''That wasn''t it at all!'' Alvin screamed in his mind.


    Felia smiled and just continued. "So, the gray tasks refer to tasks my master can not take since he doesn''t have the necessary level. For example, look at this task here."


    Linfel paid attention to the task Felia pointed out.


    -Magus help necessary for the investigation of a Magus related incident in Toval City: Three Stars. Details will be provided on-site. AMC Reward: 2500.-


    "What about it?" Linfel asked.


    "It''s this type of task that probably brought Master''s future wife to his house today," Felia explained.


    "I see..." Linfel and Lucau nodded together.


    Alvin almost coughed out blood. "What the hell?! Since when did she become my future wife?! And why are Father and Linfel just agreeing to that?! Do you fucking know the difference between us?!"


    Linfel didn''t see the problem there. "It is normal where I came from for everyone to look for the best possible partners to carry on their genes. That girl seemed to have very good genes, which explains your interest in procreating with her. I don''t see the problem in there."


    "Pro-procreating????!!!!" Alvin''s mind wandered a bit.


    *Pah!*


    Yet, his father slapped the back of his head, returning him to reality. "Stop thinking like that."


    Ignoring Lucau and Alvin''s antics, Linfel asked something else. "Usually, what kind of tasks do you get?"


    "What else? We always take the One Stars Tasks," Felia answered while shrugging her shoulders.


    Yet, Linfel saw an issue. "But..." He looked at the One Stars tasks, and pretty much all of them had the word ''taken'' on them. Only very few related to menial tasks were available. Not to mention, their payment was really low, something around 10 AMC each. "Is this enough?"


    Alvin, who was back to himself, rubbed the back of his head while explaining, "Simply put, I take a lot of those during the month. It is very hard to get access to higher-paying One Star tasks." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Felia and Alvin''s dejected expression, it became obvious there was a reason for that. "Why?"


    Yet, Alvin didn''t want to talk about it. "You will see when we get to the academy tomorrow. With your ability, it shouldn''t be an issue for you to become an independent Familiar, so you will have access to all of these things."


    Lucau then looked at the time and patted his son''s shoulder. "Alright, jokes aside, it is truly getting very late. You need to take the academy''s car tomorrow morning very early, so let''s all go to sleep."


    Alvin nodded and went to his old room with Felia. Lucau then looked at the wisp, wondering. "Do wisps need to sleep?"


    Linfel shook his head. "Not really. However, most races back where I came from also slept. I guess this is an issue for those who have blood and flesh bodies. By the way, I saw Felia retiring to the room with Alvin. Do Familiars need to sleep?"


    "I''m not sure, but I believe they need to sleep with their masters. Something about their soul connection making it hard for the masters to sleep if their Familiars are active or whatever. You can ask Alvin and Felia tomorrow," Lucau answered. "Anyway, since you don''t need to sleep, just stay in the house and do whatever you want. Just please, don''t break anything."


    Lucau also retired to his room, leaving Linfel alone. ''Hum... judging by this planet''s time, it will be a few hours until they wake up. I guess I''ll just focus on understanding this Magic Energy better until there.''


    Linfel had just got to use Magic Energy for the first time today, so there were many things he was in doubt about when controlling it. He wanted to take a look at the training methods for humans and familiars, but it seemed like Alvin and Felia couldn''t give him that without the academy''s authorization.


    ***


    Night gave way to day, and the sun began to appear in the sky. When Alvin first woke, he felt his body quite light, as if he hadn''t gotten such a good sleep in ages. His Familiar''s core soon activated, having felt it when Alvin got up as well.


    They exited the room a few minutes later, catching the sight of the wisp lying on the Living Room''s table. Only very feeble waves of Magical Energy came out of his core, looking as if he was once again about to run out of energy.


    "Eh?! Linfel, are you okay?" Alvin heard the story from his father, so he got worried for a moment.


    However, those waves of Magical Energy immediately increased several times, returning to the normal output as the wisp rose from the table. Soon, his body took the shape of a familiar again before he spoke. "I''m fine. I was just trying to understand this Magical Energy well, and I can concentrate better if I don''t have to focus on anything else; that''s why I let go of my floating."


    "I see..." Alvin sighed in relief. Linfel was his card for Red Magic Energy, after all. Besides... even though the wisp lacked some... a lot of common sense, he quite liked him. "So, did you find anything?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, I believe I understand what you meant about integrating Magical Energy into one''s core. I don''t know what methods you use, but I should be able to come up with something on my own if your methods don''t work."


    Alvin was impressed. "Really? This is no joke, you know? The techniques to increase one''s level as a Magus or Familiar are very intricate. Any small mistake might destroy your entire progress, forcing you to start from the beginning again. There are plenty of stories of Maguses and Familiars who lost everything and had to start from zero because they weren''t careful enough."


    "Is it that serious?" Linfel wasn''t expecting that. "It''s truly different from my home then. Since there were no levels, there weren''t levels to be lost, so it was all about accumulation and nothing more."


    Lucau appeared in the room right after, feeling rejuvenated. "Oh, you guys up already?"


    Alvin turned to him. "Yes. Father, the academy''s car should be here at any minute, so it will probably be some time until I can visit you again."


    Lucau just waved his hand. "Yes, I know. It''s fine."


    *Plin!*


    Suddenly, Alvin''s MCON called his attention. He took it out and checked, sighing. "And it is already here. They sure are fast."


    Everyone made their way out of the house. Lucau and Alvin exchanged a few words and a hug before bidding their farewells. Finally, they got into the car and left. As for Lucau, he simply locked the door and made his way to the insurance company. He had to get a new boat, after all.


    In the car, Linfel looked around as they made their way out of that small town. It was just a coastal city without many inhabitants, so it was very simple. Yet, around two hours later, the sight of another city entered Linfel''s eyes, shocking him. "Holy shit! How can those buildings be so tall without falling?"


    Alvin still didn''t forget the academy''s car had vigilance inside, so he warned Linfel. "We can talk about it later. Don''t forget where we are."


    Linfel nodded, still feeling curious.


    The academy car didn''t leave them at the academy, though. The student could choose to disembark in the city itself as long as they made it to the academy until the end of the day. That said, he left the car with Linfel and Felia in the city center. Only then did they speak without worries.


    "So, no tall buildings back where you came from?" Alvin asked.


    Linfel shook his head. "Not really, the biggest ones were usually like pyramids, having very big bases to support the higher floors. These buildings, however, far surpass the ones I''ve seen." He then looked into the distance and saw one particular construction that went all the way to the skies, hiding beyond the clouds. "Truly impressive. What is that one about?"


    "Oh, that?" Alvin knew which one. "That''s the Space Station. Any visitors from outside first arrive on those, and if we want to leave the planet, we go there as well to take a Spaceship. There are quite a few around our planet."


    Back in Linfel''s time, there was indeed travel through different planets. However, they weren''t as common as Alvin made it look like. Only the most powerful, including his old friend Horan, had the capability to achieve such feats. Thanks to Horan, Linfel had a general understanding of the Universe he came from, so he couldn''t help but wonder. ''Am I still in the same Universe?


    No primordial energy, Space Travel doesn''t seem anything that impressive in Alvin''s eyes either, and he is what you would consider an average person in this world... perhaps even below it. I need to investigate.''

 Chapter 11 - 11: Theory

    The academy wasn''t much further from there. Alvin just came out earlier, so the wisp could see a little bit more of their world. Linfel obviously filled Felia and Alvin''s ears with questions, but the two answered with patience. It was then that Linfel saw Alvin taking out his MCOM again. "Right! How do I get one of those?


    They seem extremely convenient."


    Alvin looked at him. "Well, it isn''t hard. Once you get registered, you can use your ID to acquire one. Of course, you will need to pay for it."


    "That''s good," Linfel was excited. Not long after, he saw an enormous wall that stretched several kilometers to both sides, and they were going right there. "The academy?"


    Alvin nodded. "Academies aren''t exactly that common, so they are usually built in the biggest cities of each region. Here in Sastasha City... Right, I haven''t told you yet. This city is called Sastasha. It is part of the Penirura State in the country of Heffal.


    Anyway, everyone who decides to follow the Magus Path would converge in these cities, so the academies need to be able to accommodate them all. That''s why it looks so big. In fact, our own is quite average. I went on an excursion to the capital''s academy before, and it is at least three times as big."


    "I see..." Linfel found it interesting. "How many students are there."


    Alvin took his MCOM and checked the academy''s website. He hasn''t checked that information in a while. "After last year''s admission test, our academy now has a total of 132852 students. Oh, it has gone up quite a lot since my admission. There are over ten thousand more now."


    "That many?!" Linfel couldn''t help but ask. "And they are all maguses? Is the Magus job that common?"


    "How could that be?" Felia answered instead. "Our region alone has around 1.7 billion inhabitants. Yet, around a hundred thousand as students. It isn''t that big of a number. Of course, if you take those who have already graduated, I would say we have around two and a half million maguses total. The number obviously changes over time with deaths or maguses arriving and leaving.


    Still, it is only a fraction of the overall population."


    "This..." Linfel quickly asked Alvin. "Show me a map of your country. Even better, show me a map of the world instead and point to me your country." Alvin nodded and quickly opened it for the wisp to see. He also pointed out their region in the country specifically.


    "Holy shit! I didn''t expect this planet to be so packed with people," Linfel was getting more and more certain he truly wasn''t in the same Universe anymore. "I''ve been to many planets with my old friend Horan, including some of the most powerful ones. Those planets were even bigger than this one. And yet, their overall population wasn''t even a tenth of what you find in this one."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn''t say that we are sparsely populated as a planet, but we are far from being overpopulated either."


    Felia agreed with Alvin, knowing more about this kind of stuff. "Master is right. I haven''t really checked this content deeply, but I know our planet is considered below average when it comes to its number of inhabitants."


    "Below average..." Linfel sighed. "Back from where I came, I don''t think there was a single planet with so many intelligent life." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Alvin and Felia began to get some ideas now. "From the way you talked about your past until now, it looks more like you came from another completely different Universe." Yet, Alvin considering a possibility. "No, it is not that you came from another Universe since we don''t even know if such a thing exists. That said... could it be that you came from the past instead? A very, very distant past?"


    Linfel had to admit Alvin''s idea made sense. "That''s definitely possible. Still, just how far in the past must I have been for everything to change this much? Even Primordial Energy completely disappeared. Well, perhaps only this planet doesn''t have Primordial Energy."


    Felia shook her head. "I can''t be sure this Primordial Energy of yours doesn''t exist. However, I''m absolutely sure Magic Energy is the mainstream in our Universe. This is common knowledge you can find in the academy."


    "If you think about it," Alvin decided to add another possibility, "it makes sense that you came from the past. The reason is simple: Primordial Energy. Linfel, you said Primordial Energy was a lot more abundant. However, not only was it much more powerful, but it was also very chaotic. Even training with it could lead to the death of many. Do you see the problem?


    Life would struggle to take form in a Universe with such a powerful energy. It would make totally sense that the overall population was so much smaller."


    He continued. "As time passed and the Universe expanded, Primordial Energy began to lose its effect. I''m not sure how Magic Energy came to be and how Primordial Energy disappeared, but as you said, they seemed to be connected. Today''s Magic Energy might be nothing more than a gentler version of your Primordial Energy."


    Linfel heard those words, giving him more certainty of the theory. "Yes, it would explain everything."


    Felia couldn''t help but ask. "Does that mean Linfel was sent to the future?"


    "No," Alvin remembered Linfel''s words," he said he was put into some col box and everything went dark. Most likely, he was put in some kind of weird suspended animation. Now... he just so happened to wake up here. Of course, this is just a theory."


    "I think there is a good chance that you are right," Linfel agreed. "My old friend Horan was very good with Primordial Energy runes, so I don''t doubt he could create something capable of that."


    As they talked, the number of people around began to increase again, most of them using the same Uniform of the Magus Academy. Finally, they arrived at the entrance. "Well, here we are. Linfel, come with me. I need to register you."


    They went through an identification gate, where Alvin put his ID on one of the many terminals in there. Felia seemed to do the same, allowing her to enter as well. However, neither of the two went deeper into the academy straight away. Instead, they brought Linfel to another building right past the entrance.


    That''s where Alvin would be able to register Linfel as his Familiar. They weren''t the only ones there. Now and then, someone would bring their new Familiars for registering, or they would come to update some information regarding themselves or the familiars. In any case, this place always had a few people going through the processes.


    At one of the counters, Alvin presented his ID again before speaking with the attendant there. "Hi, I would like to register my new Familiar."


    The attendant, having done it countless times, just nodded and pointed at a small platform on the side. "Tell you Familiar to stay there. We will record his energy in the system."


    Linfel did as he was asked and went up to the small platform. Immediately, several scans went through his body, analyzing him from all sides. At first, everything went fine. Too bad the equipment appointed some differences a few moments later.


    "Hum? That''s weird." said the attendant, making Alvin, Linfel, and Felia grow tense. The attendant looked at the information regarding Linfel with a confused expression. "His Magic Energy waves are quite different from normal range. Is he a special type?"


    Since Familiars could be created, some were made to attend to some specific requirements. Naturally, they would be different from your general-purpose Familiar that most Academy Students use. "Still, even if it''s a special type, these waves are kind of strange."


    Alvin quickly asked. "Is it a problem? I did make a few modifications during the creation process, especially regarding his knowledge. Perhaps the set of options I chose wasn''t very common." Of course, that was a big lie.


    The attendant thought for a moment and nodded. There were indeed constant possibilities when a Familiar was created, so this one was just kind of out of the norm. "Whatever. Let''s go with these parameters." In the end, it would be ridiculous if the attendant suddenly felt Linfel wasn''t a Familiar, so he just accepted the differences.


    The analysis continued as the attendant ignored the results. The important part, which showed that Linfel was indeed a Level One Familiar, did not show any issues. It wasn''t worth reporting something related to such a common level of Familiar. "Alright, it is done."


    Right after, an ID card was created, which the attendant gave to Linfel. "You can use it directly or you can buy an MCOM and bind this card information to it. Both will allow you entrance into the academy grounds under your master''s name."


    The attendant then asked Alvin. "Will you add any other information?"


    "Yes," Alvin sighed in relief, seeing everything went fine. "I would like to add my MFC compatibility level with my familiar into his and my IDs."


    That''s what they discussed before. Since Linfel could connect with Alvin, this information could be added to their information, which would make everyone sure that Linfel was truly a Familiar created by Alvin. Only personal Familiars made with the master''s soul as a base could connect to their masters, after all.


    The attendant nodded. "This service costs 100 AMC."


    Linfel remembered Alvin mentioned the Academy Magic Credit system. He just didn''t expect Alvin would need to pay so much of it. Alvin mentioned the type of missions and tasks he usually did, and they didn''t pay much, so a 100 AMC was quite a big value.


    "Is it fine?" Linfel asked him.


    Alvin nodded, although it was possible to see the pain on his face. "It is fine. I just need to work harder to amass more points." He quickly paid those 100 academy credits through his MCOM, which left him with almost nothing.


    The attendant confirmed the payment and asked their group to follow him. Soon, they were brought into a different room where you could see a few other Maguses as well. One of them, in particular, seemed to catch a lot of attention. He seemed to be around Alvin''s age and his Familiar was Red in color, showing that it was a level higher than the rest.


    "Saimon, didn''t you have a level two familiar already? How come you got another one," a student asked the young man called Saimon. "They are super expensive to make already at level two."


    "Hahaha!" Saimon laughed. "I had to get a new one, of course. The previous one was pretty shit. Our compatibility force was ridiculous even though it was made based on my soul. Naturally, I had to get rid of it. This one, however, is much better.


    Right, Xatis?"


    The red Familiar quickly bowed to Saimon as it nodded. "Yes, master Saimon."


    Saimon nodded, satisfied. "As for the price, do you think I lack the money?"


    The students surrounding Saimon all nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the Iyaval Family definitely doesn''t lack resources."


    Seeing that, Linfel got curious. "Can you Familiars be created straight at level two?"


    Felia nodded. "We can, but that''s the limit. More than that, and our souls wouldn''t be able to hold the high level of Magical Energy in our bodies. From there on, the familiar must level up on his own."


    Alvin also added. "Even so, creating a Familiar straight at Level Two is extremely expensive. Definitely not something I could pay for. Besides," Alvin patted Felia''s head, "I have nothing to complain about mine."


    Felia obviously felt happy to hear that.


    Linfel smiled and asked. "Anyway, do you know the guy?"


    "Yes," Alvin explained, "He is in the same year as me. As you heard, his name is Saimon Iyaval, a member of the Iyaval Family. They operate a magic stone trading company, so he definitely doesn''t lack the resources. That''s the only reason we have such a commotion in here. Well, just ignore his group. We have never interacted before, and I really don''t think we ever will."


    Linfel nodded and was about to ask something else when one of the workers responsible for the tests shouted to the students inside. "Alright, everything is ready. Those who have their connections to be measured stay in the center of the room. The rest just wait behind the line."


    "There we go," Alvin and Linfel prepared.

 Chapter 12 - 12: No Emotions

    "Next, Kartufes Diangam," the worker quickly spoke, ignoring the crowd''s reaction. That just went to show how he didn''t like these shows.


    Another MFC took place, and the result quickly appeared.


    -Kartufes Diangam: Compatibility, 45%-


    This time, however, the man measuring his compatibility was only 16, so no one found it bad. It wasn''t anything impressive, either. Alvin was proud of his number 43% number, being a year younger, but it was still only slightly above average. He would probably reach the same number as Kartufes when he measures again next year.


    The testers went one by one, and the average numbers continued. Most were well within it, with just two slightly above and one slightly below.


    However...


    "Leandro Survel, you go next."


    Leandro nodded and patted his Familiar''s head. "Little Zuna, let''s give it a try."


    "Yes, Master!" Zuna seemed to have a very lively personality, different from her master.


    Zuna quickly transformed, attaching herself as a tiara on Leandro''s forehead. As soon as that happened, their Magic Energy merged, and Leandro circulated his Magic Energy around his body. Alvin and the others looked at that and were surprised. Alvin could see a very thin tinger of Red in Leandro''s Magic Energy.


    Although Leandro wasn''t a Level Two Magus yet, it was obvious that he wasn''t far from taking that step, and he seemed very young.


    -Leandro Survel: Compatibility, 51%-


    That was already a very big number, and yet, the thing that caught everyone''s attention the most was his age, 14!


    *WOW!*


    "That''s not bad," The man responsible for the test gave a small praise. It was indeed good, but with the sheer number of maguses coming every year, these kinds of good prospects did appear quite often.


    Saimon narrowed his eyes but snorted right after. "Slightly worth paying attention to," he commented.


    Leandro had a very calm personality, so he simply closed his eyes and exited the diagram. He simply didn''t care about what others thought of him. That wasn''t why he was here.


    Seeing himself being ignored, Saimon was about to say something when the test worker continued. "Next, Saimon Iyaval."


    With his name being called, Saimon could only put the guy behind his mind and get things underway with his own test. "Come, Xatis. Let''s show them how it is done."


    "Yes, Master," Xatis answered almost as if robotically.


    Linfel couldn''t help but feel like Xatis was different from the other Familiars. ''Is there something wrong with that guy''s Familiar?'' He whispered the question to Alvin.


    Alvin sighed in response. ''I might be wrong, but Saimon probably killed his Familiar''s emotions during the creation process. Although it is not against the rules, it is kind of taboo. After all, Familiars do have real souls. No one will complain, though. He has the background to do as he pleases.


    For these families, results are all that matters.''


    Linfel''s expression turned dark. ''From what he said earlier, he seemed to have another Familiar. Could it be...?''


    ''I''m not sure,'' Alvin explained. ''A Familiar''s fate is not up to the academy or anyone else. It is up to the master of the Familiar. If he decided he was better without it, then there is a chance that...'' Alvin didn''t finish his words.


    Linfel nodded. This Magus World wasn''t all flowers, it seemed. That reminded him a lot more of the time he came from. ''I understand...''


    Alvin tried to light up the mood, though. ''However, don''t worry about maguses mistreating their familiars. Compatibility has a lot to do with trust. How can you improve your compatibility with your Familiar if it hates you? Those who don''t want to go through such things create Familiars like Saimon''s, without any emotions.''


    ''That''s good to know,'' Linfel sighed. ''To be honest, killing your Familiar''s emotions is pretty much the same as killing the Familiar itself, it seems. I''m a lot more sensitive to Magic than your human race, especially the Familiars, since we are somewhat similar. I can tell it from here. That guy''s Familiar... is dead.''


    ''Dead?'' Alvin was taken aback. That Familiar was just changing form at this point, attaching itself to Saimon. ''What do you mean?''


    ''Oh, don''t misunderstand me,'' Linfel continued. ''I''m not saying it is some kind of zombie or anything. However... its soul is not what I would consider a living soul. It has no autonomy, no desires, no emotions, no nothing. Simply put, that is a machine, nothing else.''


    Alvin looked at Felia in the distance and returned his attention to Linfel. ''I guess I understand what you mean. A machine is indeed very suitable to that Familiar''s state.''


    Xatis, Saimon''s Familiar, changed form into a pair of gloves, attaching itself to Saimon''s hand. Red Magic Energy circulated around his body and his hand, creating a much greater pressure in the surroundings than the other testers before. They were indeed a pair of Level Two magus and Familiar.


    -Saimon Iyaval: Compatibility, 57%-


    *WOW!*


    The crowd lit up again, especially Saimon''s followers.


    "As expected of young master Saimon!"


    "Level Two Magus, Level Two Familiar, only fifteen years old! Impressive!"


    "What are you all talking about? That''s normal for young master Saimon."


    Yet, Saimon narrowed his eyes, his expression not too good. He looked at the Familiar on his hands. ''Another piece of trash. They assured me at least 60% compatibility. Why did they think I paid so much?'' he thought to himself.


    Of course, he quickly recovered and smiled at the crowd. "Hahaha! It''s just a little bit above average. Nothing worth mentioning." He then looked around, but the guy who got 51% was not there anymore. ''Hmph! Must have run to not feel the humiliation.''


    "Next, Alvin Brunes!" The worker quickly called the next one.


    ''Hm?'' Linfel got confused. ''That man who just called us. He doesn''t seem very impressed with Saimon''s result... Saimon is younger and has a higher compatibility, not to mention level.''


    Alvin nodded as he prepared to connect with Linfel. ''I''ll explain later. Let''s first end this test. Just do the best you can. Don''t worry about the low results. It is not why we are here.'' S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel agreed with him and quickly attached himself to Alvin''s backhand. Of course, as Linfel mentioned before, he couldn''t change the shape of his core, so Alvin''s hand looked to have a sphere glued to it. ''The best I can, the best I can...''


    The crowd watched Alvin''s Familiar keeping its Core form and found it funny.


    "Hahaha! That looks terrible!"


    "Don''t say that. Some masters prefer to keep their familiar''s form."


    "That''s only when they intend to work individually. Since they are connecting, what''s the point in keeping the core form? It would be better to simply change into something more comfortable for his master."


    Saimon definitely joined the group of comments. "They are just poor. That familiar is probably defective, but the peasant can''t afford to make another one."


    "Hahaha!" Everyone laughed, including those who had nothing to do with Saimon. It was indeed a weird Master Familiar Connection.


    Linfel ignored it all and focused entirely on Alvin''s Soul and Magic Waves, following their frequency as perfectly as possible. He was truly taking it a lot more seriously than when they tried it the first time back in Alvin''s home.


    ''This...'' Alvin almost jumped. The sensation he was having during the connection with Linfel was completely different from before. He felt absolutely no discomfort whatsoever while their energies merged together, be it in his soul or their connection. If anything, it was more like Linfel had been part of Alvin''s own body all his life and that merged energy was truly only his.


    Yet, it was too late to call it off. The Diagram had already started working, so Alvin could only move his Magic Energy around. The Magic Energy, obviously, was Yellow, reflecting both Alvin and Linfel''s levels as Magu and Familiar. It''s just that it was now a strong tone of Yellow, different from Alvin''s usual Yellow. Of course, that was due to Linfel''s cleaned Magic Energy.


    Finally, the result came out.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 99%-

 Chapter 13 - 13: Not Much To Be Done

    Where is that needle so that everyone can hear it falling on the ground when you need it? That was how silent the testing area became when Almin''s result appeared on the monitor for everyone to see. They all looked at that number, feeling like they were seeing some kind of ghost. Of course, that silence didn''t last long.


    "HOLY FUCKING SHIT! 99%! Is that even possible?!" Sure enough, the first one called out. It was Jumanhi, who still stayed in there just to watch out of curiosity.


    "Impossible!" He was followed by Saimon straight away. He quickly ran to the worker responsible and complained. "What the hell are you doing? Can''t you see the test is broken?! Fix this shit already!"


    Normally, the manager of that test would have demanded Saimon leave straight away after hearing such a thing. In the academy, your status does not matter when it comes to those who work there. The academy requires absolute respect from all its employees. That''s why Saimon only made fun of other students and never said anything even to the lowest worker in the academy since he joined.


    However, the manager there was also shocked about the result, so he quickly ordered the others. "Do it again. There has to be a mistake."


    Alvin also saw that and immediately understood. He wasn''t feeling that good by mistake. Linfel truly merged with his Magic Energy and soul perfectly. Still, to reach a 99% value was beyond his wildest dreams. ''This is bad...'' He whispered to Linfel on the back of his hand. ''Linfel, tune it down!


    It is too high!''


    Linfel, who was concentrating on the merging, finally woke up. ''What? Too high?'' He looked at the monitor, and his soul almost froze. ''What the hell?! 99%?! Hahaha!


    See?! Now they won''t make fun of you. Am I not great? Let''s see what that Saimon whatever will say now! Behold! The Wisp Power!'' Linfel felt great about himself.


    After all, his wisp race had always been considered the worst of the worst. Now, however, he achieved an amazing result for himself and Alvin. How could he not be happy?


    "Alvin Brunes," the testers spoke to him. "Do it again. There must be a mistake in the evaluation."


    Alvin quickly nodded as he whispered to Linfel again in a hurry. ''Your ass! Are you crazy?! If you continue with 99%, the academy''s higher-ups will definitely come out to investigate you! Are you sure you would be able to hide that you are a wisp then?''


    ''Ah!'' Linfel immediately understood. ''That... that wouldn''t be very good. Right, right. Let me see... Now that I matched your soul waves'' frequency, creating an unbalance is kind of hard.


    I will try to tune it down to a point where I can keep it constant.''


    ''Anything but 99%, please,'' Alvin begged.


    Soon, Alvin felt that strange feeling in his soul. It was the same one as when he connected with Linfel for the first time back in his home. However, compared to the first time, it was almost imperceptible now. ''Can you do better?'' Alvin asked, already noticing the puzzled expression on the workers and the onlookers for how long he was taking to do it again.


    ''This is the limit of what I can do while keeping a constant flow. If I try to go worse than this, our compatibility will be all over the place, and the result will change nonstop. That will be even worse than a fixed number,'' Linfel explained, helpless.


    Without another choice, Alvin could only go ahead with the circulation of magic energy through his merging with Linfel. The Diagram under him shined and seemed to be using a lot more energy than before. From the looks of it, the workers and the manager made a few changes to the diagram before restarting the test.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    "It''s still 71%?!" Saimon almost coughed out blood before complaining. "See, the diagram is definitely broken! First, it was 99%! Now it is 71%! What is wrong with this piece of shit of yours?"


    The manager finally lost his patience and glared at Saimon. "If you try to offend me or my subordinates one more time, see if I don''t have you expelled from the academy."


    Saimon immediately closed his mouth. Indeed, he knew very well that the manager had this power, and with all the cameras around, he definitely would have the proof to incriminate Saimon. "I''m sorry, sir. I''ve lost my composure." He knew better to calm down at that point.


    "Hmph!" The manager snorted but didn''t pursue the issue. In the end, Saimon''s family was indeed quite influential outside, so it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble even if his family had no power in the academy.


    Besides, he was also concerned the diagram might have some trouble, so he required Alvin to repeat the test.


    Alvin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. 71% was still a monumental result, something you pretty much didn''t see even with much older and higher-level magus students who were near graduation. Let''s not forget graduation happens at the age of 25. Well, at the very least, the result now wasn''t 99%.


    ''Alvin,'' Linfel spoke. ''This is the best I can do to tune down our connection while keep a stable flow of our soul waves.''


    Alvin sighed and could only accept that. If Linfel was truly a Familiar, he would be over the moon, but because he wasn''t, that only made him more concerned. Nonetheless, he repeated the test.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    "Again!" The manager asked.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    "Again!" The manager continued, trying to make sure.


    -Alvin Brunes: Compatibility, 71%-


    After trying it another ten times and checking the diagram thoroughly, the workers were now certain. The first result was definitely some mistake. Such mistakes were very rare, but they weren''t unheard of. Alvin just happened to get a ridiculous number when it happened.


    Of course, 71% was absolute madness, although the manager and his subordinates were certain that number was definitely right. "There is no mistake now. Alvin Brunes, you have got yourself a great Familiar. I can only imagine how much effort you two put into reaching this compatibility level, so well done. I''ll add a commendation to the board later."


    Alvin and Linfel disconnected while both bitterly smiled at each other. There wasn''t much to be done there.


    Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 14 - 14: Hey!

    Linfel and Alvin came out of the Diagram, giving the next students their chance to check their compatibilities as well. They didn''t care about it anymore, though. They had to think about the consequences of that result.


    Felia quickly approached them and also whispered. ''71%! Linfel, how did you do that? No, first of all, what about that 99%? Was that real?!''


    Linfel nodded. ''It was real. I was so concerned that my compatibility with Alvin wouldn''t be even a single percent that I did my all to match his soul waves'' frequency and merge our magic energies. I truly didn''t expect I would be able to achieve a 99% compatibility.''


    Alvin added. ''I had to ask him to tone it down; that''s why you saw 71%. I wanted it to be much, much lower. Unfortunately, that was Linfel''s Limit if he wanted to have a fixed compatibility number. He couldn''t go lower than that without exposing himself.''


    Alvin didn''t want to stay there anymore, so he quickly dragged the two. ''Anyway, let''s get out of here. Linfel also has his own test to become an independent Familiar, so it is better to get over with it.''


    However, before they even had the chance to give a few more steps, Linfel''s group was quickly surrounded.


    "Bro, that was incredible!" It was one of the students who had tested his MFC before Alvin and Linfel, a guy called Ravio, who was about Alvin''s age. "How did you do that? Please, tell me what kind of training you did!"


    "This..." Alvin thought about what to answer, but he didn''t have the chance before another question came.


    "Forget about the training! I want you to tell me what kind of configuration you used when your Familiar''s Soul was created! I''m sure it has a lot to do with this result! Can you tell me? I can even pay you some Academy Credits. Hell, I can give you everything I have in my Academy Account!" Her name was Grafria, seeming to be three or four years older than Alvin.


    "The... the options?" Alvin still hasn''t figured out an excuse for the previous guy...


    "What?! Is payment enough?! Then I definitely have much more than this woman," Jumanhi spoke. "I''m not exactly talented or anything, but I''m quite old already. I definitely had time to accumulate quite a few credits."


    "Forget them, Alvin," Vohei, the third student to take the test, spoke. "You don''t need to tell me anything. Let''s be friends instead!"


    Alvin looked around as everyone looked back at him. Why are they looking at him? It was Linfel! He was the reason for all of this! Ask him! Alvin then glared at Linfel.


    Yet, Linfel was looking away, pretending he wasn''t seeing anything. ''You are the master, aren''t you? I know nothing...'' Linfel whispered in his ear, using his Magic Energy to redirect his voice even though he was looking away.


    Alvin felt like giving the wisp a beating, but that wasn''t the place or the time. Besides, it was indeed Alvin who suggested they should attempt the Master Familiar Connection, not Linfel. He was indeed more at fault here.


    Felia worked with Alvin, both trying to calm down the crowd while they tried to move forward.


    Linfel, as Alvin''s Familiar, also received many questions, but he only made things worse. That wisp was terrible at finding excuses.


    Saimon looked at Alvin and Linfel from the distance. He selected this specific time because he knew none of the other top students had anything planned for the Master Familiar Connection test. It was his chance to take the limelight and receive a commendation, but it was all for nothing. Even his own ''friends'' seemed to have forgotten he existed.


    Finally, he lost his patience and came forward. "All of you, out of my way."


    The other students surroundings Alvin''s group heard that and quickly spread open. That left Linfel and Alvin facing Saimon and his emotionless Familiar. "So you two managed to reach 71%, right? That''s good. How about a little spar?"


    Linfel an Alvin were taken aback. Linfel heard that the academy was all-encompassing. It had everything from normal studying classes up to combat classes. Maguses not only made the most important working force on the Planet, but they were also the strongest defense against other Maguses from other countries.


    Although there were no wars going on against their country, no one could guarantee it would never happen. That said, the Magus Academies of all nations put absolute top priority on training their maguses for combat as well.


    "No, thank you. Goodbye!" Linfel was the very first one to answer and turn around to leave, surprising Alvin and Felia. Let alone Saimon.


    "Hahaha!" Saimon laughed out loud. "And here I was wondering how good a young Magus with a 71% compatibility was. In the end, it is useless. The master had to have his Familiar speak for him."


    The Wisp indeed had no common sense, but he wasn''t an idiot. He heard that and simply whispered in Alvin''s ears. ''It is a trap. Don''t fall for it.''


    Alvin understood that as well. Yet, he was young, and being provoked like that wasn''t exactly easy to ignore.


    "We accept!" Yet, it wasn''t Alvin who answered. Instead, it was Felia. She just couldn''t take Saimon humiliating her Master.


    Alvin looked at her angry expression and sighed. Indeed, his Familiar wasn''t Linfel, it was Felia. If he truly had to fight, it was only right to use Felia instead. First of all, they had been together for much longer, so Alvin was indeed stronger with her than Linfel. Alvin didn''t even know how to go around if he tried to fight while connected to Linfel to start with.


    Saimon narrowed his eyes. Felia obviously wasn''t the Familiar Alvin acquired 71% compatibility. "Are you telling me you got two familiars with over 70% compatibility?"


    One of his ''friends'' quickly shook his head. "No, young master Saimon. This other Familiar is already registered under Alvin''s name on the academy''s website. Their compatibility was only 43% at the start of this year. I highly doubt they got one or two extra percent since then, and two percent is already a stretch."


    "Hmph!" Saimon snorted. "What is this, a joke? I don''t have time to fight trash."


    Felia dropped her head while Alvin gritted his teeth. Felia was very important to him, so he couldn''t hold back anymore.


    However, just as he was about to accept the challenge with Felia, another voice echoed behind Saimon. "Indeed, they should not waste their time with trash like you, Saimon."


    Saimon''s expression turned darker. He turned around, about to retaliate, but he soon saw who it was. A young woman, followed by several bodyguards, entered the room. There wasn''t anyone there who didn''t know who that girl was. Yet, no one expect the wisp''s next words either.


    "Hey, it''s Alvin''s wife." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    The room went completely silent again. Everyone looked at Alvin and Milia Frondor. Wife? What wife? Since when were they married?


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Alvin immediately grabbed Linfel''s core. "What the hell are you talking about?!"


    Linfel got puzzled. "But... didn''t Felia say-" He couldn''t finish his words as Alvin cut him again.


    "She said nothing like that!" Alvin wanted to cry. Milia was kind of a goddess within his age, with very few women capable of comparing to her. The wisp''s words pretty much would make all the maguses at Alvin''s age his enemy.


    Truth be told, Linfel didn''t even know what a marriage truly meant. There were no such things two billion years ago. He thought it was just a way to describe someone''s partner for procreation and nothing more serious.


    Milia''s expression immediately turned dark. "What kind of joke is this?" Even her bodyguards were ready to jump forward and teach Alvin and his Familiar a lesson.


    "Please, ignore him, Miss Milia!" Felia also jumped to the front. "My master made this Familiar with a weird sense of humor. Trust me, we truly didn''t say anything like that."


    Suddenly, the wisp had a revelation. "Oh! Right, right! Felia indeed didn''t say you were Alvin''s wife, sorry for the misunderstanding."


    "Hmph!" Milia wasn''t in the mood to entertain such bullshit anyway. "It is good that you know."


    Alvin and Felia sighed in relief. At least the wisp knew when to step back... or so they thought.


    "Yes, yes!" Linfel nodded. "What Felia said was that you were Alvin''s future wife. You aren''t his wife yet. You just came to pay a visit to his father yesterday night."


    Alvin and Felia dropped their heads to the ground. Sure, Felia did say ''Future Wife,'' but that was supposed to be just a joke to tease Alvin. The fucking wisp took it seriously! (Chapter 15)


    That wasn''t all. He even mentioned how Milia paid a visit to Alvin''s father. Wasn''t that the same as saying she was meeting her future father-in-law? Everyone was even more shocked by the revelations. Have the marriage preparations gone so far already? How did Alvin manage to do this?


    Well, Milia''s visit had absolutely nothing to do with what everyone was thinking.


    The leader of Milia''s bodyguard stepped forward as his Magic Energy circulated around his body. A brown color quickly spread as several diagrams began to take form in midair. He was definitely a Level Three Magus. "Lady Milia, it is our duty to uphold your honor. I''m sorry, but we need to eliminate these troublemakers here."


    Alvin released buckets of cold sweat. He had the impression the wisp would cause some trouble, but he didn''t think he would die on the very first day because of it.


    "Stop." Surprisingly, Milia ordered the guard to step down. Instead, she looked at Alvin and asked. "I''ll give you one chance to give an explanation." Yet, it was pretty clear she was also holding her anger. The only reason she stopped her bodyguard was because she did indeed visit Alvin''s father yesterday. She needed Alvin to clarify the real reason for the visit.


    Alvin felt like he was pardoned and immediately got up. "Yes, yes, yes! Everyone, ignore my Familiar. He just has some problems with his sense of humor. Please, think about it straight. Do you truly think someone like ME could marry someone like Lady Milia?!


    That is absolutely ridiculous! Her Frondor family would get rid of me before she could even entertain such an idea."


    Sure enough, Alvin''s words were very intelligent.


    "Now that you say that..."


    "Yes, there is no way goddess Milia would care about someone like him."


    "Phew... For a moment, I thought everything in this world was possible."


    "But... what about that visit the Familiar... Errrr... Linfel was his name, right? Anyway, what about that visit to Alvin''s Father?"


    Such questions and words appeared all around, giving Alvin the chance to explain himself.


    *Mmmhhmhmmhhhh...*


    Linfel also wanted to talk, but Felia was making absolutely sure the wisp didn''t say a single word anymore. She used her Magic Energy to stop Linfel''s voice generation through his own Magic Energy. ''You stay quiet! Master will end up dead if you talk anymore.''


    "Ahem!" Alvin quickly spoke. "The visit had nothing to do with the nonsense my Familiar, Linfel, spoke. You see, my father is a fisher, and his boat was attacked by a Level Two Magic Beast yesterday. Lady Milia took the mission from the academy to investigate the reason for a Level Two Magic Beast to appear there. Naturally, she went to visit my father to inquire more about the event.


    It was all a coincidence."


    Alvin quickly bowed to Milia after that. "I''m terribly sorry for Linfel''s lack of common sense, lady Milia. Let everyone know that I and Lady Milia have absolutely no relation with each other. Yesterday was truly the very first time we even exchanged words."


    Finally, the bodyguards and Milia''s expression eased a little bit. That was definitely a very thorough explanation that left no room for misinterpretation. Well, even with everything clarified, that definitely would be the talk of the academy during the foreseeable future. "I heard yesterday that you modified your Familiar during its creation, so I will let it slide this time.


    It can''t even do normal chores, after all."


    "So he truly changed his Familiar..." Jumanhi commented. They all thought Alvin did something to Linfel for them to reach that level of compatibility. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The others also nodded. Having Milia mention this fact made them sure Alvin did something completely out of the norm to get that result. Could it be that making nonsensical Familiars would give them a higher compatibility level? Some of them made a mental note to try it in the future.


    Alvin finally calmed down a little, and the Wisp came to his side. He glared at him, angry. "Don''t try to kill me this time, will you?"


    Linfel was still puzzled, but he nodded nonetheless. "Well, I''m not really familiar with the concept of what a wife is anyway. Let''s forget it. So, Lady Milia, why the sudden visit?"

 Chapter 15 - 15: Im Aware

    Milia ignored Linfel and glanced to the side. There, she saw the very quiet, trying-to-look invisible Saimon. He had already given up that fight and wanted nothing more than to run away. Sure, his Iyaval Family was influential, but it couldn''t be compared to Milia''s Frondor Family. His father stressed time and time again to make sure to not cause trouble for them.


    "H-Hi, Lady Milia. You look as beautiful as always. Can I help you?" Of course, Saimon was still angry when she called him trash, but he was experienced in these high-level family interactions. He didn''t show it on his face at all.


    Milia approached him with her arms crossed. "Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? A Level Two Magus and a Level Two Familiar from a big family like the Iyavals challenging a nobody Level One Magus from the countryside. Well, I have to admit even I feel like giving them a lesson now, but people like us should know when to not sully our names."


    "Yes, yes, yes!" Saimon nodded vigorously. "It was a mistake on my part. I had paid a lot for my new Familiar, but it didn''t live up to my expectations. It was truly a terrible idea to try to relieve my frustration this way. As you said, he is not worth our time."


    Milia nodded, satisfied. "It is good that you understand. Now scram!"


    "Yes, yes! I''m leaving now." Saimon quickly nodded and left with his subordinates. The smile on his face then disappeared as his expression turned dark. This was even more humiliating than if he hadn''t said anything. He then glanced back, looking at Alvin and Linfel from the corner of his eyes. Everything was their fault.


    "Let''s go back to the dormitory," he said and left.


    Milia then looked at the rest of the people around the room. "The show is over. You can all go back to your own things."


    No one retorted, and they quickly dispersed. There wasn''t really a reason to ask the reason for Milia to be there. Not only did she have an academy mission regarding the events that occurred to Alvin''s father, but his sudden display of Master Familiar Compatibility should be more than enough for someone like her to come out.


    If anything, a few other families and organizations should come out as well anytime soon. After all, Alvin seemed to be a great prospect for the future. They all would definitely try to recruit him.


    Alvin sighed in relief now that everything was over. "Sorry for all of this, Lady Milia. From now on, just pretend Linfel doesn''t exist."


    Linfel''s mouth twitched. "Isn''t it a little too rude?"


    "You have no right to complain," Felia quickly cut in. "The less you talk, the better."


    Milia was still somewhat angry, but she had good control over her emotions. "Forget that. To be honest, I didn''t think I would find you here. I had just returned to the academy this morning and was passing through the gate when I got a message. Someone had achieved a compatibility of 71% even though he was only 15. I just so happen to be the first one. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It shouldn''t take long for other factions to come after you either, so I could be said to be lucky to be close by when it happened."


    The leader of her bodyguards quickly intervened. "Lady Milia, this boy seems like trouble. We should just ignore him."


    "Enough, Raphael." Milia stopped him. "I know you are just trying to protect me, but I''m not that weak. We shouldn''t let our emotions get in the way of our duties. Naturally, I can''t ignore such a big prospect."


    Raphael nodded, satisfied. "Well said, Lady Milia. It was my mistake." Still, his murderous gaze was still focused on Alvin.


    Alvin tried to ignore that and looked back at Milia. "Ahem... So, what is this all about?"


    Milai quickly began to explain. "Do you know about the academy''s student factions?"


    Alvin nodded. "They are gatherings that work together to get better resources or things like that, right?"


    The Academy gave the students a lot of freedom. One of them was to allow them to create factions within the academy itself. There were even missions that were given to entire factions at once, which you couldn''t acquire as an unaffiliated student. They also enjoyed better treatment.


    For example, the academy allocated space for the factions to settle where they could use high-level equipment in their training. The best part was that using these resources within the factions'' grounds was a lot cheaper or even totally free of cost. Joining a faction was a dream for pretty much any Magus Student.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t easy to join the factions. It wasn''t like you could simply go to the administration office and say you created a faction to get the benefits. There were requirements, and most of them were monetary. In the end, even if the power from outside didn''t have much influence in the academy itself, their wealth still made a big difference.


    These factions then would only recruit members they thought were worth sharing their resources. Alvin always wanted to enter a faction, and he applied for many of them, but even though he had a slightly above-average Master Familiar Connection, just that wasn''t enough. All his other fields were as average as they could be, perhaps even lower.


    For example, his Magus Training made clear it would take him at least another ten years to reach Level Two, which was very bad in their eyes. He simply wasn''t worth nurturing.


    In the end, the only way someone with such a low background could join a faction was to at least show a very high-level of talent in some field, any field. Master Familiar Connection was one such field, so Milia was contacted to make him an offer, thus the actual situation.


    "It is good that you know," Milia nodded, feeling like Saimon was truly an idiot. He was even closer to Alvin when he revealed his Master Familiar Connection. Yet, he tried to cause trouble to Alvin instead of trying to recruit him. She can already imagine the leader of Saimon''s faction asking for Saimon''s head later.


    "So, what do you think? My faction is called the Floating Blades. Are you willing to join the Floating Blades Faction?" Milia asked seriously.


    "This..." Normally, Alvin wouldn''t have thought twice to accept such an offer. However, accepting it now was a lot riskier than before. Alvin had the wisp, and the fact he was being recruited because of him might reveal things that shouldn''t be.


    But then again, he was still a man. How could he just refuse the goddess offer? It''s just that before he talked, Felia intervened. "Sorry, Miss Milia. We have already registered for the next test, so can you wait a little? We need to bring Linfel to the Familiars'' Test."


    "Hum?" Milia got confused. "That would turn him into an independent Familiar. Are you truly doing that?"


    Well, it wasn''t about whether they did it or not. Linfel wasn''t really connected to Alvin in any way. That said, he was already independent. It''s just that they wanted to make it official to not attract too much attention... although the wisp seemed to be a beacon of trouble himself.


    "I am," Alvin nodded, happy that Felia bought him some time to think. "I would also have done the same for my little Felia here, but she doesn''t really want it. I ask if she changed her mind year after year, but she is adamant about it."


    "I don''t, indeed," Felia nodded. "I want to continue to serve Master. Besides, if I leave you alone, you will probably starve to death."


    Alvin looked away after hearing that. "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    Suddenly, a voice came from behind Milia. "Milia, this guy isn''t all that bad in the end." Right after, a dense red Familiar appeared. Not only that, there were a few tinges of Brown already starting to take form on its body. It was obvious this was a Level Two Familiar, and it was very close to becoming a Level Three one.


    Milia looked behind and patted the Familiar''s head. "You rascal. Where have you gone while I needed you, Nori?"


    Alvin had seen that Familiar near Milia before. Even though they are in different and far away classes due to the difference in talent, he knew that Nori was Milia''s Familiar. It was present in her ID on the academy''s website, after all.


    Nori smiled while putting his hands on the back of his head. "What are you talking about? As soon as I heard you returned to the academy I came to find you. If anything, I arrived quite fast."


    "Yes, yes, sure." Milia shrugged her shoulders. "This is my Familiar, Nori."


    "Hello!" Nori quickly approached Alvin, analyzing him from head to toe. Following that, he checked both Felia and Linfel, stopping at Linfel with a puzzled expression. "You... look somewhat different."


    "Believe me," Milia sighed. "He is anything but normal."


    Linfel wasn''t very happy. "That doesn''t feel like a compliment."


    "Because it isn''t," Alvin and Felia added. "But you totally deserve it."


    Nori noticed that a lot must have happened, so he decided to leave it aside. "Well, a compatibility level of 71% at the age of 15 is truly amazing. Even Milia and I only have 75%, and she is the same age as you. Well, according to the rest of your information, everything else is pretty average. Nonetheless, I will say you are a good Master."


    Her Master Familiar Connection being 75% wasn''t a surprise to no one. It was also available on the academy''s website, after all. It was only one more reason for everyone to look so high up to her.


    Alvin, Felia, and Linfel looked at Milia, puzzled. "What''s up with him?"


    Milia then explained. "Nori is also an independent Familiar. He is free to go anywhere and do whatever he likes. Of course, he continues to stay by my side. We have been together ever since I became a Magus. I trust him enough to give him his freedom, so he is happy to find a master like Alvin who also trusts his Familiar this much."


    "I see..." Alvin and the others nodded. They didn''t expect Milia''s Familiar was also independent. Nori was obviously an amazing Familiar on his own. The fact he is almost a Level Three Familiar was proof enough of it. Above all, giving a Familiar its independence meant he could simply leave Milia anytime he wanted. There weren''t many Masters out there who went that far.


    "That''s a stark contrast to Saimon''s relationship with his Familiar."


    "Hmph!" Nori got angry. "A trash that kills his Familiar''s emotions is not worth mentioning."


    Felia quickly turned to Alvin. "Master, we need to go. Otherwise, we will have to wait until tomorrow for Linfel to get his test since it only happens in the first part of the morning."


    "Right, right!" Alvin quickly agreed. "Lady Milia, would you mind waiting? I will take this time to think a little."


    Milia nodded. "I also have to tell you about the Magic Beast that attacked your Father''s boat as we agreed yesterday. The results came out, but it isn''t anything urgent. I''ll be waiting on the exit."


    Milia and Nori turned around and left, followed by Milia''s several bodyguards. However, the bodyguards left the academy after that. This was as far as they could follow her. No one who wasn''t a student or worked there was allowed to stay inside the academy grounds without permission.


    Linfel''s group, obviously, went to the next building. Quite a few eyes focused on them, which made it obvious that the news about the incident in the MFC test was already spreading. Pretty much anything involving the top talents of the academy in all grades would always be the center of attention. Milia was just one of such talents.


    In the building, Alvin presented Linfel forward. "He is here to take the Familiar test."


    The worker there showed the form. "Just fill out the system form on the monitor and add magus signature at the end. Be aware that if he passes, he will be an independent Familiar, so you will have no power over him anymore."


    Alvin quickly completed the form, signing it at the end, "Yes, I''m aware."


    "Magus signature?" Linfel asked Alvin, curious.


    Alvin then pointed to a small sphere with many diagrams floating inside be the monitor. "There is no such thing as two identical Magic Signature. That will serve as proof that I agreed with the terms and it wasn''t someone else who did it."


    "I see..." Linfel nodded.


    The worker then pointed to a door on the back where two more masters and familiars were waiting. Compared to the Master Familiar Connection test, this place had very few maguses to the point it only had a single attendant, which they just talked to. "Seems like we came at a good time."


    "It is always like this," Alvin shook his head in response. "Did you forget what we said? Maguses who decide to let their Familiars go free are rare. I''m quite surprised there are two others here today since it is usually empty."


    Linfel truly couldn''t understand. "With the trust between master and familiar being so important for the Master Familiar Connection, it is weird that more of them don''t give their Familiars such an option. Wouldn''t it strengthen their bonds instead? Sure that would help them get a higher compatibility."


    Felia agreed with him. "That''s true. Master and I managed to go from a slightly below-average compatibility to a slightly above-average one, which is already a very good result in just three years. That''s because my master truly trusted me and allowed me to go free anytime I wanted. However..."


    Alvin continued from there. "When you become a magus and join the academy, you are allowed the creation of one single familiar for free. Obviously, my one turned out to be Felia. However, the process of creating a Familiar is very, very expensive. Unless you absolutely need a new Familiar or have a lot of money, you won''t make a new one lightly."


    "So, that''s where you can tell if a real trust exists between you and your Familiar," Felia added. "After all, if you allow a Familiar to go independent, what if it decides to leave you after passing the test? You will be lacking its help until you can make a new one or offer than previous one enough compensation for it to help you.


    But then again, if you need to offer compensation, was there really a trust between you two? In the end, it is complicated. That''s why those from wealthy families like Saimon''s sometimes chose to simply kill the Familiars'' Emotions during their creation so that they don''t need to worry about such things as trust."


    Alvin sighed. "99% of maguses don''t have rich backgrounds, so paying for a new familiar is pretty much out of the question before they accumulate enough Academy Magic Credits. If they want to pay Universal Currency, it is even harder. They can''t afford to lose their own Familiar by allowing it to go independent. So...


    pretty much no maguses, especially when they just started their studies, think about allowing their Familiars to take the test."


    Linfel smiled in response. "And yet, you keep telling Felia every year if she wants to take the test or not."


    Felia quickly hugged Alvin''s head with her small body. "I don''t need to be independent to trust him completely. That''s because Alvin is a good boy."


    Alvin glanced at her. "Am I some kind of dog now?"


    "A very troublesome one, I might add," Felia nodded.


    After that, they joined the two other maguses, who were having a talk while they waited for the test time.


    "Oh, hey!" One of them waved to Alvin and his Familiars. "That''s truly rare. To have three of us at the same time. I''m Romario, and this is my buddy, Calisbin." He said as he pointed to his Familiar.


    The other one was a female magus. "I''m Julia, and my friend here is Danil." She also introduced herself and her Familiar.


    Danil and Calisbin also approched Linfel and Felia. "Are you two taking the test, too?"


    Felia shook her head. "My master told me to take the test many times, but I don''t need it. The only one taking the test is him, Linfel. By the way, I''m Felia."


    Linfel waved to the two. "Hey there. It is good to see your masters also trust you enough for this test."


    Julia was only thirteen years old, two years younger than Alvin. As for Romario, he was a year older, being sixteen. The three of them have never talked to each other, which is normal in an academy of this size and number. Nonetheless, they clicked together pretty fast, and so did their Familiars.


    Suddenly, the door opened, and another worker called them. "Alright, the test is ready. You can come in to watch as it is pretty simple."


    Everyone nodded, and they quickly entered the room. Inside, several intricate diagrams connected to many other circuits and monitors could be seen on the back.


    "So, who wants to go first?" The worker asked. There wasn''t really a need for an order as there weren''t many who took this test anyway.


    "Julia, you were here first, so just let your Familiar go first in case you need to leave sooner," said Romario, not minding to wait.


    Linfel also nodded. "I don''t really mind about the time either."


    "Danil, then you can take your test," Julia accepted the offer.


    "Yes, Julia." Danil quickly stepped forward, entering the range of the diagrams.


    The worker saw that and began to explain. "Alright, all you need is an average score of 50 or higher to pass. The first test is Magic Density. Regardless of the Familiar''s Level, Magic Density varies between them. The higher the density, the higher the Familiar''s quality and overall prospect. Just stay still and let your Magic Energy flow normally.


    The diagram will do the rest."


    Daniel quickly followed the orders, letting his Magic Energy circulate as he always does.


    Meanwhile, Linfel asked Alvin out of curiosity. "Why is there a need for a test to gain independence? Couldn''t you simply let your Familiar go?"


    Alvin shook his head. "Think about Familiars as if they were the Maguses'' Children. In our world, parents can''t simply let go of their kids for them to fare for themselves, now can they? It''s against the law. They need to provide for their children until they grow enough to take care of themselves. It is the same thing for Familiars that want to go indenpendet.


    They must show through these tests that they could fare for themselves once they end their Master Familiar relationship officially."


    Linfel thought about the place he came from. Back then, such things had little meaning. If the parents wanted to abandon their kid, usually because of lack of talent or because the mothers and fathers didn''t want to have children to start with, no one would bat an eye. "This is truly a different world..."

 Chapter 16 - 16: Hold!

    The first result quickly appeared.


    -Magic DensityScore: 61-


    Alvin and Romario nodded, followed by their Familiars. "That''s a good score. Danil has some talent."


    Julia was even happier. "Way to go, Danil!"


    Danil seemed a little embarrassed by the compliments, though. "Eh? Oh! Right! Of course! As expected of me!


    hahaha!" Since Julia was only thirteen and you could only join the academy at the age of twelve, that meant Danil was only a single year old. His youth was easy to see through his reaction.


    The worker didn''t pay attention to that and simply called the following test. "Next, magic control."


    As soon as he said that, hundreds of small energy spheres appeared around the room. They quickly began to float around at a relatively high speed, but it was still possible to discern them easily. It was also possible to see that they had three different colors, green, yellow, and red, with red being at the center. "Just use your Magic Energy to hit each target one by one.


    The power of the strike matters not, only your control. The more central the hit is, the higher your overall score. Naturally, try to hit the red marks. You one three minutes."


    Danil nodded and immediately controlled his magic to shoot a small concentration of energy. The moment he shot for the first time, the timer began to countdown.


    Linfel looked at that and found it quite interesting. Still, he had a few doubts. "Why can these tests ascertain if a Familiar can go independent or not? Even if they don''t have some good magic overall, they could still live on their own by performing some odd jobs, no? After all, most humans in this world aren''t Maguses but still have their jobs, just like your father."


    Alvin pondered about it. "To be honest, even I am not certain why it is the case. If I were to guess, anyone willing to employ a Familiar would only do so because of its ability to control Magic Energy. Familiars aren''t very common, you know, so it isn''t like anyone is going to simply accept them as if they were some normal person looking for work.


    That also goes for other things like residence searching and similar things."


    Linfel nodded. "I guess it makes sense."


    Danil continued to shoot at the targets, most of the time hitting the Yellow or Green parts. He also managed to hit a few reds, but they weren''t as many. Soon, three minutes were gone, and the alarm sounded. With that, all the targets disappeared at once. Naturally, the results quickly followed.


    -Magic Control Score: 44-


    Julia and the others sighed. Danil''s inexperience was made pretty obvious with this test.


    "Don''t worry, Danil!" Julia quickly cheered the Familiar up. "Your average score is still above 50 at the moment. Do your best in the final test!"


    Danil nodded. "Yes, I know. My Magic Control was my weak point anyway, so I''m not surprised. I need to train more."


    The worker then changed to the last test. "Alright, the last test is the simplest. Judging by your previous tests, you are still a Low-Grade Familiar. I''ll show you a target, and you need to attack it with a simple wave of pure Magic Energy. No other types of attack are allowed. Simply put, this is a Magic Power Test."


    "Low-Grade Familiar?" Linfel asked Alvin.


    "It is the same as the Magic Stones. If you pay attention, the yellow color around Danil is pretty pale. That is the mark of a Low-Grade Familiar, just like Magic Energy and Magic Energy Stones. Even a Magus''s Level can be further divided into Low, Medium, and High-Grade Magus. For example, Felia and I have just become Medium-Grade Level One Magus and Familiar not long ago," Alvin explained.


    "I thought it was pretty obvious, so I didn''t comment before."


    Linfel had to admit he was right. "Well, that''s true. I did see the difference in the color density of the Familiars with the same color. Well, that makes things even more simple. I quite like this system you guys use."


    The next target appeared, looking like a barrier made of shining diagrams that came out of the ground. "Alright, just hit it with the strongest magic Energy Wave you can. Don''t worry about everyone around you. The testing area is protected by a barrier to prevent Magic Energy leakage," explained the worker.


    "Go! Go! You can do it, Danil!" Young Julia cheered even more.


    Alvin, Romario, Linfel, Felia, and Calisbin smiled after seeing that. They all nodded at each other and joined the chorus. "Go! Go! Go! You can do it, Danil!"


    Well, poor Danil only felt even more nervous with such an audience. However, seeing how Julia cheered for him, he truly wanted to do his best.


    Danil''s Magic Energy began to circulate and expand, being dragged out of Danil''s core as fast as he could. He continued to accumulate more until he reached the point where he couldn''t control any more Magic Energy. Finally, he shot it forward, hitting the wall of magic diagrams.


    *Bang!*


    The Wall lit up, absorbing the Magic Energy wave. It was made to match Danil''s level as a Familiar so that its test would be fair. After all, a Level Two Familiar, even if not talented at all, would have more strength simply because of the Red Magic it could control.


    A second later, the Magic Energy dissipated, and the wall of magic diagrams returned to normal. The test result, naturally, appeared as a result.


    -Magic Power Score: 55- Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -Average Test Score: 53.3-


    "Hahaha! I did it!" Danil quickly left the testing area and jumped into Julia''s embrace. The young lady, obviously, was just as happy.


    The worker faintly smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, you two. You can wait here or go out to finish Danil''s registration. He is an independent familiar from now on." He was a little surprised, actually. For a familiar so young like Danil, being able to achieve a score above 50 wasn''t easy.


    Julia then took a deep breath and pushed Danil away a little. "So, you can go now. Live a good life."


    Danil quickly floated around before laying on Julia''s head, though. "I already have a good life."


    Alvin and Romario smiled. Their Master Familiar Connection would definitely increase a lot in the future.


    "Alright, the next Familiar can take the test now," the worker called out promptly.


    "Well, that''s me," Calisbin remarked.


    The test for Calisbin was the same as for Danil, of course. However, he did not pass in the end.


    -Average Test Score: 47.8-


    "So close!" Romario and Calisbin exclaimed simultaneously.


    Calisbin emerged from the test and settled on Romario''s shoulder, seemingly unconcerned about the result. "Did you see it?! Did you see it?! I went up five points since last year!!!"


    Romario patted his head in response. "Of course! I''ve seen all the effort you''ve put in, so it''s obvious your results would improve this much. Next year, for sure, you''ll pass the test."


    Julia, who had stayed behind to see the other Familiars, couldn''t help but look a little sad. "Are you really alright?"


    Calisbin looked at her. "Hey, there''s no need to look like that. It''s all a matter of time now. Besides," he patted Romario''s shoulder in return, "with a master like this guy, what does it matter if I gain independence or not?"


    "What do you mean by ''this guy?'' Have I caused you any trouble?" Romario didn''t appreciate how he was addressed, though.


    Calisbin smirked at him. "Hoho! So you''re truly asking that. Very well, where should I start? Right, let''s talk about your early mornings."


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Romario quickly grabbed the Familiar''s core. "Alright, alright! I understand! There''s no need to say anything else. Master Calisbin, please spare me!"


    "That''s more like it," Calisbin nodded, satisfied.


    Surprisingly, Alvin and Julia looked away, not laughing at all. They even pretended they didn''t hear anything. On the other hand, Felia and Danil didn''t hold back.


    "Hahaha! So you guys also have these issues?" Felia couldn''t help but smile as she commented.


    "Felia!" Alvin quickly called her attention, but Felia just wore a playful expression.


    "Wait! You too?" Danil was no different. "You have to see what kind of mess this girl causes when no one is looking! Her mother even-"


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Julia interjected quickly, stopping Danil before he could say anything else.


    Alvin, Julia, and Romario smiled bitterly. Was it normal that Familiars liked to embarrass their human friends? Still, a certain connection seemed to form with those three... for the wrong reasons, it seemed...


    Linfel looked at all of that and mentally sighed. ''Horan, just where have you gone... If I''m truly in the future, could it be you aren''t around anymore?'' He still couldn''t forget the man who changed his life, his old friend.


    "The last Familiar can enter the testing area," the worker continued with the test.


    Linfel quickly pushed those thoughts aside and entered the testing area. The first test, obviously, was the Magic Density Test. "Can I start?"


    "One second..." the worker requested. "Alright, it''s ready now."


    Linfel nodded and circulated his Magic Energy. He wasn''t used to the Magic Energy of this world yet, so he tried to make the circulation look as smooth as possible. His dense yellow Magic Energy, cleansed through his Wisp core, appeared. It gave the impression he was a High-Grade Familiar.


    The worker looked at that and nodded. ''That''s certainly a nice magic circulation...'' He thought for a moment. If he knew Linfel had started using Magic Energy less than 24 hours ago, he probably would have fallen from his chair.


    -Magic Density Score: 73-


    Julia, Romario, and their Familiars were taken aback. That was a huge result!


    As for Alvin and Felia, they only sighed. They knew Linfel was completely new to Magic Energy, so such a result seemed more like a fairy tale to them. Not that it mattered anymore.


    ''73?'' Linfel looked at that number. He still felt like his magic density was pretty inferior compared to what he could do with primordial energy in the past. Yet, it still gave him a very high result.


    The worker was impressed, but it wasn''t like he hadn''t seen such results before, so he continued. "Alright, very good score, but we need the other results as well." The same targets appeared all around the room, floating in random directions just like before. "Same thing. Concentrate a little Magic Energy and shoot it at the targets. You can start now."


    Linfel pondered for a moment. He obviously had no issue controlling his Magic Energy since he could merge it perfectly with Alvin. "Do I have to shoot one by one?"


    Felia and Alvin heard that and had a bad premonition.


    "Not really," the worker answered. "But if you try to hit more than one at once, you will have to divide your focus. Remember, if you miss a target, it will affect your score even if you hit it during the next shot, so I recommend taking the safe path."


    As soon as the worker finished his words, Linfel''s Magic Energy transformed into hundreds of Magic Energy Bullets. In the next second, they shot out all at once!


    Pin, pin, pin, pin, pin...


    Every single magic Bullet hit the target''s bullseye! The clock started when the first shot was made, and it stopped when time ran out, or the targets were all destroyed. The result?


    Time Remaining: 02:59!


    "Holy Shit!" Romario exclaimed, shocked.


    He obviously wasn''t the only one. Julia, Calisbin, and Danil were even more so. No, the one with the greatest expression was, in fact, the worker controlling the test. ''What kind of monster is this?!''


    It wasn''t like there weren''t Familiars who couldn''t perform what Linfel just did. However, such Familiars were usually at least Level Three, capable of using Brown Magic Energy!


    Of course, the test equipment didn''t care about anything like that and simply showed the results.


    -Magic Control Score: 100-


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. ''My magic density is subpar, but my magic control is still good. I need to adapt faster to the Magic Energy of this world before anyone finds out I''m a wisp.''


    Felia and Alvin wanted to cry. If he truly wanted to hide the fact he was a wisp, wouldn''t it be better to hold back a little?


    The worker came back to himself. Regardless of how monstrous Linfel''s Magic Control was, he had to carry out the test impartially. "Ahem! Alright, not bad, not bad. Now, onto the next test."


    Soon, the same magical diagram wall appeared near Linfel.


    ''Hm?'' However, Linfel noticed that Alvin was doing something not far away.


    Alvin''s hand gestured downward as his mouth moved, seeming to be trying to say something. ''Hold it down, hold it down...'' If Linfel got a very low score on this next test, his average result would still not be anything too ridiculous, so Alvin was trying to warn him to hold back.


    Linfel wasn''t exactly very good at reading lips, though. ''Uh? Down? What is down?'' He looked under himself, but there was nothing there. ''Ah!'' Then, he finally understood. ''Take it down!


    I see! I have to take it down! Alright, let''s see if I can take it down.'' Or perhaps he didn''t understand anything at all...

 Chapter 17 - 17: Luck

    Linfel began to circulate his Yellow Magic Energy as fast as he could, dragging it all out from his core. The density of the Magic Energy increased in a second, causing the surrounding air to tremble. The strong Yellow Color, a sign of a High-Grade Familiar, became even more apparent.


    ''Alvin told me to not show his Red Magic Energy, but there was no problem if I used the absolute limit of what Yellow Magic Energy could do, right? Otherwise, I don''t think I can take it down...'' Linfel thought for a moment.


    The worker opened his eyes wide, impressed with Linfel''s display. ''So-So much Magic Energy... I wonder how much did it cost to make.''


    Alvin and Felia weren''t feeling as impressed. They were helpless instead. ''That idiot!''


    Finally, Linfel shot a blast of pure Yellow Magic Energy forward.


    *BOOM!* S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Diagram Magic Wall immediately bent backwards, its many circuitry had been created to hold back the power of a High-Grade Familiar, but Linfel''s Yellow Magic Definitely surpassed such a thing even if the color was the same.


    What no one expected was that Linfel''s Magic Energy, even if it is just Yellow, was still the cleanest you could possibly find in this world. That alone increased the power of his attack far beyond Familiars at the same level.


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    *Bang!*


    Finally, the target wall couldn''t hold that power anymore. It broke into countless pecs of light as Linfel''s blast of Magic Energy went forward, hitting the protection barrier. The room trembled as the energy dissipated. It was a good thing that barrier was always set to hold the power of at least a Level Three Attack.


    Otherwise, the back of the building would have been destroyed together with the wall target.


    Linfel looked at that and sighed in relief. He then turned in Alvin''s direction. "There you go, Alvin. I took it down, just like you asked."


    "Your ass! Who the hell asked you to take it down?!" Alvin wanted to cry. "I wanted you to hold back, HOLD BACK!"


    "Eh?" Linfel was puzzled. "Then why didn''t you say so? Your communication skills are truly lacking, you know?"


    Alvin''s mouth twitched as a vein popped in his head. The wisp was telling him he lacked communication skills... THE WISP said that! "Fuck it! Since it''s done, it is done; let''s check the results and see what happens."


    -Magic Power Score: 00-


    "Z-Zero?" Everyone looked at that, not believing what they were saying. "How come it is zero?"


    The worker knew the reason, though. It wasn''t that Linfel''s Magic Score was zero, nor was it a problem with the test. It''s just that the equipment couldn''t evaluate Linfel''s Magic Power at the Yellow Level. ''Sure enough, just like those three...'' His mind then went to the past few years. Linfel wasn''t the first one to take the Diagram Magic Wall down.


    There were others before him, and their result turned out to be zero as well.


    Naturally, the equipment displayed the overall score after it was done.


    -Average Magic Score: 57-


    Linfel and the others looked at the guy applying the test, confused. "This is wrong, right?"


    The worker nodded. "It is, but there is no need to retake the test. This is just to test whether the Familiar has the capability to become independent, and for that, you only need a score of 50 or higher. We can retake the test if you want, but it will cost you Academy Credits."


    Alvin and Felia were ecstatic! "No, no, no! This is perfect! There is absolutely, absoluuuuuuuuuutely no need to take it again!" That result would be made public on Linfel''s ID, so 57 was definitely a great number.


    Linfel didn''t really mind, either. "I got what I came for, so I guess this is fine too."


    Still, Romario felt things weren''t right. "S-Sir... Is it really fine? I mean, that kind of power..."


    Julia agreed with him, and so did her Familiar. "Yes, that was just amazing! You should take it again and show Linfel''s real power."


    However, Alvin and Felia quickly stopped them. "No, no, no! We truly don''t wish to take the test again. Believe us, this is perfect!"


    "But..." Romario didn''t understand. "If you showed his real score, he would have many more opportunities in the future. Are you sure this is enough?"


    "Yes!" Alvin and Felia nodded. "If necessary, we can take the test again another time. For now, it is good this way. Let''s just say it would be better for Linfel to keep a low profile."


    Julia and Romario, as well as their Familiars, looked at Linfel. "Are you sure this guy can keep a low profile?"


    Linfel patted his chest. "Obviously! Why wouldn''t I? I''m as inconspicuous as a Familiar can be." He truly believed that.


    Alvin and Felia really couldn''t tell where Linfel''s confidence came from.


    Satisfied with the score, Alvin and Linfel turned to the guy responsible for the test behind the monitors. "Sir, is this all? We can truly keep this 57 score, right?"


    "Yes." The man quickly confirmed. "Now, you can leave. The Familiar Testing Area will close for the day."


    Alvin and the others didn''t delay and left the room. Of course, Linfel and Danil went to another counter where their results had already been computed. Another attendant was there, showing two IDs on a screen in front of Linfel and Danil. "You two can inject your Magic Energy into the Receptor. It will conclude the independence test."


    It was the same as the previous equipment Linfel saw Alvin using. There was a small transparent sphere by the monitor with many diagrams inside. Linfel and Danil injected their Magic Energy inside, and the equipment saved their Magic Energy Signatures. Soon, a new section was added to their IDs saying ''Independent.''


    Back in the room where Linfel took his test, the worker entered the area of the test and checked the condition of the diagrams on the ground. Only then did he see that several of the Diagram Runes were overflowing with magic energy, having difficulty to dissipate it even now. ''Our academy has truly been quite luck with Familiars in recent years,'' he thought with a smile.


    Right after, he took out his MCOM and sent a message to an unknown number before putting it away.


    ---


    Outside, Julia, Romario, and Alvin exchanged numbers after finishing their Familiars'' test.


    "Well then, there is still an hour before the first classes. Do you guys want to go and eat something?" Romario asked.


    Alvin and Julia quickly accepted. "Seems like a great idea!"


    However, as soon as they stepped out of the building, several people approached them... Or, to be more specific, Alvin and Linfel. "This..."


    Alvin looked at their uniforms. Although they were all in the same academy uniform, they had an extra emblem different from the mandatory academy''s one. One of these people was Milia and Nori, who said they would wait for Alvin to come out with Linfel from the Familiars'' Test. As for the rest... Alvin recognized a few of the emblems. They were Faction Emblems in the academy.


    Milia quickly took the initiative. "So, Alvin, Linfel, have you thought about it. Would you like to join the Floating Blades Faction?"


    Only then did Alvin remember he truly said he would take the time of Linfel''s Test to think about it. Too bad, though. With Linfel''s ''low profile'' display, that memory vanished from his head.


    "Hey, not so fast!" A young man in his early twenties approached as well. "Why would he join your Floating Blades Faction? You guys have barely established yourselves in the academy, so there is no prospect for Alvin and Linfel."


    Milia''s expression turned dark as she looked at him. However, the guy completely ignored Milia and introduced himself to Linfel and Alvin. "Hi there. My name is-"


    "Max Turfel!" Alvin quickly completed it. "You are the top Magus of your 21st academy section. I doubt there are many who don''t know someone like you."


    Alvin was right. Max was just as famous as Milia and the other top students.


    Max smiled, satisfied. "It makes me happy you know me. So, the reason I came here is to extend you an invitation to join the Heaven Breaking Faction. We have a lot of history within the academy, and our training resources are the best ones. You won''t regret."


    "Hmph!" Someone else snorted. It was a woman not far from her twenties called Amanda Sosei. "Best your ass! How could it compare to our Star Explorers Faction? Linfel, Alvin, we also have an agreement with the Space Station Company that gives us quite the deal for exploring other nearby worlds. You two would definitely fit well since we rely strongly on our Familiars as well.


    We take the Master Familiar Connection very seriously."


    Yet, it didn''t stop there. "What''s the point of having a deal with the Space Station if one can''t pay for it anyway?" Asked a young man, seeming younger than Alvin and Milia. "Alvin, Linfel, Amanda''s Star Explorers Faction is a sinkhole of Academy Credits with no real benefit. Instead, you should join our Earthlings Faction.


    As the name implies, we are very down to earth, using every single Academy Credit available to us in the best way possible. Nothing is wasted when you receive access to our computer''s specialized training program."


    One by one, other factions came forward to introduce themselves, making Alvin and Linfel feel somewhat lost at what to do. Of course, even though it became a gathering of big figures, none of them were the leaders of their Factions. Only one or another had any real important position inside their Faction.


    The reason was simple, Linfel and Alvin''s Master Familiar Connection was indeed impressive, but Alvin himself wasn''t. Linfel''s Familiar test that he just took was immediately added to the Academy''s Website, so they saw he only had a 57 Magic Score. It wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t that good either. In the end, the Factions didn''t really put all that importance on them.


    If they joined their faction, that''s good. If they didn''t, it wasn''t like they lost much anyway.


    In fact, the academy had more Factions, but the others didn''t even bother to send a representative to ask Linfel and Alvin to join them. Let''s not forget the academy had more than a hundred thousand students. It was normal for it to have many Factions.


    Milia continued to stay there, still angry with that crowd. She just wanted to leave already. "So, everyone expressed their wishes for you to join them. Just make a decision already." She didn''t hold much hope. Max Turfel was right. Her Floating Blades Faction was quite new and still lacked the same advantages as more established Factions.


    Besides, after the mess in the Master Familiar Connection test, it would be weird if Alvin truly selected the Floating Blades with Milia there.


    Alvin didn''t give an answer straight away. Instead, he pulled Felia closer to him and asked everyone. "Felia is also my Familiar. Would it be an issue if she joined with me?"


    "This..." Suddenly, everyone grew quiet. Spending resources on a Familiar with just a slightly above-average MFC just to get Alvin to join them didn''t seem worth it.


    "We don''t mind," Milia was the first one to answer, though. For a new Faction like hers, they truly couldn''t look too much at such issues. Factions in that position needed to get a foothold first, so they would usually overlook some disadvantages.


    "Then it is decided," Alvin immediately made his decision. In fact, some other factions were still considering if they should accept that term, but Alvin didn''t give them time to do it.


    Felia then got closer to Alvin''s ears and whispered. ''I''m happy that you did it for me, master. However, let''s be honest, you would have chosen her regardless, wouldn''t you?'' Of course, she made sure that even Milia couldn''t hear her by using her Magic Energy to talk to Alvin and Linfel only.


    Alvin looked away, pretending he didn''t know what Felia was talking about. ''You misunderstand me.''


    Linfel heard that and was all puzzled. However, he looked at Milia and understood. ''Procreation. In the end, it is all about procreation.'' For once... the wisp wasn''t entirely wrong.

 Chapter 18 - 18: Why?

    "That... was quite a swift decision," Milia remarked involuntarily.


    Alvin shrugged. "Felia is just as important to me as Linfel. Since your faction immediately accepted my terms, I felt there shouldn''t be much prejudice towards her from you. Besides, I kind of owe you, Miss Milia, for the trouble I caused earlier."


    Nori perched on Milia''s shoulder, nodding in satisfaction. "You aren''t a bad master at all. Don''t you think, Milia?"


    Milia nodded slightly, maintaining her cold expression.


    Max sighed from the side. "Well, I tried. I still believe you made the wrong decision, but that''s up to you. Farewell." Sure enough, it seemed neither he nor his faction placed much importance on Alvin and Linfel.


    Amanda and the others shared the same sentiment. In recruitment, once a target had made their choice, there wasn''t much point in lingering. This was a common occurrence throughout the year, especially at the beginning. Perhaps even Alvin would be tasked with recruiting someone in the future.


    Soon, only Milia and Nori remained from the group other than Julia and Romario. The news quickly spread through the MCOMs that Alvin had joined the Floating Blades. Some connected it to the marriage topic, which would remain a hot discussion for a few more days. Nevertheless, there was little that could be done about it. Things would quiet down soon enough.


    Milia sighed and extended her hand. "In any case, welcome to the Floating Blades."


    Alvin accepted, shaking hands with her. "Thank you, Miss Milia."


    Nori patted Linfel and Felia several times. He seemed unconcerned whether Felia was as capable as Linfel or not. "Hahaha! We''re friends now. I''ll introduce you to the other Familiars in the Floating Blades later. Well, they''re not always around.


    There are many different classes and occupations among Maguses, so members appear at different times."


    Julia and Romario felt a little out of place. "Err... are we perhaps bothering you here?"


    Milia shook her head. "I don''t care about one''s background. Just don''t cause trouble for me, and we''ll be on good terms," she said emotionlessly.


    Julia and Romario nodded. "We don''t like trouble either."


    Milia then turned her attention to Alvin and Linfel. "So, how was the Familiar test?"


    "I passed," Linfel answered. "Got an Average Score of 57."


    Milia knew how it worked since she had been there before. "50 is enough for independence, so 57 is not bad."


    "Well, there was a pro-" Linfel began.


    However, he was interrupted by Felia and Alvin. "What he wants to say is that the test was quite simple."


    "It is, indeed," Milia agreed. Her Familiar had taken the test in the past.


    "By the way," Milia looked at Alvin, "it''s pretty obvious you made quite a few random changes to this Familiar of yours. What were the main points in the process? Of course, such information is secret, so you don''t need to tell me if you don''t want to."


    Julia and Romario''s attention was also caught. "She''s right. You don''t need to talk if you don''t want to... But we are quite curious."


    Yet, Alvin heard that and had an idea. "Not many, really. However, I thought it would be fun if I didn''t add all the knowledge that normal Familiars have. You can think of Linfel as a being who has never walked within human society in his life, so everything is new to him." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel and Felia understood his intentions. This would serve as a great excuse every time Linfel made some ''mistakes.''


    "That''s... a very unusual way of creating a Familiar, for sure," Nori commented from Milia''s side. He was also curious. "So, was it your first time seeing a city like this, Linfel?"


    Linfel quickly nodded. "Yes, there are indeed a lot of humans here. I only knew Alvin and his father before. I''m always impressed with humans'' ingenuity."


    Milia found it an interesting approach. Perhaps that''s why Alvin and Linfel''s Master Familiar Connection was so high. "Is that so? What impressed you the most until now? Was it the Magus Academy?"


    Linfel didn''t need much time to respond. "Not really. What impressed me the most is how all humans I''ve met, Maguses or not, are always ready to battle at any moment."


    The area fell silent for a moment. "Ready... to battle? What do you mean?"


    Linfel looked at Alvin, Milia, Romario, and Julia before pointing it out. "Isn''t that so? Look at you four. Look at the other people in the distance. You humans are all wearing armor all the time. I find them somewhat too colorful, though, especially those outside the academy.


    Well, since I don''t know much about the materials, I can''t judge you there. Nonetheless, it''s nice to see that you''re prepared for anything. It''s the right mindset to have."


    Finally, Milia and the others understood. "Are you talking about... our clothes?"


    "Clothes?" Linfel nodded. "Ah, so you call your armor clothes. An interesting name indeed. Does it have any special meaning?"


    "They aren''t armor," Nori explained. "They''re just clothes, materials humans use to cover their bodies and hide their private parts. Maguses do have armor to use, but clothes have nothing to do with them."


    "Cover their bodies?" Linfel tried to understand the concept. "Could it be it''s cold at the moment, and you need to cover your bodies? Humans are quite fragile, aren''t they?"


    Alvin sighed. This wisp was a lost cause. "No, that''s not it. We wear clothes because it would be too embarrassing not to."


    Linfel looked even more puzzled. "This... doesn''t make much sense."


    "How come?" Milia was also intrigued by this Familiar''s unconventional thinking. She didn''t usually have such interactions.


    Linfel explained further. "You say it''s embarrassing, but aren''t the penis and vagina two extremely important parts of the human reproductive system? These organs are the sole reason for the continuity and evolution of the human race over time. Why would humans feel embarrassed about showing the very things that make them what they are today?"


    Linfel narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn''t your human race... feel proud of having reproductive organs? Proud to show everyone that they are healthy and can carry the human race forward? Truly... I don''t understand why you wear clothes if not for protection against something.


    They seem rather pointless and against the natural order, if you ask me."


    He concluded, "Why do you feel embarrassed about showing such an amazing trait of your human race?"


    That wasn''t a question without reason. Back in Linfel''s time, other races truly only used things like clothes for real protection. Otherwise, they wouldn''t use it at all.


    Milia and Julia were already as red as tomatoes. They found it hard to even finish hearing Linfel''s explanation. As for Romario and Alvin, they weren''t much better, although they only felt weird at those arguments.


    If you ask whether humans are proud of their ability to reproduce, most probably would say yes. Why wouldn''t they? Humans put a lot of importance on the matter of descendency and bloodline continuation. Even if you die, your children will carry on as if you are a small part of them. That was the general thought.


    Now, about clothes, that was a hard question to answer. Sure, embarrassment, laws, respect, etc. You could probably give Linfel some of these reasons. However, it wouldn''t truly answer his question. At the very bottom of the matter, why do humans wear clothes or feel it is embarrassing to show their private parts when they are so important for the species as a whole? Linfel''s arguments made sense.


    Shouldn''t they feel proud instead?


    Yet, that was how they were raised, and so were their ancestors going countless generations to the past.


    Felia didn''t share the same feelings of embarrassment since she was a familiar. Nori, Danil, and Calisbin were the same. They didn''t have any private parts like humans, so they obviously didn''t wear any clothes. Their bodies were basically only their cores and their ethereal humanoid-shaped bodies that didn''t really portray any gender.


    Still, they had a general knowledge of the human''s past, so Felia attempted an answer. "If I were to guess, clothes were initially used truly for protection. Or for convenience. It became the norm as time passed, and humans got used to it."


    "Convenience?" Linfel asked her back.


    Felia nodded. "Think about it. Suppose Romario, Alvin, Milia, and Julia were not wearing clothes at the moment, and they suddenly needed to run from a predator or hunt something else that was running away." She didn''t continue from there, though. She had common sense. She just hoped Linfel understood her meaning.


    The humans in the conversation truly imagined that for a moment, just to feel even weirder. That wasn''t exactly the type of thought you would usually have... Well, Alvin and Romario, as very healthy boys, might have thought about such things in their more ''private'' moments. Even women were not immune to such wild ideas.


    Linfel pondered a bit and understood. "I see! If they suddenly start to run, their penises will move everywhere! That sure would feel very uncomfortable, ultimately reducing their efficiency. As for women, depending on the size of their breasts, they, too, would go up and down nonstop." As he spoke, the faces of those hearing got redder and redder...


    "In a certain way, it might be even more annoying than penises. Naturally, they had to wear these clothes you mentioned, and that ended up becoming the norm." Well, Linfel couldn''t care less about what he says or not.


    "Still..." Linfel pondered a bit. "To think you would feel embarrassed to show them over time. Humans truly are a weird race for sure..."


    Alvin and the others looked at Linfel. Who is the weird one here? Wait... he does have strong arguments, so are the humans truly the weird ones, perhaps?


    "Ahem!" Alvin noticed the two women''s expressions and finally cut in. "L-Let''s not talk about such topics anymore, shall we? Do you all agree?"


    Milia and Julia nodded vigorously, while Romario felt a little sad since he was finding this topic very interesting. Well, even Alvin had to admit it was interesting to ''imagine'' a few situations while Linfel spoke innocently.


    Milia then took a deep breath and calmed down. It seems like every time she gets involved with Linfel and Alvin, she can''t truly keep her normal cold behavior. "Alvin," she called out.


    "Yes?" Alvin asked back.


    "You..." Milia glanced at Linfel, who seemed to still be thinking about that topic, "have a very peculiar taste for Familiars, that''s for sure," Milia completed.


    Alvin felt like crying. Why is she putting him together with Linfel? ''Ah, right... They think I was the one who created Linfel in that way...'' He truly wanted to say Linfel wasn''t his Familiar, but that wouldn''t do anymore.


    ''Red Magic Energy, Alvin. Red Magic Energy! Think about Linfel''s Red Magic Energy! Everything will be worth it...'' Alvin thought to himself. ''It will, won''t it?'' Although he wasn''t very confident.


    Linfel then shook his head and gave up. "Forget it. Since there are so many humans, you are still having a lot of sex. It probably happens millions of times per day. I guess it doesn''t really matter if you wear clothes or not."


    ''Does he truly need to mention that?'' Everyone thought at the same time.


    "Alright, Linfel. Enough with the clothes question. We use them, period," Alvin tried to take Linfel''s mind away from it.


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, yes. Another question, then. I passed by so many humans already. Still, how come I haven''t seen anyone attempting to reproduce yet? Milia, Alvin, can you show me?"


    *bang!*


    Alvin and Milia''s heads fell to the ground. "LIKE HELL WE WILL!"


    "Sigh... Fine, I will get one of those MCOMs you guys use and search for answers myself later." And here it was, a Wisp confessing he was going to watch porn.


    Romario whispered in Alvin''s ears. ''Alvin, is this the kind of Familiar you have to create to get a high Master Familiar Connection?''


    Alvin was truly crying now.


    After making sure the Wisp wouldn''t ask about human reproduction anymore, Milia finally decided to leave. It''s just that her cold expression was nowhere to be seen anymore. She was too red to play that. "I''m starting to regret I invited you two, but what is done is done. Anyway, meet me at the west side of the academy, by the Founder''s Statue. Our Floating Blades Faction is there.


    As the one who recruited you, I unfortunately have to be the one to show you the surroundings."


    "Sorry..." Alvin bitterly smiled. Could he have caused a worse impression if he tried? That was hard to say.


    *Ding, ding, ding, ding...*


    Suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed over the entire academy.


    "Time for the classes," Milia recomposed herself. "See you later."


    Romario and Julia didn''t delay and left with Calisbin and Danil after bidding their farewells.


    Alvin, too, could only go to his own class. "Alright, as my familiar, you can take part in the same class as me. Come on, let''s go."

 Chapter 19 - 19: Classes

    On the way to the class, the Wisp asked Alvin a little more about it. "What are we learning exactly? Also, do I need to take part in the same classes s you?"


    "You don''t," Alvin shook his head. "In fact, you can select any class you want to participate in now that you are an independent Familiar. As for what we are learning, that varies. For example, the class I''m going to now is Magic Theory. We study the many ways that Magic can be bent to fulfill our objectives."


    "So... kind of Magic Control?" Linfel asked back.


    Alvin nodded. "Pretty much, yes. Although it goes quite deep into this subject."


    Linfel felt there wasn''t much for him in that class. He truly had no issues controlling his Magic Energy. Nonetheless, he followed. It was his first day, after all.


    In the class, Alvin sat in the top right corner of the room, joining another young man in that location. "Hey, Connor."


    With so many students in the entire Academy, each class usually had a lot of students. This one, for example, had 127 in total. They were all Level One Maguses.


    Connor, who was focused on his MCOM, heard that voice and immediately looked at Alvin with wide eyes. "Alvin!"


    Connor had joined the academy with Alvin, coming from the same sea-side area as him. It''s what you could call childhood friendship. Their talents turned out to be pretty much the same, so they ended up in the same classes once they selected the subjects they wanted to study.


    Connor quickly pulled Alvin closer and showed his MCOM. "What''s the meaning of this?!"


    -Milia to Marry an F Rank Magus? Check our detailed report about Alvin and Milia, the unnexpected pair.-


    Alvin sighed, already expecting something like this. That wasn''t the only one. Many other sources were sensationalizing the events in the Master Familiar Connection Test area. Of course, these sources knew better than to make an enemy of Milia and her Frondor Family. So, once you read through them you would always end at Alvin''s declaration and pointing out that it was truly nothing but a rumor.


    There was also the report of the mission page showing that Milia truly was investigating the incident with Alvin''s Father.


    Alvin looked around and could see many of the other students looking in his direction. "Sure enough, there are a lot of people interested." Alvin then looked back at Connor. "It is what it is. Or could it be you didn''t read the full report of these sources? They should have mentioned how it was a coincidence and nothing else."


    "That''s not the problem!" Connor, actually, didn''t give a fuck to the rumors. He knew Alvin well enough to know that getting involved with Milia was nothing but a dream. "I''m talking about this Master Familiar Connection result. 71%!!! You got a freaking 71%! How did you do that?"


    At the same time, he looked at Linfel. "Also, you didn''t have a new Familiar when you left the Academy yesterday. Just where did you get the credits to make this new one?"


    Alvin faintly smiled. "Well, many things happened. Sorry for not telling you about Linfel. I wasn''t sure I was going to get him ready anyway." Alvin then told Connor the same excuse about creating Linfel with some weird options. "And that''s why I was afraid of bringing him. Fortunately, our connection worked pretty well."


    Connor looked at Linfel. "So Alvin was concerned enough to not have told me, his best friend, about you, uh?"


    Linfel nodded. "You also know Alvin. He is a very shy and delicate boy who can barely hold any pressure. Don''t blame him."


    Connor vigorously nodded. "That, I can''t deny."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Who the hell is shy and delicate?! I, your grandfather, am very bold."


    Felia patted Alvin''s head while shaking her head. "Master, don''t force yourself. It is not good to go against one''s nature. You should accept and embrace it." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel and Connor nodded together.


    "Go to hell!" Alvin cursed in anger. Of course, he knew they were just messing with him, which wasn''t different from their usual interactions. It''s just that Linfel joined the messing group now.


    Suddenly, the door of the class opened, and a woman entered the room. Everyone quickly went back to their seats, waiting for the class to start. Naturally, that was the teacher.


    "Alright, seems like we have a new Familiar in the class," said the teacher. "I''m the Magic Theory Teacher of the Rank F Class 12, Marita Uvesdin. You should be the Familiar that caused the ruckus at the Academy Entrance, right?"


    Linfel quickly stepped forward. "Sorry, sorry. That would be me, indeed. I''m Linfel, and Alvin is my Master."


    Marita nodded, not caring too much. "Alright, just don''t cause trouble here, and we will be fine. You haven''t really selected any classes to take part in, but as Alvin was your master, you can indeed follow him. Later, go to the Academy Class Office and take a look at which classes you want to take yourself. As an Independent Familiar, you have that right."


    Everyone looked at Linfel and Alvin, surprised. Alvin got a Familiar with 71% of MFC, and yet, Alvin let him become independent. Most of them would never have done that.


    "Yes." Linfel nodded.


    Marita then put those matters aside and started the class. It was just like Alvin mentioned. It was all about the theory of Magic, with Marita showing some examples along the way. The class continued for one hour straight before she finally finished. "And that''s how the channels within your Magus Body can carry the Magic Energy. Give it a try after the classes are over.


    Perhaps you can find a proper route that better adapts to your own bodies."


    Marita left the class, and the next teacher arrived a minute later. Yet, Linfel didn''t have much to learn from Alvin''s teacher. It wasn''t that they weren''t doing a good job, but that their topics were related to Maguses, not Familiars. Well, Linfel isn''t a Familiar either.


    ***


    The day passed in that fashion, with most classes being theoretical. They weren''t useless, though. Even if these Magus-related topics weren''t of much use to him, they at least helped him understand more about the Maguses of this world.


    Classes ended around 4 PM, granting Alvin and Linfel two hours of free time before they had to go to the Floating Blades Faction. Outside the classroom, Linfel looked at the plaque by the door and asked, "Alvin, why does it say Rank F? Are there different ranks for classes?"


    Connor was the one to answer, though. "Sigh... there are, but Alvin won''t be here for much longer."


    Alvin shook his head. "That''s not true. The only thing good about me is my Master Familiar Connection. I myself am still pretty much a Rank F Magus for all intents and purposes."


    Felia then explained to Linfel, "It is all about talent and resources. The better you do, the better the classes you can take. It goes without saying that those with rich backgrounds could spend a lot more resources, getting themselves into better places even if they don''t have better talent."


    Connor shrugged his shoulders. "Yet, even that isn''t enough to get you to Rank A and B Classes. Fortunately, resources can only elevate you to a Rank C Class at most. Rank A and B classes prioritize talent and effort above all else. Of course, it doesn''t change the fact that having a lot of resources will make it easier to enter those two top Ranks.


    Over 90% of the students in Rank A and B classes are rich."


    "It isn''t all that bad then," Linfel mentioned. "Still, we are only Rank F? That''s too sad."


    Linfel then remembered something. "Right! There are classes for Familiars, right?"


    "There are," Alvin nodded. "That''s what we are going to check now. However, the number of classes for Familiars is very limited. Can you guess why?"


    Linfel pondered a bit and understood. "Normal Familiars have all the theoretical knowledge thrown into their souls when they are created. There isn''t any point in having theoretical classes for them, which are many more of the Maguses'' Classes."


    Felia, Connor, and Alvin confirmed. "You are correct. That said, the Familiar Classes are all about practical teaching. While we have five different classes on the first day of the week, you only have one or maybe not even that."


    "It makes me wonder why Familiars haven''t conquered the world by now. Hahaha!" Linfel couldn''t help but joke.


    Connor smiled. "It isn''t that simple. Sure, Familiars have a great head start with all the knowledge they get from when they are created. But once a Magus achieves a similar level of knowledge, it levels up. From there onwards, it is all about ingenuity, and this is a field where normal living beings excel a lot more than Familiars."


    "Why?" Linfel asked back.


    "Knowledge itself," Alvin explained. "Familiars are born with all the knowledge, and that becomes their greatest barrier when it comes to development."


    "Oh!" Linfel could see the sense in that.


    The process of learning can also open doors to new ideas. It is while you are taking in new knowledge that questions arise, and those questions could lead to new fields that haven''t been thought of before. Familiars were born with all the theoretical knowledge, so they didn''t have the chance to question any of them. It is simply there for them to use.


    Felia looked a little sad. "That''s exactly the case. It is not like Familiars can''t evolve, but the early acquired knowledge makes it hard for us Familiars to thread into new horizons. We all instinctively rely on that knowledge that is already there instead of trying anything new. Familiars that can break away from this bind are rare, really rare. It is a mental barrier."


    Alvin smiled at Linfel. "You, on the other hand, won''t have this issue."


    "How come?" Connor asked, confused. "He is also a Familiar."


    Alvin turned to Connor. "Let''s just say it is part of the process of creation I used to make him." Obviously, that was a lie.


    "By the way," Linfel noticed something. "You mentioned classes only on the first day of the week. Are there no classes on the other days?"


    "Oh, that''s not it," Alvin shook his head. "I''m talking about theoretical classes. During the rest of the week, it is all about practical training and Magic Energy Absorption. Not to mention, we need to take missions to gain academy credits. Theory can only bring you so far, right? Practice makes perfect."


    "I understand," Linfel nodded. "Do we have practices together?"


    "Of course!" Alvin quickly confirmed. "It works like this: Theoretical Classes on the first day of the week. Familiars would be mostly practical ones, obviously."


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot," Alvin suddenly mentioned. "I told you Familiars don''t need to take theoretical classes, but it isn''t like they don''t exist. You can apply to take them. Sometimes for whatever reason, a Familiar might be lacking in some kind of knowledge. Maybe an error during creation, maybe the knowledge they took in during their creation was outdated, or something like that.


    In any case, you can take theoretical classes specific to Familiars."


    Linfel was happy. After all, he knew nothing about Familiars and how they worked. Since Familiars are much closer to him than humans, their theoretical classes are just what he needs. Besides, he still needs to learn how to integrate Magic Energy into his core so he can increase his level.


    Alvin continued. "Anyway, on the first day, you can take theoretical classes. Then you have five days of freedom. Finally, you have a field exam at the end of the week. This one is not obligatory, but it is a good moment to put into practice whatever you learned. The practices and missions you do during the week or the field exam at the end, you can do it all with your Familiar."


    Connor bitterly smiled. "Well, he said five days of freedom, but you can''t truly just do nothing during it. In anything, these five days are the hardest as you need to acquire Academy Credits to get Magic Stones for training. Simply put, it is always a packed week every week."


    Alvin agreed. For low-ranked Maguses like them, it was especially harsh.

 Chapter 20 - 20: Thats My Brother!

    Linfel''s group arrived at a different building. There, you could see way more Familiars than Maguses, showing its real purpose. The Maguses there were only accompanying their Familiars. Nonetheless, the building was made with the Maguses'' sizes in mind, so Alvin and Connor had no issues entering with Linfel and Felia.


    "Master!" It was then that a Familiar with two small wings came to Connor''s side.


    "Oh, Tratil. And here I was wondering where you went. Sure enough, you were here again," Connor smiled as he talked to his Familiar.


    "Is it normal for Familiars to spend time here?" Linfel asked.


    Felia was the one to answer that. "Pretty much. The academy is, after all, made for Maguses. You won''t find many places specific for Familiars, especially since they usually spend most of their time by their Masters'' sides. When Familiars want to talk to each other, they usually come here to the Familiar''s house. This is also the place where you can apply for classes as a Familiar."


    Linfel nodded, understanding. Their group quickly arrived near a counter where a Familiar was taking notes.


    "Well, you don''t need me to talk for you anymore, Linfel. Just go ahead and see what you want to do," Alvin mentioned as he stayed behind.


    Linfel nodded and talked to the Familiar there. "Hi, I''m a new Familiar in the academy. I would like to apply for some Familiar Classes."


    The Familiar looked at Linfel and pressed a few options on the monitor in front of it. The other monitor, in front of Linfel, immediately showed a list of the several types of classes he could take, mostly practical related. "Go ahead and select the ones you are interested in. Familiars are special, so the academy only provides two classes for free for us.


    If you want to take more than two at once, you will need to pay Academy Credits."


    Linfel nodded and looked through the list. Immediately, the first one got his attention.


    -Introduction to Magic Energy Integration and the several Methods surrounding it.-


    Without thinking twice, Linfel selected that one.


    Next, he went through the list, and there were many practical classes related to magic control, magic density, magic power, etc. Yet, there were pretty much no theoretical ones. ''Well, although there were very few theoretical, I''m already pretty good at them from what I saw in the Familiar Test. I might as well take a practical one.''


    However, it was then that a specific one got his attention.


    -Magical Diagrams, Runes, and their Functions. Basic Practical and Theoretical Level-


    Linfel immediately remembered the many diagrams he had seen so far. They were very different from the Primordial Runes used by his friend in the past, especially since he was taught a lot regarding them. Yet, the Diagrams were very different, so he wanted to learn more, and now the opportunity appeared. ''So there are runes in the Magical World too, uh?


    However, they seem to be different from the Runes I used in the past, and they are built into the Diagram Arrays themselves. Interesting...''


    Linfel didn''t have a single Academy Credit to his name, so he obviously could only select two classes. By selecting the Magical Diagrams Class, he reached his quota.


    The Familiar behind the counter checked the options Linfel selected. The Magical Diagrams were understandable. They were not included in the Familiar''s knowledge when their souls took form, so quite a few Familiars selected this class out of curiosity. However...


    "Hum? Introduction to Magic Energy Integration? Why would you take this? It was supposed to be within the knowledge of your AI before you were made into a soul," the Familiar asked, curious. "Be aware that once you select this, there is no way back. Other types of classes will cost you."


    Linfel shook his head. By now, he already understood the excuses Alvin had been saying. "My creation process was a little messed up, so I''m lacking a lot of knowledge. I need to learn magic Energy Integration from scratch. Well, since this class is available, it means the academy expected such situations to happen, right?"


    The Familiar had to admit Linfel''s words made sense. "I guess you are right. Very well." he quickly added those two classes to Linfel''s name. "Alright, you can use your MCOM to check where you need to go for these classes. They happen on the first day of the week, so don''t get late."


    "The first day?" Linfel narrowed his eyes. "But the day is almost over. Do I have to wait until next week to take them?"


    "Not really. If you pay the necessary Academy Credits, you can take them at any time," the Familiar explained. "However, you have to pay again every time you want to take it outside of class day."


    Linfel sighed. He didn''t have any academy credits, but he had a whole week to go after them. "Very well, thank you."


    Linfel returned to Alvin and the others. "Alright, got everything over with. What now?"


    Alvin checked the time. There was still over an hour before he had to meet Milia on the west side, after all. "How about the Missions?"


    "You talking about the tasks you mentioned in your father''s house?" Linfel asked back.


    "Yes," Alvin continued. "The academy provides a lot of them, and their completion rewards Academy Credits. I can''t provide for you forever, so you will need to take some on your own. You might as well take a look now. We just need to go to the Missions Hall."


    Linfel didn''t have any better plans. "Seems like a good idea."


    Alvin turned his attention to Connor. "What about you? It is not like you need to follow me everywhere, you know?"


    Connor smiled as he put his arm around Alvin''s shoulder. "Aren''t we friends? Do I need a reason to hand around?"


    Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, scoffed. "Hmph! Master, you just heard they will meet with that famous Milia Frondor later, so you want to use the opportunity to talk to her too. That''s something you could only dream of before. You are just using Alvin."


    Connor''s smile increased even more. "Exactly. Alvin is very easy to use- Ahem! I mean, very useful."


    *Pof!*


    *Ouch!*


    Alvin hit Connor with his elbow, forcing him away. "At least try to be more subtle, will you? ...Well, it is not like I don''t understand the feeling, though."


    "That''s my brother for you!" Connor laughed it out.


    ---


    Mission Hall, Tasks Building, Academy Requests, this place had many names, but it all meant the same thing. Here, Maguses of all levels and Familiars could take the several missions released by the academy. Of course, as long as they were within their level.


    Inside, there were pretty much no attendants. Instead, you could find hundreds of open terminals, and you could use your Magic Energy Signature to assign an available mission to your name. However, this was Linfel''s had never been here, so he was obligated to go through an attendant first. Alvin, of course, stayed slightly behind and let Linfel do everything.


    "Hi, sir. I''m a new Familiar and would like to take a mission," Linfel quickly asked the attendant.


    The attendant had a snooze expression, obviously not having much to do here since the terminals were always used. "Oh! Hi, hi... Please use the receptor by the Monitor so I can take your Magic Energy Signature." Linfel did as asked, and his information quickly appeared on the monitor.


    Only then did the attendant continue. "Indeed, this is your first time, so I need to give a quick explanation of the rules. First, you can only take tasks up to a single level above yours, but the best is to take those at your level to make sure you complete them."


    "Be aware that if you take a task higher than your level and you fail to complete it, the academy will penalize you with Academy Credits equivalent to three times the value of the task reward. That''s to prevent everyone from just trying their luck instead of having real confidence.


    If you don''t have any Academy Credits at that moment, your balance will go negative until you gain enough to cover what you owe."


    "There are also penalties for tasks at your level that you fail, but their penalties are just the value of the task reward alone. They are obviously a lot easier for you to complete."


    "You can not take more than one task at once. If you try, the system will warn you that you already have one. You must complete it, report its failure or that you gave up. Only then you can take a new one. If you fail three in a roll, the system will block you out, and you won''t be able to take a new for for a period of seven days."


    Linfel nodded. It was very simple and efficient. "Is there a bonus for tasks of higher level completed?"


    "Yes," The attendant nodded. "You will gain a 25% bonus for tasks half a star higher than your level and 50% for tasks one star higher. Tasks at your level will be marked in green; those half a star higher are marked in yellow, and those one star higher are marked in red. The tasks marked in gray as tasks beyond your level as a Familiar, so you can''t take them."


    Linfel memorized everything. "I understand. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?"


    "Their time limit," the attendant pointed out on the monitor. "They all have to be completed within a certain period. Otherwise, they will be automatically marked as failures, and the penalty will be directly debited from your Academy Credits balance."


    "One more thing," the attendant grew serious. "It''s absolutely prohibited other stronger Maguses to complete your tasks for you. If it is found out that you received such help, not only will your task be marked as a failure, the penalty is ten times the reward value. You will also be blocked from accepting new tasks for three months straight."


    "That''s quite harsh," Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    The attendant agreed with him. "It definitely is. But then again, it will only happen if you break the rules, so it shouldn''t be a problem if you are an upright Familiar. Anyway, that''s pretty much it. Can I add you to the task system?"


    "Yes, please." Linfel nodded.


    "Andddd... it''s done," the attendant concluded with a smile. "You can use your MCOM to check the progress of tasks you took. However, to report their completion or failure, you must come here. Once again, be aware of the completion time limit."


    Linfel then saw a new option added to his ID information on the monitor before he closed it down and returned to Alvin. "They are quite through with their methods."


    "That they are," Alvin couldn''t agree more. "We need to get you an MCOM later. For now, try to take a look at the available missions on the terminals. You will soon understand the problem I mentioned back at my father''s home."


    Alvin mentioned in the past that even though the tasks were there for everyone to take, he always only had the most trivial ones available. But instead of explaining why, he said Linfel would understand once he saw it at the academy.


    Linfel didn''t waste time and hopped to a Terminal before directing some of his Magic Energy into the Receptor so it could read his magic Energy Signature. Immediately, the same list of tasks opened to him again. He used a filter and wiped out all the gray tasks from the list, leaving only the ones he could accept.


    However, he soon noticed a problem. Pretty much all tasks available for him to take were simple menial labors like cleaning, carrying things, and even cooking. The tasks that gave higher rewards, which truly used a Familiar or Magus'' power, were all taken. "So... is it about competition? Those who are faster take them?"


    "It would be fine if it was the case," Connor was the one to talk. "We could simply stay here in the Mission Hall and wait for the tasks to appear and try to snatch it straight away. Unfortunately, that''s not the case."


    "What''s the problem then?" Linfel asked, confused.


    Felia approached his monitor and touched the ''details'' button on the screen. Immediately, a set of rules appeared on the tasks.


    One specific rule was quite eye-catching on all of them.


    -Mission priority to Higher Ranked Student Classes.- S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This..." Immediately, Linfel understood. As Rank F students and Familiars, it would be a miracle if a mission that paid well was ever available for them.

 Chapter 21 - 21: We Are Taking Them All

    "Isn''t it way too unfair? I thought the academy still tried to be somewhat reasonable," Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    "That''s not the issue. The issue is the missions themselves," Alvin explained. "You see, if you ignore these simple tasks that the academy throws out, the high-paying missions are usually issued not by the academy but by other organizations that need a Magus Level of help."


    Connor continued. "He is right. These organizations don''t care about the academy''s rank. What they care about is that the missions they issue are completed as fast and perfect as possible. Otherwise, they will go after other Magus Organizations outside the academy."


    "First of all, the only reason they even bothered to give the Academy these missions was because it truly charges a lot less than a normal Magus who has already graduated would. But, if these missions aren''t completed in the end, what''s the point if the academy charges less?" Felia asked Linfel.


    Linfel could only mentally sigh. It all made sense now. It is not that the academy doesn''t want to give these missions to lower-ranked students. Instead, it is all about keeping a good name in the Magus Market. If they open these missions to the ''less capable'' Maguses of the academy, there are higher chances of these missions failing.


    The academy can''t afford to lose the support of outside organizations, so the priority goes to higher-ranked classes.


    "How does the priority system work?" Linfel asked.


    "Time," Alvin quickly answered. "The missions get unlocked to lower-ranked students as time goes by. In the first hour, only Rank A Classes can take the missions. In the second hour, the mission becomes available for Rank B Classes. Three hours for Rank C, four hours for Rank D, and so on and so forth."


    Linfe nodded. "So Rank F, like us, can only take a mission after six hours, uh?"


    Connor and Alvin confirmed. "That''s pretty much it. We can only hope no one takes these good missions until enough time goes by, which hardly happens. Even when it happens, there will be plenty of maguses ready to snatch it away, so you truly need some good luck to be here at the right time." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel then turned off the terminal and returned to Alvin''s side. "I understand how it works. Should we go meet Milia now?"


    "Yes, it is about time," Alvin and everyone else agreed.


    The west side of the academy was quite far due to the academy''s huge size. Over a hundred thousand students were no joke, and you still had to count in dormitories and things like that. Fortunately, there were many academy vehicles that transported the students everywhere, running 24/7. Everything was controlled by AI.


    On their way to the west side, Linfel took the chance to ask. "So, with Rank being so important, how do we increase our rank exactly? It doesn''t seem like it is related to your level as a Magus or Familiar."


    "That''s obvious," Alvin said before speaking about the process. "We talked about it before, remember? It is all about talent and prospects. Nonetheless, you will hardly find a Level One magus in Classes A and B, for example, except for those who just joined the academy at twelve. If they are in Classes A and B and aren''t Level Two yet, that''s just because they didn''t have enough time for it.


    Like Milia, for example, they would all be Level Two by the age of 15. But look at us, our hopes are to reach level two in the next ten years only. In that, you can already see the difference."


    "Is there no way to increase our Rank as students faster?" Linfel had to ask.


    "Yes," Alvin took out his MCOM and opened a page for Linfel to see. It was a page regarding the end-of-the-week Field Exams. "I told you we have Field Exams on the last day of the week, right? That''s also where you can increase your rank. The missions during that day vary, but it is also field related. That means you will be tested as a Magus and Familiar."


    Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, continued from there. "One thing is certain, though. There will be battles. It might be against other students. It might be against Magic Beasts, it might be against Magic Puppets. Usually, for safety''s sake, Magic Puppets and Student battles are the most used since there is a certain degree of control.


    However, a real Magus can''t grow within a greenhouse. So you will definitely have Field Exams against Magic Beasts or similarly dangerous operations at some point."


    Felia shrugged her shoulders. "Well, as mentioned before, these exams aren''t obligatory. You can totally skip the field exams that you feel are too dangerous, and no one will say anything. But then again, these ones are usually the best when you want to increase your rank."


    "Have you guys tried any of them already?" Linfel asked. After all, everyone here was still a Rank F Student.


    Alvin looked through the window, checking the view. "One must know their limits."


    Connor nodded as he thought this was quite a nice day. "There is hope as long as you are alive."


    Linfel''s mouth twitched. Obviously, these two skipped all Field Classes they deemed even a little bit dangerous. perhaps they haven''t take a single one at all. No wonder they are still Rank F Students. "Alright. Alvin, we are taking all Field Exams from now on.


    No exceptions."


    Linfel was a Wisp, and his old friend, Horan, made sure to pierce into his mind that fact. He trained Linfel many times, and Linfel went through quite a lot of dangerous moments because of that. Linfel was still weak after all of that, but he at least understood how to do everything to keep himself alive.


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback. "No way! Slow and steady, slow and steady. There is nothing wrong with it, you know?"


    "You ass!" Linfel complained. "Wasn''t you who told your father you wouldn''t lose when it came to determination? Where is it now? Stop complaining, and let''s do it."


    "I''m not doing it!" Alvin immediately refused. There were real risks of death during these field exams.


    Linfel then whispered in his ear. ''Otherwise, forget about your Red Magic Energy.''


    Alvin''s expression froze for a moment before he complained. "That''s not part of the deal!" He didn''t care about hiding his voice at all.


    Linfel shrugged in response. "I''m the one who can do it, so it is up to you to accept or not. Hahaha!"


    "That''s blackmail!" Alvin still complained.


    "I have no idea what blackmail is," Linfel couldn''t care less. "Field Exams once per week, and you will get what you want."


    Felia heard all of that and was quite happy. "Thank you, Linfel. Finally, Master will start his journey to become a real Magus."


    Alvin wanted to cry. "I thought you were on my side, Felia..."


    "I am," she answered. "That''s exactly why I''m doing it for your own good. Master has been running away from it all this time while others are steadily advancing. What would your father think if he saw you like that? Now, you have a real motivation to do it."


    Connor was as puzzled as ever. "Just what kind of deal you did with your Familiar? Just ignore it. Remember our motto. The world has no need for dead Maguses."


    Linfel just smiled, saying nothing. It wasn''t like he cared about it anyway. He got his independent status, so he can do as he pleases. Besides, he also thinks this is the best for Alvin if he truly wishes to leave rock bottom.


    Seeing Alvin struggling to reach a decision, Felia remembered something. "Well, seems like Master truly doesn''t wish for it. I''m sorry, Linfel. But you can ask Milia since she definitely takes part in all of the Field Exams. She''s a Rank A student, after all. Try to help Master and explain to her why he isn''t taking the exams.


    There is nothing wrong in trying to avoid danger."


    Linfel sighed and nodded. "Fine, I''ll tell her everything."


    Alvin was terrified by that notion. Linfel had no filter whatsoever. He would put it bluntly for Milia to hear that he was simply a coward afraid of danger. If it was before, Alvin wouldn''t care since he and Milia would never interact in their lives. Now, however, he is closer to her and has even entered the same Faction, so how could he let that happen?


    He might even be expelled from the Faction altogether!


    "Ahem!" Alvin coughed a little. "I was obviously joking. Linfel and I got a nice Master Familiar Connection, so the Field Exams are perfect to try it out. Yes, definitely. I must do it for my father, who trusts in me back home."


    Felia was obviously happy. "Well said, Master! This is all for your father!"


    Linfel agreed. "All for your father!"


    "All for my father!" Alvin added once more.


    "YOUR ASSES!" Too bad Connor was still there. "You are just fucking terrified of what the goddess will think about you! Are you truly leaving me behind in the Rank F Classes, Alvin? I thought we were friends!"


    Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, whispered in his ear. ''But what if you help Alvin, the new hot member of the Floating Blades Faction, during the field exam? Milia is sure to be watching him since she was the one to recruit Alvin. If you show your qualities... perhaps she will notice your qualities?''


    "On the other hand," Connor continued. "I''m sure your father also weighs heavily in your heart. Alright, as your best friend, I can''t possibly let you take these risks alone. I''m going to the Field Exam with you."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. How could he not tell what Connor''s real objective was? "There is no need. You will only get in my way."


    "Is that what you think about your best friend?!" Connor asked back in anger.


    "Like hell you are considering our friendship! You only want to catch Milia''s attention now that I''m part of the Floating Blades Faction!" Alvin struck back.


    Connor didn''t seem to care. "And you are saying you wouldn''t do the same thing?"


    "Of course, I would! Fuck your opinion! It''s Milia we are talking about!" Alvin... has completely forgotten about his father already...


    Linfel looked at Felia and Tratil before asking them in a low voice. ''These two... are they okay?''


    Felia and Tratil nodded together. ''Don''t worry. They are always like this. They will forget about it before we even reach the west side.''


    Sure enough, by the time the Academy''s Transport reached the west side, Alvin and Connor were already discussing other things as if the previous argument had never happened.


    They walked for a few minutes and soon found the Founder''s Statue Milia mentioned. Yet, there were still fifteen minutes before 6PM, so Milia wasn''t there yet.


    "Seems like she hasn''t arrived yet," Connor commented.


    Linfel looked at the statue. It was a young man with a mustache and wearing a long robe, quite different from the clothes people usually used in the city. "Who''s this guy?"


    "It''s the founder of our Academy here in Sastasha City," Felia spoke. "He is also the actual Academy Principal, although he is much older now. This statue was from when he was much younger, over 300 years ago."


    "300 years?" Linfel was surprised. "Do humans live that long?"


    "Not normal humans," Tratil commented. "Normal humans live an average of 100 to 120 years. Maguses, however, can extend their lifespan much further. By the way, the oldest Magus in our country is the patriarch of the Frondor Family, senior Lutian. He is 537 years old by now."


    "I see..." Linfel nodded. "Hum? Frondor? Does he have anything to do with Milia?"


    "Yes," Alvin confirmed. "She is from the same family. Of course, she is probably like a great, great, great, a few more greats in there, great-granddaughter or something like that. No one knows for sure since their family is quite big. The Frondor Family has quite a few members in the academy, both in the student''s midst or among the teachers and administrators."


    It was then that a cold voice came from behind Alvin. "Lutian Frondor is my father."


    Alvin turned around and saw the dark expression on the woman''s face. "M-Milia!"

 Chapter 22 - 22: The Floating Blades Faction

    "Wait! D-Did you say Father?" Alvin was definitely shocked. "You mean... senior Lutian?"


    "Yes." Milia nodded, still serious.


    "The 537 Lutian Frondor, THAT Lutian?" Connor asked this time.


    "Yes," Milia confirmed once again.


    "The patriarch of the Frondor Family?" Felia also had to be sure.


    "I already said yes!" Milia was already losing her patience.


    There wasn''t a single Familiar or Person in there who wasn''t surprised by that revelation. "T-That''s unexpected..."


    Alvin quickly apologized. "Sorry, Milia. It''s just that we truly never heard about it."


    Connor quickly followed suit. "Yes, yes! We are talking about the patriarch of the Frondor Family, after all. I hope you can understand."


    Milia nodded, not pursuing the topic. She didn''t go around telling it to everyone, and it wasn''t exactly publicly disclosed. Nonetheless, it wasn''t a secret either. These kind of reactions always happened when others found out, so she was already used to it.


    Well, there was one single Familiar who wasn''t impressed or shocked, though. "According to human biology, males continue to produce sperm up to the day they die. Is it really that shocking this Lutian you talked about got to be Milia''s father?" Linfel truly saw nothing strange in there. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia looked at Linfel with a slightly gentler expression. At least one of them took it seriously. Well, Linfel was simply thinking logically, as always, casting common sense to the wind.


    "Whatever," Milia changed the topic. "You are here to visit the Floating Blades Faction, so let''s carry on with it. But first..." milia narrowed her eyes as she looked at Connor and Tratil. "What are these two doing here?"


    Connor quickly introduced himself. "Hello, Miss Milia! I''m Connor, Alvin''s best friend. I have the duty to report to his father everything that happens to Alvin in the academy, so I have to accompany him and make sure he doesn''t get into trouble. You could say I''m his second father as well."


    *Pah!*


    Alvin slapped Connor''s back head. "Like hell you are! Where did you bring this bullshit from? Miss Milia, you can totally kick this guy away if you want. I don''t even know why he is still following me."


    Milia turned around, moving in the Faction''s headquarters direction. "So be it. Just tag along and don''t cause trouble." There was a slight smile on her face that she didn''t show. These kinds of interactions and weight-free exchanges are truly rare in her circle, so she found it a little funny.


    Connor smirked at Alvin, who felt helpless. Nonetheless, their group quickly followed Milia.


    The Floating Blades Faction occupied a three-story building a few hundred meters away from the founder''s statue. The entrance had its five swords in a half circular manner emblem on the top and the name under it.


    Inside, an attendant saw Milia entering the building and quickly came to receive her. "Welcome back, Miss Milia." Your Faction could have your own attendants allocated by the Academy. After all, you needed to keep everything in order. However, the members would have to pay for all the expenses regarding them.


    Milia nodded. "Who is around today?"


    The attendant took a look at a device he was holding and spoke. "Pamil, Rin, and Natalie."


    "Almost everyone, it seems," Milia mentioned.


    Linfel was taken aback. Almost everyone? The guy only spoke three names! Alvin and the others thought the same thing, although no one mentioned it aloud.


    "Follow me," Milia brought their group through a corridor, finally entering an area with a few platforms on the ground. One of the platforms was occupied, with a woman who seemed in her twenties sitting down with her eyes closed. Linfel and the others could see the Brown Color of Magic Energy around, her showing her status as a Level Three Magus.


    Milia stopped with her group in front of the woman''s platform, speaking, "Natalie, I''ve brought him."


    The woman opened her eyes and looked at their group. She took out her MCOM and pressed a few options. The platform the deactivated, allowing her to come out. "Oh! We are quite lucky, it seems. To think we would get our fifth member so soon.


    Welcome, welcome! I''m Natalie, one of the Faction''s members."


    Right after, her bracelet suddenly changed form, quickly becoming a Familiar that looked more like a humanoid bird. "And I''m Vigrus, Natalie''s Familiar, independent! Welcome!"


    "Fifth?" Linfel asked. "I thought Factions had a lot of members."


    Alvin and the others nodded. They were expecting at least several tens, perhaps a few hundred. That was the usual number of members in a faction.


    Natalie smiled, already expecting that question. "That''s because we are new. You see, we have just formed this Faction at the start of the last year. Because of that, not many have shown interest compared to the more established and older Factions."


    Vigrus quickly jumped in. "Besides, our rules are a little too unorthodox with what kind of members we accept."


    "Unorthodox?" Linfel and Alvin were curious.


    "Yes," Vigrus nodded. "You see... Our Faction only accepts Maguses with Independent Familiars."


    "This..." No one expected such a rule. "That pretty much excludes more than 99% of all students, no?"


    Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "Now you see why it is so hard to find members."


    Suddenly, a Familiar entered the room, quickly landing on Milia''s shoulder. It was Nori, who stayed behind in the Faction when Milia went out to fetch Alvin and Linfel. "Yes, pretty much all Maguses are out of the question. Not that we care about it, mind you."


    Linfel looked at the platform Natalie was using and asked. "What are they used for?"


    "They are Magic Energy Gathering Devices. They can extract the Magic Energy of Magic Stones much faster while keeping it all within the platform''s range," Natalie explained. "It is very convenient."


    "And expensive!" Vigrus added.


    "Only Factions have those?" Linfel wondered.


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "The Academy also has them for the students. It''s just that they cost Academy Credits to use."


    Natalie patted his shoulder. "Well, here, you don''t need to pay anything. They are free to use. Aren''t you happy you joined us? Hahaha!"


    Milia decided to continue with the tour. "Anyway, let''s go to the next place."


    There were quite a few different training facilities inside the buildings, but they were all just a few. Most Factions would have several tens of each piece of equipment, but there wasn''t much point in acquiring that many for the Floating Blades. With their Familiar Rule, they would always have a low number of members.


    Linfel didn''t mind any of that. If anything, he was more interested in training equipment for Familiars. It was called Soul Core Enhancing. For Familiars, the strength of their Soul was everything. They didn''t have a body to train, after all. That equipment allowed the Familiar to train the soul itself through a stress-related method.


    That type of training wouldn''t increase a Familiar''s Level regarding Magic Energy, but it would definitely make it easier to control, store, and release it. Linfel was basically a Core and a Soul, even if he wasn''t a Familiar, so it probably had good benefits for him as well. As for the rest of the equipment, they were mostly Magus-focused.


    Alvin couldn''t help but get a little excited as well. Most of the equipment they had here was free for use. And none of them required Academy Credits. The ones he had to spend something were the equipment that required Magic Stones to work, so he had to fork the Magic Stones himself. Nonetheless, it was definitely a great deal.


    Milia then brought them to a recreation area. "That''s pretty much all of it. I just need to add your ID to the Faction''s System, and you are now free to come and make use of everything."


    Alvin, Linfel, and Felia nodded. Let''s not forget Alvin''s condition to join was to accept Felia as well. Felia could definitely make good use of them as she is truly Alvin''s Familiar, not Linfel. There was even equipment that helped with the strengthening of Master Familiar Connection.


    At that moment, two other people entered the room. A man who seemed to be around Natalie''s age, around his twenties, and a very young girl, definitely someone who had just joined the academy this year.


    "Well, well, well! So this is our new friend, uh?" The man smiled as he spoke. "I''m Pamil, the Floating Blades Faction Leader. Just call me Pamil, though. I hate formalities. Besides, this thing about a leader is only on paper.


    I won''t go around ordering you like a boss or anything."


    Pamil then patted the young girl''s head. "And this is Rin, our second newest member. She is my cousin, so get along well with her, please."


    "Master, you can''t ignore me!" A familiar with the same brown color as Natalie''s Familiar suddenly came from Pamil''s back. "You can call me Qanda, independent. I''m the one who truly keeps everything in order in this Faction. If my Master causes you trouble, just tell me."


    Pamil shrugged. "See? I told you I''m only the leader on paper."


    "H-Hi..." Rin finally spoke, although she seemed quite shy to interact with the others.


    Milia showed a rare smile as she looked at Rin, too.


    "Last but most important, you have me!" It was then that a hairpin on Rin''s head changed shape, becoming another Familiar with a horned humanoid shape. It''s just that this one was Yellow, showing it was also a Level One Familiar. However, it was already possible to see a few tinges of Red on his body. He definitely wasn''t too far from becoming a Level Two Familiar.


    "I''m Sasoli, Rin''s Familiar, also independent. If you cause trouble to my Rin, I''ll have your heads. Be advised."


    Pamil ignored Rin''s Familiar. "Alvin, Linfel, and also Felia. We are few, but we are definitely a united Faction. We will have your backs as long as you have ours. So... PLEASE DON''T ABANDON US AND SELECT ANOTHER FACTION BECAUSE WE DON''T HAVE AS MANY RESOURCES OR AS GOOD EQUIPMENT!"


    Linfel''s group was taken aback. Shouldn''t this kind of thing be left unsaid at first and be slowly revealed to not scare your new members?


    "Sigh..." Qanda shook his head. "And now you know why I''m the one in charge of everything. Truly, I''m almost having Rin take the leader seat instead of you. Just the fact she keeps quiet would already be a great improvement."


    Rin looked terrified about the idea, though.


    "Errr... Ahem!" Alvin finally decided to talk. "It''s okay. I joined because you didn''t mind my other Familiar. That is enough to show you care about your Familiars."


    Linfel took the chance to ask. "By the way, why the rule about independent Familiars?"


    Indeed. Alvin, Connor, and the others were curious about that too.


    "Why not is the question you really want to ask," Qanda spoke. "Why should we accept Maguses who don''t trust their Familiars enough to set them free? You are connected by the soul, for fucks sake!"


    Milia and Rin nodded. They also agreed with that principle.


    It was then that Connor raised his hand. "Excuse me. If I set my Familiar Free, would I be able to join as well?"


    "No," Qanda shook his head. "We are, after all, a Faction of Maguses and Familiars. Unless you have something that sets you apart from the rest, what''s the point in spending resources on you? In Alvin''s case, he has a great Master Familiar Connection, and such a connection is sure to help the Faction. That''s why we invited him."


    Linfel looked at Tratil. "Can you even pass the independent Familiar test?" He didn''t see much difference between Felia and Tratil. That''s why he asked.


    Tratil didn''t hide that fact either. "Master. I''m also sure I can''t pass it." He looked at the others right after. "But just so everyone knows, Master had asked me before if I wanted to go independent once I got strong enough for the test. He is a good Master."


    Pamil looked at his Familiar with pledging eyes. "Look how good they are. Can''t we make a little exception?"


    Qanda''s mouth twitched. His Master was too soft. "We are already struggling for resources, and you want to make an exception? Absolutely not! End of discussion."


    "Tch..." Pamil could only give up.


    Alvin didn''t know what to expect from this Faction, but at least he was close to Milia, so he just decided to go for it. "I thank you all for receiving me. By the way, what exactly are my duties as a Faction member? I''ve never been in a Faction before, so I don''t know what you would expect me to do in here. It''s not like I can just use everything truly for free, right?"


    Qanda nodded. "Exactly."

 Chapter 23 - 23: Keg Powders

    Qanda quickly began explaining. "There are two things that determine the resources allocated to our Factions. First are the Field Exams. The overall score achieved during it can be added to the Faction itself at the end of each month."


    Linfel found it strange. "Then we are pretty much fucked, no? With Alvin, we only have five members, after all. Other Factions have several tens, if not hundreds. How can we even compete with it?"


    Qanda agreed with him. "Indeed. If the Field Exams were the only possible method, it would be a lost battle. However, that is the one that is worth the least towards the Faction''s overall ranking. The part that really determines most of the score for the Rank is the Faction Wars. Well, the official name is Faction Competition, but no one really uses that name."


    "Faction Wars?" Alvin and Connor had heard about it, although they never participated or paid attention to it. "How does it work?"


    "There are five types of events during the Faction Wars, and the wars happen once every six months only," Wanca continued. "They are the Magic Diagram Runes Exam, Magus Combat Exam, Master Familiar Combat Exam, Familiar Combat Exam, and last but not least, the Team Combat Exam."


    "So many combats..." Alvin couldn''t help but feel a chill on his back. Even though he made up his mind, it wasn''t like he became an incredibly brave Magus out of nowhere.


    Both Maguses and Familiars of the Floating Blades Faction smiled at the same time, and that even included the shy Rin. Right after, Milia commented. "Magus have a great status in any country. They can be famous, can build their own companies and have great chances of success, can remain anonymous, pursue their own dreams, it doesn''t matter."


    Her malicious smile increased as she looked straight at Alvin and Connor. "However, you must never forget. Maguses and Familiars are ultimately the country''s strength! The planet''s strength! They are raised ultimately for combat! To protect their home if it is attacked.


    To conquer others if it is needed. Maguses and Familiars exist for that sole purpose! Now that you have become a Magus, even if you are only a Level One Magus, you will not be able to escape this reality."


    Alvin swallowed hard. "G-Good thing we are in a quite peaceful time..."


    "Hahaha!" Pamil laughed even more. "It is so good to be naive. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss." He then added. "There is no such thing as peaceful times."


    Alvin, Connor, Felia, and Tratil looked all genuinely shocked by the revelation. From the looks of it, things weren''t as simple, and they had no idea.


    However, Qanda noticed that Linfel didn''t share the same shock as his companions. ''Does he know about it?'' He thought to himself.


    To be more specific, it wasn''t that Linfel knew anything. Instead, it was just that he never believed a country with something like Maguses and Familiars could truly be considered peaceful. He came from a time where wars occurred every second, where strength reigned supreme. Horan made absolutely sure Linfel understood this principle.


    From the very start, Linfel expected the background of things to be a lot more chaotic than what could be seen on the surface. Pamil''s words just confirmed the obvious to him.


    Milia took the opportunity to mention a few examples. "Have you followed the news? If you have, you should have heard about the conflict that broke out in Rasfol Country against Wenfis Country around a year ago."


    Alvin and Connor nodded with their Familiars. Linfel was the only one who didn''t now anything, although he could guess what Milia was about to say.


    "Those two countries were just like ours, they were living in ''peaceful times.'' However, go to the magical network and search for it. Search for any clues that could lead these two countries to such a conflict," Milia asked. "I''ll tell you what you will find... Nothing!"


    "If you are still skeptical, you can search for Kramandel and Sosmari Countries. Same thing, no clues of a possible war, but now those two countries are at their throats," Milia gave another example.


    "You mean..." Alvin seemed to finally understand.


    And Qanda confirmed. "Yes, all the conflicts between Maguses of each country always happen behind the curtains. You will hear absolutely nothing about it until it finally explodes. Every country has its own keg powder waiting to be ignited, and ours or our neighbors are no different. You just have never heard about it because it is never made public."


    "However, the reasons are usually extremely simple," Pamil didn''t stop either. "Maguses and Familiars need resources to continue improving. Resources are acquired through the many sources of a territory. In the end, more territory, more resources, more High-Level Maguses and Familiars."


    Linfel faintly smiled. "When there are not enough resources for the Maguses and Familiars anymore..."


    "Exactly," Qanda confirmed. "You will have to look for it elsewhere, and this elsewhere always has an owner... or a country, if you may. Will that country just sit still and wait for it to be taken away? Absolutely not, and we are no different."


    Qanda then looked at Pamil as if asking for permission. Pamil noticed that and pondered a bit before ultimately nodding. Finally, Qanda spoke. "To be honest, our Heffal Country is reaching saturation, and because the other countries around haven''t had any wars in a while, they aren''t much different.


    Do not go around spreading this news, but it won''t take long before a powder keg finally explodes, and this explosion will immediately ignite the other kegs around."


    "What?!" Alvin and Connor were shaken. "It can''t be, right?"


    "It totally can," Pamil confirmed. "Because of my background, I know that small skirmishes between Maguses have increased severely in the past few years, and it is only growing. Once again, you won''t hear about it anywhere, nor should you spread this news if you don''t want to be silenced. However, you guys better put your all into your Magus training.


    It might not be long before you are put at the forefront of a real combat field."


    *Pah!*


    *Ouch!*


    Suddenly, a hand came flying, hitting Pamil''s back head. pamil turned around, feeling wronged, just to see Natalie there with a dark expression. His face froze for a second, and he looked away.


    Well, Natalie didn''t let go, though. "Why the hell are you scaring the newbie? Does it feel good or anything?"


    Alvin, Connor, and their Familiars were taken aback. "Wait! Were they lying?!"


    Natalie shook her head. "No, they were telling the truth." She looked at Milia right after. "Why didn''t you stop him? Even worse, you joined the group and said everything."


    Milia didn''t seem to care. "They should know the truth. Simple as that. As part of the Floating Blades Faction, they will be soon or later exposed to it."


    "It might be true," Natalie spoke. "However, that would only happen once they became Level Two Maguses and Familiars. The reason Rin even knows about it is because of her and Pamil''s Rowester Entreprise background. She was raised in the midst of such intrigues, so she isn''t affected by it. Alvin is different. You didn''t need to throw it all on his face at once."


    Linfel looked at Alvin. "They don''t even know you yet, and they already think you are a weakling. Just how did you manage to get such a reputation?"


    Alvin''s concerned expression immediately changed into anger. Obviously, Linfel was talking about Alvin''s unwillingness to take part in any of the Field Exams. "Shut up! I will get over it!" He then pulled Connor to his side. "My brother is also with me, so I can definitely get better."


    "Cough, cough..." Connor quickly distanced himself. Connor said he would join the Field Exams with Alvin, but this conversation made him change his mind. "I just got a message that my dog caught fire. I need to go."


    "Your ass!" Alvin kicked the guy''s but before he could take a single step. "You don''t even have a fucking dog, so just quit the bullshit and bear the pain with me."


    Tratil quickly joined the conversation. "He is right, Master. This is not the time to run away. If something really happens, you will need to be as strong as possible! If you are as weak as now by then... wouldn''t you be selected straight away as a cannon fodder?"


    Connor instantly straightened himself. "I just got another message. Seems like my roommate put out my dog''s fire. Let''s continue." Cannon fodder? That was even worse!


    Alvin was speechless. How much more shameless can Connor be? Everyone had their own rooms in the dormitories. They are all Maguses, after all. There was no such thing as roommates. Yes, the academy was that big.


    Natalie looked at Connor before speaking to Alvin. "Alvin, it is one thing that you now know about it, but another one for your friend here. You better make sure he keeps quiet. You don''t need to worry about us going after him. If he opens his mouth, the academy and the government itself will make sure he will not see the sun rising tomorrow."


    Connor was terrified of the notion. "I... will absolutely say nothing..."


    Natalie nodded. "If you care for your life, then I''m sure you won''t. In any case, you would also know about it once you become a Level Two Magus, although a lot later than Alvin here in the Floating Blades Faction."


    "Alright, alright, let''s end it here," Qanda intervened. "This conversation is getting too gloomy. What we were talking about was the Faction Wars, so let''s continue that."


    Linfel was happy to hear that. "Right! When is the next one? Also, what are the rules?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The rules are determined a day prior to the wars," Qanda explained. "As for the date, as I mentioned, it is every six months. It has been only two months since the second semester started, so it will only happen at the end of the year. Four months. We can try to do better in field exams, but with how little they contribute to the Faction Rankings, it won''t matter much for us at the moment.


    Just do your best."


    Linfel could only leave it at that. "Well, we will see when the time comes then."


    The two groups then talked for a while as Qanda finished explaining some other rules in the Faction itself. In the end, the day gave way to the night, and it was time for Alvin and Linfel to go back to the dormitory with the others.


    On their way out, Qanda also mentioned. "The Faction equipment is open for its members to use all day long, even if you want to use it during the late night or early morning hours before the sun even comes up. There will always be an attendant at the entrance to attend to your requests as long as they are within his duties."


    "Hum?" It was then that Linfel noticed something. "By the way, Milia, Pamil, Rin, and Alvin are only four members of the Floating Blades Faction. What about the fifth one?"


    Pamil smiled. "You will meet him soon. Until then, it is a surprise."


    Alvin and Linfel looked at each other, not understanding the reason for the secrecy. Nonetheless, it wasn''t like they absolutely needed to know the guy. "If you say so..."


    Alvin and Connor bid their farewells after a while before Alvin returned to his room with Linfe and Felia.


    "Sigh..." Alvin crumbled on his bed. "Could it truly be the case? Were we in such danger all this time?"


    "Seems like it," Felia confirmed. "So, master, you must get strong to protect yourself and your father."


    Alvin could only nod in the end. "I will try." He then sat on the bed and looked at Linfel. "Alright, the best way to do it is through our deal. Linfel, ready to clean some Low-Grade Magic Stones?"


    Linfel nodded. "Sure. Will you take it all, or will you share it with Felia?"


    "Share it!" Alvin didn''t need to think twice. "We aren''t really Master and Familiar. If one day you decide to leave, it will be only Felia and I again. It''s not that I don''t trust you, but I still prefer her."


    Felia was happy to hear that, and so was Linfel. "You are right. I will stay in the academy for now but might leave at some point. Very well, give me the Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones you have. Time to pay my debt."

 Chapter 24 - 24: Lets Get Started

    Each Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stone was just three Universal Credits outside the academy, so one could only imagine how cheap it was inside the Academy itself, which usually had lower prices. Of course, those prices were charged in Academy Credits, the academy''s own currency.


    There were rules, though. To prevent students from taking advantage of this system, all the training resources acquired in the Academy can only be used by the Academy Students and inside the Academy Grounds. For example, Alvin didn''t bring a single Low-Grade Yellow Magic when he visited his father. Instead, when he tested Linfel''s ability, he used his father''s Magic Stones.


    The Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones were truly cheap, costing just a single Academy Credit each. That was another reason for all new Maguses to join it. Even if you were for a famous family or some other organization, you still wanted to take advantage of the academy''s several benefits.


    *plin, plin, plin, plin...*


    Suddenly, hundreds of Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones fell to the ground. There was one thing different about these ones compared to those outside. They all had the academy''s mark inside them. It was pretty much impossible to sell them outside without anyone knowing. Obviously, another security measure so no one would take advantage of the academy''s rules.


    "That''s quite a lot," Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    Alvin nodded without caring much. "As little as the payments for menial tasks are, they are still big enough so you can afford Low-Grade or maybe even some Medium-Grade Yellow Magic Stones. I accumulated a lot of them so I can use these stones for a long time. There are more if you want too."


    Linfel didn''t waste time and immediately took ten of those stones, absorbing all their Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy. The cleaning process lasted only a few seconds. Alvin looked at Linfel''s core, and it was easy to see a lot of Yellow-Magic Energy escaping his body, just like the last time. That was all the impure Magic Energy, which even Linfel didn''t have much use for.


    Linfel then took another ten and repeated the process. This continued a few times until he spent a total of forty-seven Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones. "Alright, seems like this is the number."


    "Number of what?" Alvin and Felia asked.


    "Regarding concentration. I needed to use forty-seven of these yellow stones to accumulate the same amount of Low-Grade Red Magic Energy," Linfel explained.


    "Forty-Seven!" Alvin and Felia were delighted. "That''s the same as forty-seven Academy Credits! This is the greatest bargain of all times!"


    Only now, Linfel thought about it. "By the way, I saw the price of Low-Grade Red Magic Stones outside the academy with those Universal Credits. But how much does a Low-Grade Red Magic Stone cost in the academy itself?" He still remembers the cheapest Alvin showed him was 1352 Universal Credits.


    "Here? 500 exactly. Outside, the price of the Magic Stones varies according to the market fluctuations. However, the academy always keeps the prices static inside its grounds," Felia spoke. "By the way, Medium-Grade Yellows are 35 Academy Credits, while High-Grade yellows go for 125."


    Linfel was surprised. "So you will be able to get a 90% discount from now on with me here. Hahaha!" Right after, Linfel connected with Alvin. "Alright, let''s use the Master Familiar Connection. That is the best way I can share this Red Magic Energy without wasting anything."


    It was then that Alvin remembered something. "Right! What about Felia? You can''t use Master Familiar Connection with her, so how will you give Red Magic Energy to her core?"


    "It will need to be the normal process. Linfel will release his Red Magic while I absorb as much as I can before it completely dissipates," Felia explained.


    Linfel found that option terrible, though. "Why go through so much pain? Let''s both just use Master Familiar Connection with Alvin. That way, the Red Magic Energy I send into his Core can be taken into your core while the connection is active. See? No wastage...


    Well, there will probably be some waste of energy since you can''t reach a 100% MFC with Alvin, but it will be several times better than if I just release the energy in the air."


    Unfortunately, Alvin shook his head. "It doesn''t work. A Magus can''t connect to more than one Familiar at once. The burden to the soul is tremendous. That''s why you won''t see any maguses, at least none lower than Level Six Maguses, using more than one Master Familiar Connection at once. Even those at Level Six and above will refrain from doing so unless it is absolutely necessary.


    The risks of damaging the soul and even dying are too high."


    "Even less of a problem, then," Linfel crossed his arms, feeling confident. "After all, I''m not a Familiar. Our connection isn''t a real connection to start with. With you and Felia, you truly achieve a synergy between each other, a kind of merging property. In my case, however, I''m basically matching Alvin''s Soul and Magic Energy Frequencies.


    Your soul shouldn''t even notice I''m there while you still gain all the benefits of a Master Familiar Connection."


    "This..." Alvin didn''t know what to say.


    "Master, the implications of something like this are..." Felia was just as shocked.


    Linfel wanted to start. "Stop wasting time already. You need to sleep, but I don''t. Once you two go to bed, I''m going out to explore, so let''s get over with it." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Felia and Alvin felt a chill in their souls with Linfel''s words. Perhaps the world would be over once they woke up the next day. "Please don''t! I still wish to live!" Alvin pleaded.


    "Where is your trust in me?" Linfel asked, feeling wronged.


    "It has never existed to start with," Felia and Alvin spoke at the same time.


    Linfel was speechless. "H-Hmph! I didn''t need it anyway." He then approached Felia and Alvin. "Come on, let''s get started."


    Alvin and Felia were still skeptical about Linfel''s idea of using the Master Familiar Connection at the same time as they were doing it. So, to make sure things wouldn''t go out of control, Felia and Alvin did it first.


    One might wonder, since Linfel could match Alvin''s Soul and Magic Energy Frequencies, why couldn''t he do it with Felia. The rules of the Master Familiar Connection didn''t seem to apply to him anyway. The truth is, he probably could. It''s just he didn''t mention it. Linfel wanted to see if he could achieve a Master Familiar Connection while someone else as doing it.


    Felia''s core changed into the shape of two interlaced bracelets, with a few little chains connected between the bracelet and five rings on Alvin''s fingers. Their Magic Energy merged, and Alvin gained full control over Felia''s reserves.


    Linfel nodded and began to connect with Alvin, too. Well, he was just matching his Soul and Magic frequency now that he was connected to Felia. "Sure enough, there is a slight change when you two connect to each other. Don''t worry. It is still pretty much the same," Linfel spoke. Finally, he made the necessary changes and got to merge his magic Energy with the one Felia and Alvin had merged previously.


    "Success!"


    Alvin and Lifnelia felt Linfel''s magic Energy, including Red Magic Energy. It was shocking since even Felia felt she could control that energy directly without the need to pass through Alvin first. "Master... you now have the Magic Energy of two Familiars for use. How big is the difference?"


    Alvin got up and tried to control both of them. Felia wasn''t as perfect, but Linfel was truly without any issues whatsoever. Simply put, he only needed to focus on Felia as he always did. It was as if Linfel wasn''t even there. But, at the same time, all his Magic Energy was free for use, completely merged with his own and Felia''s.


    "Do you believe me if I say I think I could put a fight against a Low Level Two Magus?"


    He controlled all those reserves of energy, and even though it was yellow, the intensity was so high that he could make up for the difference in quality. He didn''t even need to touch Linfel''s Red Magic Energy.


    "That''s good and all," Linfel spoke. "But we are wasting time here. You two, take the Red Magic Away and absorb it into your Cores. There is still a lot of yellow Magic Energy to clean from these Magic Stones."


    Alvin and Felia quickly accepted the order. Alvin sat on the bed again and began to use half of the available Red Magic Energy while Felia used the other half. Both of them could see the huge advantages of using Red Magic Energy to level up. Still, it was a slow process, so it took them almost thirty minutes to use what Linfel prepared.


    "Phew..." Alvin took a deep breath. "We are done, Linfel."


    Linfel nodded and pulled more Yellow Magic Stones. "From now on, I will maintain a constant flow of Red Magic Energy. How long do you intend to absorb it?"


    "Three hours," Alvin quickly spoke. "More than that and I will start to saturate my core. This is not good for a Magus''s Future."


    "I understand," It was good so he could leave earlier. "By the way, I''m creating Low-Grade Red Magic Energy. But, as you saw back in your father''s house, I can go as far as Medium-Grade Red Magic Energy. It''s just that it will cost a lot of these Low-Grade Yellows, and the amount I will create will be quite pitiful. What do you think?"


    "Keep the Low-Grade Energy," Felia asked. "There is no point in us acquiring a higher level than that. It would be a waste since Low-Grade Red Magic Energy is the limit of what our cores can absorb. We simply don''t have a high enough level."


    "Oh! I see!" Linfel gave up going that far. "Alright, just continue using the Low-Grade then."


    They continued during all the three hours Alvin asked, and even Linfel could tell that Alvin''s Core was indeed getting someone lethargic through the Magic Energy Waves Frequency. It was to the point he found it hard to keep that connection. "We should stop here. More than that, and it might truly get dangerous."


    Alvin nodded before Felia detached from his hand, returning her core to the original shape. Linfel, too, ended his connection with them. "So, how was it?"


    Alvin''s calm expression then disappeared as his excitement returned in full force! "Hahaha! This is incredible! I feel like I did the work of an entire week in a single day! Linfel, this Red Magic Energy of yours is even better than the Red Magic Energy I got from the Red Magic Stone I earned from the Academy years ago! It is sooooooo easy to absorb and integrate to the core!"


    Felia quickly followed. "Yes! This is the best absorption session I''ve ever experienced. I wonder if this is how high-level Familiars feel when they are using those expensive Magic Stones. Even if it is, it shouldn''t be far off."


    "The best part is that our cores will be much stronger once they level up now that we are using such high-quality energy," Alvin didn''t forget to add.


    Linfel was happy to hear that. "Good! Good! Seems like I can keep our deal going." However, he also pointed at the Yellow Magic Stones. "Yet, I''m sorry to tell you, but you should take a look."


    Alvin''s smile instantly froze. "W-Where are the rest?"


    "You two used them," Linfel spoke. "Did you forget? You two were absorbing it at the same time. Now, there are just these 53 remaining. Well, you said you still had more, didn''t you?"


    "I do..." Alvin bitterly smiled. "However, I only have another two hundred. If we train like this tomorrow, they will all be gone."


    Those words meant one thing and one thing only for Alvin and Felia. "We need to take missions... and absolutely need to increase our Rank in the Field Exam."

 Chapter 25 - 25: Didnt Know

    Linfel didn''t waste time there. "Alright, you two can go to sleep. I want to take a look at the missions. I saw there were a few missions that could only be performed at night. Since I''m not really your Familiar, I don''t need to go into suspended animation while Alvin sleeps."


    Alvin explained to Linfel back in his father''s home during the first night. Felia was his Familiar and connected to his soul. Because of that, if she stayed awake, Alvin would still feel that connection, which was quite similar to when you use Master Familiar Connection, although to a much lesser degree.


    Simply put, his soul and brain wouldn''t be able to properly rest with Felia active, so she and all other Familiars whose masters were alive had to go into suspended animation to allow them to rest.


    Of course, there were ways to cut this connection. An independent Familiar can get it done if he wishes to. But cutting that connection was not a good thing if you and your Familiar still planned to use Master Familiar Connection in the future. They would truly become separate individuals.


    Alvin sighed and nodded, knowing that there was no stop the wisp. "Alright, but try to not cause trouble." Alvin was indeed tired after today, so he went straight to bed while Felia deactivated herself.


    Linfel, on the other hand, left the Dormitory, going to the Missions Hall. It was already close to midnight, so the number of maguses and familiars around was very low. No one paid attention to him, though. He looked just like any other Familiar.


    In the Missions Hall, Linfel jumped in front of one of the terminals and used his Magic Energy on the receptor. Finally, the list of missions appeared.


    ''I will only get the introduction to Magic Energy integration next week, so I might as well start accumulating Magic Stones. At the moment, I''m not really sure how to increase my level. It''s too different from back when Primordial Energy existed,'' Linfel thought.


    Linfel scrolled through the list, and sure enough, he found the few that had nighttime schedules.


    -Trash disposer: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 12AM to 6AM.- [One Star]


    -Janitorial Services: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 11PM to 7AM.- [One Star]


    -Restocking Magical Diagram Equipment: 44 Academy Credits, work schedule 1AM to 5AM. General Knowledge of Diagrams is needed.- [One Star]


    -General Cleaning of Facilities: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 12AM to 6AM.- [One Star]


    ''Alvin wasn''t kidding,'' Linfel looked at the options. All of them were obviously a single star, being the lowest rank available. As for the good missions, they were gone, most with mentions of higher-ranked class students on them. ''There are a lot of menial tasks that no one wants to take. Truth be told, the academy doesn''t even need the students to do these things.


    They definitely have the resources to employ specialized companies for such things.''


    Linfel then looked at a corner of the building, and there he saw a person starting the cleaning. ''Definitely not a Magus. Can''t feel any Magic Energy in his body whatsoever. Well, the Academy needs them. After all, if the students don''t take the cleaning tasks, there has to be someone else to carry them out when that happens.


    This is all so the students could at least earn some credits for their own training.''


    ''Still,'' Linfel thought about all the technology he had seen so far. ''It is surprising they haven''t used some kind of automated process instead. Maybe some robots or whatever. They definitely have the knowledge for such things... I wonder why they would have normal humans like that guy doing it.''


    Linfel then shook his head and ignored it. He continued to scroll through the list when a certain task caught his attention. ''Hum?''


    -Stars Magic Energy Receptor: 33 Academy Credits, work schedule 1AM to 4AM. Some degree of Magic Energy Sensibility is required.- [One Star]


    ''Stars Magic Energy Receptor?'' Linfel wondered what it was about. Unfortunately, there wasn''t much information regarding the specifics. Nonetheless, Linfel definitely had a high sensibility to Magic Energy, and the work schedule was the shortest one he had seen so far. ''Might as well give it a try.''


    Linfel quickly selected the mission on the list, which changed its status to ''taken'' straight away. Linfel still hasn''t acquired an MCOM, so he read the location before coming out of the terminal.


    Using one of the transportations, Linfel arrived at the place around 30 minutes later, located on the northwest side of the academy. A giant building with many arrow-shaped pillars stretched from its top, going tens of meters high, could be seen.


    Yet, when he got inside, the place was pretty much empty. There were several pieces of Diagram Rune Devices running some programs, but there were no teachers, workers, or students around. ''Could it be I read the task wrong? It is almost 1AM, but there is no one here.'' sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Crash!*


    It was then that he heard the sound of something falling to the ground not far away. He looked in that direction, and there he found a person lying. He quickly approached to check. "Hey! Are you dead yet?"


    The person sat up slowly while rubbing the head. "Do you think dead people would tell you they were dead?" Asked a woman with messed hair and a terrible expression. Well, it looked particularly bad because she had enormous bags under her eyes, showing her deprivation of sleep. "This is truly a mess. Why can''t I get a little bit more funding? The equipment here is pretty much Jurassic already."


    Finally, she got up and looked at Linfel. "A Familiar, uh? What do you want?"


    Linfel quickly explained. "I accepted the task for Stars Magic Energy Receptor, so I came."


    "Oh!" The woman''s expression immediately improved. "Finally, someone is willing to work for that pity amount of Academy Credits. You must truly hate the other menial tasks if you selected this one."


    Too bad, though. Linfel was lost. "To be honest, I don''t even know what I''m supposed to do," Linfel told her the truth.


    "Wait, really?" The woman looked at Linfel with doubt for a moment before sighing. "Well, I guess it was too good to be true. However, you already accepted it, so you must perform it this night."


    She continued. "By the way, I''m Aelua Thevalur, the main and pretty much the only researcher in this facility. Now, let me see..." She took out her MCOM and accessed the task she had posted. "So you are Linfel, a new Familiar. No wonder you didn''t know about this place. Well, come with me."


    Further inside, Linfel saw several cylinders, each of which seemed to be connected to one of the Arrowhead-like Pillars outside. On their extremes, they all had those receptors you would see in the terminals in various places of the academy. Palm-sized spheres with many diagrams runes.


    Of course, Linfel could easily see that these were different from the small spheres he used on the terminals to show his Magic Signature. Their purpose was different.


    Aelua pointed at one of them. "Can you see that they are brimming with Yellow Magic Energy?" Linfel nodded and waited for Aelua to continue. "Well then, your job is to disperse most of the Magic Energy in the Receptors. This is the part where I mentioned that some degree of Magic Sensibility is necessary."


    She then gave a demonstration, touching her hand on one of the receptors. Magic Energy then began to disperse in the air. However, Linfel could also see a little bit of a different Magic Energy with all that Yellow. It looked almost transparent, but it was truly just a tiny bit, hardly perceptible.


    "Is it also Magic Energy?" Linfel couldn''t help to ask.


    "Oh! So you noticed it?" Aelue was surprised. "I thought I would need to accumulate a lot more of it before you finally noticed. In any case, yes, this is also Yellow Magic Energy. However, it suffered a little bit of mutation in space and is very hard to capture. There isn''t much use for it since it is contaminated and not proper for use in training or even equipment.


    Nonetheless, this is exactly what I need."


    Aelua then pulled that almost transparent Magic Energy and fused it into a Magic Energy Container near the cylinder. The Magic Energy in the receptor barely changed, so she had to continue this process. It wasn''t before 40 minutes that she got it all, and the receptor became empty. "This is basically everything you need to do.


    The Pillars outside spend the day collecting the Magic Energy and are ready for harvesting during the night. You need to get rid of the common Yellow Magic Energy and store this other type."


    Linfel then noticed that the receptor that was empty a moment ago began to shine again with more Yellow Energy. "I thought this one was empty, but it seems like that''s not the case."


    "The Pillars accumulate a lot of Magic Energy. It''s just that the receptors we use to capture this Magic Energy can''t hold it all, so most of it stays in the Pillars. You will need to perform the same task a few times before a pillar is completely emptied. Then, obviously, you move to the next receptor."


    Linfel understood the principle, but he was still confused. "It doesn''t look like something that hard to do; the payment is pretty much similar to the other menial tasks. Yet, the amount of time you need to work is definitely much less. That said, why no one likes to take this task?"


    Aelua pointed at the receptor, which was now full of Magic Energy again. "Give it a try, and you will understand."


    Linfel quickly touched the Receptor with his core and began to take away the Yellow Magic Energy. Yet, as soon as the Magic Energy passed through his core, he instantly noticed the problem. "No wonder. This Magic Energy is so impure that it makes the Low-Grade Magic Stones look like a gift from god."


    Aelua couldn''t agree more. "That''s the problem. You see, the Magic Energy captured here comes from space, which is filled with space radiation and who knows what other kinds of impurities. Even if you don''t absorb this Yellow Magic Energy, just the fact it goes through you affects your body, or your core, in the Familiar''s case. 33 Academy Credits is truly not worth the bother.


    After all, you will have to spend almost all of it to clean your body and core later."


    She couldn''t help but sigh. "If the Academy gave me some extra funding, I could offer a better payment. It would compensate for the trouble of dealing with this Magic Energy. Alas, I''m struggling to simply continue my research. Don''t take it to the personal side. Also, there are nine pillars, which is way too much, so you will only have to separate the Magic Energy from three of them.


    More than that, and it could truly affect your core permanently."


    Linfel then gave it a try, absorbing all the Magic Energy inside the Receptor in one go! The impure Magic Energy filled the surroundings while he pulled the container and put the semi-transparent Magic Energy inside. "Seems quite simple."


    "HOLY SHIT!" Yet, Aelua was scared out of his mind. "Are you okay?! Check your core! You took too much of this impure magic energy at once! How are you still even alive?!"


    Linfel looked at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about? I just separated the energies; the impurities inside don''t bother me at all."


    "They... don''t bother you?" She found it hard to believe. "Did you check it? Is your core and soul really okay?"


    Linfel nodded. "At the very least, I can''t feel anything out of place."


    Aelua truly didn''t know what to do. ''I can''t even imagine how much his master spent to create his body. His tolerance is incredible! Still... if he has such a great background, why would he come here to take such a terrible task?''


    However, Aelua quickly noticed the opportunity. "Ahem! Can you do it with the other receptors?"


    Linfel nodded and repeated the process in the next receptor. Even more Yellow Magic Energy spread in the surroundings before Linfel put the Semi-Transparent Magic Energy inside another container. "Still fairly easy."


    Aelua''s shock changed into ecstasy! Who cares what his background is? She absolutely can''t lose him! "I-Is that so? then-"


    Linfel cut in. "You said I only had to do it for three receptors, right? What if I finish all nine of them? Will I get three times the payment?"


    Aelua was taken aback. "Really? Do you want to do it all, even with this terrible Magic Energy passing through your core?"


    "Only if you allow me to do so," Linfel answered. Impurities? He could get rid of them easily. He could come every night and get a guaranteed 33 Academy Credits quite fast. Why wouldn''t he do so? In fact, he could get 99 every night!


    There are nine pillars, after all.


    Aelua didn''t waste time to confirm. She would gain quite a lot more herself, so it was absolutely worth it. "Definitely! Finish all nine pillars, and I will give you the 99 Academy Credits. Actually, I''ll round it up to 100. How about that?"


    "Alright, I''ll finish these nine today, and I''ll come back for more tomorrow," said Linfel. Suddenly, the next receptor completely emptied again as Linfel transferred the little bit of semi-transparent Yellow Magic into the container.


    "I''m warning you, and you should warn your master, too," Aelua was happy with Linfel''s capabilities, but she wasn''t an idiot. She had to tell him about the repercussions. "I am not taking responsibility for whatever happens to you if you really do this. If you are truly fine, then great! Come back every night.


    If not, you should reconsider and have a good chat with your master." A master that can make a Familiar like Linfel shouldn''t be offended, either.


    Linfel faintly smiled. "I''m independent. I don''t need anyone''s permission, so there is no need to worry."


    Aelua didn''t know, but Linfel was happier than he looked. Others might not have use for that extremely impure Yellow Magic Energy, but that was definitely not the case for him. ''I only need to learn how to do integration later. Then, I will have a lot of free Magic Energy. Hahaha!'' Linfel couldn''t wait to learn how to level up.

 Chapter 26 - 26: Buying Things

    Usually, the job was about three hours per day. Then, the Magus or Familiar would come back the next day and continue to empty the Pillars. Only when they finished the equivalent of three pillars would they receive their 33 Academy Credits. So, it was truly not a job worth doing since you would take two to three days to finish the task once!


    However, less than one hour after Linfel started the task, all nine Pillars were completely empty. If you take the time Aelua took to demonstrate the process, Linfel hasn''t been here for more than two hours yet.


    "Phew..." Linfel could see the very impure Yellow Magic Energy dissipating in the surroundings. That made him feel this was quite a waste. Unfortunately, he still couldn''t integrate that Magic Energy into his core to increase his Level.


    After finishing the job, he went to the back of the facility, where Aelua seemed busy working on some other equipment. One of the containers that stored the Semi-Transparent Yellow Magic Energy was also attached to them. "These numbers... they seemed quite easy to read... Has there been any further mutations to the Space around our planet?" Aelua murmured to herself.


    "Aelua, I finished the job," Linfel called her attention. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aelua immediately displayed a wide smile and came out of the room. "Great! Let''s take a look!"


    She went to every receptor and checked to see if the Pillars were really empty. Then she checked the containers and was even more satisfied. "I know I said some Magic Energy sensibility was necessary, but I didn''t expect you to be this good. You were able to capture more of the Semi-Transparent Yellow Magic Energy than even myself."


    Following that, she took out her MCOM and went through a few options. A moment later, she turned the screen to Linfel. "As promised, 100 Academy Credits! You can check your MCOM and go back to the Missions Hall. The terminals there will deposit the value directly into your account."


    "I don''t have an MCOM yet," Linfel answered. "But I''m going back there indeed. I''m happy to do business with you, Aelua. So, I can come back tomorrow, right?"


    Aelua instantly nodded. "Absolutely!" She then remembered something. "Oh! By the way, there is no need to go to the Mission Hall anymore after today. I only posted this job there because I was looking for someone capable... and you are definitely many times better than just capable.


    Tomorrow, you can come here straight away after 1AM. As soon as you finish your job, I''ll transfer another 100 Academy Credits into your account directly."


    "That''s even better!" Linfel was happy to hear that. "Anyway, I''m taking my leave then."


    "Just one second," Aelua stopped him, though. "This little business of ours... try to not mention it outside, okay? I don''t want people to have the wrong idea that I''m now paying 100 Academy Credits for this job. Don''t worry; it''s not that we are doing anything outside the rules.


    It''s just that it would be annoying to convince others of the reasons." She also didn''t want Linfel to be bothered since she might lose him. Especially since she would make more Academy Credits in return with Linfel''s help.


    Linfel didn''t see a problem with that. "Very well." Finally, he left the building.


    Aelua''s smile increased as she collected all the containers. "Hahaha! This is great! Come with Mama, my babies. We have a lot of research to do..."


    *Bang!*


    *Snore...*


    Or so she wanted. Too bad she was terrible at keeping a healthy schedule, so she collapsed to the ground and slept right there. It wouldn''t be before the cleaners arrived that she would finally wake up again. Well, that was already routine there.


    Linfel took the Academy''s Public Transportation and went back to the Missions Hall. He accessed the Terminal and quickly found the Mission he had taken a few hours ago. It was now marked as concluded, and it also had a mention of a bonus added. ''Great! I finally have some Academy Credits!'' He quickly accepted the reward, and it was added to his Academy Account.


    In a great mood, Linfel exited the Mission Hall, already knowing exactly where he was going. ''Alvin and Felia will be down for a few more hours at least. In that case, time to go buy an MCOM for me.''


    An academy of this size definitely had its own commercial district, this one located on the southeast side. Linfel took another 26 minutes to get there through public transportation. ''So bright...''


    Even though it was late at night, the district was filled with lights as many Maguses and Familiars walked around. There were even a few teachers and Academy Employees in the mix. Linfel passed through the shops. He stopped by some helping terminals and made a through research of the place. A few hours later, he finally found what he was looking for.


    -Ratax Magic Technology Store-


    He entered it and was immediately attended by a Familiar. "Hey there, friend. How can I help you?"


    "I''m a new Familiar and need an MCOM," Linfel went straight to the topic.


    The Familiar nodded. "No problem. But be aware that as a new Familiar, you will need your Master''s concentration to acquire an MCOM."


    "I''m independent," Linfel added.


    "Oh!" The Familiar was taken aback for a moment. Independent Familiar were already rare, let alone new ones. Well, that mattered not during the sales. "In that case, please follow me."


    Linfel was shown many models of MCOMs specialized for Familiars. Because Familiars didn''t use clothes, they didn''t really have pockets and things like that. That said, the MCOMs made for them were actually tiny Magic Diagram Rune Chips.


    "Will it not be affected if we battle or move abruptly?" Linfel asked, curious.


    "Not at all!" The Familiar answered. "Look at my core."


    Linfel paid attention. Suddenly, the Familiar''s core changed a little as a small CHIP appeared on the surface.


    "Since we can change the shape of our Cores, we can mold them around the MCOM itself. Unless the Core itself is broken, the MCOM should be just fine," the attendant explained. "Easy, no?"


    Linfel bitterly smiled. He... can''t change the shape of his Core.


    Around an hour later, Linfel left the store with an MCOM... made for Maguses. He used his Magic Energy to carry it around, making it look quite weird. The MCOM itself was pretty much the same size as Linfel''s Core, after all.


    He then returned to Alvin''s room, who had just woken up a few minutes ago. Alvin quickly approached Linfel and pressed his shoulder... Or the ethereal form of them. "Linfel, please tell me everything went okay. You are not being searched for murder, right?"


    Linfel''s mouth twitched. "Fuck off! I''m not that clueless!"


    Alvin sighed in relief. Well, the first thing he did when he woke up was to look into the news. Sure enough, there was nothing mentioning Linfel in there. "Good, good..."


    Felia, however, noticed the MCOM Linfel was holding with his Magic Energy. "What about this MCOM? Did you find it on the ground?"


    "I bought it," Linfel spoke.


    Felia and Alvin looked at each other before looking back at Linfel. "Were you fooled? This is a Magus MCOM, you know? It is not very practical for Familiars."


    Linfel obviously knew that. "Yes, yes, yes... The Familiar who attended me in the store spoke the same thing. Don''t worry, I didn''t buy the wrong one. Give me a moment."


    Linfel then put the MCOM on the ground and manipulated his Magic Energy. Out of nowhere, many Magic Energy Runes began to appear. These runes then floated and attached to Linfel''s Core, disappearing right after.


    Those runes had nothing to do with the Diagram Runes of the Magic World. Instead, they were Runes from the past, usually made with Primordial Energy. When Linfel tried to use them for the first time back in Alvin''s home, they didn''t work. Still, he gave it a few more tries and found a workaround.


    "As I thought, the lack of power and the difference in type of energy makes the Primordial Energy Runes pretty much useless. All I managed to create was a small Spatial Store of a little over half a meter inside my core."


    Before Alvin and Felia could ask what Linfel was talking about, Linfel created more of those runes and placed them all over the MCOM. Following that, he used his Magic Energy to grab the MCOM, which touched his core... and began to disappear inside in a weird way. It was as if the MCOM was slowly falling into a lake, creating several ripples that spread around Linfel''s Core.


    Just like that, the MCOM disappeared from this world.


    "This..." Alvin and Felia were shocked. "W-What did you do to the MCOM? Where is it?!"


    "Hum?" Linfel looked at them as if he were looking at two idiots. "Isn''t that obvious? I just created a tiny Spatial Store in my core. Is there a reason for all that ruckus? And it ended up being a pretty shit one as well. Primordial Runes truly aren''t meant to be used with Magic Energy, that''s for sure."


    "Are you kidding?!" Alvin''s eyes were so wide it looked like they were going to pop out. "You can create a Spatial Inventory! A FUCKING SPATIAL INVENTORY! This is something no one can do before reaching at least Level Six as a Magus or Familiar! The only way someone below this level can have a Spatial Inventory is if a high-level Magus creates one for them, and they are freaking expensive!


    They are worth several times more than creating a Familiar already at Level Two like Saimon did!"


    Felia nodded, just as shocked. "Here in the academy, probably only students with backgrounds like Milia would have the connections and the money to have such a Spatial Inventory created in their Cores. And yes, I truly meant connections! Unless you are willing to pay even more, just the normal price won''t get you a Spatial Inventory."


    "Are they that rare?" Linfel narrowed his eyes. "I truly used some of the most simple primordial runes from the past, you know? I noticed that only these very simple runes still work in this world. Any better than that, and the runes can''t even take shape. Just so that you know, pretty much any idiot could create a Spatial Store... errr...


    You call it Spatial Inventory, right? Anyway, it''s truly nothing worth mentioning at all."


    Alvin sat on his bed, already feeling tired even though he had just woken up. "Linfel, this is big! Just like I told you to not mention your ability to clean Magic Energy, you should also not tell anyone you can do such things. That will definitely expose your secret as a Wisp."


    Linfel quickly nodded. "Alright, I won''t. Seems like it was the right decision to wait to come here before doing that."


    *Plin!*


    Alvin then received a message in his MCOM. Yet, it was a number he had never seen before. Looking at the message, he turned to Linfel. "You... can use your MCOM while still inside the Spatial Inventory?"


    "Oh! You got it?" Linfel was happy. "I didn''t know if the MCOM would receive the signal while in there. Seems like it did. Very convenient."


    Felia shook her head. "Master, forget it. We will go crazy if we keep feeling impressed by everything this guy does."


    Alvin could only accept that. "Yes, you are right... hehehe... he can use the items inside the spatial inventory... hehehe..."


    Felia tried to put those thoughts away. "Well, Linfel... At least you can pretend you are using an MCOM made for Familiars."


    Linfel agreed. "That''s exactly what I was intending to do when I bought it. Besides, because the Familiars'' MCOMs are so much smaller, they are also a lot more expensive. That''s why I opted for this method."


    "Expensive?" Alvin quickly remembered something. "Right! I saw the model of your MCOM. It''s a Ratax Model VAA812. It costs at least 90 Academy Credits. Did...


    you steal it?"


    Linfel felt wronged. "Fuck you! I, your grandfather, am I proper and upright Wisp! I''ve never stolen anything in my life! I just completed a Mission last night and got 100 Academy Credits. That''s all."


    "A mission for 100 Academy Credits?" Felia and Alvin found it strange. "Were you lucky enough to take a Mission that none of the upper-ranked classes wanted?"


    "Not really," Linfel then explained what happened during the next few minutes. "And that''s how I got 100 Academy Credits. I also found a very good source of Magic Energy for free, so I''ll be going there every night from now on."


    Alvin couldn''t help but say. "You said many times your Wisp Race was the weakest... I''m starting to doubt that was truly the case."

 Chapter 27 - 27: Field Exam

    Alvin and Felia then left sometime later. They also had to take missions since their training with Linfel was a lot more expensive than before. As for Linfel, he wasn''t much different. He did get a source of Magic Energy, but that was a truly very poor Yellow Magic Energy. After cleaning it, he would be left with way less Magic Energy than if he used Low-Grade Magic Stones.


    The trio made their way to the Mission Hall, ready to take on whatever tasks came their way. However, Linfel noticed a peculiar change. "Strange, some of the missions I saw yesterday are now offering fewer Academy Credits," he remarked, his brow furrowing in confusion.


    "It''s the time," Felia explained. "Because it is late at night, it is considered worse, so the payments get a 10% bonus. You probably saw a few missions or tasks worth 33 Academy Credits. During the day, however, they are worth only 30. It''s that simple."


    "I see..." Linfel looked at Alvin, who selected a cleaning task. "Is this enough?"


    Alvin, undeterred by the challenge, shrugged. "Clearly, it''s not enough. But I''m accustomed to this type of task, so I reckon I can finish in four to five hours. I''m aiming to complete at least two per day, maybe even three. With Felia''s assistance, I believe we can make it happen." His words were filled with a quiet determination.


    "Even so, that would be only 60 Academy Credits," Linfel spoke. "That would give you only 60 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones. We use a lot more during the night."


    "Nothing to be done there," Alvin sighed. "I''m already happy enough we can train in that manner, even if it is just a few days of the week."


    Linfel thought about Lucau and the day he was saved, so he made the decision. "Alright, I''m going to join you in these simple tasks. The Academy Credits we make during the day will go toward your training."


    Felia and Alvin looked at Linfel, surprised. "Why?"


    "This is me repaying your father, and there was also your help and the fact you are keeping my secret," Linfel spoke the reason straight away. "However, the Academy Credits I make in the night will be mine alone. Don''t forget, I don''t need to sleep, so I can keep taking missions day and night nonstop."


    Alvin obviously accepted. "Thank you, Linfel. I will try to make it up to you someday."


    Just like that, the trio decided to spend the rest of the week working on missions. Linfel was an independent Familiar, so he could take missions of his own as well. They worked together, completing two to three missions during the day. As a result, they were making between 120 and 180 Academy Credits every time at least.


    Of course, Linfel was saving his own Academy Credits from the pillars at night, too.


    Even though they were getting quite a sizeable amount of Academy Credits, each Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stone cost 01 Academy Credit. The training they did in Alvin''s room used more than three hundred every time, so it obviously wasn''t enough.


    That said, they only did that training once every two days. On the days in between, they went to the Floating Blades Faction during the early night. All the equipment that Alvin usually had to pay Academy Credits to use was free there, so he made the most of it.


    Even Linfel and Felia used that Soul Strengthening Equipment, which brings quite some good benefits for Familiars. Linfel was a Wisp, but he also had no problem with the equipment.


    Just like that, the last day of the week arrived, and the Field Exam was about to start again.


    "Alvin!" As Alvin, Felia, and Linfel waited in front of the Academy''s Gate, Connor also appeared with Tratil, his Familiar. "How was it? I''ve seen you going crazy with missions these last few days."


    Alvin seemed a little tired, but the excitement in his eyes was obvious. "The free equipment in the Floating Blades Faction is truly worth it. I can feel myself improving a lot faster." Of course, he wouldn''t mention his work with Linfel. "Still, you two truly came for the Field Exam. I had my doubts."


    "After what I heard that day in your Faction, I couldn''t possibly stay still anymore, right?" Connor sighed in response. "I''m not exactly brave, but I''m not just stay put and die either. Well, that is if what they said was true."


    "I don''t think they were lying," Linfel commented. "If anything, that feels a lot more like what a world with beings like Maguses and Familiars would usually be. This peace you have feels like quite a miracle, in my opinion."


    Connor looked around but noticed Alvin, Linfel, and Felia were alone. "What about the other Floating Blade Faction members?"


    Alvin pointed away. "All the way there with their classes. You don''t really think that just because I''m in their Faction, I would join the same group as them, right? I''m still a Rank F Student for all intentions and purposes. Those are the A and B classes."


    "That makes sense," Trail and Connor nodded.


    "All of you, gather up!" Suddenly, the academy instructor responsible for Alvin and Connor''s class called everyone. Following that, tens of airships landed near the various classes, each one capable of carrying hundreds of students.


    The Academy did have over a hundred thousand students, but the Field Exams were indeed dangerous. Some ignored it completely, while others only took the exams once in a while. Thanks to that, there wasn''t the need for too much of this transportation. There were only around eight thousand students total this time.


    Linfel and Alvin found a place to sit with Connor, Tratil, and Felia. Not long after, the airships took flight, disappearing in the distance. While it flew, the instructors inside began to explain this week''s exam. "Alright, this week we are going to the Dark Canyons. The place is pretty much a maze and has quite a few Magical Beasts. Don''t drop your guard."


    Alvin and Connor didn''t look well after hearing the place of the exam. "Is there something wrong in this Dark Canyons?" Linfel asked.


    Felia and Tratil sighed. "Don''t worry. Regardless of the place of the exam, these two would probably look like that. They haven''t taken a single Field Exam yet, after all." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The instructor''s voice boomed from the front. "The objective of this exam is to collect the Flags scattered along the path. But don''t worry, you won''t need to carry them. Once you''re within ten meters of a Flag, your Magical Energy Signature will be detected, and the Flag will be added to your Field Exam results."


    "Be aware that Flags in the same region are all connected to each other. That means it is useless to keep walking near the start of the exam location and collecting the Flags in that place. The points for that kind of easy Flag will only be computed once."


    "You will know if you already have that kind of Flag through its color. If the color is the same as some of the Flags you got previously, then there is no need to try to approach it. You won''t get anything from that."


    "To accumulate more points, you will need to go further into the Dark Cayons'' Maze. Usually, it takes around ten hours to reach the deepest parts."


    Felia whispered to Linfel. ''Ten hours is in the case of the A and B classes. For Rank F Maguses and Familiars like us, it would already be a miracle if we could make it halfway to the end at all.''


    Linfel nodded, expecting something like that.


    The instructor didn''t stop. "Each flag is worth 50 points. However, the last flag at the deepest party will give you 100 points. Not only do these points get added to your exam result, but they will also be converted into Academy Credits once the exam is over. In total, it should be possible for you to get a thousand Academy Credits if you collect all Flags."


    ''A THOUSAND!'' Linfel''s eyes lit up. That''s the same as ten days straight of work in the Star Magic Energy Receptors. Linfel then looked at Alvin, excited. "To the very end, we go!"


    Alvin and Connor felt a chill on their backs. "Out of question! Do you know what kind of Magic Beasts you can find in the deeper parts of the Dark Cayons? Near Level Two! Near Level Two Magic Beast! If you are truly unlucky, you might really find a Level Two Magic Beast in there!


    We will die for sure if we get close. Let''s cover 20 or 30% of the way. It should be safe enough."


    Felia couldn''t help but show a disappointed expression. "I wonder what Milia will say when she hears that a member of her Floating Blades Faction didn''t have the courage to leave the initial area. Would Alvin still be part of the Floating Blades Faction by tomorrow? No, that matters little. All I can imagine is the disgust on her face every time she looks at you two from now on..."


    Alvin and Connor were taken aback. "T-This is blackmail!"


    Felia nodded without care. "You can be certain it is!"


    Alvin and Connor struggled for a while and gritted their teeth in the end. "Fine! However, we will not commit suicide either. If it truly gets too dangerous, we will turn back!"


    Felia was satisifed. "That''s good enough, Master."


    Tratil agreed. "Indeed, Master. The important thing is for you two to get experience in this kind of perilous situation. Don''t forget what we heard back in the Floating Blades Faction."


    Linfel looked at all of that and couldn''t help but mention it. "It is impressive what the prospects of procreating with good genes can do. As evolved as humans got, their search for the opposite gender is still very much a deciding factor."


    "P-Procreation..." Alvin and Connor had their minds wander for a second as the image of the goddess of the Floating Blades Faction appeared in their minds. With two young men still at the age of fifteen, such a dream situation was enough to make them risk their lives.


    The instructor obviously didn''t pay attention to Linfel''s group and continued his explanation. "Students will be dropped on different outer regions according to their ages. Everyone here is between twelve and fifteen, so you will dropped in the southwest region. You will find the higher-ranked students of the same age being left there as well. Whether you want to join forces or go alone is up to you."


    The instructor then warned the students. "However, the entire exam field is being closely monitored. Anyone trying to follow stronger students while doing nothing to help will have their points removed. We didn''t come here to breed cowards."


    There goes Alvin and Connor''s idea of simply tagging some strong A and B Classes...


    As for Linfel, he already decided that he would take a different path from everyone else. Of course, he would drag Alvin and Felia with him. Exploring with big groups could be considered safer, but it was also slower. Besides, he wanted to try out his combat power in this world of Magic Energy.


    "Last but not least," the instructor added. "there are 100% bonuses for the first ten students to add a Flag to their names. So, 100 points for each Flag and 200 for the last one if you are within the first ten. Of course, I know what some of you are thinking. It would be too unfair since we even have students in their last year of the Academy already at the age of 25.


    However, Life is not fair, let alone the Magus World. Deal with it."


    In fact, the exam was still slightly fairer than everyone thought. That''s because older students would be dropped at much harder-to-progress regions while younger ones like Alvin and Connor would start from easier ones. It''s just that the instructor and the other workers and teachers of the Academy wouldn''t tell anyone about it.


    "Alright, we should be arriving in the next thirty minutes. Organize everything you find necessary, and be prepared to jump!"

 Chapter 28 - 28: How Is He Doing That?

    The airships came down, opening and allowing the students to truly jump. The airships didn''t touch the ground at all. Not that the pilots didn''t want it, but because the terrain was too irregular and the passages too straight for these huge vehicles.


    The students could only jump, using their Magic Energy to reinforce their bodies and dampen the fall. Well, the airships weren''t that far high, though. As long as you were a Magus, you shouldn''t have a problem landing.


    *Tud, tud, tud, tud...*


    Students from various ranked classes descended one after another, creating a continuous stream of arrivals. Alvin and Connor were among them, their eyes widening at the sight of approximately 2000 students. The remaining 6000, older and more experienced, were undoubtedly dispersed across other regions of the Dark Cayons.


    Linfel was a Wisp, while Felia and Tratil were Familiars. They had the ability to float as long as they used enough Magic Energy, so it wasn''t a problem for them.


    Alvin looked around apprehensively. "So... where now?"


    Connor immediately pointed to the higher-ranked classes in the distance. "Let''s tag them. It should be safer."


    "You know that just tagging will give us no points, right?" Linfel asked him. "Anyway, Connor can do whatever he wants. Alvin, Felia, come with me. We are taking our own route and ignoring everyone else."


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback. "That''s suicide!"


    Linfel shook his head, though. "You said it yourself, the first 20 to 30% of the path should be safe. Now, stop complaining and come. Otherwise, forget about our training schedule. Also, I''ll be the first one to tell Milia about your choices in here once we go back." By now, he already understood Milia was the best way to convince Alvin.


    Linfel floated away, not waiting for Alvin or anyone else. If they didn''t follow, then he would go alone. Simple as that.


    Alvin found both reasons extremely unbearable, so he immediately ran after Linfel, who was already dashing away from the thousands of students around. The others noticed how Alvin, Linfel, and Felia ran in the front and snorted. How could a Rank F Student be faster than the higher-ranked classes?


    Sure enough, as soon as Linfel''s group left the landing point, several other students followed suit. They were all Class A and B students, making a total of 200 or something. In fact, they were still planning their own routes and joining their own groups. It''s just that seeing a Rank F Student taking the front affected their own pride, so they quickly followed.


    "W-Wait for me!" *Puff, puff...*


    Connor took some time to make up his mind, but he did come after Linfel''s group with his Familiar in the end. The only thing he found strange was how it looked like Linfel was the real one in command instead of Alvin. "Alvin, are you sure of this?" Still, he asked Alvin instead.


    Alvin bitterly smiled, paying attention to Linfel in front. "You wouldn''t understand. I have a lot more to lose than just getting on Milia''s bad side. I have to."


    "Through here!" Linfel immediately changed direction, taking a narrower path.


    Alvin and Felia quickly changed direction as well, following him. Connor looked at that and could see that not many of the Class A and B students selected that path. Instead, they seemed to prefer the wider ones. Only a few more couragous ones did select this path.


    This didn''t stop there. A few minutes later, the paths divided once again. Some went up, others went down, right, left, you name it. Linfel didn''t take the narrowest one this time, though. "This one now." he selected one that seemed pretty wide.


    Alvin and Connor noticed that they were pretty much alone now. Even counting the Class A and B students who dashed in the front with them, only around five or so remained. "Linfel, do you know where you are going?" Tratil, Connor''s Familiar, couldn''t help but ask.


    Suddenly, an open space appeared in front of their group. And at the very center of that space, a Light Yellow Flag could be seen. "This..." Alvin and Connor looked at Linfel, surprised.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go, go, go!" Linfel''s eyes seemed to be filled with the image of Academy Credits. He quickly approached the Flag, and his magical Signature was taken.


    Alvin and the others quickly followed, also reaching within ten meters of the Flag.


    "To the next one!" Linfel didn''t stop there. He looked at the other paths ahead and immediately made his decision, selecting the upper right one.


    Not far behind, the five students who followed them from Classes A and B also approached the Flag, having their Magic Energy Signatures taken. They were quite surprised to have found a flag this fast. Not even ten minutes had passed since the start of the exam, after all.


    The reason they followed Linfel''s group was basically because they didn''t want to follow the others. They knew that the lower-ranked classes would also tag them, so they wanted to leave them behind by using these narrower and seemingly more dangerous paths. However, now, they all looked at Linfel''sd group ahead, having the same idea. ''Could it be they know where they are going?''


    One particular pair of eyes especially looked at them in a different manner. The guy quickly dashed forward, following Linfel. The other four delayed for a second, not feeling especially good to follow a group of Rank F Maguses and Familiars. Nonetheless, seeing the action of the first guy, they also followed. The Flags were the most important at the moment.


    A little bit ahead, Linfel spoke to Alvin, Connor, and the Familiars in a low voice so only they would hear. ''The instructor said that we need to go deeper to find more Flags. That is a pretty simple concept. All I have to do is feel the flow of Magical Energy, and finding the fastest route to the end becomes quite easy.''


    Everyone was taken aback, especially Felia and Tratil. They tried to feel the Magic Energy in the surroundings, but everything looked the same to them. ''How is he doing that?''


    For Alvin and the others, the surrounding Magic Energy was no different. It was the same concentration everywhere. However, Linfel was truly a creature born from energy itself, and Primordial Energy at that. Magic Energy was so much simpler in his view that you would be hard-pressed to do the same even if you had the proper equipment, let alone do it with your own natural sense.


    "Stop!" Linfel spoke as he came to a halt.


    Alvin and the others quickly stopped behind them, not seeing anything ahead. "What is it? Another Flag?" Alvin asked.


    *Zush, zush, zush...*


    The moment Alvin spoke those words, three of the students still following them darted past their group, entering another open space ahead. Another Flag would be perfect, and they probably were indeed within the first 10 students to get near it.


    To be fair, the Academy Credits didn''t matter much to them. What mattered was the score at the end. They all had strong backgrounds, so they didn''t need Academy Credits as much as Alvin and the others. Let''s not forget that the results of the end-of-the-week Field Exams are what determines the student''s Ranks.


    Class B students wanted to reach Class A, while Class A students definitely didn''t want to be demoted to Class B.


    In the end, following Linfel''s group was truly the right choice... or so they thought.


    However, the moment they came out in the open, the ground under them caved in as several mouths tried to swallow them whole!


    "Fuck!" As Class A and B students, they were all Level Two Maguses, so they immediately connected to their Familiars and unleashed attacks downwards.


    *Boom, boom, boom!*


    Brown blood and dirt spread everywhere, covering their bodies. Nonetheless, they truly showed why they were in those higher-ranked classes. One attack was more than enough to dispatch those Level One Magical Beasts, and they were quite on the weak side of Magic Beasts at Level One. This is still the initial area, so you wouldn''t find anything other than these Low-Level beings.


    Having gotten rid of the problem, they quickly looked around, just in time to see Linfel, Alvin, and Connor near another Flag and already dashing into another passage''s direction. At the same time, Linfel spoke in a loud voice. "I told you to stop, but you chose to ignore me. Next time, make sure to hear what I have to say."


    These three guys gritted their teeth in anger. Yet, it was true that Linfel told everyone to stop. The problem was Alvin mentioning a Flag, so their greed too the best of them.


    *Zush, zush!*


    Another two Class A and B students passed by them. There were five of them following Linfel''s group, but only three entered the open space. These two stayed behind, having taken Linfel''s warning seriously. Now, they are ripping the benefits.


    The three remaining ones didn''t lag behind, of course. They quickly approached the Flag and once again entered the same Path as Linfel and the others.


    ''Linfel, how did you find those Magic Beasts,'' Alvin asked in a low voice so only he and Linfel could hear. He was still feeling a little scared. Had he jumped outside, he wasn''t sure if he was strong enough to deal with the danger like those Level Two Maguses and Familiars did.


    ''I told you,'' Linfel explained. ''It is all about Magic Energy sensitivity. Magic Beasts have their own Magic Cores with concentrated magic Energy. Simply put, they look like fireflies in the darkness. It is hard to not spot them. Of course, there is a limit to my sensitivity.


    At the moment, the best I can do is ten or so meters.''


    Alvin took a deep breath. It is not that Maguses can''t do the same thing. However, they need to be at least Level Three Maguses to acquire the necessary sensitivity to do what Linfel was doing. If you were extremely talented, perhaps you could feel Magic Beasts while at Level Two. ''Perhaps we truly have a chance to reach the end of the path and avoid all dangers...''


    Linfel looked behind himself and pondered a bit. Those five other students from Class A and B were all Level Two maguses and Familiars. With their extra strength, they could have surpassed Linfel''s group and gone ahead a long time ago. Yet, they insist on following his group. It was then that he had an idea and spoke. "Are you sure you all want to follow our group?


    I believe you all heard the instructor. If you just tag along with another group but have no contribution, your points will be removed in the end."


    One of them immediately spoke back. "That''s exactly what I did, didn''t I? I killed those Magic Beasts for you just a minute ago." As he said that, he took a glance at a camera on the corner of that passage. There were countless of these small cameras in this place. When the instructors said they would be monitored, they weren''t lying at all. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other two, who were also covered in the Magic Beasts'' Blood, agreed with the guy. "The same goes for us. The instructors should consider our contributions to be enough."


    "In that case, the next Magic Beasts will be dealt with by us," The remaining two quickly spoke. They haven''t contributed anything until now, indeed.


    Alvin and Connor were truly surprised. Who could have thought Class A and B students would be relying on a group of Class F students? No one would believe them if they said that back in the Academy.


    Linfel sighed. But then again, it wasn''t like it was a bad thing. "Alright, you can follow us. But we also came here to experience the Magic Beasts. Next time we meet them, leave three or four for us."


    "That''s not a problem at all!" They still didn''t know how Linfel and the others seemed to know the path, but that didn''t matter. A high score was waiting for them, and that''s what they wanted.


    Alvin and Connor, however, didn''t look very happy. "Three or four Magic Beasts for us? We are only in two here, you know?"


    Linfel nodded. "I agree with you. Judging the strength of the Magic Beasts a moment ago, three or four is too little. However, we can''t discard our own safety. Let''s first get used to fighting them, shall we?"


    "Too... little?" Alvin and Connor wanted to cry, while Felia and Tratil almost burst into laughter.

 Chapter 29 - 29: First Real Contact

    Linfel''s group spent another twenty or so minutes on the move, following the currents of Magic Energy that only Linfel could perceive. Yet, they didn''t find a single Magic Beast since the last group, which made them think. "Could it be that all Magic Beasts are only present in the Flag Locations?"


    "No," Linfel quickly shook his head. "At the start of the exam, it would make sense. However, I''m sure things won''t be as easy the deeper we go."


    "Why?" Everyone asked back.


    Linfel then pointed to the students of Classes A and B right behind them. "They easily got rid of the Magic Beasts in the last Flag. Now, the flag is pretty much safe for anyone who gets close after us. Would it be a test if you never found any Magic Beasts?"


    "So that''s how it is..." Everyone had to agree with Linfel, including the Maguses and Familiars behind. They were traveling quite close, so unless Linfel and the others purposely tried to hide their voices, everyone could hear.


    Suddenly, Linfel dashed to the side. At the same time, his Magic Energy circulated around his body as the air heated it. Linfel raised his hand, and a Fire Spear took form in seconds. "Go!"


    The Fire Spear shot forward at high speeds, hitting a wall not far from Linfel.


    *Boom!*


    A huge hole appeared on it. However, the thing that caught everyone''s attention the most was the purple liquid coming out. A second later, the wall crumbled as a Magic Beast fell from it, leaving a gap in the wall itself. The beast looked more like a fish, although it had horns. Countless teeth in a round mouth could be seen. No doubt something used to drill into the earth.


    *Brummmm!*


    The walls and even the earth around trembled as several more of these weird magic Beast jumped out, shot in everyone''s direction.


    Alvin and Connor were scared of their wits. However, they still were Maguses who received proper training in the Academy, so they still acted. Felia and Tratil quickly changed form, attaching themselves to their Masters.


    Alvin then punched the ground, causing a small wall of earth to appear between him and the Magic Beast flying in his direction.


    *Zush!*


    Yet, before the Magic Beast even came in contact with the Earth Wall, a powerful gust of wind hit Alvin''s body, sending him flying.


    *Bang!*


    *Crumble!*


    It was then that Alvin noticed the Magic Beast passing right through his Earth Wall, falling on the ground and drilling into it straight away. That made him look at his own chest, thinking the hole on the wall he had created wouldn''t be the only hole that Magic Beast opened.


    Obviously, Alvin was saved, and the one who saved him was Linfel, who appeared on his side a moment later. "Not too bad. Your Master Familiar Connection was very fast, and your reaction and skill speed were even more so. However, you panicked way too easily. These might be Low-Level Magic Beasts, but they are obviously Earth Proficient. They drilled into these walls to hide from their prey.


    Do you think that little bit of Earth you built would have stopped it from reaching you? You need to think more carefully and control your emotions."


    Alvin was breathing heavily, listening to Linfel. Sure enough, Linfel wasn''t lying when he said Horan trained him a lot. Linfel was definitely experienced in combats.


    *Bang!*


    It was then that Connor passed flying by them. He also tried to defend against the Magic Beast attack, but he was luckier. He used a Wind technique to create a blast of wind between him and that weird Earth Fish. Nonetheless, he was still hit on the shoulder, and blood began to come out.


    Another Wind Current suddenly appeared behind Connor, dampening his fall to the ground. Linfel acted once again. "Connor, your reaction wasn''t as fast as Alvin, but your Magic Energy deployment wasn''t too bad. It made up for the slow reaction. Don''t worry, you only got a scratch. Next time, don''t just stay still and hope your Magic Skill will work.


    Move your body as well. That Wind Blast you used should have been more than enough to separate you from the Magic Beast if you had used it sideways while moving your body in the opposite direction."


    Connor, Alvin, Tratil, and Felia were surprised by all of Linfel''s input. "A-Alright!"


    Linfel suddenly looked to the earth below and warned. "Here they come! Don''t worry. If things get dangerous, I''ll intervene. Think carefully. These Magic Beasts are not as strong as your two pairs of Magus and Familiar.


    You can take them down. Now, jump back!"


    Alvin and Connor didn''t waste time and immediately jumped away. In the next moment, another four of those weird Earth Fishes shot from underground, missing their targets.


    Alvin''s interlaced bracelet connected to rings by little chains, which was Felia''s form during their connection, shined with an Earthy Glow as Alvin controlled his Magic Energy around his body to dash forward. The Earth Fishes had just missed their mark, and they were now in midair. Alvin didn''t lose that chance and attacked the belly of one of those fishes.


    His first transformed into a speartip made of Earth, hitting the belly of the Magic Beast!


    *Splash!*


    Purple Blood gushed out as the fist went halfway through the Magic Beast''s body. It died instantly.


    Connor also reacted faster this time. Wind Gathered in front of him before three blades made of air shot forward, all hitting the same spot Alvin did but against another of the Magic Beasts. The first blade opened a wound; the second penetrated it to reach the organs, and the last finally destroyed everything inside near the area it penetrated.


    More Purple Blood rained down and another magic Beast was dead.


    Alvin and Connor didn''t let their guard down this time. They quickly looked around, searching for the other two Earth Fishes that had jumped out of the ground previously. However, they only had time to see those two other Fishes trapped inside what seemed to be a sphere of water before Linfe spoke.


    "Freeze!"


    The two spheres of water then slowly transformed into ice, also freezing the trapped Earth Fishes inside. They struggled to try to escape that prison, but Linfel''s Magic Energy made it impossible for them to find any way to propel them out of there. Half a minute later, the two spheres of water fell, breaking upon contact with the ground, and so did the two Magic Beasts inside.


    "Ah!" Linfel then noticed something. "What a waste of Magic Energy. These guys obviously can''t breathe underwater, so I didn''t have the need to freeze them. As long as I waited, they would have died."


    Connor looked at that and was amazed. "Alvin... just what kind of monstrous Familiar did you create? If I didn''t know you two can do Master Familiar Connection, I would have said he wasn''t yours at all. Fire, Wind, Water... He used all three types of Elements as if they were nothing, and it was all while controlling the same Yellow Magic Energy as us.


    Can he use even more types?"


    Alvin''s voice carried a hint of surprise and admiration as Felia severed the connection with him. Connor''s words had struck a chord. Linfel was indeed not his creation. "Ahem... truth be told, I never anticipated him to be this exceptional."


    Linfel felt the Magic Energy around his core and mentally nodded in satisfaction. ''Indeed, Magic Energy is so much easier to control compared to Primordial Energy. I''ve never felt so comfortable while using the elements before. On the other hand, it truly does lack power. Well, I still prefer this Magic Energy, though.


    There are no risks when I use it, different from Primordial Energy, which can kill you at any moment if you lose yourself even a little bit. Besides, a Higher Level of Magic Energy will make up for this eventually.''


    Linfel then looked behind and saw that the Classes A and B students had also got rid of a few of those Earth Fishes. "As expected of them, I guess? They truly didn''t let more than four of these Earth Fishes get close to us."


    Only then did Alvin, Connor, and their Familiars look back. There, they could see the carcasses of over ten of these Magic Beasts. The maguses and their Familiars didn''t seem to be tired at all. And indeed they weren''t. This time, they all paid close attention to Linfel. The moment Linfel started to attack, they understood he noticed more Magic Beasts around.


    If anything, it was extremely easy for them to deal with the situation with Linfel''s perception. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of them approached Linfel''s group, looking at Linfel differently. The disdain he had for this Rank F Familiar was now gone. "You are quite good. Your control, technique, perception, everything shows you were created with the best stats. Let''s continue this partnership, shall we? By the way, you can call me Donfin."


    Linfel didn''t mind. "As long as you leave a few Magic Beasts for me and my Master to train on the way, I have nothing to complain. Right, Master?" Linfel said as he looked at Alvin.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Sure..."


    Donfin glanced at Alvin, not knowing how to judge this student. He didn''t show anything worth mentioning in this previous battle, but he was the one who created Linfel, so he felt conflicted about how to judge Alvin. As for Connor, he didn''t even bother looking. "Anyway, let''s keep going, full speed ahead."


    Linfel and the others nodded. In fact, they were already very close to the next Flag. Just two minutes running and it already appeared in front of them.


    This time, the Maguses and Familiars were all together instead of the initial distance the strong Classes A and B students kept from Linfel and the others. It wasn''t like Linfel could force them away, and Alvin and Connor were nothing but happy to have such powerful bodyguards... too bad they would always leave some Magic Beasts for them to deal with.


    Another Magus, this time a woman, asked Alvin as they left the area. "Alvin, right? I''m Miranda. I''ve seen your master Familiar Connection info in the news recently, but that was achieved with this Linfel, right? 71% Connection Compatibility is no joke. Aren''t you two going to connect this time?"


    The others also saw the news. After all, Milia was involved. Milia was just like them. If they also made any flashy moves in the academy, their information would be spread all over, and everyone would know about it soon.


    Felia looked a little sad for a moment, but Alvin just patted her head. "Linfel and I already have a very high compatibility, so we don''t really need to train for the time being. That''s why I''m connecting with Felia. You have to be able to use all your Familiars with with proficiency, after all."


    Everyone nodded and didn''t ask anymore. Besides, it truly didn''t seem like Linfel needed to connect with Alvin to display a high level of combat power, so it didn''t make much of a difference. They were just curious to see their connection in battle, that was all. Linfel didn''t want to connect either. At least not at the moment when the enemies were so weak. If needed, he would do it later.


    "We have company!" Linfel''s expression changed as he looked above. From the darkness, tens of flying beasts came out, aiming at their group.


    Somewhere else high in the skies, an enormous Airship maintained its position above the Dark Cayon''s Region. Inside the Field Exam Management area, thousands of monitors could be seen while many instructors of the academy observed the students while doing various different reports.


    In the center of the room, an old man stood tall, his eyes fixed on a particular set of Monitors. In the images, he could see Linfel and his group fighting the flying beasts. He didn''t pay attention to the Level Two Maguses and Familiars. Their combat power was expected. Alvin and Connor weren''t anything special either. Linfel, however, truly caught his attention.


    "Do we have any information regarding that new Familiar?"


    A subordinate quickly arrived to answer. "Yes, sir. His name is Linfel, and he has just been created recently by a student called Alvin. His Master Familiar Connection Compatibility with Alvin is at 71%, which received a commendation from the testing facility. Linfel is also an independent Familiar, although he barely passed the test to become one."


    "Any information about his creation process?" The old man asked.


    "No," the subordinate shook his head. "As you know, Maguses can create their own Familiars however they like as long as they register it after. However, it is up to them to disclose what kind of parameters were used during the process. Alvin hasn''t disclosed his."


    The man nodded. He then took out his MCOM and checked the independence test. He had special access, so he could check the specific results of each test there. ''So this is the Familiar Talano mentioned. He is indeed as impressive as those other Familiars from the last few years...'' He looked at Alvin after that and couldn''t help but sigh. ''And yet, this master of his...


    such bad luck.''

 Chapter 30 - 30: Tenth Flag!

    *Gasp, gasp, gasp...*


    Connor and Alvin fell to the ground as their Master Familiar Connections canceled. The Flying Magic beasts that just attacked them weren''t anything impressive. If anything, they were much weaker than the Earth Fishes -like Magic Beasts they defeated before.


    However, they attacked a huge group. The Level Two Maguses and Familiars had no issues dealing with them... which wasn''t something Alvin and Connor could say themselves. The two guys then looked at Linfel, who floated there as if nothing had happened.


    Although Linfel didn''t kill as many of these Magic Beasts as the Level Two Maguses, he wasn''t that far behind. As to why Alvin and Connor were that weak... "Linfel, did you need to send so many of these things after us?"


    Linfel had Alvin and Connor fight four or five of the Flying Magic Beasts at once. Both Alvin and Connors had several scratches and nearly escaped serious injuries. "Too many? Come on, they were so weak! Look at you two. Even though you have no experience whatsoever, you managed to deal with them with just some small scratches.


    You are doing great! Believe in your own potential!"


    "Yes, master! Believe in your potential!" Felia repeated.


    "Yes, master! Believe in your potential!" Tratil was no different regarding Connor.


    Alvin and Connor bitterly smiled. They didn''t know their Familiars liked to fight that much? Could it be they were being influenced by Linfel? Well, not really. Familiars are born with a set of knowledge, and ultimately, they were created for battle above all else. It is only normal that they get more excited during such moments.


    *Shuuuu...*


    Suddenly, a gust of wind carried Alvin and Connor''s bodies, forcing them to stand up once again. It was Linfel once again. "Enough rest. We need to keep going if we want our bonuses."


    "We are tired!" Alvin and Connor complained.


    Yet, Linfel pointed at the Donfin, Miranda, and the other Levle Two Maguses and Familiars. They were all looking at Alvin and Connor, not feeling very pleased that they weren''t moving forward already. "Well, you can ask them if they want to wait."


    Alvin and Connor wanted to cry again. First of all, aren''t these Classes A and B guys following them because they want? It is not like Alvin and Connor were holding them back, right? Too bad the two were too afraid to say that on those strong students'' faces.


    "I... I think I rested a lot," Alvin forced himself to stay up.


    Connor wasn''t different. "Yes, what are just some small Flying Magic Beasts to us? Hahaha!" He wasn''t very convincing...


    Linfel smiled and quickly dashed forward as everyone followed closely. Little did they know, but they were indeed quite far ahead in the exam. While others had to explore, Linfel''s group was truly making a beeline to the depths of the Dark Cayons.


    Fourth Flag, Fifth Flag, Sixth Flag, Seventh, Eight, Ninth... As much as Alvin and Connor hated it, they were truly improving at a very fast pace, being forced to fight to protect their lives. Of course, Linfel and the other Level Two Maguses were there. If things got too dangerous, they intervened.


    Why did the Level Two Maguses intervene? Because Linfel would probably leave the exam if Alvin and Connor suddenly got taken out of the exam. They couldn''t possibly let that happen. But at the same time, they respected Linfel''s wishes to not step in unless it was truly necessary.


    That left Alvin and Connor on their wits end. Why? That''s because of Linfel''s words. "I''m helping you if I see you are truly in danger, and these guys seem to want to help, too. However, since we will only intervene when you are at risk of dying, perhaps we will be too late. So...


    I truly wouldn''t put all my coins on the fact that we will help you. I definitely wouldn''t. Hahaha!"


    How could Alvin and Connor not do their absolute best like that? To scared cats like them, any small chance of dying was enough to fight with everything they had.


    "Oh!" Donfin looked ahead, and his eyes lit up. "The tenth Flag! How long has it been since we started the exam?"


    "Two hours and fifty-seven minutes," Miranda quickly checked her MCOM, feeling just as excited. The record of the exam was ten hours, and they already got more than half of the path covered.


    Donfin and their group immediately jumped out in the open, dashing to the Flag. They were aware that some Magic Beasts might be present, but they didn''t care. Nothing until now posed any threat to them whatsoever. The important thing was to be one of the first ten students to get the Flag.


    *Rumble...*


    Yet, before they could get anywhere close, something entered their visions. A giant ball came rolling in their direction at huge speeds, startling these Level Two Maguses and Familiars. The path wasn''t big, so that thing alone left no space for them to dodge.


    Their Magic Energy immediately activated, and they all connected to their Familiars. Right after, they all attacked that rolling rock.


    *Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...*


    Five Level Two Maguses connected to their Familiars wasn''t a joke. The rolling rock was blasted back by the attacks instantly... or so they all thought it would happen.


    Yet, that rock suddenly opened, jumping high and dodging all the attacks at once. From above, they could all see that it was not a rock but a Magic Beast, and not a weak one. "It''s a Rock Breaker!"


    Linfel couldn''t help but shake his head. His Magic Sensitivity only reaches ten meters or so of distance. Donfin and the others dashed ahead because of the Flag, so he obviously wasn''t able to tell it was there in time.


    The Magic Beast they called Rock Breaker looked like a mix of Armadilho and Lizard. It fell right in the middle where Donfin and the others were standing, forcing them all to jump away.


    *Bang!*


    The Rock Breaker crashed against the ground, not hitting anyone at first. Yet, the exact moment it fell, its body rotated, using its enormous tail to sweep everything around.


    *Bang, Bang, Bang!*


    In that single moment, the Rock Breaker sent three of the Class A and B students flying!


    One of them crashed to the ground, his body convulsing violently before finally stilling. The other two were thrown against the walls, spewing mouthfuls of blood in an instant. As Linfel and the others beheld this carnage, they realized with a jolt that their adversaries were not mere Level One Magic Beasts. No, this was a Level Two Rock Breaker, and a particularly formidable one at that.


    At that moment, Linfel noticed a yellow light enveloping those three Maguses. It also covered their Familiars, who had their connections canceled by force after the impact. Before anyone or the Rock Breaker could do anything, those Maguses and Familiars'' bodies shot to the skies, disappearing from view in a matter of seconds.


    ''The extraction system...'' Linfel thought back to the travel to this place. In the Airship, the instructor gave the maguses only a collar each. It had a weird transparent stone with many Magic Diagrams inside. The instructor mentioned to them that if they were considered not fit to continue the exam anymore, these collars would activate the Magic Diagrams inside and take them away.


    That was the extraction system.


    However, it wasn''t something that could truly save anyone. It offered no protection whatsoever. Simply put, they obviously didn''t activate before those three Maguses were hit. If they had died during those attacks, that was basically it. The collar would still activate, but only three dead bodies would be brought back.


    Donfin and Miranda''s expressions immediately changed as they ignored the maguses who were taken away. They observed the Rock Breaker, who also paid close attention to them.


    "I didn''t expect to find a Rock Breaker so soon, and this one is definitely quite strong within them. Those three couldn''t even react in time before they were sent flying," Miranda commented.


    Donfin nodded. "I''m not the type who likes to join forces, but I feel like we don''t have much choice now."


    Miranda and Donfin nodded and immediately... turned around and ran away! Fight this thing? Ridiculous! Linfel and the others were much better prays, and they had come this far, so it was better to simply sacrifice the Rank F Students. While the Rock Breaker dealt with Linfel''s group, they would leave the area.


    They still had a good chance of being the first ones to reach the last Flag now that Linfel got them here so fast.


    The Rock Breaker saw that but did not give chase. It''s not like it wasn''t interested in Dofin and Miranda. Instead, it simply wasn''t the only one here.


    *Roar!*


    Before Miranda and Donfin managed to walk more than a few tens of meters, another huge rock came rolling in their direction. Those two weren''t idiots. It looked exactly the same as the previous Rock Breaker. It immediately opened itself, landing in front of Miranda and Donfin, blocking their path.


    "Fuck!" Miranda grasped her Collar. It could be activated at any time, not only when you get disabled. However, activating it on purpose would also mean you failed the exam.


    However, Donfin stopped her. "Not yet, look!"


    Miranda took a good look at the Rock Breaker coming their direction. It was still a Level Two Magic beast, but this one was a lot smaller than the previous one behind. "We should be able to deal with this one if we join forces."


    Miranda narrowed her eyes. Especially because she knew she couldn''t easily trust Donfin either. He would probably run when the first chance appeared, even if it meant leaving her behind. Donfin is a Class A student while Miranda is a Class B, so he was indeed stornger since he was there. Her chances were smaller. Besides, what if the other Rock Breaker suddenly decided to attack from behind?


    She gave a quick glance and noticed that the Rock Breaker had indeed gone after Linfel''s group. "Fuck! Let''s do this!"


    Donfin smiled, and the two joined forces to attack that Rock Breaker.


    While Miranda and Donfin struggled to fight against the smaller Rock Breaker, the bigger one came straight for Linfel and the others. Alvin and Connor were petrified due to their fear. Their hands trembled as they reached for the Collar on their necks. Even Felia and Tratil understood they weren''t that thing''s match.


    "Oh! Finally, something interesting to fight!" Yet, Linfel was nothing but excited. Horan had truly shaped this Wisp differently from the others. "Alvin, let''s go!"


    "What?!" Alvin almost vomited blood. "There is absolutely no way I''m fighting this thing! It''s a Level Two Magic Beast!"


    "Stop complaining! I need your help and Felia''s. Only my own Magic energy won''t be enough. I''m connecting with you two again."


    "Wai-" Before Alvin could stop Linfel, Linfel had already moved his core to Alvin''s body. His own Magic Energy and Soul Waves matched Alvin and Felia like they did last night, and Linfel got access to all the Magic Energy in both their cores. Not only that... but Linfel took control over Alvin''s body!


    ''Alvin, Felia, pay close attention to how I control Magic Energy to use my skills. This will be of great help for you in the future,'' Alvin''s voice echoed in Alvin and Felia''s minds, much to their surprise. They had never communicated with anyone like that.


    Alvin''s body fell forward as merged Magic Energy concentrated on the legs. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin shot forward like a bullet, going straight for the Rock Breaker, who was only a few meters away from them. The Rock Breaker didn''t have intelligence. However, as a Magic Beast that fought for many years in its territory, its instincts were definitely sharp. It instantly understood the enemy coming in its direction wasn''t weak either.


    Its mouth opened, and Level Two Magic Energy gathered into it. In the next second, a Red Blast of Magic Energy and Earth Elements shot in Alvin''s direction from its mouth. It was a little similar a Dragon''s Breath, but different...


    Linfel had used Alvin''s body and shot straight at the Rock Breaker, so even though Alvin couldn''t control his body, he was still very well-conscious of everything. Seeing that Blast coming in his direction, Alvin already accepted his death. How could he escape such a wide-range attack while his body was moving straight at it? Even if he could take control of his body back, it was too late.


    Yet, in that last moment, Linfel only snorted. ''Ha! That''s what I call a suicide attack!''


    In the next moment, all the Magic Energy from Linfel, Felia, and Alvin were used at once. Alvin''s body then pounced straight into the Rock Breaker''s attack, much to Alvin''s despair. However, he didn''t die as he expected. All that Magic Energy created another Element Spear, very similar to the Fire Spear Linfel used against those Earth Fishes in the past.


    It''s just that this one was much bigger, completely covering the flying body of Alvin in front... and made of Lightning Element!


    ''Go!''


    Alvin''s fist then punched forward as if pushing the rear of the spear.


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel''s plan was very simple. The Rock Breaker attack was powerful enough to cover a wide area. However, it lacked the strength to fight against an attack focused on a single point. Alvin''s... Linfel''s Lightning Spear just pierced through this single point, creating a hole in the Rock Breaker''s attack.


    Most of the Rock Breaker''s wide area attack was completely ignored; only a small part of it was nullified. Yet, that was enough. The Lightning Spear, carrying all of Alvin, Linfel, and Felia''s Yellow Magic Energy, got through the blast and entered the open mouth of the Rock Breaker.


    It no doubt had a huge defense on the outside. However, its insides were still soft like most creatures. The Lightning Spear pierced many organs, and the Lightning Element increased the damage to the rest of the body even more.


    *Bum!*


    The Rock Breaker''s body then fell to the ground as Purple Blood came out of its body. It was as dead as it could possibly be.


    *Plin!*


    Felia and Linfel then separated from Alvin, who kneeled on the ground while gasping for air. All three of them were now feeling quite tired, having used all their Magic Energy at once. Their Cores were completely empty.


    *BANG!*


    Back in the Airship in the skies, the old man''s fist hit the table in front of him, turning it to dust as he looked at what had just happened. "Double Master Familiar Connection! That Magus can use Double Master Familiar Connection!"


    There was one huge monitor in that room set at the center of the thousands of monitors used to watch the exam. Because Linfel''s group was the first one to encounter a Level Two Magic Beast, it automatically changed to them and showed the entire event.


    "Impossible! Only Level Six and above Maguses can do it, and trying it at Level Six is already extremely dangerous to the soul!" Another one of the workers there couldn''t help but exclaim.


    Yet, there Alvin was, kneeling on the ground, only looking tired. There was no doubt. All their sensors over the area said that both Felia and Linfel were connected to Alvin.


    The old man then sat on his chair once again, although the table was now gone. His eyes turned to the people in the room, who didn''t know what to do. In the next moment, his fingers flickered.


    Several rays of Blue Light shot out, giving no one in the room the chance to dodge. They all hit the many instructors'' heads. In less than a second, the room was left with only three people alive. One, obviously, was the old man. The other two were his closest aids. None of the three showed the least bit of emotion to what just happened.


    "Wipe out the logs, find some reason for their deaths, you know what to do," said the old man.


    "Yes, Principal Xalafel!" His two aids quickly acknowledged the order and started to work.


    Xalafel then looked at Alvin on the monitor and murmured, his eyes now betraying a little bit of excitement. ''Sorry for thinking you were a disappointment. This old man was wrong.''

 Chapter 31 - 31: Thirty Minutes

    Poor Alvin didn''t know it, but he had just got the credit for something he absolutely didn''t do. Regardless of what happened, it is common sense that once a Master Familiar Connection is established, the one in control of the body is always the Magus. No one would believe that the one controlling Alvin''s body was Linfel instead.


    Alvin then heard some steps coming from behind, and they seemed to be trembling quite a lot. It was Connor, who couldn''t make sense of what just happened. "A-Alvin... You... How did you do that? A Level Two Magic Beast!


    You killed a Level Two magic Beast!" Connor almost used his collar earlier, but when he saw Alvin connecting with Linfel and Felia, he held back. He couldn''t simply abandon Alvin there. Little did he expect Alvin to actually win.


    Alvin bitter smiled. He killed a Level Two Magic Beast? What a joke! He did nothing! If Linfel hadn''t taken control of his body, he would have used his collar a long time ago. "Well...


    Err... I''ve been receiving quite some training in the Floating Blades Faction, you know? I just thought that I truly had a chance."


    *Boom!*


    Far away, Miranda struck a decisive blow against the other Rock Breaker after Donfin took its attention away. The Rock Breaker fell to the ground as a huge hole on its bely could be seen. Both Donfin and Miranda tried to escape several times during this battle, but the Rock Breaker simply wasn''t letting them go.


    With their Magic Energies reserves dwindling, escaping later would be meaningless, so they could only shift their plans and try to kill it for real. If it didn''t work, using the collar to escape would be the only alternative in the end. Fortunately, they were indeed experienced and knew how to fight. That''s what you would expect from Classes A and B Maguses and their Familiars.


    As soon as the Rock Breaker fell to the ground, Miranda and Donfin used their Magic Energy on their legs. They didn''t even want to wait. That Rock Breaker that went for Linfel''s group should already be on its way to attack them... or so they thought. Yet, when they gave one last glance behind so see the situation, the only thing they saw was another much bigger ROck Breaker fallen to the ground.


    "Impossible!" Donfin''s Magic Energy immediately canceled as he exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing.


    Miranda, too, was shocked by that vision. "That... Is that an illusion?"


    The two approached Linfel''s group slowly, afraid that the Rock Breaker might actually be alive. Yet, the pool of purple blood on the ground made it obvious that the Rock Breaker wasn''t alive anymore. The two looked at Alvin, Linfel, and Felia on the side. All three of them seemed tired.


    Lifelia and Linfel''s ethereal bodies had disappeared, leaving only their cores with feeble waves of Magic Energy coming out. At least they could still talk.


    "Alvin, give me some Magic Stones..." Linfel asked after stabilizing himself.


    "Me too!" Felia quickly followed.


    Alvin nodded and pulled out a bag from his back. Since he was a low-level Magus, he obviously would run out of Magic Energy more easily than others. That said, he and pretty much all Level One maguses brought some Magic Stones with them. Even Connor had a few with him.


    Linfel and Felia quickly absorbed the Magic Energy, which allowed them to reform their ethereal bodies straight away. Alvin, on the other hand, just refilled his Core.


    Seeing that, Donfin asked. "How did you kill this Rock Breaker?"


    Alvin looked at him. "It was just luck. It opened its mouth, and we just had to attack the insides before it attacked us. We truly didn''t expect it to work, though. I was ready to use the collar the moment it failed. Of course, we used all our Magic Energy at once to make sure we at least had a chance."


    Connor glanced at Alvin. It was obvious Alvin didn''t want to tell Donfin and Miranda about how he connected with two Familiars at once. He understood why and didn''t mention it either.


    "I see..." Donfin couldn''t think of another reason for Linfel''s group to have succeeded. "Simply put, it underestimated you because of your level and let its guard down. Nonetheless, it is amazing you were able to grasp such an opportunity. But then again, I can understand why you even tried. We are so far ahead in the exam, so giving up here just didn''t seem right."


    "Was that why you tried to flee? It looked to me like you tried to use us as a distraction but didn''t expect another Rock Breaker to appear ahead." Linfel finally recovered a little of his Magic Energy before he turned to Donfin and Miranda.


    Yet, neither Donfin nor Miranda tried to deny it.


    "Yes," Donfin spoke first. "Our Ranks depend on our results in the field exams. This one, specifically, has a huge chance of giving us a great score that could put me at ease for a while or that could send Miranda to Class A. We immediately understood it would be extremely difficult to take that Rock Breaker down, so we used you."


    "He is right," Miranda confirmed. "We don''t really have any obligations with each other. From the very start, it had been a marriage of convenience. We used our power as Level Two Maguses and Familiars to help keep you safe while you showed us the right path. Or are you saying we should have risked our lives for you?"


    Alvin and Connor didn''t like what they said. Yet, they know they would definitely have ran away as well.


    Linfel began to float again and nodded with a smile, feeling satisfied. "That''s the kind of answer I wanted. If you had tried to come up with some bullshit excuse, then we would go our separate ways from here." He saw nothing wrong with what Donfin and Miranda said. After all, he had come from a past where such things were extremely common.


    Donfin quickly sat on the ground and took a few Magic Stones out as well. "Seems like your group isn''t made of a bunch of naive kids. That''s very good in the Magus World. Now, let''s recover our Magic Energy. Thirty Minutes should be enough."


    Different from absorbing Magic Energy to integrate into their Cores, absorbing Magic Energy just to recover their reserves was very fast. Thirty minutes was enough for Miranda and Donfin to fully recover, especially since they had Red Magic Stones with them.


    As for Alvin and Felia, they would need longer... if Linfel wasn''t there. Linfel helped them recover their Magic Energy in secrecy, not showing Donfin and Miranda they were connected once more. With that done, everyone was ready to depart again.


    First, their group approached the tenth flag, adding it to their results. After that, Linfel concentrated on the surrounding Magic Energy flow and looked at a passage to the right. "Through here."


    Yet, just as they were about to leave, another group suddenly appeared in the area, coming out from another path. "The Flag!"


    Immediately, they all dashed to the flag, entering the ten-meter range and adding it to their own results as well. Of course, they noticed Linfel''s group not too far from there. Above all, they saw the two dead Rock Breakers. "Oh! Donfin! You truly made quite a mess here, uh?"


    Donfin looked back and narrowed his eyes. It was another Class A student, someone called Rirano, who talked to him.


    Alvin, Linfel and Felia didn''t pay attention to the guy, though. Instead, they were surprised to see someone else there. It was a young woman, followed by a very obvious Familiar. "Milia!"


    Milia heard her name and looked in their direction. For the first time in this exam, she showed a surprised expression. "Alvin? Linfel? Felia too!" She quickly approached the group. "How did you get here this fast?"


    She then looked at Donfin and Miranda, and her expression turned dark. "Alvin, Linfel, this is not good. Did you forget what the instructor said in the airship? If you just followed another stronger group and did nothing to contribute, your points would be removed in the end." Sure enough, she didn''t believe Alvin''s group had got here through their own strength.


    Well, even Alvin wouldn''t have believed himself if he was told that. "Err... I think you got the wrong idea. We truly pulled our own weight up to this point, you know?"


    Felia and Linfel nodded. "He is right! It is them who had been following us, not the other way around."


    Rirano heard that and then looked at Donfin, who said nothing. "Hahahaha! Donfin! Are you following some Level One Magus Group? I can understand someone from Class B like Miranda there doing it. But you?


    This is hilarious."


    Miranda didn''t even bother to answer. As for Donfin, he simply smiled. "Yes, I''ve been following them. If you don''t want to be seen in the same situation as me, you better go on your own way."


    Nori, who was obviously with Milia, couldn''t help but look at Alvin and Linfel. "For real? What did you do that you got these two to follow you?"


    "Oh! That''s beca-" *Mmmhmmhmmmm...*


    "Let''s just say we are very lucky," Felia quickly shut Linfel up before Linfel spoke the truth. The wisp truly didn''t know how to keep his mouth closed.


    Milia was truly skeptical of the situation. Yet, she couldn''t see why Donfin, a student of the same rank as her, would lie about that. Milia then looked at the two dead Rock Breaker bodies and narrowed her eyes. She had a good knowledge of Magic Beasts, and she knew Donfin''s strength. Even with Miranda''s help, she found it hard to believe Donfin killed those Rock Breakers that easily.


    Linfel finally got away from Felia. "Alright, alright. I understand. I won''t say anything. In any case, we are wasting time. My Academy Credit bonuses might fall into someone else''s hands if we delay here any further."


    Linfel quickly turned around and dashed into the passage he had selected earlier. Alvin looked at Milia for a moment, but she was working together with a few other Level Two Maguses and Familiars. It would be hard to convince her to follow his group instead, even if they were from the same Faction. Besides, she wouldn''t believe his story anyway. "Well then, Milia, see you later."


    Donfin and Miranda didn''t waste time. Linfel was the guide, and they absolutely wouldn''t let him go out of their sight. Yet, they were also surprised by Rirano''s appearance. Even if they spent thirty minutes recovering their Magic Energy, they were supposed to be quite far ahead of the other groups because of Linfel. And yet, Rirano already got to this place.


    ''Could it be he has some secret way to get around in the Dark Canyons as well?'' Donfin couldn''t help but wonder.


    Rirano, Milia, and the other members of their group were surprised to see that Donfin and Miranda truly followed Linfel and the others.


    Yet, one of them quickly came up with a reason. "Ha! I see what is happening here. They are being paid to follow and protect those Low-Level guys."


    "Oh!" Someone else quickly nodded. "That makes sense."


    "Hahaha! What a joke! I didn''t expect Donfin to fall this much."


    Rirano shrugged. "That''s their problem. Let''s go."


    Milia looked at the path that Linfel and Alvin took. She felt there was much more to what they had just seen.


    ''Milia,'' Nori whispered in her ears, using his Magic Energy so that only Milia could hear him. ''We should follow them.''


    Milia looked at Nori. ''Why?''


    ''Because you are curious,'' Nori answered with a smile. ''I know you. You will not rest until you reach the bottom of this situation. Rather than waiting to ask and investigate outside after the exam, wouldn''t it be better to see it with your own eyes now? Besides, it is not like you are in any danger of falling from Class A anytime soon.''


    A faint smile appeared on Milia''s face, and she patted Nori''s head. ''Sure enough, Nori knows me best!''


    She didn''t even look behind before she shot in the same direction Linfel''s group left. "I''ll go my own way from here. Goodbye."


    Rirano was taken aback. He had gone through a lot of trouble to find more information about this exam. That''s why they were this far into the Dark Canyons. He did all of that so he could show off to Milia. When she agreed to follow his group, he felt extremely excited and wanted to show his prowess during the exam. Yet now, Milia simply decided to leave.


    "Wait!" Rirano immediately blocked her path. "You can''t be serious, right? After we have come this far?"


    Milia didn''t seem to care. "So what? I don''t remember having pledged my allegiance to you. Traveling with your group seemed convenient, that was all. Now, out of my way."


    Rirano was enraged. "You!" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?" Milia immediately connected with Nori. "Wanna fight? I don''t mind entertaining you."


    Rirano wasn''t afraid of her. He wasn''t any weaker. However, the exam was being watched from everywhere. Starting an in-fight in the exam would definitely have him disqualified later. "Of course not!" his expression changed. "I was just a little bit flustered, that''s all.


    However, now that I think about it, that seems quite fun. How about I go as well?"


    "No need," Milia went around him and dashed away. "Good luck with the exam."


    Rirano was left behind, finding it hard to keep the smile on his face. When Milia finally disappeared, he burst out. "Fuck! Who that bitch thinks she is?"


    "Rirano," another magus from his group approached him. "We are wasting time. I don''t care if you want to court that girl or not, but if you keep delaying, then we will leave."


    "I know that!" Rirano shouted back at the guy. Following that, he took a device from his pocket. After checking the information inside, he selected another path. "Let''s go." And so they left the area as well.

 Chapter 32 - 32: Arent You Curious?

    Less than a minute later, Milia caught up to Linfel''s group, much to their surprise.


    "Milia, why did you come? Aren''t you ashamed of following these Rank F Class Students?" Donfin asked with a sarcastic smile.


    Milia glanced at him and pointed at Alvin. "He is part of my Faction, so I can''t just ignore his presence now that he came this far into the test. I was expecting him to have given up by the fourth or fifth flag at most."


    Alvin''s hand nervously rubbed the back of his head. In truth, he hadn''t expected to make it this far. But now, standing beside Milia, he couldn''t admit that. "M-Milia, I... I''m grateful for your support. Thank you for being here with us."


    Milia nodded, while Nori found it funny. Milia was just curious about how they got this far. Alvin wasn''t really the reason for her to come at all. "Don''t mention it."


    Donfin and Miranda looked at each other but understood there was nothing they could do. They would rather still be the only ones following Linfel, after all.


    Linfel, on the other hand, just ignored them all and focused on the flow of Magic Energy. Several other paths appeared in front of the group, and it was always him to determine which one to take. With that, Milia didn''t take long to understand everyone was just following Linfel.


    "How does he know where to go?" Milia asked Alvin and Connor on the side.


    "Magic Sensitivity," Connor quickly answered before Alvin could. He also wanted to appear to Milia. "Linfel seems to have a very high sensitivity to Magic Energy, so he can feel the Magic Energy flow in this Canyon. That''s how we got to this place so fast, even though this place is considered a maze."


    Milia looked at Alvin and Linfel. The more she knew them, the more suspicious they looked in her eyes. "You truly made a very interesting Familiar, didn''t you?"


    Alvin tried to change the topic straight away. "What about you, Milia? Did you have someone like Linfel in your group? You were just thirty or so minutes behind us, you know?"


    "Oh-ho!" Milia faintly smiled. "So you guys got that far thirty minutes before our group, uh? Linfel seems even more interesting now. I truly wonder what kind of weird parameters you used in him."


    Alvin wanted to kill himself right there and then.


    Still, Milia answered his question. "The reason we got there that fast was because of Rirano. I don''t know how he did it, but he seemed to have acquired privileged information regarding the exam ahead of time. It is not against the rules, but the field exams'' information is usually very well-kept. All I can tell is that it was definitely not cheap."


    Alvin and the others found it unfair, but there was nothing they could do. "Well, it seems like Rirano''s information isn''t as good as Linfel''s Magic Energy Sensitivity. You were still behind us and would continue to be so if we didn''t have to fight the Rock Breakers," said Donfin.


    Milia took that chance to ask. "Donfin, we have spared a few times during the classes and other situations. I believe I know your strength quite well. It is not that I''m looking down on you, but I don''t see how you and Miranda would be able to defeat two Level Two Rock Breakers on your own."


    Donfin shook his head, though. "Miranda and I only got one of the Rock Breakers. The one one was defeated by Alvin and Connor."


    Milia was taken aback, looking at Alvin and Connor as well as their Familiars. "Is he telling the truth?"


    Connor quickly spoke. "We were lucky. The Rock breaker just left an opening, and we took advantage of it. I believe it didn''t feel threatened by us and ended up opening its mouth too early."


    Milia then looked at Alvin, who avoided her gaze. "Yes, it was luck, nothing more than that."


    Linfel changed direction once again. "Through here."


    Everyone''s attention went back to him. They were in a relatively open space and stretched quite far. There were no other passages there other than going forward. Yet, Linfel changed direction and went to the wall. "Here where?"


    Linfel''s Magic Energy circulated as Fire and Wind Gathered. A fireball quickly took form, which he used to attack the wall.


    *Boom!*


    It wasn''t an impressive attack or anything. However, it caused the wall to crumble, revealing a dark cave behind it. "This..." They truly hadn''t noticed its presence at all.


    Linfel entered with an excited expression. "The Magic Energy Flow is much stronger inside this cave. It is probably connected to much deeper into the Dark Canyons."


    Linfel was right. Until now, no one could feel any difference in the Magic Energy in the surroundings. Yet, the flow here was so much stronger that even they could tell the difference, albeit barely. For Linfel, however, it was the difference between day and night.


    Donfin quickly took out a circular device from his bag and threw it in the air. The device floated ahead of them, illuminating the path. Without wasting time, they all went deeper.


    Back on the airship, the room of dead corpses was already gone. At the moment, only Xalafel and his two subordinates were watching the entire exam. Naturally, Xalafel was more interested in Alvin''s group. As for the rest of the groups, the entire exam was being recorded.


    Excluding the recordings of Alvin''s display of a double connection, everything could be checked later by other teachers and instructors.


    "Where are the images?" Xalafel asked with a dark expression. "Dilwe, get it fixed."


    Dilwe shook his head in response. "It is impossible, Principal. They have entered a route that has no surveillance."


    "No surveillance?" Xalafel narrowed his eyes. "How can there be a route without surveillance? What were the organizers doing that they missed that one?"


    Dilwe sighed. "Unfortunately, we will have to wait until they come out in one of the watched regions."


    Xalafel laid back on his chair and nodded. "Fine. Just make sure whoever missed that gets fired later."


    At first, everyone followed Linfel without questioning. After all, he hadn''t led them astray before. But as they continued to run, Milia''s voice cut through the air, tinged with a hint of unease. "Something''s not right. There are no cameras here."


    Everyone was taken aback for a moment. Quickly, they began to scan their surroundings, looking for the tiny cameras that were being used to watch the entire field exam. It didn''t take long for them to reach the same conclusion as Milia. "She is right. There are none."


    Linfel looked back at Milia. "Could it be I took a route the academy didn''t know about? I''m only following the Magic Energy Flow."


    Milia didn''t know. "With all the equipment at the academy''s disposal, I find it hard to believe they would have missed this place. It looked well hidden, but it wasn''t hard to enter. Of course... it is not impossible."


    Alvin, Donfin, Miranda, and Connor agreed. "That''s true."


    Linfel then stopped, looking back to the path they came from. Ever since they entered this cave, they haven''t seen the light of the day yet. "Should we go back and take an open route? I can just ignore this cave and follow the next strongest Magic Flow."


    Since they were a group, it was just right to have everyone''s opinion.


    "No," Donfin''s voice rang out, filled with determination. "If this path leads to the deepest parts of the Dark Canyons, even if it''s unknown to the organizers, it could be our ticket to victory. We could be the first to reach the last flag, setting a record time. Imagine the bonus in score and academy credits. It will definitely be more than just the bonuses the instructor mentioned."


    "But wouldn''t we be missing the previous flags along the way?" Linfel asked, curious. "After all, collecting the flags is the main rule. If this path is unknown, there will be no flags until we find an exit. Instead, we would lose many score points and academy credits by leaving the flags behind."


    Miranda quickly shook her head. "Don''t worry. If you get to a flag deeper into the Dark Canyons, the flags that came before will also be added to your score. After all, you could only reach the deepest flags by passing by the previous regions. That shows you went through the exam as intended anyway."


    Linfel didn''t need to hear more than that. "Great! Record time, extra bonuses, that''s all Alvin and I care about."


    ''I care about staying alive a lot more, though,'' Alvin thought to himself. Nonetheless, he also understood the great chance he had here. "I vote for continuing this path."


    Milia and Nori agreed. "We are of the same mind."


    Miranda and Donfin, as well as their familiars, were no different. "Then let''s go!"


    Linfel quickly flew into the distance, being quickly followed by the rest of the group... and a crying Connor closely behind. "No one asked my opinion..."


    Alvin shrugged and pointed behind. "You are free to turn around and go back."


    "So heartless!" Connor complained. "Are you still my little Alvin?" sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your ass!" Alvin rebuked. "Also, I''m just as nervous. You aren''t alone in this."


    The Magic Energy Flow power continued to increase as they went deeper into the cave. Nothing changed for a while as they found no Magic Beasts on the way, making them think this place was completely sealed before. However, it didn''t last forever. Suddenly, a faint green light could be seen ahead, catching their attention.


    "What are these?" Linfel stopped by the wall, pulling out a shining green rock. There were many of these all around, making the path ahead quite bright.


    "Magic Stones, perhaps?" Alvin also got one in his hand. It''s just that he couldn''t feel much Magic Energy inside these rocks.


    Linfel shook his head, though. "It does have some Magic Energy, but it is not like the Magic Stones we use. It just absorbed the Magic Energy from the environment to become like this. It has no use for training. Even those Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones are a lot better."


    Linfel looked around. "I guess it makes sense. The Magic Energy flow in this place is a lot more concentrated."


    "Let''s not waste time and keep going," Donfin spoke. Since the rocks had no use, they had no reason to dwell here.


    Linfel nodded and threw the rock away before guiding everyone once again. The number of green rocks continued to increase while the cave got wider as well. At some point, they turned a corner and were presented with an underground pond shining with the same pristine green light.


    "This is so beautiful..." Both Milia and Miranda spoke at the same time.


    Donfin couldn''t care less about it, though. "Fuck the scenery! Look at the pond! It is a Magic Energy pond!"


    "What?!" Miranda and Milia''s expressions changed. They quickly followed Donfin''s eyes to the pond and saw the Magic Energy circulating inside. "It is truly a Magic Energy Pond!"


    Donfin and the others were ready to jump in the pond when Linfel''s voice echoed in their ears. "That''s the reason the Magic Flow coming from this cave was so high. It is all coming from this lake. What do we do? We still have an exam to take."


    They immediately stopped. "Shit! He is right! We only have a day to complete the exam."


    "But..." Miranda seemed unwilling to just leave. "Look at the color of the Magic Energy. It is green! It is the same as Green Magic Stones."


    Let''s not forget that the grade of Magic Energy follows colors. Yellow being the lowest, you then have Red, Brow, and this same Green in the lake. You could say the lake is full of Level Four Magic Energy, which wouldn''t be wrong. There is no doubt Donfin, Miranda, and Milia were rich and they could get a lot of Red Magic Stones with their Background.


    However, Green Magic Stones are two levels above, and they would still be something hard to come by for them.


    Linfel shrugged, seeming not all that interested. "What are you all excited about? It is Green Magic Energy. You can''t absorb it anyway."


    "Ah!" Only then did everyone wake up to reality. Indeed, they couldn''t absorb this kind of Magic Energy. The level was too high. Alvin had explained to Linfel before that they could, at most, absorb Magic Energy one level higher. More than that, and the cores wouldn''t even accept it. If they forced the issue, they would only destroy their cores instead.


    Milia and the others were only Level Two Maguses and Familiars. Even they couldn''t take that Magic Energy. Not to mention, the Green Magic Energy in the pond had a very dense Green Color. It was definitely a High-Grade Green Magic Energy.


    For them to be able to absorb it and integrate the Magic Energy into their cores, they will need to become Level Three Maguses and Familiar while also being very close to Level Four. That wasn''t something that would happen anytime soon.


    "Also," Linfel continued. "The big guy living inside this pond probably won''t feel happy if we try to take the energy inside."


    Everyone''s expressions froze. They all knew Linfel could feel Magic Beasts. And this was a Green Magic Energy Pond, so the Magic Beast Living inside could only be...


    "Ahem..." Donfin began to take a few steps back, very, veeeeeeery slowly. "I just remembered I didn''t come to this exam for Magic Energy but for the scores instead."


    Everyone vigorously nodded. They, too, went back while sweating buckets.


    Yet, their eyes suddenly widened while their faces contorted. Just ahead, above the pond, a certain Wisp- Ahem! A certain Familiar floated and seemed ready to attack the pond. "Aren''t you curious to see what is inside? Don''t worry, I''ll bring it out in a second."

 Chapter 33 - 33: Always the Last

    "STOP!" Everyone shouted at the same time. Too late, though.


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel already shot down a bolt of lightning!


    Electric currents spread through the pond, also hitting the creature inside.


    *ROAR!*


    *Shua!*


    The pond opened as the creature burst out of it. It was some kind of green serpent with slimy scales and a head covered in a helmet of bones. It immediately looked at Linfel, understanding it was the reason for its pain earlier.


    *Zush!*


    It immediately shot in Linfel''s direction, trying to swallow him whole. Linfel immediately fell inside the creature''s mouth as it once again dove into the water. Yet, the pond suddenly shined with even more lightning, shocking the onlookers.


    Finally, Donfin came back to himself. "Run!" Linfel was distracted by the Level Four Magic Beast, so that was their chance to get away.


    No one thought twice and quickly ran away... except Alvin and Felia. "I can''t leave Linfel behind!"


    However, it was then that a voice appeared on his side. "What are you talking about? I''m right here..."


    Everyone''s expressions froze as they looked to the side. There, Linfel floated as if nothing had happened.


    Linfel didn''t waste time, though. He quickly used his Magic Energy and pulled Alvin back with him. "That''s an interesting Magic Beast, but it will be best if we don''t engage it now. None of us can defeat it. Let''s go back before it realizes it got the wrong target."


    Everyone was puzzled, but it didn''t matter now. The priority was to run away as fast as possible. They quickly disappeared into the distance while the Magic Beast''s sound echoed behind.


    *Roar!*


    It seemed it finally noticed it had been fooled. Yet, once it came out of the water, there was no one there anymore. It roared in rage but refused to leave the pond itself. In the end, it dove back into the pond and disappeared to the bottom.


    Almost an hour later, everyone finally stopped, feeling tired. Usually, such a distance wouldn''t be much for Maguses and Familiars, but the terror of a possible pursuit left everyone at their wit''s end.


    Linfel, however, seemed fine. "Quite a strong guy. Unfortunately, it is also half blind. It was quite easy to trick it, although it would hardly work twice. By the way, any of you know which kind of magic Beast is that?"


    The group looked at Linfel with weird expressions. Finally, Donfin exploded. "Are you crazy! Why the hell would you provoke such a monster?! We could have died!"


    Linfel turned to him, puzzled. "Because I wanted to see what it was. In the future, once we decide to come back to use the pond, we need to know what to expect, right? Or do you intend to never touch that pond again? Fine by me, though. More Magic Energy for me to use."


    "It didn''t need to be now!" Miranda complained. "You could have let it be; then we could come back another time when we were truly prepared."


    Linfel pondered a bit. "Hum... that works too."


    Everyone fell with their heads on the ground. "Alvin... just what kind of parameters you used in this Familiar of yours..."


    Alvin bitterly smiled. "Let''s just say it wasn''t a very conventional approach."


    Milia also calmed down. "Forget it, everyone. Linfel, just what happened back there? How come you suddenly appeared outside? We saw you being swallowed by the creature."


    Indeed, their group saw the serpent taking him to the bottom. They thought Linfel was a goner at that point.


    "Oh! That wasn''t really me," Linfel explained. Right after, he used his Magic Energy and Lightning Began to form, taking a similar shape to himself. "I used a Lightning attack since that guy seemed to be compatible with water. After catching its attention, I made this copy."


    "Since it was made of the same element that attacked the creature, the creature thought it was the culprit, especially since it couldn''t see very well outside of water. It could only rely on its senses. It swallowed this copy of me and dove down. Naturally, the copy dispersed as the Lightning hit its inside, making it even more disorientated," Linfel concluded.


    He then looked back, feeling impressed. "Still, even though I didn''t use much Lightning, it barely got any damage at all, although it swallowed the copy. Truly, a very strong fella. We better avoid him for now."


    Only now that they looked at it with calm did they see that the copy Linfel made with Lightning was indeed very bad. In a normal situation, they wouldn''t be fooled by it. Nonetheless, the risk Linfel just took was ridiculous. "Just don''t do something like that again, alright?"


    Linfel nodded. "Alright. In any case, we didn''t come out without anything. Look at where we are."


    "Hum?" The group looked around. Yet, other than the walls of the cave, there was nothing. They ran quite far away, so they couldn''t see the shining green rocks anymore either. "What is it?"


    Linfel smiled. "Watch!"


    Linfel circulated his Magic Energy once again and created another Fire Ball. Immediately, he shot it against a wall not too far away.


    *Boom!*


    The wall crumbled like the first one, showing the outside world. "You all followed me as we ran away from the pond, so I took another path that went in the opposite direction we came. By following the Magic Energy flow, I knew we would find another exit here. We should be much, much deeper into the Dark Cayons now."


    Their group got up again and exited the cave. They were indeed back at the bottom of the Dark Cayons. It''s just they couldn''t exactly tell where they were at the moment. "Are we truly further in?"


    Linfel nodded. "The Magic Energy flow here is what you would expect, considering the changes I experienced along the way. Take a look over there."


    They once again turned their eyes into the distance, and there, they spotted another Flag. "It''s... It''s the Purple Flag! Then the place we are is..."


    "Purple Flag?" Alvin and Felia asked at the same time. "Do you know where we are then?"


    Milia, who seemed slightly excited as well, quickly nodded. "Yes. There had been exams that used Flags before. After all, we receive one Field Exam every week. Purple... is always the last flag."


    Donfin looked at the time and couldn''t help but exclaim. "Six hours! It has been only six hours since the start of the exam!"


    Everyone checked the time as well. "Are we going to break the record by four hours?!"


    "Seems like it," Miranda spoke, equally happy.


    Without thinking twice, their whole group charged to the Flag in the distance. However, they weren''t idiots. They let Linfel go ahead since he could feel Magic Beasts to a certain distance. Especially Donfin and Miranda, who were taken by surprise by the Rock Breakers earlier this day.


    Linfel didn''t mind since he already intended to do it anyway. As they approached, their speed slowed down, waiting for Linfel''s warning.


    *Crack!*


    Yet, this time, Linfel couldn''t do anything about it. That''s because his perception range is only around ten meters. At the moment, he was walking that same distance ahead, so he didn''t notice. No one did. Out of nowhere, several dark vines came out of the ground, trying to bind their group.


    Alvin was taken aback as he was the first one to see a dark vine sprouting from the ground, attacking Milia on the back. Without thinking, he immediately circulated his magic Energy and kicked her, sending her flying out of the way.


    Many more of those vines came out, capturing Connor, Miranda, and Donfin. Alvin was just lucky. He simply wasn''t the first target by mere chance. However, after kicking Milia, the vine that was supposed to take her took him instead.


    Of course, their group wouldn''t just look as the vines took them. They all circulated their magic energy and attacked the vines. Yet, at the same time they attacked, they felt their bodies go numb.


    "Shit! They are covered in poison!" Donfin exclaimed.


    *Swish, swish, swish...*


    Suddenly, several slashes came in succession, cutting the vines and freeing the group. It was Milia and Nori who were now connected. Surprisingly, Nori''s form was that of a sword. Milia circulated her Magic Energy, creating a flaming sword that kept attack the vines as they came out of the ground.


    *vuuuuuu...*


    Following that, a current of wind reached everyone''s bodies, pulling them away from the vines. This time, it was Linfel who acted. He was the only Familiar not connected to a master, so he was free.


    "This guy is hidden deep underground. I can''t feel his Magic Energy." Linfel could feel Magic Energy up to ten meters, but that''s only if there were no barriers on the way. Feeling Magic Energy underground was much harder, so his perception didn''t go more than three meters down.


    *Crack, crack, crack, crack...*


    The ground then began to crack open as a mass of Dark Vines came out. It wasn''t only one, but ten of them at once.


    Milia recognized them straight away. "They are Para Vine Beasts. You can find them in quite a few different places in our country. They usually hide underground and use the vibrations on the surface to detect their prey. Obviously," Milia then slashed a few more times and continued, "they paralyze their target and use the vines themselves to absorb their nutrients."


    Linfel looked at Alvin. "Can you move?"


    Alvin slowly got up as his legs trembled. "More or less. This poison sure works..."


    Donfin, Miranda, and Connor followed suit. Donfin and Miranda, as Level Two Maguses, seemed to be better off. Their higher Magic Energy helped them block the poison better than Alvin and Connor. "These fuckers! Let''s finish them off!" S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Donfin quickly shot forward. He could tell that although annoying, those Para Vines were still only Level One Magic Beasts... or Plants, for the matter. Having been caught by them was quite disgraceful in his eyes.


    Alvin and Felia quickly worked together. His magic Energy created several spikes out from the earth and tried to pierce the Para Vine Cores.


    Connor followed suit with his wind attacks, which were especially good since he could create wind blades.


    Alvin and Connor took one Para Vine each, while Connor, Miranda, and Donfin took three at the same time. That left two Para Vines for Linfel deal with.


    The fight continued as the Para Vines tried to keep their distance while using their poisonous vines to attack Alvin''s group. Linfel acted as a kind of support character. He easily held down his two Para Vines and acted every time he saw someone was going to be caught by those vines.


    Usually, Donfin and Miranda wouldn''t need much help since they are Level Two Maguses. However, the poison was still in their bodies, so their movements were quite slow. Alvin and Connor were even worse.


    Fortunately, Milia also made up for it with her own effort. She used several Fire Attacks, mainly focused on Nori''s Blade. The fire seemed to be especially effective against those Para Vines.


    *Boom!*


    A Fire Spear suddenly hit one of the Para Vines, piercing through its core and burning the rest of its body. The first Para Vine came down, reducing the pressure on the group. "Finally, an opening," said Linfel.


    That single death changed the battle almost instantly. Linfel now only had one para Vine to deal with. His barrage of attacks, all made of fire and wind elements, completely overwhelmed that Para Vine. It soon died as well.


    *Swish, swish, swish!*


    Milia wasn''t any slower. Even though she fought three of those, she still held the advantage. Finally, she took one down. However, instead of charging at the other two, her Sword, which was Nori transformed, turned to the side and sent a Fire Slash attack. Tens of Dark Vines were instantly cut down, causing the Para Vine owner to scream in pain.


    Alvin sighed in relief. His Earth Element was truly not very good against this beast. He was doing his best just to hold down, especially with his numb body. "Thank you."


    Milia quickly turned back to her targets. "Now we are even." She obviously didn''t forget that it was Alvin who prevented her from being touched by the vines earlier.


    One Para Vine after another fell, and their group found it easier and easier to work together. After a few minutes, the last Para Vine was cut down, bringing an end to the battle.

 Chapter 34 - 34: Old Friend

    Donfin''s Familiar returned to his original form as Donfin took a deep breath. "Finally over. Linfel, why didn''t you warn us about them?"


    "I told you," Linfel spoke. "I can only sense them up to ten meters or so, and they were underground, where it is even harder to perceive. They were way over ten meters below the ground."


    "He is right," Milia spoke for him. "Those were Para Vines. They hide deep underground and use the vibrations to detect their targets while waiting in ambush."


    She then looked around. "Still, they are only Level One Magic Beasts. We could say we were quite lucky already. Most likely, the Para Vines, who always work in groups, scared any Level Two Magic Beast away. They are pretty annoying when acting in mobs, after all."


    Miranda ignored than and entered the ten-meter range of the Purple Flag. "Who cares?! We got the last flag! Hahaha!"


    "Fuck!" Donfin cursed. Miranda still kept her attention on the flag and was now the first one to approach it. It will be mentioned in her end results.


    *Zup!*


    Suddenly, Miranda''s Collar shined with Magic Energy before a bubble was created around her. Following that, she was pulled towards the skies. It was obvious Miranda didn''t activate her collar, which meant she completed the exam.


    Of course, Donfin didn''t waste time and approached the Flag as well. In the next second, he was also enveloped by the same bubble of Magic Energy from his collar and taken away.


    "Wait for me!" Connor obviously wouldn''t lose this chance and quickly entered the Flag''s range. He never expected he would be one of the first students to complete this Field Exam. Just like the two before, his collar also activated as he was brought away with Tratil.


    Milia didn''t mind that. Her overall score among the Rank A Students was at the very top. Even if she didn''t participate in the next few field exams, she wouldn''t be sent to Rank B Classes. Being the first didn''t change anything for her at the moment.


    She then looked at Alvin, Linfel, and Felia. "Aren''t you in a hurry to take the flag?"


    Alvin shook his head. "To be honest, I would have been happy if I had reached even 50% of the way. Let alone reach the end and be one of the first ten students. I don''t mind if the others went away first." He walked slowly to the Flag, thinking about everything that happened so far.


    Milia faintly smiled and followed him. Obviously, Nori, Felia, and Linfel did the same.


    However, just as they were about to enter the Flag''s range, Linfel''s expression changed. He didn''t say anything as he touched Alvin and connected to him. Just like that, he took Alvin''s control once again before turning to Milia. Finally, their Magic Energy exploded as they shot forward at full speed.


    *Bang!*


    Milia was taken aback and tried to react. However, she didn''t expect that tackle from Alvin and only had time to connect to Nori. Just as she was about to push Alvin away from her...


    *Boom!*


    The ground where she had been staying a second ago burst, sending dirt everywhere and stones everywhere. Her expression changed, understanding that Alvin had just saved her once again. But, above all, she was scared of the fact she didn''t notice the enemy approaching.


    From the ground, a green-colored serpent with a bone helmet emerged, looking at Alvin and Milia.


    "Felia!" Alvin turned back, shouting with worry. He was also surprised by Linfel''s sudden movement. However, he heard through that weird communication in his mind Linfel saying something had targeted them.


    "Master!" Felia appeared right after, in the opposite direction Alvin and Milia fell to. She wasn''t the primary target of the serpent, so her core was only hit by the debris.


    Alvin sighed in relief as Linfel controlled his body to get up. ''Alvin, it is that guy.''


    Only then did Alvin pay attention to the Magic Beast that appeared. Obviously, it was the Level Four Serpent. "W-Why is it here?!"


    Milia quickly got away from Alvin while holding Nori in his Sword Form. "It doesn''t matter! Use your co-!"


    *Bang!*


    *Crash!*


    Before Milia could even finish her words, the serpent moved like lightning, sweeping its tail and hitting Milia head-on. Milia barely had the time to put Nori between her and the attack before being sent flying and crashing against the wall of the Dark Canyon. She instantly broke several bones and fell to the ground.


    Even Nori in his Sword Form seemed to have cracked, forcing him to return to his Core Form. The crack in the sword then changed into a crack on his core instead.


    The Serpent could tell that Milia''s Magic Energy was much stronger than Alvin''s, so it took it as its primary target by instinct.


    *Hisssssss...*


    It didn''t stop there. Its body coiled like a spring before shooting forward. Its mouth opened, intending to swallow Milia whole. Milia raised her head just in time to see the mouth reaching her head. She closed her eyes.


    *CLANG!*


    Yet, the death she expected to come didn''t arrive. She opened her eyes again, just in time to see a Wall of Earth between her and the serpent Magic Beast. At the same time, Alvin was there, holding it as blood flowed from all his muscles.


    Yet, what shocked Milia the most was the vision of Linfel and Felia. Felia was in her gloves form, connected to Alvin... and so was Linfel, although his form hadn''t changed. Linfel had once again connected to Alvin and Felia at the same time.


    Yet, the one controlling his body this time wasn''t Linfel. It was Alvin himself. When the Magic Beast attacked Milia, Felia ran to Alvins'' side. Linfel then prepared to use the collar to get away from her. However, to his surprise, the always-scared Alvin made the first move, using his and Felia''s Magic Energy to reach Milia before the Serpent could follow with its attack.


    Linfel''s connection truly made a huge difference. Although their magic Energy was still at the Yellow Level, the amount Alvin could bring out at once with Linfel''s Help made up for the quality.


    However, that Wall of Earth only lasted a second before breaking and sending Alvin flying just like Milia did a moment ago.


    "Milia, now!" Yet, as soon as they were sent flying, Alvin shouted at her.


    His Magic Energy circulated frenetically as a powerful blast of wind happened behind him and Milia. That blast acted as a cushion, preventing them from crashing with too much force against the wall. Linfel acted again!


    Milia, quick to grasp Alvin''s plan, immediately activated her collar. The Magic Energy within surged, forming a protective bubble that propelled her upwards. Alvin, equally swift, was enveloped by the same bubble, lifting him from the ground.


    They gravely underestimated the Level Four Magic Beast, a creature of immense power. Before they could even ascend a single meter, the Serpent''s tail lashed out with incredible speed, striking both of them simultaneously. The force of the blow sent them hurtling into the ground and then the wall. The Bubble of Magic Energy, their last line of defense, shattered instantly.


    The collars'' power vanished, leaving them vulnerable.


    *Hisssss!*


    The serpent didn''t stop there as it sprung in their direction once again. It was a Magic Beast hunting its prey. It didn''t know the meaning of holding back. Milia saw the beast''s mouth opening. Instinctively, she held Nori''s core close to her chest, shouting in her mind. ''ALVIN!''


    *Zush!*


    In the next instant, the bloodied body of Alvin appeared once again, making Milia''s emotions stir and a tear come out. This time, however, Red Magic Energy flowed through his meridians. Linfel had always been able to create Red Magic Energy with Yellow Magic Energy. It''s just that he couldn''t store much of it due to his level.


    That said, he kept it safe in his core, just in case he needed it at some point.


    Yet, he couldn''t control Alvin''s body at the moment as Alvin''s strong emotions made it impossible to intervene. When Alvin saw that Milia was about to be killed, he simply moved on his own. Linfel then saw himself forced to utilize that Red Magic Energy and give it all to Alvin for one last struggle.


    That was the only reason Alvin, injured as he was, managed to get in front of Milia when the attack arrived.


    ''Sigh... I guess I shouldn''t have provoked this guy back in the pond. Oh well, it wasn''t a bad run,'' thought Linfel, prepared to die with Alvin and Felia. There was no way they could hold this thing down as they had utilized all their magic energy again.


    "Hmph! Acting tough in my territory? Know your place!" However, in that last second, a ray of Blue Light came from the skies, crashing against the serpent''s skull like a meteor!


    *BOOM!*


    *Hisssssss!*


    The bone helmet of the serpent was pressed against the ground. It struggled with all its might to get free, but the leg pressing its head didn''t budge. Finally, the attacker''s eyes turned cold as he increased the pressure.


    *Crack! Splash!*


    His leg went through the bone helmet, breaking through the enormous serpent''s head and smashing its brain. Blood began to gush out while the serpent''s body still moved. It was already that, but just like a snake, its cells were still alive and would continue to move for a while before settling down.


    *Bang!*


    The man pulled his leg out of the serpent''s head and kicked it away, making it crash against the wall in the distance. "Just why the hell am I paying those idiots? This is an Academy Testing Ground! And yet, they didn''t notice there was a Level Four Magic Beast here. If I don''t get a few heads fired this time, my name is not Xalafel." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sure enough, their savior was none other than Xalafel, a Level Five Magus and the academy''s principal!


    *Tud!*


    However, neither Alvin nor Milia had the chance to talk to the man. They quickly lost to their injuries and fell to the ground, unconscious. Felia and Linfel also had their connection with Alvin canceled. Felia was completely empty and couldn''t even float anymore. As for Linfel, he still had a little bit of Yellow Magic Energy, so he was the only one to get up and assume his Familiar Form.


    "Now, that was scary..."


    Xalafel was surprised to see that Linfel still had Magic Energy to move around. However, he saw the state that Milia and Alvin found themselves in. "We can talk later. I''ll bring these two out to receive treatment first."


    "Ah!" Linfel quickly remembered something. "Just a second!" He quickly used the remaining of his Magic Energy to carry Milia and Alvin''s body within the Purple Flag''s range. Thanks to that, Alvin and Milia were now considered to have completed the exam as well. "Alright, we can go now."


    Xalafel didn''t know what to say. Those two were almost dead, but the Familiar thought more about the exam. However, he shook his head and quickly took Alvin and Milia''s bodies with him. Of course, he also brought Felia, Linfel, and Nori away.


    As they took flight, Linfel looked back in the serpent''s body direction. Different from the other Magic Beasts they killed before, he could feel that the source of Magic Energy of the dead serpent didn''t disappear. "How come that thing still has Magic Energy?"


    As Xalafel flew up, he spoke. "Level Three Magic Beasts are able to condense a Magic Core, just like Maguses do at the age of twelve. From there onwards, their magic Energy is stored inside the Core instead of being spread around their bodies." Xalafel then waved his hand, causing a gust of wind to hit the serpent''s head. In the next second, a Magic Core flew out and was caught by his hand.


    "Here, take it."


    Linfel was surprised to receive that. The concentration of Magic Energy inside was truly enormous. However, Xalafel warned. "It can''t be used for training since it is contaminated with the Magic Beast''s Energy. However, it can be used as a source of energy for other things. You might get a good price from this.


    Consider it an apology for missing that Level Four Magic Beast in the examination area."


    Linfel felt ecstatic, though. Contaminated? That was not a problem at all. It''s just that Linfel was also kind of sad. The Magic Energy inside was also at Level Four, Green Color Magic. He still couldn''t absorb it.


    ''I will keep it for later when I reach Level Three,'' he thought to himself.


    Xalafel didn''t know what Linfel was thinking, but he didn''t care either. Even though he didn''t show it, he was over the moon. ''Truly, truly impressive. Alvin, this old man has great plans for you.''

 Chapter 35 - 35: Lost in Thoughts

    Xalafel was quite nervous a while ago. Linfel''s group had entered a cave without surveillance, so he was afraid something could have happened to them. Sometime later, they suddenly resurfaced near the last flag of the exam, much to his surprise.


    However, it was also at that moment that the sensor around the exam area detected a different type of Magic Energy approaching. Before even Linfel could notice the serpent Magic Beast, Xalafel and his subordinates already understood a Level Four Magic Beast, a creature of immense power and danger, had appeared.


    Xalafel immediately disappeared from the room, flying to the end of the examination area as fast as he could. The collars can not be activated by them. Only the users themselves can do it. That''s to make sure the Maguses in the exam understand the Magic Academy would not intervene in the Field Exams.


    Still, Xalafel''s expression wasn''t good. Even at his level, he would take a while to arrive. He could only hope Linfel''s group would hold on during that time, although he wasn''t very confident. To his immense relief and admiration, Linfel''s group not only held on but also managed to fend off one of the serpent''s attacks.


    He quickly came crashing against the serpent like a meteor, and the rest is history.


    Of course, even after Xalafel took Linfel''s group away, the exam itself wasn''t over. Xalafel simply ordered the instructors hidden in several parts of the Exam Field to remain vigilant in case another of these rare and formidable Level Four Magic Beasts appeared. ''Well, Level Four Magic Beasts are a rarity in this part of the country.


    There shouldn''t be any more of them,'' he thought to himself, underlining the exceptional nature of the situation.


    The next group to arrive at the Purple Flag ended up taking over an entire extra hour to do so. It was Rirano''s group, of course. After all, Rirano had acquired information about this field exam in advance.


    The next one was a single Magus and a Familiar from the older groups that were dropped in a different place of the Dark Canyons. Rirano''s group was already gone by then, so the guy just approached the flag, excited.


    Even considering Linfel and Rirano''s group, the total number of Maguses to arrive at the last flag was only five. However, there was an exception. Independent Familiars have their own IDs and accounts in the Academy. That said, they also count. That means Linfel and Nori were considered on their own, different from Felia and Tratil, who were counted as being part of Alvin and Connor''s own strength.


    In the end, five Maguses and two Familiars were the first seven participants to get to the last flag. When the older Magus arrived, he became the eighth one. Of course, the bonuses still applied, so it didn''t matter to him. After his magic Energy Signature was taken, he simply used his Collar and exited the exam as well.


    The last two Maguses to arrive were from the middle groups, the ones between 17 and 21 years old. The difficulty of their journey was something between the young and the oldest ones. In fact, these last two were in the same group with another three Maguses and their Familiars. It''s just that these two reacted faster and got closer to the Flag first, leaving the other three out of the bonus.


    The exam continued normally after that, with no other Level Four Magic Beasts appearing. At most, you would find Level Three Magic Beasts, but these ones were placed in the route taken by the oldest Maguses since there were even Level Three Maguses between them.


    One thing was certain, though. Pretty much everyone who arrived in the last Flag were Maguses and Familiars from Ranked A and B Classes. There were a few Rank C, but those were truly few. Last but not least, one single student from a Rank D class also managed to miraculously arrive at the end, although in his case, it was most due to his luck.


    Well, there were also Alvin and Connor, two Rank F students. But their cases were extraordinary.


    The exam concluded with no issues. This kind of exam was thought through and through, aiming to give the Maguses and Familiars experience instead of killing them. The collar was proof that the Academy didn''t really want anyone to die. That was exactly what happened. There were some very serious injuries, like the ones in the Maguses from Linfel''s Group back when they fought the Rock Breakers.


    But deaths were truly hard to come by.


    All the Airship then took off from the Dark Canyon, only leaving behind a few instructors from the Academy who would clean up the place of the equipment used. As for the Magic Energy Pond hidden deep underground, no one found that since Linfel took quite a hidden passage.


    The instructors themselves wouldn''t enter the cave Linfel''s Group came from either since there wasn''t a need to check the environment anymore.


    Later that night, Alvin woke up in a tank filled with some weird yellow liquid. Several Diagram Runes operated it, seeming to act on Alvin''s injuries. "T-This..."


    "Oh! You finally woke up," said a woman wearing a doctor''s attire on the other side of the room. She quickly pressed a few options on the screen in front of her, which caused all the liquid inside the tank to be drained away. Finally, the tank itself opened, allowing Alvin to come out.


    "Master!" Felia quickly jumped to Alvin''s head, feeling extremely happy. She wasn''t too bad. It was Alvin''s body that took most of the burden during the serpent incident. After she was given a few Magic Stones and absorbed them into her core, she was able to take her Familiar Form once again and had been waiting by Alvin''s side all this while.


    Alvin smiled and patted the Familiar''s head. Not too far from him, he saw Linfel, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. "So... what happened after that?"


    Linfel woke up from his trance and looked back at Alvin. "You are awake, uh? Took you long enough..." Linfel was just about to continue talking when, suddenly, a message arrived in the medical center.


    -We have arrived in the academy. All students, please exit the Airships and proceed to the Field Exam Results Area. Your scores and the overall rank can be consulted there. Thank you for your participation, and we expect you to take the next exam.-


    "We are back?!" Alvin quickly looked through the window, seeing that it was already later night. "Seems like I slept in the recovering chamber for quite a while."


    The female doctor nodded. "That you did. Your group was brought here just seven hours after the start of the exam, so for the rest of the exam, you were kept inside the chamber, healing. You tore through most of your muscles, not to mention the many broken bones. Although there were no lasting damages, you truly got very close to dying, you know?


    Fortunately, you were brought back in time, so I managed to get you back into shape."


    Alvin felt a chill on his back. He got close to dying? But then again, he did try to block the attack of a Level Four Magic Beast... "Just what the hell was I even thinking?!!!"


    Felia couldn''t agree more while feeling angry. "Exactly! You tried to block a Level Four Magic Beast! Master, do you have a death wish?! If not for Linfel..." She stopped there, knowing she shouldn''t mention the Double MCF.


    Linfel already began to make his way out of the airship. "Come on, the airship won''t wait for us to exit forever."


    Alvin and Felia quickly followed. Of course, Alvin quickly thanked the doctor, too. "Thank you."


    "That''s my job," the woman answered with a cheap smile.


    Outside, the thousands of students moved in unison to the Field Exam Results Area. Alvin was brought in a different airship from the others, so he only met Connor on his way.


    "Alvin!" Connor quickly approached, surprised. "Just where did you go? I returned to the ship after taking the last flag, but you never came."


    Alvin was taken aback. "You don''t know?"


    Connor was puzzled by that question. "Know what?"


    Alvin pondered a bit and shook his head in the end. "Nothing much. I''ll tell you later."


    Connor then whispered in Alvin''s ears while controlling his Magic Energy so that only they could hear. ''Bro, we still haven''t talked about that fight against the Rock Breaker. How did you connect with two Familiars at the same time?''


    Alvin whispered back in the same manner. ''Many things happened, but we can talk about that as well once this is all over.'' sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Connor nodded, knowing better not to talk about such an issue in this place.


    Alvin, on the other hand, turned to Linfel. ''How did I get in the medical bay? I think... I saw Principal Xalafel? Was I dreaming?''


    Linfe shook his head. ''No. It was truly the man from the statue... although he seemed a lot older. I have to say, that guy is truly strong. He cracked the serpent''s head open with a single foot.


    It was incredible! It was also the first time I saw someone using Blue Magic Energy.''


    Alvin breathed in coldly. ''So it was truly the legend himself. That man is not only famous in our academy but in our entire country as well. Do you think he knows about our Double MFC?''


    ''Oh, that''s definitely for sure,'' Linfel confirmed straight away. ''He saw the moment when you passed out while Felia and I disconnected from you. He didn''t ask me anything, though. He simply left you in the medical bay and left after saying a few words to the doctor.''


    Alvin sighed. ''I see... That''s going to be complicated to explain.''


    Linfel and Alvin arrived in the Results area, a big building where several screens could be seen all around. The Academy promoted competition between the students, so the results were always shown to the crowd in the academy. One could even verify them later once they were added to the Academy''s website.


    As soon as they entered, Linfel noticed Milia in the distance. "There she is."


    Alvin looked in the direction Linfel pointed out, seeing Milia looking at one of the screens. Nori was nowhere to be seen, though. Alvin thought about what happened earlier and remembered that Milia also saw him using a Double Master Familiar Connection. There was no other choice. He had to talk to her about it so Milia wouldn''t spread the information.


    When he approached, he noticed that the screen message said the results were being processed. Everyone who came here was waiting for the results as well. "Milia... can we talk?"


    Milia felt a jolt run through her body as she quickly looked back. Alvin was there, looking at her with a concerned expression. The memories of her last thoughts before the serpent''s last attack came into her mind, especially how she screamed his name in there.


    Surprisingly, he truly appeared, putting himself between her and the serpent in that moment of life and death while fully injured and bleeding from everywhere.


    Fortunately, thoughts couldn''t be heard, so Alvin didn''t know about her cry for his help.


    Milia''s checks then grew red before she looked away. "B-Better not. Go away."


    Alvin was taken aback. "But you saw what Linfel and I-"


    "Go away!" Milia quickly got up and left in a flash, running as fast as she could.


    "She told you to go away, but isn''t it she who is going away instead?" Linfel asked, confused.


    Alvin grew nervous, not knowing what to do. Connor, who was also there, couldn''t help but ask. "What did you do to her? You must have truly pissed Milia off for her to run away like that."


    Alvin quickly denied it. "I did nothing... or did I? Linfel, did I do something before I passed out?"


    "Not that I noticed..." Linfel answered, equally perplexed.


    Felia, on the other hand, looked in the direction Milia ran with a weird expression. ''That''s very suspicious...''


    Well, they didn''t have time to think about it for much longer. That''s because the results were finally displayed a few seconds later.


    -1: Miranda Kuku, Rank B Student, all flags collected, seven hours, twelve minutes, thirty-four seconds.-


    The was an immediate uproar when the first name appeared. The fact she was from a Ranked B Class didn''t impress anyone. It was always Ranked Classes A and B the first ones to complete the field exams in general. However, she also beat the record for this exam by almost three hours! That was the real surprise.


    -2: Donfin Soqeis, Rank A Student, all flags collected, seven hours, twelve minutes, thirty-six seconds.-


    Naturally, Donfin appeared right after since he was the second one to enter the Flag''s range.


    Yet, the greatest uproar came with the next name.


    -3: Connor Triglan, Rank F Student, all flags collected, seven hours, twelve minutes, forty-five seconds.-


    "Impossible!" Someone immediately exploded.


    Yet, the next one quickly followed.


    -4: Alvin Brunes, Rank F Student, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    -5: Linfel, Rank F Familiar, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    -6: Milia Frondor, Rank A Student, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    -7: Nori, Rank A Familiar, all flags collected, seven hours, fourteen minutes, eleven seconds.-


    Since Linfel brought the two of them with him to the flag, they obviously got exactly the same time. Not that it mattered at the moment.

 Chapter 36 - 36: Weird Familiar

    Milia was the only one in that batch that didn''t surprise anyone. However, Alvin, Connor, and Linfel definitely did. Once again, because Linfel and Nori were independent, they were not considered to be one unit with their masters.


    All eyes turned to Alvin and Connor in the building, making both of them feel awkward.


    It was then that someone spoke. His name was Sanvike, and he was the Eleventh Magus to have reached the last flag. "This is wrong! The rules clearly stated that anyone who followed stronger Maguses and Familiars but did nothing would have their results nullified! How can there be two Rank F maguses and a Rank F Familiar in the top ten?


    They obviously used Milia, Donfin, and Miranda''s strength to get there!"


    The other Maguses and Familiar began to complain as well, quickly reaching the administration of the exam in the building.


    However, before things escalated, Donfin stepped forward. "They did nothing? Hahaha! What a bunch of idiots. I was with them! They were not as strong as us, that''s true.


    However, they did not just stick around and wait for me, Miranda, and Milia to do the hard job."


    Miranda was the next one to speak. "They killed their fair number of Magic Beasts and even managed to kill a Level Two Rock Breaker on their own. Could any of you do that when you were still Level One maguses and Familiars? Perhaps you could, perhaps you couldn''t. Nonetheless, they did not lag behind.


    Not only that, it was thanks to that Rank F Familiar that we were able to get to the Purple Flag faster than anyone else."


    Donfin and Miranda knew that the whole exam was recorded. There was no point in them denying Alvin, Linfel, Felia, Connor, and Tratil''s achievements. Well, Connor did not kill the Level Two Rock Breaker, but he did do his part even though he was scared. Linfel made sure he fought his way through.


    "Ha!" Sanvike didn''t believe it for even a second. "Then why don''t you allow us to check the exam''s recordings? I''m especially interested in how they defeated a Level Two Rock Breaker."


    Alvin got nervous. At that time, he connected with both Linfel and Felia. If that moment was shown to everyone else, wouldn''t things get even more complicated? He was still worried about Principal Xalafel, who definitely saw that happening already. There was also Milia in this.


    "Preposterous!" Yet, it was at this moment that a young woman entered the room, wearing one of the Academy Board''s Uniforms. Her name was Litivia Sumre, also known as the Vice-Principal of the Academy.


    Any student that was wroth their reputation definitely knew her, which included Sanvike. "S-Senior Litivia..."


    Litivia approached Sanvike with a dark expression. "Since when has my Academy ever given out unfair results? We have fended off all the families'' and organizations'' influence in the Academy''s affairs for hundreds of years. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this place neutral in the midst of all the power struggles of the country?"


    She then grabbed Sanvike''s head and pulled it high. "And yet, you are saying that we would throw all these years of effort away to help a small bunch of Rank F Students and a Familiar? You must truly be looking to die. Give me one reason not to expel you from the Academy right here and now."


    Litivia cast her cold eyes around while still holding Sanvike high. That obviously made every single voice of doubt disappear from everyone''s mouths. Litivia was known for being brutal and protecting the Academy''s affair with everything she had.


    Besides, now that she appeared and talked, they had to admit her words made sense. The academy never took sides, even when it came to proud children of the several powers in the country. Why would it tarnish its name for some unknown Rank F Maguses and Familiar?


    It is true that Alvin made some waves recently, but he wasn''t anyone near as important as some of the other students around, like Milia, for example.


    "I-I''m.. Sorry, senior!" Sanvike struggled to speak. "Please, forgive me!" Not only was he scared of Litivia, who was also a Level Five Magus, but the notion of being expelled from the academy made his blood freeze. That was absolutely the worst outcome for a young magus trying to make their name.


    "Hmph!" Livita then threw Sanvike away like a bag of trash, falling in the middle of a few other students who were complaining later. "Connor, Linfel, and Alvin. I''ve watched their recordings during the exam, and they pulled their own weight. Also, Miranda wasn''t lying. It was thanks to THEM that they even managed to get to the last flag first, not the other way around." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She looked around and crossed her arms. "Does anyone here doubt my words?"


    "No!" Everyone answered at the same time. Are you kidding? They have no intention of being expelled or treated like Sanvike was a moment ago.


    "I thought so," said Litivia before turning her head to Linfel''s group. "Nonetheless, you did indeed do a great job during this Field Exam, especially since this was your first time taking one. Some of the circumstances played in your favor as well, so you could consider luck. But luck is also a type of strength. Later, come to see me. I have a few things to ask."


    Linfel and the others quickly nodded. "Yes, senior Litivia." They obviously knew what she wanted to talk about.


    "Milia Frondor!" Litivia looked at Milia in the distance, who seemed to be hiding from something. "You too! Come to see me later with Alvin, Connor, and Linfel."


    Milia bitterly smiled and nodded. "Yes, Vice-Principal." Seems like she wouldn''t be able to run away from Alvin for much longer.


    Litivia nodded and made her way out of the building, but not before casting a glance at Linfel. ''What a weird Familiar...'' She was a trusted subordinate from Xalafel, so she was already aware of what really happened. It''s just that she was more interested in Linfel than Alvin after watching everything.


    After Litivia left, Linfel ignored everything and went straight to one of the terminals in the building. He quickly accessed his Academy Account, checking his balance of Academy Credits. Sure enough, it was already updated with the rewards of the Field Exam.


    -AC: 4120-


    Linfel''s eyes lit up. ''Donfin wasn''t kidding! Not only were there bonuses for being within the top ten, but there were also bonuses for performance. I got 3420 Academy Credits, 1420 more than the flag''s points themselves!'' Linfel already knew exactly what he was going to buy with it.


    Alvin and Connor also checked their accounts. It''s just that they were feeling the pressure of being watched by everyone else. They couldn''t truly enjoy the rewards as Linfel was doing... At least now right now.


    "Let''s go!" Linfel wanted to get over with whatever Litivia wanted to talk about. "I want to buy a few things, so let''s go to Litivia already."


    Connor and Alvin nodded while their Familiars followed them. On their way out, Milia also approached, although she seemed to be fairly uncomfortable to be joining them. She kept looking away, ignoring Alvin altogether.


    Connor and Alvin looked at each other, a little lost at what to do. The mood seemed terrible somehow. It was then that Linfel spoke, not really seeing anything wrong. "Hey, Milia. Where is Nori?" For good or for bad, the wisp didn''t know how to read the atmosphere.


    Milia trembled a little and looked back at Linfel. "His... His core was damaged. I had to send him back to the Floating Blades Faction straight away so it could be repaired. His soul is fine, though. He should get back to normal by tomorrow."


    Linfel''s relief was palpable. "Phew... Familiars are truly a resilient bunch. They can even get their Core Fixed. If it was m-"


    *mmmmhmhmmm...*


    Alvin and Felia instantly stopped the wisp from saying anything else.


    "If it was you, you would probably be much cheaper to fix than Nori. After all, you were made with much cheaper materials as well. Hahahaha!" said Alvin, laughing nervously.


    Milia found their interaction as funny as ever, making her forget the reason she was flustered for a moment. "You guys truly have no salvation.," she said with a faint smile. However, she quickly remembered everything and looked away once again.


    Their group took the Academy''s Public Transportation and went to the Main Management Building at the center of the Academy. That''s where you can find the most important members of the board as well as the Vice Principal and the Principal''s Office. Once inside, one of the attendants seemed to have been waiting for them, quickly coming to talk. "Hello. Are you perhaps Alvin and his friends?"


    Alvin nodded. "That would be us."


    "Very well," The attendant quickly spoke. "Please follow me."


    Their group passed through security checking points, arriving at an office a few minutes later. However, the office in front of them wasn''t the Vice-Principal''s Litivia. Instead, it was the man himself, Xalafel''s. Only Connor was surprised, though. Milia and Linfel had seen Xalafel when the Level Four Magic Beast was defeated.


    The attendant knocked on the door. "Principal, they are here."


    "Enter," said a voice from inside.


    The attendant opened the door and guided the group inside. After that, he bowed to Xalafel and left, closing the door.


    Xalafel wasn''t alone in there. There were also three other people and their Familiars there. Litivia was one of them, and so were those two subordinates from the airship. One of them was Dilwe, while the other was called Fenlin. At the moment, they were the only ones who knew Alvin could do a Double Master Familiar Connection... other than Milia, Connor, and their Familiars, of course.


    Alvin and the others quickly bowed to Xalafel, showing their respect for this legend of the country. Yet, before they could say anything...


    "See? I told you. It is the same man from the statue," Linfel spoke while pointing out. "He just looks a lot older."


    The room went completely silent. Was there anyone out there who dared to treat Xalafel in such a disrespectful manner?


    "Linfel! Can you show a little more respect to senior Xalafel, please?" Alvin begged with teary eyes.


    Linfel didn''t understand the reason. "Did I say something wrong?"


    Alvin wanted to explain, but Xalafel intervened. "Don''t worry about it. I am old. That is obvious for all to see. Let''s leave that aside and speak about the real reason I called you all here."


    "The Double Master Familiar Connection, right?" Linfel asked straight away.


    Milia narrowed her eyes. Her feelings were a little out of place because of Alvin''s actions in the Field Exam. However, it wasn''t like she had forgotten that view. She saw Linfel, Felia, and Alvin connected together.


    Xalafel nodded, but he looked at Alvin instead. "Alvin, as a Magus, you should know that this is unprecedented. No Magus had ever succeeded in a Double Master Familiar Connection before reaching Level Five."


    "Level Five?" Alvin got puzzled. "I thought Level Six was the minimal level possible."


    Felia, Connor, and Tratil also nodded. That''s the information they had.


    However, Milia shook her head. "That''s because those at Level Five who can do it aren''t exactly publicly displayed. However, there are a few out there, and they are all big figures."


    "As expect of the daughter of the Frondor Family," said Litivia. "You do have access to quite some privileged information."


    Xalafen didn''t care about it. "In any case, Level Five was the limit. No other Magus, as far as we know, has ever done a Double Master Familiar Connection before Level Five. Alvin... how did you do it?"


    "Eh?" Alvin didn''t even know how to answer that. After all, it wasn''t he who made it possible. It was Linfel instead. "I... don''t know?"


    Linfel quickly jumped in. "Alvin, it is not that hard, is it? Felia and I just had to connect with you at the same time. What else is there to be said?" That was a lie, of course. Linfel''s connection was completely different from Felia''s. It''s just he couldn''t tell others about it, so he went with the most obvious answer, and no one would be able to prove otherwise.

 Chapter 37 - 37: Established

    Xalafel narrowed his eyes, asking. "So, you basically gave it a try... and it worked?"


    Linfel nodded, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "That was pretty much it. To be honest, we still don''t know what was supposed to have happened. Was there supposed to be a backlash? Something like that? We only heard it was risky."


    Litivia took the chance to explain. "As mentioned in the Master Familiar Connection class that Alvin must have taken, the Familiar connects through the soul with its master. Two Familiars trying to share the same soul connection create a huge burden to the soul. Answering your question, the results of trying it at lower levels should have been the collapse of the soul. Simply put, death."


    Dilwe couldn''t help but ask. "Alvin, why did you even try it in the first place? Weren''t you afraid of the consequences?"


    Alvin''s mind worked fast, trying to think about an excuse. Finally, he came up with something. "Well... I was curious about this Double Connection. So, when we tried it out, the three of us agreed to immediately cut out the connection between our souls if we felt even a little bit uncomfortable.


    We simply thought that the backlash wouldn''t be instantaneous, giving us time to at least cancel it before anything bad happened."


    Xalafel pondered a bit and had to admit it made sense. "Well, that''s not entirely wrong. Anyone can try to connect with two Familiars at once. If you just start it and cancel right after before things get bad, you can indeed prevent the collapse of the soul."


    "Still, the window is very narrow," Litivia added, her voice filled with a mix of relief and realization. "You would have to cut the connection before even finishing it. But then again, you decided to stop it at the very first sight of an issue, so I guess it does have a certain degree of safety... although most people would never give such a thing a try.


    One mistake and you would be nothing but a body without a soul, an empty shell."


    Fenlin looked at Alvin, Linfel, and Felia. "So, when you tried it out for the first time... you didn''t feel anything wrong whatsoever?"


    Alvin, Linfel, and Felia nodded. "Everything worked pretty smoothly. We could connect our souls and Magic Energy as if it were a single Master Familiar Connection. There were no such things as burden, pain, or anything else. We tried a few times in the next few days, and it only got better as we got used to it."


    Xalafel laid back on his chair and looked at the roof. "You simply tried... and it worked. Could it be there are others out there who are also capable of doing such a thing and just don''t know?"


    Litivia also thought about it. "Indeed, that is possible. However..."


    Dilwe resumed from where Litivia stopped. "We can''t just go out there and tell all Maguses and Familiars to try a Double Familiar Connection."


    Fenlin agreed. "He is right. They succeeded, but they used an uncertain method. Even if you decide to cut the connection as soon as you feel anything wrong, that doesn''t mean you won''t perish. If anything, chances are that once we disclose this method, countless maguses will give it a try. If things go wrong, we might end up with a pile of corpses.


    Don''t forget, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia didn''t feel anything wrong from the very start. Others... most likely won''t be this lucky."


    "I wouldn''t disclose it anyway," Xalafel continued. "If we were wrong, we would also be putting a huge target on Alvins'' back. He already can do a Double Connection now at Level One. Just what will he be able to do when he gets stronger?"


    Xalafel then looked at Milia and Connor. "That said, you guys better know what to do."


    Connor and Tratil quickly nodded. They definitely didn''t want to get on the Academy''s bad side.


    Milia, however, was a member of the Frondor Family. This information would be of great importance to them. It could possibly chance the power balance of the country or even the world. Yet... Milia seemed completely lost in thought, and it wasn''t because of this meeting.


    "Milia!" Xalafel called her attention, seeing her lack of attention. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah!" Milia jumped back and quickly nodded. "Right, right! I won''t tell anyone. I''ll talk to Nori as well. He will do what I say."


    Alvin seemed concerned. "Are you truly okay? You have been strange ever since we fought that Level Four Magic Beast."


    Milia quickly avoided Alvin''s gaze. "I''m fine!" She then looked at Xalafel, understanding his meaning. "Senior Xalafel is concerned that I''ll tell the Frondor family about it. There is no need to worry, though. Alvin saved my life back there, and I absolutely hate owing favors. I swear on my honor as a member of the Frondor Family that I shall not disclose it to anyone unless strictly necessary."


    Alvin patted her shoulder. "You don''t really need to feel like you owe me anything. I''m the one who owes the Floating Blades Faction for everything they did for me until now, including you. I''m still far from paying that debt."


    Milia quickly slipped away, feeling hot again. "W-Whatever. I just won''t tell anyone. Is that it? Can I leave now?"


    Xalafel shook his head. "Wait for us to finish it first." He ignored Milia''s behavior, thinking it had something to do with her pride as a Frondor Woman. "Alvin, can you show us the connection up close?"


    Connor and Milia''s attention was immediately picked. They had seen it, but because they didn''t expect Alvin to do such a thing, they didn''t have the chance to check it up close, either.


    Linfel nodded at Alvin, who quickly called Felia close. Felia''s core changed into the shape of two interlaced bracelets, with a few little chains connected between the bracelet and five rings on Alvin''s fingers.


    Linfel was next, attaching himself to the back of Alvin''s other hand. He didn''t change shape, and he could have done it without even touching Alvin as long as he was close enough. Nonetheless, that made it a little bit more believable. Finally, Linfel matched their soul frequences, and their Magic Energies merged. The connection was established.


    Xalafel, Litivia, Dilwe, and Fenlin, two Level Five and two Level Four Maguses, used their Magic Energy to sense Alvin''s connection. It didn''t matter how they looked. Linfel and Felia were perfectly connected to Alvin, and their Magic Energies were merged without any issues. "Truly unbelievable..." Xalafel murmured for a moment.


    He quickly recovered, though. "Alvin, I saw you defeating the Rock Breaker and defending against one of the attacks of the Serpent. I believe it is safe to say your strength while using a Double Connection is within the realm of a Level Two Magus, almost a Level Three."


    Alvin agreed with that. "Yes, although I wasn''t aware of how strong I was until I finally met the Rock breaker."


    Xalafel felt the connection go for a few more moments before finishing. "Alright, you can stop it now."


    Linfel and Felia separated from Alvin, and their power went back to normal.


    Xalafel continued from there. "You did an impressive job finding that you were capable of it. So much that I wish I could send you straight into a Rank A Class. However, we truly can''t reveal your abilities... at least not yet."


    "Well, we also don''t want to become targets. Hahaha!" Linfel commented on the side while laughing.


    Xalafel''s voice took on a somber note. "That is true. You are still Level One Magus and Familiars, so you might not know this. The situation of the country isn''t exactly as safe as it looks on the outside. It''s a dangerous place, filled with hidden threats."


    "We know," Connor quickly spoke. "The guys from the Floating Blades Faction told us what was really happening. About the saturation and how soon there won''t be enough resources for everyone."


    "Is that so?" Xalafeal narrowed his eyes but quickly returned to normal. "They should have waited to do that, but in this case, it is good that you already know about it. Simply put, the nearby countries would like nothing more than to get rid of potential threats to a war that will sooner or later happen. In the background, things are already remarkably ugly.


    And, to be honest, we are already out of enough resources. It''s just that the governments are pretty good at hiding it from the general populace."


    "I understand," Alvin spoke, already expecting that. "I will keep it a secret, definitely not showing it again until I reach Level Five."


    "No," surprisingly, Xalafel denied that notion. "I want you to show off your ability to use Double Connection as soon as you and your Familiars reach Level Three. Of course, until then, you will have to rise in the ranks normally."


    "What?!" Everyone in the room was taken aback.


    "But wouldn''t that put a target on my back, just like you said?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask, scared of the idea.


    Xalafel got up and walked to the window with a worried expression. "Yes, that would put you in danger."


    Litivia didn''t like it at all. "Xalafel, I trust you and your judgment. You know it. However, even I fail to see how it would be a good thing for us. If you say such a thing, that will put our academy and the entire world against us. Maybe the entire Universe since humans are the only ones who use the Master Familiar Connection."


    Linfel was surprised to hear that. "Only humans use it? For real?"


    Yet, Litivia looked at him, puzzled. "You should have received this information when you were created. Why so surprised?"


    Alvin quickly intervened. "I created Linfel without most of the normal knowledge a Familiar would usually have. So... he doesn''t know a lot of things."


    "Why would you do that?" Livitia asked back.


    "The knowledge curse..." Alvin spoke.


    "Oh!" Litivia had to admit it was a good reason. Linfel heard from Alvin about it. Familiars find it hard to evolve because they already know everything. So they don''t question their knowledge and thus find it hard to improve and find new paths. Still, it is quite an annoying thing to deal with, so those who create Familiars like Linfel are pretty much nonexistent.


    "Maybe this is one of the reasons why you can use Double Connection already. I will keep that in mind."


    She looked at Linfel right after to answer his question. "Indeed, humans are pretty much the only race that uses Familiars. The reason for that... is that humans are generally weak. Our Master Familiar Connections are what give us a little chance to stand on the same level as the much more powerful races.


    You can read about it outside in the history of the human race once we finish here if you are interested."


    Linfel quickly made a mental note to do so. "Alright. Thanks for the answer." Of course, he still wanted to know about Xalafel''s plans for them. "Senior Xalafel, would you please explain why you want Alvin, Felia, and I to show our Double Connection at Level Three? I can only see the danger here..."


    It was then that Milia''s voice echoed. "Level Three... Does it have anything to do with the Continental Academy Competition?"


    "What is that?" Linfel obviously knew nothing about it.


    Xalafel, on the other hand, smiled, feeling satisfied. "Little lady Milia is indeed insightful. Your father must be very proud of you."


    Milia''s expression turned a little solemn. ''That man probably doesn''t even remember I exist,'' she murmured in a low voice that only she could hear.


    Xalafel didn''t notice it and simply continued. "Milia is right. I want you to show your strength at the Continental Academy Competition. As the name says, it is a competition where the Maguses and Familiars of the Academy of the entire continent gather. Obviously they compete to see which Academy is the best one."


    Alvin was still confused. "That would still only put a target on our backs, a bigger one actually."


    "On the contrary," Xalafel coldly smiled. "That will help our country immensely."


    Suddenly, Linfel''s eyes lit up. "Old man... you are truly a nasty person."

 Chapter 38 - 38: Experience

    Everyone looked puzzled at Linfel. "What do you mean?"


    Xalafel, on the other hand, was happy someone understood. "I''ll take your words as a compliment. In this world, especially in the situation we found ourselves in with the saturation, anything is valid. Besides, I''m not the one acting. They will do it to themselves. If something happens, they can only blame themselves for ignoring the risks."


    Linfel noticed that the others were still confused and quickly explained. "Have you forgot what we have just discussed a second ago? You said it yourselves: If other Maguses found out that Alvin and I can do a Double Connection, they might try it out themselves. The chances are a lot of them would destroy their souls in the process."


    Litivia immediately understood. "I see! Xalafel, you want to show to the world that Linfel and Alvin can do it so that all the other young maguses and familiars will give it a try. You want to get rid of other country Maguses and Familiars without even touching them."


    Xalafel nodded. "Do you despise me for thinking of such a method?"


    Litivia narrowed her eyes. She was quite a brutal person, but it didn''t mean she liked meaningless killing. However, it is true that Xalafel wasn''t going to force anyone to do anything. "I can''t say I''m a fan of your plans, but we truly aren''t in a situation that allows us to be gentle. I told you, I trust your judgment; I always did. I will simply continue to do so."


    Xalafel sighed in response. "Thank you. Dilwe, Fenlin, what about you two?"


    Both Xalafel Subordinates spoke at the same time. "Principal''s plans are our plans. We will carry it to the very end." The determination in their voice was palpable. Perhaps they trusted Xalafel even more than Litivia.


    Of course, they weren''t the only ones in the room. Alvin, Felia, Tratil, Connor, and Milia... They were also there and heard everything. They kept silent for a moment until Milia finally spoke.


    "The background of my world had always been nasty, so I believe my Frondor Family probably would pretend to not know anything and let your plans go unimpeded." Milia was shocked at first, but her experience helped her to calm down pretty fast.


    Connor and Alvin, on the other hand, were already sweating. "Just... how many deaths are we talking about?"


    Xalafel understood that these two had never killed anyone, nor had they ever lived in an environment where power struggles happened constantly like Milia''s. This conversation, in which the lives of so many were involved, deeply scared both of them. In fact, even Milia felt uncomfortable with that plan, just not as bad as Connor and Alvin.


    "In Connor''s case, all you need to do is stay quiet. The only reason you are even here is because I need to warn you to don''t talk about Alvin''s ability to use Double Connection. Do you understand?" Xalafel asked in a deep tone.


    "Y-Yes..." Connor nodded, understanding that his life was on the line.


    "As for Alvin, you aren''t doing anything wrong. This is my plan and my plan only. I''m the sole existence to blame for the consequences. You will be doing nothing more than competing for the Academy''s prestige. Whatever others decide to do after seeing your achievements is their problem and mine. You don''t need to concern yourself with it," Xalafel said.


    "But, in case you still find a problem with my plan, understand this point: You are doing it so that our country won''t be conquered in the future. You will not simply be the cause of many deaths. You will, above all, be the reason many, many more lives will be saved, especially the lives of normal people who can''t do anything against Maguses. That includes your Family.


    Usually, the normal people, especially the poor, are the ones who suffer the most. Do it for them. That''s what I think, at least."


    Still, Linfel had to ask. "But... wouldn''t that cause the same problem for our Maguses?"


    "That''s the advantage of being in the country Alvin came from. There are many ways to prevent that," Xalafel spoke with confidence. Just the fact Alvin was here, they could create many excuses to stop Maguses from doing it in their territory. Such excuses would not work on other countries, though. Thus, it was a nasty but very effective plan.


    Linfel looked at Alvin, who seemed to be struggling. He didn''t see anything wrong with this plan. If anything, it was already quite peaceful compared to what he saw while he followed Horan in the past. "Alvin! What is the main reason the Magus Academies around the world exist?"


    Alvin was taken aback for a moment. That was an answer everyone knew. "Above all other fields, Maguses are the country''s strength. The ones who defend their people. They... are primarily taught for the sake of fighting."


    Linfel nodded. "You and Felia were the ones who told me that. After joining the Floating Blades Faction, you were exposed to the ugly truth of the world as well. Was your resolve that weak? If you intend to dwell on this topic any longer, then I''ll tell you this: Give up being a Magus! Leave the academy and return to your father''s fishing business.


    You have no place in this world."


    Linfel glanced at Connor, who didn''t look any better. "The same goes for you. Maguses and Familiars hold extreme power, power that surpasses over 99% of what normal people can do. If you ever truly thought you would live a peaceful life while being able to control such strength, then you were nothing but naive. Get yourselves together."


    Alvin and Connor looked at each other. Both had their reasons for becoming Maguses. It wouldn''t be a lie if they said they hoped they could live a peaceful life forever, but they also understood Linfel''s words.


    Alvin sighed, and the cloud in his mind disappeared. His expression changed into determination, especially looking at how well Milia presented herself. "I''m a Magus from the Heffal Country. I''m here to protect it or to protect the planet in case other races from outside decide to invade. If the fall of other powers is needed to keep my people, especially my father, safe, then so be it."


    Connor quickly nodded. "I will also try my best... even though I''m not that talented. I will keep Alvin''s secret until he becomes a Level Three Magus."


    Xalafel gave a nob of approval to them. But above all, he glanced at Linfel with a tinge of surprise in his eyes. ''His words, his demeanor, his tone... they were not just a thought that happened now. They were words of experience...''


    *Clap!*


    Xalafel smiled and clapped his hand. "Alright, enough of this gloomy topic. This is something a few years in the future. Until then, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia will have to improve on their own. We can''t give you all any preferential treatment. If we do, others will get suspicious, after all."


    Linfel still tried his luck. "Can''t you just give us some Magic Stones without anyone seeing? Or perhaps mistakenly increased our Academy Credits... a hundred times?"


    "Hahaha!" Litivia''s laughter filled the air, her amusement at Linfel''s suggestion evident. "You truly have been made without any prior knowledge of the world, haven''t you?"


    Linfel was clearly perplexed by her reaction. In fact, everyone around him had broad smiles on their faces, their eyes twinkling with amusement at Linfel''s audacity. Finally, Milia decided to take the chance and explain. "The system is closely monitored by the board, which comprises many members of several influential families and organizations of our country.


    Every single Academy Credit is meticulously checked before it is distributed. Let alone senior Xalafel, not even the president himself would be able to give you a single extra Academy Credit without triggering alarms."


    Linfel understood. "I see... what about Magic Stones? That would definitely help us get to Level Two and Three faster, especially Red ones."


    Xalafel shook his head. "That would make others even more suspicious. Alvin came from a poor background. And suddenly, out of nowhere, he gets a big supply of Red Magic Stones? That is the same as saying something is happening to him. I told you we need to keep it a secret.


    You will have to get up there on your own."


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "But... how long will it be until the competition? We are talking about Level Three here. To be honest, I don''t expect to become a Level Two Magus before I''m already close to graduation." That was the truth. He even told Linfel about it back in his father''s home.


    "Three Years," Xalafel spoke. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?!" Alvin''s soul almost left his body! "Impossible! How can I get to Level Three in just three years?! Absolutely impossible!"


    Linfel didn''t think it was impossible, though. It''s just that he would need a lot of magic Energy for that.


    Xalafel understood that and began to explain. "Of course, even though we can''t provide you with Magic Stones and Academy Credits, we can still help you with the ranks. Besides, now that you are in a Faction, you have access to very good equipment; even if the Floating Blades don''t have the absolute best Magical Training Equipment, they aren''t far off."


    "What do you mean?" Alvin asked back, confused. He was only a Rank F student.


    Fenlin explained from there. "The Rankings are decided through the scores of the Field Exams. However, how do you determine if a new student is worth being sent to a Rank F Class or a higher rank? Obviously, it is through the entrance test."


    Alvin knew that. Those with powerful backgrounds were mostly sent to Rank C or above classes. Milia, for example, was sent straight into Rank A. That''s because they had a better environment and resources, so they were able to develop a lot more. He obviously wasn''t someone like them. No talent and no background, so Rank F was a given after his entrance exam.


    "Do you mean for me to take the entrance exam again?" Alvin asked, finding it a little hard to believe.


    "Not really," Fenlin continued. "There is another way of moving students. The way is to take into consideration their results during the field exam. Usually, your score would be added to your account, and if it is enough, you can go up to a better class. There, your score is reset to zero, and you have to work hard to stay there or go higher. Otherwise, you will fall."


    "But, sometimes, a student''s real strength isn''t truly displayed during the entrance exam. Or perhaps the student himself found a new path that allowed him to far surpass his peers in the same Rank. Simply put, he or she is in a place they are not supposed to be. We can take it into consideration and move the student in question to higher-ranked classes instead of following the normal path."


    "This is a good and necessary system for two reasons. First, we won''t have that student, who clearly has great potential, waste time in lower ranks and hinder his future. The Magus Academy exists to bring up the best Maguses possible to the world, after all."


    "The second reason is for the sake of fairness. If a Magus who far surpasses his peers is kept in lower-ranked classes, he will disrupt the balance, and it will make it harder to properly judge the students of those classes. In the end, this is a system we can make use of to send you to a higher-ranked class straight away, and no one will find it suspicious.


    After all, it does happen every now and then. We have over a hundred thousand Maguses in the academy, after all."


    Litivia confirmed Fenlin''s words. "That is correct. Taking into consideration your performance in the Field Exam, especially the fact you defeated a Rock Breaker that was almost at Level Three on your own, it leaves no room for doubt."


    Linfel found a problem, though. "But that was while using a Double Connection. If Alvin does what he does normally, he is most likely not a match to those from higher ranks."


    "This is just an opportunity," Xalafel explained. "Whether you can take it with your hands and rise or drop the ball and fall down the ranks again, that is up to you. Or would you rather not have the chance to go into a higher-ranked class? Especially since it gives you access to much better missions due to the timings? Linfel, you are an independent Familiar, so that same is valid to you."


    "Well..." Alvin was a little skeptical.


    However, Linfel immediately thought of the Academy Credits and accepted. "Great! You are right. This is an opportunity, so Alvin, Felia, and I just need to work hard to make up for it. We will take it!"


    Alvin took a deep breath after hearing Linfel''s words and decided to go for it. "Linfel is right. Send us higher, please!"


    Milia and Connor had a doubt. What Rank Linfel and Alvin would be sent to?

 Chapter 39 - 39: There Is No Need To Thank Me

    Alvin woke up the next day feeling refreshed. However, the happenings of the previous day quickly appeared in his head. Linfel was already gone for some reason, so he had no choice but to get up and prepare to leave as well.


    Alvin and Felia made their way through the Academy, passing by the Rank F Classes and not stopping. Quite a few eyes there looked at him, their curiosity and admiration evident, having seen the rankings of the previous Field Exam. Alvin was within the top ten, so that obviously caught a lot of attention.


    He went past the many buildings. Rank E Classes, Rank D Classes... Finally, he stopped in front of the complex where Rank C Classes were given. Alvin took a deep breath, entering one of the buildings. Using his MCOM, he checked which class he was supposed to go, quickly finding his number.


    -Rank C, Class C-25, Block 15-


    Unsurprisingly, the students in the building were taken aback by Alvin''s unexpected presence. They were well into the academic year, and new students were a rarity. His arrival could only mean one thing-he had either fallen from a higher rank or ascended from a lower one.


    "Isn''t this the guy from the Field Exam from yesterday?" Someone asked on the side.


    "Let me check my MCOM... Yeap, it''s him." said another voice in the corridors.


    "Wait, that doesn''t make sense. He was only a Rank F. Even if he finished in the top ten, he was supposed to go up to Rank E Classes and start from zero like everyone else."


    "Did you forget? There are some exceptions that can be made based on the performance during the Ranks. It''s just that they are very rare."


    "Indeed. His information on the Academy''s website says yesterday''s Field Exam was his first attempt at it."


    "So... he was hiding his real strength until now?"


    "That can only be it. You know the rules and how strict the Academy is regarding them. They make no exceptions, regardless of one''s background."


    "Why would he lose his time in Rank F Classes then?"


    "Who knows? The fact is that he definitely wasn''t a Rank F Student."


    Alvin kept hearing this kind of conversation right and left. No one really cared about hiding their voices since they were all Rank C Students as well. Maguses and Familiars must not be afraid of competition. That was the rule of the Academy.


    ''Must be a Rank C Student... I wonder how disappointed they would feel if they knew the truth,'' Alvin couldn''t help but wonder. All that chatter only increased the pressure on his shoulders.


    "Master, here we are," Felia called Alvin as she pointed at a plaque above a door.


    -Class C-25-


    Alvin was just about to open the door when a voice echoed from inside.


    "He was truly brave! He didn''t want to give up the Field Exam after going that far, and we have a very high Master Familiar Connection. He took his chances at that moment and said with determination: Linfel, a Magus has to stand up for what he believes. Running now in the face of danger will only make me run again in the future. You are an independent Familiar, so the choice is yours.


    Will you follow me and confront this Rock Breaker for the sake of our future?"


    *WoW!!!*


    "And how did you manage to defeat a Rock Breaker? You two are only Level One Magus and Familiars, right?" Someone else asked.


    "That''s where Alvin''s ingenuity came into play. He studies a lot to make up for his low level. He knew the Rock Breaker from the moment he put his eyes on it. The Rock Breaker immediately tried to use an area attack that would have killed us otherwise. However, Alvin said that this attack also creates an opportunity."


    "As long as we use all our Magic Energy in a single point, trying to nullify just a very small area of the attack, we can counterattack the Rock Breaker''s breath. And that''s exactly what happened. Our attack, fuelled with all our Magic Energy, only created a small gap of a meter or so, but it went straight for the Rock Breaker''s mouth. The Magic Beast was big and had a high defense.


    However, its insides are still vulnerable like any other creature. That one attack, which was timed perfectly, entered the Rock Breaker''s mouth and rampaged inside. In the end, it couldn''t resist the injuries and fell."


    "You had to see it! Alvin was like a god of war, courage incarnated. I''m truly blessed to have a master like him!"


    "Impressive!"


    "Why would someone like him be in Rank F Classes until now?"


    "I definitely want to have a spar with him! Introduce him to us later!"


    Outside the door, Alvin''s mouth twitched nonstop. Since when was he that courageous? Since when was he that ingenious? Study a lot? He did have some good knowledge, but definitely not that impressive.


    *Zuuuu!*


    Alvin opened the door, looking at the crowd gathered around a certain Wisp. The Wisp seemed to be having the time of his life, entertaining all the Maguses and their Familiars around. Naturally, all eyes turned to the ''Super'' Alvin.


    Linfel quickly approached, happy to see Alvin. "Alvin, look! They are all your new Class Mates. They are great people, too! Everyone, this is my Master, Alvin."


    Alvin wanted to cry already. Before anyone could ask him anything, he spoke first. "Ahem... Everyone, would you give me a second, please?"


    Right after, he pulled Linfel to a corner and began to curse. ''What the hell are you doing? Why are you creating such a big storm around me?''


    Linfel patted Alvin''s shoulders. ''There is no other choice. You are new and weak. If you tried to hide, things would only turn worse over time. After all, you jumped many ranks at once. There are definitely those who feel bitter about your promotion.


    So, as your friend, I decided to prepare the field for you in advance. There is no need to thank me.''


    Alvin wanted nothing more than to give the wisp a beating, that is. ''Now everyone is paying attention to me, idiot! What if they found out about our secret?''


    Linfel''s words carried a heavy truth, his expression reflecting the weight of his past. ''Alvin, a life spent in hiding is a life half-lived. Trust me. As a wisp, I''ve had to hide a lot, even with Horan''s backing. This is not a path you''d like to choose.''


    Alvin was a little touched by how grave Linfel looked and ended up sighing in the end. ''Fine... At least you are good at coming up with stories. Just keep doing it fro-''


    "Oh! Look at the time! Anyway, Alvin, give your own accounts of what happened to your classmates. Everyone, if you have anything to ask, this is the best time. I have my own Familiar Class to take, so I bid you all farewell!" Linfel quickly floated through the window, disappearing in the distance. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rest of the class was only waiting for that opportunity. They all gathered around Alvin, much to his despair. ''I''m truly starting to regret bringing him to the academy.''


    Linfel was also promoted to a Rank C Familiar, so he didn''t need to go too far. There was one thing Linfel still didn''t know how to do. That was how to increase his Level. So far, he still hasn''t managed to integrate Magic Energy into his core. That was the Class he applied for when he joined the Academy was related to this topic.


    Familiars would usually stay with their Masters, so very few of them took classes on their own, especially since they were all born with most of the necessary knowledge. When Linfel arrived at the building where he was supposed to take the class, it was almost empty except for a Familiar working as an attendant there.


    "Hello! I scheduled a class for Magic Energy Integration and the basics last week. This is the right place, right?" Linfel quickly asked in high spirits.


    The familiar looked at him and nodded. "That''s the one indeed. Let me see here. Put your Magic Energy in the receptor so I can check your Magic Signature."


    Linfel quickly did as such, and soon, a lot of information regarding him appeared for the Familiar. "Ah, yes. Your class is in Room 7B, down that corridor. There is another Familiar who will take the Class with you, so try to get along."


    "Naturally!" Linfel left straight away, going down the corridor and passing by the rooms.


    The 7B one appeared not long after, and Linfel entered it. Inside, there was already another Familiar, also with Yellow Color, showing it was a Level One. "Hey, nice to meet you! I''m Linfel."


    The other Familiar was surprised that someone else appeared. Nonetheless, it also saluted back. "H-Hi... I''m Siana, born just a few days ago."


    "Oh!" Linfel hadn''t met a completely new Familiar yet. "Are you doing well? I wasn''t expecting any Familiars in his place since this topic is already added to your knowledge during a Familiar''s creation. Are you like me, a Familiar without knowledge?"


    Siana nodded slightly. "My Master created me like this as a test. So I will have to learn everything from scratch."


    "Just like mine, then," Linfel added. Of course, he was lying. It''s just that that was the story he and Alvin have been using. "Sheer up! This is a good thing. You will avoid the Knowledge Curse.


    Although you will lag behind during the first years of your life, you will have a better prospect later. Of course, only you put in the effort, that is."


    Suddenly, another door in the room opened, and another Familiar appeared. The Magic Energy that gave form to his ethereal humanoid form was brown, the mark of a Level Three Familiar. "Hum? There are two today? I was already surprised to get one at all."


    Still, the Familiar continued. "Anyway, you can call me Lokasto. This is an introduction to Magic Energy integration. I will first explain how it works, and then we will delve into the several methods used by the Familiars out there. Pay attention since this is deeply related to how fast you can Level Up in the future."


    During the next few hours, Lokasto went through the basics of Magic Energy integration. Turns out that the Integration the Familiars did was a lot more different from what Maguses do than Linfel expected. Once a Familiar Absorbs Magic Energy, it is stored in its core. However, if you wanted to Integrate the Magic Energy into the Core itself, you couldn''t store it.


    Instead, you had to accumulate the Magic Energy in the channels that led to the storage part of the Core. From there, the Magic Energy would slowly sip into the Core itself, increasing its level little by little. Naturally, the higher the quality of Magic Energy, the faster that integration happens. It''s just that the limit was the same as the Maguses.


    One couldn''t integrate Magic Energy that was more than one level above the Familiar itself. In Felia''s Case, for example, the most she could use was Red Magic Energy. Brown Magic Energy, which you could call Level Three Magic Energy, would be useless to her.


    Lokasto presented Linfel and Siana with a few different methods that used basically the same principle. Ultimately, one would still need to fill their channels with Magic Energy.


    That... caused a big problem for Linfel. He doesn''t have any channels to speak of! The Magic Energy he absorbs goes through his core as if it were falling into a lake and falling to the bottom where the pool is. It literally passes through his core without having to go through any channels whatsoever. It was also through this process that he cleaned the Magic Energy for his own use.


    His Core was the filter.


    However, that class wasn''t completely useless to Linfel. That''s because he had an idea after hearing about the overall process. ''Hum... I can''t fill my channels since I don''t have channels to start with. Yet, I''m my core, and my core is me. What if I fill my soul instead?


    My soul is spread through the core; they are one and the same.''


    Such an idea would have been considered ridiculous back in Linfel''s time. After all, primordial energy was too chaotic and dangerous. If you didn''t die straight away, you would definitely damage your soul at the very least. ''But...'' Linfel continued that train of thought, ''Magic Energy is extremely gentle and easy to use. This is the only way I can think of to integrate Magic Energy into my Core.


    I can only give it a try later.''

 Chapter 40 - 40: Who Knows?

    Once the class was over, Linfel made his way out with Sinia, the new Familiar who watched Lokasto''s teaching. "Well, that was at least educating, I guess?" Linfel commented.


    Sinia quickly nodded. "Yes, the third method, the one that uses the filled channels in a reversal cycle, seems to be the most appropriate for me. My channels happen to be just in the right positions to do it."


    Linfel smiled in response. He couldn''t tell how it was, good or bad, since he didn''t have channels. Nonetheless, he was happy for her. "That''s great. From what he said, the third method is one of the most difficult exactly because of how the structure of the channels has to be. Your Master was very lucky that you took your form with such good Magic Energy channels."


    Sinia smiled shyly and nodded. "T-Thank you... What about you, Linfel? Which method is the best for your channels?"


    Linfel was taken aback for a moment before thinking about it. "Guess the fifth one is the best." He just picked a random one from the various methods displayed in the class. He couldn''t use any of them anyway.


    "Channel Magic Energy Expansion..." Sinia remembered that one. "Instead of compressing, you expand and force the Magic Energy through the walls of the core. That is also quite complicated. Do you have a good resistance?"


    "I guess I do..." Linfel answered cheaply. He couldn''t even tell if his core was more resistant than the cores of real Familiars. "Well then, you need to work hard, and so will I. I hope we both reach Level Two soon. Now, I have something to do, so I''ll take my leave."


    Sinia wanted to talk a little more but was too shy to ask. She just watched as Linfel left the building and took one of the transportations of the Academy. ''Sigh... so that is the Familiar my Master tried to copy when he created me.''


    After Linfel got the 71% Master Familiar Connection result with Alvin, he ended up talking about how Linfel didn''t have the normal knowledge that all Familiars were born with. Many took it as one of the parameters that helped Alvin create such a good Familiar and decided to give it a try. Especially those with enough Academy Credits to create a new one since Familiars are expensive.


    Sinia was one of such Familiars that was born due to Linfel''s existence. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the end, she turned in another direction and left, returning to her Master instead. One thing was to follow the lack of knowledge to create her; another thing was to give her independence. Maguses who allow their Familiars to go independent are just too rare. Well, Sinia was too young, so she probably wouldn''t be able to pass the test anyway.


    Linfel knew nothing regarding that. On his way to the Academy Market, he checked his MCOM inside his Spatial Inventory. He went through the several stores that sold what he was looking for. However, it was pretty meaningless. The prices practiced in the Academy were really standard.


    ''All shops sell Low-Grade Red Magic Stones for 500 Academy Credits each, no exception. I guess I can simply stop by the closest one and get them,'' Linfel thought. ''2000 Academy Credits for a Middle-Grade Red Magic Stone. This is a little ridiculous already... Let''s just ignore it.''


    Other than trying to Level Up, Linfel had something else he wanted to check. He can clean Yellow Magic Energy to the point it becomes Red Magic Energy. But what about Red Magic Energy? Can he clean it up to the point it becomes brown? It was definitely worth a try. At the very least, Linfel wanted to try to clean Low-Grade Red Magic Energy to the point it became High-Grade instead.


    Linfel arrived in the market and quickly entered the first shop he found with Magic Stones. He didn''t waste time with the attendant pleasantries and asked for Low-Grade Red Magic Stones, much for the attendant''s happiness. After all, they were worth a lot, more even than MCOMs.


    "How many would you like, sir?" The attendant asked with a smile.


    Linfel checked his Academy Credits and nodded. "Give me eight of them." At the moment, he has 4220 Academy Credits. he had 4120 after the Field Exam, but let''s not forget he is working every night as a Stars Magic Energy Receptor for Aelua. He can easily separate the Magic Energy there, so he is receiving 100 Academy Credits per night.


    Since he also doesn''t need to sleep, he definitely didn''t forget to go there the previous night, either.


    The attendant was ecstatic and quickly brought Linfel to the terminal. After using his Magic Energy Signature, Linfel transferred 4000 Academy Credits to the shop. Naturally, he received eight Low-Grade Red Magic Stones right after in a sealed box.


    "Please keep the box closed so that the magic Stones won''t lose their energy," the attendant warned. "The higher the level of Magic Stone, the more sensitive they are. Only open and take one when you truly decide to use it."


    "Alright." Linfel thanked the assistant and left the shop. There was no need to be afraid of having his magic Stones stolen. Inside the academy, that would be tantamount to self-destruction, regardless of your background.


    Well, the boxes were very distinct, and Linfel couldn''t show he had a Spatial Inventory there, so they still caught some jealous eyes from low-raked students.


    On the transportation, Linfel checked the time and saw the sun was already going down. ''Seems like I spent a lot of time in the Magic Energy integration class. Oh well, let''s go back to Alvin and Felia and help them with Magic Energy.''


    Back in Alvin''s room, Alvin and Felia were already back. Alvin looked like a ghost, much to Linfel''s confusion. "Are you feeling pain somewhere?"


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Yes, pain in my soul after having to deal with the entire class who looked at me like I was some kind of lost genius of the world."


    "Hahaha!" Linfel luahged in response. "That''s fine, that''s fine. It might be a lie now, but who knows in the future?"


    Felia, on the other hand, seemed busy looking at Alvin''s MCOM. Her expression didn''t look too good. "Master, Linfel, check this out."


    The two looked at her and quickly approached the MCOM. Displayed there was a piece of news.


    -Thirteen Maguses died in an Airship Explosion during the last Field Exam. According to the reports, the Airship''s core malfunctioned and overcharged. The Academy is expressing its support to the families and will give full compensation for the accident.-


    The piece of news continued with some more information, but that didn''t matter to Linfel''s group. "Last Field Exam... Does this have anything to do with us?" Alvin couldn''t help but wonder.


    Linfel shrugged. "Who knows? Are you going to ask Xalafel about it?"


    Felia and Alvin immediately shook their heads, as Linfel expected, so he continued. "See? The point is, we didn''t do it, nor did we have any control over it. So, don''t even think about some bullshit like blaming yourself or whatever. Now, let''s start."


    Alvin''s sigh was heavy with the weight of his thoughts, which he promptly pushed to the back of his mind. He reached for a container, anticipation flickering in his eyes as he opened it. Inside, a treasure trove of almost 1200 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones awaited him.


    "You''ve truly outdone yourself, haven''t you?" Linfel couldn''t help but marvel at the sight before him.


    Alvin''s chest swelled with pride, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. "All that peril we braved in the Field Exam was not in vain. I invested all my Academy Credits in these little gems. Now, I''m broke again. Hahaha!"


    Linfel''s smile was tinged with anticipation. "With this stash, we can power through four consecutive days of Magic Energy Integration. Since your classes are only once a week, the remaining days can be dedicated to Missions, earning more Academy Credits. Most likely, you''ll have just enough Magic Energy to train until the next Field Exam at the end of the week."


    Alvin was taken aback. For a moment, he had forgotten. Linfel used around 300 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones per day, cleaning them all for Alvin and Felia to use. Each one of these was worth three Academy Credits, so his almost 1200 cost him everything he had. And yet... he will be left with nothing by the end of the week.


    "Red Magic Energy is truly good... but hell, it does cost a lot!"


    Felia tried to cheer him up. "Master, look on the positive side. One day of Magic Energy Integration with Linfel is equivalent to a whole week without him. We have five days until the next field exam, so it will be similar to working for five weeks straight. How many Maguses out there can do such a thing?


    Probably only those rich students like Milia can afford to train with real Red Magic Stones nonstop."


    Alvin''s mood immediately improved. "Right! That is definitely worth it. Besides, being a Rank C Student will make it much easier to get higher-paying Tasks in the Missions Hall."


    "Oh! Don''t forget we are going into the next Field Exam as well," Linfel added.


    As fast as Alvin''s mood improved, it collapsed. "A-Another Field Exam?" He still hasn''t forgotten how he almost died last time, and that was his first time only.


    Linfel nodded, excited. "Of course! How the hell do do you expect us to keep up with our expenditure of Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones? Even with all the bonuses, you only got enough for four days, and you will need to make up for the fifth day with missions on top of that. Field Exams give a lot of Academy Credits, so we are obviously taking them all!


    Besides, you need the scores of the exams to go up in the ranks and get access to even better missions, classes, and training facilities."


    "I know that! I truly do..." Alvin sighed. "But it still makes me nervous."


    "If you have time to feel nervous, then let''s use it for training. Come on, let''s use Master Familiar Connection," said Linfel. He still wanted to check his own Red Magic Stones.


    Alvin nodded and sat on his bed. Felia connected to him first, and Linfel followed by matching their Soul Waves Frequency. Their Magic Energy Merged, allowing Linfel to transfer his Magic Energy to them. Yellow Magic Stones began to disappear one after another, creating Low-Grade Red Magic Energy that Alvin and Felia used to integrate into their Cores.


    Time passed, and three hours later, Alvin and Felia''s core felt saturated once again. As for the Yellow Magic Stone, Linfel used 283 of them this time. "Good work, you two. Your Cores need rest, so we will stop it here."


    Alvin canceled his connection with both Linfel and Felia before collapsing on the bed. "It feels great, no doubt. Still, it is tiring as hell."


    "Master, I''m deactivating so you can sleep," said Felia.


    However, Alvin sat on the bed again and looked at the boxes Linfel brought, curious. "Are those..." Naturally, Felia paid attention as well.


    Linfel smiled. "Yeap, you said you got one of those back when you joined the academy, right? These are Low-Grade Red Magic Stones. I spent almost all my Academy Credits on those."


    Linfel didn''t waste time and opened one of the boxes. "Let''s give it a try."


    The Magic Energy inside the Magic Stone immediately began to rush into Linfel''s Core. At the same time, he used his Core to further clean the Red Magic Energy. "It''s... different."


    Alvin and Felia looked at each other and back at Linfel. "Different? Different how?"


    "The Magic Energy. It''s different from the Red Magic Energy I''m producing. My own is created through the process of cleaning. This one, although much cleaner than the Yellow Magic Energy from the Low-Grade Magic Stones, is still many times more impure than the one I create," said Linfel, paying attention as he absorbed it.


    "I see..." He quickly found the reason. "In theory, it shouldn''t be Red Magic Energy. Yet, is has been compressed so much that it makes up for the impurities inside, giving its red color. For the other Maguses in the Academy, these are truly good things. Have fewer impurities than Yellow Magic Stones and a much higher concentration of Magic Energy, not to mention it is Red Magic Energy.


    They are definitely worth their price. No, in my opinion, the Academy is doing the Maguses here a great favor by selling them for only 500 Academy Credits."


    He continued. "However, compared to the Low-Grade Red Magic Energy that I clean up, this stone is truly lacking. Still too many impurities, so it is not as efficient as using my cleaning ability."


    Alvin was surprised to hear that. "Does it mean it is not worth using Red Magic Stones at all? Should we continue with Yellow Magic Stones forever?"


    "Of course not!" Linfel quickly shook his head. "All I have to do is to clean the impurities, and the Red Magic Energy inside should reach a much higher level. They are great for us, too! As long as I clean them, of course."


    Without wasting time, Linfel threw himself at the task. The Red Magic Energy quickly entered his core and passed through the cleaning process. However, Linfel didn''t absorb all the Magic Energy in the Magic Stone. He only took half of it before putting the Magic Stone back inside the special box. "It is truly hard to store Red Magic Energy. My level is too low.


    Nonetheless..."


    A moment later, he let out the now clean Red Magic Energy... and there was a lot of it. The reason he could even store this amount was exactly because of how compressed it was, which was even better. Above all, it had a very dense red, a mark of High-Grade Red Magic Energy! "High-Grade Red Magic Energy. That is my limit.


    If I want to make Brown Magic Energy, it is possible, but I will need to become a Level Two Familiar first... or a wisp, in my case."


    Alvin and Felia were still impressed. "What will you do with this Energy?"


    Linfel looked at him. "It''s time for me to try this Magic Energy Integration thing."

 Chapter 41 - 41: What Will You Do?

    Linfel took the magic Energy back into his Core and redirected it to his soul, which was one with the Core. The first time he absorbed Magic Energy, it changed his colored Core into a Yellow one. At that time, he could feel the core transforming to adapt to this new type of energy.


    However, now that he thinks about it, that change also happened to his soul. ''Most likely, I changed because my soul took it first. I was almost without energy back then, so I was desperate to absorb anything. Without me noticing, my Soul Took the color of that energy, and so did my core.


    Could it be that if I absorb Red Magic Energy with my soul, I will reach Level Two straight away?'' Linfel couldn''t help but wonder.


    The Red Magic Energy quickly filled the entire extent of the Core, and the soul within it also took that Energy. Both worked together, allowing the soul to take the Red Magic Energy always gradually. It took a few minutes, but Linfel finally noticed a few changes start to happining.


    ''Hm?'' Some very tiny spots within his core and soul began to change color, taking a more reddish tone. Those spots were still yellow, though. Linfel continued that practice, absorbing more and more Red Magic Energy into his soul. Not long after, the Red Magic Energy he had stored was gone.


    "Linfel..." Alvin spoke with a surprised expression. "Your Yellow Magic Energy got slightly denser now. It looks a lot more like the Yellow Energy of Familiars that was close to Level Up."


    Felia quickly agreed. "Indeed, you did that with only half a Red Magic Stone? That''s crazy..."


    Linfel took a look at himself in the mirror. "Hehehe! I knew it! When I absorbed Magic the First Time, I took it with my soul, too. Now, I did the same process, and it worked. I can feel several spots in my Core and Soul going in the direction of Red Magic Energy."


    He quickly looked at the Red Magic Stone Boxes and felt excited. "Well, let''s not stop here."


    The same box was open and Linfel quickly took out the remaining Magic Energy of the Red Magic Stone. The stone broke apart right after, having gone dry of Magic Energy completely. Linfel ignored that and simply focused on cleaning the Red Magic Energy.


    The impurities of the Magic Energy rushed out of his Core, bringing with it quite a big amount of the Magic Energy itself that was too contaminated. The Magic Energy was definitely a lot better. After cleaning Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy into Low-Grade Red Magic Energy, Linfel loses 90% of the Magic Energy of the Stones. With the Red Magic Stones, however, he only loses around 80% of it.


    Considering the Red Magic Energy was much more compressed, 20% of a Red Magic Stone is still a lot, especially when you consider it is now High-Level Red Magic Energy.


    Alvin looked at the Red Magic Energy that escaped Linfel''s body. "Such a waste... Can I use-"


    "Out of the question!" Linfel immediately stopped his words. "The Red Magic Energy you are seeing is truly just the dreg of the real product. If you try to absorb and integrate it into your core, you will feel a short-term improvement. But, as time passes, your own core will definitely suffer. It is different from absorbing a normal Red Magic Stone since it still has all of its properties.


    The one I''m eliminating can only be considered poison. Understood?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled and nodded. ''Well, I''m sure a lot of the students in the academy wouldn''t mind these risks if they could simply absorb Red Magic Energy...'' he thought in the end. He most likely would be one of them if he didn''t have Linfel.


    The integration of Red magic Energy into his soul continued when suddenly...


    *Argh!*


    Linfel''s Core fell to the floor as a grunt came out.


    "Linfel!" Alvin and Felia were shocked. Alvin quickly picked him up and put him on the bed, not knowing what to do. "Are you okay? Are you still there?"


    "Y-Yeah..." Slowly, Linfel''s Magic Energy began to take a humanoid shape as he began to float again. "Holy shit... that almost slipt my soul in two."


    "What happened?" Felia quickly asked back.


    Linfel already knew the answer. "Red Magic Energy is indeed much gentler than Primordial Energy, but it doesn''t change the fact a Soul is a very delicate thing. I pushed it a little too hard due to my excitement, and my Soul immediately paid the price. Simply put, my level is too low to take in so much High-Level Red Magic Energy at once."


    Alvin sighed in relief. "The important thing is that you are fine. Has there been any lasting damage?"


    "No," Linfel shook his head. "But I will need to rest for a while. It is definitely the end of Magic Energy Integration for today."


    Felia didn''t like the idea. "You better not absorb more High-Level Red Magic Energy for now. It will be the same as playing with death. Wait until you reach level two. That will make things a lot safer. For now, concentrate on the Low-Level magic Energy you can make from Yellow Magic Stones.


    This one should be fine."


    Linfel agreed with her. "Yes, I thought the same thing. The difference between Low-Grade and High-Grade Red Magic Energy is enormous."


    "Of course!" Alvin nodded. "Have you seen the price of Medium and High-Grade Red magic Stones compared to Low-Grade ones?"


    Linfel hasn''t truly checked yet. "Let me see." He took his MCOM and quickly took a look at the online market. "Yeah... that makes sense."


    -Medium-Grade Red Magic Stone: 1600 Academy Credits.-


    -High-Grade Red Magic Stone: 4000 Academy Credits.-


    "This is a good thing, though," said Linfel. "I will never have the need to buy Medium and High-Grade Magic Stones. I can always stick to Low-Grade ones and clean their energy."


    "That''s definitely great," Alvin was happy to hear that. "By the way, you spent all your Academy Credits in those Red Magic Stones. What will you do?"


    "Oh, don''t worry," Linfel smiled confidently. "I have plenty of Yellow Magic Energy available for me to use on a daily basis. Hehe!"


    On the next day, at night, Linfel came to see Aelua at her research facility. "Linfel! Where were you yesterday?"


    "Sorry, sorry," Linfel apologized. "I had a little trouble with my Magic Energy Integration. I was forced to rest for the rest of the day so I could recover."


    "A problem with Magic Energy Integration?" Aelua found it strange. "But you should have a technique perfect for your core in your memories. Why would there be a problem?"


    "I''m not like other Familiars," Linfel explained. "I was born without the general knowledge most Familiars have. I need to learn everything from scratch, and yesterday was the first day I learned about the methods of Magic Energy Integration."


    "I see..." Aelua understood. "Well, if you ask me, making a Familiar like that is just annoying. But then again, you managed to become independent, so this is your problem and your problem only. Your master doesn''t need to worry about your education."


    She then took out her MCOM and showed something to Linfel. "By the way, I got the news. You finished in the top ten during the last Field Exam, right?" She smiled at Linfel right after. "It was because of your ridiculously high Magic Energy Sensitivity, right?"


    "You can tell?" Linfel asked back, surprised.


    "I''ve been to the Dark Canyons before," Aelua explained. "That place is pretty much a maze. However, considering your sensitivity, I wondered if you were able to feel the Magic Energy Flow in the area. Seems like I was right."


    Linfel didn''t deny her words. "Yeap, that''s pretty much it. People are still thinking that Donfin, Milia, or Miranda got privileged information and my group was only tagging them. Hahaha!"


    "I can definitely see that happening," Aeulua also smiled, finding it funny. "Anyway, you have two days'' worth of Magic Energy Separation to make. But with your sensitivity, that shouldn''t be an issue at all."


    "Yes," Linfel quickly nodded. "Well then, I''ll start today''s work."


    Aelua nodded and turned around, going back to her room. Linfel already knew the entire process, so there wasn''t a need for her to observe anymore. She could simply come out later and check the containers.


    Seeing that Aelua left, Linfel couldn''t hold his excitement anymore. He quickly went for the first Magic Energy Receptor, which was brimming with Yellow Magic Energy collected during the day from one of the nine pillars. ''Hahaha! Free Magic Energy, and a lot of it!''


    Immediately, he began to absorb the Magic Energy and separate the Semi-Transparent Yellow magic Energy from Space before putting it into the container. That was his job. As for the normal Magic Energy, which was over 99% of all the Magic Energy in the receptors, Linfel began to clean it.


    Yellow Magic Energy escaped his Core and dissipated in the surroundings. The Receptor''s Magic Energy was even more polluted than the Magic Energy inside the Low-Grade Yellow Magic Energy Stones. As Aelua mentioned before, it was simply impossible for Maguses and Familiars to use such impure energy for Integration, so it had to be discarded...


    Not for Linfel, though. The impurities didn''t matter. His core could get rid of all of it. Sure, he would have to discard most of the Magic Energy for the exact same reason. However, the Nine pillars gathered so much of it that it completely made up for the losses. Above all, Linfel didn''t need to pay even a single Academy Credit for it all!


    Linfel was excited, but he was also a little bit nervous. He almost damaged his Soul the last night, and he concluded that it was most likely due to his low level. But... he couldn''t be absolutely sure about it. It wasn''t before he spent an hour and reached the fourth pillar that he finally relaxed.


    ''Sure enough, it is my level, which is basically the strength of my soul. I''m cleaning all the energy and producing Low-Grade Red Magic Energy. Fortunately, this level of Magic Energy is not too stressful for my soul. I can continue to integrate it into my Soul, and it is slowly changing my core.''


    Linfel continued his work without any issues, reaching the eighth of the nine receptors he had to extract and separate the Magic Energy. However, because he was also using it for his own leveling, he was taking a lot longer than usual.


    Aelua, who was working on the reports of her research, finally remembered Linfel hadn''t appeared yet. ''Why is he taking this long?''


    She came out of her room and made her way to the receptors. There, she saw the Magic Energy escaping Linfel''s Core. That was normal. The contaminated Magic Energy had to be expelled. That''s how the work goes. However, she also noticed that the amount of Magic Energy Linfel got rid of was smaller than the amount he was taking in. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately, she understood what he was doing. "LINFEL!" She ran to him and covered the receptor. "What the hell are you doing?! You can''t use this Magic Energy for integration! It will destroy your core!"


    Linfel was taken aback for a moment. "Oh! Why are you here? I haven''t finished yet."


    "You were taking too long, so I came to check on you," Aelua explained. "Why are you doing such a dangerous thing?"


    Linfel shrugged. "I have my reasons. Don''t worry, Aelua, I won''t cause you trouble."


    "You are already causing trouble, idiot," Aelua complained. "If you collapse, then I will need to find someone else for the job, and no one else can do what you are doing here. You have helped me a lot with your perfect job. I can''t let you lose yourself here."


    Linfel sighed. He truly was not at any risk. But he also couldn''t tell her he was immune to the impurities of Magic Energy. "I''m sorry, but... If I can''t do this, I don''t have much of a reason to continue coming here anymore. It''s the Magic Energy that attracts me, even if it is polluted.


    Please understand."


    Aelua was taken aback. She thought he was here for the Academy Credits instead. "Can''t you simply buy Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones? I''m paying 100 Academy Credits per night for you. That''s at least 33 Magic Stones. They are the worst out there, but definitely safe to use, differently from this Energy you are taking.


    Besides, 33 Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones are more than enough to last two or three days usually. You truly don''t need to do this." Little did she know Linfel used hundreds in a single day.


    "Also," Aelua continued. "You won''t find places that pay 100 Academy Credits this easily every day. Consider that."


    Linfel obviously couldn''t just give up. "I still must insist. My Academy Credits already have a destination, so I can only count on this Magic Energy. Besides... I can definitely make more Academy Credits now if I want."


    Linfel then moved to a Terminal and used his Magic Energy signature to access it. Finally, he pointed out. "Look at my Rank."


    "Rank C Familiar!" Aelua was shocked. "You got sent to Rank C just like that?!"


    Linfel nodded. "That I did. So, simply put, I can take quite some good tasks in the Mission Hall now, so 100 Academy Credits per day isn''t that hard to do anymore. In the end, I''m only coming back here for the Magic Energy, nothing else."


    Aelua still wanted to stop him. However, she couldn''t pay him anything extra with her budget, so she didn''t know what to do. "Is that truly the only way for you to remain? Will you not reconsider? I truly don''t wish to lose such a great helper."


    "I''m fine," Linfel spoke back. "As long as you leave me to use the Magic Energy, I will come back every day. Well, at least until I don''t need it anymore, which won''t happen any time soon. As for the dangers of the impurities, that''s something for the future me to care about. This is the good thing about being an independent Familiar; I can make my own decisions."


    "Sigh..." Aelua gave up and uncovered the Magic Receptor. "Fine. If you want to get yourself ruined, then so be it. However, I warned you. Don''t blame me later when things turn for worse."


    "Thank you," Linfel was happy to hear that. "Now, time to continue." At the very least, he wouldn''t need to hide his actions anymore from her.

 Chapter 42 - 42: Free?

    Linfel finished all nine receptors and received his daily 100 Academy Credits. He seemed in a great mood, feeling like he hit the jackpot. ''This is truly great! There is always enough Yellow Magic Energy equivalent to hundreds of Yellow Magic Stones. I will level up pretty fast like this.''


    Aelua''s gaze followed Linfel as he left, her mind immediately returning to her task. She diligently searched for Alvin''s contact, her fingers flying across the terminal. Alvin, despite Linfel''s newfound independence, was still listed as his Master. After a few minutes, she found his number and dialed, her anticipation palpable. However, her efforts were met with silence.


    ''Of course, it''s still the early hours. He''s probably fast asleep.''


    Linfel returned to the dormitory in high spirits, thinking about what he should do now. He seemed to have one more advantage that Maguses and Familiars didn''t. He didn''t feel his core growing saturated due to the Magic Energy Integration. ''Well, at least this much hasn''t changed from back then.''


    Back in Linfel''s time, he could absorb Primordial Energy without ever feeling tired. All wisps could do it. Unfortunately, they couldn''t grow strong, so such an advantage was useless. All the training Horan gave Linfel was designed around the fact that Linfel only had so much Primordial Energy to use. Now, however, Linfel could truly grow strong, and this advantage was enormous.


    ''Hum... I could pretty much level up without stopping. However, I don''t have anywhere near the necessary amount of Academy Credits to do such a thing...'' Linfel thought. ''Whatever. I might as well go to the Floating Blades Faction instead.'' He immediately turned around and left.


    As mentioned before, there were a few pieces of equipment made for Familiars Training in there. One of them was the Soul Strengthening Magic Diagram. Familiars don''t have bodies, only cores. If they wanted to improve their cores, they would truly need to gather better materials and reconstruct them.


    That was a hard thing to do and even more expensive than creating a new familiar. Not to mention that their soul resided in their cores, so such a change carried its risks. That said, most familiars, including familiars from rich backgrounds, first worked on a certain trait. Obviously, that trait was their souls.


    The stronger their souls, the less unlikely it would be for problems to arise once they decide to improve their cores. That was especially so once they got to higher levels. After Level Three, most Familiars would find it too hard to progress without building a better core to store Brown Magic Energy or higher.


    Linfel obviously wasn''t a Familiar. His core was his soul. They were the one and the same. If he tried to rebuild it, he would simply die right there and then... or at least Linfel believed he would. Still, he had some hope.


    ''Perhaps there is indeed a way for me to improve my core in such an advanced world. The technological achievements on this planet alone already far surpass what Horan and I saw during our time together. And, according to Alvin, this planet is quite a remote one of little importance in the universe''s whole picture.


    Even if I can''t find a way to improve my core here, perhaps there will be some way somewhere else.''


    Nonetheless, Linfel didn''t need to worry about being stuck. He didn''t have the Familiar''s limitation regarding the material of their cores. His core was born from energy, primordial energy, and as long as it levels up, it will be able to store stronger energy than before.


    Linfel already could store Red Magic Energy at Level One, although not as much compared to what he could do if he was at Level Two. The only reason he even considers changing his core in the future is to make it even stronger.


    Linfel arrived at the Floating BLades Faction, which was always open 24/7. Inside, the night attendant quickly came to receive him. "Hello, Linfel. I heard about you from the Faction Leader. Do you need any assistance?"


    Linfel nodded. "I still don''t know how to operate the Soul Strengthening Magic Diagram for Familiars. Can you bring me there and show me how to do it."


    "Definitely," the assistant nodded. "Please, follow me."


    They passed through a few doors and went to the second floor. Finally, they arrived in a room where three platforms could be seen. "Please select any of the devices." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel nodded and stepped on one of them. He came here before, but he didn''t have the chance to learn it well. He had quite some extra time now, so he intended to learn it properly. The attendant also stepped on the platform and showed the terminal to Linfel. "This is how you do it. On the first option, you can select the type of Soul Stress.


    The device will convert Magic Energy into concentrated waves similar to Soul Waves. You will need to open your soul and let it go through. Otherwise, the device is useless."


    He then showed the next option. "This one is to select the level of Soul Waves. The higher the level, the stronger the Soul Waves created by the device. Don''t worry, though. It only affects your soul as long as you permit it. You just need to block the soul waves, and there will be nothing the device can do even if the level is increased a hundred times."


    "Finally," he continued, "you have the timer. You can set a specific time of operation, and the device will stop once the time runs out."


    "It''s pretty simple. I like it." Said Linfel with a happy expression.


    The attendant nodded and stepped out of the Platform. He then stayed near it in case Linfel needed more assistance. Besides... even counting Alvin, the Floating Blades Faction has only six members and their families. This attendant who worked during night shifts usually didn''t have anything else to do anyway.


    "Hum..." Linfel checked the types of Soul Stress. By forcing the soul to resist the waves, you could build their strength. It was a simple but very effective method for Familiars. "Needle Waves, Assault Waves, Compressing Waves..." There were a few types of Soul Waves, so he found it difficult to select one. "Fuck it. Let''s use them all at once.


    Hahaha!"


    He selected all options and immediately activated the Magic Diagram... just for it to turn off again a second later. "Hum? Why is it nor working?"


    The attendant pointed at a Magic Container on the side. "You forgot to add the Magic Stones for it to work."


    "Eh?!" Linfel was taken aback. "Aren''t the Faction Devices for free?"


    The attendant nodded. "They are. The Academy charges Academy Credits for you to use them in their facilities. And you still have to provide your own Magic Stones. Here, you don''t need to pay any Academy Credits. You just need to use your own Magic Stones and train as much as you want."


    Too bad, though. Linfel didn''t have a single Magic Stone.


    "Meh..."


    It was then that he thought of something. "What happens if I use Red Magic Stones?"


    The attendant narrowed his eyes. "Well, they are a lot more expensive, so I wouldn''t recommend it. Nonetheless, if you use Red Magic Stones, higher levels of Soul Waves will be available. For example, regardless of the grade of Yellow Magic Stones, you will only have Level One Waves available for use. Red Magic Stones, obviously, unlocks Level Two Waves, which are a lot stronger.


    Usually, they are not fit for Level One Familiars like you."


    "Oh..." Linfel nodded and came out of the platform. "Seems like I wasted my time coming here. What else is there for Familiars in this place that doesn''t require Magic Stones?"


    "Hum..." the attendant thought about it. "I guess only devices related to normal training. For example, target practicing, magic energy control practice, and things like that. They need your own Core Magic Energy, so they obviously don''t need Magic Stones."


    Linfel shook his head, not interested. He had done these kinds of practice countless times when he traveled with Horan. He also got perfect scores on similar tests, like the Independent Familiar test. They were pretty much useless to him. "Oh well... I guess I''ll go to the Mission Hall instead and try to earn as many Academy Credits as possible."


    The attendant nodded and brought Linfel to the entrance. However, just as Linfel was about to leave the building, he bumped into someone else who had just arrived. "Hum? Oh, hi! I haven''t seen you yet. I''m Linfel."


    In front of him was a small cloaked person whose expression was impossible to be seen. There was also a familiar on his side with a red color of magic energy, showing its level two. Nonetheless, the familiar kept silent. The guy simply nodded at Linfel and didn''t say anything, quickly passing by with his familiar.


    The attendant seemed to know who it was, though. "Hi, William. Are you trying the Level Three again?"


    The clocked guy nodded. From the name, it seemed to be male.


    "Very well," the attendant nodded. "Do you need me to help you with it?"


    The guy shook his head, still saying nothing, before turning to the side and walking deeper into the building.


    Before he even left his sight, Linfel got curious and asked the attendant. "Is that the last member of the Floating Blades Faction?"


    "Last member?" The attendant got confused.


    "Oh, right!" Linfel understood. "You weren''t here when Alvin and I first arrived. They introduced us to the members of the Faction, but there was one remaining who wasn''t here at that time. Pamil said we would eventually meet him. I wonder if that was the guy."


    "I see." The attendant nodded. "That is indeed him, William Banzen. And on his side was Mongis, his Familiar. Obviously, an independent familiar since those are the rules of the Floating Blades Faction. Don''t judge him by his size. William is almost twenty already."


    "Twenty?!" Linfel was surprised. "I thought he was a kid."


    "He''s a dwarf," the attendant explained. "That''s why he is that small."


    "Dwarf? Is it a different race?" Linfel asked, curious.


    William suddenly stopped, not being able to ignore those words. He quickly turned around and reached for Linfel. "Where the hell did you get that from? Are you mocking me, uh? Dwarfism is just a genetic mutation or disorder and sometimes happens due to some other medical reasons. Nonetheless, I''m still very much a human.


    Don''t be that disrespectful."


    "Master, let''s just destroy him. Pamil will definitely understand it later," said Mongis, his Familiar.


    Linfel was taken aback and quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry. I''ve been created without general knowledge that most familiars carry from birth. This was the first time I had seen or heard about dwarfs. I truly meant no disrespect."


    "No knowledge?" William narrowed his eyes, feeling skeptical. "Do you take me for a fool?"


    The attendant quickly jumped in. "William, he isn''t lying. Linfel was indeed created without the general knowledge of Familiars. It is also mentioned in his Faction ID."


    William looked at the attendant, who he could consider to be a friend. Nonetheless, he still took out his MCOM and checked Linfel''s information. Indeed, in the Faction private website that only members could access, it was mentioned that Linfel was created without general knowledge.


    "Why would anyone go through such a pain?" Finally, he let Linfel go, understanding Linfel didn''t say that out of malice.


    Linfel was relieved. "Bro, you truly have a short temper."


    Mongis quickly spoke. "That''s because you don''t know what my master has gone through because of his stature. If you ask me, my master was already being very lenient with you. I would have simply wiped you out straight away."


    "Enough, Mongis," William stopped his Familiar there. "We came here to see if we can finally make the jump to Level Three. Let''s not waste time."


    Finally, William and Mongis left and disappeared inside the building.


    The attendant finally let out a sigh of relief. "Try to not make such jokes anymore, okay? Even if it wasn''t intentional."


    "It wasn''t supposed to be a joke, though." Linfel felt helpless. "By the way, what do you mean with Level Three? Is he trying to advance to the next level? Also, what''s your name? I still haven''t asked."


    "Hum? Oh, you can just call me Droval," said the attendant. "As for your first question, the answer is yes. He has been trying to advance to level three for a few weeks already. Right, you might not know about it yet. Advancing a level is quite annoying, even if you have the resources.


    For William, especially, it is even more so because of his dwarfism. After all, the techniques available always take into account the normal meridians of a normal person''s body. His ones are different. I hope he succeeds soon. Even though he has a short temper, few are as dedicated as him."


    Linfel definitely liked those who put in the effort, and he could even see a little of himself in William. After all, even though Linfel was with Horan, the contempt due to the fact he was a wisp was obvious in everyone''s eyes every time Horan met someone with him. "I understand... Is it a problem if I take a look?"


    "There shouldn''t be since the entire Floating Blades Faction is open to its members," Droval said. "Just make sure you don''t bother him."


    "Very well," Linfel quickly went after William after that.

 Chapter 43 - 43: What Are You Talking About?

    Linfel went to the room where he found Natalie training before, the one with the Magic Energy Gathering Devices. William was sitting on one of the devices while he pressed a few options in his MCOM. Around him, it was possible to see five Magic Stones. Their color showed they were Brow Magic Stones, the third level of Magic Stones available.


    His Familiar, watching from outside the device, noticed Linfel''s arrival. "What are you here for? Shoo, shoo! Don''t bother master."


    Linfel approached while scratching the back of his head... Well, there wasn''t a real head there, just an ethereal form of one. "Don''t worry. I''m not here to bother him. It''s just that I''m curious about a Magus Leveling moment."


    Mongis didn''t like it. But then again, it was true he couldn''t block anyone from entering the Magic Energy Gathering Devices'' Room. The equipment had the capability to draw the Magic Energy of Magic Stones much faster and fill a small area around the user with it. It was obviously good for both normal integration and attempts to break through into a new level. "Fine.


    But be prepared for a trashing if you get in his way."


    Linfel was happy that Mongis didn''t insist on sending him away. As for the Magic Energy Gathering Devices, truth be told, Linfel didn''t need it. He was already as good, if not even better, than the device itself. Even Alvin and Felia never used it since meeting Linfel since Linfel could absorb and share his magic Energy with them.


    As William prepared to give it a try, Linfel looked at Mongis and asked. "By the way, you are also at Level Two. Shouldn''t you be in there to try to become a Level Three Familiar as well?"


    "Hmph!" Mongis snorted. "It''s exactly because I''m a Familiar that I''m not worried. I have already changed most of my core and only need a little final push to become a Level Three Familiar. However, I can''t possibly do that while my master stays behind, now can I? I have already decided that I will Level Up only after Master overcomes his body''s shortcomings and take the next step."


    "I see..." Linfel had to admit all the Familiars in the Floating Blades Faction seemed to love their Masters without exception. They are all free, but they still choose to tag along. That gave him a nice feeling of belonging.


    "Alright, quiet now," Mongis spoke. "Master will start."


    Suddenly, the device activated, and the five Brow Magic Stones began to release Brown Magic Energy at a very fast pace, almost as fast as Linfel could absorb them. An area of around two meters around William quickly filled with concentrated Brown Magic Energy. Yet, it didn''t escape or dissipate, trapped by the Magic Diagram Equipment.


    William took a deep breath and opened all his Meridians. Quickly, the Brown Magic Energy entered his body, going straight to his Core. It wasn''t possible to see since it was inside his body, but most of William''s Core had already taken a brown-like color. Yet, some few spots of Red simply didn''t seem to want to change.


    William kept integrating the Brown Magic Energy into his core, pushing the Magic Energy against the last spots of Red. William''s forehead began to sweat, and he gritted his teeth. He was putting a lot of effort into sending the Brown Magic Energy further.


    Minutes passed and the Brown Magic Energy in the area began to reduce in concentration. Seeing that, Mongis narrowed his eyes. "Another failure..."


    Yet, it was at this moment that Linfel spoke to William. "Why are you changing things? You are doing it wrong. Your meridians are not connected to your core like they are in other Maguses'' cases. They are pressed mostly on the top and the bottom of your Core instead of an even spreading. It won''t matter how many times you try.


    You will never succeed like this."


    Mongis and William were taken aback by Linfel''s words. However, Mongis immediately got angry in the next second. "What the hell are you talking about? Do you think you know more about Master''s body than himself? Just shut your mouth!"


    William was quite surprised, though. What Linfel said about his meridians was true. They were indeed mostly pressed against the top and bottom of his core. He knew it well since he checked many times before, trying to find a way to fix this issue. Unfortunately, that was basically his own body structure. It wasn''t something that could be changed easily.


    "You say I''m doing it wrong. Do you even know how Maguses level up?"


    "I do not," Linfel spoke. "I know that Maguses have different methods to integrate Magic Energy into their cores exactly because they are different from Familiars."


    Linfel connected with Alvin quite a few times already. He could tell every inch of Alvin''s body, including his meridians. Also, with his sensitivity, he had the chance to feel Donfin, Miranda, Milia, Connor, and the other Maguses fight in the last Field Exam. He could tell that their Meridians were pretty much connected in the same way as Alvin''s.


    That''s why he was capable of detecting the problem with William''s body and pointing it out.


    "However, from what I can feel, you are basically pressing the remaining Red Spots of your Core from both sides. Not only is it making it more difficult for you to Level Up, but you are also compressing all the Red Magic Energy into a single line of Red Magic around the Core itself. The more you compress it, the more resistance this spot of Red Magic Energy becomes."


    William thought about this. What he couldn''t understand was how Linfel could feel his Core that clearly. "Alright, so what do you propose?"


    "As I mentioned, your meridians are mostly pressed against the top and bottom of your Core. Also, your Core is more than ready to become a Level Three. As long as you push the Red Magic Energy out, it should do the work. That said, use your meridians on the bottom of the Core to to inject Brown Magic Energy. Meanwhile, keep the meridians at the top empty.


    That should create a channel to which you can push the Red Magic Energy out of the core."


    William immediately laughed. "Hahaha! Are you crazy? That would cause a Magic Energy deviation. Are you trying to destroy my core?"


    Mongis nodded. "I told you, master. There is no need to waste time listening to this guy."


    Linfel was even more confused, though. "What are you talking about? You have been doing it even before you started to attempt to level up. I don''t even know why you stopped."


    William''s expression froze. "I... was?"


    "Haven''t you noticed?" Linfel asked back. "When I bumped into you at the entrance, I was able to feel your Magic Energy naturally moving that way. It was entering the bottom of the Core and coming from the top. Of course, it was very, very slow, almost imperceptible. Then I guess that''s just how your Core works when it is in an idle state."


    "It is only when you start using it that you change into always sending Magic Energy inside from both sides or always drawing from both sides. That is not wrong. If you are in a fight, for example, you need to draw Magic Energy to attack, so using both sides to draw Magic Energy is the correct thing to do.


    But, in this case, you could truly do it by simply pushing the Red Magic Energy out of your Core Walls."


    Mongis immediately got worried. "Master, I don''t think you should hear him. Absorbing Magic Energy at the same time that you pull it out is too risky. There is a reason why no one tries to do it. Deviation could truly put an end to your Magus future. Besides, you didn''t even notice that happening until Linfel spoke.


    What if he is wrong and such a thing isn''t happening at all?"


    William had to admit that Mongis was right. "That''s true."


    "Sigh... fine." Linfel immediately jumped on the platform where the Magic Energy Gathering Device operated.


    "What are you doing?" Mongis got angry again. "Are you trying to steal the Brown Magic Energy my master worked hard to acquire?"


    Linfel immediately shook his head. "Don''t be ridiculous. Did you forget I''m a Level One familiar? I can''t absorb Brown Magic Energy even if I wanted." Indeed, Alvin had told Linfel about it, and Linfel tried it himself back when they found the Green Magic Energy Pond. It simply didn''t work.


    "This..." Mongis wanted to retort, but he knew Linfel was speaking the truth. Linfel simply couldn''t take that energy at all. "Then what do you want to do to Master?"


    "I''m helping him, of course. Aren''t we all from the same Floating Blades Faction? It is only natural I want to help a fellow member who understands a Familiar should be independent," said Linfel.


    Yet, William was puzzled. "Help me...? How?"


    "I''m going to help you guide the Magic Energy in your Core. I can''t absorb Brown Magic Energy, but that doesn''t mean I can''t control it. Now, relax and let me do it." Linfel immediately gathered the Brown Magic Energy in the surroundings. "Do not fight it. Just start absorbing the Magic Energy I''m gathering near you and send it up from the bottom meridians in your Core.


    As long as you don''t block my senses, I should be able to prevent any deviations of Magic Energy."


    William found it hard to believe. That would require a ridiculously high Magic Energy sensitivity, even if he doesn''t block it. A magus obviously could prevent anyone from messing with their own Magic Energy. Otherwise, anyone could disrupt other Maguses'' Magic Energy flow at any moment, so battles would be impossible depending on the circumstances.


    Even Magic Beasts do it instinctively and keep their Magic Energy blocked against outside intervention all the time. That was how everyone''s bodies worked. They had to consciously want to open up, or it was simply impossible to do what Linfel wanted.


    "I..." William didn''t know if he should do it. But then again, he had truly reached a dead end. He knew that the Red Magic Energy was all pressed in a center line around his Core, and he was trying to press it out of existence, which wasn''t working at all. Other maguses don''t have this problem since their meridians are all spread and connected equally around their cores.


    "Are you sure you can do this?"


    *Pah!*


    Linfel used his own Magic Energy to slap William''s back head, much to his confusion. "Stop all this bullshit and just do it. You are turning out just like Alvin, a scared cat. Just do it already. If anything goes wrong, I will immediately stop."


    William was speechless, and so was Mongis outside. How dare a Level One Familiar treat a Level Two Magus like this?


    "Are you doing it or not?" Linfel asked, already running out of patience.


    "Fine! But if you mess anything, Mongis, just kill him!" William finally relented.


    "Master!" Mongis was shocked William would truly go through this process.


    "I''ve made my decision," William stopped Mongis.


    "Alright!" Mongis nodded and looked with hostility at Linfel. "You better not cause any trouble!"


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand already. Let''s go!" Linfel couldn''t care less, though.


    ---


    Droval was adjusting a few things on one of the equipments of the Floating Blades Faction when suddenly, he felt a burst of Magic Energy. He looked up to the ceiling, knowing that it was the room with the Magic Energy Gathering Devices. "Hum? Did he finally succeed?"


    He got up and stretched a little. He had just finished his job here, so he decided to go back to the entrance. There, he found Linfel making his way out of the Floating Blades Faction. "Hey, Linfel. Do you need anything?" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hum?" Linfel turned around. "Not really. I''m just going to the missions hall to take a look at the jobs there. Now that I''m a Rank C Familiar, it should be easier to get higher-paying jobs."


    "That''s true," Droval felt a little jealous. He just worked as an attendant to gain some Academy Credits. He was a Rank F magus, so it was very hard for good missions to appear for him, just like it was for Alvin. "By the way, how were things with William?"


    "He did fine. I had to slap some sense into his head, but he came around. He should be stabilizing his Core at level three now. Seriously... Why do I always bump into easily scared Maguses? Alvin, Connor, and now this guy." Linfel sighed.


    "Oh well, whatever. I''m leaving. See you later."


    "Slap... some sense?" Droval was taken aback. Did he truly slap William?


    And so Linfel left. Later that day, William''s information on the Magus Academy Website was updated to a Level Three Magus!

 Chapter 44 - 44: Scam

    Linfel stepped back into the bustling Mission Hall, a hub of activity for Familiars and Maguses of all ranks. As a Rank C Independent Familiar, he knew he had a two-hour wait after a new mission was posted before he could apply. ''Ah, the options are expanding. I''m still limited to Two Stars Missions, but they''re no longer just menial tasks.''


    Going through the list, Linfel finally found an interesting one.


    -Defensive Diagram Runes test help needed. The chosen Magus or Familiar will play a crucial role in charging the runes as our company puts their resistance to the test. But remember, signing an NDA is a must. We value our secrets as much as you do.-


    ''NDA?'' Linfel had never heard that term before. He quickly took a look in his MCOM inside his Spatial Inventory and found. ''Oh! Non-Disclosure Agreement. I can''t talk about the test after I finish the job. Well, I guess it is normal.


    Everyone has their secrets.''


    -Location: Vaxwel Researching Facility...


    Linfel quickly took the task and left. At the same time, he sent Alvin a message. ''I''m going to this Vaxwel Facility to complete a task. Let me know if you need something.'' And so, Linfel left the Academy for the first time without Alvin.


    "Still, this is truly a stark contrast to any city from back in my time...." Linfel murmured as he made his way through the streets. The Academy was located quite close to the city center, so Linfel wasn''t far from the Vaxwel Facility either.


    Linfel looked around, curious at everything he was seeing. He would stop here and there to check a few things out of curiosity before continuing. It was then that he was stopped by another Familiar when passing by one of the shops. "Hey there, friend. Why don''t you come to have a taste of our company''s Magic Energy Gathering Diagram?"


    "Hum?" Linfel looked in the Familiar''s direction. "You mean the same ones you find in the Academy?"


    "Oh!" The Familiar seemed happy to hear that. "So you are a Familiar from the Magus Academy. That''s even better. Are you on an errand for your master? You could take a look and then tell him later. I''m sure he would be happy to acquire one of our products."


    Linfel pondered a bit. He didn''t need a Magic Energy Gathering Diagram to start with. Even if there was a need for one, he could use the Floating Blades Faction''s ones for free. "Hum... I already have access to them in my Faction. Besides, I''m on my way to completing an academy task of my own.


    I''m an independent Familiar."


    The Familiar was taken aback. "Independent?! That''s quite rare. And the fact you were able to join one of the Academy''s Faction is proof of your ability. In that case, you should definitely check it out for yourself. We even have portable devices that you can set up anywhere.


    It is not like you can take the Diagram Devices in your Faction away with you, right?"


    Linfel had to admit the guy was right. "Well, that''s true. Perhaps it might be of some use for Alvin. But... I don''t have a single Universal Credit to my name."


    "That''s not a problem at all!" The Familiar was even happier he fished someone. "The Magus Academy influence is huge, so Academy Credits are also accepted outside the Academy."


    "Is that so?" Linfel was happily surprised. "That''s nice. Universal Credits aren''t accepted in the academy, so it is good to see the opposite is possible."


    "Yes, yes, yes!" The Familiar nodded. "Please, follow me. We have quite a few good products."


    "Alright, lead the wa-" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, before Linfel could even finish his words, someone pulled him back. "He doesn''t want anything. Let''s go."


    Linfel was taken aback, looking at the person who suddenly pulled him away. It just so happened to be Romario, the guy he met back in the Independent Familiar Test. "Oh! Romario! How you''re doing?"


    "Hey!" The familiar immediately tried to stop him. "Why are you getting the way of our business?"


    Romario pushed Linfel to his back and snorted. "Business? That''s good, then. Linfel, ask them to sign a clause of quality. That means the equipment they sell you have to last at least a year without breaking, or they will be forced to give your Academy Credits back."


    Linfel could only nod. "Errr... sure. Can we sign the clause?"


    The Familiar quickly stepped back, though. "Now that I think about it, I don''t think we have anything here good enough for Academy Familiars and Maguses like sirs. Have a good day." Immediately, he turned back and went after another target, knowing this one was off.


    "What was that?" Linfel was puzzled.


    "A scam," Romario answered. "You must be careful. The Academy''s Name holds a huge power, and that includes the Academy Credits. They are definitely worth a lot more than Universal Credits in the cities where you can find Magus Academies. That said, a lot of people want to earn a profit on you. To be honest, the devices in this store aren''t that bad.


    It''s just that they don''t last long. I wouldn''t say anything if you were planning to pay with Universal Credits. But using Academy Credits for them is truly a waste since you can only earn Academy Credits in the Academy itself."


    Linfel understood. "So that''s how it is. Seems like I need to pay more attention. This Clause you mentioned seems pretty good, too. I''ll keep that in mind."


    Romario nodded. "That''s for the best. By the way, where are you going?"


    "I could ask the same. As for me, the Vaxwel Research Facility. There is an Academy Task to be carried there," Linfel explained.


    "I see... I saw you in the rankings of the last Field Exam. Seems like you and Alvin even got a promotion to Rank C due to your performance," Romario said. "In that case, let''s go to the Vaxwel Facility Together. I''m on my way there too."


    Romario and Linfel walked together on the streets as the morning started to pick up. The movement increased more and more as the shops got filled with people.


    "By the way, Romario, where is Calisbin?" Linfel asked. Calisbin was Romario''s Familiar, who also took part in the independence test. It''s just that he didn''t pass in the end.


    "He stayed in the academy to help me with another task," Romario spoke. "Since he didn''t pass the independence test, he is still considered my Familiar. So, the tasks he performs are all paid into my own account. Well, simply put, we share the meanial missions for Rank E Maguses and Familiars like us.


    It''s just that I was a little bit luckier this time and managed to be in the Missions Hall when the Vaxwel Research Facility Missions came up." The Vaxwel Research Facility, a sprawling complex of gleaming white buildings and humming machinery, was a hub of magical research and development.


    "Oh!" Linfel didn''t know. "I thought you were a Rank F Magus. Seems like you guys are quite talented then. So, what is your job there this time? The same as me? Testing Defensive Diagram Runes?"


    "Cleaning! Hahaha!" Romario answered straight away with a laugh. Yet, seeing Linfel''s confusion, he explained. "You probably are thinking that the Academy already has a lot of cleaning for Rank E anf F members like us, right? However, this cleaning in Vaxwel is different. They pay more because you will be dealing with broken Magic Diagram Runes.


    You need to be careful in the process, so they pay double what you get from normal cleaning jobs."


    "I see..." Linfel also gets paid a lot by Aelua, so he could relate. "Well, the important thing is to get the credits and increase our levels as Maguses and Familiars."


    "That''s pretty much it." Romario agreed.


    They reached the facility, a massive structure that seemed to hold countless researches. Romario gestured, "Our work areas are in different sections, so we part ways here. Stay vigilant, avoid any potential scams like the last one." With that, Romario disappeared into the facility, leaving Linfel to navigate his own path.


    ''I''ll try to give him some help if I can in the future,'' thought Linfel for a moment. After that, he went to one of the counters where he should present himself. "Hi! I''m Linfel, a Rank C Familiar from the Magus Academy. I''m here to help with some Diagram Rune Tests."


    The attendant nodded. "Ah, yes. We have been waiting for you. Please wait in that room for a moment. It will still take an hour before we need your services. There are a few others coming soon, too."


    Linfel knew that. When he took the task, he saw that it was open for at least five Maguses or Familiars. And with the good payment of 500 Academy Credits for a single day job, sure more Students or their Familiars would arrive.


    It didn''t last long before a Magus from the Academy and his Familiar arrived. They also sat by Linfel''s side and nodded at him. Later, another Magus appeared, although he was on his own, without any Familiar by his side. The group quickly increased, surpassing the five Linfel initially thought. ''Well, it did say at least five. There wasn''t really a limit to the numbers, was there?''


    The group around him were all Level Two Maguses and Familiars. The Red Familiars, especially, highlighted Linfel''s presence since he still had his Yellow Color. ''Could it be I took the wrong mission?'' Linfel couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Thank you for waiting, everyone," someone suddenly said. Linfel turned to the person, a man wearing a uniform from the facility. "My name is Comat, one of the various researches in this Facility. Please follow me. We need to screen you out before we can pass you today''s jobs."


    "Screen?" Linfel asked back. He wasn''t the only one. A few other Maguses and Familiars there were also confused. Obviously, they had come to this place for the first time.


    Comat smiled as he walked and guided the participants into the facility. "The tests are quite delicate. The Defensive Runes are just prototypes, so we need to manage them carefully. That means having a good understanding of their intricacies. Not everyone is that good at channeling Magic Energy through the circuitries of a Diagram Rune, especially new ones no one has seen before.


    That said, we can only employ the Maguses and Familiars who are capable of passing our small test."


    Comat entered a big room where one could see many tables with terminals on them. Each terminal had a small plate connected to them. "Please select any of the terminals. They re all identical, so it matters little which one you choose."


    The group quickly went to the various terminals. Linfel just took the first one available on the left side, not paying much attention to his position. After that, Comat continued his explanation. "If you look at the plates, there are a few Magic Diagram Runes on them. They are the runes we will use to test your qualifications. We have two requests this time.


    One is to see your capability to follow the channels of Magic Energy in the runes. The second one is to see how much Magic Energy you can pass through these channels once you manage to follow their path."


    Linfel looked at the Diagram Runes. That was his first time messing with them, so he felt quite curious. ''They are indeed very different from the Primordial Energy Runes from the past. However, the channels are easy to understand.''


    "Alright, everyone," Comat continued. "Try to run your Magic Energy through the channels in the runes the best you can. The terminals on the side will calculate your attempts and give you a score at the end. The more channels you can use and the more Magic Energy you can drive through them, the better the result will be.


    Only the best five candidates will work with us in the real runes deeper in the facility. The rest will be sent back to home."


    "I think I know these Runes. They are quite expensive." A Magus said. He came here for the Academy Credits and definitely couldn''t afford to pay for the runes if they broke.


    "There is no need to worry," Comat assured. "Although they are expensive runes, they are made with wide channels and resistant materials. Besides, it is very hard for you to even drive your Magic Energy into all channels at once, let alone fill them with enough Magic Energy to cause any trouble. There is no way you can break them with your pow-"


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    Yet, Comat''s words stopped as he heard a sound that wasn''t supposed to be there. He quickly looked in the sound''s direction, just in time to see the reason as his mouth twitched.


    *Poof, poof, poof, poof, poof...*


    All the runes on a certain someone''s table crumbled into dust, creating a little cloud of colored specs of light.


    Linfel looked at that. The runes were no more. "Errr... I don''t need to pay for them, do I?"

 Chapter 45 - 45: I Wont Pay!

    Comat felt like someone had punched his gut. "Just how the hell you broke them?! No, first of all, you broke all of them at once! Did you smash them with your magic Energy?"


    "Of course not!" Linfel quickly shook his head. "I just drove my Magic Energy into all their channels at once. Part of the test was to see how much Magic Energy I could pass through them while using as many channels are possible, right? That''s why I went all out. Weren''t they supposed to be very resistant?"


    Comat quickly went to the back and grabbed another rune. He carefully installed it on the plate that Linfel was using, connecting it to the sensors of the terminal on the side. "Alright, let me see it then! I''m sure you must have done it the wrong way."


    Linfel scratched the back of his ethereal head and nodded. He sent his Magic Energy downwards and enveloped the rune with it. Through his Magic Sensitivity, the channels of the Rune became as clear as day to him. Well, the Runes being used here were expensive, but they weren''t anything complicated to start with. They were there just for the test.


    ''Compared to Primordial Energy Runes, these runes are a lot more intricate since Magic Energy is much gentler and easier to control. But it is exactly because Magic Energy is easier to control that the full picture of the channels of the Runes is also easy to see. If I had to use Primordial Energy in these Runes, it would have been impossible for me to see anything,'' Linfel thought.


    Right after, he drove his Magic Energy into all the channels of that rune, making the terminal shine as a result. On the screen, there was a huge picture of th rune several hundreds of times bigger than the rune itself. It depicted the channels and their paths, as well as the Magic Energy flowing through them. There wasn''t a single path that wasn''t illuminated by the color of Magic Energy.


    "This..." Comat didn''t want to believe, but he had no other choice other than to do so.


    Linfel then commented. "I''m only driving my Magic Energy inside. I''m going to increase the flow as much as I can. Watch."


    The color of the channels depicted on the monitor immediately intensified in the next second. Yet, another second later...


    *Crack... Poof!*


    The Rune wasn''t able to resist the enormous flow of Magic Energy and broke apart, turning into several specs of colored light infused with Linfel''s Magic Energy. "See? I only did what you told me? I can''t be blamed if you did a poor job with the Rune''s resistance."


    Comat''s mouth twitched. Poor job? The rune was very simple, so there was no way you could do a poor job in a place like the Vaxwel Researching Famility. It''s just that Linfel''s Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity were absurd!


    Seeing Comat''s expression, Linfel decided to turn around to leave. "Well, I''m not paying! I did nothing wrong! I''m out!" Since he destroyed the runes, there is no way he passed the test, right? There was no reason to wait there anymore. Above all, he truly didn''t want to pay.


    Just how much would these things cost? He didn''t know, and he had no intention of finding out now.


    "Wait!" Comat quickly stopped Linfel. "You passed. There is no need to pay for anything."


    "Eh?" Linfel was taken aback. "But I broke the runes."


    "Forget that," Comat said as he pointed at the Terminal. There, Linfel''s score was shown. The score you could get on this test was between 1 and 100. Linfel''s result... was 83 points. That was far, far above what Comat could possibly expect.


    In fact, if Linfel had controlled his Magic Energy flow to not destroy the rune, he probably would have gotten over 90 points. Perhaps... 100? "Your score is more than enough. Besides, we truly said nothing about paying for the runes."


    Comat couldn''t possibly let Linfel go now. Sure, the runes would be expensive to pay, but Linfel''s Control and Sensitivity were bound to help in their tests from now on. It is not that the Vaxwel Research Facility can''t find others capable of doing the same as Linfel. It''s just that such individuals have already graduated from the Academy and are all at least Level Four Maguses and Familiars.


    Let''s not forget that the academy gets its missions from other companies and organizations by charging a lot less than others do. That''s how the students get so many missions available. Someone like Linfel... the Vaxwel Research Facility would need to pay a fortune to employ from other places.


    500 Academy Credits was definitely a lot for the Students, but that was nothing compared to the real value of someone like Linfel. If Comat lets Linfel go, he might even lose his job.


    "Is it true? I don''t have to pay?" Linfel was ecstatic. "Great! Then I''m definitely signing for it."


    Comat nodded. "Alright, just wait by the side. I still have the other Maguses and Familiars to test. We need five of you, after all."


    Comat calmed down and returned to his position at the front. "Ahem... Well, as I was saying, it is impossible for you to break the runes... as long as you are not a freak like that guy. But, if, for some miracle, there is another freak here, don''t worry about the rune value. Now, go ahead and use as many channels in the runes as possible while using as much Magic Energy as possible, too."


    ''He didn''t need to call me a freak, right? That''s disrespectful...'' Linfel thought to himself. But then again, it is 500 Academy Credits for a single day of work. He better not cause trouble.


    The others looked at Linfel on the side, feeling bitter. Linfel was only a Level One Familiar, but there is no way they can get his results. In the end, the highest score after Linfel came from a Level Two Familiar called Rantie. She managed to score 31 points, which was already a great result. Her master was nowhere to be seen, though.


    Around an hour later, all the Familiars and Maguses who passed the exam were brought deeper into the Facility. However, when they got to the area where they would carry out the tests for the Vaxwel Research Facility, Linfel was separated from them.


    As Comat brought Linfel away, Linfel asked him. "Am I not supposed to do the same tests as them?"


    "Initially, yes," Comat nodded. "However, your Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity will be much better employed in another research. Don''t worry, though. We will pay you according to what was stated in the details of your task back in the academy."


    Linfel didn''t need to hear more. "Well, then I''m fine with it."


    Comat and Linfel then entered another building where other runes were being researched before Comat brought Linfel to meet someone. "Senior Wosley, this is him."


    Wosley was the one in charge of the research going there, a Level Two Magus. He seemed to be already in his fifties or sixties, although you couldn''t take a Magus appearance seriously. They usually lived much longer than normal people. "Oh! Wait! A Level One Familiar?!"


    Wosley quickly expressed his doubt. "Comat, are you sure you did the test correctly? You told me you got a student with a score of 83. I was expecting at least a Level Three Magus or Familiar instead."


    Comat quickly nodded. "I did test him and had the same doubt, so I tested him a second time. There is no mistake. Even at Level One, his Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity are that high."


    Wosley knew that Comat wouldn''t joke about it, so he nodded. "Alright, then, we can give it a try for now." He quickly turned to Linfel, still a little skeptical. "The runes we are working on here are being used in a new type of Magic Channeling Circuitry Runes. Their Channels are a lot more numerous and intricate since they will be responsible for hundreds of different parts of energy distribution."


    Wosley brought Linfel closer to a glass where the rune was being manipulated. Inside the glass contained, several delicate needles seemed to be doing nothing. However, Linfel could tell with his Magic Energy Sensitivity. The needles were moving. It''s just that the Runes were so small that it was hard to tell. "Such a beautiful rune..."


    Wosley''s impression of Linfel immediately improved. "Right?! This is my baby. If it works as expected, we can reduce the consumption of Magic Energy by as much as 4%!"


    Linfel quickly understood. "That''s incredible indeed. 4% might look like a small number. But when you put it in the context of the countless Magic Energy Equipment it will be used, it would be a huge difference. We are talking about a fortune that can be used in other areas instead."


    "Hahaha!" Wosley nodded vigorously. "Seems like we have an enthusiast in Magic Diagrams here. Are you studying magic Diagrams in the Magus Academy?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No. I do intend to join the Magic Diagram Hall later, though. It''s just that with all the training and the Field Exams, I haven''t had the chance." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Comat quickly saw an opportunity. "Well, if you want to learn more about Magic Diagrams, our Vaxwel Research Facility is definitely one of the best places in the country. We have an unlimited amount of content in our databases that is free for all members to use for their own research."


    Wosley hadn''t even seen Linfel''s ability yet, so he was surprised about how much Comat seemed to regard Linfel''s abilities. "Alright, we can talk about that later. Linfel, come here."


    Wosley brought Linfe into another room where a few other people could be seen. There were even two familiars, although they didn''t seem to work on the project like the people.


    One of the people there was a Level One Female Magus who seemed to be working on one of the equipment. She noticed Wosley''s arrival and quickly got up. "Wosley! Did you manage to convince someone to come? You should try to talk with the Lambel Magus Family. Perhaps one of their elders wouldn''t mind helping."


    Wosley shook his head. "There is no way they would accept the payment we can offer with our budget, Philia. But you don''t need to worry. I think we found the perfect subject. Linfel here seem to have enough Magic Energy Control and Sensitivity to carry out the test."


    Philia looked at the Familiar and especially his yellow color. "Is this a joke?"


    "Who knows?" Wosley shrugged. "Comat says he can do it, so I brought him here to test it out."


    Philia narrowed her eyes and looked at Comat. "You aren''t the type who likes jokes, so I hope you aren''t trying to change your personality now."


    "Hmph!" Comat obviously had no intention of doing such a thing. "I won''t. Just get him to try the first prototypes already. They were a failure, so they will be destroyed in the end anyway. Nonetheless, they are more than enough to show Linfel''s abilities."


    Comat and Philia had always been triyng to outshone the other, so the other people around didn''t even care about their antics anymore.


    "You two seem to be very close," Linfel commented with a smile, completely failing to see the big picture.


    "Your ass!" Comat and Philia answered at the same time.


    "Enough!" Wosley stopped them as he pulled out a tablet. He then put it in front of Linfel and spoke. "Alright, use your Magic Energy so that we can get your signature on this NDA. Remember, there are huge repercussions if you disclose the contents of this research outside."


    Linfel quickly released his Magic Energy, and his Magic Energy Signature was recorded in the agreement. "I''m aware of the rules."


    "Come with me," Philia didn''t waste time and brought Linfel to another machine. It was very similar to the one Linfel saw in the previous room. An almost invisible Rune was placed at the center while extremely thin needles were all around it.


    During the next hour, Philia explained to Linfel how the equipment worked and how he could channel his own Magic Energy into the rune. Only then did she allow Linfel to give it a try. "Alright. That should be pretty much it. As long as you can use at least 300 channels in the rune, we will consider it a success and will allow you to truly help us with our latest prototype."


    Linfel quickly used his Magic Energy in the receptor and felt it moving through the needles inside the glass container. He slowly injected the Magic Energy into the rune and commented. 759 channels in total... No, they are in a Three Dimensional Structure. If I count the connections between the different parts, there are almost a thousand channels. This is truly incredible."


    Back in his time, it would be a miracle if you could create as many as one hundred channels, and such runes weren''t considered any good since Primordial Energy was too powerful. The common knowledge said that at most fifty channels should be used, and more than that would only give you an easily breakable rune.


    Here, however, Linfel could see almost a thousand, and Magic Energy could still be used on all of them without issues as long as the control was just right.


    Wosley, Comat, and Philia were impressed with Linfel''s account. They hadn''t told him anything about the number of channels, and yet he nailed it in just a few seconds of probing. Of course, what mattered was whether he could use at least 300 of them at the same time so that they could carry out the tests later with the real runes.

 Chapter 46 - 46: We Have a Deal!

    Philia looked at the terminal on the side that depicted the Rune Linfel was using. Their channels filled with Magic Energy one after another, and soon, three hundred of them had a constant flow of Magic Energy. ''So you truly can do it...'' Philia was surprised a Level One Familiar had such incredible Magic Sensitivity and Control.


    Linfel didn''t stop there. He concentrated on the channels and kept filling more and more. Not long after, he got double of that number, reaching six hundred channels with constant flow. By now, Philia was already pale while Wosley and Comat swallowed hard.


    At that point, Linfel began to have difficulty. "There are indeed too many channels... It is hard to control Magic Energy going through so many of them at once. My level as a Familiar is still too low. I need to reach Level Two soon."


    Before long, Linfel stopped at almost seven hundred channels and didn''t force the use anymore. "Sorry, nearly seven hundred is the best I can do at the moment. I can force the issue and try to fill some extra channels, but from here onward, I won''t be able to control the flow correctly, and I''m afraid I might break the rune altogether. Wait until I reach Level Two.


    At that time, I should be able to cover all the channels on this Rune."


    Linfel then released the receptor of the machine and looked back at Philia and the others. They all had weird expressions, confusing Linfel. "Come on. It wasn''t so bad, right? You don''t need to make such ugly faces."


    Wosley was the first one to talk, laughing out loud. "Hahaha! No, no, no! You got it wrong! We do not think you did bad. No!


    You did amazingly well! Almost seven hundred runes, ALMOST SEVEN HUNDRED! Philia, how many Flosquei managed to do last time we convinced him to help?"


    Philia took a deep breath. "Five hundred... thirty-two... Comat, just where did you find this monster? Is he truly from the academy? Flosquei is a Level Four Magus, but this guy is only a Level One Familiar.


    It is unbelievable!"


    Comat scratched the back of his head. "It is just like you said. I posted the task on the academy website since we didn''t have the budget to employ real high-level Maguses or Familiars. Little Linfel here just so happened to be within the group that came to take the test. By the way, he is independent."


    "Independent?!" Wosley eyes lit up. He quickly approached Linfel and asked. "Linfel, give up the academy. Come to the Vaxwel Research Facility and work for us."


    Linfel didn''t expect that request. "That''s... not something I can do. I''m only here for the Academy Credits." Besides, he is already expected to help Alvin and participate in the competition later. Not to mention, Linfel had no intention of settling in a single place. He wanted to look for Horan or at least understand what happened to him.


    "Academy Credits?" Wosley quickly thought about it. If it was the Academy Credits of the Magus Academy, then they could totally afford it with their budget. "Then I want you to work for us. I''m going to extend the contract with the academy and have you come to help us with our project from now on. How about that?"


    Linfel had no reason to refuse. "That''s a lot more like it. As long as there isn''t a task that pays more than this one, I have no issues continuing."


    Wosley and the others remembered. That''s right. The academy had many tasks going on, and theirs was definitely not the only one that required high Magic Sensitivity and Control. They were just lucky that Linfel came to them first.


    "1000 Academy Credits!" Wosley didn''t think twice before exclaiming. "I''ll pay you 1000 Academy Credits if you come to help with my project only. Do not take on any other company tasks that need Magic Sensitivity and Magic Control."


    "1000?!" Linfel was shocked by that number. Let''s not forget Linfel only got a little more than 3000 back in the Field Exam. "Is it a daily request, or is it only once per week?"


    "This..." Wosley narrowed his eyes. It wasn''t like they needed Linfel every single day. The tests indeed only happen once or twice per week. Sometimes, they didn''t happen at all. In this city, Academy Credits are worth even more than Universal Credits, so paying 1000 per day would raise some questions within the management of the company.


    Suddenly, Wosley felt two hands on his shoulders. They were Philia and Comat, who had the same idea. "Wosley, let''s share the expenses. We can avoid any questions if we do it."


    Wosley sighed. "Are you sure? That would also come off the amount allocated to your own projects."


    "It''s fine!" Comat quickly nodded. "With him, the progress of the new circuitry runes will accelerate considerably. Also, if we truly manage to bring the rune to life, do you think we will have a problem with budget anymore?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Philia agreed. "Indeed. Besides, even if we pay him 1000 Academy Credits per day, it will be A LOT cheaper than contracting any Level Four Magus or Familiar from the other organizations outside. We can''t possibly lose this chance. Not to mention, Comat and I could have Linfel help us with our own projects while at it. There is nothing to lose here, only to gain."


    Wosley didn''t question anymore. "Alright! Linfel, as long as you don''t take on any other companies or organizations'' tasks, we will pay you to be our exclusive helper. Do you accept?"


    Linfel pondered a bit. That was an extremely good deal. "It can be possible..." a smile appeared on his face immediately. "If you also add that conversation about allowing me to study Magic Diagram Runes from before."


    "Hahaha!" Wosley had absolutely no issue with that. "Great! I will add you to the system so you can join the Vaxwel Research Facility as a special guest. That will give you full access to the studying materials regarding Magic Diagram Runes. You can even spend your time with us here and use our lab to try out your own results.


    The three of us are quite knowledgeable about Runes, so we can act as teachers when we have free time."


    "We have a deal!" Linfel had no other concerns anymore.


    On that same day, Linfel was asked to give it a try with their latest prototype. The development of that new rune was still a ways off, but with the acquisition of someone like Linfel, the tests went smoothly, giving much better results and data than expected.


    As the day drew to a close, Linfel departed from the Vaxwel Research Facility, having been a key part of various tests in Wosley, Comat, and Philia''s projects. Despite the rigorous work, a sense of contentment washed over him as he glanced at his MCOM and saw the additional 1000 Academy Credits credited to his name.


    This amount, a testament to his hard work, would be added daily, regardless of whether there was a task for him or not.


    ''Too bad they don''t work during weekends. Otherwise, it would get 7000 per week. Still, 5000 per week is way more than one could expect,'' Linfel thought excitedly.


    Returning to the Academy, Linfel went straight to Alvin''s room, although he still wasn''t back. "Hum? Where is he?"


    *Plin!*


    Suddenly, a message reached his MCOM. "Oh! So, he is still in the Floating Blades Faction. Uh? A party? And I should come too?


    Hum..." Linfel pondered about it for a moment. He didn''t really have an interest in things like that. "Oh well, whatever. I can''t do anything without Alvin and Felia here anyway."


    Arriving at the Floating Blades Faction, Linfel ws quickly received by the attendant of that time. "Linfel, they are on the third floor. You can just go direct there."


    Linfel nodded and went up. When he finally entered the room, everyone''s eyes turned to him.


    "Linfel!" Pamil immediately came forward. "Is that true?! Was it really you who helped William?"


    "Hum?" Linfel nodded. "Well, I did give him a little push. But I only showed him what his body was already capable of doing. Ultimately, he Leveled up on his own."


    William got close and bowed to Linfel, something extremely rare to see from him. "Thank you. You were right. I am indeed able to use the top and bottom meridians to keep a flow of Magic Energy going in and out. I always cursed this dwarf body of mine, but it turns out it isn''t completely useless."


    Natalie immediately spoke. "Completely useless? You are doing something none of us can. We all can only absorb or withdraw our Magic Energy at a time. Doing both means you could even fight forever as long as you have Magic Stones to replenish yourself. It is amazing!"


    She looked at Linfel right after. "He told me how you controlled the Magic Energy inside his body. Although it is possible to be done as long as he kept his Core open to outsiders, it is still not an easy feat."


    Linfl just waved his hand. "It is nothing that impressive as you all put it. I told you, he already could do it naturally. I only intervened to show him his own capabilities. Besides, it is not so overpowered as Natalie is putting it."


    He turned to William. "If you go into combat and keep absorbing and drawing your Magic Energy all the time, you will only be capable of showing half of the strength of a normal Magus at the same level. After all, half of your Meridians will be occupied absorbing Magic Energy. I don''t find it a good idea. At such moments, direct clashes are commonplace.


    Suppose you have to revert the flow of Magic Energy of half of your meridians at the last moment to match your opponent''s power. In that case, you will most likely be vulnerable. It is truly not worth the risk."


    "This..." The others hadn''t thought about that possibility. Indeed, the power you can show using only half of your meridians will obviously be much lower than your enemy.


    William wasn''t surprised, though. "Yes, I''m aware of this flaw. It will all come up to how well I can adapt to this newfound method. I''ve never been the type to rush things, so I will take my time and will definitely not try such risks."


    "That''s good for all of us then," Linfel smiled and nodded.


    "Anyway!" pamil intervened once again. "We are here to congratulate William for achieving Level Three. Let''s party!"


    *WoW!*


    As they commemorated, Alvin took a chance to pull Linfel to a corner. He then used his Magic Energy to guide his voice so that only Linfel would hear. "Linfel, you didn''t use Master Familiar Connection with him, right?"


    "Of course not!" Linfel quickly shook his head. "What I did was completely different from Master Familiar Connection. Our Magic Energies never merged, nor did I match his Soul Waves Frequency. First of all, you don''t need to open your Core to use Master Familiar Connection. Doing so leaves your Magic Energy exposed to anyone who wants to mess with it.


    Master Familiar Connections would be meaningless if such a thing was necessary."


    Alvin sighed in relief. "Then that''s good." Alvin then looked at William, who, although he didn''t smile much, seemed to be quite relaxed. "Pamil told me about William''s condition. You truly did a great deed, Linfel. I''m happy to be your friend."


    Linfel smiled in response. "And I''m happy to have found people like you and your father." It was then that Linfel asked. "By the way, did you get to talk to Milia already?"


    "Yes," Alvin nodded, feeling even happier. "I still don''t know why she avoided me before, but she seems to be back to normal. Well, that means she is back to being her cold self, but it is better than being ignored."


    "Hey, Linfel!" Pamil called him over. "Come here."


    Linfel could only go. "What is it?"


    "This help you gave William. Would it be possible to help others, too?" Pamil asked, curious. Naturally, that attracted the attention of the others.


    "Help others?" Linfel pondered a bit. "It depends, I guess? I only showed William what he already could do. Is there something you can''t do that would need my help guiding Magic Energy?"


    "Hum..." Pamil couldn''t think of a use for that, indeed. "Not really..."


    "There you go." Linfel shrugged again.


    And yet, no one noticed, but Rin''s eyes shined as she looked at Linfel after she heard his words.

 Chapter 47 - 47: As Always

    Alvin, Linfel, and Felia returned to their room. There, Linfel told them about the new job he got with the Vaxwel Research Company. "So, during the five-week days, I''ll get 1000 Academy Credits to help them test the runes in their projects. Only the weekends I won''t get anything since they don''t work at that time."


    Alvin couldn''t help but take a deep and cold breath. "1000! I was looking into the missions that usually Rank A Classes take, and they would give an average of 500 Academy Credits each. Some give more, but those ones are usually taken straight away by Rank A Students. The fact a task worth 500 Academy Credits reached Rank C was already a surprise.


    And yet, not only did you land this job, you even got to be paid double daily. It was supposed to be a one-day task!"


    Linfel smiled in response. "Yes, I''m aware of my luck. But then again, this specific task was open for more than just one student. There were a lot of maguses and familiars that appeared for the test. Five of them were selected, me included. It''s just that I was the only one to get this special treatment.


    The others would only work on the scheduled task for today and their tasks would be finished."


    "So... you will get 5000 Academy Credits per week, and that doesn''t even count the 100 you get every night at Aelua..." Alvin saw some hope in there. "In that case, we have no need for Field Exams anymore, right?"


    Linfel narrowed his ethereal eyes. "Are you being paid 1000 Academy Credits per day?"


    "Well... no?" Alvin looked away.


    "I already gave you some help last week with Academy Credits. You don''t really expect me to now pay for your training, right?" Linfel increased the pressure.


    "Of course not!" Alvin continued to avoid Linfel''s eyes. "I... I can make Academy Credits with the tasks in the Missions Hall. Today, I did another one and got 200 Academy Credits!"


    "That''s nowhere near enough for your expenditure, and you know that," Linfel rebuked. "Stop the bullshit, and let''s start today''s training. At the end of this week, we are going back to the Field Exam. Besides, I need as many Academy Credits as possible."


    "Why?" Felia asked on the side. Linfel was already doing a lot.


    "Why? Isn''t that obvious?" Linfel asked back. "5700 Academy Credits per week; that''s what I can do without the Field Exams. Now... how much is a single Low-Grade Red Magic Stone? 500 Academy Credits!


    500!!! An entire week would give me enough for only eleven stones! That''s way too little!"


    Felia got confused. "But the energy inside is too powerful for you, no? You can''t even use them."


    "For now," Linfel spoke. "What about after I become Level Two? Then the Yellow Magic Energy will not be enough anymore. I should try to accumulate as much as I can. Think about the future, not only the present."


    Alvin and Felia nodded. "That''s true."


    "Okay, let''s start." Linfel quickly connected with Felia and Alvin, took a bunch of Yellow Magic Stones Alvin bought, and began to clean the energy until it became Low-Grade Red Magic Energy.


    As he sent the Magic Energy to their Cores, he noticed something. "Oh! Look at that! Both of you are already starting to show signs of transformation in your Cores."


    Alvin nodded, feeling happy. "I noticed it too today during the task from the Missions Hall. My Magic Energy is a lot more condensed."


    "Same for me," Felia agreed. "It made things a lot easier."


    Linfel continued to transfer the energy and commented. "From the looks of it, you won''t need the ten years you talked back in your Father''s home. In at most two months, you two should reach Level Two. Truly, Red Magic Energy makes a huge difference compared to the Yellow Magic Energy you were using before."


    Linfel continued his work for the next three to four hours until Felia and Alvin''s cores got saturated. Finally, he decided to leave when Alvin suddenly stopped him. "Wait, Linfel."


    Linfel looked back. "Hum?"


    "Aelua sent me a message today," Alvin explained. "She said that you are absorbing and integration to your Core an extremely impure Yellow Magic Energy. But because you are independent, you can do whatever you want. She was worried that it would affect your future."


    "Oh!" Linfel smiled in response. Aelua might have gone to talk to Alvin on his back, but he could tell she did it out of concern for him. "Well, you should know the truth behind this matter."


    Alvin nodded, not feeling worried at all. "Yes. I''m just telling you because she will probably inquire about it. It matters little to you how much a source of Magic Energy is contaminated since you can clean it all. In any case, I told her that I was also helpless and couldn''t stop you and whatever. So, you know if she asks about it."


    "Good! Thanks!" Linfel nodded and left. As for Alvin, he was once again dead tired and went to sleep as Felia deactivated herself.


    Back in Aelua''s research building, Linfel looked at the Magic Energy Receptors from the pillars. "Another bountiful night ahead. Such a beautiful sight."


    "Wait, Linfel!" Aelua quickly came out. "Did Alvin talk to you?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, but he wasn''t able to change my mind, and believe me, he tried." Well, that was a blatant lie. "I will still take this Magic Energy."


    "Sigh..." Aelua felt helpless. "Fine. But, if you feel any disconfort, come look for me straight away. We have equipment in the Academy capable of helping Familiars with Magic Energy intoxication issues. They are expensive to use, but you ar worth it."


    Linfel knew about those. Even though the Low-Grade Magic Stones were considered usable, they weren''t completely safe. One could see that since Linfel got rid of 90% of their Magic Energy during the cleaning process. Once in a while, familiars and maguses get too many impurities and must clean their cores, which is an arduous and expensive process. ''Not my problem, though. Hahaha!''


    And with that cheerful thought, Linfel started to separate the Magic Energy before using the remaining energy for his own integration as always.


    This kind of process continued during the week. Work at Vaxwel Facility, help Alvin and Felia, go back to Aelua, pass by the Floating Blades Faction, repeat. And so, the end of the week arrived. Naturally, the next Field Exam was there too.


    Alvin and Linfel, along with their classmates, gathered at the Academy field. Just like before, several airships arrived to transport the various classes to the next Field Exam. Once inside, they took off and had to endure an hour of anticipation before the instructor finally spoke about the next exam.


    This exam was unlike the one Alvin and Linfel had faced before. "Hello, everyone. Some of you might know me already, but to those who don''t, I''m Gordi. The Field Exam this time will take place in the Sky Island on the north side of the country."


    "Sky Island?" Linfel''s brows furrowed in confusion as he turned to Alvin, seeking an explanation.


    Noticing Linfel''s confusion, Alvin began to explain. "That is an army facility. It uses anti-gravity Magic Runes to keep itself afloat near the border of Volztain Country. You heard how our country isn''t really at peace like most normal people think, right?" Linfel nodded and waited for Alvin to continue. "Well, I asked Brother Pamil about it a little more.


    He said that Volztain Country would most likely be the first one we would go to war against if things took a turn for worse. It''s a sobering thought, isn''t it?"


    Alvin continued. "That''s why we have the Sky Island there. In fact, the official name is the Heffal Magus Sky Defense and Research Facility. It''s just that the name was too big, so people ended up just calling it Sky Island. We have Maguses and Familiars stationed there in case there is a need for deployment. They act mainly as the support for the normal army located on the ground."


    Linfel nodded. "I understand." Having a defense point in the skies seemed like a good idea, in Linfel''s opinion. It gave the Maguses and Familiars a vantage point, and they could easily cover any of the surrounding areas. It goes without saying that the army of normal people operating Magic Weapons was many times bigger than the army of Maguses and Familiars in the sky.


    Usually, the Sky Island doesn''t make moves since most of the normal operations could be carried out by the normal army below. In any case, Any big movements attempted by Volztain Country would be easily found through the vantage point in the sky, too.


    Gordi noticed Linfel and Alvin''s talk and called them. "You two, silence. Pay attention."


    "Sorry, sir." The two quickly apologized.


    Gordi nodded and turned his attention back to everyone. "Your objective this time is to take part in the Army Training for a day. Do not think it will be easy. The Sky Island knows of your arrival and has prepared a special menu just for this day. Of course, the training will be tailored according to your level as a Magus or Familiar. You will find out more once we land."


    "We should arrive there by 8AM, and we are leaving at 6PM. Anyone not in the landing sight by that time will be left behind. Good luck explaining yourself to the officers in Sky Island about your presence there. Understood?"


    "Yes!" Everyone answered together.


    Not long after, Linfel was able to see the Army Sky Island in the distance. "Wow! That thing is enormous!" The Sky Island was circular, with a ten-kilometer radius. Several buildings could be seen everywhere, making it difficulty to believe such a huge structure could be kept afloat like that.


    In the surroundings, it was possible to see many drones coming and going from the island. There were also a few maguses who seemed to be using some kind of equipment to fly as well. Familiars could already float anyway, so as long as they stayed close to the Maguses, they didn''t need equipment to continue flying.


    Of course, if the Magus used the full speed of the equipment, the Familiar would need to hold on to the Magus, or it would be left behind.


    The Island was also covered by a very faint green barrier, and any magus, familiar, or drone that approached it had to pass through some small gaps in that barrier. Linfel could feel the energy of the barrier from his seat in the airship. "Green Magic Energy, the fourth level of Magic. They truly don''t mind spending a lot to keep it safe." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Felia shook her head. "From what I heard, it is not that expensive to keep this barrier running. Only a few hundred Green Magic Stones per day. Of course, a few hundred Green Magic Stones would cost a fortune for the likes of us that we can only dream about. But, this is a place kept by the country. For the country as a whole, a few hundred Green Magic Stones isn''t that much."


    Alvin agreed with her. "Besides, the barrier itself is in a dormant state. It will only truly activate if it detects a real attack coming at it. At that time, the expenditure will skyrocket."


    Linfel was impressed. "This is truly amazing." At the same time, he thought about the new runes Wosley was working on in the Vaxwel Facility. If he succeeded, a place like this would be within the ones to take the most advantage of the rune''s better efficiency features.


    For a few minutes, the airships of the academy stopped in the air. The airships of the academy had to wait in queue to enter the barrier. Several types of scans and sensors were used on each of the airships before they were finally allowed to land.


    Everyone came out and moved in an orderly fashion according to the instructor''s orders. Finally, each group was received by a Private of the Sky Island. Naturally, so did Linfel''s group. "I''m Maxtilius. I''ll be in charge of your training today. I''ll make one thing clear.


    In the army, following orders and rules is paramount. If anyone goes out of line, they will be immediately disqualified from the Field Exam and sent back to wait in the airships. Now, then, let''s move to the first location."


    "Sir, what will we be doing there?" Someone couldn''t help but ask.


    The private glanced behind and spoke with a faint and cold smile. "Magic Endurance Training... with a twist."

 Chapter 48 - 48: Endurance

    They arrived inside one of the buildings, and the groups were separated according to age. Rank was disregarded in this separation. Alvin, Linfel, and Felia, obviously, were kept in the same group. Once the separating was finished, one of the members of the Sky Island came forward to explain the training.


    "I''m Joflal, the Magus in charge of your exam this time around." he then pointed to the back. "Come forward and take one of the receptors above the counters. They will absorb your Magic Energy gradually, even if you don''t don''t use it at all. The training is simple. Keep absorbing the Magic Energy from the surroundings to replenish your reserves so that the receptor doesn''t run dry.


    The longer you last, the higher your score."


    Alvin quickly understood the test. Every time he trained with Linfel at night, his and Felia''s cores would grow saturated due to the Magic Energy Integration. This training was basically very similar. They would need to constantly absorb Magic Energy, and their core would eventually saturate again.


    The trick was to balance the absorption from the surroundings to counter the absorption of the receptors.


    Most of the maguses and familiars present seemed to grasp the training concept quite easily. It was, in fact, a rather straightforward exercise. However, Alvin and the others sensed there was more to come. The Private who led them here had hinted at a twist in this training, and they were all eagerly awaiting it.


    As expected, the Joflal had more to reveal. "Ordinarily, you would remain here, pushing your endurance until you could no longer continue. But that would be too predictable, wouldn''t it? The Academy has similar endurance devices for maguses and familiars to train, so why would you come here for such a thing? This time, however, we have a different plan for you all."


    "This time, you will all go down to the ground and join the patrol teams. The reason why the borders between our Heffal Country and Volztain are located in this place is basically due to the lack of Magic Energy. It makes it difficult to build settlements, and over the years, this became the separation between the two countries."


    "Your patrol route will go through the Magic Beast Forest in this land, where the Magic Beasts adapted to the low amount of Magic Energy. So, not only do you have to keep the receptors full all the time, but you also have to deal with the dangers of the place. Who knows? You might even have to deal with Maguses or Familiars of the Volztain Country."


    "Don''t worry, though. There is no failure condition. Even if you run out of Magic Energy and your receptor becomes dry, you won''t be taken out of the exam. You can take your time to recover your Magic Energy and, once you are done, refill the receptors again. It''s just that the time the receptors aren''t full with Magic Energy will be discounted from your overall score."


    "Last but not least, the point system is very easy to understand. Every minute you keep the receptor full of Magic Energy, you gain one point. For every minute it is not, you lose one point. Simple, right?"


    Alvin took one of the receptors and immediately felt his Magic Energy being drained from his core. The speed at which it happened was much faster than the speed he could absorb Magic Energy from the surroundings.


    "Can we use Magic Stones to replenish ourselves?" Someone suddenly asked.


    "What would be the point of an endurance test if you had access to Magic Stones? Are you an idiot?" The Magus asked with a dark expression. "Does anyone have a relevant question?"


    "How long will the test take," Linfel was the one to ask this time.


    "Eight hours," Joflal answered. "Simply put, you can gain at most 480 points by the end of the exam."


    "Wouldn''t that make it hard to decide who did better than others?" Pamil asked from within the Level Three Maguses and Familiars Group.


    However, Joflal snorted. "What, do you think a lot of you will get full scores? Hahahaha! Ridiculous! I''ll be very impressed if anyone here can reach 200 points at all. Your receptors were prepared having your Levels as Maguses and Familiars considered.


    Trust me, none of you will be able to keep it full for eight hours straight."


    Pamil was surprised to hear that and took one of the receptors. Immediately, a bitter smile appeared on his face. The amount of Magic Energy that thing was taking away from him was definitely no joke. ''200 points? I''m afraid I can''t get even one hundred...'' He thought for a moment.


    Linfel took one of the receptors made for familiar, strapping it around his core. Just like the Familiars, his Magic Energy began to get absorbed. And yet, he was more interested in how the receptor worked than the result itself. ''These runes... they truly can absorb a lot of Magic Energy. Perhaps I can use them somehow.''


    "Alright," Joflal finished his explanation. "You can go back to the airships. They will land you near the start of your patrol routes. It goes without saying that the higher your level as Maguses or Familiars, the harsher will be the environment you will be left in. Do your best... and try to not die.


    It is annoying to fill the reports of dead bodies and dealing with idiot parents."


    The various groups were quickly sent back to the airships. The only reason they were even required to enter the Sky Island was basically an advertisement. The army wanted to appeal their power so that some of the students would consider joining them in the future. Unless the country was really at war, a Magus wasn''t obligated to join the army.


    Linfel landed with Alvin and Felia a few minutes later on the east side of the border. All the maguses and familiars of similar age, independent of their rank, were also left in the same place.


    "So you are here," a soldier approached the group, followed by another four companions using the same country army uniform. "I''m Tarert, your leader for this excursion. With my companions here, we will be your guides in the terrain ahead. Make sure you stay close. If you find yourself lost, just use your MCOMs to ask for help.


    Just be aware you won''t be able to continue the exam from there onwards, and your results will be computed. Now, let''s go."


    ---


    Among the group, there were around 200 Maguses, all between the ages of 14 to 16, including Alvin. This was just one of the many groups for this age range, with others dispatched to different locations. Naturally, there were also groups of different ages sent to even more distant places.


    Alvin looked around, trying to see if he was lucky enough to be put together with Milia. But, to his sadness, she was nowhere to be seen. ''Well, I haven''t seen her since the start of the exam anyway. Perhaps she isn''t even taking part in this one.''


    "Alvin!" Yet, there was someone he knew there.


    Alvin looked behind, and his disappointment only increased. "Oh... it''s just Connor..."


    Connor''s mouth twitched. "What the hell do you mean it is ''just'' me? Are you mocking me?" However, he quickly looked around and understood. "Right, Milia isn''t here. Then I have no use for you. Good luck."


    *Bang!*


    Alvin immediately kicked Connor''s back. "Fuck you! I''m not here to be your excuse to talk to Milia."


    Connor rubbed his back as he laughed. "Hahaha! I''m joking, I''m joking." He turned back and put his arm around Alvin''s shoulder. "So, how about we go together?"


    Alvin nodded. "You are not Milia, but I guess you will do."


    Linfel and Felia joined Tratil and shrugged. Even Linfel had already understood those two''s friendship.


    Tarert ahead prepared his things and put them in a backpack. "Alright, follow me. The region we are going through is called the Gosisbin Forest Mountain Range. It has many elevations, and physical preparation is a must. Just one thing. I''m not stopping for any of you.


    Anything that happens on the way, you will have to deal with it on your own. Now, let''s go."


    And so... the guy began to run!


    Everyone was taken aback for a second but quickly followed. They are Maguses and Familiars. It would be ridiculous if they couldn''t run for a while... or so they thought.


    Thirty minutes later...


    *Gasp, gasp, gasp...*


    Everyone was already gasping for air, with some on the verge of collapsing. Normally, such a jog wouldn''t tire them. They could simply circulate their Magic Energy and continue for hours. However...


    Alvin, who was just as tired, looked at his Receptor. It was still full of Magic Energy. However, it constantly disappeared, so he was forced to inject more and more. By now, he couldn''t spare his Magic Energy for his running anymore. Otherwise, the receptor would go dry, and the point score would stop. No, instead, it would start going down.


    He glanced behind him and saw that Felia didn''t look much better. The ethereal energy of her humanoid form was pretty much gone. She looked more like a simple core floating while following Alvin. The same could be said for Tratil, Connor''s Familiar. He was just as dry.


    However, Alvin''s mouth twitched a little when he looked at Connor. "You fucker! You are using your Magic Energy to run."


    "Hahaha!" Connor nodded. "I get tired easily, so I can only do that." He then showed his receptor, which was now completely dry. "Too bad I''m losing points." Yes, Connor already gave up. No, he gave up in the very first minute!


    "How do you expect to pass the exam this way?" Alvin narrowed his eyes. Connor might be lazy, but he definitely wasn''t an idiot.


    Yet, it was Linfel who answered. "You are betting the Receptor Score can''t go lower than zero, right?"


    Connor''s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded. "Linfel, you are truly a smart Familiar."


    Linfel smiled, looking at Alvin, Tratil, and Felia''s confusion. "It is a gamble. Can the score go negative? No one asked. If the minimal score you can have is zero, then Connor might be in for a not-too-bad result. He absolutely won''t be anywhere near the best students in this exam, but he won''t be at the bottom either." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see..." Alvin knew where Linfel was coming from. "He will keep his Magic Energy Reserves until the very end, and in the last hour or so, he will finally fill the Receptor. When the exam time is over, he will have a good result, even if it is far from the top."


    Connor nodded. "Am I or Am I not a genius? Hahaha!"


    Linfel shrugged. "That we don''t know. As I said, no one knows if the Scores can go negative. I find it hard to believe the Academy would leave such a simple flaw behind in this exam. But then again, if such a thing wasn''t possible, they would have told us in advance. You might say the Academy wants to see who can think out of the box with this method.


    So... a Gamble. It might work, it might not."


    Alvin continued to run and gasp as he looked at his Receptor. "I guess I will-"


    "Obviously, you will follow the intended routine," Linfel immediately stopped Alvin''s words. "What would Milia think if she heard you decided to take such a lazy path. I can already picture the disappointment on her face. Truly regretful..."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Don''t you ever get tired of blackmailing people?"


    "Nope!" Linfel answered without a care.


    It was then that he pointed at Linfel. "Fuck you! Look at your body! You are still brimming with Magic Energy! You are doing the exact same thing as Connor!"


    Felia, Connor, and Trail all agreed. It didn''t seem like Linfel was using any Magic Energy at all.


    "Don''t put me in the same category as Connor, alright? Look!" Linfel quickly took the receptor strapped to his core and showed his group. There, a Receptor full of Magic Energy could be seen.


    "This..." They looked at that and then at Linfel. "How can you still be so full of energy?"


    "It''s all about Absorbing and Injecting Magic Energy into the Receptor, right? I''m more confused about why you guys can''t do such a simple task," Linfel shrugged his shoulder as he strapped the receptor back to his core.


    "Alvin," Connor looked over. "Just what the hell did you do to create this freak?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled. He felt like he had heard this question more times than his own name by now.

 Chapter 49 - 49: Boromes

    Alvin looked at Linfel again. This area was almost devoid of Magic Energy, and they couldn''t use Magic Stones either. So, even if Linfle was good at absorbing Magic Energy, where was he getting all the energy from?


    Suddenly, Linfel''s voice echoed in his ear with Magic Energy, making sure Alvin was the only one listening. ''Pay very close attention to me and try to feel the Magic Energy in the surroundings. It should be fairly easy to understand.''


    Alvin was taken aback and closed his eyes for a moment. It was hard to concentrate since they were still in a constant run. However, Alvin made an effort and followed Linfel''s instructions. Finally, he was able to barely notice that there was kind of a vortex around Linfel''s body. It was pretty much invisible. If you didn''t focus your all, you definitely wouldn''t see it.


    Nonetheless, it was definitely there. ''This... what is happening to you?''


    Linfel faintly smiled. ''Nothing. This is how wisps usually survive. We absorb the surroundings'' Energy to stay alive. Over so many years, we obviously evolved to be good at it. We are pretty much beings of energy to start with.


    Now that I got used to Magic Energy, it is only natural that my core is a lot better at absorbing it. You could say that this is basically me going back to my real self.''


    Alvin returned his attention to the route while speaking. ''You mentioned that your Wisp Race was the weakest back in your time. Was that really true? Everything you do is so overpowered...''


    ''It''s not a lie,'' Linfel explained. ''The point is that Magic Energy is too gentle, a perfect fit for my race. If the other races from the past suddenly appeared here now, I reckon they would suffer to no end. They had strong bodies adapted to primordial energy, and they definitely would be able to change their cores like I did to use Magic Energy. I just wish I had other wisps to compare myself...''


    ''Even so-'' Alvin was about to continue to talk.


    Suddenly, Linfel''s expression changed as he warned him. ''Magic Beasts ahead!''


    As mentioned before, they are in a mountainous forest. There are many different places one could hide in the middle of the vegetation and the varios elevations, rocks, etc. Alvin looked ahead and saw that Tarert and the other guides didn''t change at all. They were still running ahead as if nothing was happening. ''Are you su-''


    *Ploft!*


    Out of nowhere, a rock broke apart near one of the Maguses, and a horn as hard as steel came piercing in the guy''s direction. A Green Magic Beast that looked like a huge Gerine with legs appeared from behind the crumbled rock, taking everyone by surprise... except the guides.


    *Pft...*


    The magus tried to react, but his shoulder was immediately pierced, and a giant hole appeared.


    *Arrrrgh!*


    The Magic Beast opened its mouth, showing enormous teeth and bit into the guy''s arm.


    The Magus used all his magic Energy to defend... or so he tried. However, to keep up with the soldier guides until now, he had been using almost all his Magic Energy. He was pretty much dry already. The Magic Beast closed its mouth, and an arm was pulled off before the Magic Beast jumped back to chew it.


    There was no time to cry, though. The magus instantly took that chance to run away from the beast and activated his MCOM. According to the guides, as long as they use the MCOM, they can ask for help. It was then that a ray of yellow light came down from the sky. It was exactly the same ray of light that rescued Linfel and Lucau back in the ocean when the rescuing aircraft appeared.


    In a second, the guy was dragged up to the skies and disappeared.


    *Ploft, ploft, ploft...*


    Other rocks and even trees were broken, and more of those Magic Beasts pounced at the Maguses and Familiars. Screams filled the air, and more blood fell. And yet... the soldier guides ahead only glanced behind and continued to run. They absolutely ignored everything happening behind them.


    *Swish!*


    *Splash!*


    A Wind Blade came hurtling in the direction of one of the Magic Beasts, opening an enormous cut that almost divided the beast in two. That beast had made the mistake of targeting Linfel, the one individual in that place who definitely didn''t lack Magic Energy to defend himself. "They indeed adapted to the lack of Magic ENergy of the environment.


    Unfortunately, it can''t make up for the gap of strength against those who have Magic Energy to use."


    Alvin and Linfel connected on his side, and Alvin''s fist changed into an earth spear that pierced another Magic Beast from below. With Linfel''s warning, Alvin was obviously ready. Many of those Magic Beasts appeared, and he was targeted by one. However, he did indeed gain a lot of experience from the last Field Exam, so he reacted well to the attack instead of panicking.


    The Magic Beast fell in front of Alvin as he gasped for air. "They are Boromes, a predator Magic Beast that acts in groups. They use the green of their bodies to camouflage and are specialists in ambush. We are truly without luck."


    Linfel continued to run ahead. "Why are you wasting time there? You killed yours already, right? Hurry, the guides are still on the run."


    Alvin went pale for a moment and looked to the guides. Indeed, they were almost out of his vision. Many Familiars and Maguses followed them closely, although they were all gasping for air, just like himself. "Shit!"


    Alvin and Felia quickly canceled their Master Familiar Connection and increased the pace, reaching the back of the group. They looked behind for a moment and saw several yellow rays of light that caught many of the Familiars and Maguses. At the same time, the bodies of several Boromes could be seen on the ground. Boromes were ambushers, but they weren''t exactly strong.


    It''s just that the participants in this patrol were truly in bad shape due to the lack of Magic Energy. In the end, only one Familiar died, having its core destroyed. The others who were injured were brought away, and the attack was over. The Boromes didn''t try to pursue them either.


    Seeing the Boromes were left behind, Linfel used his MCOM without anyone noticing except Alvin. "Alright, this should be enough."


    "What are you doing?" Alvin asked Linfel while running. His breath seemed to slowly stabilize without him perceiving it.


    Linfel smiled at him and didn''t answer. Instead, he asked something else. "You seem quite fine, don''t you?"


    Alvin was taken aback for a moment and checked himself. He was definitely tired, and his Magic Energy reserves weren''t all that great at the moment. Yet, he was quite surprised with his own calmness even though the events just now were dangerous. "I think... I am?"


    Felia was happy for Alvin. "Master, you are getting used to it. That is great news!"


    Linfel nodded. "She is right. Anyway, you should take your MCOM and write a report to send back to the Sky Island."


    "A... report?" Alvin got confused.


    Linfel smiled. "Did you forget what we are doing in this field exam? We are patrolling the borders while testing our Magic Energy endurance. If we don''t report the events in this place, would it even be considered a patrol? Alvin, you should pay more attention." Linfel then put his MCOM back into his Spatial Storage without anyone noticing again.


    Alvin felt a chill on his back and immediately took his MCOM. There was a new option there where one could ask for help. Simply put, you could send a voice message, and that''s what those who were rescued used to escape. Alvin knew about this one. Well, he was still somewhat skeptical, but he decided to send a message anyway. "Ahem...


    A mob of Boromes has been found around 50 kilometers into the patrolling route." Alvin then pressed send, and the message was gone.


    *Plin.*


    A few seconds later, a message in plain text arrived in his MCOM. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -Report received. Continue with the mission.-


    "It''s true..." Alvin was surprised and quickly spoke. "Thank you, Linfel."


    "It''s fine." Linfel shook his head. He then paid attention to the Magic Energy inside Alvin. "By the way, seems like the effects are finally showing up."


    "What eff-" Alvin was about to ask when someone touched his shoulder.


    "Alvin, how could you be so cold? Weren''t you worried about me?" It was Connor, showing a sad expression while Tratil followed him closely.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "You aren''t using a single iota of Magic Energy. What kind of danger this attack of Boromes could possibly pose to you? Do you think I didn''t see it? You immediately used your Magic Energy and ran away from the battlefield. You were the one to ignore me!"


    "I didn''t run," Connor explained. "I made a strategical retreat. Besides, with Linfel there, was it really dangerous to you?"


    Alvin wanted to retort, but he knew Connor was right. Linfel''s senses made it almost impossible for them to be caught by surprise by the Magic Beasts. he would feel their Magic Energy ahead of time, especially in a place like this where Magic Energy is so thin. The Magic Beasts probably look like beacons in Linfel''s senses. "Fine, I''ll let that go."


    Connor laughed. "Hahaha! That''s my brother."


    Tratil, on the other hand, felt embarrassed. "Master, is it really okay?"


    "We are scouts, aren''t we?" Connor shrugged without a care. "Staying alive during the patrol is our main priority. I''m only following the rules."


    Linfel agreed with Connor. "He is right. His actions make everyone look at him like he is shit, but he is still right."


    "That was... an unnecessary comment, no?" Connor felt helpless.


    Alvin definitely agreed, though. "I see... So, Shit- I mean, Connor, keep up the shit- I mean, keep up the good job."


    "Hmph! You are just jealous of my strategy." Connor spoke back... seeming to try to convince himself at the same time. "Anyway, I''m going a bit ahead. I don''t want to risk losing the guides out of my sight." And so, he dashed to the front.


    Alvin and Felia took that chance and asked Linfel. "So... what effects were you talking about?"


    "Look around. The answer should be obvious," Linfel didn''t explain.


    The two began to observe the other Maguses and Familiars in their group. Most of them had already stopped filling the Receptors with Magic Energy. It''s not like they wanted to do it, but they had reasons to do so. First, the previous attack left them scared, and they wanted to at least have some Magic Energy to defend themselves.


    The other reason is that they simply couldn''t keep up with the Magic Energy expenditure even if there were no dangers around.


    However, Alvin and Linfel hadn''t reached that point yet. They had used quite a lot of Magic Energy, and even more so during the attack of the Boromes. Nonetheless, they quickly noticed that their reserves were starting to stabilize. They were doing it while the Receptors in their possession continued full of Magic Energy. "We... aren''t losing to the students from Rank A and B classes at all...


    How?"


    Linfel was happy they noticed. "Clean Magic Energy. You have been training with me, absorbing almost spotless Red Magic Energy until now. So far, you were forced to train with those Low-Grade Yellow Magic Stones, which are obviously very impure. After you changed to our cooperative method, the impurities in your channels and meridians are being washed away."


    Linfel pointed at Alvin and Felia. "You might not notice this, but I do. Your Magic Energy Channels and Meridians are not as dirty as they were when we first met. They get cleaner and cleaner with each day you train with me."


    Right after, he looked at the high-ranked students. "Most of them came from prestigious backgrounds and had access to great resources and equipment, so they also have cleaner Magic Energy Channels and Meridians. It is only natural that you are catching up to them now. In fact, you will eventually surpass them in this regard since they don''t have me to help.


    In a place like this, your channels and meridians make the whole difference. With a cleaner path, the wider they are. You can take in more Magic Energy from the surroundings at once. Keep it up, and you should achieve a great result by the end of the Field Exam."


    Felia and Alvin were surprised. It was hard to believe, but the proof was in front of them. "Alright!"


    Linfel then warned the two. "By the way... I won''t warn you regarding Magic Beasts anymore."

 Chapter 50 - 50: Get Up!

    "What?!" Alvin almost tripped after hearing that. "Why?!"


    Linfel shrugged. "It should be pretty obvious. In a real situation, do you think there will always be someone out there to tell you ahead of time when danger is coming? Don''t be ridiculous."


    Linfel''s memories went to the past when Horan was training him. Back then, Horan used some special runes to seal Linfel''s Magic Energy perception before mercilessly throwing him into Primordial Beast territories and telling him to survive for days. Linfel still remembers how he got close to becoming some beast''s meal several times.


    There were even instances where he had to survive against real Wisp Hunters.


    However, it did pay off. Linfel learned to react to the various situations. There were plenty of methods back then for experts to hide their Primordial Energy from others'' senses, and it also included Primordial Beasts. Horan gave him all the tools to achieve that, and Linfel made good use of them. Now, it was time to let Alvin experience it for himself. "Look at everyone else around.


    Quite a few of them had to fight the Boromes a while ago. Yet, none of them had me. You will simply be put in an equal field. Nothing more, nothing less."


    Alvin wanted to retort, but Felia on his side was excited. "We get it, Linfel! Master will show you he is definitely prepared."


    Alvin wanted to cry. He didn''t feel prepared at all. "R-Right! I will do it!"


    They continued to run, and more students began to stop filling the Receptors with Magic Energy to recover their reserves, which obviously took quite a lot of time due to the scarce magic Energy in the environment.


    Suddenly, the guides changed direction again, running into a much denser vegetation path in the mountainous forest. The Maguses and Familiars close to them asked the reason, but they simply said they were following the pre-determined route and nothing else.


    Linfel''s group obviously followed closely behind. However, Alvin grew more tense. With this dense vegetation, it became hard to see the surroundings. Naturally, it also made it hard to spot any Magic Beast lying in ambush.


    It was then that Linfel left Alvin and Felia''s side, floating all the way to the front near the guides. Alvin and Felia were taken aback and decided to follow. Even if Linfel wasn''t going to warn them about Magic Beasts, he could at least help if things got too dangerous.


    *Zash!*


    However, it was right at that moment that a shadow fell like a rock from the top of the trees. The shadow then opened its arms before slashing its claws downwards against an unsuspecting Magus.


    "Careful! Above!" Alvin noticed the sudden change and immediately warned the guy ahead.


    Instantly, everyone looked up and saw many other shadows falling in their direction. Yet, the one who should have paid more attention was Alvin himself.


    *Slash!*


    *Arghhh!*


    "Master!" Felia was terrified when she saw that. The moment Alvin warned the maguses and Familiars ahead, his attention was taken for a moment. That was all that was necessary for one of the creatures to fall behind him and cut his back.


    Felia quickly gathered her Magic Energy and used it to create a barrier of earth between Alvin and the Magic Beast. It was the same one Alvin used, but a lot smaller and weaker. After all, Felia and Alvin weren''t using Master Familiar Connection.


    "It''s the Red Clawed Monkeys! Be careful! They aren''t physically strong, but they are very agile!" One of the Magus shouted to the whole group, having recognized the Magic Beasts straight away.


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    Yet, even though it wasn''t physically strong, it still broke Felia''s Earth Wall with a single kick. It wasn''t that it was an abnormal Red Clawed Monkey, but because Felia didn''t have that much Magic Energy to spare!


    Alvin and Felia managed to balance their Magic Energy replenishment against the Receptor''s Magic Energy absorption. However, they truly only just barely achieved that balance. They weren''t able to recover Magic Energy while keeping the receptor full yet. That would take time. Thus, Felia''s Earth Wall was pretty weak.


    The Monkey couldn''t care less about Felia and immediately aimed its claw against Alvin''s head. Alvin quickly turned around to face the Monkey, using the time bought from Felia''s Earth Wall to compose himself. Felia and Alvin connected straight away, only having enough time to defend from the next attack.


    *Shash! Slash!*


    The Monkey''s two clawed arms came cutting down mercilessly. Alvin and Felia haven''t had time to fully complete their Magic Energy merging, though. Alvin desperately tried to create a shield of earth in front of his arms to fend off the attack, but it was hit before it could take a meaningful shape.


    *Arghh!*


    This time, both his arms were hit, and blood flowed. It didn''t end there, though.


    *Bang!*


    The Monkeys were indeed very agile. Alvin''s opponent spun its body, using the G force of its previous attack to rotate fast and kick Alvin in the belly. Alvin coughed out blood and was sent flying, kicking a few times on the ground. Alvin quickly tried to get up, and it was then that he saw Linfel in the distance. Linfel was looking at him, showing absolutely no trace of wanting to help.


    It was at this moment that Linfel''s words reached his mind. ''Get up! If you go down, then get up again! Can your arms move? Then you can fight! Can your legs move?


    Then you can fight! Are you breathing? Then you can fight! There will be moments when you can only rely on yourself. Moments where no one will be there to save your ass. Grit your teeth, swallow the pain, look at your enemy, think about your next move, get up, and fight!'' Again, Linfel was using that strange communication method that Alvin couldn''t understand.


    That message''s full content reached his mind in a split second, and yet it was as if he had all the time in the world to hear and understand it. Somehow, it lit up a fire in Alvin''s heart. He truly gritted his teeth and got up just as the Monkey came crashing down on him.


    Alvin''s Magic Energy merged with Felia''s completely, and his fist turned into two colored spear tips of earth. Alvin didn''t notice at that moment, but he had never created such a hard Earth Element form before. Alvin''s Earth Spear Fists soared against the Monkey''s two Red Clawed Arms, clashing against it other.


    *Splat!*


    The two Earth Speartips broke through the Monkey''s claws, passing through its arm and piercing its chest. Blood flew everywhere, and Alvin was covered in it. Nonetheless, the Red-Clawed Monkey died. It was Alvin''s victory.


    *shshsh...*


    However, right at that moment, another Red-Clawed Moneky appeared on his back. Its claws went straight to his lungs, giving Alvin no time to think. And yet, Alvin was in a state of awakening. He could feel his surroundings clearly. It wasn''t at Linfel''s level, but it was definitely there.


    The body of the dead Red-Clawed Monkey was still in Alvin''s arms, pierced by the Earth Fists. Alvin instinctively rotated his body, pulling the dead body down and in between him and the other monkey. The claws of the monkey pierced its dead companion instead.


    Alvin kicked the dead body forward while it was still pierced by the other monkey. The two fell backward, giving Alvin a chance to pounce. The Monkey immediately tried to push its dead companion''s body away, but just as he was about to do it, two Earth Spear Tips passed through the dead body, hitting the Monkey behind it. Even more blood flowed as the second Monkey screamed.


    Because of the dead body, most of the attack power of Alvin''s last attack was absorbed by it. That said, the other Monkey behind the dead body was seriously injured but not dead yet. It struggled with all its might while Alvin used all his strength to push his arms down.


    "Felia, give me everything!" Alvin shouted.


    "Yes, Master!" Felia immediately let go of all her Magic Energy, the little bit that she still had.


    That was the last push necessary that finally pierced the second Monkey''s body completely. Now, both were dead.


    Alvin noticed the struggle ended and tried to get up. Unfortunately, he truly completely exerted himself just now. He was very injured, and his Magic Energy was pretty much depleted. He couldn''t even pull his arm out of the dead bodies of the Monkeys anymore.


    *Criiiii!*


    And yet, nature was cruel. Another Monkey came screaming from the sides. Alvin only had the time to see that, but he truly couldn''t move anymore. But he didn''t give up. To the very last moment, he tried to move and at least dodge the attack.


    The Monkey''s claws came straight from Alvin''s head and were right in front of his eyes.


    *Swish!*


    And yet, the piercing pain Alvin was expecting didn''t happen. He only had the time to see the Monkey''s claws suddenly detaching from its body and even more blood raining on his face.


    *Swish, swish, swish...*


    The Monkey''s body was then slashed in several parts and fell to the ground. It couldn''t be any more dead.


    "Not bad, not bad at all!" Said a voice coming from the side.


    *Tud!*


    Following that, another Red-Clawed Monkey body fell nearby as a certain Familiar appeared near Alvin. Well, it wasn''t really a Familiar, but a Wisp instead. Naturally, it was Linfel. "For a moment, I thought I would need to intervene to save you from the second Monkey. But lo and behold, you didn''t give up and even managed to kill it."


    Alvin relaxed as his connection with Felia ended. He couldn''t help but bitter smile. "Were you planning to help me from the start?"


    "For the second Monkey? Yes. For the first? No," Linfel answered. "If you couldn''t deal even with a single Monkey, then what''s the point of being a Magus? I would let you go.


    Looking at you reminds me of myself. Horan truly didn''t hold back when he trained me back then. Those were truly some hellish years..."


    "I could have died, you know?" Alvin sighed while he held Felia''s Core. She had truly used all her Magic Energy and would need some time to recover her ethereal form, let alone float on her own.


    "Perhaps," Linfel nodded and then pointed to the surroundings. "And so could them."


    The attack just now was truly quite brutal. There were many Maguses, even more injured than Alvin himself. Quite a few Familiars were on the ground in a similar state to Felia, just the core and no Magic Energy fluctuations.


    Several rays of Yellow Light came from the sky and began to take away those maguses and Familiars. Surprisingly, though, there were no dead in their group. In the end, the Red-Clawed Monkeys were indeed quite physically weak. If not for the huge lack of Magic Energy in everyone''s bodies, the attack wouldn''t have reached such a conclusion.


    A few seconds later, the five guides shouted to everyone. "The patrol will continue. Follow us." And sure enough, they immediately resumed their running.


    Let alone Alvin, the other Maguses and Familars that were in the area felt helpless. By now, they all understood. Those guides were purposely guiding them into the Magic Beast Territories. This Endurance Test has truly been pushed to the extreme.


    "I guess I will use my MCOM and retire from this exam," Alvin sighed, finally managing to get away from the dead Monkeys'' bodies.


    *Shua!*


    *Arrrghhh!*


    Yet, he was suddenly hit by a huge ball of water, which made the injuries on his back and arms even more painful. It was Linfel, who used his Magic Energy to summon the surrounding water elements and throw it at Alvin. "What are you talking about? You can get healed later. Get up, and let''s continue. Oh, don''t forget to send in the report and keep your Magic Energy Receptor full."


    Alvin wanted to cry. "Impossible! I am in no state to keep running. I''m completely out of Magic Energy as well. It would be much better to finish the exam here and compute the points I have."


    "Tch..." Connor suddenly appeared and grabbed Alvin, putting him on his back. "Am I not the best brother ever?"


    Alvin was surprised. "You... Brother, you came for me?!"


    "Hahaha! But of course!" Connor laughed in response.


    "And I made a deal with Connor to keep him safe if things turned for worse," Linfel added.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched as he looked at Connor. "What was this thing about being a brother?"


    "What is in your heart is what matters," Connor spoke with a deep tone and serious expression.


    "Your ass!" Alvin wanted to kick the guy but had no strength to do so. Connor totally would have left if not for the deal with Linfel.


    Linfel began to float ahead. "Don''t worry, I still made him fight one of the Monkeys. It''s just that I warned him about it before hand. That should suffice as training for him. Alright, stop wasting your energy. Use the next minute to recover a little of Magic Energy.


    After that, start to fill the Magic Energy Receptor again. The Magic Energy Receptor doesn''t get dry straight away, so if you start to fill it in the next few minutes, the negative points won''t start to count."


    And so, Alvin, Connor, Felia, Tratil, and Linfel continued their journey. Of course, they did not forget to report the happenings again.

 Chapter 51 - 51: Meteor

    "I''m still injured, you know?" Alvin couldn''t help but complain as he focused on recovering his energy.


    Linfel ignored Alvin''s complaint as they continued to run after the guides. By now, this group of Maguses and Familiars had decreased by a lot. Only around 30% of the initial participants were still following the guides. The rest were dragged away after asking for help in their MCOMs.


    If one looked around, one would notice that only Rank A and B class students were still following the guides. Of course, there were some exceptions like Linfel''s group. Other ones were Maguses from Rank E and two from Rank D Classes that got lucky so far. As for Rank C, like Alvin''s, there were three more remaining.


    A few minutes later, Felia''s core reactivated, and she began to float again. Her ethereal body took form, although it was very faint. That showed just how little Magic Energy she was able to gather. "Master..."


    Alvin grabbed her core back and spoke. "Don''t waste your magic Energy in your form or floating. I''ll carry you for a while, so just recover."


    Connor glanced at his back. "I''m the one carrying you, which means I''m carrying both of you, you know?"


    "You have no right to complain, idiot." Connor cursed.


    Perhaps it was because the last battle was too intense, but their group hadn''t met with any other Magic Beasts for the next entire hour. In Linfel''s eyes, the guides definitely knew where to find the Magic Beasts, so it was obvious they were purposely avoiding it.


    In this hour, Alvin managed to stabilize his Magic Energy while keeping the Magic Energy Receptor full nonstop. It was like Linfel mentioned. Alvin began to get used to it, and that allowed him to manage to even recover some of his Magic Energy while it was absorbed by the Receptor.


    The same could be said for Felia, although she followed Alvin''s orders and kept herself in her core mode only during this entire duration. That helped her to recover a little bit more Magic Energy than Alvin.


    The two of them used their Master Familiar Connection once every few minutes just to share their reserves of Magic Energy equally. Linfel could share his Magic Energy, which was plenty. However, he refused to do so, saying that this would impact the meaning of this Field Exam.


    Of course, the guides wouldn''t avoid the Magic Beasts forever. After running for an hour, they changed direction again. By now, everyone put their guard even higher. No one there was an idiot. They knew that they would soon be dragged into some Magic Beasts'' Territory by the guides, but they had to follow them, or their exam would be over.


    *Tud!*


    *Ouch!*


    Suddenly, Connor let Alvin''s body go, causing him to fall on the ground. "Hey! Couldn''t you warn me? My injuries will open again for fucks sake."


    Connor shrugged. "Linfel said that I only needed to carry you for one hour, and one hour has gone by. The fact you fell so easily just shows how you still have your guard down."


    Tratil sighed on the side. "Master, you just wanted to cause him some pain, didn''t you?"


    "That too." Connor nodded.


    "I truly don''t know why we are still together..." Alvin couldn''t help but comment.


    "Isn''t that because you love me?" Connor asked back with a cheap smile.


    "Of course!" Alvin nodded and pointed to the side while still running. "I love you as much as that stone in the mud over there."


    Yet, just as Alvin was about to take his eyes away from the mud, he saw it moving slightly. He rubbed his for a moment and paid more attention. Without anyone else noticing, it began to rise, giving him the creeps. He checked the surroundings, and he could see similar puddles of mud just like like this one. They blended perfectly with the environment, so no one paid much attention to them.


    "Careful! There is something strange with the mud!" Alvin didn''t take his chances. He immediately shouted to warn all the Maguses and Familiars, who stopped in their tracks and prepared for an attack.


    Sure enough, the various puddles of mud exploded, sending wet dirt everywhere. From inside, Magic Beasts, similar to giant worms but with teeth, jumped out, attacking the group.


    "Well done!" A Magus from Rank B class immediately complimented Alvin as he connected to his Familiar. Water Element gathered and froze, creating several frozen needles that the guy shot in the Magic Beasts'' direction.


    Similar actions happened all around as the Maguses and Familiars took down tens of Magic Beasts similar to that. Alvin and Connor weren''t any slower. They also took one each. Last but not least, Linfel got rid of three that were close by. Well, he didn''t need to deal with the three.


    It''s just that one of them was close to Connor, and Linfel promised to protect him, so he got rid of that one as well, leaving Connor to fight just a single one.


    Connor easily dealt with his Magic Beast since he was full of Magic Energy. As for Alvin, his injuries definitely made him somewhat sluggish. But because he perceived the attack ahead of time, he managed to deal with his own Magic Beast with Felia''s help.


    The guides completely trashed a few of the worms that were idiot enough to attack them as they looked back. If not for Alvin''s warning, things would have been more interesting. But then again, paying attention to one''s surroundings was part of this Field Exam, so they didn''t say anything. "Let''s go."


    Since everyone dealt with the Worm without any issues, the guides instantly continued to run.


    Alvin bitterly smiled. The Guides truly didn''t care about everyone''s exhaustion.


    "Hey, brother, nice call." A Magus called Soigan patted Alvin before running ahead.


    Others also complimented him, making Alvin feel a little embarrassed. "It was just lucky..." He wasn''t lying. It was truly luck that he looked in the right direction at the right time.


    Linfel smiled, though. "Remember, luck is also part of one''s strength. Let''s continue." He also whispered in Alvin and Connor''s ears. ''And don''t forget the report.''


    These kinds of events happened every hour or so. And yet, Alvin and Felia got more and more used to it. Linfel was just leisurely following the group since he was always full of Magic Energy. In an area with almost no Magic Energy, a being like him truly had a huge advantage. The Magic Beasts might have adapted to the land, but that adaptation still couldn''t make up for the lack of Magic Energy there.


    As the exam neared its end, seven of the eight hours had elapsed, and the group had dwindled to a mere nineteen Maguses and Familiars. Only a fraction, roughly 10%, had managed to endure this far. The signs of exhaustion were evident in everyone, particularly the Maguses.


    The survivors, those who had managed to balance their expenditure and absorption, were able to recover some Magic Energy. This allowed them to continue battling and running. However, their bodies were reaching their limits. The Magic Energy, while a boon, was also a burden, pushing their flesh and bones to their breaking point.


    Alvin, who had been injured in the second ambush, was even more so. Connor had to carry him another two times after the battles. Well, Linfel made sure Alvin was always on his wits'' end during every attack. Linfel never intervened, and Alvin usually fought more than one Magic Beast at once with his little reserves of Magic Energy. Alvin was actually doing an incredible job so far.


    It was then that they all reached the top of a mountain where a huge metallic platform could be seen. The guides brought everyone over it and stopped, looking into the distance. Tarert turned around, looking at the Maguses and Familiars that made it this far.


    "Well, I have to admit I''m impressed. The routes we used were selected to make sure that almost no one, or perhaps no one at all, would reach the end. But look at you, nineteen Maguses and Familiars. What is most impressive is that we have a Rank E Magus and a Familiar with you."


    Connor scratched the back of his head. He only got this far because of his secret plan to not use any magic energy in the receptors. Only Linfel, Alvin, and the Familiars knew about it. Besides, Linfel never allowed more than one Magic Beast to attack him at once. Naturally, he did get to this place quite easily.


    The amazing part was that Linfel made it look like Connor was truly just lucky to never have to fight more than one Magic Beast at the same time.


    Someone quickly took the opportunity to ask. "Sir, is this the end of the exam, then?"


    "Pretty much," Tarert nodded. "Of course, we got here quite early, too. There is still another hour before the exam is over, so make sure you keep your Magic Energy Receptors full. Don''t blame me if you lose points for leaving them dry."


    Everyone immediately crumbled on the platform. It gave quite a good view of the surroundings, so it would be hard to be ambushed in such a place. Some straight up lie down completely, and others sit with their backs to the guardrails. Alvin... he simply fell with his face to the ground, ignoring everything. "Heaven is calling me. I can see the stairs..."


    Connor''s eyes lit up. "Are there sexy angels?! Can you see sexy angels?!"


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "Just an old man with a big white beard. He looks very gentle... Is he... god?"


    "Meh! I''ve never believed such things anyway." Connor lost his interest.


    "Is there such a thing?" And yet, the clueless Linfel definitely felt interested. "Where is him? I can''t see him."


    "Hahaha! Ouch!" Alvin laughed out loud, but his injuries immediately hurt with the outburst.


    Connor laughed as well. He then sat on the ground and began to fill his Magic Energy Receptor. The plan was to fill the Magic Receptor near the end of the exam anyway. He still didn''t know if the score could go negative. If it could, then he definitely would have the lowest score on the exam.


    But if the lowest score was zero, then he could make some points during the next hour. He wouldn''t be anywhere near first, but he definitely would get quite a decent result.


    Linfel felt betrayed to hear that Alvin was just making up things. However, he didn''t take it seriously and took the chance to warn Alvin and Connor. "Don''t forget the report. Take a good look around and send a message regarding the situation in our destination."


    Alvin and Connor quickly nodded and did as Linfel told.


    Tarert and the other guides smiled and sat near the end of the platform, talking to each other and laughing. Tarert was a Level Three Magus, while his companions were all level two. They had patrolled these areas countless times, so they were used to it already.


    Everything seemed fine, and the eight hours quickly ran out. As soon as that happened, all the magic Energy Receptors stopped working, and everyone''s MCOMs received a message.


    -The Field Exam is now over. Your results will be computed if you are still in the field. Everyone will be lifted back to base.-


    Linfel''s group and all the other participants sighed in relief. It was good they didn''t encounter anything else until the end. They all sent messages through their MCOMs, asking to be sent back to Sky Island like the participants who fell in the battles prior did.


    Tarert did the same thing with his companions. Now that they carried their duty, they were definitely going to receive a bonus of Universal Credits later.


    But...


    *...*


    Nothing happened. The surroundings were silent. No rays of Yellow Light appeared to bring anyone back to Sky Island.


    "Hum?" Tarert narrowed his eyes and tried to send a Message with his MCOM again. "Could it be there are no Rescuing Airships nearby to fetch us?"


    "That can''t be, right?" His friend, a guy called Futei, spoke. "The Academy and the Army prepared plenty of Airships. It''s just that they are concealed up in the skies. You saw how all the maguses and familiars that fell on the way here were pulled up, didn''t you?"


    Suddenly, a back spot appeared in the skies, revealing an Airship. It was the same type as the ones that brought the students to the Field Exam. "Oh, there it is," Tarert smiled as he saw the Airship coming down.


    However... the Airship didn''t stop by. Instead, it passed by them like a meteor. Immediately, everyone noticed the fire and a huge hole in its hull. It left a trace of black smoke behind, soon falling down the mountain.


    *Boom!*


    The airship then exploded in a ball of flames. Whoever was inside it is definitely dead now. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel approached the guardrail of the platform and looked down with the guides. "The Academy truly knows how to make a Field Exam. So realistic..."


    Tarert''s group almost vomited blood.

 Chapter 52 - 52: Coalition

    "Realistic your ass!" Tarert exploded. "Some shit has definitely gone wrong."


    He ignored Linfel after that and looked at the rest of the group. "Everyone, gather around. The Field Exam is over. We are leaving this place ASAP!"


    Linfel went back to Alvin. "So... this was not part of the exam?"


    Alvin didn''t even want to answer that. "Just shut up and listen to the soldiers."


    Tarert didn''t waste time and immediately took the group down the mountain again, quickly returning to the cover of the trees. At the same time, he and his companions tried to use their MCOMs to contact the Sky Island Headquarters. Yet, things didn''t seem to be working. "How''s your MCOMs?"


    "Not working at all," one of Tarert''s companions, a guy called Sian, answered. "The moment the airship came crashing down, the connection was lost."


    "We are being jammed," Tarert spoke. He looked behind and saw that the Maguses and Familiars seemed quite nervous. First, they had spent a lot of their Magic Energy. Many were injured, too. Most of their group definitely wouldn''t recover anytime soon.


    *Zrummmmm!*


    An airship suddenly passed above everyone''s head. That didn''t make Tarert any happier, though. "It''s an Assault V-Wing from Volztain. That should not be flying inside our Heffal''s airspace."


    *Boom, boom, boom...*


    Sounds of explosions came from far in the distance. Tarert immediately jumped on one of the tallest trees around and took a look in the sounds'' direction. There, he could see several more airships both from Volztain and Heffal, shooting at each other. After that, he came down. ''Is Volztain starting a war against us?'' He couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Tarert!" Sian called his attention and pointed at the students. "This is not a good idea."


    Tarert understood. They were moving in a big group, which would only catch more attention. If the army from Volztain was truly invading, they had to move fast and not be seen. The best way was to spread. "Sian, Carlo, Nayli, Zuberg, take four students with you each. I''ll take the last four.


    We will separate here."


    "Yes!" They all accepted the orders. In less than a minute, the groups of Maguses and Familiars were shared equally between the four guides.


    Linfel, Alvin, Felia, Connor, and Tratil were left with Nayali, the only female soldier who was guiding them during this exam. Other than them, there was also one more Magus with his Familiar, a young man called Kafril.


    Tarert saw that the division was made and nodded. "Alright, as you all can see, this is not training. I''m still unaware if this is just a skirmish between Heffal and Volztain, which is quite rare but does happen from time to time, or if this is truly a full-scale invasion. Most likely, it''s the first option. Regardless of which one, the danger of the situation has skyrocketed.


    That''s why we need to go our separate ways here. Stick to your guides, as we all know where the Magic Beasts'' Territories are located. We will try to avoid the worst areas as much as possible. Prioritize your own safety, and if the enemy appears, do not show mercy! They definitely won''t!"


    "Yes, sir!" All the Maguses and Familiars accepted the orders. Nonetheless, the tension was obvious. Until now, all they fought were Magic Beasts. Even those from big backgrounds didn''t have to kill other people. Here, however, they might truly be put against other Maguses where life and death are on the table.


    Tarert didn''t give the students a chance to think much about it. "Good luck to us all. My group, follow me!"


    Nayali wasn''t any slower. "You three and your familiars, we are going in this direction."


    Linfel''s group quickly accepted the orders and followed the woman. In a few seconds, the groups had already disappeared from each other''s sight.


    ---


    Back on the Sky Island, the general in charge, Wunberdi Lotiden, had a terrible expression on his face. "What the hell is this? Why are we being invaded? How come there was no news about it until now?"


    "Sir," a magus in the controlling room spoke. "We can''t contact any of our guides or the students from the academy in that area. They are jamming all signals."


    Wunberdi knew about the Academy Field Exam. It was brought to the north border so that the army could show their appeal for new Maguses and Familiars. However, he didn''t pay much attention to it since he wouldn''t be in charge of anything related to that. It would have been weird if a General like him was sent to guide or talk to the students. "One of the Academies...


    Which one is it?" Heffal had a few Magus Academies in their Majors Cities, after all.


    "Sastasha''s City Academy." An answer quickly arrived.


    Wunberdi thought about it. ''Was it just a coincidence? It has to be. Volztain doesn''t have much to gain by attacking a bunch of students other than our country''s wrath.''


    "Immediately dispatch the first and second Sky Legions. Also, inform the Army down on the ground to send some of their forces. There are students from the academies in the area, so make sure everyone knows to look out for them and bring them to safety. Otherwise, the government will be on our arses. What a fucking time for Volztain to start one of these skirmishes."


    Suddenly, more information arrived. "Report! Sir, we aren''t the only ones. The Steel Wall Army on the West and the Big Deep Army on the South Sea just contacted, saying that they are also under attack. The mortal armies from both sides have also been dispatched."


    *Bang!*


    Wunberdi smashed the armrest of his seat. "What the fuck?! Are they truly invading for real?!"


    "Report!" More information continued appearing. "We have received some news from our spies on the Volztain side. All the Sky Woves Army from Volztain has been mobilized out of nowhere. The mortal armies are also invading with everything that they have. From what we heard, everything was normal until an hour ago.


    Then, the Generals from Volztain came forward and announced the attacks; everything happened in a hurry."


    Wunberdi didn''t grow angrier with that news, though. Instead, his face turned cold, and his experience quicked in. "This is a coalition army. Contact the entire Sky Island and the mortal armies on the ground. Volztain, Porfate, and Xanzion countries are invading. Ignore the students from the academies.


    We have no time to help them anymore."


    ---


    Nayala ran nonstop, making it difficult for Linfel''s group to follow. Fortunately, no one had to care about the Magic Energy Receptors anymore. Otherwise, Alvin and Felia definitely wouldn''t be able to keep up with Nayala''s speed. Not only is she used to the terrain, but she is also a Level Two Magus, after all.


    "Senior Nayala, what about your Familiar?" Connor couldn''t help but ask.


    Nayala reached into her backpack and pulled out a Core. "Here."


    "He is inactive?" Connor got puzzled.


    Linfel understood and looked behind. "Felia, Tratil, you two should also deactivate yourselves and let Connor and Alvin carry you."


    "Alright," Felia and Tratil didn''t ask anything and followed Linfel''s orders. Connor and Alvin received their cores, even more confused.


    Nayala nodded, satisfied. "Good job. I would have to ask them to do that if you hadn''t noticed." She then explained to Alvin and Connor. "Patrolling is all about scouting without being noticed. Familiars have their ethereal bodies, which aren''t exactly easy to hide. Only when they are inactive can we keep them hidden, like inside my bag.


    Of course, they are still hearing us, so they can activate and come out at any moment. But for now, keep Felia and Tratil inactive."


    Right after, she was going to ask Linfel to do the same. However, when she looked at him, all she saw was a floating core with an extremely feeble amount of Magic Energy coming from it. "This..."


    Linfel knew what she was going to say. "You don''t need to ask me the same thing. I can keep this state and still follow you all. I should be even harder to notice than the three of you in this state."


    "Since when can Familiars continue working like that?" Nayala couldn''t help but ask.


    "Let''s just say I''m a little special," Linfel answered.


    Connor didn''t even feel surprised anymore. Linfel had always been a weird Familiar. As for Alvin, well, he knew that Linfel wasn''t a Familiar to start with.


    Nayala decided to put those thoughts on the back of her head and just nodded. "Whatever. It is indeed hard to notice you if you keep close to the ground. Just keep following me with Alvin and Connor. Alvin, Connor, stay alert. If anything suspicious happens, immediately call your Familiars out and connect to them."


    "Understood!" Alvin and Connor nodded.


    *Zush, zush, zush...*


    As they ran through the trees of the Magic Beast Forest, more and more airships passed by them in the skies, shooting into the distance. By now, even Nayala had her doubts if this was another one of those skirmishes. When the Volztain sends its troops to attack, they never send that many.


    *Zuuuuu...*


    Suddenly, one of the airships above stopped and came down, landing a few hundred meters from them.


    "Fuck, they noticed us." Connor cursed.


    Nayala wasn''t surprised, though. "Obviously. They have equipment to scan the forest, but we didn''t bring any equipment to hide us from them. Let alone that ship. Most likely, all the airships that passed close to us noticed our presence but simply ignored us due to our small numbers."


    The sound of steps moving through the trees was soon heard even though Nayala''s group hadn''t stopped running for even a moment. In the end, Nayala was holding back since she had to protect Linfel''s group. The pursuers were in tip-top condition, while Alvin and Connor were sore due to the end of the exam earlier.


    "Stop. We will make a stand here," Nayala made her decision while her Familiar activated. Red Magic Energy spread from the core as the little Familiar took form. Obviously, a Level Two Familiar as well. The Familiar connected to Nayala without saying anything, taking the form of a belt and attaching himself to her waist.


    Felia and Tratil naturally activated as well and connected to Alvin and Connor.


    Not long after, ten people appeared from behind the trees, all pointing their weapons at Nayala and the others. However, they didn''t shoot. Instead, a man who seemed to be the leader stepped forward and spoke. "Kids? Why are there kids here? Whatever.


    Surrender now and come with u-"


    "Sir!" Suddenly, one of the soldiers on the side spoke. "Message from the headquarters."


    "Uh?" The man quickly took the message and narrowed his eyes. "Are they serious?"


    The soldier nodded. "Yes. It seems like we are in it for real this time."


    The man sighed while looking at Nayala''s group. "I''m sorry. Fire!"


    Nayala quickly jumped in front of Alvin and Connor. Her Red Magic Energy spread, creating a Barrier that reflected the shoots.


    Alvin and Connor used their Magic Energy to support the barrier with Felia and Tratil as well. At the same time, Alvin whispered with his magic energy so that only Nayala and Connor would hear. ''Senior Nayala, we can hold for a moment.''


    Nayala gritted her teeth and didn''t move. They didn''t know, but those weapons were made to deal with Maguses. She had to go all out to deflect the shots. If she left, Alvin and Connor would become full of holes in a matter of seconds. Their Magic Energy at level one wasn''t making much difference in her efforts. All she could do was resist and try to think of a plan to escape.


    The leader wasn''t surprised and immediately gathered his Magic Energy. The Brown Magic Energy color of a Level Three Magus suddenly appeared while a ring on his finger shined brightly with the same color. That was his Familiar''s form during the Master Familiar Connection. "This truly doesn''t feel good..."


    Nayala went pale. She didn''t expect the very first enemy she would find was a Level Three Magus.


    In the next moment, several spears of Brown Magic Energy appeared over his head while his subordinates kept shooting. Finally, he pointed forward, and the spears shot! With the difference in level between them, Nayala simply had no chance to resist.


    However, Nayala suddenly noticed something. Linfel... had disappeared. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 53 - 53: Sudden Betrayal

    "Well, be it in the past or the present, I guess war is still war. Compassion isn''t exactly something you can afford to pay attention to," said a voice coming from right under the leader of the Volztain Country''s group.


    "Who''s there?!" The leader immediately changed the spears'' direction and jumped while shooting the spears below. At his level three, the spears easily pierced several tens of meters in a fraction of a second, destroying anything that could possibly be below there.


    *Puft, puft, puft, puft...*


    However, the sound of piercing spears on the ground wasn''t what really caught the attention of everyone. Instead, it was the sound of tens of bullets piercing into the leader''s body from behind.


    Everyone was taken aback, and the shots against Alvin''s group stopped instantly. Everyone then looked in the direction the shots came. There, right in the middle of the little squad, one of their members held the weapon high, aiming at his own leader and shooting nonstop!


    "Stop!"


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang...*


    *Puft, puft, puft, puft...*


    All the other shooters immediately turned their weapons to the guy and shot as well. They couldn''t understand. How could their companion suddenly betray them like this? Their squad was quite old, and they all knew each other. And yet, here the guy was, shooting the squad leader.


    *Tud, tud...*


    The man who shot the leader then fell to the ground, dead after being shot so many times. He wasn''t the only one to fall.


    Their leader, the Level Three Magus, also fell to the ground, but he wasn''t dead yet. When he felt the bullets hitting his unprotected back, he immediately redirected his Magic Energy there to defend. He was gravely injured, but he wouldn''t die straight away.


    *Zush!*


    "Nando!"


    Immediately, the leader''s Familiar detached from his finger and assumed his Familiar Form before covering the guy with his own Brown Magic Energy. Without waiting for anything, he used his Magic Energy and flew into the distance with the leader, not looking back. He had to be fast, or Nando would die.


    "Not good!" One of the soldiers quickly turned his weapon back to Alvin''s group, but Nayala had already made her move. Other than Nando and his Familiar, all the other soldiers there were Level One Maguses or not Maguses at all.


    *Bang!*


    One of the soldiers was sent flying, not being able to resist Nayal''s attack. How could he? Nayala was a seasoned soldier who knew the terrain well. At level two, a Level One magus would pose no threat to her... However, there were another eight soldiers, and all of them shot at Nayala at the same time.


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...* sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shots were fired, and Nayala had to protect herself again. The weapons were indeed made to deal with Maguses.


    *Swish, swish!*


    Yet, two Wind Blades suddenly came out of the first dead soldier''s body, the same one that had betrayed his group. Those two wind blades took another two soldiers by surprise, not giving them a chance to defend themselves at all. Why would they? The guy was supposed to be dead! Instantly, another two heads fell down.


    "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?!" One of the soldiers screamed and once again pointed at the guy''s dead body, filling it with holes while the others took distance from it. Of course, the others didn''t forget Nayala and continued shooting to pin her down.


    *Boom!*


    It was at that moment that one of the soldiers, who wasn''t a magus, had his head pierced by an Earth First. Alvin, who had never killed another human before, finally made his move. He wasn''t confident he could finish a fellow Level One Magus. So, making use of the fact the soldiers seemed to have forgotten about him and Connor, he made his move against one of the normal soldiers.


    *Bang!*


    He wasn''t the only one. Connor and Tratil also made their move. However, they weren''t as direct as Alvin. Because Connor hesitated, he only managed to break several bones of the soldier he attacked, but the guy wasn''t killed.


    "You!" The soldier did his best to lift his weapon to shoot again. Unfortunately...


    *Kabrum!*


    A bolt of Lightning came crashing down on him, immediately ending his life. It was Kafril, the other Magus that remained stayed with Nayala''s group.


    Now, only four soldiers remained, and even though they were Level One Maguses, they absolutely couldn''t avert their attention from Nayala. It was their and their Familiars'' Magic Energy that allowed them to keep Nayala pinned down, forcing her to keep her Red Magic Energy Barrier up to protect herself.


    Seeing the situation they were in, the soldiers despaired. Alvin and Connor were free to attack them, and they still don''t know how a dead body shot two Wind Blades or where the Lightning Bolt came from. Thinking bout it now, they still didn''t understand why their trusted companion betrayed them in the first place.


    "Retreat!"


    Without another choice, the remaining soldiers immediately turned around and began to run. Staying there would only bring death, and they still might die anyway if Nayala decided to hunt them down.


    However, Nayala did not do so. She had spent a lot of her Magic Energy to deal with this situation, so she had to conserve as much as possible. Since they wanted to flee, she welcomed them to do so. She was more interested in knowing why the enemy soldier had betrayed them. Nonetheless, it salved her group''s life.


    It was then that a Core floated out of the first dead soldier''s body, and a small and ethereal humanoid form appeared. ''As expected, using Magic Energy to control the Magic Energy Channels of a person is possible, just like I did with Alvin. I''m glad it worked so well,'' Linfel thought to himself. ''Too bad it would only work for a second and the target can''t be a Magus...


    At least not a Magus with the same power or stronger than me.''


    "Linfel!" Alvin quickly ran to his side.


    Connor also approached him. "Holy shit! Was it you?!"


    Kafril sighed in relief. "It is good that we are all okay. Still..."


    Nayala naturally saw Linfel leaving the guy''s body and had to ask. "H-How did you do that? How can you control someone?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Don''t expect me to be able to do this again so easily. It only worked because the guy wasn''t a Magus and also because he himself didn''t expect something would try to control his body. By the time he realized and tried to force himself to stop, his team had already started to shoot him."


    Nayala looked at Linfel and didn''t know what to say. She had never heard about Familiars being able to control others'' bodies. Of course, that wasn''t the time to inquire more about it. "Whatever you did does not matter now. We don''t have enough time. We need to hurry back.


    Let''s go!"

 Chapter 54 - 54: He Never Was

    Linfel''s group continued to move fast. This time, however, Nayala changed route, deciding that the shortest path wasn''t secure anymore. "At first, I thought the Volztain Country Forces would take a more cautious approach. That''s why we were making our way back through the fastest route. However, it is pretty obvious that we are going all in now. We need to avoid the path that most airships will take."


    Suddenly, the forest they were traveling in began to grow sparse, giving way to an open valley in the middle of the mountains. "This is the Sairater Corridor, which isn''t exactly easy to pass but will also make it hard for most airships to fly close to the ground. It is terrible for any foot soldiers to go through and make you quite an easy target if others ambush you from above."


    Connor swallowed with difficulty. "Wouldn''t that make us easy targets as well?"


    Linfel quite liked the plan, though. "She is right. Suppose Volztain is truly attacking with everything they have. In that case, they need to move fast, and staying on the fastest route would only attract more attention from all the airships that will be passing above us."


    Nayala glanced at Linfel and immediately began to descend the valley. Vegetation wasn''t as prominent anymore, and they soon saw themselves walking near a river that ran the Sairater Corridor. Even worse, it was indeed hard to move through that terrain.


    Fortunately, Nayala seemed to know the area and guided Alvin and the others through the terrain without much difficulty. The only problem was that they had been on the move since the start of the day, so they were quite tired by now, especially Alvin, Connor, and Kafril.


    Now and then, they would hear some explosion sounds coming from the distance, and the valley definitely helped with the echos. For Nayala, that was a good sign, though. If there were battles happening far away, no one would come to the valley to check things up anytime soon.


    "The sun is almost gone..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    Sure enough, Nayala and the others looked up and could see that it was quite dark.


    "That''s good, right?" Kafril grew a little less tense. "It will be harder to find us while we move in the dark. We just need to continue."


    "Out of the question," Nayala immediately refused, though. Although she had been guiding them through the valley, her primary objective wasn''t to bring them all the way at once. She was heading towards a cave she knew. "We are all with little Magic Energy remaining and tired.


    If we force our way into the dark in our condition, chances are we will be forced to stop at some point before making our way back."


    Finally, she saw the cave, quite a small one hidden near the river. "There we go. We will rest there for now. It should be fine for the next few hours."


    Alvin and the others had their doubts. Still, none of them would risk leaving Nayala''s side at this moment.


    *Grum...*


    Alvin touched his belly, smiling bitterly. "Sorry, I''m quite hungry."


    "I''m surprised you can think about food at all," Connor felt helpless.


    Nayala was a lot more experienced, so the events on the way here were already on the back of her head. "The fact you can feel hungry is a sign you are getting used to the situation. I''ll try to catch some fis-"


    *Plac, plac, plac, plac, plac, plac...*


    Suddenly, a certain familiar approached them. No one saw when he had left. But that didn''t matter. What mattered the most was the tens of fishes floating around him, all alive and struggling, trying to get free. "I thought you guys would be hungry by now anyway. And...


    guess what? I just happen to be very good at attracting fish." It was Linfel... once again.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched for a moment as Felia felt helpless. They obviously know how good Linfel was with fish... perhaps too good.


    "I say, Alvin, this Familiar of yours is just too good..." Nayala spoke as her doubts increased. She started to think that Alvin was from some extremely powerful background to get in his hands such a Familiar.


    Nonetheless, they all entered the cave before Nayala started a fire. They could use their magic Energy for fire, but even Nayala had too little of it now. It was a lot easier to use the old method. Well, she still used her Magic Energy as a fire starter, though.


    Since they had some time, she also decided to ask Linfel. "So, how did you do that? How did you manage to control the guy and shoot their squad leader?"


    "Control? I did no such thing," Linfel shook his head, though. How could he really say he controlled someone? That would work as a clue that he can simply use Master Familiar Connection with anyone. "Instead, I just played a small trick with his senses. Also, it was like I said, it only lasted a second or so.


    If his friends hadn''t shot him straight away, he would have woken up and stopped. It only worked because he wasn''t a magus as well."


    "A trick on his senses?" Nayala narrowed her eyes. "Are you adept at illusion magic?"


    "You could say so..." Linfel didn''t try to correct her either.


    Nayala had her doubts since she had seen illusion magic before. Very few Maguses and Familiars used it, but she had the opportunity to experience such experts as a means of training. From what she saw, it didn''t seem like Linfel had truly used it. But then again, controlling another person, even if he wasn''t a magus, didn''t seem very realistic. "You could say so, uh? Then let''s leave at it.


    If we survive, I''ll give you a commendation for your help. We did survive because of you, after all."


    Alvin used his Magic Energy to talk to Linfel. ''Was that really the case?''


    ''Nope,'' Linfel didn''t need to lie to Alvin, though. ''It was basically the same method I used to control your body when we used MFC. It is very hard when the target doesn''t comply, you know?''


    ''You can truly control others?'' Alvin was obviously surprised. ''No, forget it. I already don''t doubt anything coming from you anymore.''


    They quickly devoured the fish Linfel brought and satiated their hunger. "Alright, the MCOMs seem to not be working still. We can''t move in the dark like we are now, but we can do so once we recover our Magic Energy. We will stay here for the next six hours and leave before the sunrise. Try to sleep if you can."


    "Who will watch while we rest?" Kafril asked, concerned.


    Nayala was just about to say she was going to stay up before Linfel jumped in. "I will. I''m an independent Familiar, so my connection with Alvin, my previous Master, doesn''t exist anymore. He won''t be affected by the fact I''m awake. You guys just rest."


    "You should also recover your Magic Energy," Nayala warned him.


    "Oh, don''t worry," Linfel smiled. Suddenly, his Core burst with Magic Energy. "I''ve been full this entire time. There is nothing for me to recover here."


    Everyone turned to Alvin with weird expressions. This place had sparse Magic Energy, so Linfel should have been suffering just like them. Even Connor, who initially was full, used a lot of it in the battle against the Volztain Squad. Yet, Linfel was fine somehow. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just what is wrong with this Familiar of yours?" They all asked together.


    Alvin wanted to cry. Linfel wasn''t his... He never was...

 Chapter 55 - 55: Signals

    In the end, it was indeed the best idea to keep only Linfel up while the others rested. As soon as they finished eating, each one found a corner to lie down and closed their eyes. It wasn''t hard to sleep, even in these conditions. The strain on their bodies and magic energy was enormous during the day.


    It wasn''t very relaxing to lie on the floor or the walls, but it didn''t seem to be a problem this time.


    The Familiars quickly deactivated themselves, giving their masters the opportunity to sleep, too, leaving only Linfel awake in the cave.


    Linfel floated outside, knowing everyone was sleeping. ''Hum... This feels just like when Horan threw me into the Kalature Birds'' territory. Just thinking about it makes me angry, that fucking guy! Those bitches were highly sensitive to Primordial Energy, probably no less than the airship equipment.''


    Linfel''s anger boiled for a moment, but he ended up sighing mentally. ''Where the hell did you go? Did you travel to this future, too? Forget it...''


    Following that, Linfel entered the cave again and took a look at every one. Linfel was supposed to wake them up in four hours. That way, they would still have five to six hours of dark to move undetected. The problem was that four hours of rest after such a day definitely wouldn''t recover everyone''s Magic Energy. Not that they couldn''t, but that this place''s Magic Energy was indeed too sparse.


    Not everyone was like Linfel.


    ''Oh well, guess it is time to start...''


    ***


    Four hours passed in a flash for those deep asleep. Not even the small sounds of explosions from the distance were enough to disturb their sleep... Well, Linfel made sure they would wake up before the time was up anyway.


    Finally, the time was there. "Everyone, wake up!"


    Linfel used his Magic Energy to shake everyone''s bodies, forcing them to open their eyes. Nayal was the first one to raise her guard, quickly circulating her Magic Energy to deal with anything. Her experience was obviously on full display.


    The others soon followed suit, but everyone noticed that there was nothing wrong in the cave. Only Linfel floated there, seeming unperturbed. "Four hours have passed. If we want to make use of the darkness, we should start moving."


    Nayala sighed in relief and nodded. "Well done, Linfel. Four hours, just as we agreed. Everyone, I know we aren''t fully recov-"


    However, her words instantly stopped as she checked her Core, which was brimming with Magic Energy. "This..."


    Alvin, Connor, and Kafril were no different. They also noticed that their Cores had completely recovered. If not because their bodies were still a little sore, they would think the previous day didn''t happen at all.


    "So weird... I seem to have made a full recovery while I was asleep," Kafril mentioned, puzzled.


    Kafril nodded. "Indeed. With so little Magic Energy, it is hard to believe I got my Core full again."


    Nayala was the one who felt the most puzzled. As a Level Two Magus, the environment affected her the most. She had to gather the little Magic Energy of the surroundings and convert it into Red Magic Energy to fill her Core. Simply put, she should have taken much, much longer to recover than Alvin and the others. And yet, her Core was also full of Red Magic Energy.


    Alvin and Felia looked at each other, their Cores also full. They knew very well why that was the case. Linfel no doubt connected to them like he usually does, giving them his own Magic Energy. He also told them that the sparse Magic Energy wasn''t much of an issue to him because of his race''s advantages, so the reasons for everyone''s recovery were obvious.


    "Linfel, did something happen while we were asleep?" Nayala couldn''t help but ask.


    "Hum... other than the sounds of explosions now and then, nothing else happened. Is something wrong?" Linfel asked with an innocent expression.


    "Not wrong..." Nayala felt hard to believe. "Forget it. Perhaps we are near a Magic Energy Vein and didn''t notice. It matters not, though. Let''s depart. Now that we are full, our chances of survival are much better."


    Kafril, Connor, Alvin, and their Familiars were obviously happy to hear that, so they all stepped out of the cave with Nayala and her Familiar.


    As Nayala guided their group, Alvin had to ask Linfel the truth while using his Magic Energy so that only Linfel and Felia could hear. ''Linfel, what did you do?''


    ''Isn''t that obvious?'' Linfel asked back. ''I simply matched their Soul Waves frequency while they were asleep or deactivated and passed my Magic Energy to them. That includes you and Felia.''


    ''I already understand that much,'' Alvin spoke back. ''However, even if it is you and you can recover Magic Energy faster than us, there are four Maguses and Familiars here, not counting you. With so little Magic Energy around, it is impossible for you to gather enough from the surroundings to fill all our cores on your own in just four hours.''


    Linfel looked back at Alvin, seeming a little surprised. ''My Alvin is growing up...''


    Felia nodded, seeming to be on the verge of tears. ''Yes, he is. Old master will be so happy...''


    ''Fuck you!'' Alvin immediately cursed the two. ''First of all, you two are younger than me! No, forget it. Just tell us already.'' sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Hahaha!'' Linfel laughed and got closer to Alvin. ''Have you forgotten what I created inside my Core back in your room in the academy?''


    ''Ah!'' Alvin instantly understood. ''Your Spatial Storage!''


    Linfel nodded. ''That''s the one. I obviously have quite a few Magic Stones with me, including Red Magic ones. That''s how I helped you all recover. The only sad thing is that I won''t be able to charge them back for the services. Such a downer...'' No one was supposed to bring Magic Stones, so Linfel wasn''t supposed to have them either.


    Naturally, he couldn''t tell anyone. Well, he couldn''t tell anyone about his Spatial Storage either.


    ''Hum?'' Suddenly, Linfel noticed something in his Spatial Storage. ''Alvin, we have a signal in the MCOMs.''


    Alvin''s eyes opened wide, and he quickly took his MCOM out. "Senior Nayala, we have a signal!"


    Nayala was taken aback, and everyone quickly took their MCOMs out. Sure enough, the Signal was back up.


    "Shit!" However, Nayala wasn''t the least bit happy. "Throw your MCOMs away, now!" She said as she instantly smashed her MCOM.


    "What?!" Everyone thought to have heard wrong.


    However...


    *Swish, swish, swish...*


    Three Wind Blades instantly sliced Kafril, Connor, and Alvin''s MCOMs. The moment Nayala spoke, Linfel acted, already understanding the situation. "We are being tracked..."

 Chapter 56 - 56: Extra Perks

    "That''s correct," Nayala said as she immediately changed direction.


    "How do you know?" Kafril, who glanced at his destroyed MCOM falling behind, couldn''t help but ask.


    Nayala quickly answered without stopping. "My MCOM is special. Only one type of signal can me accepted by it. The moment I checked, I saw the signal we got wasn''t ours, so I knew it was something else." Indeed. She worked in the patrols as a soldier on the borders. She obviously wouldn''t have the same common MCOMs as the others.


    Instead, her MCOM was from the army.


    Everyone understood and got nervous again.


    Just as the tension was building, Kafril''s sharp eyes caught a sudden movement. "On the top!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.


    They were down the valley, so anyone approaching would have to come from the mountains on the sides or from the front or the back. They were quite far inside, so coming from the front and back would have taken time.


    Without warning, three vehicles came hurtling down the mountain from the right side. They were not airships, which would have struggled to navigate this terrain. Instead, they were ground vehicles, their engines roaring as they closed in. Magic Energy brimmed from there, proof of the Magic Stones being consumed.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Immediately, the three newcomers started to shoot down, forcing Linfel and the others to take cover. "How can they drive those things in this terrain?"


    "I can, so why can''t they?" Nayala spoke. "They are obviously soldiers from this area on the Volztain side. They have received training, so this isn''t anything that impressive. Nonetheless, it does put us at a great disadvantage."


    The three soldiers from Volztain didn''t approach Linfel''s group. Instead, they began to circle around the cover Linfel''s group was using from different sides. They were obviously using their motorized advantage to keep their distance to shoot Linfel''s group down. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ranged attacks!" Nayala shouted to Alvin and the others. At the same time, her Red Magic Energy gathered on her feet, and she dashed out of the cover from a boulder she was using. She selected a target and was intent on taking the guy down.


    Alvin, Connor, and Kafril followed her order and began to use their Magic Energy to shoot at the enemy. Alvin made several speartips of earth, blasting them forward with his Magic Energy. Connor used his Fire Element to shoot fire arrows while Kafril shot a few Lightning bolts.


    "Behind!" Linfel immediately called their attention. While Nayala tried to catch one of the enemies on foot, the other two finished circling their cover from the other side and were now aiming at their group and shooting their weapons.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin immediately punched the ground, and his Earth Element quickly created a big Earth Wall covered in Magic Energy. His Magic Energy was now fully recovered, so he could show much more strength.


    *Tuf, tuf, tuf, tuf, tuf, tuf...*


    Tens of bullets hit the Earth Wall almost instantly. The Earth Wall came out just in time. Unfortunately, Alvin gritted his teeth, finding it hard to keep the Earth Wall covered in Magic Energy.


    As mentioned before, the weapons weren''t normal. They were made to deal with Maguses and Familiars and their Magic Energy. They forced Alvin to waste a lot more Magic Energy. If he had used a normal Magic Energy Barrier, he wouldn''t even be able to block those bullets.


    Kafril and Connor didn''t just watch. They changed targets and shot their Fire Arrows and Lightning Bolts at the two other vehicles. However, the enemy was just too far away and moving fast. For Level One Maguses and Familiars like them, that was just too hard to hit.


    Linfel kept calm and took a look at Nayala. She was able to defend herself with her Red Magic Energy. Unfortunately, because she didn''t have a vehicle herself, she couldn''t catch up to the enemy she was pursuing while the guy kept shooting at her. Obviously, he intended to waste all of Nayala''s Magic Energy from a safe distance.


    ''Hum... those vehicles are quite nice. What were they called...? I''m sure I saw it in the city network...'' Linfel pondered. ''Oh, right! Bikes, Magic Bikes!


    Well, these ones are very different from the ones I saw for sale. Everything had been modified so it could travel this terrain without issue.''


    Finally, Linfel reached a decision. ''Alright. Let''s get some of these bikes for ourselves.''


    Suddenly, the Magic Energy escaping his Core disappeared, and in the darkness, he became nothing but a tiny shadow floating in the air. No, there was still some Magic Energy coming from that Core, but it was truly hard to perceive it.


    Under cover of night and with the attention focused on both Nayala and Alvin''s sides, Linfel left the Earth Wall Alvin''s group was using without the enemy noticing. Of course, Alvin, Connor, and Kafril noticed it this time. Kafril even wondered if Linfel was trying to escape on his own.


    ''Don''t worry,'' Alvin used his Magic Energy to whisper in Connor and Kafril''s ears,'' He knows what he is doing.''


    Connor and Kafril continued to shoot at the the enemies on the bikes, not having much of a choice, while Alvin held the Earth Wall and repaired the holes nonstop.


    ''Connor,'' Linfel''s voice echoed in Connor''s ears, ''pay attention above. One of them just threw something while the other kept shooting to force you and Kafril to hide.''


    Connor was taken aback. Nonetheless, he quickly created a Fire Ball and shot it upwards, illuminating the surroundings. It was just in time to see something falling in their direction. ''Kafril!''


    Kafril understood and used his Magic Energy to create another Lightning Bolt.


    *Kabom!*


    *Boom!*


    This time, the target was close enough, so Kafril was successful in hitting it. An explosion of fire and magic energy ensued, obviously showing it was some kind of grenade.


    ''Keep focused,'' Linfel warned. ''They will definitely not approach and lose their advantage. They are just Level One Maguses, just like you three. Just hold on for a moment, and I''ll do something.''


    Alvin and the others nodded, kind of accepting Linfel as their leader at that moment. The two vehicles noticed that the grenade didn''t work and continued to move around while Alvin focused on defense.


    Linfel was satisfied with their teamwork. In the end, life and death situations were always able to extract the best of everyone. ''He won''t last long, though.'' Linfel looked at Alvin for a moment and took his attention away.


    He was now tens of meters away from the group, heading in Nayala''s direction. Her enemy had been moving around with ease, forcing her to keep running nonstop. Nonetheless, he still made sure he didn''t get too far from his companions, showing his experience and training in this environment.


    Not even a minute had gone by yet, and Nayala had always spent 20% of her Magic Energy reserves. She wondered if she should change her tactics for a moment when Linfel''s voice arrived in her ears. ''Be ready to pounce. We need a ride.''


    She was taken aback for a moment, wanting to take a look around to find Linfel. However, she wasn''t an idiot. If her focus suddenly changed, the enemy would notice something wasn''t right, so her eyes kept on the guy. It didn''t matter where Linfel was. What mattered was that he was here and could create a chance.


    It was during one of the moments the enemy was closer that, out of nowhere, an invisible thread appeared right at the guy''s torso height.


    "What?!"


    The moment he touched the thread, a powerful Magic Energy passed through the thread, increasing its resistance several found and showing its existence.


    The bike continued to move forward, but the biker fell back because of the thread. He didn''t suffer any bad injuries and quickly got up. Unfortunately for him, Nayala had been waiting for this chance.


    *Bang!*


    Nayala hit the guy without holding back, instantly breaking tens of bones and sending him flying. The guy hit the ground several meters in the distance, and it was hard to tell if he was dead or alive.


    The bike obviously fell to the ground as well, having no driver anymore.


    Finally, Linfel showed his presence near the place where the bike fell. "Alright, we have one; let''s another two."


    Nayala quickly reached his side and pulled the bike. "How can you still float with so little Magic Energy release?" She asked, impressed that Linfel seemed to be just a Core pretty much.


    Linfel released his ethereal humanoid form and smiled. "A certain someone trained me like hell." Naturally, he was talking about Horan, the same guy who sent him to the future.


    Nayala didn''t know what to say, but that didn''t matter at the moment. She knew how to operate the bike even though the model was different from the ones she used. "Hope on!"


    Linfel jumped on the back and used his Magic Energy to hold onto the bike. Also, he brought something else with him. "Here, the guy''s weapon."


    Nayala quickly accelerated while shaking her head. "If I could use the weapons, I would have taken the weapons from the soldiers we killed the first time. The weapons also work with one''s Magic Energy Signature. It won''t shoot a single bullet regardless of how much Magic Energy I pour into it."


    "Oh! So that''s why..." Linfel quickly left the Bike and flew to the fallen soldier on the back. Surprisingly, he was still alive.


    "What are you doing?! Alvin and the others won''t hold for long!" Nayala shouted, wondering if she should just leave Linfel there and quickly go rescue Alvin''s group.


    Linfel didn''t take long, though. He soon returned to the bike and passed the weapon to Nayala. There was a difference now. Linfel was attached to the weapon with his Core. "Alright, it should shoot now."


    "What?!" Nayala was taken aback.


    "Just use it!" Linfel hurried her. "Let''s go; we need to help Alvin and the others."


    Nayala found this Familiar to be more and more strange, but she didn''t complain and quickly turned the accelerator. The Bike wasn''t protected by Magic Energy Signature since these were very basic models, so he could still drive it.


    The other two soldiers noticed when their friend was taken down and immediately separated. One of them continued to pin Alvin and the others down while the other came for Nayala. Even if she had acquired one of the bikes, she didn''t have a weapon to use. He didn''t know how his friend was defeated, but he was determined to not make the same mistake.


    As soon as Nayala entered his weapon range, he began to shoot...


    *Puc, puc, puc, puc, puc...*


    He wasn''t the only one, though. Instantly, his body was covered in holes from the bullets shot from Nayala''s weapon. He fell from the bike with his eyes open wide. Even in that darkness, he could easily identify the weapon in Nayala''s hand. It was his friend''s one. How could that be?


    How could she use his friend''s weapon without his Magic Energy Signature?


    Well, his eyes weren''t as wide as Nayala''s... She was shocked that she really could use that weapon. She checked it, and she was certain it had a Magic Energy Signature lock. Nonetheless, it was still accepting her Magic Energy and shooting the bullets. The only difference in the weapon... was that Linfel was touching it.


    "Just what are you? Some kind of magic parasite?"


    "How rude! I''m a Familiar... with some extra perks." That was a lie, though.

 Chapter 57 - 57: Fort Jukis

    "Hehe!" Nayala smiled and pressed forward. "Then I shall make good use of those extra perks!"


    The last soldier on the bike noticed that his friend was shot down by their own army''s weapon, feeling terrified. He was only a Level One Magus, while Nayala was at Level Two. The Magic Energy she could add to the bullets not only made them stronger but also faster. She definitely could shoot from further away without losing power.


    Without thinking twice, he turned around and tried to drive away. However...


    *Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...*


    Alvin, Kafril, and Connor used their Magic Energy and rained down attacks on the guy''s path. There was a river nearby, and they were down in the valley. There weren''t many paths for him to run. Even though Alvin and the others were only Level One Maguses and Familiars, he would definitely be severely injured if he threw himself in the middle of those attacks. "Fuck!"


    Without another choice, he changed the direction and tried to go around the attacks. The decision wasn''t wrong, but it also couldn''t save him.


    Different from the enemy, Nayala didn''t need to dodge Alvin''s group attacks. She charged through the dirt and dust in the air and came out right behind the guy''s bike. "You came to the wrong country!"


    Bullets were shoot from both sides, but Nayala was able to defend against the enemy''s bullets due to her higher level of Magic Energy. The Magus on the bike wasn''t as good, though. He used his Magic Energy to create a barrier between him and Nayala, but her Red Magic Energy covered bullets easily pierced through.


    *Puc, puc, puc...*


    Holes quickly filled the guy''s back, causing him to fall to the ground with his bike. He didn''t die, but he wouldn''t go anywhere anymore, either.


    Finally, Nayala stopped and checked the last guy''s condition. Her eyes were cold, and her fist raised. The Magic Energy from both her and her Familiar gathered, and she punched out.


    *Bang!*


    However, the moment she was about to smash the guy''s head, a blast of Wind happened between her and the man, forcing her back. "Who is it?!" Nayala quickly checked the surroundings, just in time to see the Magic Energy around Linfel''s Core stabilizing again. "What the hell are you doing?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "There is no need for that, right? He is already out of combat. It is hard to say if he will survive or not, even if we leave him here. Let''s end it here."


    "Hmph!" Nayala snorted. "For a while, I wondered if you were truly a new Familiar. Now, however, it is pretty clear you don''t have much experience. Volztain started a war against our country, and you want to save his life? He will come back later for revenge for his friends, and that will mean the possible death of more of our people. Do not get in my way again, or I will crack this Core of yours."


    Linfel shook his head. "There is no need. He is gone."


    Nayala was taken aback and turned her attention to the soldier on the ground. He stopped breathing... "Fucking lucky guy. He went easier than I wanted."


    *Brumm...*


    Alvin, Kafril, and Connor arrived by Nayala and Linfel''s side a moment later. They brought the bike from the second guy who had died. "Senior Nayala, what now?"


    Nayala glanced at Linfel for a moment, her doubts increasing. Nonetheless, she cast those thoughts aside and pointed at the other bike on the ground. "Two of you, take the other bike and hope on. You can drive Magic Bikes, right?"


    Connor raised his hand. "I can. My father has one, and I often played with it. I don''t know about Alvin and Kafril, though."


    Kafril and Alvin looked at each other and quickly shook their heads. Neither of them had driven a bike for sure. "We can try to learn... perhaps?"


    "No," Nayala quickly gave up the idea. "Alvin, come with me. Kafril, you and Connor use the other bike and follow me. The terrain is hard to maneuver, but these bikes are made to travel in such places. Just be careful and should be able to stay close. In any case, two bikes are harder to notice than three."


    A moment later, she exchanged the ammunition on the weapon by taking the other dead guy''s one. She raised it a moment later and pressed the trigger to test. However, the weapon didn''t shoot. "Hum? Why did it stop working? Didn''t you alter its system?"


    Linfel shook his head. "Not really. I just used a loophole. If you want the weapon to work, I will have to keep myself attached to it."


    Alvin and Felia glanced at him. It was obvious Linfel had copied the Soul Waves and Magic Energy from the dead guy. They knew Linfel could connect to anyone, but it seemed like Linfel could even copy Magic Energy Signatures, which they had never heard about.


    "Forget it," Nayala threw the weapon to Alvin on her back. "Hold it in case I need it later. Connor, follow me."


    *Brumm!!!*


    Immediately, the two bikes dashed out of there. Since they were located earlier, it might happen again. No one knows if the Volztain Country had sent reinforcements to those three who died, either. They couldn''t stay there for long.


    "Senior Nayala," Kafril called her attention from Connor''s bike. "Don''t these Magic Bikes have trackers as well? Is it really wise to use them?"


    Nayala nodded. "They probably have, but they are also our best chance. Considering there is so much going on, it will be hard to pay attention to just two bikes moving out. With some luck, we can reach Fort Jukis, where part of the army on the Volztain Borders is located not far from here. The only doubt is how things are going on there."


    "You mean, they might already have been wiped out?" Connor asked nervously.


    Nayala didn''t try to hide. "This attack was too sudden and without warning. Usually, such events do end with the first lines of defense being taken down quickly due to the element of surprise."


    "In that case, shouldn''t we ignore the Fort Jukis and simply take an even further path and go straight to the back?" Linfel asked.


    "It is still our best chance," Nayala explained. "These guys who attacked us were obviously scouts sent further ahead to check the terrain. Otherwise, there would have been more of them. That means Fort Jukis is most likely still there. If it has been taken, well, we will have to abandon the bikes and think about something else."


    And so, they drove through the night while Nayala guided them. She did not try to take a longer path this time, though. If he went too far away, the trackers on the bikes would stand out in the enemies'' radars like beacons. The less they caught anyone''s attention, the better.


    Fortunately, they were indeed lucky enough to reach Fort Jukis. It''s just that when they arrived, they saw hundreds of airships fighting in the air while the ground armies prepared to receive the enemy not too far behind.


    "Halt!" Suddenly, several soldiers came out of the dark, pointing their weapons at Nayala''s group.


    However, Nayala quickly noticed their uniform and, especially a man leading that group. "Wait, Haffard, it is me, Nayala!"


    "Everyone, hold your fire!" The man quickly shouted and came running forward. "Holy shit, Nayala! You are still alive!" He quickly looked to the side and saw Linfel''s group. "Oh, right! You were tasked to guide the kids in that academy task or whatever. Is it them?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Some of them, at least..." Nayala sighed in relief and came out of her bike. "We need to send them away. This is not a place for kids."


    Haffard nodded. "Come with me." He then looked back to his soldiers. "Clarion, you take the command and continue the patrol. I''ll be right back after leaving them in the base."


    "Understood!" Clarion didn''t waste time and brought the soldiers away.


    Around thirty minutes later, their group finally entered Fort Jukis.

 Chapter 58 - 58: Return

    Haffard took his MCOM to pass some information before turning to Nayala once again. "Alright, Nayala, the commander is calling you over. He wants to know more about the situation closer to the border."


    Nayala didn''t mind. "Understood. What about them?"


    Haffard looked at Linfel and the others and nodded. "We are sending them to Sky Island. That''s where they were supposed to be in the first place after finishing the Field Exam."


    Nayala narrowed her eyes. Linfel''s abilities filled her with doubts, especially the fact that he seemed to be able to override the Magic Energy Signature locks somehow. "I think-"


    "Oh!" Haffard suddenly noticed something. "There is a special mention regarding Linfel, Alvin, and Felia. Anything any of these three did must not be mentioned or questioned. Seems like it is an order coming from high up." Haffard found it weird, but he wouldn''t question the order coming from higher up.


    Alvin, Felia, and Linfel definitely knew very well what it was. Xalafel had a huge influence and was even considered a hero, so it was most likely him who added it to their information.


    Nayala felt relieved after hearing that, though. Her worries were that perhaps Linfel had some secret that she should have investigated. However, after hearing about Linfel''s group''s special status, it became clear to her that the higher-ups knew about it. In that case, it was not her place to discuss that.


    "Senior Nayala, thank you for saving our lives," Alvin quickly bowed to her.


    Connor and Kafril did the same. Without her, they would definitely have died by now.


    Nayala shook her head. "It was a team effort. I know it was very stressful, but it will be something that will help you greatly in the future. Besides, Linfel was also one of the main contributors here. The only reason we didn''t die in both attacks was his presence. In any case, it seems like I can''t talk much about it.


    We will part ways here. If fate allows, we shall meet again." And with that, she left.


    Haffard had his doubts about what he heard. Nonetheless, he didn''t ask and brought Linfel''s group to the airship landing site. There were many airships fighting in the sky, but that was just the start. They had to send Alvin''s group out fast before things got worse.


    ---


    The airship took some detours to avoid battle and only arrived on Sky Island three hours later. It didn''t stay there for long, though. As soon as Linfel''s group came out, it took flight and went back to Fort Jukis.


    On the Sky Island, Linfel and the others were brought to a room deep within the buildings. There, they saw several other Maguses and Familiars.


    "It''s the guys who failed the mission early," Linfel commented. He recognized some of those who were taken away by the Yellow Lights in his group during the Field Exam.


    Alvin looked around and bitterly smiled. "None of the students who finished the test with us are here, it seems."


    Kafril sighed and touched Connor and Alvin''s shoulders. "Perhaps we are just the first ones. Who knows? There might be more coming later."


    Kafril was with them on their journey back, so in the airship to Sky Island, he finally couldn''t keep quiet and asked about Linfel. Alvin didn''t speak much, though. It only mentioned his trio was special and that the Academy Principal Xalafel was aware of it. Unfortunately, he couldn''t comment more than that. Kafril had his doubts.


    Nonetheless, it was thanks to Linfel''s actions that he was alive now, so he didn''t force the issue.


    Well, truth be told, Xalafel knew nothing about Linfel being able to control someone else''s Magic Channels and the capability to copy their Magic Energy Signatures. He only knew about the double Master Familiar Connection. By luck, Linfel''s extra perks would now be kept secret since Nayala and Kafril think Xalafell knew everything.


    "What do we do now? We simply wait?" Connor couldn''t help but ask.


    "Seems like it," Alvin nodded.


    "I just want to go back to the Academy already," Connor had enough already.


    "Go back?" Linfel shook his head. "Didn''t you hear from the soldiers? Our Heffal Country is being attacked from all sides. It is a coalition alliance. There is no way they will let any Magus capable of fighting to stay out. The survival of the country is at stake here."


    "What?!" Connor, Kafril, and Alvin were taken aback. They hadn''t thought about it.


    Linfel then landed with his Core on a corner and reduced his output of Magic Energy. "Anyway, you three should rest for now. We will be certain soon."


    Alvin and the others looked at each other and nodded. Kafril didn''t stay with their group, though. He noticed some classmates in another corner of the room and bid his farewell there, leaving Alvin and Linfel''s group alone.


    Connor laid his back against the wall near Alvin and spoke with his Magic Energy so that only Alvin would hear. ''I knew about your Double Master Familiar Connection, but Linfel''s abilities during this time were completely different. What is happening here? Does Xalafell know?''


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. ''No. After all, even I didn''t know he could do it.''


    Connor already expected that answer. He saw how shocked Alvin looked when Linfel did those things. ''Say, Alvin. Tell me the truth. What exactly is Linfel? Those abilities of his couldn''t possibly have appeared because of some different parameters during his creation.''


    Linfel approached Alvin. Little did Alvin and Connor know, but it was quite easy for him to feel the Magic Energy and hear Connor''s words with his Magic Energy sensibility. ''Alvin, say whatever you want. I don''t mind.''


    ''You can hear me?'' Connor was taken aback.


    Alvin felt even more helpless. The more he knew Linfel, the more it looked like he had endless abilities. ''Connor, for now, what I can tell you is that Linfel isn''t really my Familiar.''


    ''He''s not yours?'' Connor felt like he was struck by lightning. ''B-But! The Master Familiar Connection...'' S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin smiled at Connor. ''You trust me, don''t you?''


    ''Well, yes, but...'' Connor had his doubts.


    ''Then let''s leave at it,'' Alvin stopped him. ''You should know what kind of chaos such information would cause if it was revealed.''


    Obviously, Connor could imagine. Master Familiar Connection with someone else''s Familiar was unheard of. ''I understand. I guess the Double Master Familiar Connection also has something to do with it, right?''


    ''Yes,'' Alvin didn''t hide it. ''In any case, it will help me a lot if you don''t tell anyone about it.''


    ''Don''t worry,'' Connor patted his chest. ''I will only talk if the offer is high enough.''


    ''Hahaha!'' Alvin and Connor laughed out loud. They truly knew each other quite well.


    Linfel faintly smiled, unconcerned. He had to show his abilities to keep Alvin alive, so even if he was exposed, he wouldn''t have regretted it.


    ---


    A few more Maguses and Familiars from the academy who survived the trip back joined them in the next hours. Nonetheless, it seemed like none of Linfel''s group appeared in the end.


    Later, everyone there was brought to different rooms where they could rest and sleep. Everything in the Sky Island was monitored, so Alvin, Linfel, and Felia couldn''t do their normal training either. With that, the rest of the day passed, and a new morning arrived.


    Alvin checked his new MCOM, which the army gave him after he arrived. "They are asking us to gather in the same room we were yesterday."


    Linfel and Felia nodded. "Let''s go then."


    In the room, the Maguses and Familiars waited for the Sky Island officers to come to address them. Finally, someone entered the room and headed to the center.


    "I hope you all slept well. You will need it," the officer began to talk. "You have all been reassigned. Check your MCOMs and your next destination will be there. You will all join the front lines to help defend our country."


    Alvin and Connor looked at Linfel. ''Just like he said it would be...''


    "Go to the airship landing platforms once you confirm it, and make sure you enter the right airship. Their number is also included in the information in your MCOMs. Once you get to your destination, further instructions will be given."


    Naturally, that information generated an uproar in the room. However, Linfel didn''t even waste time hearing and pulled Alvin, Felia, Connor, and Tratil with him. "Let''s go. Complaints won''t be of any use."


    Alvin and the others nodded. They had talked a lot about it during the last night and knew Linfel was right.


    Outside, they checked their MCOMs and found out that they were being assigned to different places. Connor and Tratil were to go to the border with Xanzion on the west side of the country. As for Linfel, Alvin, and Felia...


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback, checking the information in his MCOM. "We... are to return to the academy!"

 Chapter 59 - 59: So Much Fun

    Connor was surprised to hear that from Alvin, but he could tell why Alvin got such a message. "Seems like the Double Connection is truly highly regarded by principal Xalafel..."


    Alvin agreed with him. "Indeed. I''m only a Level One Magus. There is no way I wouldn''t be sent to the frontlines if not for this. Still, that means I have to..." Alvin didn''t complete his words as he looked at Connor.


    Connor just smiled and put his arm over Alvin''s shoulders. "Stop the bullshit. It is not like I''m going there to die, you know? Don''t say things that will jinx it."


    "Very well," Alvin smiled and didn''t persist.


    A few minutes later, Connor took another Airship with many other Maguses, including some from the Academy. Alvin looked around and could see that even more of the Academy''s Maguses and Familiars were entering other Airships with the soldiers and their Familiars.


    In the end, he sighed and looked at the information regarding his departure. After finding his Airship, he entered it with Linfel and Felia. Still, he quickly noticed there were a few more students from the Academy there as well. This Airship was going back to the Academy, so these people were being sent back as well.


    "All Classes Rank A and B Students and Familiars," Linfel commented.


    "Really?" Alvin looked back at Linfel.


    Felia understood why. "You know how it works, master. Most of the students in Classes Rank A and B have deep backgrounds with very strong Maguses and Familiars."


    "I see..." Alvin didn''t need to hear more than that.


    Since a war started, that means the top experts and organizations of the country will have to play accordingly. These same players obviously are guaranteed some advantages. For example, for them to agree to fight, they can force the country to accept their requests and have their children not take part in it. In that case, if they die, they will have their descendants to take over.


    Simply put, the only students of the Academy who will be sent to the war are those without much importance.


    Alvin didn''t say anything and sat on one of the empty seats. In this situation, it was obvious that all the soldiers in Sky Island would stay. So, the airship was pretty much empty. Not long after that, the Airship took flight and headed back to the city.


    Arriving at the city, Linfel noticed many airships heading out and arriving at the academy nonstop. The ones that arrived were always empty, while the ones that left were full. With a coalition of three countries attacking Heffal, there was no way they could hold back. Heffal had to call all its Maguses and Familiars, regardless of how young they were.


    Linfel''s group left the Airship and headed into the academy. As for the other students that came with them, they turned around and headed out of the academy. Many vehicles were waiting for them, all sent by their families or organizations.


    Sometime later, Alvin, Felia, and Linfel arrived back in Xalafel''s office. Xalafel wasn''t there, though. The one in charge at that moment was Litivia, the vice-principal. "Sigh... you are finally back. That is good, that is good..."


    "Where is Principal Xalafel?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask.


    "Where else?" Litivia answered as she got up from her chair. "He was sent to fight in the war as well. He is one of the few Level Five Maguses of the country, after all. Meanwhile, I was put in charge of the affairs of the Academy. Well, there isn''t much for me to do now, though. Pretty much all the students have been drafted, with only a few with enough connections sent home."


    "Yes, we saw it on the way here. The Academy is getting very empty," Linfel spoke. "Anyway, let''s get to business. What are we supposed to do?"


    Litivia shrugged. "It is very simple. You are to stay in the academy until everything is over."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "So we are hiding?"


    "Yes," Litivia didn''t deny it. "You can use Double Master Familiar Connection. Before we have more information regarding it and can use you in the competition in the future, we can''t afford to lose you."


    "Master, it is great!" Felia cheered. "You don''t like to fight or get in dangerous situations anyway. This is perfect."


    Linfel agreed. "She is right. For once, you will get your wish and won''t be forced to take part in anything dangerous. I can already imagine how happy you are."


    "I..." Alvin was taken aback. Indeed, he was just like Connor. They did all they could to not get involved in anything that could be dangerous. Shouldn''t it be exactly what he wants? "I understand..."


    Litivia smiled, although she didn''t look that happy. How could she? It was war, after all. "Good. It is all bad news for you, though. Now that the country is being changed into a war machine, many restrictions have been lifted.


    I will be able to provide you with as many Magic Energy Stones as you need with the pretext of using them for the war. Make good use of them to train and increase your level."


    Linfel was obviously happy to hear that. "Great! Please find us Red Magic Stones. Can you?"


    "I already sent a hundred to your room earlier," Litivia already expected that. "Use as you see fit. Also, the academy is getting quite empty, so all the facilities are available for use. There is no need for you to pay anything."


    "Thanks," Alvin spoke, still somewhat lost. "Senior Litivia, can you help me with my father? Would be okay to bring him to the academy?"


    "I will arrange that he is brought to live with you here for the time being," Litivia had to keep Alvin and his Familiars safe, so allowing Alvin''s father to stay would be another guarantee Alvin wouldn''t try to leave.


    They spoke for a while longer, and Alvin was finally allowed to return to his room. There, he saw a box in front of his room. It was the type that sealed Magic Energy inside. Checking the contents, he felt the brimming Magic Energy coming out and the red color. They were all Low-Grade Red Magic Stones, which would be considered a dream to someone like Alvin.


    Alvin entered the room with Linfel and Felia and sat on his bed. Even the Magic Stones didn''t seem to improve his mood.


    "Master, are you worried about Connor?" Felia asked.


    Alvin nodded. "That''s for sure... but it is not just that."


    Linfel took several of the Red Magic Energy stones inside the box excitedly. "Hahaha! So much Magic Energy. Let''s go! We will start our training straight away."


    Alvin looked at him, not liking his behavior. "Doesn''t the war bother you at all?"


    "Nope!" Linfel shook his head. "Compared to what Horan made me go through, a war of such a small scale is not enough for me to be concerned."


    "Small... scale?" Alvin and Felia were taken aback.


    Linfel thought about the past and spoke. "There was once when Horan received the information that the Zaifan Clan got into a war against the Klondaus Sect. Both powers controlled two solar systems close to each other and had trillions of experts. After some point, the resources were not enough for either side, so one of them had to go down."


    Linfel then put the Red Magic Stones around himself, ready to use them. "Horan, that idiot, looked at me and said: Well, they will all be in need of as much Primordial Energy as possible. I guess a Wisp will be a nice snack. I''m sending you to survive on one of the planets affected by the war for a week. Do your best."


    Linfel seemed to get angry just thinking about that. "I couldn''t even argue. He simply grabbed me and left me on a planet called Gogofis. I lost count of how many times I escaped the fate of being captured. By the time I finally survived a week, he came back and laughed at my face and said: ''Hahaha! You seem distressed.


    And here I thought you were having fun.''"


    "Fun? FUN?!" Linfel almost exploded in Alvin''s room. "HIS ASS! I wanted to beat him so badly... Unfortunately, he was still too strong for someone like me. I hope he is still alive!


    I will not forget it! THERE WILL BE PAY BACK!" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and Felia looked at Linfel with weird expressions, causing Linfel to calm down again. "A-Ahem... Anyway, compared to that war he forced me to participate in, this one you guys are going through truly looks like nothing but child''s play."


    "Of course, I''m not saying you shouldn''t care. A war is still a war. Many will die, no doubt," Linfel continued. "If I could, I would prevent it from happening. But, at the same time, this is obviously an opportunity. We should use it well."


    Alvin wondered if Horan, who Linfel spoke about so many times, was truly Linfel''s friend, as he always said. "So I should take this opportunity and train. I understand. I will try to focus on leveling up and nothing else."


    "Hum? What are you talking about?" Linfel looked at him, puzzled.


    Alvin and Felia were even more puzzled. "Didn''t you just say we should use this opportunity?"


    "I did," Linfel nodded with a smile. "What better opportunity to train in real Life and Death situations are there other than wars? We are obviously taking part in it! It will be so much fun!"


    Alvin and Felia were speechless. The wisp had just complained about Horan talking about fun during his time, so how can he say it will be fun now? Something definitely wasn''t right in that wisp''s mind.

 Chapter 60 - 60: Follow Me

    Alvin took a deep breath and asked. "What are your plans?"


    "Master?" Felia looked at Alvin, surprised. Shouldn''t he have refused the idea straight away? After all, he hates danger.


    Linfel faintly smiled and nodded. "So you don''t like the idea of the other students putting their lives at risk while you hide here, uh?"


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. Linfel easily saw through him. "Connor is my brother, so that''s what bothers me the most. I just feel like... I can''t look eye to eye at him once everything is over. The same goes for the other Maguses and Familiars of our academy that were sent out."


    "Master... you truly changed." Felia was happy to hear that, although she was also concerned.


    Linfel then landed on Alvin''s shoulder with his core and spoke. "Just hold on to that feeling; you will need it. Anyway, we won''t stay in the academy for long. One week! We will leave for the one in one week."


    "One week?" Felia and Alvin looked at each other, confused. "Why one week?"


    Linfel laughed but didn''t answer. After that, they started their daily training.


    ---


    A day later, Alvin was in his room with Felia and Linfel when he received a message. He quickly ran outside and headed to the academy''s entrance. There, an old man looked at the academy with deep thoughts. The old man had only come to this place once, and he was not allowed past the entrance, just like now.


    "Father!" Alvin called out inside the academy.


    The old man was obviously Lucau, Alvin''s father. "Oh! You are finally here."


    Alvin smiled and pulled his father''s hand. "We can talk more inside, come."


    "Inside?" Lucau was puzzled. "But I can''t enter."


    "You can now," Alvin showed his MCOM. There, there was an ID on the academy website with Lucau''s information, including his special status.


    "I see..." Lucau nodded and followed Alvin inside. They went to the cafeteria, which was obviously pretty much empty. Nonetheless, the equipment and the workers who weren''t soldiers or maguses were still operating.


    Once there, Alvin asked for some food and they began to talk as they ate. "Father, I asked the academy to allow you to stay here during the duration of the war."


    "So it was really true, uh?" Lucau sighed. "I''ve heard in the news that our neighbors are attacking Haffel together. I was immediately evacuated from the South Sea on the same day and sent further into the country."


    "Yes," Alvin confirmed. "We were in the middle of a field exam when the attack started. We were stranded deep inside the forest and almost died on our way back."


    Alvin then proceeded to speak about the whole event until he finally arrived at the academy. "And now we are here..."


    Lucau narrowed his eyes in doubt. "That doesn''t make sense. If all the Level One Maguses and Familiars and above were sent to the war, why did you return? You are not like those pompous young masters who had the background to escape the drafting..."


    Alvin looked at Linfel, who nodded and spoke while using his Magic Energy so that only Lucau would hear. For the next hour, he spoke about the Double Master Familiar Connection and how the Academy Principal considered it too important. ''In the end, he passed an order that we are to stay in the academy until everything is over.


    Well, we can''t tell if the Heffal Country will survive this attack, though. If not, then Xalafel''s protection won''t be of much use.''


    Lucau was obviously surprised to hear all of that. He knew Linfel was a wisp, but he didn''t expect Linfel''s abilities to have such a repercussion. "You truly are different..." Lucau whispered.


    Later that day, Lucau was brought to Alvin''s room, where they could talk more. "So, Alvin, all we need to do is wait here, right?"


    "For you, that''s correct," Alvin nodded. "As for me, I''m leaving in six days."


    "But didn''t you say you were supposed to stay?" Lucau wondered.


    "I can''t wait, father," Alvin shook his head, though. "Connor and my classmates are all out there. How can I look at them when they come back? No! I must help as well."


    Lucau went silent for a moment before he looked at Alvin''s face. "You changed quite a bit since Linfel appeared. The Alvin I know would never take such risk."


    "Aren''t you angry? I thought you would immediately prohibit me from trying such a thing. I was even expecting you to go out and warn the academy about my plans." Alvin asked back, finding his father''s calm countenance unexpected.


    Lucau obviously didn''t have such plans. "My son is telling me he can''t abandon his friends. Why would I feel angry? Why would I try to stop you? Were I in your shoes, I would have gone as well. However, I do feel worried.


    Do you have a plan to survive?"


    "Leave it to me," Linfel spoke. "I''ve been in such situations before, so I know how to act. I won''t be an idiot and say that I can absolutely guarantee his safety. However, his chances will definitely be better with me around. Besides, it is like I told Alvin, this is an opportunity. Danger is the best method for breakthroughs and improvement." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lucau was still worried, but he could only accept that. "Very well. All I ask you is to make sure you consider your life the main priority. Linfel, you always wanted to pay me for saving you, right? This is how you will pay me, bringing Alvin back alive."


    Linfel was happy to comply. "I will do my best."


    "Thank you, Father." Alvin also felt happy his father understood.


    "Alright," Lucau got up and headed to the door. "I was given the room next to yours to stay during this time, so you can look for me there. I will only get in the way if I continue here. Make sure to tell me when you decide to leave. Felia, I''m also counting on you to keep my son safe."


    "I''ll do that even if I have to lay down my life, old master," Felia patted her chest.


    Lucau''s expression warmed, and he nodded, leaving the room right after.


    "Okay, we can''t waste time. Let''s continue!" Linfel quickly called the two, and they left the room. Since the entire academy was available for them, Linfel ensured he would use this advantage well.


    ---


    Floating Blades Faction...


    One week quickly passed. Linfel, Alvin, and Felia already prepared their plan to leave the academy and knew exactly where they were going. They would go west, the same west where Connor was. But before that, they passed by the Floating Blades Faction one last time.


    "Do you need to do it?" Linfel asked, puzzled.


    Alvin quickly nodded. "They helped us a lot, so I must at least leave some information, don''t you think? Well, people like Milia, Rin, Pamil, and others are most likely confined inside their homes by their families, just like all the other rich guys. I tried to get in contact with them through the MCOMs, but they are all offline."


    Inside the faction, the attendant was still there. After all, the guy wasn''t a magus and received his payment from the members of the Floating Blades Faction. He had to keep the equipment in order, and the academy was indeed one of the safest places to be, so why wouldn''t he?


    "Oh! Master Alvin, you are still in the academy?" Droval was surprised to see them there.


    Alvin nodded. "Due to some circumstances, I was requested to stay behind."


    Droval didn''t find it weird. "It is fine. None of our members were sent to the war anyway. All their families recalled them back, and they will most likely stay away for a while."


    ''Hum?'' As Alvin and Droval spoke, Linfel noticed something with his Magic Sense.


    Alvin didn''t continue for long. "Alright, Droval. I only came here to leave a letter in the Faction Leader''s room. I won''t be long." To make sure no one would see, a letter was still the best choice. Besides, he couldn''t contact Pamil through the MCOM anyway.


    "No problem," Droval didn''t mind. "I still have a few things to do, so I''ll take my leave. I''m still being paid, after all. Call me through my MCOM if you need anything. "


    Alvin just smiled and went into the Floating Blades Faction. He only took a minute to reach the room and enter it. The letter was left on the table before they left and made their way out of the Faction... or so Alvin intended to. However, Linfel pulled him over with Felia while speaking into their minds. ''You two, follow me.


    Stay quiet.''


    Alvin and Felia were taken aback for a moment. Nonetheless, they nodded and followed Linfel.


    Alvin and Felia soon noticed they headed into a part of the building they had never been to before. ''What are you looking for, Linfel?''


    They arrived in front of an inconspicuous door at the back of the building. Finally, Linfel opened it, immediately startling the people inside. "Who''s there?!"


    How could Alvin''s group not recognize that voice? It was none other than Pamil, the Faction Leader. "SENIOR PAMIL!" Alvin exclaimed, not expecting to see the guy at all.


    "It''s not only him," Linfel spoke. At the back of the room, Milia, Natalie, and William were also looking at them, surprised.


    Pamil gritted his teeth and quickly pulled Linfel''s group inside before closing the door. "Fuck! Why don''t you speak louder? Then you can call the entire academy over!"


    "What is happening here?" Sure enough, that was the real question there.

 Chapter 61 - 61: Lets Move Out

    "That''s not your problem," Pamil answered with a serious question. "Instead, tell me. Did anyone follow you?"


    Linfel answered that. "Not really. If anyone with Magic Energy in their bodies had got close to us, I would have known. You guys know about my Magic Energy Sensitivity, after all."


    Pamil sighed in relief. "That''s good, that''s good. Go back to your room and pretend you didn''t see us, okay? I''m sure to compensate you later."


    "Wait!" Milia quickly intervened. "How did they find us here?"


    Alvin and Felia pointed at Linfel. "Linfel told us to follow him."


    Linfel shrugged. "I just said, didn''t I? Magic Energy Sensitivity."


    "Oh!" Milia quickly understood. "So he noticed our Magic Energy Energies. That makes sense since our Faction is pretty much empty with or without war."


    Natalie hurried them. "Alright, we don''t have much time. Send them away, and let''s go."


    "Yes," Pamil agreed with her. "Go back, Alvin, Linfel, Felia. We will talk another day."


    Alvin smiled and nodded. "Don''t worry, Senior Pamil. We won''t tell anyone. Oh, by the way, I left you a letter in your office room earlier. Take a look when you find the time."


    "A letter?" Pamil got puzzled. "About what?"


    "You will see," Alvin didn''t elaborate, though. "Now then, I''m going back. I hope we can see each other later."


    Pamil narrowed his eyes but didn''t insist. His group didn''t have much time left. "Alright, I will take a look later. Let''s hope everything ends well."


    Alvin turned around to leave. Yet, as soon as he opened the door, he bumped into Droval. "D-Droval..."


    "Alvin? What are you doing here?" Droval asked, seeming a little nervous.


    "Droval, come in," Pamil quickly pulled Droval as well before speaking to Alvin. "Don''t worry. Droval also knows about our presence. Droval, what do you want?"


    Droval sighed in relief and passed a letter to Pamil. "Well... Alvin left it for you."


    "My letter!" Alvin was taken aback and tried to take it from Droval''s hand.


    *Zush!*


    However, Pamil was even faster and took the letter instead. "What is this?" Since the letter was there, he decided to take a look straight away.


    Droval scratched the back of his head, feeling apologetic. "Sorry, Alvin. Pamil asked me to report everything strange to him, and your letter definitely didn''t seem normal..."


    Pamil ignored that and read the letter. "You..."


    Alvin didn''t know how to explain. "Please, keep quiet about it, okay? I''m going to the west border. My brother, Connor, was drafted there. And yet, I was told to stay in the academy until the war was over. I just can''t stay here and pretend nothing is happening, so I''m going as well."


    Linfel quickly helped. "Pamil, you want us to keep silent about your presence here, so keep silent about our departure, will you?"


    Pamil and the others didn''t look shocked. Instead, they all held weird expressions. "Well, at least he is truly worth being a member of our Floating Blades Faction..."


    "Could it be..." Linfel noticed something.


    Pamil''s group nodded. "We are also making our way to the war frontlines."


    "Why?" Felia found it strange. "You all have strong backgrounds, and your elders are all high-level Maguses and Familiars. They will be fighting or contributing with lots of resources in exchange for keeping you guys out of danger. Isn''t that right? We saw pretty much everyone similar to you being taken back to their homes."


    Milia closed her eyes for a moment. "The same reason as you all. We are all Rank A Students in this academy, and yet we are being sent home. How ridiculous is that? The Academy was forced to send all the lower ranked Students and Familiars. Now, they are there risking their lives while we are back home drinking tea?


    I absolutely can''t accept that, so I hid out before anyone could come to fetch me."


    Pamil and Natalie nodded. "The same goes for the two of us. Still, it took us a while before we secured a route where we could leave the academy without being noticed to make our way to the frontlines."


    Linfel looked at William, the dwarf. "You too?"


    William shook his head, though. "No. My family couldn''t care less whether I go and die in the war or not. I''m like this, I have dwarfism. So they can''t wait just to get rid of me. Still, I want to help Pamil and the others since they don''t mind my problem, so I decided to go with them."


    Linfel narrowed his eyes. He could see such great potential in William with his different Magic Energy Channels; how could his family not see this? "Hmph! It''s their loss."


    The others smiled. They didn''t care about William''s situation. Otherwise, why would they let him join the Floating Blades Faction?


    "Still," Natalie found it strange. "Why would you be forced to stay in the academy. You don''t have a background like us, so you should have been drafted like everyone else, no?"


    Other than Linfel''s group, only Milia and Nori, her Familiar, knew about Alvin''s double MFC. "A few things happened in the last Field Exam that Alvin and I participated in together. Don''t try to pry too much into it, will you?"


    Pamil didn''t expect that answer, especially seeing Milia, the ice queen, covering for someone. "Did he steal your virginity?"


    *Pah!*


    *Ouch!*


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Natalie spoke after slapping Pamil''s back head. She then quickly turned to Milia, expecting her to explode in anger at any moment. Milia always had a short temper, after all. However... she just looked away as a tinge of red appeared on her face. "You can''t be serious..."


    "OF COURSE NOT!" Alvin quickly intervened, not noticing Milia''s reaction at all. "She knows a little secret between me and my Familiars, that''s all."


    Milia nodded slightly, still finding it hard to look at Alvin. "That''s basically it..."


    Nori looked at his Master. It took time before he was fixed, so he missed most of Milia''s interactions with Alvin after the events in the Field Exam. Nonetheless, Nori knew her master better than anyone else. ''Milia, what happened?'' he whispered in her ears, seeing that she was acting in a way he had never seen before.


    ''Nothing...'' Milia didn''t elaborate, though.


    Pamil and Natalie looked at Alvin and Milia several times. Alvin seemed to be acting normal as if he didn''t see anything wrong. However, they also have known Milia for a while, so they definitely noticed that weird reaction.


    Pamil quickly approached Natalie and used his Magic Energy to whisper in her ears. ''I only said that as a joke. Do you think I was right?''


    Natalie wanted to deny it, but she found it hard to do so. ''I wouldn''t go as far as losing her virginity... but something must have happened. It''s just that Alvin himself seems to be oblivious to it all.''


    Felia smiled. Her master was indeed oblivious, but it was becoming more and more obvious to her. ''Could there truly be something there?'' She wondered in her mind.


    Linfel was as clueless as ever, though. "What is the problem? Why the silence?"


    "Ahem!" Natalie stopped there. "Alvin has a secret, and Milia knows it, that''s all. Now then, can we talk about the war?"


    Pamil followed suit. "Yes. Alvin, normally, I wouldn''t allow you to go against the orders you received. Too bad, though. Except for William, we are all going against our orders. I simply don''t have the right to condemn you since I''m doing the same thing."


    Natalie turned her attention to Droval. "Droval, go back to your work and keep an eye open. If anything happens, let us know."


    "Alright," Droval accepted the task and left.


    "How do you intend to leave the Academy without anyone knowing?" William asked Linfel''s group.


    "This..." Alvin was taken aback for a moment.


    Linfel came up with a plan to use someone else''s Magic Energy signature to pass through the checkpoints on the way out. Everyone believed Magic Energy Signatures couldn''t be copied, but Linfel obviously could do so. However, they couldn''t possibly tell Pamil and the others about this ability Linfel has, right?


    "Seems like it is hard to speak," Pamil noticed the conflict on Alvin''s face. "Forget it. Why don''t you come with us, then? We also have a way out and already prepared transportation to the frontlines."


    Alvin pondered a bit and asked. "But I''m going to the west border. Were you planning to go there as well?"


    "Yes," Pamil nodded. "Pretty much all the Maguses and Familiars of our Academy were sent to the West Border, so we obviously are going there too. It is the closest front line, so it makes sense that our Academy was being used there."


    Linfel and Alvin looked at each other and nodded. They must have their own way of leaving, and it wouldn''t require Linfel to use his ability to copy Magic Energy Signatures. That would reduce the risks of his secrets being found. "Please, bring us with you."


    *Beep...*


    Suddenly, a beep went off in the room, and everyone looked at William.


    "It is here. We need to go now," William spoke. "We are truly bringing Alvin, Linfel, and Felia with us, right?"


    "If we don''t, they will move on their own," Pamil shrugged. "I would rather have our members close by than somewhere else."


    "Very well," William spoke and went to the back of the room. There, a secret passage opened, revealing a tunnel. "Let''s move out."


    sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 62 - 62: On The Way

    They all ventured into the tunnel, a hidden passage that appeared remarkably well-preserved.


    "Where does this tunnel lead? It''s unfathomable that the Academy, with its stringent security measures to safeguard the Maguses and Familiars, could be oblivious to such a passage," Alvin pondered, his curiosity piqued.


    "Oh, but they do know about it," Pamil answered straight away. "This isn''t the only one either. Pretty much all factions have these secret exits that allow you to come out in different locations in the city."


    "They do?" Alvin''s voice was tinged with disbelief, his surprise palpable.


    "It makes sense if you think about it," Linfel continued from there. "The academy is a gathering of all future prospects of the country, after all. If, let''s say, a rival country decided to get rid of it. An attack, for example, just like what is happening now. You wouldn''t want your best Maguses and Familiars, which are usually members of the several Factions, to have no where else to run.


    These tunnels make the perfect escape."


    Pamil agreed with Linfel. "He is right. The academy has a lot of security in place to keep things in order. But sometimes, these same security measures might get in the way of an evacuation. That is another reason for these tunnels. There is no risk of them being used to invade the Academy either.


    You can only use the tunnels to leave. You won''t be able to go back through them even if you want to."


    *Clac, Drum, Dram...* Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s this sound?" Felia and the others heard.


    Natalie smiled in response. "Don''t worry. These tunnels are special. They are like a spiderweb, all connected. The routes of the various tunnels change on their own. Once again, security to make sure you can''t use them to access the academy, only leave."


    "Sh! Quiet!" Willian suddenly spoke. He seemed to have noticed something.


    "To our left, five Magic Energy concentrations moving," Linfel mentioned right after. "Judging by their forms, it''s three Maguses and two Familiars."


    Everyone looked at Linfel. "We knew your Magic Energy Sense was ridiculously high, but it seems like we underestimated it..."


    "That doesn''t matter now," Linfel spoke. "Who are they? People from the Academy?"


    Pamil thought for a moment and remembered. "No, they are the maintenance. Someone has to keep all these everchanging tunnels working, right?"


    "Linfel, help us avoid them on our way out," William asked.


    Linfel nodded and guided everyone. The guys Linfel felt didn''t seem to be in a hurry, which confirmed that they were probably just a maintenance team. Finally, they fell too far behind and left Linfel''s Sense Range.


    Around an hour later, they finally saw the end of the tunnel. William took the lead and opened a door. They found themselves on the northwest side of Sastasha City, right by a cliff''s side. Looking back, the door closed, and it was pretty clear it wouldn''t open from the outside like it did from the inside.


    They weren''t the only ones there, though.


    "We have been waiting, you know?" A woman approached William with a smile, seeming to know him.


    William''s expression didn''t change. He simply took out his MCOM and used it for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the woman. "You can check it, Kalana."


    Kalana''s smile brightened even more as she checked her MCOM. "Just as agreed. Come, we have prepared the transportation. Just remember, once we drop you off near the west border, you are on your own."


    "That''s fine." William didn''t mind and called his group to follow him.


    As William mentioned before, his family didn''t care what he did, so he was basically the only one in their Faction who could go in and out of the academy any time he wanted. He had to go and find a way to bring his group to the front lines. Fortunately, he was still someone from an influential family in the city, so he knew a few contacts he could use.


    The use of his MCOM just now was just him paying for the transportation.


    The woman began to run, and Linfel''s group followed close behind. Another two hours passed in a flash, but they eventually arrived at an open field where a fairly rundown airship waited for them. "Come on, get inside."


    On the bridge, Kalana''s two companions were already imputing the commands. It didn''t take long for the airship to take flight and fly in the west border''s direction.


    Kalana looked at one of her people. "How''s the blockade?"


    The guy checked some information on his screen. "It is still fine. We are running the country''s flag, and we are registered as a cargo unit, which isn''t a lie. We are indeed bringing some cargo to deliver there. We can easily pass the checkpoints until we land at Fort Kansas."


    Kalana nodded and passed her orders. "Land somewhere else before we enter Fort Cansas'' detection range. Our friends will be on their own from there."


    "Understood!"


    The airship wasn''t anywhere as fast as the ones used by the academy to transport the students to the field exams. Because of that, it still took them almost six hours to reach their destination once they passed all the checkpoints. Finally, the airship landed on another open patch in a remote region of the west side of the country, allowing Linfel and the others to come out.


    But before that, Kalanda passed them a few cards. "I''m always open for business. If you need transportation again, call this number."


    "You just want to rip us off, that is," William complained. The price he had to pay wasn''t something he could come up with easily.


    "Like I said, business. Hahaha!" Kalana then returned to her airship, and they took off, disappearing in the distance a few moments later.


    "So, this is it, guys," Pamil spoke to everyone. "At the moment, we are in the Trolia Region. The front lines we can reach from here are the ones in the Yugislaw, Fonguis, and Qateva. At least that is the information I have."


    "I have one doubt," Linfel spoke. "If we suddenly turn up on the front lines, won''t we be captured by our own country? We weren''t supposed to be there, after all."


    Alvin and Felia also had been wondering that.


    "Don''t worry, we don''t need to hide," Natalie took the chance to give Linfel, Felia, and Alvin a new MCOM each. "A good thing about having connections is that everything can be arranged. In this case, my Uncle is already waiting for us."


    "Your... Uncle?"


    Natalia nodded. "He is a Level Five Magus, commanding his own battalion. He doesn''t approve of our Families'' idea of not allowing the descendants to take part in the battle. For him, the battlefield is the best place to build one''s character. So, I got in contact with him in secret. He has already prepared some fake IDs just to join his forces, so make sure you don''t lose these MCOMs."


    "Oh!" Linfel took a look at the information. "This is pretty good. Are you sure your Uncle won''t denounce us, though?"


    "Hahaha!" Natalie laughed in response. "You clearly don''t know the figure as I do. Trust me on that."


    Natalie then checked her MCOM again. "Pamil, his battalion is in the Yugislaw Region. There are quite a few known faces from the academy there, too, it seems."


    "Can you see the students in there?" Alvin was surprised and quickly asked.


    "Only the students, and that''s because I still have access to the Academy''s Portal in my MCOM," Natalie explained.


    Alvin didn''t waste time. "Please, can you check where I can find Connor?"


    "Connor?" Natalie pondered a bit. "Oh! That friend of yours that visited our Faction with you the first time, right? What''s his student ID?"


    Alvin quickly provided it to Natalie so that she could check. After a minute, she found Connor. "Sorry, he is somewhere in the Wateva Region. That''s all I can tell. Which battalion or specific location, however, I don''t know."


    Alvin took a deep breath and nodded. "Then I guess we will part ways here. I came to fight with my brother, so I can''t just go to your Uncle''s group."


    "The MCOMs I gave you won''t be of any use other than my Uncle''s battalion, you know?" Natalie quickly warned him.


    Linfel smiled, not concerned at all. "Don''t worry. Don''t forget that our initial plan didn''t include you guys. We have our own way of not being identified when we get there."


    Pamil, William, and Natalie looked at each other and nodded before looking back at Linfel''s group. "Then we wish you luck. Make sure you survive." It was not their place to tell what Linfel and his group could or could not do.


    Alvin smiled and opened the MCOM. It at least had the map of the regions around, prepared by Natalie''s Uncle, so it would be useful. "I wish you guys luck too."


    Yet, just as Linfel was about to leave with Alvin and Felia...


    "I''m going with him."


    Milia joined his side, much to everyone''s surprise.

 Chapter 63 - 63: What Really Happened?

    "With him? Why?" Pamil didn''t understand.


    "He is our newest member, isn''t he?" Milia answered while looking away. "I need to make sure he doesn''t die, or others will think we don''t treat our members well. It is already hard as it is to find Maguses who prefer to give their Familiars the option to go independent."


    Pamil and Natalie narrowed their eyes. Sure, Milia''s reasoning seemed flawless... but that was Milia! The Ice Queen! She couldn''t care less about such things. It''s not that she wouldn''t help her faction members, but the way others saw her or the faction mattered little to her.


    Milia glanced at Alvin a little and looked away a few times while she waited to see what Pamil and the others would say.


    Natalie, however, noticed that and smiled, quickly approaching Milia''s ear. ''You don''t give a shit to what others think. But...'' She then glanced at Alvin, who seemed completely clueless. ''I approve him. He is not bad. Just make sure you tell me everything next time.''


    Milia''s expression went completely red. "You are mistaken!"


    "Of course I am! Hahaha!" Natalie jumped back while laughing. "Pamil, William, let''s go. Alvin is in good hands."


    "Eh?" Pamil and William were lost. "Is that really okay?"


    "That''s perfect!" Natalie pulled the two away, not giving them a chance to complain. "What are we if we can''t even support our members, right? Trust them! Let''s go! Hahaha!"


    Linfel looked at that without understanding it very well. "What was all that about?"


    Alvin shook his head in response. "You tell me..." Right after, he looked back at Milia and Nori. "Are you two sure? I mean, I don''t want to drag you two down."


    Milia calmed down from Natalie''s comments and nodded as she returned to her cold self. "It is fine. Like I said, it will be bad for our Faction if others find out we don''t help our new members." She still couldn''t look directly at him, though.


    Alvin and Linfel looked at each other and decided to forget it. "Since you say so..."


    Following that, Alvin took a look at the MCOM and opened the map. "Alright, if we run all the way while using Magic Energy, we should get to Wateva Region Frontlines in a few hours. Is that fine, Lady Milia?"


    ''Milia...'' Milia turned her head around and murmured.


    "Sorry?" Alvin didn''t hear well, though.


    "Call me Milia!" Milia turned back to Alvin, trying to look at him this time. "What if we are in a fight and need to communicate? Are you going to call me Lady Milia every time? Every second could be the difference between life and death, so give up the Lady thing."


    "Oh!" Linfel nodded in understanding. "That is true. Milia it is, then."


    Alvin wasn''t as comfortable as Linfel, though. "A-Ahem... M-Mi-Milia..."


    Felia felt like laughing right there and then, seeming to be the only one who really understood the situation there. As Alvin''s Familiar, she had to be truthful with him all the time and tell everything she knew. However, in this one case, she decided to stay silent. ''This is something you have to do yourself, Master.''


    Milia showed a faint smile, but it quickly disappeared. "Good, A-Alvin. Now, let''s go!"


    Milia quickly dashed ahead, quickly being followed by Linfel and the others.


    As they ran through the terrain, Nori looked at Alvin behind with a cold expression. Then, he looked at Linfel and Felia before using his Magic Energy to speak with them only. ''You better keep your Master very far from my Milia.''


    Linfel was taken aback. ''What are you talking about? She was the one who asked to come with us, you know?''


    ''Linfel, leave it to me,'' Felia took the lead and used her Magic Energy to answer Nori. Poor Linfel was excluded from the conversation instantly. ''There is no point in telling Linfel or even my Master about it. Neither of them have noticed anything. If you want to talk, talk to me.''


    ''Hmph!'' Nori didn''t mind. ''So be it. I warned you. Keep this guy far away from my Master.''


    ''She is not your Master. You are independent, did you forget?'' Felia answered with a smile. ''That said, you have no say in her decisions, let alone in my master''s decisions. If the two get along, so be it.'' S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''As if I would let a weakling like him take advantage of Milia!'' Nori was determined to not let this go through.


    Felia''s expression changed into a sad one. ''Oh, such an ingrate Familiar. If your Master just knew it...''


    ''What?! What are you talking about?'' Nori felt something wasn''t right.


    Felia pointed at Alvin. ''Who do you think saved both Milia and YOU during the last exam? It was none other than MY MASTER! You two are only alive because HE put his life at risk to stone that Green Snake. Oh, right! A certain someone broke as soon as he blocked the Green Snake''s first attack, so he became an extra burden for my Master to save as well.''


    Back when the Green Snake attacked Alvin and Milia, Milia had used Nori in his sword form to block its attack. However, the Level Four Magic Beast was too strong, so Nori was damaged and lost consciousness. In the end, it was Linfel, Felia, and Alvin who saved Milia and Nori before Xalafel appeared to finish the Green Snake. It all happened during Alvin''s first Field Exam.


    However, because Linfel used Double Master Familiar Connection, Xalafel ordered that the information was not supposed to be shared. In the end, Milia only told Nori that principal Xalafel appeared at the last moment and saved them. It wasn''t that Milia didn''t trust Nori. If anything, Milia trusted Nori more than anyone else.


    It''s just that Milia also didn''t want to cause trouble for Alvin, so she never told Nori the full story.


    ''You lying! It was Principal Xalafel who saved us!'' Nori, obviously, didn''t believe it.


    ''That is also true,'' Felia didn''t deny that. ''But who do you think kept you and Milia alive until he arrived? My master truly almost died, and that''s how you repay him? How many Level One Maguses out there do you know would throw themselves in front of a Level Four Magic Beast just to save someone else? Hmph! If you don''t believe me, ask Milia yourself!''


    Nori ended his conversation with Felia and returned to Milia''s side.


    Meanwhile, Alvin asked Felia. "I''m not blind, you know? What were you and Milia''s Familiar talking about?"


    Felia smiled. "Oh! We were talking about Master''s marriage with Milia."


    *Pan!*


    Alvin immediately tripped and almost fell with his face on the ground, but he recovered before that and continued to run. ''What the hell are you talking about? There is no way such a thing would happen!''


    ''So you two are going to marry, after all!'' Linfel nodded, satisfied. ''She has a great DNA. Your descendants are bound to be good.''


    Alvin wanted to cry already. ''Shut up, you two! This is not time for jokes.''


    ''Master, you obviously took a liking for the girl... as did most men around your age in the academy. But that doesn''t mean you need to give up,'' Felia insisted.


    ''You said it yourself... She has countless prospects to choose from, so why would she even look in my direction? I''m a nobody! Now, let''s forget about it and focus on the reason we came here.'' Alvin obviously wasn''t that confident.


    Felia, however, smiled in response. ''Well, you never know, Master. We will be on a long trip together. Couldn''t some feelings take root, perhaps?''


    ''Alvin!'' Linfel suddenly shouted in Alvin''s mind. ''Don''t forget! As long as you are breathing, there is a chance! You can''t give up the idea of reproducing with her. I will give you my support!''


    ''Can you fucking forget about the reproduction thing?!'' Alvin and Felia tried to grab the wisp to give him a beating. Linfel, obviously, was much faster than them and didn''t give the two a chance.


    ''Stop running!''


    ''Like hell I will!''


    Milia glanced behind and saw Linfel, Felia, and Alvin acting all weird. For some reason, Alvin''s group was always like that, which she couldn''t help but smile and find funny.


    ''Ahem... Milia.'' Looking at Milia''s rare smile, Nori finally had the courage to ask. ''What really happened when we were attacked by the Green Snake?''

 Chapter 64 - 64: 67th Platoon

    Milia was surprised by the question, although she did notice Nori seemed to be talking with his Magic Energy earlier. ''So that''s what you were talking to their group. How much have they told you?''


    ''That Alvin saved our lives?'' Nori made it simple. ''Is that true? Why did you keep it secret from me?''


    Milia pondered a bit. It seemed like they didn''t tell Nori about the Double Master Connection Alvin, Felia, and Linfel could do. However, she didn''t intend to hide it all now that Nori was told part of the story. ''It went like this...''


    A few minutes later, Nori turned back to Alvin, who was still puzzled about why Nori kept looking at him. Finally, Nori pointed at him and spoke loudly. "I''m not ungrateful. Thanks for saving me and, especially, Milia. However, I still don''t like you!"


    "Eh?" Alvin didn''t know what to say about it. "You''re welcome... I guess? I don''t understand why you said that next part, though. Did I do something wrong?"


    Nori nodded with a solemn expression. "What Milia is- MmmMhmhmmhmmm..."


    Milia instantly grabbed Nori''s Core and prevented him from speaking any further. "Ignore Nori. He is a little stressed about what we are doing. You know... he didn''t want me to come to join the frontlines. That''s all."


    "Oh!" Alvin and Linfel nodded together. "That makes sense."


    Nori glanced at Milia while speaking with his Magic Energy so that only she could hear. ''Milia, I''m not blind! So what if he saved us? He is not worth it!''


    ''I don''t know what you are talking about.'' Milia was still in denial, though.


    ''Hmph!'' Nori didn''t insist. ''That better be the case.''


    Linfel''s group continued to run for several hours. By the time they arrived at Wateva Region, the sun was already going down. Nonetheless, they didn''t stop and made their way straight for the Forhu Army, the army that was stationed there.


    "Stop!" Suddenly, Linfel spoke to their group, who knew better than to ignore Linfel''s Magic Energy Sense.


    Following that, a few soldiers appeared. Some of them were Mguses and their Familiars while the others were normal people.


    "Surrender now or we will attack," spoke one of them while the others pointed their weapons at Linfel''s group.


    "We surrender," Linfel spoke. "However, we aren''t the enemy. We found out about the war while we were on an academy task nearby. It took some time, but we managed to get here once that was over. I can see the emblems on your uniforms. You are members of the Forhu Army, right?


    We would like to join the fight. We are also students from the Magus Academy in Sastasha City."


    "From Sastasha? We did indeed receive a lot of your students who are fighting now. Why didn''t you come with the other students in the airships?" The guy obviously had his doubts.


    "Because we weren''t at the academy when the draft happened," Linfel explained. "Anyway, please check our identities, and you will see we are not lying." Following that, Linfel tossed an MCOM to the guy in front.


    Once again, Linfel used his ability to copy Magic Energy Signatures to pose as someone else.


    The man quickly checked the MCOM and confirmed it was indeed an MCOM that you could only acquire at Sastasha Academy. Nonetheless, he took a small device out and asked Linfel to come forward. "Fifob, right? Use your Magic Energy on the device so I can confirm the information on the MCOM you gave me."


    Linfel smiled and filled the device with his Magic Energy. Not long after, the information of a Familiar called Fifob appeared on the device''s screen, confirming the Familiar was truly who he was saying to be. However, that wouldn''t be enough to convince the scout. What truly convinced the guy was the information attached to Fifob.


    "No wonder you only got here now. You were lucky to have been assigned a mission to the Coludam Waterfalls Magic Beast Region." The guy raised his hand, and all the other soldiers around lowered their weapons.


    As Linfel had mentioned, his group had prepared beforehand to join the army. Linfel did it by using his ability to copy the Magic Energy Signature. To make it more credible, Linfel used the Magic Energy Signature of one of the Rank B Familiars. Not only that, but he also used Fifob''s Magic Energy Signature to apply to an Academy Task to the Coludam Waterfalls.


    One might think, but what about the real Fifob? Well, turns out Fifob was one of those Familiars without emotions that only followed his masters'' orders. Linfel chose this specific familiar because he knew his Master wouldn''t take part in the war. Fifob''s Master was like most of the students in the Rank A and B classes.


    He had the necessary background to avoid the war since his elders or organization paid for it.


    So, unless the real Fifob, who only moved at his master''s orders, suddenly decided to get an MCOM and check his own information, no one would ever notice there was another ''Fifob'' taking part in the war. All Linfel had to do was add Milia and Nori to the information he showed in the MCOM.


    "Alright, Suan, come here," the scout ordered while he used his MCOM to pass a message to his superiors.


    "Here, sir!" Suan, one of the soldiers, quickly got close. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bring these guys to the second battalion. They can register there. The rest of you, come with me. We still have a lot of terrain to cover," the guy then put Linfel''s group to the back of his mind and left with his companions, leaving only Suan behind.


    "You heard the captain. Come with me," Suan took the front and began to run to the so-called second battalion. "Still, the waterfalls Magic Beast territory? You academy students are quite crazy. Be happy you made your way here."


    Alvin approached and nodded. "We sure were. We heard about the first strike from the Xanzion Country forces. It was unexpected and generated a lot of casualties. Nonetheless, as you can imagine, we were told to come here once our task was over. There was a problem, though...


    There were no more airships available."


    "Obviously," Suan nodded, already expecting that. "With the sudden strike from the coalition, all the resources were redirected to the war straight away. There was no way you would get an airship to fetch you to the Coludam Waterfalls at such a time."


    Linfel took the chance to ask. "By the way, friend. We heard a friend of ours, a guy called Connor Triglan, was also sent to the west borders like us. Do you know if we can find him?"


    "Sorry, but I''m not exactly free to go around and ask for names," Suan shook his head. "You can inquire once you get to the second Batallion, though."


    "Alright, thank you," Alvin sighed.


    Milia was still puzzled, so she asked Linfel through Magic Energy. ''How did you do that? I know Fifob and his master, and you and Alvin definitely aren''t them.''


    Linfel faintly smiled. ''I told you, didn''t I? We had our methods.''


    ''But that was a Magic Energy Signature!'' Nori spoke on the side. ''Wait, did you hack the system back at the academy and swap your information? No, that is not possible... You... You have some insiders on the academy board, right? You asked these contacts of yours to alter the information about your group.''


    In the end, Nori didn''t consider even for a second that Linfel might have just copied someone''s Magic Energy signature. In fact, even Milia believed that to be the case, as she also fixed her eyes on Linfel. She always found Linfel to be too weird.


    Linfel pondered a bit and smiled at them. ''Sorry, that is Alvin and my little secret.''


    Neither Nori nor Milia liked that, so they made a mental note to investigate it once they returned to the academy.


    ---


    The second battalion wasn''t much further since there were scouts around this area. It only took around an hour for their group to arrive there. Suan passed his identification forward and brought Linfel''s group in, quickly delivering their group to the registration booth. "Alright, you can be assigned here. I need to go back to my companions, so I bid you farewell here. Good luck."


    "Thank you, Suan," Alvin spoke.


    Linfel and the others entered the booth, which was quite empty.


    "Hum?" One of the soldiers registering everyone was puzzled when he saw their group. "The next batch of soldiers was supposed to arrive in two hours. How come you are here already? And where is the rest?"


    "Sorry, sir." Alvin shook his head. "We are students from Sastasha City Magus Academy." He then proceeded to tell the same lie as before... which became the truth with Linfel''s little help.


    "Well, you are all pretty young indeed," the soldier said as he checked the MCOM. After nodding, he went to a box and took another five MCOMs from inside. Three made for Familiars, and two for Maguses. "Wear those. You can use your Magic Energy Signature to bind the MCOMs to yourself. You can check your assignment through it as well.


    As for your own MCOMs, you will need to leave them here. That''s the army''s rules."


    Alvin, Milia, Felia, and Nori passed their MCOMs to the soldier, except Linfel. Well, it was pretty obvious Linfel wasn''t holding any MCOM anyway. Still, Milia narrowed her eyes as she remembered something. ''Didn''t he have an MCOM a while earlier? Where did it go...?''


    Naturally, it was back inside Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    Still, she quickly shook her head and activated her new MCOM after passing her own MCOM back to the soldier.


    The soldier saw them following his request and nodded. "All MCOMs from you Students and Familiars of Sastasha Academy will be sent back to the academy later. You can take it back once everything is over... if you survive, of course. Now, go away. We are done here."


    Alvin didn''t forget to ask, though. "Sir, I''m also looking for a friend who was drafted in the first batches. His name is Connor Triglan. There shouldn''t be any other students here in Wateva with this name other than him. Would it be possible to locate him?"


    "What do I look like, a detective? The position of all the Maguses and Familiars can only be checked by the higher-ups. Also, you said he was in the first batch, right? The first three days of the war were quite bloody.


    That should be pretty obvious since the war was pushed all the way here to the Wateva Region, which is almost five hundred kilometers away from where the border armies usually are stationed. They truly took us with our guards down. Lots of the maguses from the academies died in these first three days, so I wouldn''t hold much hope he is still around."


    Alvin swallowed hard. "Isn''t there a way to verify?"


    "You can try to talk to the captain of your Platoon. He should have access to the information. I can''t do anything from here. Anyway, I have other things to do, so leave already."


    Their group nodded and left the booth. Alvin activated his MCOM, which only had very basic functions related to the army. You could receive orders, had a map to locate yourself, things like that. "According to what is said here, I''m assigned to the 67th Platoon. Linfel, even though he is independent, is still classified as my Familiar in this MCOM, so he is with me. What about you, Milia?"


    "Same here," Milia confirmed in her MCOM and Nori''s. "Makes sense since we are both students and arrived together."


    Their group walked through the second battalion, looking for their Platoon. "Oh, there it is." Linfel pointed in the distance, and they saw a tent with the number 67 on it. They quickly got inside, but there were only two people there at the moment.


    "Already?" A man who seemed to be in his early thirties approached. "I thought I would receive more members a few hours later with th next batch. Well, even better. I''m Claus, the 67th Platoon commander."


    A woman, the second person in the tent, approached as well. "Already talking about yourself as commander, uh? You have just received that promotion, so don''t get cocky." She turned to Linfel and the others. "I''m Falagita, second in command, not that it has much of a meaning in a small Platoon like ours."


    Alvin was just about to introduce himself. However, it was at that moment all their MCOMs vibrated.


    Without even looking at it, Claus already knew what it was about. "Shit! Already? The next batch isn''t even here yet. Fuck that. Let''s go!"


    "Go where?" Milia asked on the back.


    "Where else? To the frontlines, of course!" Falagita spoke with a serious expression now.


    ---


    Author''s note: We got a contract. :D


    Thank you all! Don''t forget to leave some power stones to help. ;)

 Chapter 65 - 65: Forget It!

    Claus immediately threw a few weapons at Alvin and Milia. "Use your MCOMs to add your ID to the weapons. They will only be able to be used by you. Let''s go."


    *Zush, zush, zush...*


    When they left the tents, three rays of green light passed over their heads, disappearing in the distance. "What was that?"


    Claus began to run as they followed him. "Our battalion has three Level Four Maguses and Familiars; those lights were them."


    "I saw some nice armor on their bodies. Now that I think about it, Principal Xalafel used one as well back then," Linfel thought about it. "Are those armors the reason they can fly?"


    Falagita nodded. "I don''t know much about this Principal Xalafel you talked about, but you were right about your first question. Those armors are the reason they can fly. Forget about acquiring one, though. They are extremely expensive and regulated. Besides, they are useless if you aren''t at Level Four at least."


    Linfel was pretty interested in those, although they wouldn''t be of much use for a Wisp like him. "I see..."


    After a while, they arrived at the gathering field, where various other platoons waited. Naturally, their platoon was pretty empty compared to the others since it hadn''t received its reinforcements yet. No one paid attention to them, though.


    "Stand in line," Claus warned them. "Stay silent and let the commander speak."


    Soon, one of those Level Four Maguses appeared above everyone and spoke in a loud voice. "Xanzion is advancing, so we are moving out. Our battalion will join the 11th and 4th battalions in the Selevas area. Let''s go!"


    Without saying anything else, the man flew away without looking back. The entire battalion moved out instantly with serious expressions.


    As they did, Milia took the chance to ask Claus a few things. "Is this battalion of ours made of Maguses and Familiars only? I don''t see any normal soldiers here."


    "That''s correct," Claus confirmed. "But don''t think we are safer because of it. If anything, we would be a primary target instead. And we are going to the Selevas area, which is very big. The various platoons will be forced to separate to cover the entire extent of that place. We are on our own."


    "But we don''t have a full platoon yet..." Alvin couldn''t help but mention it.


    "Don''t worry, I already checked the assigment," Claus said and showed his MCOM to his group. "We will join a platoon of the 4th battalion once we get there for the time being."


    Linfel and the others nodded and entered a few vehicles that drove away. After no more than a few tens of minutes, Linfel''s group began to hear the sound of explosions while several airships passed above their heads. More of those vehicles with soldiers joined their battalion, all making their way to the same frontline.


    At some point, the vehicles separated into various groups that headed in different directions. Linfel''s own was on the leftmost side of those groups. In the distance, they noticed some small hills with a few trees. It was quite an open area with few places to hide.


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion happened on the right side of Linfel''s group, causing one of the vehicles to break down.


    "Everyone, out now!" Claus shouted and jumped out of the vehicle. Linfel and the others quickly followed Claus, who headed to one of the small hills. After taking cover behind it, more Maguses and Familiars joined them in there.


    "Are you Claus?" One of the Maguses there asked with urgency.


    "That is me!" Claus nodded, showing his ID.


    The man nodded and showed his ID as well. "I''m Tubian, the captain of the 43rd platoon of the 4th battalion. I''m taking the command of your platoon as per the assignment."


    "Yes, sir!" Claus quickly accepted. Orders were absolute.


    Tubian was aware Claus'' platoon had few members already. Otherwise, he would be asked to merge with them for this battle. "Here''s the plan. The enemy forces are mostly concentrated north-northwest from here. The headquarters wants us to attack it from the south with a few other platoons and make our way up."


    "From the south?!" Claus was taken aback. "But that area is completely open. We will be sitting ducks!"


    "Do you think I don''t know that?" Tubian asked back with a dark expression. "Nonetheless, those are our orders. Most likely, we are just a distraction so that the real attack can take the enemy by surprise. Anyway, that''s it. Let''s go."


    Tubian turned around and shot a flare signal upwards. Several other flares filled the sky, signalizing the start of the plan. Immediately, the various platoons moved through the south side of the Selevas area while keeping their distance from each other, just like Claus mentioned earlier.


    Alvin was nervous as he stepped out with Milia and the others. In the next minute, they were already in the open field, which obviously caught the attention of the enemy.


    "Here they come!" Tubian spoke as he looked ahead and to the sky.


    The fire began to rain down on the various platoons while everyone protected themselves with their Magic Energy.


    There was a good thing about a group made solely of Maguses and Familiars. They could create a very sturdy Magic Barrier, and that allowed them to defend against the projectiles as they advanced. Besides, they could move several faster than normal soldiers with their Magic Energy, so they were hard to target properly.


    *Boom!*


    *Ahhhhhh!*


    Unfortunately, the enemy head artillery made to deal with Maguses and Familiars as well. In the first minute, two platoons were hit, causing quite a few casualties. The Maguses and Familiars tried to aim at the shells coming their way before they hit the ground, but it was easier said than done. Nonetheless, everyone continued to advance.


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    "Fuck!"


    The sound of one of the shells came in their direction. It was already dark, and hard to see things coming from the sky. Tubian and his ground all used their Magic Energy to shoot in the sky''s direction, trying to destroy whatever was coming for them.


    *Boom!*


    They didn''t hit the projectile, but it didn''t hit their group either. It fell just a few meters to the side, and their Magic Energy was enough to bar the explosion. Nonetheless, their platoon was forced several meters to the right before they could stabilize.


    "Keep moving!" Tubian shouted and resumed their run.


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    *Ziuuuuu!*


    More explosions came all around while bullets also hit their Magic Energy Barrier nonstop.


    Suddenly, another one headed in their direction, but it was still impossible to see anything. When it finally got close enough to be seen with their eyes, the shell was already in front of them. It was going to easily pierce their Magic Energy Barrier and explode right in the middle of their platoon. There was simply no time to target it and cast any Magic Attack.


    *Boom!*


    However, out of nowhere, a Lightning Bolt left their platoon, striking the artillery shell right in the middle. An explosion of both Fire and Magic Energy spread around, but it was too far to cause trouble to their Magic Energy barrier.


    Tubian and Claus sighed in relief before looking in the direction the Lightning Bolt came from. There, Linfel was connected with Alvin while Felia waited on the side.


    Milia, too, looked at them, surprised. However, she wasn''t surprised by the fact they hit the shell when no one else could see it. Instead, what caught her attention was the Red Magic Energy coming from Alvin and Linfel. ''Since when are they Level Two?''


    There was a reason for Linfel to ask Alvin and Felia to wait one week before coming out. He wanted to use the Red Magic Stones they got to bring Alvin, Felia, and himself to Level Two before departing. His ability to clean the Magic Energy improved a lot as time passed, which made their group''s training even faster.


    On the sixth day after they returned to the academy, Linfel''s group finally reached Level Two together.


    However, one thing made Milia confused. Linfel and Felia were both Familiars. The color of the Magic Energy of a Familiar''s Ethereal body showed what level they were. Both Linfel and Felia were yellow, which should have meant they were still Level One Familiars. And yet, Linfel and Felia both had Red Colors now. ''Did the three of them just level up?


    All three of them at the same time?'' Milia found it hard to believe. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Naturally, similar questions popped on Claus and the others'' heads. It was just that it didn''t matter now.


    "Well done, you two," Tubian spoke.


    Alvin nodded. "Sir, focus on running ahead. Linfel, Felia and I will deal with any artillery shell coming from the skies."


    "Wait, what?!" Tubian and the others were taken aback. They thought Alvin was just lucky enough to have prepared an attack as soon as the shell appeared. That''s why he hit it at the last moment... or so they believed. "Are you saying you can tell when and where the shells will appear?"


    "Yes!" Alvin nodded. "We don''t have time. Let''s keep going."


    Tubian narrowed his eyes. "Gondo, Hetie, Leandro, you three also pay attention to the skies and try to shoot anything coming down."


    "But," Alvin wanted to speak.


    "I know what you said, but I can''t believe you alone. They will be your support," Tubian explained. "Now, let''s get moving."


    Alvin nodded.


    Milia got to Alvin and Linfel''s side and spoke with her Magic Energy. ''It was Linfel again, wasn''t it?''


    Linfel and Alvin faintly smiled. ''Yes.''


    ''Alright, I will also give you my support,'' Milia took a deep breath. There wasn''t enough time for Linfel to speak to her and then to shoot the shells. However, she could simply imitate their movements, and she was very confident in her abilities with Nori''s help.


    The artillery shells were made to deal with Maguses. So, obviously, they were also made with Magic Energy inside. That was basically telling Linfel where they all are located when they enter his Magic Sense Range. Not only that, after Linfel reached Level Two, his Magic Sense increased several times. He had a full picture of the Magic Energy in the surroundings fifty or so meters.


    That''s why he was able to identify the shell and hit it perfectly with Alvin''s help.


    *Boom, boom, boom...*


    As other platoons fell or got their numbers reduced, Tubian was among the few that hadn''t got a single injury yet. Every time one of the shells entered Linfel''s Magic Energy sense, he and Alvin shot it perfectly. Linfel''s Magic Energy Control was indeed flawless.


    The even more impressive thing was that Milia truly managed to follow their movements. She was very talented and could cast her attacks even faster than Alvin. So, with her precision and speed, she managed to release her Magic Energy attacks at the same time as Alvin and Linfel. She wasn''t as perfect as Linfel with Magic Energy control, but she definitely wasn''t bad.


    At some point, Tubian told Gondo, Hetie, and Leandro to simply join the rest of the group that was keeping the Magic Energy Barrier up. If he didn''t believe Alvin and Milia could do it before, now he had absolutely no doubt.


    As they advanced, Tubian looked to his side. "Claus-"


    "Forget it!" Claus instantly cut his words.


    "I haven''t said anything yet," Tubian complained.


    "Hmph!" Yet, Claus was well aware of what Tubian wanted. "They are MY soldiers. Like hell I would give them to you."


    "Tch..." Tubian clicked his tongue. That was indeed what he intended to ask.

 Chapter 66 - 66: In and Out

    "Sir, we are pretty much without Magic Energy already," Leandro informed Tubian on the side. They had been advancing against enemy fire for several minutes already. They were almost there, but because several of the platoons fell, a lot of the enemies shifted their attention to the platoons that survived this far.


    TUbian narrowed his eyes. There were pretty much no covers they could take, and running back would be difficult. "If things turn out bad, separate and retreat to any cover you can find, even if it is hard to find one. Just try to stay alive."


    *BOOM!*


    Suddenly, another explosion sound echoed. However, this time, the sound didn''t come from the shells of artillery coming from the skies. Instead, it came from behind the enemy lines. Several balls of fire rose into the skies, causing pretty much all attacks coming for the platoons, including Linfel''s one, to diminish considerably.


    "What happened?" Alvin asked.


    Tubian and Claus smiled. "Oh yeah, they finally made it in!"


    As mentioned, the plan was to catch the attention of the enemy with their advance. At the same time, another group would circle behind to attack. It was a basic strategy that the enemy was most likely aware of the possibility. Nonetheless, the frontal attack was too dangerous to ignore, so the enemy could only play along.


    There were several casualties on the other side as well. Fortunately, the lack of soldiers from the Xanzion Contry helped the plan work.


    "Forward!" Tubian pointed ahead and ordered his group. Since the number of fires shot in their direction diminished, they had to force their way to not give the enemy any chance.


    "Alvin, Milia, this is it," Claus spoke to his new members. "We are jumping inside, and it will be tight. You will be fighting other humans, just like you. I know it is hard for students like you to fight, but it is your lives on the line. Do not hold back, do not hesitate, understood?"


    Milia and Alvin nodded. Alvin stopped his connection with Linfel and Changed it to Felia so that Linfel could give support from the sides. Milia, too, had Nori take his Fire Sword form and attach himself to her hand.


    "In line, attack!" Finally, they reached the enemy lines, and they jumped in. Naturally, the soldiers from Xanzion Country immediately connected to their own Familiars and retaliated.


    Linfel''s group was the very first one to arrive, so most of the soldiers around focused on them. Fortunately, it helped the remaining platoons to arrive even faster. In the next minutes, over thirty platoons pierced the enemy lines all around, taking the opportunity created by Linfel''s group.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin''s Red Magic Energy created a much harder Spear Fist than he could before. His body flashed while he punched and killed the first enemy. Alvin''s expression was terrible, but thanks to the previous Field Exam, he was at least able to deal with the feeling.


    *Kabrum!*


    A bolt of Lightning enveloped in Fire then hit another soldier on Alvin''s side. The guy didn''t even see when the attack was prepared. He was also a Magus, but it was too fast. Linfel then came from behind Alvin while his Red Magic Energy circulated around his body. Linfel truly knew how to fight in the midst of a crowd. Horan''s training paid off beautifully.


    *Clang, clang, clang...*


    On the side, Milia fought another Level Two Magus, just like her. Her sword, Nori, collided with the guy''s shield. It was easy to see that the shield was also a transformed Familiar connected to his master. However, the difference in talent was just too big. Milia held the advantage until...


    *Zash!*


    *Arrrghhhhh!*


    The arm that was holding the shield was cut off by Milia and Nori. The enemy Magus fell down and only had time to see Milia''s Sword coming from his head. Immediately, he closed his eyes.


    However, the eternal darkness he expected to take him didn''t come. He opened his eyes and saw Nori''s blade right in front of his eyes. The guy could feel the Fire Element inside Nori as Milia held him, but she didn''t finish him off. Instead, Milia''s hands were trembling. She... had never killed anyone in her life.


    *Bzzz...*


    Suddenly, the Familiar, who was in a shield form, returned to his normal form and attacked Milia from the side in that last moment of hesitation.


    "Milia!" Nori shouted to her, waking her.


    Milia instantly jumped away from the Familiar, but an ice icicle had already gone past Nori in her hand and targeted her head. The Familiar was using the rest of his Magic Energy to perform a suicidal attack to take Milia with him and save his master.


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    It didn''t go as the Familiar expected, though. Suddenly, his core stopped and began to crack all over. In the next instant, it broke apart and began to dissipate into specs of blue light. As it disappeared, Milia saw a brown spike falling to the ground. It was an Earth Element attack that Alvin shot at the last moment.


    Milia glanced at Alvin and noticed Linfel''s Core attached to Alvin''s hand as well as Felia''s Glove Form. Linfel used the Double Master Familiar Connection at Alvin''s request at the last moment. Linfel controlled the Magic Energy, while Alvin simply created the spike with Felia''s help.


    "T-That..." The fallen soldier from Xanzion saw that as well. "T-Two Famil-"


    *Puct!*


    He didn''t have the time to speak. That''s because a spear passed through his head from behind. It was Claus, their platoon leader. "What are you all waiting for?! I told you to not hesitate! Let''s go!


    It is not over yet!" Claus completely ignored Linfel, Alvin, and Felia, darting in the direction of the next soldier.


    Linfel quickly separated himself from Alvin so no one else would notice them. As for Alvin, he approached Milia with a worried expression. "Are you alright?"


    Milia nodded slightly as her eyes seemed on the verge of tearing up. "Yes... I will not hesitate again. Sorry for the disappointing you three."


    Alvin shook his head in response. "We are not disappointed."


    Linfel agreed. "If you had truly killed him on your first try without hesitating, you wouldn''t be a human. However, you saw how you almost died just now, and it is far from over."


    Felia continued, remembering when Alvin had to kill for the first time back in the Field Exam. "Master also hesitated, and so did Connor and Kafril, the two other Maguses who were with us in the Field Exam."


    "Master," Nori spoke. "It is fine you hesitated, but you also saw how you almost died. Take this as experience. Next time, you know what to expect, so pierce through it."


    Linfel, Alvin, and Felia nodded. "Nori is right."


    Milia got up from the ground and looked at the dead soldier on her side. She quickly rubbed her eyes and returned to her normal cold expression. "Let''s go!"


    With the enemy''s position being attacked from both sides, the enemy''s defenses quickly crumbled. Milia saw herself fighting another Level Two Magus from Xanzion Country, just like the last time. Victory came easily, but her blade still hesitated for a fraction of a second. She gritted her teeth and pushed it forward, this time getting rid of the enemy.


    A burnt cut severed the enemy''s head before Nori''s blade slashed once again, this time cutting the guy''s Familiar Core in two.


    *Shuff, shuff, shuff!*


    Several Earth Pikes sprouted from the ground, finishing another Magus and his Familiar. It was Felia and Alvin working together while Linfel tried his Red Magic Energy. Without a doubt, Linfel was the most efficient in this battle in their group. Yet, he had the lowest death count. All he cared about getting used to the Red Magic Energy while teaching Alvin and Felia.


    At some point, Tubian came back and passed his order. "Everyone, gather! We are retreating!"


    "Retreating?" Milia asked, puzzled. "Aren''t we with the upper hand? Shouldn''t we finish off the enemies?"


    Tubian narrowed his eyes and looked at her. It was obvious he had no intention of giving explanations now.


    Milia immediately shut her mouth. For a moment, she forgot she joined the army even though she was a student. You don''t question orders in the army; you follow them as long as they don''t cross the line. "I''m sorry, sir!"


    "Good!" Tubian''s expression improved. Nonetheless, he still gave an explanation. "We did great here, but we don''t have time. The Xanzion Country still has more soldiers than us, and the other frontlines here in the Selesva Region aren''t doing so well. I just got a report reinforcements are on the way. If we don''t leave now, we will be surrounded and annihilated.


    Let''s get out of here!"


    Tubian''s platoon quickly left the hill and joined the battalions that were retreating. They all entered the vehicles that were left further back and got away.


    Linfel looked behind, and saw several airships approaching in the distance, quite a few of them landing on the hill they just left a few minutes ago. Tubian''s orders were right. They would be in a bad position if they hadn''t left.


    Sometime later, the vehicles separated again, and only the vehicles from the 12th battalion remained together as they made their way back to their encampment. Naturally, Tubian''s group also left, which made Claus once again the captain of their small group.


    Falagita looked around and couldn''t help but sigh. "We lost at least 30% of the soldiers we left with."


    Claus nodded. "The fact the four of us and our Familiars survived is already a good thing. Also, 30% in exchange for taking down the enemies on that hill was definitely a worthy trade."


    Falagita and Claus looked at Alvin. "You were incredible back there. How were you able to tell from where the artillery shells were coming?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled while Linfel looked away, pretending he didn''t hear anything. "Errr... Ahem! I''m quite good at seeing in the dark..."


    Falagita and Claus were taken aback. Good at seeing in the dark? What was he? A cat? "Is... Is that so?" They obviously had their doubts, but it wasn''t their place to comment about it. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel thought about the time he used Double Master Connection with Alvin. Others might not have noticed, but Claus should have to. Yet, he wasn''t saying anything. ''Could it be he didn''t actually notice?'' Linfel wondered since Claus made no question regarding that. ''Oh well, whatever.''

 Chapter 67 - 67: Not Zero

    By the time they were back, the night was already giving space to daylight. Claus came down from the vehicle with Linfel and the others before passing his orders. "Falagita, bring everyone back to our tent. If any of you are injured, make sure to pay a visit to the medics. Otherwise, GO SLEEP! Things are only getting more tense from now on." Right after, he left.


    He had to report everything that happened during the last battle.


    "Before that, we need to eat," Falagita smiled and brought them to the cafeteria. Everything there was nutritious but very simple. Not that Alvin cared about it. Only Milia was used to expensive food and things like that.


    Only after filling their bellies did they finally return to the tent as Claus mentioned.


    Alvin instantly collapsed on one of the beds there and fell asleep. Milia wasn''t much different, quickly passing out. That only left Linfel and Nori awake with Falagita and her Familiar.


    "Hum? Shouldn''t you deactivate yourself to allow your master to sleep?" Falagita asked Linfel at the front of the tent, puzzled. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel glanced at Nori, who stayed close to Milia. Only then did he look back at Falagita to speak. "We are both independent Familiars. We don''t have that constant Soul Connection anymore with our Masters. We just follow them."


    "Oh!" Falagita nodded. "That is rare, independent Familiars." She looked around and saw no one was around. "Tell me, did you, Alvin, and Felia all Level Up at the same time?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Seems like it. We were on the verge of leveling up for a while already, all three of us. I believe the tension of the battle allowed us to take the last step into Level Two." Linfel was now with a Red Ethereal Body, the characteristics of a Level Two Familiar.


    "I see..." Falagita didn''t know whether to believe it or not.


    Suddenly, the tent opened, and Claus got inside, looking quite tired as well. Falagita quickly passed a bag to him, which contained food she brought from the cafeteria. "Oh, thanks. It saves me time."


    "Master, you need to sleep," Claus''s Familiar spoke to him while canceling their Master Familiar Connection.


    "I understand, Gusan." Claus didn''t seem to take Gusan''s words to his heart that much, though. He began to swallow the food while looking into his MCOM. "Milia and Alvin seemed to be doing fine."


    Falagita nodded. "How was the meeting?"


    "Sigh..." Claus laid back on his bed and shook his head. Nori and Linfel also approached, interested in the topic. Claus didn''t mind, though. They would easily find out if they asked around anyway. "Not good. Isn''t Milia and Alvin here?


    They are students, so you can guess just how desperate we are for Maguses and Familiars to help defend the country."


    "You mean...?" Linfel felt there was something else to it.


    Claus continued. "From what I heard, we barely have any other Maguses and Familiars to send to the frontlines anymore. We are being attacked by three countries at the same time, after all. And none of them could be said to be weaker than us."


    Falagita understood and explained more to Linfel and Nori. "The first three days that you weren''t here were the worst ones. Our country truly didn''t expect such a coalition attack out of nowhere. Most of the higher-ups in those three countries didn''t even know it was going to happen. Only when their leaders came forward and announced did everyone find out.


    But that was when their armies were sent to invade. We couldn''t react, so we lost a lot of our forces the three first days."


    "Exactly," Claus remembered that. "I also received news that our platoon will only have seven members. So, only another three are coming."


    "Only three?" Falagita was taken aback. "That makes only seven of us. That is not even a platoon anymore. It is only a small squad. Wouldn''t it be better for us to join other platoons together to make up the right numbers?"


    "You were right about a Squad," Claus commented. "We are not the 67th platoon anymore. From today onwards, we are just a squad. As for your question about joining with other platoons, I also asked the same. However, it seems like the strategists got a little impressed with our display in that attack and thought it to be better for us to stay with small numbers.


    We will probably be used for more specific tasks now."


    "Small numbers?" Falagita didn''t like it at all. "That is crazy! I don''t see why they would do such a thing."


    Linfel spoke from there. "One Level Three Magus and Familiar in Claus and Gusan. Then we have another three Level Two Maguses with Falagita, Milia, and Alvin. Each of them has a Level Two Familiar of their own. Then, there is also me, a Level Two Familiar. Can''t you see it?


    There isn''t a single member of our group below Level Two. How many platoons do you know in this battalion to have such a lineup?"


    "This..." Falagita finally understood.


    Claus couldn''t help but bitterly smile. "He is right. Most platoons in our battalion have a single Level Two Magus, maybe two. The rest is made of normal soldiers. Platoons with Level Three Magus and Familiar like me are quite rare. And yet, we have another three Level Two Maguses and four Level Two Familiars.


    We obviously were built for something else. The fact we were ordered to join a platoon with only Maguses in the last attack shows that we are different."


    *Flap...*


    Suddenly, the tent was opened again, and three people entered, followed by their Familiars. "Hello. Is this the 67th platoon?"


    Claus sat up again and nodded as the newcomers. His expression wasn''t very good, seeing that all three of the maguses weren''t really soldiers but city maguses. "This is the 67th platoon indeed. Well, to be more specific, we are now a squad. I''m Claus, the captain of our squad."


    Those three were somewhat confused but nodded.


    The first then came forward. He was a man who seemed to be close to his late twenties. "I''m Julios, a Level Two Magus, and this is my Familiar, Socra. He is Level One Familiar, though."


    "I''m Warthon, also a Level Two Magus," another young man spoke. From his clothes, Nori could tell he came from another Magus Academy in their country. "And this is my Familiar, Zenio, same level."


    The last one was a woman around her late thirties. "You can call me Vera, and this is my Familiar, Sando. We are both Level Two as well."


    Claus smiled. "Other than Warthon, the other two don''t seem very happy to be here."


    Julios didn''t deny it. "I''m not a soldier, you know? I''m a Magic Device Developer. The army pretty much forced me to come. I got basic training in the last seven days, but I truly shouldn''t be here."


    "And I work on the communications of Jenis City," Vera wasn''t any better. "Why are they even relying on someone like me?"


    "But you all graduated from the Magus Academy, didn''t you?" Nori asked them. "Everyone in all Magus Academies in our country receives battle lessons and learns how to fight as it is mandatory. You aren''t as powerless as you think."


    "We never took any Field Exam, though." Julios sighed. "How can we even battle anyone?"


    "I understand your position." Claus wasn''t surprised. They weren''t the first ones in such a situation. "But the fact is that if the country goes down, so will you. There is no way out unless you decide to desert. Well, I wouldn''t recommend that. The country is in such a bad situation that any deserters are to be killed on the spot."


    Fear appeared on Julios and Vera''s faces. Their Familiars tried to soothe them, but it wasn''t of much use.


    "Hey, it is not too bad," Linfel commented. "Who knows? Perhaps you will survive. I highly doubt so, considering your experiences so far, but the chances aren''t zero, right? Hahaha!"


    Everyone looked at Linfel with weird expressions. Was that supposed to make them feel better?


    "Ahem..." Claus intervened before things turned too weird. "Just take a bed for yourselves and rest. Our two friends there just came back from the previous battle, so it will take a while for them to wake up. Falagita and I will sleep as well. Later today, let''s try to get some basic group formation between us for the battles to come.


    Remember, you are not dead yet, and I will do my best as your captain to stay that way. Just don''t panic."


    Finally, Falagita and Claus went to sleep as well. It wasn''t before the afternoon that everyone was finally awake. Linfel and Nori just waited around since they didn''t really need to sleep. The three new members and their familiars didn''t seem to want to talk either, so nothing happened during that down time.


    "Alright," Claus got up, invigorated. "Now, time for the bad news."

 Chapter 68 - 68: Real Abilities

    Linfel and Nori had told Milia and Alvin about the previous conversation they had with Falagita and Claus. All they had said was already bad news, so how come the bad news was coming out just now?


    Claus continued. "Because of the fast pace of the Xanzion Country''s advance, our base here won''t be able to stay here for long. Projections are that they will advance to this location in the next two to three days at most. If you look outside, you will see that a lot of the equipment is already being moved out."


    "However, if we continue to be pushed back like that, we will eventually be trapped between Xanzion and Volztain in the north. Volztain is also advancing with all they have and giving no chance for us to breathe. On the south, things are slightly beter since Porfate Country is located on the other side of the South Sea. For now, we don''t need to worry about them."


    "Nonetheless, this can not continue. That''s why I believe the higher ups will come up with some plan by tomorrow at most," Claus explained. "So, I don''t want to scare you, but things should get pretty dangerous for everyone. We need to find a way to at least stop the Xanzion Country, after all."


    Linfel shrugged. "It was already dangerous during the last battle anyway. Nothing new here."


    "I''m happy you think like that... although you seem to be the only one to do that," Claus said while looking at the worried faces of the rest of his squad. "Sigh... I''m still not sure what will happen. All is just a theory on my part. Who knows?


    Perhaps our Heffal Country will reach an agreement with Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate and bring an end to the war. Let''s hope to be the case."


    Claus then made his way out of the tent. "Alright, let''s go to the training field. I want to see what our three new members can do."


    The training field was quite packed. With the last batch of Maguses, Familiars, and normal soldiers for the 12th battalion, all the platoons had to understand their new members. Several drills were happening all around and around the base.


    Claus''s squad was no different. He performed some very basic formations and watched Julius, Warthon, and Vera''s abilities.


    Warthon and his Familiar, Zenio, were better at Wind Element. So Falagita, who had the same affinity, helped them. The good thing about Warthon was that he was still in the Magus Academy, although he was close to graduation. He had done quite a few Field Exams as well. That meant he at least had a good understanding of his own strength and could work well with his Familiar and others.


    Julius and his Familiar were the same as Milia and Nori, a duo good at using Fire Element. Too bad that he wasn''t lying. Julius wasn''t a fighter. Although he could use Fire Attacks while connected to his Familiar, they were far from being precise. Both Milia and Julius were Level Two Maguses, but Milia could absolutely destroy him in a matter of seconds.


    One would wonder if Julius''s presence in their group was bad instead.


    Vera and Sando weren''t much different from Julius. They also had little experience with fighting. She had Water Element affinity, so Claus was able to instruct her directly since he, too, was a Water Element user. Nonetheless, there was only so much that could be achieved in such a short amount of time.


    ''Linfel,'' Alvin called Linfel''s attention. ''What do you think about this group of ours?'' Alvin''s confidence in Linfel''s experience was unwavering now.


    ''Hum...'' Linfel pondered a bit. ''Claus is a very good leader. He definitely has a lot of experience leading, and Falagita supports him well. With you, Felia, Milia, Nori, and I in the mix, I would say we are quite above average. I watched the other battalions and their members fighting during the last encounter in Saleves Region. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say we are not far from being an elite little group.''


    Linfel then looked at Warthon. ''He, too, is obviously quite talented. Not at Milia''s level, but definitely above you and Connor before you met me. Now, I would say you and Warthon are pretty similar, with Warthon being slightly better. He is much older, so that makes sense. Well, you now have experience fighting other humans, while Warthon probably doesn''t.


    I will need to see more from him when the time comes. Nonetheless, seems promising.''


    Linfel''s expression changed a little when he turned to Julius. ''Julius is no doubt a lost cause. He truly has no experience. If you ask me, his presence will do more harm than otherwise in our group. If he doesn''t die soon, I''ll be quite impressed.''


    ''The wild card in our group, however, is Vera...'' Linfel commented with a faint smile.


    ''Vera?'' Alvin was taken aback. Vera seemed to be having as much difficulty as Julius in his eyes. ''Why?''


    Linfel shook his head and moved closer to Vera while pretending to be just observing. Yet, Alvin saw things clearly. Right behind Linfel''s core, there was a small sphere of water. He had seen Linfel used it before. He compresses it with his Magic Energy to a high degree and releases a shot of water that is quite painful if it hits.


    Back in the academy, during their one week of training, Linfel used it many times against Alvin and Felia.


    *Ziu!*


    Suddenly, Linfel''s core went a few centimeters to the side before the Water Ball shot like a bullet. It didn''t have the power to kill anyone, but if it hit, it would definitely hurt quite a lot. The target? Vera and Sando, who seemed to be having difficulty following Claus''s instructions.


    Yet, just as the water ball was about to hit Vera straight on the back, Vera''s eyes changed, and Sando changed form. A blade similar to a Katar took shape from Sando''s Core before Vera rotated and slashed the Water Ball.


    *Slash!*


    The Water Ball Linfel shot at Vera was sliced in two, flying in two different directions past Vera. "What the hell are you doing?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Just checking how good your combat skills are. Seems like the communication companies back in Jenis City also give quite some good self-defense training."


    Everyone immediately looked at Vera. However, Claus, who was instructing Vera a moment ago, was the most impressed. That was definitely not the movements of someone who had no experience in combat.


    Vera''s expression changed while she looked around. Yet, her main focus was Linfel. Just how did he notice her real abilities?

 Chapter 69 - 69: Reward

    "Care to explain?" Claus asked Vera, his expression serious.


    "Sigh..." Vera straightened herself while Sando, her Familiar, went back to his Familiar form. "Listen, I didn''t want to come, okay? My plan was simple, I would pretend to be completely useless, forcing the battalion to kick me back to Jenis City."


    "She might be a spy from the other countries," Falagita immediately retorted.


    "No," however, Claus discarded that idea. "You know very well that Magic Energy Signatures can''t be forged. For her to be sent here, she must have been born and raised in Heffal. Let me guess, The Culling Forces?"


    Vera and Sando''s expressions changed. "How do you..."


    Claus raised his hand, stopping her words. "There is no need for you to say anything else. You movements just now. It reminded me of a friend of mine. Simple, fast, silent, precise. The only thing I don''t understand is why someone from the Culling Forces was sent to my encampment."


    Vera began to walk away from the group. "I still don''t have the answer for that myself. Just keep doing your training, I''m going back to the tent to rest."


    Claus nodded. "Alright."


    "Claus!" Falagita couldn''t help but try to get his attention.


    However, Claus just shook his head in Falagita''s direction. Seeing that, Falagita went silent and didn''t say anything else.


    Vera glanced one last at Linfel before disappearing into the crowd of soldiers.


    Suddenly, Claus felt like his knees were giving away, and fell with his back on the ground. "So scary..."


    Falagita and the others were taken aback. Falagita, especially, had never seen Claus acting like that. "Claus, what is this Culling Forces you talked about?"


    Claus sat up and looked at Linfel instead of answering Falagita. "How did you find out?"


    Linfel didn''t feel like he did anything impressive. "Hum? It was pretty clear, no? From the moment she began to make her movements, it was obvious she was holding back. It was completely different from Julius, for example, who evidently doesn''t have any experience whatsoever."


    Julius scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for being useless..."


    Claus faintly smiled and shook his head. "It is not that bad. It means we can focus on you a little more now that Vera is out. She doesn''t need our help. In fact, Vera''s style is the type that only works when she fights alone. She will definitely act on her own during the next time we are deployed."


    "The Culling Forces..." Milia came from an influential Family, the Frondors. She obviously knew more about the dark corners of society than most. "The assassin team?"


    Claus was surprised to hear that. "You know them?"


    "I only hear the stories from my uncle," Milia continued. "They are a force tasked to eliminate any threat to the country. Each one of them is an extremely skilled assassin specialized in covert missions. They aren''t especially strong themselves. However, even Level Four and higher Maguses and Familiars wouldn''t underestimate them.


    All they need is one chance, and you wouldn''t see the morning of the next day anymore."


    Except for Linfel, everyone else swallowed hard once they heard the story. "Is there such a thing?"


    "There is," Claus confirmed. "However, do not talk about it to anyone else. They aren''t an officially recognized force. Just like Milia mentioned, they are a covert force that doesn''t really exist in the country''s records. I myself only know about them because of a friend of mine... who is already dead.


    I didn''t think I would ever see or hear about them again in my life. Yet, lo and behold..."


    Claus finally got up and had his Familiar change into his spear form. "Alright, this is good news for us. Someone like Vera is bound to make our group stronger even if she doesn''t act as a group." Right after, he pointed his spear at Julius. "Julius, you aren''t as helpless as you think. Just focus on your job and it will increase everyone''s chance of survival by a lot."


    "Alright!" Julius nodded, knowing there was no way out. Vera''s story, instead gave him some extra hope of surviving this war.


    Linfel, Milia, Alvin, and everyone else also worked together for the rest of the day. Yet, everyone still had Claus''s words in their minds. That their group is completely made of Level Two or higher Maguses and Familiars. The only exception was Julius Familiar, who was Level One. Still, it was rare.


    Claus mentioned that the group would probably have to do something different next time they were deployed, and Vera''s presence only made it more likely to happen.


    *Huuuuuuuuooooooooonnnnnnnnn...*


    Suddenly, an alarm echoed over the entire 12th battalion. Everyone there took out their MCOMs and checked inside. Sure enough, a new deployment was happening. At the same time, a voice appeared on the megaphones. "Xanzion Country is advancing and will soon be passing through the Diangrun Area. All personnel prepare to engage.


    All commanders must check their MCOMs and get into position according to the orders."


    Claus did exactly that. Yet, his eyes narrowed as soon as he looked at what was written there. However, he quickly calmed himself and looked back. "Alright, we have our orders. Let''s go."


    "What about Vera?" Linfel couldn''t help but ask.


    "Don''t worry, she will come," Claus assured.


    As they ran, Linfel and the others noticed something strange. They were running in the opposition direction as all the other soldiers. While everyone jumped on the vehicles and drove into the distance, their group went to the back of the battalion instead. "Are we going in the right direction?"


    Claus glanced at Julius. "I usually don''t mind answering questions. But when we are in a hurry, please just follow the orders, alright? Just come with me."


    "Sorry, sir!" Julius didn''t complain. If anything, Claus was quite a likable captain.


    Finally, they found a few people moving in the same direction as them. Just by looking at the Familiars following them, it was pretty obvious everyone here was Magus and Familiar duos. Even more remarkable was that there were almost no Yellow Familiars, the sign of Level One Familiars. Almost all of them were at least Red in color, level two ones, and their masters most likely were at the same level.


    A few of them were brown, like Claus''s Gusan, meaning level three.


    A moment after Linfel''s group arrived, Vera and Sando joined them, although no one said anything.


    Suddenly, a Green ray of light passed over their heads and stopped at the center of the field those Maguses and Familiars were gathered. No doubt that was one of the three Level Four Maguses of the 12th Battalion. "You were called here because you have a different task this time."


    Behind him, five airships landed. "Each group will be sent on a covert mission, making use of a hidden passage. I''m not going to say where and how you will get there. All you need to know is that you will be dropped behind enemy lines, and your mission is to destroy their provisions, which should be in the process of relocating at the moment.


    If successful, it will be a major blow to Xanzion that will delay their advances for at least a few weeks, buying us time. Now, go!"


    "Yes, sir!" No one complained.


    Claus checked the number of his airship and guided his group into it. A moment later, those five airships took flight and separated. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Julius was the most nervous. Fortunately, now it seemed they had some time. "Captain..."


    "I know what you are thinking," Claus stopped him. "This is a suicide mission. If we are dropped behind enemy lines, we will still be surrounded even if we manage to destroy their provisions. There will be a of angry people charging to take our heads."


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other. Alvin came to look for Connor, and he took some time to ask Claus about Connor during their previous training that afternoon. Claus indeed had access to more information regarding the soldiers. The problem was that it only included the 12th Battalion he was part of, and Connor was not listed there.


    He didn''t have access to the information from other battalions in the Wateva Region, so Alvin was wondering if he should leave with Milia.


    Unfortunately, before they could devise a plan, this mission started, and they couldn''t retreat anymore. Anyone who tried to desert would be killed, no exception.


    Claus laid back on the wall of the airship. "However, I don''t intend to simply die there. If we manage to pull it off and escape, we are definitely in for a great reward."


    "Rewards?!" Linfel''s spirit immediately began to boil. He quickly rushed over and pulled Claus''s collar with his little ethereal hands. "What rewards?!"


    Claus was taken aback. "T-This... probably Universal Credits, which is what the army pays... I supposed?"


    Linfel got even closer to Claus''s face. "How much?!!!"


    Claus tried to come up with a number. "I... I don''t know. This mission will have a huge impact in the war, so I guess at least a few tens of thousands?"


    "Hehehe... Hahaha!" Linfel laughed out loud. "Yes! Alvin!" Instantly, he rushed to Alvin and spoke with a serious expression. "We are absolutely completing this mission! We will raze their provisions to the ground and...


    and... and we will be RICH! Hahahaha!"


    Alvin didn''t know how to react to that. "That''s... a lot of confidence..."


    Everyone around was speechless. As Linfel cheered the news, the others murmured in Alvin''s ears. ''You have a peculiar taste for Familiars...''


    Alvin wanted to cry already. Why was he being judged instead of the wisp? It''s always him...


    Milia, on the side, had to turn around. She found it hard to hold her laugh. But then, a thought occurred to her. She never laughs, and yet, she just couldn''t help it when she was together with Alvin and Linfel.

 Chapter 70 - 70: No Concerns

    At some point, the airship began to descend and change shape. That was a scouting-type airship. Good at avoiding detection like radars and other methods, not to mention it was very silent. Linfel''s group ad to stay pretty close to each other, and there was almost no space remaining inside.


    Yet, all of the airship''s abilities mattered little... except for a single one. It could get very small, packing those inside even closer. That one ability was the main one that would help it get behind enemy lines.


    *Zush!*


    Suddenly, the little light that could be seen from outside disappeared, and the airship disappeared underground. It didn''t have the ability to drill. Instead, it entered a cave near a mountain, quite far away from the rest of the action.


    The pilot skillfully controlled the airship while following a route pre-determined through the tunnels underground.


    *Splash!*


    Finally, it hit an underground water body. That was the main reason why few knew about the caves and the places they were connected to. The water made it hard to navigate. Even those who knew it weren''t very sure if it was safe to get through. Nonetheless, the pilot knew what he signed for and continued to follow the route.


    At the same time, several kilometers above the ground, the Xanzion and Heffal forces met once again. Heffal arrived earlier than Xanzion expected, forcing them to halt their advance and take Haffal head-on. That battle instantly turned into the biggest one to have happened between Heffal and Xanzion since the start of the invasion.


    That was also part of the plan. To give the five hidden teams a chance to get rid of the provisions from Xanzion, Heffal country had to catch their attention. Engaging in that battle earlier than expected was their way to make Xanzion think they were taking the initiative.


    Back underground, the pilot navigated the tunnels for twenty minutes straight. Twice, he hit a dead end and was forced to look for alternative routes on his own. Nonetheless, he still managed to go back to the route depicted on his equipment before exiting the tunnels filled with water.


    -Attention. We are getting close to the dropping zone. Get ready.-


    The pilot''s voice echoed in the back as Linfel and the others waited.


    Finally, the airship got to this drop zone and landed several hundreds of meters before it. All its lights were out, and its equipment was turned off almost instantly. A moment later, the back entrance of the airship opened, and Claus came out first, followed by Linfel and the others.


    Claus quickly checked his MCOM. All the communication there was being interfered with, so he couldn''t really connect to any network, nor did he intend to. He only used it to check the map. The location of their drop zone was initially blocked. Now, however, it has finally become available for Claus to see.


    "Alright, according to the orders, Xanzion should be engaging our army in the Diangrun area. All their back support should be around seventy kilometers away. If what I''m seeing here isn''t wrong, they should be passing..." Claus''s eyes opened wide as he looked up.


    Everyone followed his eyes and noticed that the ground seemed to be trembling slightly. Claus''s voice continued as they all looked at it. "They should be passing right above of us..." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vera and Sando didn''t waste time. She took out her own MCOM and checked her orders before darting into the distance. Claus and the others didn''t even have time to ask her anything.


    "Is that okay?" Falagita asked, worried.


    However, Claus just shook his head. "Now that she doesn''t need to hide her identity, she simply doesn''t care. Leave her be. Our objective is to find a way to get rid of the provision vehicles passing over our heads. Let''s go. The exit is on this side."


    Their group followed Claus. Soon, they got to the exit, which was camouflaged.


    "Claus," Alvin couldn''t help but call his attention. "I was in a Field Exam when Volztain attacked. Their airships had equipment to find our location, and we were attacked twice. If we go out now, we will be found, won''t we?"


    "No," Claus shook his head in response. "In the same way that Xanzion is jamming all signals in this region, so is our Heffal Country. Their equipment shouldn''t be very useful at the moment. If we could be spotted that easily, we wouldn''t have been sent here in the first place. Let''s go."


    Claus was the first one to step out while the others followed him in a proper formation. Julius stayed at the very back, being the one with the least experience in their group. Finally, they sneaked through the vegetation and got to a vantage point where they could take a good look around.


    "Just how are they expecting us to do anything here?" Falagita couldn''t help but comment in a low voice. She just wanted to turn back and flee into the cave again.


    There were hundreds of giant vehicles, and each one of them had its own defenses. They weren''t like the Magical Tanks and airships, nowhere the same defense or attack. Nonetheless, they were definitely not something that their little group could do anything against. If they were lucky, they might be able to take down one or two before they are surrounded and killed, let alone hundreds.


    Above them, a few airships patrolled in various directions. Xanzion wasn''t a country of idiots. They knew that they needed their provision, so they left enough protection behind. Their main advantage was that they could spare the extra protection to their provision since Heffal Country had to deal with three countries at the same time.


    They had the luxury of being on the safe side and still held the numeric advantage on the front lines.


    Last but not least, although the majority weren''t Maguses, there were still thousands of soldiers standing by those giant vehicles. Even if not a single one of them was a Magus or a Familiar, it would be a miracle if they could kill even a hundredth of them all. Each of them had their own magical firearms, the same type that Alvin''s group had to deal with back in the Field Exam.


    Everyone there thought it was a lost cause... except for one.


    "Hum... no wonder we were brought here. We are in a great position to take everything down," said Linfel, who didn''t seem the least bit concerned.

 Chapter 71 - 71: The Distraction

    "We can?" No one understood anything, including Claus. They looked back at the sea of soldiers and vehicles with mounted weapons on their tops. Showing themselves should be nothing but suicide.


    Linfel looked back at them and didn''t say anything. Instead, looked to the side and whispered in the direction of the shadows. "Vera, did you find it?"


    *Shushushushu...*


    Suddenly, Vera came out of the bushes with Sando already in his katar form in her hand. "I did..." Her expression was cold, just like it had always been since her identity was found. "You will definitely be a pain in the ass of any assassin."


    Linfel put his hands on his waist. "Good thing everyone loves me. I''m a very likable character." Seeing everyone''s weird expressions, Linfel wasn''t as confident anymore. "I am, right?"


    "Ahem..." Claus quickly changed the topic. "Would you two mind telling us what Linfel is talking about?"


    Vera got down with the rest of the group and took out her MCOM. Right after, another map opened. There were a total of seven red marks on the map, each being one of the transportation vehicles they were seeing. "These seven trucks are filled with Magic Fusion Fuel rods."


    Everyone was still puzzled. "So?"


    Magic Fusion Fuel Rods were used in many pieces of equipment where a powerful and constant influx of power was necessary. Magic Stones could only do so much, after all. Most airships of medium and grand ports used them, as well as any heavy vehicle. No doubt, all the trucks they saw carrying the provisions also used such fuel rods.


    However, they didn''t understand the meaning behind finding the trucks carrying these Fuel Rods. Fuel Rods aren''t explosive or anything. Even if you fired a pile of fuel rods, all you would get was a blast of Magic Energy that didn''t really cause any serious damage. What created the firepower was the equipment charged by the Fuel Rods, not the Rods themselves.


    Right after, Vera looked at Linfel. She wanted to see if he understood what she was supposed to do. "You tell them the rest."


    "Me?" Linfel was taken aback. "Err... alright. All I have is a theory, so correct me if I''m wrong. I had the chance to work with those Fuel Rods back in Sastasha City at the Vaxuwel Research Facility. They have a lot of equipment there that Magic Stones aren''t enough to power up, so they also use these Fuel Rods."


    Linfel continued. "Fuel Rods aren''t explosive themselves, so just attacking them is of no use. However, they can be explosive... as long as you inject them with Reactive Magic Energy." Linfel then pointed at Vera''s backpack. "I think that what you are carrying there is exactly that, Reactive Magic Energy devices. However, you have to have a very big concentration of Magic Fusion Fuel Rods.


    Otherwise, you won''t get a reaction big enough to cause the explosion. Once it does, however, the more Fuel Rods, the bigger will be the destruction."


    Vera sighed and nodded. She wondered if Linfel had sneaked into her bag without her noticing before they arrived. "You are correct." following that, Vera took several of those devices and distributed them between her group. "We don''t need to get all seven vehicles. As long as we manage to inject the Reactive Magic Energy into the Fuel Rods of one of those vehicles, the rest will play out by itself." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claus took a look at the device and then turned his attention back to the sea of vehicles. He easily found one of those pointed in the map, and it was definitely very well protected. Since they knew Reactive Magic Energy could do such a thing, so did Xanzion. That said, the trucks that carried these rods were being watched closely. "Alright, I understand the plan.


    Still, I don''t see how we will get anywhere near those vehicles. Let alone open one of them to inject the Reactive Magic Energy. We will all be killed way before we can get anywhere near one of them."


    Milia pondered a bit and understood. "That''s why we have five teams, right?"


    Vera faintly smiled. At least for once, it wasn''t Linfel who spoke. For some reason, she didn''t like that Familiar. "Correct. We prepared these exits before Xanzion got this far. Look under your feet."


    Claus and the others quickly dug the ground and found a few bags there. Inside, there were several uniforms... uniforms exactly the same as Xanzion Soldiers. "We are pretending to be one of them?"


    "I''m sorry, but Xanzion Country would need to be filled with idiots if they hadn''t thought about this kind of thing before," Alvin didn''t like it. Which force wouldn''t be aware of sabotage or spies in the middle of a war? If anything, dressing as a Xanzion Soldier looked like a terrible idea.


    "Normally, yes." Vera didn''t deny it. "But not now. Xanzion holds an absolute advantage. In this case, sabotage seems to be even more of a possibility, but it is also because of this that they will let their guards down. Because they think they have everything covered."


    "Soon, the other four teams that left with us will cause a distraction. We will pretend to be soldiers running to check the cause of the commotion... and it just so happens that we will pass close to those trucks," Vera explained. "That will be our only chance. The devices in your hands are prepared for it. Aim at the gaps in the cargo and shoot.


    That''s why we gathered available Level Two Maguses and Familiars here. With the power of our Magic Energies, we should manage to get past the shall of the cargo carrying those Fuel Rods when we shot."


    Everyone felt a chill on their backs. Even if they succeed, wouldn''t they be instantly identified as the enemy and filled with holes by all the soldiers around?


    "I... I can''t do it!" Julius trembled. He wasn''t a soldier and definitely wouldn''t just go out on a suicide mission. "I can''t do it! I''m going back. I''m going back to the cave!


    I don''t want to die!"


    He quickly got up and ran back to the camouflaged cave entrance... or so he tried. The moment he began to get up, Vera''s Katar came for his head.


    *Clang!*


    However, her Katar met with a Yellow Glove covered in hardened Earth. It was Alvin, who reacted in the last second and blocked the attack!

 Chapter 72 - 72: Bigger Distraction

    Julius, scared of his wits, fell with his but on the ground.


    "Deserters are to be killed on the spot. Are you going against military orders?" Vera asked without a hint of remorse as she looked at Alvin.


    Unsurprisingly, Alvin was also quite scared. Nonetheless, he didn''t regret intervening. "I... I just think all this plan is bullshit. That''s why I stopped you."


    Vera raised her Katar. She wasn''t very good at head-on combats, but she would carry the orders through. "Does that mean you are also a deserter?"


    Claus tried to calm them down. "Het, stop it! Xanzion will notice us!"


    It was then that Linfel spoke for Alvin. "Vera, I think there is more to it than what you know. Alvin seems to have understood something, too. Can you at least give him the chance to speak? How long do we have until the distractions start?"


    Vera looked around. Everyone seemed to be getting concerned. It wasn''t just Julius. No one there liked the idea of simply dying to get the plan to work. "I see that none of you have what it takes to carry the mission. You better pull yourselves together.


    The distraction should start any minute now. We have the chance to change the flow of the war with our hands. How can you all be such cowards?"


    "That''s the problem," Alvin spoke in a low voice, still connected to Felia and standing between Vera and Julius. "Vera, look at us. Other than Claus and you, do you see anyone here that would simply charge into enemy forces to carry out such a plan?"


    Vera narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"


    Linfel joined Alvin. "He is right. It doesn''t make sense. If someone was supposed to carry out such a suicide mission, it had to be a group of people prepared to die for it. It makes no sense to hide it from us just so we would find out minutes before the plan had to be carried out. Just as Alvin said, this is a bullshit plan.


    It is obvious some of us, if not all of us, would step back."


    "Wasn''t it you who spoke of this plan with me?" Vera asked Linfel. How come he considered the plan to be bullshit now?


    "The plan is good," Linfel continued. "The part of using the Reactive Magic Energy to explode the trucks with the Magic Fusion Fuel Rods would definitely cause a chain reaction and get rid of at least half of everything in this place. That''s the part I spoke about. I''ve never talked about going for a suicide attack, have I?"


    "Don''t you all see?" Alvin carried along. "We are not the team charged to carry out this mission... We are supposed to be the distraction."


    Everyone was taken aback, including Vera. However, Vera wasn''t an idiot. She disconnected herself from her Familiar, Sando, and got down with the rest of the group before they caught anyone''s attention. "I see..."


    Alvin sighed in relief. "That''s the only thing that makes sense. Milia, Warthon and I are all students from the Magus Academies. We had never been to war before. Julius is even worse, being someone who never took part in a Field Exam. The higher-ups knew it from the very start.


    The moment Vera talked about the plan, we would all try to flee, and Vera would be forced to carry the army''s rules."


    Claus and the others caught the whole meaning. "The idea from the very start was to have us become the distraction. Most likely, just like Vera thought, only a single group, a group that came prepared to die for the plan, would carry it out. It''s just that this group isn''t us.


    We are all Level Two or higher, We would definitely give this army some trouble before we were killed, especially since we would be trying to flee. That was more than enough."


    "If that''s the case..." Linfel looked behind. "Julius, check the tunnel entrance."


    "Okay," Julius quickly went there before coming back with a terrified expression. "It is closed! The entrance is closed!"


    "What?!" The others felt their blood running cold. "That''s our only path of retreat."


    "Exactly," Linfel continued. "We were supposed to be a distraction, so how could the army allow us to run back into the tunnels? So... the moment we passed through the exit, the pilot that stayed inside closed it. Now, we could only run on the surface, and it would catch even more attention."


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, an explosion happened in another location not too far from Linfel''s group. Down below, the soldiers all began to run, trying to find the reason.


    "It''s Heffal! They are attacking!" One of the soldiers screamed. Soon, the information spread everywhere. Many soldiers rushed to the front, having received orders to engage the enemy.


    Right after, Linfel''s group noticed a few figures running away from the location of the explosion. It was hard to see due to the distance, but it was pretty obvious they were fleeing with everything they had. Another one of the distractions was set off.


    It didn''t take long for another two groups to appear in another two different locations, but all to the same side of that regiment. They were all located to the south, and each one of the Maguses and Familiars didn''t think to resist; they just fled without thinking about anything else.


    "This is not good! We are also on the path of the soldiers. They will check our hiding place sooner or later!" Julius spoke, still fearing the worst.


    Linfel ignored Julius, though. Instead, his Magic Energy concentrated in front of him as he looked in a completely different direction. Even further in the distance, he noticed a few shadows rushing into the enemy ranks with identical Uniforms. he recognized that group. Not the people but the group itself.


    There was only one group with more than ten members that was gathered for this mission, and the shadows Linfel saw just matched the number. They easily blended in the midst of the soldiers that were running to the front and began to make their way to the trucks with Magic Fusion Fuel Rods.


    "The real attacking group is out," Linfel commented.


    The others looked at him. "How do you know?"


    "I can see them," Linfel explained. "I''m quite good at controlling magic Energy to increase my field of view."


    "Is there such a thing?" Claus couldn''t help but ask.


    "Have you noticed that Linfel is almost always quite good at everything?" Falagita added.


    "Ahem..." Linfel pretended he didn''t hear anything. "Leaving that aside, we should act soon. The soldiers from Xanzion are coming in our direction, too."


    Claus and the others ignored Linfel''s ''special'' abilities and grew nervous. "What now?"


    "I will not just ignore it," Vera suddenly made a decision. "Since I''m a distraction, so be it. That will buy time for the real team to destroy those Fusion Fueld Rods. As for the rest of you, do whatever you want."


    "Just a moment." Yet Linfel blocked her path. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Move!" Vera spoke with a cold voice, ready to attack Linfel.


    "I will, but I have a better plan for distraction. Will you hear me? Not only can the distraction be even bigger, but we might have a chance at survival."


    Sure enough, that caught Vera''s attention. She looked at the commotion around and decided to give it a chance. "You have thirty seconds to explain and put it in motion."


    Linfel smiled. "Good!" Right after, he looked at Alvin, Milia, and the others. "Alright, take off your clothes."

 Chapter 73 - 73: The Hidden Entrances

    Exactly thirty seconds later, Vera came out of their hiding place with everyone else. They were all wearing the Xanzion Uniforms that had been prepared and charged down.


    The Xanzion Soldiers noticed that and were alert. Although the Uniform was the same, they had found othr groups also wearing their Uniforms.


    Suddenly, Vera began to exclaim! "We found a secret passage on the back! Quick, we neem to blast the entrance!"


    "Halt!" However, the closest soldiers to them didn''t charge. "Show your Magic Energy Signature!" As he said that, he extended his hand with an MCOM in his hand. The other soldiers on his back all pointed their weapons at Linfel''s group.


    "We are from the same country, idiots! Give me this fucking MCOM!" Vera said and approached with her Familiar. She grabbed the MCOM and used her Magic Energy Signature on it before throwing it back.


    The man quickly checked and finally sighed in relief. "Lativia, right? What were you doing out of your position?"


    Vera''s expression turned dark. "Didn''t you see? Several squads from Heffal appeared all around! It is obvious they had been hiding to ambush us. We simply started to search places where we had no eyes. Shouldn''t you be doing the same?


    No, forget that! We found a secret entrance there on top! We need more soldiers!"


    The guy still had some doubts. According to the information in the MCOM, Lativia was part of the 22nd Battalion, which should have been fighting at the frontlines. However, the Magic Energy Signature doesn''t lie. That woman is definitely Lativia.


    In the end, the guy turned around and passed his orders. "You, you, and you! Go up there and check if there is truly a hidden entrance!"


    "Yes, sir!" Three soldiers quickly passed by Alvin and the others and reached the top of the elevation in a few seconds. When they checked the bushes, they quickly found the sealed entrance that Linfel''s group had passed through. "It''s here! There is a hidden cave entrance sealed by metal!"


    "Fuck!" The captain of that group cursed. Now, it was obvious Lativia wasn''t lying. Without wasting time, he used his MCOM to warn the commanders, who instantly sent hundreds of soldiers to that hidden passage sealed.


    Not only that but with the discovery of that hidden entrance, it became clear that the other squads from Heffal probably used similar things to get so close to their regiment of provisions. In an instant, the thousands of soldiers in that place began to look for hidden entrances to the caves below... and they found various!


    "Sir!" Vera... or Lativia, in this case, quickly spoke. "What are our orders? Should we also search those tunnels?"


    The guy narrowed his eyes. He was still curious about why someone who was supposed to be on the front lines was all the way back here. But then again, her squad had just made a great contribution by finding those entrances. Not to mention that in a war, it wasn''t hard to believe some information was registered incorrectly, especially since it was just a small squad.


    However, his cautious nature won, and he looked at Alvin a few meters away. "You, come here."


    Alvin quickly approached. "Yes, sir!"


    "Use your Magic Energy Signature!" He spoke, passing the MCOM to Alvin this time.


    Alvin didn''t delay and used his Magic Energy Signature.


    "Romulo, same squad as Lativia..." Finally, he truly accepted this group was from his own country. "Why are you not on the frontlines?"


    "Frontlines?" Everyone looked at him, puzzled. "We have never been in the frontlines, sir."


    "Sure enough..." That confirmed his suspicion. "Forget about it for now. Spread out and look for more of those hidden entrances."


    "Yes, sir!" Without wasting time, Vera brought her group away to look for hidden entrances like the one they had just reported. However...


    *Boom!*


    A sudden explosion took place not far away. A giant ball of fire and Magic Energy spread all around, blasting everything in its way with intense Destructive Magic Power. One of the guys who were trying to destroy the trucks with the Fuel Rods succeeded!


    Going back a minute in the past, Linfel explained his plan to everyone. Heffal had closed their path of retreat, and that same path was also camouflaged. However, Heffal had never thought that that same closed entrance could be used in such a manner.


    The plan was simple. They knew there were more of those entrances and that below, many intricate tunnels could be found. As long as they pointed out the entrance of one of those tunnels, Xanzion commanders would understand that there was bound to be more. After all, they had just found three hidden squads that appeared out of nowhere.


    They weren''t idiots. There was a chance of more of those hidden tunnels being all around the place their trucks were passing by, so the order to look for those entrances was passed ahead. That mobilized at least half of all the soldiers in that provisions regiment. Xanzion forces in this place were already on high alert because of the groups that tried to run away.


    They couldn''t give Heffal a chance to strike from within their regiment.


    Yet, what one would say to be the right call... at that moment... was the worst thing the Xanzion Forces could do. All the soldiers began to look for these hidden tunnels, and that caused the entire regiment to have soldiers sneaking everywhere. To make things worse, they did indeed find more of those tunnels, so more soldiers were mobilized.


    That gave the hidden suicide group, the same one that was trying to destroy the vehicles with the Magic Fusion Fuel Rods, the necessary distraction to get closer to those trucks. Finally, one of them succeeded and injected the device with Reactive Magic Energy. From that moment onwards, Xanzion Provision Regiment was done for.


    One explosion would carry out even more of the Reactive Magic Energy to other trucks carrying stocks of those Fuel Rods. A chain reaction initiated, causing those other trucks to also explode, and so did other provisions that could add to the destruction''s power.


    Linfel used that single hidden entrance they came from, the same one that was closed to trap them out, to cause the biggest commotion of all! Now, the fireworks wouldn''t stop anytime soon.


    As for those Magic Energy Signatures... they were obviously copied by Linfel. One must not forget that Linfel already went to battle one time against Xanzion as soon as he arrived. During that time, he made sure to take a look at the Magic Energy inside the bodies of the soldiers they killed and remembered them.


    When Vera and Alvin used their Magic Energy Signature in the MCOM, in fact, it was Linfel who sneakily moved between the two and used his altered Magic Energy to create the fake information.


    *Boom!*


    Not long after, another explosion took place. The previous explosion had too much Reactive Magic Energy in it, and the Fuel Rods in the second truck with even more of them reacted to it.


    "Not good!" Everyone who knew about the Fuel Rods grew in panic. "Run!"


    Vera and their group didn''t even need to pretend anymore. They began to run with all their might. They knew what was coming. As long as one of the trucks exploded with Reactive Magic Energy, the other trucks that had as many Fuel Rods in the same place would definitely follow suit. They were still in the range of the explosion, so they had to run as fast as they could.


    *Boom!*


    *Boom!* Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Boom!*


    Another three of the seven known trucks that carried the Magic Fusion Fuel Rods became another three big balls of fire and reactive magic energy. Thousands of soldiers were killed in an instant, and it caused even things to explode.


    Sure, the Fuel Rods were the main target since they would cause the main explosion. Still, this is a provisions regiment, so they were definitely carryin a lot of other things that could cause more explosions as well. It''s just that it wouldn''t have happened if the Fuel Rods hadn''t been destroyed first.


    "Fuck! We are dead!" Julius cried, seeing that the explosions were catching up to them.


    "Shut your mouth and run!" Vera shouted back.


    "Come with me!" It was then that Linfel spoke and changed direction.


    Everyone looked at him and didn''t know what to do. Linfel had changed direction. He wasn''t running in the direction of the explosions, but he wasn''t running away from them either. He was going sideways.


    *Zush, zush!*


    Yet, Alvin and Milia didn''t think twice before changing direction and following Linfel. They knew very well how sensitive Linfel was to Magic Energy. If he changed direction, it was because he found a better route to help them survive.


    A few seconds later, Linfel jumped in the middle of a few rocks. Milia and Alvin didn''t care and did the same, disappearing in a moment. Only when Claus and the others jumped into that place did they finally understand. That was another one of the hidden caves, although this one was not used. It didn''t matter, though. It was the perfect place to hide.


    *Brummmmm...*


    *Bang!*


    A blast came from the entrance, almost hitting Julius''s back. They continued to run while the cave trembled. Rocks fell, and they didn''t know if it would hold the destructive power. They found a place to escape the explosions, but they might end up being buried alive as well.

 Chapter 74 - 74: Aftermath

    One didn''t need to think much to know that the entrance of the hidden cave they entered collapsed when the explosions passed by it. The rocks from the ceiling continued to fall as Linfel''s group ran deeper and deeper.


    *Kabrum!* sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Bang!*


    Everything began to get dark when a bolt of lightning came from Linfel''s Core, hitting a falling rock that almost crushed Julius''s head. Milia saw that and didn''t waste time. Nori changed into his Flame Sword form and used his Magic Energy to intensify the flames. That helped illuminate the surroundings as they kept running.


    *Crumble!*


    Suddenly, the passage behind them fell down completely. Their group couldn''t help but swallow hard, having escaped the fate of being buried alive by a few seconds.


    As they went deeper, the tremors began to die, allowing everyone to finally sigh in relief. "Is it over...?"


    They looked in the ceiling''s direction, and it didn''t seem it was going down anytime soon. "For now, at least..."


    "What happened to the provisions regiment from Garisan? Did anyone see?" Falagita couldn''t help but ask.


    "Who cares?" Julius was still at his wit''s end. "We almost died because of that shit! Heffal trapped us outside! Closed our path of retreat and wanted to use us as bait for this fucking mission! Who cares about Xanzion''s invasion anymore. If I survive, I''m definitely leaving this shit country!"


    Hearing that, Vera looked at him with a cold expression. She made it clear that deserters shall be killed.


    *Gulp!*


    Julius quickly closed his mouth, knowing he was pocking the tiger.


    "Let''s calm down first, shall we?" Claus tried to calm them down. The last thing he needed was Vera attacking members of his group. "Vera, you kept looking back as we ran. You should have an answer."


    Vera''s expression relaxed a bit, and she had Sando disconnect from her. "Yes. Considering the size of the explosions and their power, it is safe to say pretty much everything was destroyed and the soldiers killed. I would be surprised if even 10% of those present survived. Forget about the provisions. With this, the mission was a success."


    She then looked at Linfel. "Speak. How did you fool the Xanzion MCOM? It is impossible to fake Magic Energy Signatures."


    "Of course!" Linfel agreed with her. "Let''s just say I used a little trick. However, that guy was too nervous to notice, that''s all. If he had paid a little more attention, we wouldn''t have been so lucky."


    "What trick?" The others asked.


    "That... is a little secret of mine," Linfel answered with a smile.


    Vera narrowed her eyes. She was extremely alert at that moment and didn''t see anything strange. What kind of trick was it that even she, someone with vast experience, couldn''t notice? "Whatever. You fulfilled your promise and created an even bigger commotion than I could possibly have done myself. We even managed to survive, which I found hard to believe.


    Everyone here has no need to worry. I will report everything, and you all will receive the proper rewards for your efforts."


    That definitely improved the mood of the whole group. Nonetheless, they weren''t out of the water yet. "That''s good and all, but what do we do about this place?" They were locked deep underground and definitely couldn''t make their way back from where they came.


    Alvin and Milia quickly looked at Linfel. ''Can you find a way out?''


    ''Hum...'' Linfel pondered a bit. ''Hard to say. I can''t feel any currents of Magic Energy. There are two possible reasons for that. We are too far away from any exit, or there isn''t an exit to start with.'' Now that Linfel was at Level Two, his senses improved even more. Too bad he truly couldn''t feel any currents.


    Claus went to a corner and sat down. "Whatever we do, we escaped by a thread. Let''s rest a little first."


    "Are you even a soldier?" Vera couldn''t help but complain.


    Claus just smiled in response. "Obviously! Don''t forget I''m not only a soldier, but I''m also your captain, and your captain is saying you should sit and rest a little."


    "I was given authority to move as I saw fit before I joined your squad." Sure enough, Vera didn''t care about Claus''s orders.


    Well, neither did Claus. "Is that so? Then you are free to continue on your own." As he said that, everyone sat together with Claus, all of them with tired expressions.


    Vera gritted her teeth. She wanted to just leave them all behind... but she couldn''t really force herself to do so. In the end, they were indeed tricked to serve as bait, including herself. Even if it was for the future of the country, the feeling of being tricked into dying wasn''t very good. "Sigh...


    fine! Let''s rest, but just for one hour."


    "That''s good enough." No one complained.


    ---


    Far above the surface, a flash of blue light suddenly appeared in the sky right above where the provisions regiment was decimated. It was a Magus. The color of the Magic Energy and the Armor he was wearing were proof of his status as a Level Five Magus. The guy looked down, and blood came from the corner of his mouth as the man tried to swallow his anger. "How?! How did this happen?!"


    Suddenly, his MCOM activated. Taking a look at the message, he could only report everything he was seeing. Following that, he shot into the distance, disappearing in the frontlines'' direction. Xanzion and Heffal''s fight was still ongoing. They were supposed to have the advantage. But with their main regiment of provisions gone, things changed.


    ---


    On the Heffal Country''s side, the commander in charge watched the battle from behind with his advisors. Orders were being passed right and left nonstop. Suddenly, someone entered his tent in a hurry.


    "Report!" The man quickly began to speak. "A gigantic explosion happened far on the back of the Xanzion Army. It is hard to tell what happened since we don''t have enough scouts. However, the Xanzion Country''s Army seems to be reacting to it."


    The commander''s eyes lit up, and he immediately looked at a man on the side. If Linfel and the others were here, they would definitely have identified that man. It was one of the Level Four Maguses of the 12th Battalion, the same one that passed them the orders before they left. "Franco, your suicide squad did it!"


    Franco also sighed in relief after hearing those words. "Yes, they did it. And for that, we sent almost seventy people to die as bait without them even knowing. Now, they are all dead, all of them Level Two or Three Maguses and Familiars. Quite a few were mere students from Magus Academies."


    The joyous mood in the tent instantly disappeared. The commander closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. "You have their identities, right? I''ll make sure their families are taken care of."


    Franco didn''t seem that much happier with the commander''s words. Instead, he began to make his way out of the tent. "Understood, Kritos. In any case, we need to make use of this chance. Xanzion will definitely retreat soon, so we need to kill as many as possible. I''ll be going as well." Right after, he took flight and disappeared.


    Kritos sighed and didn''t say anything, sending his mind back to the battlefield. "Prepare to change formations. As soon as Xanzion shows any sign of retreating, we give chase. Don''t go too far, though. Lest we fall for some trap."


    ---


    Back underground, one hour passed fast, and their group was ready to move again. "Alright, let''s get out of this hole."

 Chapter 75 - 75: Linfel Doesnt Pay Attention

    Milia walked in front with Nori in his sword form, flames continued to come from his blade, illuminating the path ahead. Vera and Claus followed by her side while the others were right behind. They had been walking for two hours, and they passed by various intersections already. Nonetheless, it didn''t seem like they were going up or down.


    "I wonder how these caves formed? It is almost as if they were made by someone," Milia commented on the way.


    Alvin, who was close, understood what she meant. "You are talking about the tunnels connected to the factions back in the Academy, right?"


    "Oh!" Claus felt nostalgic. "So you were also part of factions, uh? My faction had such tunnels as well. We even used it once to sneak out during an obligatory field exam week. When we came back, the teacher truly made us regret our decision. Hahaha!"


    "Hey, look!" Falagita noticed something and pointed to the right side. Barely visible, there was another path, although slightly smaller.


    Milia approached it with the others and looked inside. Different from the paths they followed so far, this was the first one that seemed to be going up instead of moving in a straight line. "What do we do?"


    Vera didn''t waste time and entered that path. "What else? If it is going up, we follow it. Perhaps there is an exit at the end."


    Everyone looked at each other and back at Vera. Even now, she was still acting on her own. Well, it wasn''t like they had any better ideas, so they followed the woman and her familiar.


    At some point, Linfel came from the back of their group and used his Magic Energy to ignite a small fireball. It floated in front of him, illuminating the path ahead even better than Nori. "Milia, Nori, you two should rest."


    Nori''s Core quickly returned to normal before he landed on Milia''s shoulder. To keep his sword form, Nori and Milia have to be connected, and the flames he produced require Magic Energy. It wasn''t much, but after over two hours, even they began to run out of it.


    "Hum?" Vera suddenly crouched and touched the ground before grabbing some dirt. She rubbed it against her fingers and looked up. "The ground is damp."


    *Drip, drip, drip...*


    It didn''t take long for drops of water to begin to come from the ceiling, catching their attention. "Are we under some lake or something?"


    Linfel instantly shook his head. He memorized the entire map. He tried to check his MCOM inside his Spatial Storage a few times, but it couldn''t connect to anything due to the profundity and the jammed signals above the ground. So, he could only rely on his memory. "That''s not possible. I''m certain the area we attacked doesn''t have a single lake or river in over a hundred-kilometer radius."


    Vera checked her own MCOM, which was also without connection, and confirmed Linfel''s words. "He is right. I don''t know where we are, but we definitely haven''t moved over a hundred kilometers from our starting point. Whatever is above us, it is not a lake."


    "It is one of those underwater tunnels, then," Falagita concluded. The airship that brought them did go through some of the tunnels submerged in water, so that was the only explanation.


    "Perhaps it is a little too risk to continue forward, no?" Julius, nervous as ever, already wanted to turn back. "What if the ceiling falls and we are caught by the water. We will die without air."


    Nonetheless, everyone felt Julius'' words weren''t without merit. The explosion of the Fuel Rods back on the surface caused a huge tremor that spread for who knows how many kilometers. Who can guarantee that the ceiling of this tunnel hasn''t been affected?


    "Alright, let''s make a detour," Claus decided, and even Vera didn''t complain. "We passed by other paths on our way up, so we just nee-"


    *Bzzzzz...*


    Yet, before Claus could finish talking, his expression changed as fear took place. Not only him, but so did the others. That''s because, right in front of them, Linfel''s Fireball suddenly increased in size and power several times. It didn''t matter how one looked at it. That was definitely the action of someone who intended to release it!


    "Stop!"


    Linfel wasn''t paying attention, though. "FIRE IN THE HOLE! No, wait, FIRE IN THE CEILING!"


    The fireball was released, traveling several meters ahead before hitting the ceiling, where most of the drops of water seemed to concentrate.


    *BOOM!*


    *SHUAAA!!!*


    The ceiling ahead crumbled, and a huge amount of water began to come down. Everyone quickly released their Magic Energy and shielded themselves. They all wanted to run, but the water was too strong. If they tried to move, they would be carried away.


    Soon, the tunnel was inundated, making it impossible to breathe... or so it was supposed to be the case. However, everyone had a sphere of air around their heads that allowed them to take some air for a short while. Once again, it was Linfel''s doing. He used his Magic Energy to gather both water and wing elements and create those breathing bubbles.


    At the same time, his voice echoed inside the bubbles. "That''s a lot of water. Well, we were also dirty because of everything that happened so far, so that this chance to wash yourselves a little. No need to thank me."


    No one could hear it since they were underwater. However, it wasn''t hard to tell that every single person with their heads inside those bubbles was cursing Linfel to the end of time. Vera even wondered if she was the assassin or Linfel instead.


    Yet, something surprising happened after the water fell for a minute... it stopped! The water continued to run down the path they came from, and now everyone was standing on the ground again, although they were completely drenched by the water a moment ago. They all breathed heavily, having used a lot of their Magic Energy to resist the water-pushing force so that they wouldn''t be carried down.


    "Sure enough, everyone is a lot cleaner now. It feels good, right?" Linfel seemed very satisfied with his actions.


    "Like hell!" Vera was the first one to recover enough to speak. "What were you thinking?! Were you trying to kill us? Come here! I''m going to kill you first! And then I''m going to kill your master!"


    Alvin looked at that and bitterly smiled. Once again, he was being dragged into Linfel''s mess. ''I don''t even have the energy to complain anymore...''


    Linfel was puzzled, though. "Why are you angry? Weren''t you in a hurry to find an exit?"


    Vera and the others were taken aback for a moment. "What does this have to do with anything?"


    Linfel moved under the part of the ceiling that crumbled and used another small fireball to illuminate above. "What else? If there was water above, then there were other tunnels. There were plenty of tunnels below to take all the water from the tunnels above. Don''t forget, we passed through various of these tunnels in the airship, and none of them lasted long." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He continued. "Obviously, each submerged tunnel had only so much water that probably accumulated over a long time. As long as we had a place to send all that water, it would open another passage." Suddenly, Linfel felt a slight current of Magic Energy and smiled. "There we go. Seems like the exit isn''t too far."


    Other than Milia, Alvin, Nori, and Felia, everyone else was skeptical of Linfel''s words. Not for too long, though. They didn''t know about Linfel''s abilities. They helped each other go to the tunnels above, and they were surprised that they didn''t crumble with Linfel''s craziness. Alvin even wondered if Linfel knew exactly how to use the Fireball earlier to achieve this result.


    From there, Linfel continued to lead the group, but this time, Claus and Vear stayed right to his side. If Linfel tried anything like that again, they definitely would cut him down. They only hadn''t done so yet because of this exit he mentioned.


    They walked for another three hours, and Vera was already losing her patience. However, before she lost it, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel after they turned a corner. No doubt that was the light of the day. The group''s anger changed into surprise, and they again measured Linfel. ''Just how does he do it...''


    Yet, Linfel''s next words dampened their mood. "Well, this is not good..."


    "What is it?" Vera asked, and only then did she notice Linfel had an MCOM on his little ethereal hands. ''Where the hell did it come from?''


    Nonetheless, she quickly shook her head and checked her own MCOM. After opening the map, she noticed there was a signal from the satellites... and that Linfel had a good reason to say those words. "We should have just died in the explosion... At least it would have been faster."

 Chapter 76 - 76: Little Bit

    Seeing that the MCOMs were working, the others also took their own out. Opening the map, they found their location. There was a very big red name on it, as well as various warnings of danger.


    "The Magic Decay Valley..." Claus felt a chill on his back when he read the name.


    Magic Energy could be used in many forms. For Maguses and Familiars, you had natural Magic Energy with various levels for their training. For big vehicles like aircraft, ships, etc, everyone would use Magic Fusion Fuel Rods, which are great for big bursts of power but terrible and potentially harmful for any Magus or Familiar to use in their leveling process.


    Then, you had what people considered waste: Magic Energy used in various types of processes that became too contaminated and lost all their power for further use. If that was all, it wouldn''t be a problem, though. The issue was that this kind of magic energy waste was also a poison.


    Even in an advanced society like the one on this planet, there was only so much that could be done to deal with this kind of waste. Decayed Magic Energy was a fitting name, as any living thing that relied on Magic Energy would soon or later wither and die if in contact with this type of energy. Those who survived would often mutate and turn dangerous themselves.


    Plants, humans, magic beasts, it mattered not.


    One must not misunderstand. It was not the same as the impurities that Linfel removed from both the Magic Stones and the Magic Energy in the surroundings. Even though impure, the Magic Energy that Linfel got rid of could still be used to power devices, for example. It still had its powering properties and wouldn''t really kill anything.


    For example, Linfel could totally use the impure Magic Energy to power his MCOM... and he did exactly that all the time.


    Now, their group arrived in the Magic Decay Valley, a place reserved for dumping this kind of magic energy waste. This is a place that Heffal, Volztain, and Xanzion agreed to be the best location to let go of this Magic Energy. It was at the intersection of all three countries'' borders. It was the one place no one would even think about using to launch an attack.


    The chances of having more losses than gains were definitely many times higher.


    "Look!" Julius pointed at the entrance in the distance, scared.


    There, Linfel and the others saw some kind of gray and slightly purple mist in the air, slightly above the ground.


    *Cough, cough...*


    Milia couldn''t help but cough a little. They were already quite close to it, and even though not dangerous yet, her throat was already complaining. The others didn''t take long to begin to feel the side effects either. Even the Familiars would be at risk. They don''t breathe, but they do absorb the surrounding Magic Energy to sustain themselves, so it wasn''t much different.


    "I vote to go back and try to find another place to go," Julius quickly gave up going out of that tunnel.


    However, Vera immediately cut him off. "Terrible idea. We seemed to be quite deep into the valley, which stretches for over a hundred kilometers. Still, I didn''t expect we had moved so far from the point where we first entered the tunnels."


    Linfel agreed. "Indeed. We walked most of the way, so even though we kept moving for almost ten hours, I thought we would still be somewhere around 100 or so kilometers from the place we first went underground. Unfortunately, it seems like our sense of direction didn''t work very well down there. We have definitely gone much further."


    Alvin approached Linfel and asked through a magic energy-guided whisper. ''Can you deal with that like you do with the impurities of Magic Energy?''


    Linfel narrowed his ethereal eyes. He only heard about this Magic Energy back in the Vaxwell Research Facility. Their work there obviously generated quite some of this Decayed Magic Energy. Yet, he never had to go and deal with this Decayed Magic Energy himself. There were others paid for this kind of job. ''I don''t know.


    I would need to try.''


    "Hey, don''t we have a signal in our MCOMs? Let''s just stay far away from the entrance and call for help. Sure the army will send someone to rescue us here," Falagita suggested.


    Unfortunately, Vera instantly rejected the idea. "Out of the question. We are too close to the border between the three countries. Chances are that Xanzion would be the first one to catch our signal once we send it out. Besides, do you really think the army has the time to dispatch a rescue team in the middle of this war?"


    Falagita sighed. "No, they don''t. If I were the one in charge, I wouldn''t send anyone either."


    Vera nodded. "It''s good that you understand."


    Nori was also looking in the same direction when he noticed something. "What are those purple rocks there?"


    "Purple Rocks?" They all turned their attention to the left side of the cave, not too far away from where they were. They were only half to the exit. The rocks were completely different from the rest of the cave, which made them quite conspicuous.


    "Fuck!" Claus began to take a few steps back. "They aren''t rocks, they are eggs!" Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One thing was certain about places with Decayed Magic Energy. Anything that could survive inside such a place was definitely not easy to deal with.


    "Ahem... I wouldn''t go back into the cave if I were you," Linfel spoke to Claus.


    "What? Do you want to stay here and wait for Mama and Papa to come back? I''ve never heard about any Magic Beast that isn''t at least Level Three in strength living in these places," Claus warned Linfel and finally turned around. The choice was now obvious. It was better to go deeper into the caves again and look for another exit. They might be able to avoid the Decayed Magic Energy as well.


    However, Claus''s steps froze when he heard Linfel''s next words. "Well, I highly doubt our big friend over there will let you go back underground to look for other exits."


    Those words instantly made everyone turn around. Right after, they saw a pair of vertical slit eyes approaching silently. Even with little light, its giant purple body extended further down the tunnel, making it impossible to see the end.


    Claus''s legs began to walk back to the exit slowly. "Now that I think about it, I believe a little bit of Decayed Magic Energy isn''t that bad."


    Surprisingly, or perhaps not, everyone seemed to be of the same mind at that moment.

 Chapter 77 - 77: Whirlwind

    "Kssssssssssss!!!*


    Seeing that Claus and the others noticed its approach, the giant snake, even bigger than the one that attacked Linfel''s group back in the Field Exam, immediately pounced at their group.


    *Boom!*


    However, Linfel was even faster. He reached Alvin and connected with him. By using both their Magic Energies together, Linfel cast a powerful fireball at the ceiling between the Magic Beast and his group. The ceiling immediately came down, smashing against the Snake Magic Beast''s head!


    *sssssssssssss!!!*


    The Snake screamed in pain and used the back of its body to pull its head back into the tunnel. Right after, the ceiling crumbled completely. Had the Magic Beast tried to force its way through the Falling rocks, it would definitely have been buried there.


    *Brum...*


    "Run!" Vera shouted to the others. Linfel didn''t hold back, and the cave continued to come down. They were still at risk.


    Linfel was the fastest one, controlling Alvin''s body to grab Felia and Milia and pulling the two away with him. Claus and the others weren''t much slower. Their Magic Energy rushed out of their bodies, and they ran for their lives, charging outside the cave.


    *Brummm...*


    Everyone then looked behind, seeing the cave entrance disappearing under the rubble. They weren''t out of the water yet, though.


    "We can''t stay here for long!" Claus warned. "We need to find a safe spot without Decayed Magic Energy!"


    The gray-purple mist enveloped everyone''s bodies, and they could feel the Decayed Magic Energy penetrating their bodies slowly. Without thinking twice, everyone closed their Magic Energy Meridans and Channels, stopping their bodies and cores from absorbing anything from outside.


    Vera looked around and tried to find a usable path. "We need to go to a higher point."


    *Cough, cough, cough...*


    Julius took a little longer to close his meridians and breathed some of the Decayed Magic Energy mist. "I feel dizzy..."


    Without anyone noticing, Linfel let go of his connection with Alvin and floated higher in the air. If he wanted, he could go even higher, different from the Familiars. Familiars were able to float by creating a kind of invisible Magic Energy connection between their cores and the ground.


    It was like they were actually standing on a pillar of Magic Energy to prevent themselves from landing on the ground. It wasn''t the same as flying. Linfel, however, could truly float as high as he wished as long as he had the Magic Energy to sustain it.


    Linfel never floated that high, though. After all, that was the same as saying he wasn''t really a Familiar. Too bad his group wouldn''t survive for long if they didn''t find a way out of this place. He soon floated high enough to leave the gray-purple mist and have a good look at the surroundings. Finally, he saw an elevated hill in the distance.


    He quickly came down behind Alvin and stood on Alvin''s shoulder, connecting to him again. ''Alvin, do as I say,'' Linfel made his voice echo inside Alvin''s mind.


    Alvin nodded and called the others. "Everyone, get closer to me. Falagita, Warthon, help me a little."


    Falagita and Warthon didn''t know what Alvin wanted. Still, they didn''t know what to do, so they quickly approached. Everyone got close to each other before Alvin''s Magic Energy merged with Linfel''s. The Wind Element moved, creating a whirlwind around their group.


    The air from above the gray-purple mist came down. Soon, an opening inside that mist was created with Alvin and Linfel''s efforts. That allowed their group to finally breathe clean air again. "Falagita, Warthon, you two have Wind Affinity, so help me keep this whirlwind going. Remember, do it the same way as I am so that the clean air from above forces the Decayed Magic Energy mist away from us."


    Warthon and Falagita didn''t need to hear twice. Their magic energies circulated, and the whirlwind stabilized. Naturally, they also connected to their own Familiars to have access to more Magic Energy to keep their efforts longer.


    "Well done, Alvin!" Claus was happy to see that.


    Alvin bitterly smiled, and so did Falagita and Warthon. "This is just a temporary measure. The mists here go quite high in the air. Forcing the clean air from above to come down and clear an area utilizes a lot of Magic Energy. Even with the three of us, I doubt we can keep this going for more than five minutes."


    "I thought you were good with Earth Element..." Vera couldn''t help but comment, seeing Alvin manipulate the Wind Element so well.


    "Does it matter now?" Alvin asked back.


    "No..." Vera shook her head and looked above. Right after, she connected with Sando and accumulated their Magic Energy on her legs.


    *Bam!*


    She stomped the ground below and rose over ten meters in the air while spinning slightly. That allowed Vera to fly above the mist and take a good look at the surroundings. Just like Linfel, she noticed an elevated hill not too far from them before landing back on the ground. "Can you guys move while keeping this opening?"


    "Yes," Alvin, Falagita, and Warthon nodded. "Just don''t move too fast."


    Vera heard them. "That''s good enough. There is an elevation in that direction. It is just a kilometer and a half away, more or less. It seems to be high enough for the mist to not reach us. Five minutes should be just enough."


    "Then let''s go!" Claus quickly gave the order. "Vera, you and I will take the front just in case something comes out of the mist to attack us."


    "No problem." Vera joined Claus at the front.


    Julius wasn''t of much help, so he just stayed behind. Their group then moved as one and made their way to that elevation. Visibility was poor, but Vera would jump once in a while to confirm they were in the right direction.


    While they moved, Warthon and Falagita looked at Alvin with different eyes. They were indeed helping to keep the whirlwind going, but no doubt Alvin was doing the hardest part, which was to keep the currents of air flowing in the right direction. None of the two could do that. Little did they know that it was Linfel instead that was controlling Alvin and the magic energy in their bodies. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin''s only contribution was that he made it as easy as possible for Linfel to control his Magic Energy. That showed his trust in the wisp.


    *Awooooooooooooo!!!*


    Unfortunately, their brazen movements didn''t go unnoticed. Few Magic Beasts could live in such a place, but each and every single one of them was powerful. Claus wasn''t wrong. Except for Magic Beasts that were too young, all others that managed to live here were definitely at level three or higher.


    Linfel''s Magic Energy Sense was the first one to catch the presence of the Magic Beasts. "Five concentrations of Magic Energies coming from the left side. Each one of them is at the same level as Claus, Level Three. We need to get out of the mist now!" Linfel''s Sense at Level Two had a range of almost a hundred meters when unobstructed.


    The mist was thick, but it couldn''t block his senses, so he caught the direction of the Magic Beasts quite early.


    *Bam!*


    Vera jumped one more time, confirming the distance from the hill. "We are around three hundred meters away from our target."


    Claus looked at everyone behind and gritted his teeth. "Alvin, Falagita, Warthon. Stop the whirlwind when I count to three. Everyone, close your Magic Energy Meridians and Channels. As soon as the whirlwind stops, we run with everything we have. We are dead meat in the midst of the Decayed Magic Energy.


    We can only try to get to the hill ahead as fast as possible before the Magic Beasts reach us."


    Julius was pale. "B-But, can we fight those Magic Beasts there?"


    Claus didn''t answer. They probably couldn''t due to the difference in strength. However, at least there was a chance. In the middle of the mist, on the other hand, their chances were definitely zero. "One, two... three!"


    Alvin, Falagita, and Warthon instantly stopped manipulating the Wind Element. The whirlwind disappeared, and the mist began to get close.


    "Run!"


    Claus only gave that order before his Brown Magic Energy exploded while connected to Gusan, his Familiar. They were the only Level Three in their group, so they took the front to try to force their way open in case anything else appeared.


    Alvin, Milia, and the others followed from behind as fast as they could. At the same time, Linfel''s senses were focused on the Magic Beasts. ''70 meters... 50 meters... 30 meters... they are too fast...''


    Linfel quickly controlled his Magic Energy and Alvin''s, merging them together before accumulating Earth Element. The accumulated Magic Energy and Earth Element then entered the ground below as their group passed.


    A few seconds later...


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Everyone heard the sound of something crashing. They didn''t know what happened, but none of them waited to see what it was.


    Linfel''s senses continued to focus on the Magic Beasts. ''Seems like it worked.'' A moment earlier, he used his Magic Energy to create a trap. As long as something passed above the area where he left his Magic Energy and Earth Element, it would activate and create a wall of earth, the same one Alvin liked to use.


    The Magic Beasts behind were pursuing them at full speed, so they didn''t have time to avoid and crashed against it. Linfel could tell that they didn''t suffer any real damage, but that definitely confused their senses, forcing them to stop for a moment.


    Suddenly, they began to go up. They finally reached the hill and quickly climbed. The gray-purple mist soon grew thin until everyone''s heads popped out of it. They now could breath again. Now, the problem was the Magic Beasts that were pursuing them.

 Chapter 78 - 78: Bubbles

    The hill wasn''t that big, allowing them to climb no more than a few tens of meters above the mist below. They all made a circle formation and watched the mist on all sides, waiting for the Magic Beasts.


    ''Alvin, Felia,'' Linfel spoke into Alvin and Felia''s minds again. ''If it is only you two, I can bring you out of here. I''m a wisp, and I can float. We might be able to float from one high point to the other and make intervals to recover our Magic Energy. However, I definitely don''t have the Magic Energy to bring the others. So, if push comes to shove, I''m only helping you two.''


    Alvin and Felia were taken aback. However, before they could answer, they noticed movements.


    *Vush, vush... vush, vush, vush...*


    Several shadows appeared and disappeared a the border of the gray-purple mist of Decayed Magic Energy. However, none of them jumped out of there. It was as if they found some impediment that prevented them from going further up that hill.


    *Awooooooo!!!*


    After several minutes of tension, the howl of one of them could be heard in the distance. As a result, the Magic Beasts running at the border of the mist around the hill disappeared. Linfel''s group could hear their steps growing further away. At some point, the area went silent, and nothing more happened.


    "They... left?" Falagita asked everyone, finding it hard to believe.


    Linfel''s Magic Energy Sense checked the surroundings. "Seems like it. At the very least, they left the range of my senses. As to why they did that or where did they go, I have no idea."


    "Sigh..." Claus dropped to the ground and sighed in relief. "Finally, some time to relax..."


    "Relax?" Vera narrowed her eyes. They didn''t seem to be in a situation where they could relax at all. "Take a look around. How can you relax? We need to find a way out!"


    Claus sat up and didn''t mind Vera''s complaints. "And we will think about a solution, so relax. I''ll ask you the same thing, look around. Can you see an escape route? I don''t think you can fly, nor can I, so we can give it some time for us to rest and think about a solution."


    "That is good," Warthon agreed. "Alvin, Falagita, and I, as well as our Familiars, spent quite a lot of Magic Energy to keep the whirlwind running. Give us an hour to recover."


    Vera could only accept it. "Fine... Since we are staying still, does anyone here have any idea about how to escape this hell?"


    Linfel nodded. "Sure!" Everyone instantly looked as Linfel continued to talk. "We can simply surrender to Xanzion. Didn''t you say sending a message from here would most likely be intercepted? We can do exactly that and wait for Xanzion to appear. We will be imprisoned, but at least we will leave this place."


    "Out of the question!" Vera instantly refused. Not only her, but no one there liked the idea either.


    "Julius tried as well. "Can we map our way out through other hills?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Julius pointed in the distance. That wasn''t the only hill that appeared about the gray-purple mist. There were various other high-plane places that could be used to avoid the mist. "We can try to go from one hill to another and see if we can make our way out."


    Linfel and the others looked at the elevated places that they could see. Some weren''t that far, but others truly were just too out of reach. From their point of view, they would get stuck on some other hill sooner or later. "We can consider that option if nothing better comes up."


    It was early morning, and the sun continued to rise in the skies. Everyone was silently contemplating their next move. Alvin took that chance to talk to Linfel about his words earlier, though. ''I can''t just leave everyone behind.''


    Linfel expected that. ''I know. But I also can''t save everyone. I''m not sure if I can even save ourselves with that plan.''


    Felia joined the conversation. ''Linfel, you are wasting your time. Master will definitely not leave Milia here. He wants to have kids with her.''


    Alvin almost vomited blood. ''Couldn''t you think about a better reason?''


    ''Am I wrong?'' Felia asked with a knowing smile.


    Alvin didn''t answer anymore.


    Seeing that, Linfel understood he could only give up. ''Fine. Let''s see what we can manage.'' He could control Alvin''s body when they were connected, but that was only as long as Alvin didn''t try to block his connection. If Alvin did it, then not even Linfel couldn''t force Alvin to move as he wanted.


    Some time later, Linfel noticed something. "Is it me, or did the mist retreat a little since we first arrived here?"


    Alvin and the others took a look at the mist. They hadn''t paid attention since they were more concerned about what lived inside. However, they all watched it for the next ten minutes or so. "It truly does seem to be going down."


    "Is it the sun?" Claus wondered on the side.


    "Probably. Even though it has Decayed Magic Energy in the mix, it is still mist," Linfel commented. "The sun is still rising, so I believe it should go even further down. Let''s wait. Once it gets to midday, it should make a big difference in our field of view. Perhaps we can truly find a route to leave this place like Julius proposed."


    This time, even Vera didn''t complain. They simply waited at the top of that hill for several hours. During this time, the mist went further and further down. By midday, the mist, which initially stretched around ten meters in the air, now only reached around three meters. However, there was also a problem with that phenomenon. "Look at the mist.


    It is definitely down. Yet..."


    They looked at it. Initially, the mist was a mix of gray and purple colors. Now, however, it was mostly purple. With the absence of the mist, most of the concentration was pure Decayed Magic Energy. There was still mist mixed within, but Decayed Magic Energy definitely made the majority of the content. It goes without saying that breathing or absorbing that mist now would be even more dangerous.


    "From the looks of it, we have two options," Claus concluded. "The concentration of Decayed Magic Energy in the air is relative to the amount of mist. During daytime, we can see more, but the concentration of Decayed Magic Energy is several times higher."


    He continued. "On the other hand, we can wait for after midnight, when the mist will be at its peak. The Decayed Magic Energy seems to mix with it, so its concentration will be much lower, making it safer to travel through it. Perhaps the Decayed Magic Energy will spread thin enough to the point we can breathe it for a while, allowing us to move unimpeded.


    It''s just that it will be a lot harder to deal with any Magic Beasts that come our way as well. We need to choose one of the options."


    Vera pondered it. Although she didn''t like to wait, so having the ability to move more freely was definitely preferable. Besides, she was an assassin; moving in the dark was her specialty. It would be easier for her to attack, defend, or even escape at that point. "Alright, let''s wait for nigh-"


    *Griiiii!*


    Poor Vera barely had time to finish her words, though.


    *Griiiii!*


    *Griiiii!*


    *Griiiii!*


    A weird sound came from above, quickly catching their group''s attention. Soon, the skies seemed to grow dark as a cloud began to make its way in their direction. Not long after, their group understood it was no cloud but a swarm of insects. They all came from within the Decayed Magic Energy, rising in the thousands.


    "Shit!" Claus instantly recognized them. "Purple Wing Horned Wasps! Forget about the waiting-for-the-night plan! We need to run now!"


    "But, the Decayed Magic Energy..." Julius couldn''t help but mention.


    Claus was already running downhill, though. "The mist will kill us slowly. The wasps, however, will kill us in seconds once they catch up. It is up to you if you want to stay behind and try your luck."


    No one had to hear Claus a second time. They all rushed down the hill, even though they would plunge into the far more concentrated Decayed Magic Energy.


    ''Alvin-'' Linfel tried to convince him.


    ''No!'' Yet, Alvin refused before Linfel could even finish speaking.


    Because of that, Linfel wondered if he should just leave on his own. However, he simply couldn''t force himself to abandon Alvin and Felia, just like Alvin couldn''t abandon Milia and Nori. ''Well, fuck it. Let''s hope it works.''


    In the next moment, Water Element accumulated around Alvin''s head and Felia''s core. That Bubble shined with a slight reddish color of Linfel''s Red Magic Energy. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is this?" Alvin asked.


    "It will keep the Decayed Magic Energy out. However, there is only so much air to breathe inside. The whirlwind will not cut since there is too little mist. A lot of Decayed Magic Energy would escape and reach us."


    Linfel didn''t forget the others. He connected to Alvin and used his perfect control of Magic Energy to create similar bubbles around the heads of all Familiars and Maguses. "Everyone, it is hard to keep all of these up at once. Alvin and I will use a lot of Magic Energy."


    Claus shook his head. "I''m very good at Water Element; it''s my affinity. There is no need for you to do this for me. Just focus on the others and I will copy your idea for myself."


    "No," Linfel refused. "The rest of you should focus on running and dealing with the Magic Beasts, especially you, Claus. You and your Familiar are the only Level Three here. There is no time to discuss; let''s enter the Decayed Magic Energy."

 Chapter 79 - 79: Flee

    The Purple Qing Horned Wasps continued to spread everywhere. When they got close to the Decayed Magic Energy near the ground, they seemed to slowly absorb the Magic Energy. From the looks of it, they adapted to survive on that type of Magic Energy even though it was toxic.


    Linfel and the others ignored that, though. Decayed Magic Energy couldn''t be considered food, so if they delayed, they would be on the wasps'' menu.


    *Bzzzzzzzzzzzz...*


    As they ran, the sound of the wasps approaching could be heard behind. Linfel focused on his and Alvin''s Magic Energy completely, and even so, he found it difficult to maintain all those bubbles around everyone''s heads and cores. He couldn''t even speak normally, so he had to communicate with Alvin through their minds. ''Alvin, Magic Beasts around 80 meters top right. Three of them.''


    Alvin nodded and spoke to Claus. "Claus, Magic Beasts'' incoming."


    Claus looked in the direction Alvin pointed out, and sure enough, three Magic Beasts jumped out of the mist, targetting Julius on the side. Vera and Claus didn''t waste time. Claus Familiar changed into his Spear Form, while Vera''s Familiar became the same Katar as before.


    Milia and Falagita quickly followed the two by the side and incomed the Magic Beasts. The Magis Beasts looked like wolves, although they had five legs and scaled on their heads. It was obviously some race that lived here before but mutated due to the prolonged exposure to the Decayed Magic Energy.


    Claus circulated his Brown Magic Energy and accumulated Water Element around his spear. His movements were fluid, blocking the first Magic Beast attack and aiming for its belly.


    *Pct!*


    His spear pierced the chest of the Magic Beast. However, it couldn''t go more than a few centimeters inside. The Magic Beast used its own Magic Energy to strengthen its defenses and avoid being killed. The other two wolves on the side immediately took the chance and attacked Claus while he held the first one.


    However, Milia and Falagita attacked the right wolf while Vear attacked the left one. Fire, Wind, and Water Elements collided with the wolves'' bodies, forcing them back for a moment.


    Unfortunately, just like Claus mentioned, no Magic Beast capable of living in this environment would be weaker than a Level Three Magus or Familiar. Vera, Falagita, and Milia''s only advantage was that they were working together with their Familiars and had access to their Magic Energy. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have even been able to force those two wolves back.


    *Bang!*


    Suddenly, a sphere with highly concentrated Wind Element fell right in between Linfel''s group and the wolves. It didn''t have much of an attack power, but it definitely had the strength to blow away anyone close to it. Warthon was the one to use that attack, trying to build distance between his group and the wolves.


    "Warthon, use another one!" Milia shouted on the side.


    "But it doesn''t have any attack power!" Warthon quickly answered.


    "Just do it! Once you throw it at them, start running again."


    Warthon gritted his teeth and summoned another one of those spheres of wind element and threw it in the direction of wolves. Right after, he resumed his run with Claus and the others.


    Milia saw that and shouted again. "Julius!"


    "O-Okay!" Julius understood what she wanted.


    Milia and Julius both had Fire Element affinity. They quickly summoned two Fire Balls and shot them. The two Fire Balls encountered Warthon''s Wind Sphere, causing a reaction.


    *Boom!*


    An explosion of fire, which seemed to be fueled by the Decayed Magic Energy, quickly blasted everything around. The three wolf Magic Beasts, who didn''t have much intelligence, were caught by the explosion and sent flying.


    Nonetheless, Milia, Warthon, Julius, and their Familiars were only Level Two. The wolves were at least Level Three. Their attacks didn''t cause many injuries, allowing the wolves to recover their balance a moment later. If anything, the explosion only made them angrier.


    However, before the wolves could even resume their pursuit, their expressions changed. The sound of something that even creatures like them could identify could be heard from behind.


    *Bzzzzz!*


    Out of nowhere, thousands of Purple Wing Horned Wasps pierced through the Decayed Magic Energy mist and surrounded the wolves. The wolves instantly gave up the pursuit and tried to run away.


    Unfortunately for them, that was Milia''s plan from the start. The explosion wasn''t supposed to kill the wolves but use them as bait for the wasps instead.


    *Roarr!*


    The wolves tried to run and attack the wasps in their bodies. Yet, it was a meaningless struggle. More and more wasps came out of the mist, and the wolves were engulfed in the swarm. They soon disappeared from Linfel''s group vision in the Decayed Magic Energy mist, so they couldn''t see what turned out of those Magic Beasts.


    Around ten seconds later... ''Those three Magic Beasts'' Magic Energy disappeared,'' Linfel''s voice echoed inside Alvin''s head.


    "Already?!" Alvin was taken aback. They had just left the wolves behind, and they had strength similar to Level Three maguses or Familiars. Yet, they died that fast! Alvin didn''t waste time and warned the others of Linfel''s message, causing their group to increase their pace even more.


    *Bzzzzzzz!*


    The sound of the wasps intensified with each step. Claus and the others even wondered if they were running away from them or running at them instead. Besides, the air inside the Water Bubbles Linfel created began to grow thin.


    ''Alvin, the wasps entered my Magic Energy sense again. They are around 90 meters behind us and approaching fast,'' Linfel warned. ''Tell everyone to focus their Magic Energy on their legs and jump, just like Vera did before. They need to jump more than three meters so that their bodies will leave the Decayed Magic Energy for a moment.''


    Alvin grew nervous but followed Linfel''s orders. The others didn''t know what he was planning, but they didn''t have many ideas anyway. Together, they circulated the Magic Energy inside their Cores and Dantians without taking in any of the outside Magic Energy. The Magic Energy accumulated on their legs, and they all jumped at once.


    The moment their bodies left the Decayed Magic Energy mist, Linfel''s Water Bubbles popped. That obviously scared them all since they would fall back into the mist and have to breathe the mist. However, before their bodies touched the mist again, new Water Bubbles formed with Water Element around the Maguses'' heads and Familiars'' Cores.


    They all had the same reddish color as Linfel and Alvin''s Red Magic Energy.


    When they touched the ground again, they immediately continued to run. They weren''t idiots. Linfel told them to jump so that he could renew the Water Bubbles. Now, they had more air to breathe inside the bubbles and could run at full speed again.


    ''More Magic Beasts!'' Linfel didn''t lose his focus. ''They are right ahead of us, six of them.''


    Alvin passed Linfel''s message to everyone, and Claus instantly changed direction. They all run to the right, going sideways from both wasps and magic beasts. The wasps and the magic beasts soon noticed each other. Linfel could see with his Magic Energy Sense that the Magic Beasts didn''t continue the pursuit but fled instead.


    ''Seems like nothing in this place can deal with the wasps...'' he thought for a moment.


    Nonetheless, Claus''s call was right. In the same way that the Magic Beasts noticed the wasps, so did the wasps notice the Magic Beasts. Before they all left Linfel''s sense again, Linfel saw that at least half of the wasps on their back went after the Magic Beasts instead.


    Around a minute later, their group jumped above the Decayed Magic Energy mist again, allowing Linfel to renew the bubbles and the air inside so they wouldn''t have to breathe on the ground. Yet, time was running out. Controlling all those bubbles with such precision and fueling them with Red Magic Energy used way too much of his and Alvin''s reserves. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They definitely wouldn''t be able to run for more than ten minutes before Linfel and Alvin were completely empty. Linfel could also call Felia to join and offer her Red Magic Energy, but it would only give them a few more minutes again.


    Suddenly, Linfel had an idea. ''Right! Nothing in this place has the courage to face the wasps!''

 Chapter 80 - 80: Wasted Chance

    ''Alvin, Felia,'' Linfel quickly spoke to those two through their minds. ''We are turning back.''


    ''What?!'' Alvin and Felia almost tripped after hearing that. ''Are you crazy? We will be eaten alive!''


    ''We will be eaten alive regardless,'' Linfel continued. ''However, there is something I would like to test. If it works, then we will have a chance to make it out of this place.''


    Alvin and Felia looked at each other. In the end, they have survived this far, thanks to Linfel, so they might as well continue to believe him. ''Alright. But what about the others?''


    ''Tell Claus to lead the group ahead. He will have to use the bubbles instead of me. He doesn''t have the same Magic Energy Control as me. However, he is a Level Three Magus, and so is his Familiar. He can make up for it with his Brown Magic Energy alone,'' Linfel explained. ''As long as the wasps aren''t pursuing them, they will have a higher chance of escaping this place as well.''


    Alvin thought about it for a moment and nodded. He knew through Linfel that the wasps were much faster than them. They would be caught again, and when that happens, only death awaited. "Claus, Linfel asked you to exchange places with him and control the water bubbles."


    Claus was taken aback. "Really? Are you two already without Magic Energy? I can do that, but we won''t be able to move as fast as now since my control isn''t as good."


    "It''s fine," Alvin didn''t mind. "I''m going back with Linfel and Felia to attract the wasps somewhere else. You will have enough time to adjust and lead everyone out of here. Or, at the very least, reach another high place."


    Everyone was taken aback. Alvin and his Familiars will run back? "Are you guys out of your mind?!"


    However, Linfel stopped using the Bubbles, not giving time for Claus to speak anymore, as he quickly took control of them. "Claus, keep going. We will try to deal with the wasps. Just make sure everyone gets out. Also, Vera, don''t forget our rewards!"


    In the next moment, Alvin, Linfel, and Felia turned around and ran in the opposite direction. They soon disappeared from everyone''s eyes in the middle of the highly concentrated gray-purple mist.


    Claus and the others couldn''t believe that. However, even Claus, as a Level Three Magus, had his limit. His Magic Energy Reserves would run out soon or later, so he couldn''t spare time to go after Alvin. "Do not waste their efforts. Keep running; just do it a little slower so that I can control the Water Bubbles."


    Tens of meters back, Alvin began to hear the approaching of the wasps. No doubt, the wasps also noticed him and his group since they seemed to accelerate even more.


    "Felia!" Linfel shouted.


    Felia understood and quickly connected to Alvin. They were once again using the Double Master Familiar Connection, giving Linfel access to all their Magic Energy. ''Felia, Alvin, I know you two don''t have Water Element Affinity, but try to control the water bubble for a few seconds. I need to concentrate.''


    ''Alright!'' Felia quickly answered. ''Do we need to cover you as well?''


    ''No,'' Linfel quickly rejected. ''I can resist the Decaying Magic Energy. Now, I''m releasing it.''


    Linfel completely stopped using Magic Energy in the water bubbles. Alvin and Felia immediately took control of them, but they couldn''t move. They didn''t know how to use Water Element, so just maintaining the bubble was hard enough, let alone moving while doing it.


    *Bzzzzzzzzzzz!*


    Suddenly, hundreds of wasps came from behind the mist, instantly spreading and trying to swarm Linfel''s group. Linfel still underestimated the wasps, though. In the last few meters, the wasps'' speed increased once again, much to his shock. ''Shit! Too fast! Run!''


    Alvin and Felia didn''t expect that and took some time to react. It was too late to run now, as the wasps had already reached their group.


    Linfel changed his approached and accumulated Fire Element. he could only try to create a barrier to try to buy his group some time. Unfortunately, the wasps were indeed too close. By the time he finished accumulating the Fire Element, the wasps were already on Alvin''s face!


    *swish!*


    *shaaaaaaaa!*


    Yet, just as they were to be completely swarmed, a flash of red passed right between his group and the wasps. The flash of red was followed by a wave of fire, burning all the wasps that tried to attack Alvin! In the next moment, a woman holding a flaming sword landed on Alvin''s side while coughing nonstop.


    "Milia!" Naturally, Alvin easily identified the girl. "What are you doing?!"


    "I told everyone in our- cough, cough, cough... our faction that I would come with you to make sure you would survive, did you forget?!" She answered with a serious expression.


    "You are crazy!" Alvin quickly held her. She didn''t have the Water Bubble around her head like him. She obviously separated from Claus and the others to come after Alvin. Alvin did his best to control that water bubble inside his head and include Milia inside. Only then would she be able to breathe a little. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn''t breathe much of the Decayed Magic Energy, but it still affected the girl since it was in its most concentrated state at the moment.


    Of course, the problems didn''t end there. Milia''s attack only bought their group a few seconds. More and more wasps came out of the gray-purple mist and quickly passed by the dying flames of Milia and Nori''s attack. Even worse, Milia wasn''t in a state to attack again.


    "Well done!" However, Linfel couldn''t be happier. Milia bought him exactly the amount of time he needed. Even better, the dead wasps on the ground due to Milia''s attack made his life even easier.


    Linfel''s Red Magic Energy quickly spread around, stopping at around two meters from Alvin''s body. "Come to Papa!"


    Hundreds of wasps entered Linfel''s Magic Energy and advanced. However, just as they were about to sting Alvin and Milia from all sides... they stopped!


    More and more wasps entered Linfel''s range, and in the same way as the previous wasps, they all stopped as well. Not before long, Linfel''s group was surrounded by wasps flying close to them. Yet, they didn''t do anything. They flew in a very organized manner, something you wouldn''t expect from a swarm.


    "Linfel..." Alvin, Milia, Felia, and Nori looked at him.


    Linfel mentally sighed in relief. "As expected, they are Magic Beasts, but they aren''t anywhere near Level One. There is very little Magic Energy in their bodies, which makes it quite easy to control. All these wasps are under my command now."


    Linfel glanced at Milia and couldn''t help but feel happy that she had come. She bought him enough time with her attack, and he was able to use the dead bodies of the wasps to analyze their Magic Energy. The wasps'' Magic Energy Channels were extremely simple, and they had so little Magic Energy that one might not even call them Magic Beasts... or Magic Insects, for that matter.


    Linfel was already Level Two, and he was already capable of controlling a Level One Magus before while he was at Level One as well, albeit for a few seconds only. The wasps were nowhere near Level One, so the result was pretty obvious.


    Even better than that, the wasps that Linfel just took control of acted as a shield that confused the other wasps outside of his control range. For the other wasps, it was as if they were just passing by their own race members. They didn''t have intelligence, but they didn''t attack each other. That was the perfect shield, a living, deadly, and toxic shield.


    "Now then," Linfel quickly regained control over the Water Bubbles. "Do you two prefer to keep using the same water bubble, or should I create one for each?"


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other and saw their faces so close that a slight movement could end up in a kiss right there and then. Instantly, their faces went completely red. "Se-Separated ones... please."


    Linfel sighed in response. "Another reproduction chance wasted..."

 Chapter 81 - 81: Dont you think?

    As mentioned before, Alvin and Milia will have to jump above the mist so that Linfel can recast the Water Bubbles and fill their outer shell with Red Magic Energy. The Water Bubbles only covered their heads, so it was quite the task to jump while both Alvin and Milia shared the same one.


    *Zin!*


    It was then that Alvin felt a hot sensation on the back of his neck. It was Milia''s flame sword, Nori. He acted on his own and was ready to cut Alvin''s head right there and then. "Boy, you better not have any funny ideas."


    Felia instantly complained. "You shit! Can''t you just shut up?"


    "Like hell I will!" Nori didn''t care, though. No one would take Milia from him. "Let''s get over with it and jump!"


    Alvin agreed with some sweat on his face. Nori definitely wasn''t joking. "L-Let''s jump... then."


    Milia, feeling just as hot, but for another reason, nodded slightly. "Y-Yes, let''s do it."


    Fortunately, it was a lot easier to jump above the mist with their Magic Energy during the day since the Decayed Magic Energy accumulated much closer to the ground. After jumping just four or five meters, they were already out, allowing Linfel to remake the Water Bubbles around Milia and Alvin''s heads separately.


    Of course, all of that happened while the wasps that Linfel was controlling followed them around. When they landed on the ground, Linfel quickly spoke. "Alright, I can talk if I have to control only two Water Bubbles. Just run. We need to catch up to everyone."


    Alvin and Milia nodded while Nori and Felia followed. Felia passed almost all her Magic Energy to Linfel and then disconnected from Alvin, only sitting on his shoulder this time. After all, the others don''t know that Alvin can connect to Linfel and Felia at the same time.


    Further ahead, Claus was already feeling tired. He wasn''t anywhere near as good as Linfel at controlling the water bubbles. His only salvation was his and his familiar''s Level Three magic Energy. Nonetheless, they were moving a lot slower.


    "Do you think they are alive?" Julius couldn''t help but ask. "Milia suddenly ran away after Alvin. Perhaps she helped them?"


    "Forget them!" Vera spoke, although there was a slight tinge of worry on her face. As cold as she was, it was a fact she went through a lot with this group. Not to mention, Alvin volunteered to act as bait. He can''t really force herself to hate someone like that. "If we don''t make out, then their sacrifice will have been for nothing! Focus on escaping the Decayed Magic Energy range."


    Falagita and Warthon looked at each other and sighed. The two felt the most useless at the moment.


    *Roar!*


    Suddenly, the sound of Magic Beasts came from the right side. Falagita, Vera, and Warthon instantly took the front. Claus was their only level three, but he couldn''t do anything else other than control the Water Bubbles. Julius once again stayed behind them, ready to give support since he wasn''t good at fighting.


    "There is no such thing as Level Two Magic Beasts in a Decayed Magic Energy environment..." Falagita couldn''t help but comment as her hands trembled a little.


    Vera and Warthon gripped their Familiar Weapons and continued to move with Claus and the others. Finally, four shadows appeared in the mist and ran after them. They looked like giant lizards, although they had six legs and two tails while their skin seemed somewhat dark silver. "Iron Lizards! Careful with their teeth. They are venomous," Claus quickly warned.


    The closest Lizard didn''t give them time to think and pounced at their group as soon as it got close enough. Its speed was incredible even though its body was quite big. Claus could tell that Level Three Magic Energy circulated inside its body, and he couldn''t do anything to help while keeping the water bubbles.


    Vera didn''t feel as helpless, though. She shot forward, and Sando, her Familiar, changed into his Katar Form. Water Element gathered around Vera before Vera punched forward. A spear of water was generated, going straight for the Lizard''s eye while he was in the air due to having pounced. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Pft!*


    The water spear easily pierced the Iron Lizard''s eyes, who wasn''t used to fighting such opponents. It missed its mark and fell to the ground, rolling quite a few meters while shaking its head in pain. The previous Iron Lizard mess affected the other three behind him, who collided with it.


    Julius, Falagita, and Wharton didn''t lose that chance. Falagita and Wharton, both having Wind Element Affinity, used the same strategy as Milia did previously. Two spheres of highly concentrated Wing Element were shot at the Iron Lizard. Following that, Julius used his magic Energy to create a Fire Lance and shot it at the sphere.


    *Boom, boom!*


    "Keep running! Ignore the wasps for now. Aim for somewhere elevated so we can move freely," Vera ordered. She knew that their attacks wouldn''t hold the Iron Lizards for long. Their level was just too low to cause any real damage.


    Claus gritted his teeth and released even more of his Level Three Magic Energy to try to keep the Water Bubbles running while they moved faster than before. However...


    *Zush! Zush! Zush!*


    From within the smoke caused by the explosion, three shadows jumped out, all three with burnt marks over their bodies. The explosions earlier only served to enrage them even more. The fourth Lizard was still shaking his head in pain, so it didn''t follow.


    *Ban, ban, ban, ban...*


    The Three Iron Lizards swiftly surrounded Claus and the others. In the end, they didn''t have to worry about the Decayed Magic Energy, so it was easy for them to trap everyone.


    Claus''s group quickly made a circle around Claus. They had to protect Claus above all else, or the Water Bubbles would be gone. They can''t absorb Magic Energy from the environment for obvious reasons either, so their reserves in their cores were all they had to use. The Iron Lizard, seeing their prey trapped, finally attacked from all three sides!


    *Bzzzzzz!*


    However, it was at this moment that a sound capable of scaring all Magic Beasts in this region echoed in the surroundings. The three Iron Lizards, who seemed furious a moment ago, instantly changed. They looked in the direction of the sound hissed. While at that, they all took steps back slowly, unwilling to give up their prey.


    *BZZZZZZZZZZ!!!*


    However, the sound increased even more, showing that their fear was even closer.


    *Zush, zush, zush, zush, zush, zush, zush...*


    Finally, hundreds of Purple Wing Horned Wasps flew from the mist, going straight for the meal in the distance.


    Seeing that, the Lizards finally gave up and turned around to flee. In this place, nothing can go against the rule of the Purple Wing Horned Wasps! Level matters not!


    Claus and the others felt even more helpless. They couldn''t run because they were surrounded by the Iron Lizards. By the time the Lizards finally decided to run away, the Wasps were already all over them. All they could do was increase the amount of Magic Energy around their bodies to act as shields.


    *Bzzzz!*


    Falagita saw the wasps getting to her and closed her eyes. However... the stings she was expecting didn''t happen. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the wasps flying through the gaps in her group, flying really close. Yet, not a single one attacked them. Instead, they began to fly around in an orderly manner.


    It was as if they were making a protective shell so no other wasps would get close.


    *Step, step, step...*


    "Oh! Look, I told you I could feel their Magic Energies," Linfel spoke as Alvin and Milia approached. The impressive thing was that they were barely visible. That''s because even more wasps flew around their group. Only when Linfel''s group returned to Claus''s group''s side did the wasps spread, forming a larger protective circle around them. "Hello, everyone!


    Long time no see! The air, the view, the animals... It''s a beautiful day for a stroll, don''t you think?"

 Chapter 82 - 82: Out of the Valley

    Claus was sweating nonstop as the wasps flew near him. "Wh-What is this? Are you con-controlling the Purple Wings Horned Wasps?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes. Because of that, I can''t help you with the Water Bubbles. The bubbles need a lot more precision, surprisingly enough. Anyway, there is another hill outside the mist eighty meters ahead and a little to the right. Let''s go there first."


    Claus and the others could only nod and walk there. Claus was also exausted, so for him to not lose control over the Water Bubbles, they refrained from running. Finally, they began to go up and left the mist of Decayed Magic Energy once again, allowing them to take a look around.


    *Gasp, gasp...*


    Claus finally let go of the Water Bubbles and sat on the floor, trying to rest. "I don''t know how you can control so many Water Bubbles while we move at full speed, Linfel. I''m at a higher level, and I can''t do anything as precise as you."


    "Who cares about that?" Vera quickly intervened. The wasps were still flying in a circular manner around their group, so she felt quite nervous. "What is this? How are you even controlling them?"


    Linfel shrugged, separating himself from Alvin. "It is not as hard as you think. The only problem is that you need to have a Magic Energy precision as good as mine. Otherwise, you can''t penetrate the Wasps'' Magic Energy channels. But these Wasps'' bodies are so simple that once you manage to do it, you can give them orders. It is quite convenient."


    Vera had never heard about controlling others, Magic Beasts or not, with Magic Energy. "Magic Energy precision... That is definitely out of my league. I''ve never seen someone with such incredible control as you."


    Milia, now having recovered a little, was still worried. "Linfel, can you keep controlling the wasps for long? What if your Red Magic Energy reserves end?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Don''t worry. Controlling the wasps truly spends almost no Magic Energy whatsoever. As I said, the secret is in the precision, not the amount of Magic Energy. At the moment, I''m not using even a tenth of the Red Magic Energy necessary to control a single Water Bubble around your head. I can recover Magic Energy faster than I spend it."


    Julius was taken aback. "You are absorbing this place''s Decayed Magic Energy?"


    *Pah!*


    Falagita hit Julius''s back head. "Are you an idiot? Take a look around! The Decayed Magic Energy is concentrated within the mist below near the ground. Here, on the top of the hill, there is no Decayed Magic Energy. Could it be you didn''t recover your Magic Energy when we were on the top of the previous hill?"


    "This..." Julius rubbed the back of his head and opened his Magic Energy channels. He had kept them closed ever since they entered this place. Sure enough, the Magic Energy around didn''t have good quality and was quite thin. Nonetheless, it wasn''t difficult to absorb, nor was it toxic. "S-Sorry... You should have told me last time.


    I was almost without any Magic Energy inside my core."


    Truth be told, Lifnel didn''t need to worry about such things. Inside his Spatial Storage, he had a lot of Red Magic Stones he got from the Vice-Principal. As long as he had time to focus, he could absorb them directly. Not that he would tell the others about it, of course. Only Linfel, Alvin, and Felia knew about it.


    *Bzzzzz...*


    Wharton watched the wasps flying near the mist of Decayed Magic Energy not far away. "So... can''t you send these wasps away, Linfel? They make me nervous."


    "No," Linfel immediately refused. "The reason we are alive is because nothing in this Magic Decay Valley dares to cause trouble to these wasps. If I let them go, we will lose our protection against the other Magic Beasts. We will use them to walk away from this place."


    "Then we need to start moving fast," Claus warned, doing his best to absorb the Magic Energy of the surroundings. "Purple Wing Horned Wasps only operate during the day. If we wait for the night to come, they will fall asleep."


    "Is that so?" Linfel didn''t know about that. Even though he was controlling the wasps, he didn''t know if he would be able to order them to continue flying during the night or if they would fall asleep regardless. "Then we need to move.


    If the wasps don''t operate during night time, the Magic Beasts that are hunting during such time probably won''t recognize them and attack regardless of their presence."


    Vera sat down as well and began to recover her Magic Energy. "Then let''s spend an hour recovering. After that, we are not stopping until we leave this valley. The rest of the daylight should be enough to exit this place."


    No one complained, and they continued to recover their Magic Energy. Once one hour was up, the job of controlling the water bubbles was once again given to Claus. However, Vera also had Water Element, so she helped as well. She hadn''t done it before because they needed Vera to fight the Magic Beasts.


    Since the Magic Beasts will not get close to the wasps, she can use her Magic Energy together with Claus.


    Linfel and Alvin, on the other hand, connected again and shared the expenditure of Magic Energy to control the wasps, even if it wasn''t much. Finally, to be safe, Falagita and the others followed by the sides, ready to fight if necessary. Everyone then came down from the hill and continued to press forward.


    The fear the wasps caused to all the Magic Beasts in the Magic Decay Valley was no joke. After two hours and a few stops, they finally could see the end of the mist. During this time, not a single Magic Beast dared get close. They heard the howl and roar of a few who seemed to have got close to their group.


    However, once the sound of the wasps reached their ears, they immediately turned around and ran. It was truly an uneventful stroll to the exit.


    Claus sighed in relief and let go of the Water Bubbles he was controlling. There was a little bit of Decayed Magic Energy and mist still. However, nothing he and the others couldn''t resist. Vera did the same, happy that they somehow survived this adventure.


    *Tud... tud, tud, tud...*


    Suddenly, the wasps flying around their group began to fall to the ground, much to their surprise. "Already? Shouldn''t they start sleeping during night time?"


    Linfel immediately shook his head. "They aren''t sleeping. They are dying..."


    *Tud, tud, tud, tud, tud, tud, tud...*


    The several hundred wasps Linfel was controlling fell one after another, lifeless. "Seems like the Purple Wing Horned Wasps truly mutated to live with Decayed Magic Energy. Now that there is almost no Decayed Magic Energy, they are dying."


    *Tud.* S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, the last one fell flat to the ground, ending their shield of wasps. As it died, Linfel''s group finally made their way out of the valley. "Well, this should be enough. The Magic Beasts that live in the Magic Decay Valley never come out, so they probably have the same problem as the wasps. In any case, let''s get away from here, just in case."


    Around an hour later, the light of the day began to disappear once again as it gave place to nighttime. Vera checked her MCOM, which started to not work properly due to the jamming of the war again. "Seems like we are on the west side of the valley."


    "Doesn''t that mean..." Falagita began to speak, and Claus concluded. "Yes, we are in Xanzion Country now."

 Chapter 83 - 83: Negotiations

    As mentioned before, the Magic Decay Valley was located in the division between Xanzion, Volztain, and Heffal. Having exited it through the west side, which seemed to be the fastest route to get out of the valley, they obviously came out in Xanzion.


    "How do we even go back now?" Falagita couldn''t help but get nervous.


    Claus looked at Vera. As someone usually tasked to move in the shadows, she definitely has methods to infiltrate enemy territory without being noticed. "That''s your area. What do we do from here?"


    Vera nodded. "First, we need to find a city, settlement, or anything. Good thing we are still using the uniforms from Xanzion, and with the ongoing war, it won''t be too weird to see us passing by." Right after, she looked at Linfel. "Do you think you can use that trick of yours to fool any identification system?"


    "Only if I am the one using the Magic Energy Signature, but I can''t guarantee," Linfel explained. "I could try to hide under your clothes like the last time and do it, but I would rather not risk it."


    Vera was satisfied. "Don''t worry. I usually wouldn''t rely on such methods anyway since Magic Energy signatures were supposed to be impossible to fake. I don''t know this trick of yours either. So I will only rely on it if absolutely necessary."


    She continued. "Chances are that any cities near the border have been evacuated or at least are under martial law. The best-case scenario would be to steal one of their airships and go around the fighting zones."


    "Wouldn''t we be found straight away if we stole an airship?" Julius couldn''t help but ask. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Probably," Vera didn''t deny that. "But if we flee at full speed and avoid any fighting zone by a long distance, Xanzion won''t send many other airships after us since the war is more important. Besides, we don''t really need to fly all the way to the center of Heffal Country. We only need to go far enough to be inside the Haffal Territory and far from the fighting zones.


    Then, we can simply abandon the airship and let Xanzion do whatever it wants with it. We will cover the rest of the journey on the ground."


    "Have you stolen an airship before?" Alvin was curious.


    "As a matter of fact, I have," Vera faintly smiled. "I can''t tell much about where, how, or why, but I have experience with it. I can pilot one, too, if necessary."


    "What if we can''t steal an airship?" Milia was more worried about the plan failing.


    "Like I said, that is the best-case scenario," Vera shrugged. "It is fairly hard to accomplish since any airship will be located inside military bases or at least guarded places. If an airship is out of the question, we will have to take the long way around."


    "I see..." Linfel understood what Vera intended. "Volztain to the north, Xanzion to the west, and Porfate on the south. However, we are also bordering one more country."


    "Binnan to the east..." Claus commented. "You intend to leave Xanzion through Lergen Country on the northwest and go all the way around until we reach Binnan. Since we aren''t at war against them, we should be able to make our way back once we get there."


    Vera confirmed. "That''s the idea, but this one will take us various days because of the closed borders."


    "That''s great!" Julius couldn''t be happier. "It is much safer than stealing any airships. Let''s do that!"


    Vera narrowed her eyes. "I wanted to go back immediately. With the provisions taken down, we have the perfect opportunity to strike back."


    "It''s not like we would make much of a difference anyway," Claus agreed with Julius. Julius was a coward, but he was right this time. "I also vote for us to go around, even if it takes a few days."


    Falagita, Alvin, and Milia quickly agreed. "We also prefer to go around. We helped the country in that suicide mission and managed to come out alive, thanks to Linfel. Can''t see why we should go back so fast since they sent us to die without us even knowing it."


    Vera looked at that united front. It was obvious that she was the only one willing to go back and join the army as fast as she could. But then again, she found it hard to blame them, considering the circumstances. Heffal does owe this group a lot. "Sigh... fine.


    Then we will go around. From what I can see on the map, the nearest city is Tuliyal. But we can ignore that one. The best choice is to go around and far away from it until we reach another of the cities on the back."


    Claus was happy that Vera relented, which didn''t happen often. "Good. How about Cinxeti City northwest from here? It is far away from the border, and although it might be under vigilance, it shouldn''t be completely blocked."


    Linfel agreed. "It makes sense. Three countries attacked Heffal at once. They shouldn''t expect any counterattacks anytime soon, so the country should be working more or less normally further away from the borders. Military presence is definitely expected, but not as much as near the borders."


    Vera checked the map as well and nodded. "Seems good enough. Let''s go."


    ---


    As Linfel''s group moved to the Xanzion Country, things turned interesting back in Heffal.


    "They disappeared, right?" The question came through the MCOM, reaching the ears of Litivia, the Vice-Principal. Naturally, the one asked was Xalafel, who was on the South Sea fighting against Porfate Country.


    Litivia felt helpless and answered back. "Alvin''s father said he was supposed to be in his room, training during the last few days. However, it had been some time since Alvin and his Familiars came out to ask for more Red Magic Stones, so I went there to check. Since I got no answer, I forced my way in, but there was no one in the room. There hasn''t been for a while already.


    Alvin''s father insists he doesn''t know anything."


    "Don''t worry," Surprisingly, Xalafel didn''t seem worried. "Just let them be. They will come back sooner or later. Meanwhile, try to find Milia. That Frondor fella is complaining on my ears nonstop. See if you can find any information about her last location or whatever."


    Litivia was taken aback, not expecting Xalafel''s weak reaction. "M-Milia? O-Okay, I will see what I can do." The communication ended a moment later, leaving Litivia even more confused. ''Could it be he knew Alvin left? But how...? In any case, it is not my problem anymore.'' She sighed in relief and left to carry the other orders.


    ---


    At the Heffal Headquarters, news about the mission success against Xanzion provisions had arrived almost as soon as it happened. At the moment, the Heffal President, Mano Valdin, was sitting in front of several screens where he could see various other important figures from other countries. "And that''s the gist of it. What do you think? That should be more than enough time to get here."


    One of the figures on the screens heard that and was the first one to answer. "I commend you for succeeding in taking down Xanzion''s provisions. However, the price is still not right. We would be using our own Maguses and Familiars, after all. Each death will be heavy on our rankings."


    Mano narrowed his eyes. "Erto, you never change... Fine. What else do you all want?"


    "Three years of Magic Energy Stones supply and a pledge," Erto answered with a faint smile.


    *Bang!*


    Mano slammed the table in anger. "Are you trying to cripple our country forever?"


    Erto didn''t seem to mind, though. "It is that, or the fall of Heffal. It is up to you."


    The other figures all nodded, looking very pleased with the way things were going on the table.


    Mano got up and paced a little as his advisors discussed the pros and cons of the deal. In the end, they all reached the same conclusion, albeit with heavy hearts. "We can''t offer three years. We would be guaranteed to be destroyed in the future if we do it, so it wouldn''t make any change. Two years is our absolute maximum."


    Erto and the others didn''t seem the least bit disappointed. "Hahaha! You made the right decision, Mano. Then it shall be two years. Leave the rest to us."


    A few hours later, the negotiations ended, and Mano exited the room with a tired expression. Nonetheless, he seemed relieved. "Let''s see how far Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate are willing to push this war now."

 Chapter 84 - 84: Appetizer

    Linfel''s group knew nothing about the war situation. They arrived at the northwest border of the Xanzion Country, shared with Lergen. As one would expect, the border roads were closed due to the war. Nonetheless, the security wasn''t all that tight since Xanzion wasn''t expecting an attack from Lergen anyway.


    By now, they had already passed Cinxeti City as they had agreed previously. They acquired a few civilian clothes and got rid of the Xanzion Army Uniforms. After resting and filling their bellies, they left and made their way to the border. Finally, they ignored the roads and crossed the border without being seen.


    Lergen wasn''t part of the alliance attacking Heffal, so there wasn''t a need to hide their identities there. Plenty of residents from Heffal ended up trapped in Lergen exactly because they couldn''t make their way back home. That helped as Vera and the others simply pretended to be a few more of these same residents.


    By using public transportation, they arrived at the border between Lergen and Colsfal Country, their next stop. This kind of movement continued for various days. Vera was like a fish in the water. She had several methods of acquiring what she wanted while in another country''s borders, and that helped them get this far.


    ---


    Tolistel Country, North of Volztain...


    Alvin and the others were having a meal while traveling on public transportation. Linfel and the other Familiars obviously didn''t need to eat, so they just talked and observed. In the end, Vera''s idea wasn''t only hers. Quite a few other residents from Heffal were also making their way around and trying to reach home by going through Binnan Country.


    In this vehicle alone there were another four Heffal Residents.


    As they talked, the TV on the transportation showed various news regarding the war from time to time. That helped Linfel and the others to keep up with the war developments. By now, they found out that the invasion suffered a big set back, obviously because of them.


    However, the surprising news appeared at the end of that day.


    -Urgent News just came from Haffal and Binnan Countries. Heffal has signed an alliance with Binnan, Goruto, and Tinfal countries. These three countries pledged to send military support as well as part of their Maguses and Familiars to support Heffal against the invasion.-


    -Binnan is being used as the bridge for Goruto and Tinfal to enter the country, and it is expected that their reinforcements will join Heffal''s frontlines in at most two days'' time. Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate still haven''t shown any signs of change. We will keep you posted on any new developments.-


    *WOW!*


    The Heffal Country people immediately cheered in the transportation.


    "This is great!" Julius was definitely the happiest there. "It will be four against three! We can finally push Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate back! The war will be over."


    Vera shrugged. "You are too innocent. Those three new countries wouldn''t send too much of their forces. Yet, they definitely asked for a hefty price from Heffal to come. At most, Heffal will reach a stalemate, but I hardly believe they will be able to cause any real damage to Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate."


    "I believe all sides expect the same thing. Heffal''s side is pushing for an end to the war without losing any of its territories. Meanwhile, Volztain''s side will probably try to hold what they acquired. In the end, neither side will be able to force the other out, and an agreement will have to be made," Claus sighed in response.


    "Do you mean our Heffal Country will get smaller?" Alvin asked.


    "Yes," Vera agreed with Claus''s explanation. "Binnan and the others definitely won''t commit to forcing Volztain and the others all the way back from where they came. They are in it for one reason and one reason only, reap as many benefits as possible."


    Linfel heard all of that and watched the presenter on the TV giving their opinions about the ongoing situations in Heffal. A map appeared on the TV, which showed several vectors of what the news reporters believed would be the next moves of the countries involved. ''As I assumed... Good thing I sent him out ahead of time,'' Linfel thought to himself.


    Right after, he turned to Alvin. "Alvin, show me a map of Heffal and the other countries on your MCOM."


    Alvin didn''t expect that request but followed Linfel''s wishes. Soon, a big map appeared on the MCOM, which included all the countries involved.


    Linfel had a screw loose in his mind, but he wasn''t an idiot. When it came to important topics, he usually was spot on, so everyone couldn''t help but pay attention to him. "Is anything wrong, Linfel?"


    Linfel looked at the TV and then at the map that Alvin showed. "Claus, how does a country treat the civilians of a country they conquer? To be more specific, Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate."


    Claus found that question strange. Still, as a captain of his own squad and a veteran in the army, he knew more about such things. "That depends on the country that takes over. Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate aren''t bad. As long as the civilians didn''t cause trouble for any of the three when they began to share the spoils, they wouldn''t be hurt for no reason. Why?


    Do you think they can still win with Binnan and the others joining the battlefield?"


    Linfel didn''t answer. Instead, he went to the side and pressed a button on the vehicle. A few moments later, it stopped by the road and opened its door. "Alvin, Felia, let''s leave."


    "What?!" Alvin was taken aback. Yet, Linfel didn''t stop, so he was forced to follow Linfel.


    As Linfel moved out, he left a few words for Claus and the others. "Once you get to Binnan, do not reveal your identities as maguses of Heffal. Get through the border and only show yourselves after you are back to safety. Let''s go, Alvin, Felia."


    "Wait!" Alvin and Felia felt helpless but exited the vehicle regardless.


    Seeing that, Vera struggled to decide if she should follow or continue her travel. From what Linfel spoke, they would at least manage to go back. And for her, returning to Heffal was the only priority. The rest didn''t matter.


    "I''m staying with Vera," Julius didn''t come out either. Vera was the one helping them get everything done on their way back. He only wanted to go back, especially now that the war seemed to be reaching its end.


    Claus, Wharton, and Falagita were just as confused. But seeing that Vera didn''t move, they also decided to stay with her. "He probably has his motives; let him be." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Vera, aren''t you going to attack Linfel, Alvin, and Felia? They are kind of deserting, aren''t they?" Falagita couldn''t help but ask.


    However, Vera shook her head. She knew she had no chance to take Linfel by surprise. She tried already. Her priority was to return. She could report about Linfel''s group, and that would be it. "Forget it.


    Attacking him would only cause trouble for ourselves. I''ll pretend I didn''t see anything." Well, the truth was that she also thought Linfel had a good reason. ''Could it be he thinks Heffal will lose?'' She wondered to herself.


    In the end, only Linfel, Alvin, and Felia exited the vehicle, leaving the others behind... or so it was supposed to be.


    "I''m coming with you," Milia spoke as she carried Nori on her shoulder.


    Vera and the others looked at Linfel and his group outside. "Are you truly staying behind?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled. He didn''t even know why he was staying in this place, let alone Felia, Milia, and Nori.


    Linfel, however, seemed certain he was doing the right thing. "That we are. Or, at the very least, I am. Don''t forget what I said, do not reveal your identities as soldiers or maguses and familiar of Heffal. Hide your Familiars'' Cores or whatever. Just make sure you get to the other side without revealing yourselves."


    Vera couldn''t hold back anymore and asked before the transportation started to move again. "Speak truly. Do you think Heffal will lose?"


    Linfel went silent. "If I say yes, will you stay behind?"


    "No!" Vera immediately shook her head.


    "Then this is a meaningless question," Linfel answered.


    Vera sighed and sat on her seat again. "Very well. I hope we can meet again."


    Claus and the others didn''t know what to do about that situation. But in the end, they still wanted to return, so they stayed with Vera. They didn''t see how Heffal would lose that war with the new alliance. Finally, the transportation vehicle closed its doors and departed, leaving Linfel''s group behind.


    "Linfel, can you speak now?" Alvin quickly asked.


    Linfel then took out his MCOM and showed it to Alvin. He quickly expanded the map, pointing several vectors through the routes that connected Binnan to the other two countries that signed an alliance with Heffal. "What do you see here?"


    "Alvin, Milia, Nori, and Felia looked at the map and were completely confused. It was very similar to the map that the TV news was showing. Just some minor differences. "Reinforcements?"


    Linfel shook his head, though. "No, this is a disaster. No wonder Binnan didn''t join the alliance to take down Heffal. Let me change my question. Why would Volztain, Xanzion, and Portafe attack if Binnan could serve as a hub for reinforcements from other countries to Heffal?"


    "This..." None of them could come up with an answer. "Perhaps they couldn''t convince Binnan to join them?"


    "Perhaps..." Linfel nodded. "Or... Heffal is just the appetizer."

 Chapter 85 - 85: The Further, The Better

    "Appetizer?" Alvin and the others couldn''t see how that was possible.


    Linfel then zoomed out the map and pointed at another six countries surrounding Volztain, Xanzion, and Portafe. "It is hard to perceive since Heffal took all the attention away. Even if you notice it, you would most likely cast it aside as some madness. Unless you look at it in the whole context, it won''t make sense."


    "Honjel, Flangion, Teruna, Lindblom, Azunia, and Lergen. When you look at these six countries separately, it doesn''t seem like they would try anything. However, if they acted together, they would have a golden opportunity in their hands," Linfel explained.


    "What kind of golden opportunity?" Milia was just as curious as the others.


    Linfel then used a few vectors that pointed these six countries into Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate. "The six countries could totally take advantage of the fact Volztain, Xanzion, and Portafe were attacking Heffal and attack those three. Neither of the three would be able to defend against these six countries."


    He continued. "However, that is not happening. First of all, this coalition between Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate doesn''t make any sense. You have seen it yourselves. These three countries are committing their entire forces to try to take Heffal down. It looks like the right decision.


    Take Heffal down fast and share the spoils."


    "But it isn''t. No sane country would ever leave its other borders unprotected while they are committing its forces to attack someone else. They would at least have some protection in case of emergencies. However, what did we see so far?"


    Milia, Alvin, and the Familiars were taken aback. "We passed through the border between Lergen and Xanzion with easy..." They finally began to see the same picture as Linfel.


    "Exactly," Linfel smiled in response. "Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate... None of these three countries are holding back at all. They truly are sending everything they have to force Heffal''s hand. Yet, Lergen and the other five countries I mentioned aren''t using this opportunity to invade Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate. It doesn''t make sense."


    "What you mean is that they know those six countries will not attack, right?" Alvin spoke with a dark expression.


    "Yes," Linfel nodded. "Now, Heffal managed to convince Binnan, Tinfal, and Goruto to send reinforcements. As I mentioned before, neither of these three countries will send the bulk of their armies to help Heffal. However, to deal with Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate, they will be forced to at least relocate 30% or more of their forces, perhaps half of it. Why?


    Because that''s the best way to prevent you from losing too many of your forces." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you show a display of strength from the start, you would be forcing Xanzion and the others to reconsider continuing a war where both sides will lose. Thus, an agreement would be made, and the war would be over. However, such an agreement will not happen.


    When Binnan, Goruto, and Tinfal mobilize these big armies and send them into Heffal, it will be the moment the coalition''s real power will be displayed."


    Milia and the others finally understood the whole picture. "Simply put, the enemy was already expecting Heffal to ally with Binnand and the others and receive help. Once that happened, the coalition of three countries would show to everyone that they are actually a coalition of nine countries instead."


    "That''s what I expect," Linfel confirmed. "The reason for that is pretty simple, look at the east side of Heffal. Or, to be more specific, look at the borders of Binnan, Goruto, and Tinfal. These three are located to the east of Heffal, but what do they have on their east side?"


    "The sea..." Alvin murmured.


    "Yes, the sea," Linfel repeated as well. "These three countries are surrounded by the sea and would not be able to ask for reinforcements from other countries. Well, they can, but I doubt any country would help due to the logistical nightmare that this sea would cause. In the end, Heffal is fated to fall first.


    Binnan and the other two will soon follow after losing the reinforcements they sent to Heffal, having no one to ask for help."


    Felia couldn''t help but ask. "You arrived at this conclusion just because we found no protection between Lergen and Xanzion when we crossed the border?"


    "Not really," Linfel shook his head in response. "I already checked this scenario way before we left the academy. Unfortunately, I didn''t have a better picture of the overall situation, so I wasn''t certain. I had other scenarios in my head, but they were also quite blurry. After seeing the news on the TV, I''m more or less confident this is the scenario that will take place. Of course, I might be wrong.


    We should have an answer in a week at most. That''s why I separated from Vera and the others, who would definitely go back to Heffal regardless."


    "I don''t blame them," Milia sighed and looked in the direction Vera and the others left. "All you are saying looks like madness. It is just too hard to believe. How could such an alliance of nine countries take place, and no one found out about it? All countries have spies within each other, you know?"


    Linfel faintly smiled. "And yet, Xanzion, Volztain, and Porfate took Heffal by surprise without anyone knowing they would attack together. If three countries can do it, why not nine? Even better, with all the attention focused on those three, why would anyone care about the other six, who seemed to be minding their own businesses?"


    "I..." Milia couldn''t give Linfel an answer, and neither could Alvin, Felia, or Nori. Indeed, Heffal didn''t find out about the coalition until it started the attack, so was it really impossible? Obviously not.


    "Wait!" Alvin grew tense. "My father is still there! We need to go back, too! I need to take him out before this breaks out!"


    Linfel shook his head. "There is not enough time. It would take over a week to enter and leave Heffal. Besides, there is no need."


    "It is obviously needed!" Alvin and Felia complained at the same time.


    "It is not," Linfel seemed calm. "I already got him out of the country. After all, Binnan is now in an alliance with Heffal, so the borders between these countries should be open to each other."


    "This..." Alvin and Felia were taken aback. However, Alvin was still skeptical.


    "You don''t believe me?" Linfel asked with a smile. "Catch!"


    Alvin was taken by surprise and quickly extended his hand. Linfel threw him his own MCOM. "What is this?"


    "My MCOM, obviously!" Linfel answer. "Call your father. If he is outside Heffal, you should be able to connect to him since there are no jamings here."


    Alvin took a deep breath and called his father''s number. "He-Hello?"


    -Oh!- Lucau''s voice quickly came out of it as the video opened. -That was faster than I expected. Are you already in Clondure? Hey, Linfel, it was just like you said. Binnan''s borders were open. I got here yesterday.-


    Milia, Felia, Nori, and Alvin looked at Linfel with scared expressions. Just how far has he seen?


    Too bad Linfel didn''t feel like he did anything out of the norm. "Hey, senior Lucau. No, we had to change our plans. Initially, I was going to drag Alvin to Binnan once he got to experience enough battles, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, we ended up in Xanzion instead. Don''t worry, though. We should get to Clondure Country by tomorrow at most."


    -Good!- Lucau nodded with a smile. -The further away we are from Heffal, the better.-

 Chapter 86 - 86: Cant Leave Behind

    "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Alvin couldn''t hold himself anymore. "What is happening here? How did you get to do all of this?"


    "Hum?" Linfel pondered a bit about the past. "I told you I considered a few patterns of how this war could turn out to be, right? One of them would be the one we just talked about. I knew that you would absolutely want to go back and take your father with you, so I couldn''t really leave him behind."


    He continued. "That said, I met senior Lucau alone and told him about the scenario of a bigger alliance. If everything went as I expected, the borders would open between Heffal and Binnan. Senior Lucau only had to take a bus or whatever and cross the border. From Binnan, who wasn''t at war yet, he only had to take an airship and go to Clondure further north and out of the influence of the alliances."


    -It was quite expensive for the airship ticket, you know?- Lucau complained. -I had to use quite a bit of my savings. I''m only a fisher, so things aren''t that easy.-


    Alvin felt helpless. "Fine... If my father is safe, then I truly don''t have to worry about him. But..." Alvin looked in the direction of Heffal Country. "What about Connor?"


    Milia joined. "And the Floating Blades Faction? I can''t simply leave them behind."


    Linfel turned serious. "I can''t do much for Connor, sorry. However, the guys from the Floating Blades Faction still have a chance... as long as they take me seriously."


    "What do you mean?" Milia and Alvin asked at the same time.


    ---


    Meanwhile, back in the Wateva Region, Pamil and the other members were having a conversation inside their regiment. They went to a corner where no one could hear them because they got a message from Linfel.


    "When did he leave this message?" Pamil couldn''t help but ask.


    Natalie knew how. "Do you remember when I distributed the MCOMs that my uncle prepared for us?" Everyone nodded and waited for her to continue. "I also gave Alvin and Milia one. Those MCOMs use the military server, so as long as we aren''t inside Xanzion''s jamming influence, we could receive a message from them. Look at the time Linfel wrote the message."


    Everyone paid attention to their MCOMs. Sure enough, Linfel had prepared that message weeks ago when they were still together. It''s just that the message had been scheduled to be delivered today. As long as Pamil and the others were within the communication system''s range, they would receive it.


    "Alright, he scheduled the message, which means he predicted all of this before we even separated," William commented. "The problem here is only one. All he is saying here looks like madness. Would there truly be an alliance of another extra six countries?"


    Their group went silent. They had been fighting for a while while Natalie''s uncle covered for their identity like she said he would. They experienced their own challenges, not to mention that Pamil and Natalie brushed death twice. None of them regretted this decision to join the war instead of using their backgrounds to avoid it. But...


    if what Linfel described in his message was true, then this wasn''t a war that could be salvaged anymore. Heffal would fall. There was nothing that could be done.


    It''s just that it was too hard to believe. This message, in particular, was even harder to believe. Linfel was now a lot more certain he was right, but that''s because he saw the borders between Xanzion and Lergen, where almost no protection existed. When he scheduled this message, he obviously hadn''t seen that yet. So, at the moment, his message only spoke about it as if it was a remote possibility.


    He obviously couldn''t contact them anymore from where he was.


    Natalie finally made a decision. "I''m going to see my uncle and pass him this message."


    "I think it is meaningless," William interjected. "No one would believe such a thing could happen. To be honest, I don''t believe it can. I say we just ignore this message and continue with our plans. We gained a lot by fighting in this war. I can feel my core''s color changing slightly, even though I entered Level Three not long ago.


    With the alliance Heffal made with Binnan and the others, reinforcements will come, and it will give us a better opportunity to force Xanzion and the others back. Are we truly losing that opportunity to participate?"


    "I think we should consider it," Qanda, Pamil''s Familiar, decided to give his opinion. "Master, Linfel is very weird. The few interactions we had with him and the reports of his achievements were even weirder. However, he is anything but an idiot. If he went to such extent to leave us this message, there might truly be some truth behind it."


    "I agree," Vigrus, Natalie''s Familiar, quickly followed. The Familiars seemed to be of the same mind on this topic. They were independent, so there was no need to think their words were biased toward their masters. "The main point here is whether Linfel is right or wrong. And so far, everything happened as he described.


    I would say the most glaring event is the alliance between Binnan, Tinfal, Goruto, and our country. He got it perfectly correct."


    "Hmph!" William''s Familiar, Mongis, was definitely the one who didn''t like Linfel the most. Yet... "As much as I hate to admit, Linfel did help my master find out about his hidden potential. No one had seen it before. I have no idea if he was right or wrong, and I don''t want him to be right. However, if he is, then only death awaits us.


    At the very least, we will have to surrender once this hidden alliance of nine countries happens and Heffal falls. I would rather bring William away before that happens."


    Pamil, William, and Natalie looked at their Familiars. They trust their Familiars more than anything. "Let''s pretend we believe Linfel is right. We all have families left behind. Can we really flee and leave them behind?"


    "Ha!" William heard that as if it was a joke. "Perhaps you two have families that you care about. But I''m different. It is not like you don''t know what my family thinks about me because of my dwarfism. I couldn''t care less about those guys who think I would be better dead than alive."


    "Sorry..." Pamil scratched the back of his head. He forgot for a moment that William''s situation was a lot more complicated.


    "Pamil," Natalia patted his shoulder. "There is no need for you to worry about our families either. Did you forget who we are? Do you think the elders of my Family or the higher-ups of your Organization haven''t prepared escape routes in case things go south? We are talking about those shred geezers here."


    "Oh..." Pamil had to admit Natalie was right. "Now that you said that... Yes, they definitely prepared ahead of time, no doubt. In that case, we don''t really need to worry about our families... Hum..."


    Pamil looked at the others. "Let''s vote. Those who think we should use this chance to leave Heffal, please raise your hands."


    William was basically the only one who raised his hand. He still found it hard to believe Linfel''s scenario was correct. However, he was the only one. Even his Familiar thought Linfel might truly be right.


    "Do you want to stay, Master?" Mongis asked with a concerned expression. "If you stay, then so will I."


    William looked at everyone''s raised hands and sighed. "Fine. Let''s get out of here. I hate the idea of abandoning our country to its fate, but if Linfel is right, staying behind is basically suicide."


    Natalie quickly began to type a few things in her MCOM and sent a message right after. "In any case, I sent this message to my Uncle. I hope he takes it seriously. Now then, William, do you think you can get your friend to bring us back to the academy."


    Let''s not forget they paid a cargo airship to hide them so that they could come here to fight.


    William nodded. "As long as the price is right, she will give us a lift. It will not be cheap, though."


    "No problem," Pamil didn''t care. "We still have some Universal Credits saved. Let''s gather them together. It should be enough. Alright, everyone. We are leaving this place."


    "Yes!" Everyone agreed. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Willian then asked one more thing. "By the way... should I bring that guy as well?"


    They all looked in the direction of the tents in their regiment. If Alvin had been here, he would have immediately identified the guy. It was none other than Connor, who wasn''t supposed to be in this regiment.

 Chapter 87 - 87: In or Out?

    Connor had a serious expression. These previous weeks of fight were especially harsh to him due to his level. Level One magus with a Level One Familiar. Above all, he was a Rank F Student. Such students were put at the very forefront as cannon fodder, and there was nothing they could do about it. Someone had to do this job, and the weakest would always be the first in that regard.


    There were already a few scars on his body, and some parts hadn''t even healed well yet. As someone who participated in the first confronts, the situation was quite bloody. However, Connor still tried to keep his bright behavior to try to fend away his fear... until six days ago.


    During a battle that happened in the Ofrical Region, his regiment suffered heavy casualties, including some friends he made in this place. But, above all, he got very close to dying. The only reason he didn''t was because his Familiar, Tratil, sacrificed himself to save his life.


    His regiment managed to retreat in the end, but Connor changed completely after that. This is also the reason why Connor was brought to the same regiment as Natalie and the others. His own regiment had been almost completely destroyed, so it couldn''t be maintained anymore. Its survivors were distributed between other regiments, and Alvin was sent to this one.


    Natalie found him the next day, although she didn''t know much about him. Nonetheless, she knew Alvin came to the war to look for Alvin and to fight together with him. Without Connor''s presence, Alvin wouldn''t have come with Linfel. On top of that, her group wouldn''t have received Linfel''s message about future events Linfel believes will happen.


    In a certain way, Connor''s presence might have just saved their lives.


    "I don''t know," Natalie spoke. "When I told him Alvin also came to look for him, he didn''t seem to care that much. It was as if his soul wasn''t even there anymore."


    William got up and walked in Connor''s direction. "Forget it. I will consider this as paying Linfel''s favor for helping me reach Level Three and finding out about my meridians'' hidden capability. Let me grab him. I''ll force him to come even if I have to knock him out."


    ---


    Time passed, and five days went by... S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clondure South Border, Regardia City.


    At the moment, Linfel, Alvin, Milia, and Nori had already met with Lucau and had been waiting here since them. So far, no new piece of news appeared on the TVs. According to Linfel''s prediction, the other six countries would join Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate in at most a week, but there had been no signs until now.


    They would be considered deserters at the moment, so if Linfel''s scenario didn''t play, going back would incur some heavy punishment. Besides, Alvin and Linfel left the Magus Academy against Xalafel''s orders so the old man would make things even worse once they returned.


    Alvin, Lucau, and Milia were eating at a restaurant while Linfel and the two Familiars were talking outside.


    "Nori, there is one thing I didn''t account for," Linfel spoke.


    Nori still didn''t like Linfel and the others since he didn''t like how Milia and Alvin were getting close. Nonetheless, he still talked to them. "What? Just speak already. If it is about Master and that idiot, don''t even bother."


    Linfel looked at Milia in the restaurant and shook his head. "That''s not it. When I made my plans to have Alvin leave Heffal, I did not include Milia in those plans, only his father. After all, he would never agree to stay outside if Lucau was in danger. I now know that the civilians probably would be spared if Heffal loses, but Alvin would still return to Heffal regardless."


    Linfel continued. "But Milia was different. I didn''t plan anything for her family. I was expecting her to eventually go back to Heffal since her parents are there, but she doesn''t seem to want to do it at all. Is she okay?"


    Nori looked at Milia and then back at Linfel. "There is no need to worry. For the Frondor Family, it is impossible that they didn''t plan a way to escape in case things went south. Besides, even if they hadn''t, Milia wouldn''t go back. You heard about William''s relationship with his family, right?"


    Linfel nodded. "Something about they not caring about whether he was alive or not, right?"


    "Exactly," Nori nodded. "Milia is the opposite. Her Family, especially her father, does consider her to be important. However, not because she is family, but because she is an asset. With her talent, the family considers my master to be of great use in a political marriage."


    Nori looked in the skies'' direction. "You might consider me a terrible Familiar, but I''m happy that Heffal will fall. I hope it falls. If it happens, the Frondor Family would be too busy to care about my master anymore. A daughter from a family that escaped a ruined country wouldn''t be very enticing either. She would be free to do as she wishes."


    Felia was hearing on the side. "You mean she can now make her own choices, right?"


    "Exactly," Nori nodded.


    Felia smiled in response. "Great! Once she chooses Alvin, you will have nothing to complain about. After all, it is her choice."


    "OVER MY DEAD CORE!" Nori instantly exploded. Felia obviously used his words against him.


    "What are you talking about?" Suddenly, Milia appeared on their side with Alvin and Lucau. They had just finished lunch.


    "Ah!" Nori quickly calmed down. "Ahem... nothing, nothing at all... They were just making some jokes that I didn''t like."


    Milia and Alvin looked at Linfel. "What did you do now?"


    Linfel felt like crying. For the first time, it wasn''t his fault, and yet... "I, your grandfather, am innocent!"


    It was at that moment that the mood in the restaurant changed. Linfel''s group looked inside, and noticed everyone was looking at the TV in there. Since the war in Heffal was happening quite close to Clondure, the news kept sharing constant information with its country''s population. Now, a new piece of news just emerged.


    Linfel quickly entered the restaurant again with everyone and watched it.


    -A sudden turn of events just took place in the war of Heffal. Lergen, Serzes, Flangion, Teruna, Lindblom, and Azunia joined Volztain, Xanzion, and Porfate in a coalition of nine countries to take down Heffal. They also dispatched all their troops to join in the fight at lightning speed.


    By the time we received this news, those countries had already sent their troops into Heffal to support Volztain and the others. The future of Heffal and its three other allied countries seems bleak. Our expert in military affairs, Dablin, will now give his opinion on the topic.-


    Alvin and the others looked straight at Linfel, who waved back at them in response. "It has started."

 Chapter 88 - 88: Good For You

    Milia took out her MCOM and immediately tried to contact Pamil and the others. She had been doing this ever since Linfel told everyone he had warned Pamil''s group. However, so far, she hasn''t seen any signs of them. "Perhaps they didn''t see your message, Linfel?"


    "I can''t deny that possibility," Linfel spoke. "I can just hope they did, and they are now out of Binnan."


    Alvin noticed something. "Wait, you told them in that message of yours that they should leave Heffal through Binnan, right? But... what about after it? Where did you ask them to go?"


    "Eh?" Linfel was taken aback. "I didn''t ask them to go anywhere. I just mentioned that they should use Binnan to get out, so they could have gone pretty much to any other country."


    Milia''s expression turned dark. "Fuck! Why didn''t you say that earlier?! Wait, let me try to use our secret online forum."


    "Secret... online forum?" Linfel had never heard about that. "What is it?"


    Alvin took his MCOm and showed Linfel. "It''s simply a place where you can also leave messages, although they are usually open for everyone to see instead of only those you target with the message. It is a good way to discuss some topics in a closed community."


    "Aha!" Milia couldn''t help but laugh. "I knew it! They didn''t come to Clondure. They went to Saloton!"


    "Saloton?" Linfel took his own MCOM and checked where it was. "Oh! They went pretty far away, didn''t they? Even by airship, it would take us two days to get there."


    Milia didn''t seem to care. She quickly posted an answer to the topic Pamil made recently, giving him her new MCOM number. After all, her own MCOM stayed back in Heffal, and the military MCOM she got from Natalie was pretty much useless outside of Heffal Country.


    *Plin!*


    Surprisingly, she got an answer from Pamil almost instantly. After adding his contact, she quickly called over. "Pamil! You are out!"


    -Hey, I''ve been scared out of my mind, you know? I thought you didn''t make it out of Heffal. Did you see the news?-


    Milia nodded before showing her MCOm to everyone so they could see the video call with Pamil. "We all saw it. Linfel was correct about everything."


    Natalie then appeared like a ghost on Pamil''s side. -Did you say Linfel? There he is! Linfel, how the hell did you manage to see it coming? They just announced exactly the six countries you mentioned would join the coalition. Are you perhaps a super spy inside all these countries or something?-


    Linfel laughed in response. "Hahaha! How can a Level One Familiar be such an amazing spy? I just used the most common method, I analyzed all the information and tried to come out with a few scenarios. That''s all."


    -That''s pretty impressive in and out of itself,- Natalie was still surprised. -Oh, right! Where are you guys calling from? We are in Saloton now.-


    Alvin took it from there. "We are in Clondure. Things went pretty crazy back in Heffal, and we were forced to flee through Xanzion instead."


    -Oh! It is Alvin! Milia, good job protecting him. You truly kept your word to keep him alive.-


    Milia bitterly smiled. Protect him? She was alive and outside of Heffal now because of Linfel, Alvin''s Familiar. In a certain way, it was Alvin who saved her instead. "Forget about it. Should we meet?"


    William then joined the conversation. -That is a bad idea. It is not that it is dangerous or anything, but that we are just too far from each other. I''ll be honest; we used pretty much all our savings to get out of Heffal through Binnan before taking an Airship there. We don''t have the money to fly to Clondure, especially since it is on the other side of the countries at war.-


    "This..." Milia looked at Lucau and Alvin, who shook their heads.


    "We are also pretty much empty," The father and son spoke.


    -Who''s the old man?- Pamil asked, curious.


    "He''s my father," Alvin spoke. "Linfel also convinced him to get out of Heffal through the same method, so we met in Clondure."


    Pamil looked at them. -Oh, I can see the similarities indeed. Anyway, Milia, neither you nor we have money at the moment. And since we kind of fled from our families, I believe you know they won''t give us a single Universal Credit, especially since they should be a lot more busy making an escape from Heffal now that things have turned bad.-


    "I understand..." Milia was okay with it. "Seems like we are stranded. Also, I don''t have many Universe Credits with me either. Does anyone have any good ideas?"


    Linfel couldn''t help but sigh. "If things hadn''t turned out as I imagined, we would be in Heffal by now, and the military would have paid us quite a good sum for our success in the mission. My beloved reward... gone, just like that."


    -We have been discussing it for a while,- Natalie added. -We are all Maguses and Familiars, so we can definitely make use of it. With Heffal''s situation, we can ask the governments of Saloton to take us a refugies. If Heffal truly ends up falling, I''m pretty sure Saloton would receive us with open arms as new Maguses and Familiars of their country. You should try the same thing. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No country would let such an opportunity pass.-


    "Seems reasonable..." Milia agreed with the plan. "What do you think, Alvin?"


    "Eh?" Alvin was taken aback. He pondered a bit and finally agreed as well. "Well, why not? I became a Magus for my Father, and since he is with me, I don''t really mind which country I''m part of."


    Lucau shrugged. "And I told you a thousand times you shouldn''t bother about it. Anyway, I should be of some use. Because Alvin is still a minor, they will have to talk to me first. Let your old man do the honors."


    Pamil, William, and Natalie were all adults already, so they didn''t have such issues. The only one who had it was Milia, who separated from her Family.


    -Sounds like a plan,- Pamil commented. -But what about Milia? She is fifteen, just like Alvin.-


    Milia narrowed her eyes. She could try to contact her Family since she was sure they would manage to escape somehow. However, Milia absolutely didn''t want to do so. For her, it was better if they thought she was dead instead.


    It was then that Linfel pointed at Lucau. "Why so much drama? Just have Lucau pretend to be responsible for her. Oh! What about saying Milia and Alvin are boyfriend and girlfriend who fled the war together? Done!


    That''s the perfect plan!"


    Milia and Alvin''s expression turned completely red again. "What kind of idea is that?"


    -That''s a very good idea,- Natalie smiled on the other side of the video call.


    -Senior Lucau, please take care of her,- Pamil already spoke as if the plan was accepted.


    However, there was a certain someone who absolutely couldn''t tolerate it. "Like hell he will!" Naturally, that was Nori, Milia''s Familiar. "I will not accept this arrangement!"


    Felia got to his side and patted his little ethereal shoulder. "It is that, or having to call Milia''s family to speak for her. Which one do you choose?"


    "I..." Nori was speechless. It was one terrible idea in exchange for another one just a little better, but still terrible. He had to weigh which one seemed worse, letting the Frondor family know about Milia''s situation or accepting the arrangement with Alvin''s father.


    -It''s good we reached a decision,- Pamil spoke again. He truly didn''t want to give Milia any chance to say otherwise. -Now, leaving that aside. Alvin, I have someone here with me you probably want to see.- Finally, Pamil pulled Connor into the video call.


    "Connor!" Alvin was shocked to see him there. "How?!"


    However, Connor didn''t seem as excited as Alvin. "H-Hey... Alvin. So you survived... and so did your Familiars, uh? Good for you..."

 Chapter 89 - 89: The Only Question is When

    Alvin was then made aware of Connor''s situation and the reason behind his change. In the end, Connor and Alvin exchanged numbers with their new MCOMs and talked alone, leaving Linfel and the others behind. That was something for the two of them to discuss.


    "Thank you for bringing him together with you," Lucau bowed to Pamil and the others on the other side of the video call. He had known Connor since he was a kid, too.


    -It''s fine,- Pamil didn''t mind. -Alright, the fact is that we all managed to get out before things turned worse in Heffal. We will take our leave now since we are still working on our situation here due to the lack of money. We will need to wait for a while since trying to join Saloton before Heffal truly falls would be considered desertion. Let us know if anything happens, okay?-


    "Yes," Millia and Nori nodded before the call was finished.


    After that, Linfel and the others waited for Alvin to finish his talk with Connor, which took over an hour. Only then did Alvin return to their group. "Sigh... Tratil died in the war, that''s why he is like that. Fortunately, Pamil and the others are there with him."


    Everyone in the Floating Blades Faction had independent Familiars, which proved how much they cared about them. Listening that Tratil was destroyed to save Connor left them definitely didn''t sit well with their group.


    "Alright, Connor is a bright kid; he will recover," Lucau took the lead there as the adult in charge. "What we need to focus now is on what we are supposed to do. Are you guys truly going to try to join Clondure Country as Maguses and Familiars?"


    Alvin and Milia did have that plan. Nori and Felia also found it to be the best option. However, Linfel was different. "You guys go ahead and do it. I have other plans."


    "Other... plans?" Alvin asked him back. "Are you not waiting to see if the war will be over?"


    "I''m not," Linfel shook his head. "With these events just now, I reached the conclusion that staying in one place doesn''t really suit me. Back when I lived with Horan, we were in constant movement while he threw me into the craziest situations to train. I guess I grew used to it now. I will still try to register as a Familiar from Clondure, but I will travel around while increasing my level. Then... S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well, I guess I will leave the planet and learn more about today''s Universe."


    "Horan? Training?" Milia and Nori were completely confused. "What is he talking about?"


    "This..." Alvin and Felia didn''t know what to say. Did the wisp forget Milia and Nori were still there?


    However, Linfel was well aware of that fact. "It is fine. I believe Milia proved to be someone we can trust, don''t you think?"


    "O-Of course!" Alvin quickly agreed, although Felia had her doubts due to Nori.


    Milia and Nori only got more confused, though. "Care to explain?"


    "Let''s return to our hotel first," Lucau suggested.


    Finally, they were alone in their room, so Linfel started. "First, let me finish my whole story. Then you can ask me anything you want, okay?"


    Neither Milia nor Nori had any troubles with that arrangement. If anything, they had always felt that Linfel was not simple. His abilities far surpassed what Familiars should be capable of doing.


    Linfel didn''t waste time and recounted the events that led him to this place today, including the fact he wasn''t really a Familiar. "Even now, I still don''t know why I woke in the middle of the ocean. But, from what I''ve learned, one thing is certain. Today''s Universe is definitely many, many years in the future.


    I''m from a time when Magic Energy didn''t even exist, and from the looks of it, no information remains of what my Wisp Race once was. I couldn''t find anything about Primordial Energy either."


    "Wisp race..." Milia and Nori had shocked expressions from the start to the end of Linfel''s story. "Then... what about the Double Master Familiar Connection?"


    Alvin patted Milia''s shoulder while looking at Nori. "Can you two connect for a moment?"


    Milia and Nori looked at each other and nodded. Immediately, Nori changed into his Flame Sword form and was held by Milia. Following that, Linfel landed on Milia''s shoulder. "Give me a few seconds. Do not block me."


    Finally, Linfel managed to match Milia and Nori''s Soul Waves, connecting his own with theirs. Their Magic Energy merged with each other, and now Milia was the one using Double Master Familiar Connection. "Unbelievable..."


    Milia could feel all that energy, far surpassing anything she had ever done before. "Why does it feel like my connection with Linfel is even more precise than with Nori?" Milia couldn''t help but ask.


    "Because I can match your soul perfectly," Linfel explained. "Wisps are beings of soul and energy, literally. We were extremely weak in the past, but in this future Universe, the story seems to be different. Magic Energy truly fits me, and matching your souls is not an issue at all. It is quite easy.


    Just so that you know, if you and I did the Master Familiar Connection test, our soul compatibility would be around 99%."


    "Ah!" Nori then remembered something. "Right, back at the Academy Entrance Exam for Familiars. You did reach 99% in your first test, didn''t you?"


    "I did," Linfel laughed and disconnected from Milia. "I had to work pretty hard to get it down to 70%, and Alvin complained a lot."


    Alvin sighed. "What did you want me to do? A Master Familiar Compatibility of 99%! You have no idea how ridiculous that number is."


    Milia and Nori couldn''t agree more. "This is just ridiculous!"


    "You can match my Soul Waves so perfectly..." Milia continued. "Then... that trick with Magic Energy Signatures you talked about during the war..."


    "Aren''t you a smart girl?" Linfel commented. "That''s correct. It is no trick. I can simply read someone''s soul waves and magic energy and copy it. I can basically pretend to be anyone at any time as long as I have a chance to memorize their soul waves and magic energy patterns."


    "Such a cheat power!" Nori was truly impressed.


    "Well, that is one of the reasons I told you the truth," Linfel faintly smiled. "I can pretend to be a completely new Familiar when Alvin decides to register as a Clondure Magus. I can help you guys in the future, too. It''s just that I can''t teach anyone how to do this. You would need to be a wisp, just like me. Anyway, that is the end of the story."


    Milia and Nori fell into deep thoughts while Lucau took the chance to ask. "Linfel. According to your predictions, how long will it take for Heffal to lose? And... can they avert this crisis?"


    Linfel pondered a bit. "To be honest, I don''t know. I mentioned before that no other country would meddle in this war since it seems like a lost cause. However, I lack too much information. I don''t know if Heffal, Binnan, Tinfal, and Goruto don''t have some hidden cards in their pockets.


    In any case, Binnan, Tinfal, and Goruto will immediately give up helping Heffal and lock themselves to try to defend against that alliance of nine countries."


    "If Heffal doesn''t have some other plan..." Linfel sighed. "I would give them five days at most before they announced their surrender. As for Binnan and the others, they are not at the center of the chaos, so they have a better chance to survive. We will see.


    I still think this alliance of nine countries considered all possible outcomes, so the truth is that Binnan and the others will also fall at some point; the only question is when."

 Chapter 90 - 90: I Can Only Try

    Late that night, Nori and Milia were in their own room as the others rested. "Milia, what do you think about Linfel''s story?"


    Milia pondered a bit. "It is hard to believe. And yet, you saw it yourself. He connected to both of us without any issues. He even pretended to be me and used my own Magic Energy Signature in my MCOM to unblock it. I''ve never heard about any familiar capable of doing such things.


    If there was, the countries of the world would have devised countermeasures."


    Nori nodded. "So it is basically as me. Whether he is really this wisp or whatever, I don''t know. But... do you think we can use it for your benefit somehow? This information might be worth a lot, enough to even buy you a way out of the Frondor Family''s claw."


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "Are you telling me to speak about it to Clondure?"


    Nori didn''t deny that. "It is dangerous, but if played correctly, you could be truly free."


    Milia shook her head, though. "No can do. He saved me with Alvin... twice! If my freedom means betraying my benefactor, then I might as well go back to the Frondor Family on my own."


    Nori wasn''t sad to hear that, though. "You sure never change..."


    ---


    On another room, Linfel, Alvin, and Felia were togehter.


    "So, these are all the Red Magic Stones I got from Lativia," Linfel spoke as he brought everything out of his Spatial Storage. "Use them to increase your level. As a Level Two magus and Familiar, you two should have quite a good future ahead."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "I don''t like it. Our deal was that you would help me level up."


    "Help you level up in the academy," Linfel corrected him. "Soon, the academy will be no more. Besides, I have already helped a lot to bring both of you to Level Two in such a short time. You can''t rely on me forever. You need to stand on your two feet."


    "Is there no way to convince you to stay?" Felia asked back.


    "There isn''t," Linfel had made up his mind already, though. "Such a life in a single place just isn''t for me. But you have my MCOM contact. If you ever need help, you can just call me. I''ll try to come over. Now, let''s continue our training today.


    You better use the days we stay together to the best you can."


    Alvin and Felia sighed but nodded in the end. Just like that, Linfel began to absorb and clean the Magic Stones while sharing the energy with the two. Finally, Alvin and Linfel reached their limit for the day and went to sleep.


    ---


    Things played just as Linfe mentioned. Heffal ended up being conquered fairly easily, while the alliance of nine countries killed or captured pretty much all Maguses, Familiars, and normal soldiers. From there, they shifted their attention to Binnan and the other two, starting a new war that Binnan''s group had little chance of winning.


    At the same time, Heffal''s president announced the country''s surrender. The alliance of nine countries promised the news media that they would not touch the civilians. They would be accepted as new citizens of the nine countries and work to hel share the resources of Heffal. In the end, it was all about that, the lack of resources.


    By now, Linfel and Alvin had already concluded their registration in Clondure as refugies. They weren''t the only ones. Quite a few Maguses and Familiars from Haffal, Binnan, etc, kept fleeing those countries and asking for asylum. Those countries who received them happily accepted every single one as they would boost their own countries'' power.


    They didn''t need to worry about Heffal''s group either since they wouldn''t be around for long.


    ---


    Country of Ternubes, several countries of distance to the north of Clondure. It had been over a month since the events in Heffal. Binnan had now fallen, and Tinfal was close to following the same path, while Goruto made a shocking agreement with the alliance of nine countries, saving its own ass.


    Today, a Familiar came out of an Airship in Ternubes and looked around with excitement. He quickly went through the procedures of entering a new country and gave his Magic Energy Signature.


    -Linfel-


    -Level Two Familiar-


    -Country of Origin: Clondure-


    -Master: Independent Familiar-


    A completely new Magic Energy Signature was used in Clondure when Alvin registered him. Even though he was using the same name, no one would find Linfel since he had a different ID. Even his ethereal humanoid form was different now.


    Linfel then floated out of the door and looked at the gigantic tower that extended to the skies. "Turnubes Space Elevator..."


    "I say, aren''t you a little too hasty?" It was then that a voice echoed on his side.


    Linfel looked at the guy and shrugged. "I don''t even know why you are here. Your best prospect for reproduction was right there in Clondure. And yet, you still decided to follow me. Since you are here, I don''t want to hear complaints, Alvin."


    Alvin laughed in response. "Hahaha! Come on, I couldn''t lose such a chance to see the world, you know? Besides, I improved the most while following you, so I decided to continue to do so." Sure, he liked Milia. However, there wasn''t a single hint of regret on his face. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Back in Clondure, Alvin went to talk to his father about his decision just a day before he went with Linfel to make a new registration. Surprisingly, Lucau seemed to have seen it coming. Lucau simply said that the good thing about being young is the adventures you can have and gave his support right there and then.


    He even commented that he and Alvin''s mother had done quite a few crazy things before they settled down in that fishing city.


    Alvin didn''t tell Milia about his decision since he didn''t want to bother the woman who had more serious things to deal with.


    As for Felia, Alvin requested his Familiar to stay with Lucau and protect him. Felia definitely didn''t want to leave Alvin behind. Unfortunately for her, she couldn''t just abandon Lucau either. Not to mention, she wasn''t an independent Familiar, so she had to follow Alvin''s orders.


    Finally, Alvin and Linfel hopped in an airship, even though Linfel warned Alvin he had no intention to come back anytime soon. Now... Linfel was looking to leave the planet.


    "So... tell me more about what is it that you are looking for, Linfel," Alvin asked as they walked through the city and looked at the Space Elevator.


    Linfel nodded. "If this is indeed the same Universe as the one I was, then there is a planet I want to visit. I don''t know if I will manage to find it, but I can only try, right?"

 Chapter 91 - 91: Level Three?

    Alvin found it quite hard to accomplish. "We believe you had been asleep for millions or even billions of years. After all, no records remain about this Primordial Energy you mentioned. If that''s the case, it is hard to believe this planet you want to visit still exists."


    "And yet, I am here on this planet, am I not?" Linfel asked back. "I''m not sure if I was transported left and right during my sleep, but if I haven''t, then this planet has existed since my time."


    Alvin opened his MCOM and checked the geological information on the planet''s internet. "From what I can see here, it is believed our Serfen Planet was formed 2,5 billion years ago... or so the geologists say. I guess it makes sense. Anyway, what''s the name of this Planet you are looking for?"


    Linfel took out his own MCOM and imputed the name in the search. "It is called Warfel Planet. It was Horan''s birth planet. This planet and the entire galaxy around it had grown so much in power that no one dared to use the same name... or so Horan told me."


    Alvin also used the same name. "Warfel, uh? I feel like I heard this name before..."


    It only took a few seconds for Linfel and Alvin to find some results. "This..." Not only that but there were countless results regarding Warfel. Linfel and Alvin looked at each other and opened the first result, which was nothing less than the Warfel Official Website!


    -Welcome to the Warfel Galaxy Empire Official Website.-


    "I knew I had heard about it before!" Alvin couldn''t help but exclaim. "It''s the Warfel Imperial Family! There were quite a few classes regarding them back in school. This empire is considered the strongest power in our Universe, and its influence extends over several clusters."


    Linfel was just as surprised. "Here, it says that the principal planet in that Galaxy is also called Warfel. Although I don''t know if it is a coincidence or not, at least I have a clue. Well, I have way too many clues actually. There is information about this empire all over the planetary network. But...


    why would this empire have an official website on such a remote planet like ours? From what is saying here, Warfel is literally located on the other side of the Universe, far from its territorial influence."


    "Oh! That isn''t that weird," Alvin explained. "Not only Warfel, but many other empires, democracies, alliances, and other types of powers in our Universe use this method to spread their influence. This is a very good way to attract investments and highly skilled professionals. It would be a lot harder to find an inhabited planet without an official website from these powers."


    "Is that so?" Linfel was surprised to hear that. "Then it makes things easier. If I can get recruited by them, I might be able to travel to Warfel, right?"


    Alvin shook his head, though. "Not from a place like this one."


    "What?! Why?"


    Alvin continued. "We live way too far away from Warfel. Why don''t you access the interplanetary traveling websites and check about the problems with this journey?"


    Linfel was curious and quickly searched for it. However, not a single one of such websites offered the option to travel to Warfel. Let alone Warfel, they didn''t cover more than a small percentage of their own Galaxy. "This... why are there no spaceships going out of our galaxy?"


    "Time," Alvin answered Linfel''s question. "Let me show you. There is a nice website that can make the calculation of the amount of time necessary to travel between galaxies all over the Universe. It is quite fun."


    Alvin quickly accessed that website and inputted the information.


    -Journey Time: 86156 years-


    Linfel bitterly smiled. "Ei... Eighty-six thousand years?!"


    Alvin shrugged. "Yeap. And this is already extremely fast. Do you know how many times faster than light you would need to move to make it all the way to the Warfel Empire in only eighty-six thousand years? It is all thanks to the fourth-dimensional spatial magic engine that such a thing is even possible." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin continued. "That''s why you won''t be able to join the Warfel Empire from here. Both you and I would be dead long before we made even 10% of the way. However, you can invest in Warfel since Universal Credits is the system used over the entire Universe nowadays."


    Seeing Linfel''s dark expression, Alvin smiled. "However, it is not impossible to make it there in a few decades."


    "Oh!" Linfel''s eyes lit up. "Tell me more."


    "Wormholes," Alvin explained. "That''s how long-distance journeys are made through the Universe."


    Linfel quickly checked wormholes in his MCOM. After all, such a term didn''t exist back in his time. "Oh... so they are kind of tunnels that connect two different points in the Universe, uh?"


    Alvin nodded. "There are three in our galaxy that connect to the Warfel Empire area. Too bad that wormhole traversal is strictly regulated. For example, only one person on our planet has the capability to request to use them."


    "Only one?" Linfel was surprised to hear that. "What is so special about him?"


    Alvin smiled. "His name is Rangro, the only Level Eight Magus of our Serfen Planet."


    "Is Level Eight that impressive?" Linfel asked.


    Alvin sighed in response. "Linfel, there is only one in the entire planet. What do you think? It is obviously impressive! Even his Familiars, Wiral and Dunedin, haven''t reached Level Eight yet. Anyway, he can use wormhole because of his status as a Level Eight Magus."


    "Is there no other way?" Linfel asked again.


    "Well, there are always some other methods. It''s just that none of them are available in our Serfen Planet," Alvin said while shaking his head. "Rangro didn''t become a Level Eight Magus in our Serfen Planet. Instead, he got to that level in the Ventis Sect, a hegemon that controls around 30% of our galaxy... or so the stories say on the websites.


    In any case, this Ventis Sect has some special privileges. If you have the status of a high-elder there, you can also use the wormholes."


    Linfel nodded. "Ventis Sect it is, then."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Do you think joining them is that easy? Also, didn''t you say you wanted to travel more? How come you now want to settle in the Ventis Sect?"


    "I''m not stopping there, idiot," Linfel retorted. "I will just join to get this high-elder status."


    Alvin felt helpless. "As the old saying goes, ignorance is bliss. There is no way maguses and familiars like us could be accepted into the Ventis Sect."


    Linfel was already inside the Ventis Sect website. Sure enough, it also existed on this planet. "You never know if you don''t try, right? Look, the recruitment happens once every six months, and it also includes our planet."


    Alvin then pointed at the requirements. "It also says all maguses and familiars intending to take the test on our planet must be at least Level Three before the age of 17. I''m already sixteen and I barely reached Level Two. Even Milia, who was considered a top genius back in the academy, is still Level Two."


    Linfel pondered a bit. "How long until you turn seventeen?"


    Alvin was taken aback. "Errr... five months and nine days?"


    Linfel nodded with a happy expression. "Then there is no problem. The test is four months from now. We will reach Level Three before it."

 Chapter 92 - 92: Justice

    Alvin felt that notion ridiculous. "I know I can level up much faster when I''m connected to you. However, we have already used so many Red Magic Stones just to get to Level Two. Just how many do you think we will need to reach Level Three in just four months? Do you think Brown Magic Stones are cheap?"


    Linfel didn''t seem concerned. "I guess you were the one who forgot who I am. I can simply find some rich guy and copy his Magic Energy Signature. Then we can use his funds to buy Brown Magic Stones and level up fast."


    Alvin shrugged. "And who do you think you are fooling? You would never steal someone else''s credits for no reason. I know you well enough to understand this much."


    "Fine," Linfel didn''t deny that. "I wouldn''t steal from anyone... who doesn''t deserve to be stolen from, that is. Hahaha!"


    "Ah!" Alvin immediately understood. Naturally, there are plenty of people who don''t deserve what they have, especially outlaws. However, because Universal Credits are literally a currency registered for use in the entire Universe, no government can touch these credits without the owner''s consent. Forcing the issue was impossible because of the Universal Credits Laws.


    "There are a lot of frauds where the perpetrators were jailed but refused to give back the money and are just waiting to come out. Indeed, I wouldn''t feel the least bit burdened if I took away what they have."


    "That''s about it," Linfel nodded. "However, it would be better if it was someone whose culprit couldn''t be proven since no one could access his Universe Credits account. The others, at least, are already jailed, and going after them might attract too much attention."


    Alvin didn''t waste time and used his MCOM to check the news regarding such things. Regardless of the time, there were always those who escaped the law even though investigations were carried out just because not enough proof was found. In a country as big as Ternubes, which had a Spacial Elevator, such things were bound to fall in the news.


    "Here''s a list of guys understood to be in the wrong, but the law can''t touch them..." Alvin quickly pointed it out in his MCOM.


    Linfel looked at that and felt a little sorry for Ternubes. Even though this country was considered stable, there were plenty of scandals in its government. What kept it working was basically the profits of the Spacial Elevator that sustained all the extra expenditures due to corruption.


    "Whatever... let''s see." Linfel perused through the various news, some dating back to over a decade without resolution. "What about this guy?"


    Alvin took a look. Linfel was talking about a Governor from the Yusluve State... or a previous one, actually. The guy''s mandate was taken away after several cases of fraud in the farming system. The investigations pointed out that various contracts were being given to companies close to the ex-Governor himself.


    However, because the guy had many people in his pocket, he managed to stay out of jail up to this day.


    "Why him?" Alvin wondered.


    "Very simple," Linfel pointed at the date. "His scandal happened almost two decades ago. Most people don''t even remember him anymore. By now, he is pretty much certain he will be free until the end of his life and should have his guard down. Someone like him must have a lot of Universal Credits from those times he was a corrupt governor."


    Alvin pondered a bit and faintly smiled. "The reason he wasn''t caught was the lack of proofs, and the news from that time also mentions how he had the legislative in his hand... but if you copy his Magic Energy Signature, that means you can also get access to a lot of his personal information. Linfel, you wouldn''t mind playing the hero a little, would you?"


    Linfel looked at Alvin''s smile and laughed. "Hahaha! You truly want to bring all his old operations down, don''t you? Sure, why not? Let''s bring them all down. He will have no time to worry about our Universal Credits Transfer once the news outlets begin to disclose all the new proofs that will ''mysteriously'' appear in their e-mails."


    "Hahaha!" Alvin laughed as well. "As everyone says, there is no such thing as evil or good. It all depends on the individual." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn''t hard to find out where Romero, the ex-governor of Yusluve, was living nowadays. He just so happened to be in the same city since it was where the Spacial Elevator existed. Of course, even if he had been forgotten over time, it didn''t mean Romero had no security whatsoever.


    With all the Universal Credits he earned during his ears as governor, he had plenty to build himself his own mansion, which was protected by its guards 24/7.


    Alvin arrived at the mansion with Linfel, which was quite extravagant. "Who says crime doesn''t compensate? Look at this guy. He is living the dream!"


    "A dream earned over the sweat of others, that is," Linfel complemented.


    Alvin couldn''t agree more. "So, how will we meet th-"


    Before Alvin could even finish speaking, Linfel had already moved to the front gate of the mansion, quickly reaching for the doorbell. "Hello, my name is Duroi. I''m from the repair company. Could we get in?"


    Alvin almost vomited blood. Could Linfel be any more invasive than that? "What the hell are you doing?! They would never believe such an obvious-"


    -Finally! I called you guys about the Magical Environment Spectrum three days ago! Come in already!-


    Alvin wanted to cry already. "D-Did you know they were waiting for someone?"


    "Not really," Linfel shrugged as the gate opened for them. "I just thought we wouldn''t lose anything if we tried."


    However, before entering the mansion, Linfel turned to Alvin. "You don''t really need to come with me, you know? I''m using a fake Magic Energy Signature."


    Alvin sighed. "Since we got this far, I might as well watch it to the end."


    Later that day, all the news outlets in Ternubes and even a few more in nearby countries went into a frenzy. Romero, the ex-governor of Yusluve State, was taken by the authorities. Thousands of new pieces of evidence were found against him, so much so that it would be impossible for him to escape this time.


    Meanwhile, no one noticed as millions of Universal Credits suddenly disappeared from Romero''s own account.

 Chapter 93 - 93: Decisions

    Alvin and Linfel watched the news as Romero and a bunch of other people related to the same scandal were taken into custody. Sure enough, the one who released all that information was Linfel, who managed to get in contact with Romero.


    While pretending to work on the problem in the mansion, Linfel also got access to one of the terminals. Naturally, nothing in there was supposed to be open for anyone to see other than Romero. But, with Romero''s Magic Energy Signature, it wasn''t a problem. Linfel copied everything.


    "It doesn''t feel half bad. Still, it was very nice of you to send most of the Universe Credits back to the government coffers. Too bad that quite a good part of it will end up being misused once again at some point," Alvin spoke.


    "It is fine," Linfel didn''t mind. "The country didn''t even expect to get it back anymore, so that should be of some consolation. I left Romero without a single cent as well. Anyway, it should be about to arrive any moment now."


    *Knock, knock...*


    As soon as Linfel finished speaking, someone arrived at the door of their room. Linfel and Alvin were staying in a pretty average hotel, not catching anyone''s attention. They opened the door, and it was the delivery guy. "Sir Rimaldo, right?"


    "That''s me," Linfel spoke with a smile. Right after, he used the guy called Rimaldo''s Magic Energy Signature and received his package. He quickly brought it to the center of the room and opened it. "Now, that''s more like it."


    Inside, there were a thousand Brown Colored Magic Stones. Such stones were very erxpensive, and Linfel used most of the Universal Credits he got from Romero in them. Nonetheless, he didn''t care. If he needed more, he wouldn''t mind playing the hero once more. "Let''s start, Alvin."


    Now that Linfel and Alvin were Level Two, the level of Magic Stones they could use went higher as well. Linfel bought Low-Grade Brown Magic Stones as well since he could clean them and make them as good High-Grade ones.


    Linfel and Alvin quickly connected to each other and Linfel started his job. Their training speed instantly multiplied, and they only stopped the absorption when Alvin''s core reached its limit for the day.


    During the day, Linfel and Alvin rented a training facility. In a world of Maguses and Familiars, such places became a necessity. The Sastasha City Academy, for example, had quite a few of them.


    The best way to help Alvin''s Core stabilize that much Brown Energy was through combat and constant use of his own Magic Energy. With that in mind, Linfel pushed Alvin to his limit, even paying some Level Three Maguses to come and be his sparring partner.


    Linfel didn''t forget to fight alongside Alvin, either. In some of those fights, Alvin and Linfel did connect, which increased their power with the merge of their Magic Energies. In others, Linfel only acted as support, while Alvin had to do his best to fulfill Linfel''s training schedule. Alvin wasn''t the only one benefiting, though. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Magic Energy was something new to Linfel, so the more he trained with Alvin, the better he got at using it.


    Also, Linfel wasn''t an idiot. As much as he wanted Alvin to reach Level Three before the exam, Linfel never forced Alvin beyond what he should. They only stopped to absorb more Brown Magic Energy when Linfel was absolutely certain Alvin''s Core was in pristine condition, and no side effects would be left behind.


    Linfel wasn''t different in this aspect. Let''s not forget what happened to Linfel when he tried to absorb High-Grade Red Magic Energy while he was still a Level One Wisp. His soul almost got damaged. In a certain way, that training also played a crucial factor for Linfel himself.


    This kind of training continued for the next months. By the time two months went by, all one thousand Brown Magic Stones were gone. Neither Linfel nor Alvin cared, though. They once again went through the news of the past decade or so and quickly found their new target.


    This target was even easier than the previous one. Her name was Laura, the granddaughter of a company owner in Ternubes. She oversaw the sacking of the company, causing the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the company''s bankruptcy. She enjoyed her days on a beach and was surrounded by security almost 24/7.


    However, little did she ever expect that one of the workers in one of the stores she frequented wasn''t a worker at all. It was none other than Linfel and Alvin! They used Linfel''s Magic Energy Signature ability to pretend to work there. All Linfel needed was one touch, and the Magic Energy and Soul Waves were clearly memorized.


    Just like the last time, all the information was leaked into the news outlets from Laura''s own accounts. It was the second time such a thing happened, so some people began to wonder if it was a coincidence or not. Nonetheless, Laura was also taken away, and most of the money she had was sent back to their owners.


    Linfel and Alvin obviously used the remaining money to buy more and more Brown Magic Stones. That was their payment for playing on the side of justice.


    Finally, just eight days before the exam of the Ventis Sect, Alvin and Linfel''s cores changed color completely. Brown energy began to take shape inside and became available for use. Well, Linfel could already use Brown Energy before, although very little. Now, he could fill his entire energy pool with it.


    Alvin took a deep breath, raising his hand and controlling the Brown Magic Energy in his Core. "So this is how it feels to be at Level Three..."


    Linfel smiled in response. "This is just the start. Since you decided to come along, I will use the fact you are my ''master'' to its full extent." Yet, his expression turned serious. "However, passing this exam also means leaving this planet. Alvin, I will ask one more time. Do you really want to leave your father?


    I truly can''t tell when you would be able to come back or if you could at all."


    Alvin nodded with conviction. "After you mentioned you would take the exam, I had a long conversation with my father about this. He said he was certain I would regret it if I stayed behind. How could I go against his words?"


    Linfel was happy he felt like that. "Then let''s stop using Magic Stones for now. We will spend the next seven days getting used to Brown Magic Energy. After that, we will go to the exam site."

 Chapter 94 - 94: Dont Worry

    One day before the exam, Linfel and Alvin had to take an airship to another country. The exam happened in Lebeu, another city in a further away country that also had a Space Elevator. This city, however, was much bigger, and the Space Elevator it had was obviously capable of carrying much more content.


    The exam just so happened to take part in there. On the day that Linfel and Alvin got to Level Three, they used their ID as a Clondure Magus and Familiar to register for the exam. They had to demonstrate that they were indeed capable of controlling Brown Magic Energy, and only then was their registration accepted.


    At the base of the Space Elevator from Lebeu, one could see several enormous queues. All of them were filled with young Maguses and Familiars. This was only one of such cities, so one could imagine how many more participants were taking the exam around the globe. Also, let''s remember this is only one planet of the thousands inside Ventis Sect Territory.


    Alvin felt nervous, aware that every single one of the young Maguses and Familiars there was at Level Three... and he could see thousands of them! "I knew Heffal was only one of the thousands of countries on our planet, but seeing so many under seventeen Maguses and Familiars makes me realize how small the war for Heffal truly was."


    Linfel nodded with a smile. "If you had all these youngsters on Heffal''s side during the war, even that coalition of nine countries wouldn''t be able to make their way into Heffal. But then again, this city alone is probably gathering the young geniuses of a few hundred countries around. So, excited already?"


    "Excited...?" Alvin didn''t understand the wisp. "I feel more like crying... There is no way I can do better than these guys."


    "Now that I think about it," Linfel remembered something, "What exactly are the requirements to enter Ventis Sect?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin almost fell with his face on the ground. "You planned to take the test to achieve your objective and you don''t even know what you have to do?"


    Linfel nodded. "We just need to pass, right? No big deal. So, what is it?"


    Alvin truly couldn''t tell where all that confidence was coming from. "Sigh... So, according to the official website, there are five rounds of selection, each of them with their own exams. However, only the exams of the first three rounds are made public."


    Alvin continued as he and Linfel entered the queue. "The first round is taken before we go up in the Space Elevator. It is quite a simple test, actually, aiming to get rid of at least 70% of the candidates. It is a Magic Energy Output test."


    "Output?" Linfel looked back at him. "There wasn''t a test like that back in the academy, right?"


    Alvin shook his head. "There was, but because you joined mid-season, you weren''t there to see it. Do you remember? You ended up as an Independent Familiar, but the test before that was just so I could register you."


    "Anyway," Alvin didn''t stop. "You will touch a Magic Energy Receptor, and you will have ten seconds to channel as much Magic Energy inside the receptor as possible."


    "What''s the requirement to pass?" Linfel asked back.


    "There is none," Alvin answered with a bitter smile. "There is only one rule, the bottom 70% of the entire planet will be excluded, simple as that. The other 30% will be allowed to go up the Space Elevator to take the second exam. So, unless you get a very obvious position from the start, you won''t know if you passed until the end of the exam."


    "Oh! I like that, very simple." The exam got Linfel''s seal of approval.


    "You... did you hear what I said at all?" Alvin felt helpless. "We have just become Level Three! Most of the Maguses and Familiars here probably have been at Level Three for at least a year. They progressed their training and had time to increase their Magic Energy pool. I''ll be impressed if we make it to the top 50% already, let alone the top 30!"


    Linfel floated a little higher and looked at the end of the queue. "Still, this queue will take forever. Won''t we be disqualified if we run out of time?"


    Seeing Linfel completely ignoring his concerns, Alvin could only try to ignore them as well. "It is fine. Everyone who joined the queue will have their chance. Besides, there will be many receptors and workers on this. Considering each test takes ten seconds, the results plus and change of candidates, no more than thirty seconds to a minute will pass between contestants... or so says the website."


    At exactly midday, all the speakers around the area began the announcement.


    -The Ventis Sect Exam starts now. Make sure you have registered on the official website since your Magic Energy Signature will be checked. Do not dwell near the Magic Energy Receptors for long. Channel your energy, check your results, and move to the waiting area. We count on everyone''s cooperation.-


    The queue began to move slowly, but the rhythm quickly picked up. Alvin was right. There were quite a few workers and receptors connected to the exam results prepared. Every minute, at least forty to fifty contestants were checked. Even with a few thousand contestants, the queues moved pretty fast.


    Alvin opened his MCOM and checked the leaderboard on the official website. As there were many other cities going through this exam, the leaderboard updated over a thousand new IDs every minute, too.


    Once Alvin and Linfel made half way through the queue, a few names became pretty apparent on the leaderboard. One point to take note was the contestant''s level, shown just on the side of their names.


    -1st | Ramuh Canfrisei: 773 Points - Level 4 Magus-


    -2nd | Winnia Popelis: 772 Points - Level 4 Magus-


    -3rd | Glooden Qa''tri: 772 Points - Level 4 Magus-


    At the same time, there was also a leaderboard for the Familiars.


    -1st | Titifi: 761 Points - Level 4 Familiar-


    -2nd | Quay''taba: 761 Points - Level 4 Familiar-


    -3rd | Trin...


    "Level Four..." Alvin bitterly smiled again.


    "Oh!" Linfel also looked at that, surprised. "They make people like you and Milia look like trash."


    Alvin almost vomited blood. "Do you need to say it like that?!"


    Linfel quickly patted Alvin''s shoulder as he spoke confidently: "Don''t worry. You are a good trash, my trash."


    Alvin felt like giving up the exam right there and then...

 Chapter 95 - 95: How Rude!

    The queue continued to move at a fast pace, and the positions at the top of the leaderboard more or less stabilized. As one might imagine, the top thousand or more were all Level Four Maguses and Familiars. Yet, it was at this moment that an uproar happened in the queues and the waiting area.


    "Holy shit!"


    "Look at that!"


    "It must be a mistake, right?"


    Alvin noticed that and quickly checked his MCOM.


    -1st | Xifrin Lou''dian: 845 Points - Level 5 Magus.-


    "It is the same level as our Academy''s principal..." Alvin took a deep breath, seeing that information.


    Linfel was also impressed. "The test only accepts those below the age of seventeen. Truly remarkable. However, this is good."


    "How come?" Alvin asked.


    "Now everyone looks like trash, not only you," Linfel explained. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. Why does he still ask? He knows nothing good can come from the wisp, and yet he just can''t learn his lesson...


    That wasn''t the only Level Five. Ten minutes later, a Familiar of the same level appeared.


    -1st | Trodeu: 869 Points - Level 5 Familiar.-


    Alvin obviously didn''t lose that chance. "Now that guy makes you look like trash."


    Linfel looked back at him, genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? I''m not even a familiar. It is meaningless to compare me to them."


    Poor Alvin... His words did absolutely no damage to the wisp, damaging Alvin even more instead.


    "Hey, seems like we are finally there," Linfel called Alvin''s attention. They finally got to the front.


    There, Linfe and Alvin were separated, one being sent to a different receptor from the other. Due the the characteristics of Familiars and Humans, that had to be done to test the best of each side.


    "Alvin," Linfel spoke to Alvin as they moved away. "Just do your best, trust our training."


    Alvin took a deep breath and nodded. He quickly positioned himself in front of the receptor and put his hand on it. Then, he looked at the worker there, waiting for his signal to start.


    "Your ID has been checked. As soon as you start pouring Magic Energy into the receptor, your ten-second countdown will begin. You can start now," the guy quickly explained.


    Alvin then channeled all the Magic Energy in his core through his meridians and finally on the receptor ahead. Immediately, the ten-second mark appeared on a screen in front of him while the receptor shined with a brown color. Obviously, the color of his Level Three Magic Energy.


    As Alvin did his best, the worker on the side couldn''t help but glance at the receptor. ''Isn''t it shining a little too much...?'' He had seen hundreds of contestants so far, ten of which were already at Level Four. Surprisingly, the receptor seemed to shine as much as when the Level Four Contestant tried it out. Nonetheless, that wasn''t his problem, so he just waited for the ten seconds to be over.


    On the other side, Linfel just started doing the same thing, not feeling the least bit worried. ''Hum... pretty similar to the receptors back in the Magus Academy. I wonder how Aelua is doing now.'' Aelua, the researcher about Magic Energy from space Linfel worked for.


    Linfel''s receptor shined even more than Alvin''s. For Linfel, no such thing as Magic Channels existed in his core. It was all about using the core itself to send Magic Energy out. Naturally, that also caught the attention of a few eyes watching the test.


    The first one to finish his test was Alvin. The ten-second mark was over, and the receptor refused to accept even a single iota of Magic Energy anymore.


    "Sigh..." Alvin looked at the screen, which was calculating his result. "I did what I could, now to hope that I can make it to the top 30% at least..."


    A few seconds later, the result came out.


    -17th | Alvin Brunes: 759 Points - Level Three Magus.-


    Immediately, the surroundings went silent. Every single eye looked in Alvin''s direction, not believing what they were seeing. The main screen, which showed the result for everyone, had a hundred names on it, and Alvin was literally the only Level Three Magus in there. The rest were all Level Four or Five! Not only that, he was in the 17th position! How ridiculous was that?


    "759 Points?! A Level Three Magus with fucking 759?!"


    "Incredible! How did he do that?"


    "It''s a mistake! It has to be!"


    "Hey, swap the receptor! There is no way he did 759 points!"


    "Yes, that''s the result of a Level Four Magus and a top-ranked one at that."


    Alvin was just as shocked. "This..." He didn''t understand how he could have achieved 759 points. It made no sense.


    *WOW!*


    Yet, his thunder was quickly stolen by someone else, a certain wisp not too far from him.


    -1st | Linfel: 999 Points - Level Three Familiar.-


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. ''Let''s pretend I don''t know him... Maybe he forgot I exist.''


    Not only in Lebeu, but all the other cities across the planet fell into a frenzy after seeing that result. A Level Three Magus had just done something unbelievable... just for a Familiar to create a miracle a few seconds later.


    Linfel checked at that result, feeling satisfied. He ignored all the looks and returned to Alvin, much to the young man''s sadness. "That wasn''t so bad, was it? Oh, seems like our training paid off, you also got quite a good result yourself. This should be enough to get to the second test, yeah?"


    Alvin bitterly smiled and walked to the waiting area. Not even god would believe Alvin had no relation with Linfel now. Still, even though Alvin expected anything and everything from Linfel, he still couldn''t understand his own result.


    ''Linfel,'' Alvin couldn''t hold back anymore and whispered with his magic energy so only Linfel could hear. ''How did I get that result? I''m better than most Level Four Maguses...''


    ''Oh, that?'' Linfel didn''t find it strange. ''You are receiving Magic Energy from me, which is the cleanest Magic Energy you could ever hope to get. Naturally, this long-time training with my Magic Energy not only cleaned your meridians but further developed them. I believe I mentioned something like that in the past, didn''t I?''


    Alvin was taken aback. He did hear Linfel commenting something similar, but at that time, he truly didn''t pay much attention. Alvin simply thought that, at most, it would make him get a little closer to the geniuses from the academy. He never expected he would create a result that could completely trash them. ''Am I becoming a monster like you?''


    ''How rude!'' Linfel complained back. ''I''m no monster; I''m a wisp. Besides, we are just starting.''

 Chapter 96 - 96: Traitor!

    Alvin wanted nothing more than to disappear. Every single eye in the waiting area was on him. Well, Linfel was also a target of the looks, but Linfel probably didn''t even notice. Alvin, however, was truly a Magus and got a result as good as the Level Four Maguses while being only at Level Three. It was impossible to not notice him.


    "Hey, friend," Someone in the waiting area finally had the courage to come to ask. "I heard your familiar speaking about some special training. What kind of training is that? Your magic Energy Output is absolutely crazy!"


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "That''s a misunderstanding, that''s all. There is probably something wrong with the equipment. Hehe..."


    "Hmph!" Someone else snorted. "Something wrong with the equipment? The Ventis Sect Equipment? Ridiculous! If the organizers had the slightest doubt of the equipment''s integrity they would have demanded you to repeat the test. The fact they didn''t only serve to show that the equipment was fine.


    You truly have an unbelievable Magic Energy Output."


    Those words only caused people to feel even more impressed. Indeed, that was the Ventis Sect they were talking about. A hegemon that few and far between could hope to join. How could a mistake like that go without notice? Alvin and linfel must truly be that good.


    Linfel smiled, feeling proud. ''Alvin, just enjoy the moment. The results are out, and there is nothing we can do to change it. Besides, you know what I''m going after, right? Do you think I can get what I want by keeping a low profile?'' He spoke in Alvin''s mind.


    Alvin remembered how Linfel needed to travel to the other side of the Universe to look for a planet. Indeed, a low profile wouldn''t be of much use. If Linfel wanted to get the authority to use the wormholes, he would need to charge up the ranks fast. The position of High Elder gave you such authority, but there were bound to be other methods in there, too.


    Finally, Alvin put his hands on his waist and nodded. Since it had already started, he might push it to the end and act accordingly. "Alright, I do have a good Magic Energy Output, but it isn''t something I can teach any of you about. Everyone has their secrets, and so do I. However, this is only impressive on our planet.


    Do you think what I did is really worth mentioning within the Ventis Sect Territory?"


    "This..." The other participants went silent. Alvin was right, it might be impressive here, but they all know this planet is quite a weak and isolated one in the Ventis Sect Territory. What Alvin did probably wouldn''t catch many eyes on other more advanced planets, let alone inside the Ventis Sect itself.


    ''Well said!'' Linfel was happy to see Alvin adapting this fast... although it was obvious that Alvin was still forcing himself to act that confident.


    Various conversations went right and left, but no one could find a fault with Alvin''s words. No one could force him to reveal his methods either. In the end, some tried to befriend him, while others just ignored the situation. Regardless, the test continued while the Ventis Sect organizers acted as if nothing out of the norm happened in the test.


    Some Familiars also approached Linfel, but Linfel pretended he didn''t do anything impressive, using exactly the same excuse as Alvin.


    While Linfel and Alvin waited for the test to end, Alvin''s MCOM suddenly went off. "Hum?"


    Alvin quickly took it and opened the call; it was his father. "Dad... did you call because of the test?"


    "What? Are you taking the test already?" Lucau asked back, not aware of the situation.


    "Eh?" Alvin thought Lucau called him because of how he appeared in the middle of the top-ranked maguses. "Is that not it?"


    "Not really..." Lucau didn''t deny that. "But since you mentioned, how is the test going? Have you failed? If you did, don''t bother. You can always come back."


    Alvin scratched the back of the head. "Actually, I most likely will pass the first test."


    "Oh!" Lucau nodded, surprised. "That is a pretty amazing sect, isn''t it? Oh, right! I almost forgot. Have you seen Milia and Nori?"


    "Milia and Nori?" Alvin didn''t expect that question. "Not at all. Why would you ask?"


    Lucau then explained the situation. Alvin and Linfel left without telling anyone other than Lucau and Felia. When Milia found out that Alvin went on a trip with Linfel and that Lucau didn''t know when they would be back, she seemed quite angry, talking about something regarding being a member of the Floating Blades Faction.


    Yet, it wasn''t like Lucau could do anything about it. During the next months, Milia and Nori got quite involved with the Clondure Country as Magus and Familiar, taking various missions for the country or some of the companies in there. They seemed to be doing quite well in this new environment. Lucau often reported to Alvin about it.


    After all, Milia never called Alvin after he left, and Alvin simply thought she didn''t care about him anymore, so he never called as well.


    "However, a week ago, she finished a mission and returned home with Nori," Lucau continued. "I always mention to her about you and Linfel, but she simply ignores me when it comes to news about the two of you. This time, she seemed a little different, though. When I went to check on her the next day, she was gone. At first, I thought she had gone to work again, but she hadn''t come back for a week.


    That''s why I wondered if you didn''t know something."


    Alvin shook his head, although he wasn''t concerned. "There is no need to worry. She is a Level Two Magus, and Nori is a Level Two Familiar. She can take care of herself. In any case, chances are we will never meet again, so why bother?"


    Suddenly, a weird expression appeared on Lucau''s face, confusing Alvin. "Is something wrong, Dad?"


    Lucau looked through the video call at a certain person right behind Alvin. "Ahem... I think you should look behind you. By the way, I remember I have... errr... Right!


    I have to wash a few things. Goodbye and take care."


    The call ended abruptly... and at the same time, a delicate hand landed on Alvin''s shoulder from behind. "Why bother, right? Why bother indeed!"


    Alvin felt like his body dropped inside an ice lake. How could he not recognize that voice? He quickly looked to his side, trying to understand why Linfel didn''t warn him... just to find out Linfel was nowhere to be seen. The wisp knows how to run pretty fast. ''Traitor!'' sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 97 - 97: Why?

    Alvin then turned to the other side, looking at the all too familiar face of the young woman. "Oh! Look if it isn''t Milia! Long time no see, uh? How have you bee-"


    *Peng!*


    Quite a lot of people were still looking at Alvin due to his results, so they also saw when Milia kicked a certain very, very, very delicate part in Alvin''s body. All the men couldn''t help but show contorted faces as if they were the ones who had been hit at that moment.


    As for the women, they closed their eyes... or just pretended to. How could they not feel interested in that?


    "What is happening there?!" Immediately, one of the workers of the Ventis Sect responsible for keeping the order came out. "Young girl, do you know where you are? What''s the meaning of-"


    "It... It''s fine..." Alvin extended his hand forward, trying to calm the guy. "It was just a misunderstanding, and it was my fault. Ther... ouch... there is no need for sir to bother with me."


    The man narrowed his eyes, but since Alvin, who is the victim, insisted he was fine, he could only let it slide. "Fine. However, if I see that again, you two will be disqualified. I don''t give a shit about how good your results were. In the Ventis Sect, geniuses are nothing but ordinary."


    Milia still had a dark expression as she grabbed Alvin''s collar and pulled him close. "So, how come you suddenly disappeared without saying anything? Do you think this is how a Floating Blades Faction member should act? We were supposed to look after each other."


    Alvin was still in pain, but he felt ashamed nonetheless. "Sorry... It''s just that I talked to Linfel, and he decided he wanted to leave. I simply thought there was no need to have you following me around. After all, you have your own life."


    "I know you two are happy to see each other," Linfel suddenly appeared out of thin air. "However, do you truly want to have this conversation here?"


    Only then did Milia notice that she was the center of attention. She might be cold, but she wasn''t made of stone. She quickly let Alvin go and walked away, trying to avoid all the eyes.


    The women around looked at Alvin with disgust. In their eyes, it has to be Alvin''s fault.


    Alvin bitterly smiled, knowing that it was true, but not for the reason the others were thinking. He then shifted his attention to Linfel, and his anger came up. "Where the hell did you go? Couldn''t you have warned me?"


    "Hum?" Linfel was confused, though. "I did notice Milia, so I left for a moment to check her results. Why? Did she say something?"


    Alvin was helpless. "Whatever, let''s go after Milia. Wait, her results? Right! Why is Milia here?"


    Linfel then took out his MCOM and showed it to Alvin. "Here, look."


    -2876th | Milia Frondor: 596 Points - Level Three Magus.-


    -3125th | Nori: 512 Points - Level Three Familiar.-


    Only then did Alvin''s eyes move in Milia''s direction, who was walking away with Nori. The Brown Color of Nori''s Ethereal body proved it. They reached Level Three. "She wasn''t one of the top geniuses of our academy for nothing. Also, she is ranked so high..."


    Alvin wasn''t lying. 2876th might look low, but there were hundreds of thousands of young Maguses and Familiars taking the test for the Ventis Sect around the planet. More than half of the participants had already taken the first test. The fact she was all the way up to 2876th position put her well within the top 5%, let alone the top 30% rule. The same goes for Nori.


    It''s just that Alvin and Linfel''s results were so ridiculous that they robbed the spotlight of someone like Milia.


    Alvin quickly recovered and ran after the girl. As for the crowd, none of them wanted to get involved in a couple''s fight. If anything, it was good those two were fighting since it would increase their own chances during the next tests.


    Finally, Milia arrived at a slightly less crowded corner where no one had witnessed what she had just done. "Nori, why didn''t you stop me? I acted like that in front of so many people..."


    Nori seemed in a very good mood, though. He never liked Alvin to start with. "You did nothing wrong! That man is a piece of shit. He is not worth your attention."


    "Ahem..." Alvin finally caught up. "M-Milia..."


    Milia''s expression turned cold again before she turned her face in Alvin''s direction. "What? There is no need to pay attention to me or our friends of the Floating Blades Faction. Why bother, right? I overreacted earlier, so just pretend I don''t exist like you did before."


    Linfel nodded, relieved. "Phew... and here I thought you were angry. Since you are okay, we will take our leave."


    Alvin and Milia looked at Linfel with weird expressions. The wisp truly couldn''t read the mood at all.


    "Ahem..." Alvin quickly intervened. "Forget the floating core of nonsense. You helped me so much all the way, so how could I continue to bother you? You never bothered me, not even once. It was just not right to continue to depend on you. So, when Linfel said he wanted to leave, I thought it was the right opportunity to spread my wings and especially to leave you to care for your own life.


    Linfel got os the Clondure Identities, so there was no need to worry about your Frondor Family anymore, either." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "So you thought you were bothering me? That''s how you saw me all this time?"


    "Was... was that wrong?" Alvin was taken aback. He still had his complex of inferiority. After all, he hasn''t been this ''impressive'' for very long.


    Milia sighed in response. "You were never a bother. I liked our ti-" She immediately stopped her words as her face went completely red. "Ahem... I mean, you shouldn''t have worried about such nonsense. If you were a problem, I would have told you so."


    Alvin''s eyes lit up. "Really?"


    "R-Really..." Milia nodded while looking away. She still found it hard to control her emotions, so she quickly changed the topic. "Anyway, how come you are here?"


    "That''s what puzzled me," Alvin quickly spoke. "Why are you here as well?"

 Chapter 98 - 98: Space Elevator

    Milia didn''t answer and looked angrily at Alvin. "I asked it first."


    "Ah... right, right!" Alvin switched instantly and began to explain. "You know about Linfel, right? So... there is a planet Linfel intends to visit. The only problem is that this planet is on the other side of the Universe."


    "What?!" Milia didn''t believe that. "Do you take me for a fool? Don''t you know how impossible that is? It would take tens of thousands of years to get there. The only way is through the Worm-" She suddenly stopped. "You can''t be serious..."


    "Sure enough, you are also aware of these limitations," Alvin spoke with a bitter smile. "That''s what Linfel intends to do. He wants to become an elder Familiar so he can get the authorization to use the Wormhole."


    Linfel didn''t deny it. "Why do you always speak as if I''m already done for? You guys should learn to accept the challenges of life. Besides, there might be other ways to get to the Wormhole without having to become an elder, you know? We just need to search a little once we join the Ventis Sect."


    Alvin shrugged with a bitter smile. As for Milia and Nori, they found Linfel''s idea simply ridiculous. "Just so that you know, one can only become an elder of the Ventis Sect is they are at least Level Eight. Our entire planet has only one Level Eight Magus, so you can imagine how difficult it is, not counting the time it will take."


    Linfel simply ignored that. "Whatever. I said it before, and I will say it again here. I''m not forcing any of you to follow me. Even if I have to do this alone, I will do it. I need to find out more about Horan, and my only clue is his birth planet.


    I won''t blame either of you if you decide to drop from the exam now."


    Alvin shook his head. "Even if I ignore your idea to get access to a wormhole, there is still the fact that I might be able to join the Ventis Sect. For me, this trip with you is already very interesting. I have no intention to drop off now, and I WILL help you with everything I can during this journey."


    Milia had her reasons, too. "Well, I also didn''t expect to find you two here. After Alvin disappeared, I remembered that Linfel did help me with a new identity that is not connected to the Frondor Family. That said, I decided to challenge myself. It was around that time that I heard about the Ventis Sect exam approaching."


    Nori continued from there. "First, we worked hard in Clondure to earn as many Magic Stones as possible. Then, we focused on our absorption. Milia and I were already close to Level Three back in the academy, so we just needed a little extra push. The only reason we didn''t do it before was because we were reinforcing our foundations."


    Milia nodded. "The battles in Heffal definitely helped with it, so we managed to breakthrough into Level Three in the end. We then used the rest of the time to get used to our new strength and came here to take the test. Fortunately, we went way better than we expected." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia smiled. "In the end, my coming to this test had nothing to do with you two. Regardless if I find Linfel''s idea ridiculous or not, I''m not here to intervene with it. I''m here for myself, and so is Nori."


    Linfel was satisifed. "That''s more like it. You have talent; you only lack opportunity. Just focus on yourself, and you will go far."


    "What about me?" Alvin asked, excited.


    "Errr..." Linfel didn''t know how to say it. "You are still my good trash. Keep working hard!"


    Alvin almost vomited blood. Isn''t that the same as saying he has no talent whatsoever? Well, it wasn''t like he didn''t know it.


    Milia couldn''t help but giggle again. Their interactions always make her smile. But then, she remembered something. "Wait, how the hell did you get that result, Alvin?"


    "Oh..." Alvin forgot to speak about that.


    Linfel was the one to explain, though. He used his method to communicate direct to one''s soul, scaring Milia and Nori for a moment. After finishing the explanation, Milia and Nori finally understood just how absurd Linfel''s existence really was. "Was there such a thing? That makes you-" Milia wanted to say that Linfel is a treasure himself through and through. However, Milia stopped there.


    Speaking any further might attract unnecessary attention to Linfel. After all, he is still Familiar in everyone''s eyes. Not to mention, she heard the story of how Wisps were treated back in Linfel''s time. Saying such a thing wouldn''t be nice.


    Finally, Milia decided to let go of the past and focus on the test. "Whatever. I''ll tell my seniors of the Floating Blades Faction about you later. I will let it slide this time, but you better make up for me."


    Alvin smiled happily. "Yes, yes! I will definitely make it up to you."


    After that, they watched the rest of the test unfold. There were several position changes, but Linfel''s first place was unbeatable until the very end. As for Alvin, he did fall a few more positions as more Level Four Maguses took the test. Nonetheless, he still finished 28th.


    Milia and Nori were obviously down around 3000s, but that was far above necessary to get in the top 30%


    When the test finished, all the screens in the area changed. At the same time, a video stream was made available for all the participants who made it to the top 30% to watch in their MCOMs. Everyone was excited since the second test onwards was always a secret.


    -Congratulations to all the participants who made it to the top 30%. With this, the first test is over. However, don''t drop your guard, as things will only get more difficult. As everyone knows, there are five tests in the Ventis Sect Exam, and the second test will cut the remaining number by another 90%.-


    Suddenly, tens of thousands of cameras equipped with Magical Energy Sensors flew up in the sky, surrounding the Space Elevator all the way to the clouds and beyond.


    -The next test is to climb the Space Elevator all the way to the Space Station. The first 10% of Maguses and Familiars to get there will take the third test.-


    Everyone was dumbstruck by the news... except Linfel. "Whoever organized this test would definitely be good friends with Horan. Hahaha!"

 Chapter 99 - 99: Nope

    "This is ridiculous!" It didn''t take long for someone to complain.


    "How do they expect us to climb to the Space Station? It is literally a thousand kilometers up!"


    "And what about the air to break?!"


    "Air?!" Someone saw bigger problems. "Air is the least of our problems! What do we do about the temperature and radiation of space?!"


    Of course, the video on the screen didn''t take long to continue. The guy speaking only stopped for a moment as he knew everyone would burst with complaints. Once they calmed down, he continued.


    -All Space Elevators around this planet have exactly a thousand kilometers of height. The only difference between them is their length, with some having bigger lengths to carry more things. Regardless, it won''t matter which Space Elevator you climb; you will have a thousand kilometers to cover.-


    -Yes, due to their locations, the weather in the region, and things like that, some Space Elevators might be slightly easier or harder to climb. For anyone thinking this is unfair, life is unfair, so deal with it.-


    The organizers of the Ventis Sect truly had no mercy. This was only one of countless planets in their territory, so why would they care?


    -Now, every single one of you will receive a breather that can be refilled on the mini stations along the way. Each mini-station can be found every twenty-five kilometers. There, you can sit down, rest, recover your Magic Energy, or simply stay there until the end of the exam if you feel like it. There is definitely enough space for everyone in each and every single mini-station.-


    He continued.


    -Other than that, no other equipment is allowed. We have countless cameras watching every inch of the Space Elevator, not to mention experienced supervisors who have taken care of this kind of test many times. If someone tries to cheat, believe me, we will know. For your own good, you better not try it.-


    -Last but not least, anyone concerned about the temperature, radiation of space, or whatever, they can all be blocked by Magic Energy. Whether you know how to use your Magic Energy correctly or not is your problem. But be aware of this, Level Three should be enough for you to make at least twenty-five kilometers between mini stations. If you can''t, then you are not good enough.


    The mini stations can be used to recover Magic Energy, so you can make the stops in between.-


    As the guy on the screen spoke, the worker from the event passed by the qualified Maguses and gave them breathers. Even though it was small, it could last one hour if used nonstop.


    As for the Familiars, they didn''t need to breathe to start with. Instead, they received a very tiny device that they could attach to their cores or simply carry with their Magic Energy.


    -Now, then, the breathers have a small button in front that you can press if you need help. We will immediately use a Gravitational Ray to take you back to the planet. However, that also means you will fail the test. The same goes for the Familiars. The small device we gave you is simply used to call out for help in case you get in trouble. Again, using it means failing the test.-


    Alvin couldn''t help but wonder. "Those at Level Four and above can already fly, can''t they?"


    Milia shook her head. "In their case, they need to have flying armor. Only at Level Five you can truly fly freely. Didn''t you see back during the war? The three Level Four Maguses of our battalion all used armor while flying."


    "Oh!" Alvin indeed saw that. "What about the Familiars? They already float naturally." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nori shrugged. "So what? Did you forget? The first 10% Maguses and the first 10% Familiars will get to the next test. Simply put, I can leave all of you behind and try to reach the Space Station first. Regardless of how I do, my outcome will not affect any of the Maguses."


    "I see..." Alvin understood.


    Still, Milia spoke with concern. "Nori, don''t exert yourself too much. You will need a lot of Magic Energy to resist the open space at your level. Make sure to stop at the Mini Stations and only leave them once you are fully recovered."


    "I''m more worried about you," Nori spoke back. "This is obviously a test about endurance as it is about speed. The men will definitely have an advantage here by simple physical strength."


    "The guy on the screen said it, didn''t he?" Linfel smiled in response. "Life isn''t fair. Most likely, they are well aware of this difference and simply don''t care. On the other hand, the women who make it into the top 10% will be a lot more well-regarded in the Ventis Sect than the men. Let''s not forget that the third test and beyond might be easier for females instead of males, too.


    They seem to be this kind of organization, and I don''t think they are wrong."


    Milia agreed with him. "Linfel is right. Anyway, you know what kind of training I receive. Sure, I''m not a man, but I am confident."


    "Fine..." Nori could only accept it and hope she would do well.


    Yet, the organizer still had one more piece of news to give.


    -Maguses and Familiars... when you speak about one, you also speak about the other. Which Famous Magus isn''t remembered together with his Familiar? Which Familiar isn''t remembered together with his Magus? That said, there is a last piece of rule.-


    -There are Maguses who passed the first test while their Familiars didn''t. There are Familiars who passed the first test while their Maguses didn''t. For these ones, they can only hope to keep going forward and reach the Space Station within the top 10%.-


    -However, for the Maguses and their Familiars who passed the test together, there will be another way to complete the test, and there will also be a bonus.-


    -They can use their Master Familiar Connection and climb together. For the first one thousand duos who make it to the top, they will be sent straight to the fourth test. They won''t need to take the third like the others.-


    Alvin couldn''t help but get excited. "Linfel, we can go up together!"


    Linfel glanced at him, not sharing the same excitement. "Your ass! You will climb this thing alone, understood? Hmph! You will not get an easier life just because you are with me. I said I would train you, and I will make sure to do it properly."

 Chapter 100 - 100: On The Way

    "I..." Alvin didn''t know what to say.


    Linfel didn''t give him a chance to complain, though. "Enough. Don''t forget your position in the rank. With your Magic Energy output, do you think you will be far behind? You should also have much better control over your Magic Energy than most after everything we have gone through. You have absolutely no excuse to not make it into the top 10%."


    Linfel then smiled. "Well, if you don''t make it into the top 10%, that just means our journey together will end here. Like I said, you didn''t need to follow me on this journey. That was your choice. You can give up now if you feel like it."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "Fine! Just you look! I''m definitely making it into the top 10%! No! I will definitely be in the top 5%!"


    Milia patted Alvin''s shoulder. "That''s how a member of the Floating Blades Faction should be. I will also make it through this test on my own. I want to see this third test that everyone will try to skip."


    "No," Linfel intervened. "Milia and Nori should use their Master Familiar Connection and go ahead of us."


    "Why?" Milia, Nori, and Alvin didn''t understand the reason for that request.


    Linfel looked up to the sky. "I''m not looking down on you, Milia, Nori. But it is plain as day that you two are at your best when you two are connected. I know that this is the same for all Maguses and Familiars partners, but you two are in an even higher league compared to most of the others. Climbing the tower alone would be a waste of your shared gift."


    Seeing Milia and Nori weren''t convinced, Linfel added. "Simply put, neither of you will gain anything by climbing this tower alone. On the other hand, you can really make a case for yourselves in the Ventis Sect if you climb together and show your real power."


    Alvin sighed and looked at the two. "We have been following Linfel''s plan all this time. Has he ever been wrong? Well, a lot of things he said look like craziness but somehow turn out right."


    "There was no need to for the late part of your comment..." Linfel complained.


    Milia and Nori couldn''t go against that logic. "Fine... But what about Alvin? Linfel, you can achieve perfect connections, no doubt better than Nori and I. Does Alvin have anything to gain by climbing alone?"


    "Yes," Linfel confirmed. "Different from you and Nori, who will always be together, Alvin and I might get separated at some point. Don''t forget, Alvin and I aren''t really Master and Familiar. We are friends, close ones at that, but we have no obligation to follow the other. If Alvin decides to leave one day, I have no reason to stop him, and the same goes for me.


    I want Alvin to learn how to do things by himself."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. "I should have brought Felia with me..."


    Linfel shrugged. "Unfortunately, I wouldn''t be able to push all three of us to Level Three in time for the exam. We barely made it to level three with just the two of us. If you had brought Felia, then I would have to go separate ways since I wouldn''t lose this chance to enter the Ventis Sect."


    "Well, that''s true." Alvin didn''t forget the effort they had to put in and the many Red Magic Stones they had to use to get to this level. "Anyway, no point complaining now. I only have to climb, right? I will climb. Just watch. Also, I have no intention of letting you go separate ways anytime soon, so be prepared to stay together for a while."


    Linfel smiled. "I hope you aren''t wrong. Traveling with you is fun."


    Suddenly, an alarm went off, catching all the participant''s attention.


    -Everyone, please proceed to the starting area. We have prepared a few platforms at the Space Elevator''s side so everyone can start climbing from the same point.-


    Linfel''s group quickly followed the orders and joined the thousands of remaining participants on the way to the platform. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the way, Milia grew a little concerned and asked Linfel privately by redirecting her voice with her Magic Energy. ''Linfel... there are only a thousand slots for duos of Master and Familiar while we have hundreds of thousands of participants around the world. Do you truly think Nori and I can make it to the top 1000?


    We definitely didn''t get to the top 1000 Maguses and Familiars individually at the end of the first test.''


    ''How the hell would I know that?'' Linfel asked back in confusion. ''I don''t know any of the participants, so this is a meaningless question.''


    Milia''s mouth twitched, and she was just about to complain when Linfel continued his words. ''What I know is that you two are much better together than individually. As to whether you can make it to the top 1000 or not, that is still up for debate.''


    ''However, you and Nori have reached Level Three recently, so I don''t think your chances are much different if you follow the individual path. You would be going against many youngsters who had more experience, training, and time to get used to their Level Three or who might be getting very close to Level Four already.''


    Milia pondered Linfel''s words and had to admit they made sense. She had a very good score of Magic Energy Output, but it was a fact that her Energy Pool was still small compared to Maguses who reached Level Three much earlier, let alone Level Four ones. ''Thank you. I will give it a try with Nori.''


    On the platform, all the participants selected a position where they could start climbing straight away. Alvin and the others did the same.


    Linfel looked up to the sky, smiling.


    -The test will start in ten seconds. Get ready!-


    -10, 09, 08... 03, 02, 01-


    -Start!-


    *Kabrum!*


    Lightning Element Circulated around Linfel''s core, and he shot up to the skies like a bullet. Magic Energy Control? Conservation? Recovery? He was the best at them all. The only thing he lost to higher-level Familiars was in Energy Reserves, but his Magic Energy recovery more than made up for this difference since he was much more efficient with its usage.


    Three and a half minutes later, three names appeared on the screens around the exam areas worldwide almost at the same time.


    -25 Kilometers | 1st - Xifrin Lou''dian: 02:27 - Level Five Magus.-


    -25 Kilometers | 2nd - Trodeu: 02:29 - Level Five Familiar.-


    -25 Kilometers | 3rd - Linfel: 02:31 - Level Three Familiar.-

 Chapter 101 - 101: First Results

    Flying... no one was surprised to see Xifrin there. As a Level Five Magus, one could indeed fly without the help of equipment like Level Four Maguses needed.


    As mentioned in the past, Familiars already float naturally, but it isn''t the same as flying. The further from the ground they are, the harder it is to go higher. Most Familiars didn''t float more than one or two meters from the ground as it was a huge waste of energy. Why? Because they needed to have something to connect their Magic Energy to. In this case, the ground.


    That limitation was only conquered like the Maguses at Level Five. They could only fly as the real meaning of the word at the same level as Maguses. Simply put, Familiars below Level Five needed a surface to attach their Magic Energy to, which kept them floating.


    The Space Elevator was perfect for that. The surface doesn''t need to be horizontal. It could be a vertical surface as well. Nonetheless, that truly made it several times easier for Familiars to float up the Space Elevator than it was for Maguses to climb.


    Looking at the Space Elevator after just a minute, you could already see a huge difference in distance between the Familiars above and the Maguses below. Xifrin, the Level Five Magus, was literally the only Magus without that problem, being able to fly as he wished.


    Trodeu, as a Level Five Familiar, could also fly. That''s why he was close behind Xifrin since he didn''t need to waste Magic Energy to attach himself to the Space Elevator, different from the other Familiars. No one doubted that Xifrin and Trodeu would reach the Space Station at the top of the Space Elevator faster than anyone else... until Linfel appeared.


    "How can he be following those two?" The comments on the Elevator and those watching from below quickly started at all Space Elevator Sites.


    "It''s that same Familiar!"


    "Yes, the one who did 999 Points!"


    "I wish I was at that Space Elevator to of that Linfel to see it."


    "Idiot! Would you really let go of this Elevator? Xifrin is here."


    "Still, that makes no sense. His magic Energy Reserves to connect to the Elevator''s Surface shouldn''t allow him to have enough to charge ahead like Xifrin and Trodeu."


    Those and many other questions were raised about Linfel.


    However, they quickly died down when the screens changed to the first Mini Station at 25 kilometers of altitude. There, Linfel''s ethereal body was feeble, and he took his time to absorb the Magic Energy in that safe environment.


    Xifrin and Trodeu, however, didn''t stop at all. They continued to fly higher, and even though it took longer for them to reach the second Mini Station, they did that with ease.


    -50 Kilometers | 1st - Xifrin Lou''dian: 05:36 - Level Five Magus.-


    -50 Kilometers | 2nd - Trodeu: 05:49 - Level Five Familiar.-


    They finally stopped at that second Mini Station to recover their energies while Linfel was still recovering his energy at the first station.


    "So that Linfel just so happens to have a great Magic Energy Control."


    "Yes, look at him. He isn''t completely exhausted, but he definitely wouldn''t be able to make it all the way to the second Mini Station like Xifrin and Trodeu."


    "Why do you speak like it was a bad thing. Look at all the other Level Three Familiars! They are nowhere near Linfel''s location!"


    "Indeed, he should feel proud that he could charge to the first Mini Station with his energy reserves like that."


    Linfel, unaware of what everyone was thinking, spent his leisure time in the first Mini Station. ''Safety first. Who knows what could happen were I need more Magic Energy.''


    It turns out Linfel could have charged to the second Mini Station as well. He just didn''t see a need for it. He decided he would always recover completely and then go to the next Mini Station before recovering completely again. As long as he is in the top 10%, he doesn''t need anything else.


    ''Besides, if I charged to the second Mini Station, I might catch too much attention. It is better to keep a low profile a little more,'' he thought to himself. The wisp had no idea he was already as famous as Xifrin and Trodeu, perhaps more.


    Down below, Alvin focused his Magic Energy on his legs and hands as he quickly climbed the Elevator. After ten minutes of climbing, he could see a few tens of Maguses ahead, which didn''t surprise him. There are plenty of Level Four Maguses, after all.


    However, what surprised Alvin was that the Maguses ahead weren''t anywhere as plenty as those climbing below. He didn''t feel tired, being able to control his Magic Energy quite well. Linfel''s hellish training and understanding of Magic Energy truly paid off now. ''Incredible... I said I would reach the top 5%. Yet, it feels more like I''m well within the top 1% instead.''


    He wasn''t wrong. Even considering the other Space Elevators around the world, he was indeed climbing with the leading groups. He was even ahead of many Level Four Maguses. Alvin couldn''t help but get a little excited and climb a little faster. ''Linfel''s bullying wasn''t for nothing...'' But then, he remembered the painful days under Linfel''s guidance as a few tears fell from his eyes.


    ''It is still not worth it, though...'' sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After thirteen minutes, Alvin''s result appeared on the leading board.


    -25 Kilometers | 297th - Alvin Brunes: 13:49 - Level Three Magus.-


    It wasn''t in the top 100 like he did with his Magic Energy output, but he was definitely far ahead of any other Level Three Magus in this exam.


    Slightly below, Milia and Nori were connected. Nori had his Flame Sword form attached to Milia''s back as the two worked together to control their merged Magic Energy. The two of them were definitely good with it, just like Linfel mentioned.


    The results of their efforts came out at the first Mini Station. The leading board updated, showing also the ranking for the Maguses and Familiars who decided to climb together while connected.


    -25 Kilometers | 528th - Milia and Nori: 14:28 - Level Three Magus and Familiar.-


    Milia quickly sat down and started to recover her magic Energy together with Nori. Nonetheless, a rare smile appeared on her face. She didn''t know if she could reach the top 1000, but this early result lifted some of the weight on her shoulders. ''Perhaps I really can do it... but I can''t drop my guard. The Level Four Magus and Familiar Duos have bigger energy pools and recovery speed.


    I''m still not in the clear since they can restart climbing earlier than I can.''


    Still, by the time Alvin and Milia reached the first Mini Station, Linfel was already reaching the second.

 Chapter 102 - 102: Still Not a Challenge

    -50 Kilometers | 3rd - Linfel: 15:25 - Level Three Familiar.-


    Linfel was indeed far behind the two Level Five Participants. Yet, he was head and shoulder ahead of everyone else. He once again stopped at the Mini Station and started to recover his Magic Energy. ''Guess this should be a good enough progress speed.''


    Third minutes into the test, Xifrin and Trodeu reached the Fourth Mini Station at 100km of altitude. They finally reached the division between what you would consider Space and Planet. From there onwards, they would have to use their Magic Energies to defend against Space Radiation, Temperature, etc.


    A few minutes later, Linfel got to the third Mini Station. He was purposely keeping himself halfway between the participants below and the level five guys above. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and Milia reached the second Mini Station, still far within their objective. So far, there was no doubt they would either make it into the top 10% for Alvin or the top 100 for Milia and Nori.


    48 minutes into the test, Linfel was now leaving the Fourth Mini Station. However, things didn''t go as smoothly as he had previously thought. As soon as he flew a few tens of meters away from the Mini Station, several drones shot at him. ''Hum?''


    Linfel quickly dodged, finding it not a big deal. Of course, that''s because he could truly fly. It''s just that he always kept himself very close to the Space Elevator''s surface to make it look like he was connected to it. ''Sure enough, they wouldn''t make everyone''s life easy. These Magic Bullets aren''t that fast and don''t seem to carry much power.


    Nonetheless, the Magic Energy necessary to dodge or defend against them will cause a lot of trouble. This is going to be a good test for Alvin, Milia, and Nori.'' He looked down for a moment before focusing on flying once again.


    It wasn''t before one hour and thirty-five minutes that Alvin exited the Fourth Mini Station. However, he had an easier life than Linfel at first. The reason was simple, he was climbing together with the other Level Four Maguses. The drones had to focus on all the competitors in their fire range instead of only Alvin.


    Milia appeared ten minutes later, also being targeted. She held Nori and slashed out every time she thought she couldn''t dodge. That would definitely increase her Magic Energy expenditure, but Milia gritted her teeth and continued upwards. As long as she could stop between Mini Stations, she would be fine.


    Little by little, the Maguses and Familiars began to fall, especially after the two-hour mark, which was when Level Three Maguses and Familiars began to exit the Fourth Mini Station. Various rays of yellow light shot from the ground of the planet, hitting the Maguses and Familiars who pressed the give-up button. That ensured their safe return to the Planet but also their disqualification.


    -550 Kilometers | 1st - Xifrin Lou''dian: 02:15:13 - Level Five Magus.-


    -550 Kilometers | 2nd - Trodeu: 02:23:19 - Level Five Familiar.-


    Xifrin and Trodeu continued to progress without issues. They didn''t have to pretend they didn''t know how to fly and could distance themselves from the Elevator if they felt like it. There was no rule that you had to keep in contact with the Space Elevator, after all.


    Some might think this was unfair, but the Ventis Sect would simply tell anyone who complained to go train and reach level five as well. Then they could do the same thing. The strong will succeed; it was that simple.


    -350 Kilometers | 3rd - Linfel: 02:38:51 - Level Three Familiar.-


    Sure enough, Linfel was still third when he reached the Fourteenth Mini Station. The others below haven''t even got to the Tenth Mini Station yet. As he recovered his Magic Energy, Linfel took a look at his MCOM in his Spatial Storage. Let''s not forget the test was being transmitted over the planet network. He wanted to see how Alvin and Milia were doing.


    The difference between Level Three and Four Maguses and Familiars became more apparent after the attacks from the drones started. Those at Level Four had a lot more Magic Energy to defend and run, after all. They spent less time in the Mini Stations to recover while those at Level Three had to stay for much longer.


    Alvin was basically the only exception other than Linfel. Although he now fell below the top 500 Maguses climbing alone, it was still in the midst of the Level Four Maguses. He didn''t force himself and followed Linfel''s teachings regarding Magic Energy conservation and circulation.


    Milia, on the other hand, began to fall behind. When she reached the Nineth Mini Station, she was already in the 734th position between those climbing together with their Familiars while connected. There was one good thing, though. Those ahead of her were mostly Level Four Maguses and Familiars.


    Those below were almost all at Level Three, just like Milia and Nori, so she should be able to hold to her position in the top 1000 if things continued like that.


    Time passed, and over three hours of test went by. Linfel had now reached the 500km mark, half way to the finish line. The drones posed no issues to him until now, so he left the Mini Station after recovering as always. However, the situation changed once again.


    *Fuuuuuu...*


    Suddenly, he felt a wave of Wind Element even though he was well within the void of space. Linfel looked around, and he saw countless drones with many Magic Runes shining around the Elevator. That Wind was obviously being created by then, and it was very strong. Even he had to increase his Magic Energy expenditure to force his way forward.


    Not only that, but the drones still attacked him just like before.


    Linfel pondered a bit. ''Hum... the Ventis Sect mentioned the top 10% Maguses and the top 10% Familiars would make it to the next test. However, considering the Magic Energy Reserves of Level Three Maguses and Familiars, I''m not sure even 10% of the participants will be able to make it to the end.''


    He then faintly smiled. ''Well, not my problem. Hahaha!''


    Sparks of Lightning Element circulated around Linfel and he shot upwards once again. This was still not a challenge for him.

 Chapter 103 - 103: Minor Elder

    Without any surprises, Xifrin and Trodeu were the first ones to arrive at the Space Station. They did that before anyone else even reached half of the climbing distance. Well... anyone but Linfel, who was already on the 750km mark by the time the first Level Four Maguses and Familiars arrived at the 500km.


    There was a private room inside a different Space Station from where Linfel''s group was taking their test. There, a woman watched the examiners climbing the Space Elevator with curiosity. Her name was Alexandra, a minor elder of the Ventis Sect.


    All the planets that had exams of the Ventis Sect had to have at least one Minor Elder or someone more important overseeing the entire process. They might be Maguses, or they might be Familiars. Alexandra, obviously, was a Magus. And, for this round, Alexandra was the one in charge.


    One might imagine that Alexandra was paying attention to Xifrin and Trodeu. After all, they were the only Level Five Magus and Familiar taking part in this test. However, that wasn''t the case. Instead, her eyes were focused on a certain Familiar who was climbing alone, far ahead of all the other groups. ''That''s quite a weird Familiar.


    Only level three but already has such enormous Magic Energy Reserves and Control.''


    She didn''t care too much about Xifrin and Trodeu. The reason was simple. On this planet, it might look impressive that Xifrin and Trodeu made it to Level Five before the age of seventeen. However, when you take the countless planets inside the Ventis Sect Territory, Level Five Maguses and Familiars weren''t anything uncommon.


    If anything, most of the new disciples accepted by the Ventis Sect ended up being at Level Five or Level Four. There were even cases where the Maguses and Familiars were already at Level Six when they took the exam, although you would not find such geniuses on an isolated planet like this one. Rarely did someone at Level Three join them.


    Alexandra smiled as she checked Linfel''s Magic Energy Output score. ''This is the weirdest part. How are his Magic Channels not bursting apart with such an output? No doubt, the materials used to create this Familiar were very rare and expensive.''


    She then looked back at the screen as Linfel flew through the drones'' attacks and cut through the wind element with ease. ''Yet, the materials matter little. What is truly impressive is his soul. If the soul can''t match the level of the core, the expensive core would be nothing but a waste of good materials. Linfel''s soul, however, truly makes full use of the amazing core he possesses.


    It is rare to find such Familiars on a planet like this one.''


    Right after, Alexandra''s screen changed. The images of the Maguses'' groups appeared, specifically the furthest group which was basically made of Level Four Maguses. Yet, the camera quickly zoomed into someone, and Alvin''s image was shown. Alvin was the only Level Three Magus in there.


    ''Not as impressive as the Familiar called Linfel, but still not too bad. His score in Magic Energy Output is over 700, even though he is still at Level Three. Even better, he seems to know how to use it properly. He has been keeping the pace of the Level Four Maguses in the front group until now. He must have received quite some good training regarding Magic Energy Conservation and Circulation.''


    Alexandra continued to check the information regarding Linfel and Alvin. ''So they are Magus and Familiar duo... Oh! Alvin already allowed Linfel to take the Independent Familiar Test. That''s quite unexpected. Pretty much no Magus would allow his Familiar to go independent when they are that good.


    Nonetheless, they seem to still be together, so I guess they trust each other that much. Whether it is a good thing or not can only be seen in the future, though.''


    After thinking for a moment, Alexandra pressed a few options on her screen. Linfel and Alvin''s names changed color before the options closed. ''Let''s see how things will work out.''


    Alvin almost fell when the first gust of Wind Element hit him. However, he controlled his Magic Energy and pulled himself in the Space Elevator''s direction again. "Phew... that was close."


    *pew, pew, pew...*


    The drones didn''t stop attacking, though. Alvin quickly moved and seemed to have become a target. The drones followed him for a few seconds before finally changing to another target. Seeing that he was in the clear, Alvin sighed in relief. "The people who programmed those drones are truly merciless. The moment I lost my grip, the drones focused on me, trying to make sure I would fall."


    *Ahhhhhh...*


    *Nooooo!!!*


    Several Level Four Maguses fell by Alvin, having been shot or thrown away by the wind. Sure enough, Alvin wasn''t the only one the Drones targeted when they saw someone losing their grip. Not long after, more rays of yellow light shot from the planet''s surface, catching those Maguses. They were disqualified.


    Alvin looked down, feeling a little concerned. ''Milia shouldn''t be far behind. Perhaps I should wait here to warn her about the changes...''


    However, Alvin quickly shook his head and pressed forward. ''Milia would probably kick my ass if I tried to do such a thing.''


    Alvin was right. It wasn''t that Milia would never ask for help. She wasn''t an idiot who thought she could do everything alone. However, this exam was all about individual power, or, in this case, dual power, since she was climbing with Nori while connected. Receiving help wasn''t prohibited, but it wouldn''t look well in the eyes of the others.


    Twenty-two minutes later, Milia reached the wind challenge. She was a serious girl, so she never dropped her guard. Besides, Nori always kept an eye out for the drones that kept attacking and noticed the new ones. When the wind appeared, Milia and Nori were prepared and managed to keep their grip and balance.


    "This is good," Nori commented.


    "Indeed," Milia agreed. "We can probably gain a few positions if we are careful. Let''s keep the good pace." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time passed, and the third competitor finally arrived at the Space Station. Linfel passed through the barrier, separating the empty space and the Station, taking a look around. He was alone in the waiting area. Xifrin and Trodeu were in other Space Elevators, so he had the whole room for himself. "Well... I guess I can only wait now."

 Chapter 104 - 104: At The Top

    Down below, Alvin didn''t betray Linfel''s confidence in him. He got to the 900km mark, feeling tired. However, Alvin was with the first ones and still the only Level Three Magus in that group. Of course, we can''t discount the Maguses and Familiars who resolved to climb together while using the Master Familiar Connection. They have both Magic Energy Pools, so they have a higher amount to use.


    Alvin ignored those duos at Level Three and looked up, and there was no doubt the same drones and wind would continue. If anything, the number of attacks increased, and the wind got stronger. "Better recover fully this time before continuing," he murmured to himself.


    Milia wasn''t too far behind. She had just got to the 850km mark and was still good to go. She was right about the sudden changes in the positions. Several Maguses and familiars duos who were ahead of her were taken by surprise and ended up falling. Thanks to that, Milia was once again within the top 600 of those climbing while connected.


    *Zul...*


    Linfel heard the sound of the barrier moving, quickly looking in that direction. There, a Level Four Familiar passed through the barrier, landing on a corner. "Yo-you..." The Familiar was almost without Magic Energy. "H-How did you make it to the top s-so fast? You are only Level Three... Even if you have a great output, that fact doesn''t change...


    or it shouldn''t, at least."


    Linfel smiled. "Well, Magic Energy output isn''t really my specialty. The thing I''m truly good at is Magic Energy Control. Naturally, I know how to use it efficiently, much more than you guys, at least."


    Linfel then pointed at the screen where you could watch the others climbing still. "Take a look at them, Maguses and Familiars. Just like you and me, they are all very young. All their training was about increasing their level and combat power. Magic Control was also included in the menu, but how many of them really paid proper attention to it?


    How many do you know to have worked on their Magic Energy Conservation, Circulation, and Efficiency? These three factors are hard to train and, above all, boring and slow. Such things are usually learned much later in life. I, on the other hand, didn''t neglect it even once. It is that simple."


    Linfel wasn''t lying. Even though he wasn''t really a Familiar and had his advantages, he truly took his training seriously. He had to... Otherwise, he felt like Horan would appear out of nowhere and kick his core like he always did when Linfel performed poorly. Horan was definitely dead by now when you consider the time that had passed. Yet, Linfel wouldn''t leave it to chance.


    The Familiar was surprised with the answer. Indeed, he is young; all familiars in this test are. One''s level was always everything; the rest simply followed. He had to admit that he truly didn''t put too much effort into such attributes. "So I was wrong all along..."


    Linfel smiled. "What''s your name, friend."


    "You can call me Hebego," the Familiar answered.


    Linfel quickly checked his MCOM and found Hegebo. He was ranked 79th in the Magic Energy Output test. Yet, he was the second to arrive after Linfel.


    "I''m Linfel," he continued. "There is no need for you to worry. Those attributes can be trained later, and your approach isn''t completely wrong. Having more Magic Energy and a higher level will make your life easier. Still, because you will be starting later, it will be harder to gain the new feeling of these attributes.


    If I were you, I would ignore your leveling Training for at least a few months, best for a year or two, and focus completely on these three points. The later you wait to master them, the harder it will be. Leveling, on the other hand, will never change."


    "Well said!" Suddenly, a man entered the room, followed by a few Maguses and Familiars. He looked at Linfel, feeling satisfied. "We don''t actually make it public knowledge, but our Ventis Sect does focus a lot on these points. Magic Conservation, Circulation, and Efficiency. It is all part of one''s Magic Energy Control.


    All our new disciples are prohibited from leveling for the next two years in the Sect. Of course, it only goes for disciples from planets like this one. There are plenty of planets that already understand Linfel''s point and focus on them from a young age."


    The man then stopped in front of Linfel. "Hello there, I''m Glien, one of the organizers."


    Linfel smiled back. "Hello, senior Glien. It is nice to meet you."


    Glien nodded, and his attention turned to the barrier separating the station from the void. "Anyway, I only came here because it should be about time the Familiars start arriving. The Maguses shouldn''t be too far behind. I will also be explaining the next test once this one is over."


    As soon as he finished saying those words, another two Familiars went through the barrier. They, too, seemed tired and without Magic Energy, so they quickly started to absorb the Magic Energy inside the Station.


    Glien watched with a happy expression while his subordinates checked on the Familiars. If something went wrong, the Ventis Sect disciples would help these Familiars or the Maguses later.


    Time continued to pass, and 21 hours went by since the start of the second test. Only now did the first Magus traverse the barrier, which didn''t surprise anyone. Familiars would have an easier time climbing; that was already a fact. That''s why the test was separated between the Maguses and Familiars.


    More Maguses and Familiars continued to enter the Station, but their numbers were a far cry from the ones who started the test. Finally, thirty minutes later, Alvin got through the barrier, collapsing on the ground. He was the first lone Level Three Magus to make it to the Station. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel came to check on him and could tell Alvin was just tired and deprived of Magic Energy. "Not bad, not bad at all. I counted the Maguses, and you were the 41st to arrive at the top of our Elevator. Well, taking all the Elevators around the world into consideration, you were 487th. That is still inside the top 5% you mentioned you would achieve, so congratulations."


    Alvin bitterly smiled. "All that training, especially the boring ones, paid off, it seems."


    Alvin then sat in a corner and looked at the barrier. "Do you know how Milia is doing?"


    Linfel nodded. "She just left the Mini Station at the 950km mark. She is taking her time to climb the rest of the elevator now. That is the right approach. She probably checked her MCOM every time she stopped by the Mini Stations, so Milia should know she and Nori are well within the top 1000 Master Familiar duos."


    Another hour and twenty minutes were gone. Finally, another duo entered the barrier, catching Alvin and Linfel''s attention. Naturally, it was Milia, landing on the ground with several injuries on her body. Nothing out of the norm since the drones attacked all the way to the top. Alvin wasn''t much better when he arrived, either. They weren''t anything serious.


    The disciples of the Ventis Sect quickly treated her and Nori while Linfel and Alvin approached.


    Seeing Linfel and Alvin there, Milia forced a smile. "You were right, Linfel. My best chance was indeed with Nori by my side."


    Linfel nodded. "Congratulations."

 Chapter 105 - 105: Lets Take a Look

    The test hasn''t finished yet, obviously. As Linfel projected, the obstacles on the way to the Space Station were hard to deal with, causing most of the Maguses and Familiars to end up falling from the Space Elevator and being rescued by the Gravity Ray from the planet''s surface.


    Thanks to that, many Level Three Familiars and Maguses saw a chance to still make it into the top 10% or the top 1000 for Magus-Familiar Duos. The test had a time limit, though. After all, even if there weren''t enough Maguses and Familiars to fill the top 10% quota, it wasn''t like they could wait several days as the remaining participants analyzed their situations slowly.


    The time limit was 48 hours, and at the 41-hour mark, the Familiars finally filled the first 10% quota. At the moment the last Familiar of the top 10% entered the Stations, many rays of yellow light shot from the surface of the planet, catching the few remaining familiars who were still climbing the various elevators. They were all disqualified at once.


    The second ones to fill their quota were the Magus-Familiar duos, reaching the 1000 number. It was to be expected since they could use both their Magic Energy Reserves together.


    Maguses, as everyone knows, would take longer to finish climbing the Elevator. Yet, they still managed to fill the top 10% quota with just 32 minutes remaining to the end of the test. Linfel was quite surprised to see that since he thought there wouldn''t be enough contestants remaining to do that. ''I guess I underestimated the overall strength of the Maguses and Familiars on this planet a little bit.


    Well, that only makes things funnier.''


    *Clap, clap, clap...*


    Glien clapped his hands while using a little bit of Magic Energy to increase the sound. "Congratulations, everyone. Those here have completed the second test. First, all the Magus and Familiar duos, please follow my assistant here. Berold, go with them."


    Berold quickly accepted the order. "Everyone, please follow me."


    Milia and Nori looked at Linfel and Alvin. "We will see you later."


    During the explanation of the second test, it was said that those who completed the second test in a Master Familiar Connection would be exempt from the third test, being sent to the fourth test straight away. That''s because all Maguses and Familiars would rather take the tests together if there were no penalties.


    However, because only the top 1000 of those duos would get to join the next test, the number of duos who took the test wasn''t as big. Nonetheless, there were tens of thousands of them around the world, and only the top 1000 made it, Milia included. The rest got eliminated.


    Alvin and Linfel already expected that and nodded back at Milia. However, before Berold left, Glien called his attention. "Just a moment." Right after, he approached Linfel and Alvin. "You two, you are also exempt from the third test. Follow Berold and wait with the others until the fourth test starts."


    "What?!" Let alone Linfel and Alvin, all the other participants in the Space Station, were taken aback by the sudden event. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s ridiculous!" Someone immediately complained.


    "Since when does the Ventis Sect change its rules that easily?"


    "I also want to go to the fourth test!"


    "Hey, I finished ahead of this Alvin guy, so I should also go to the fourth test straight away. First of all, he is only a Level Three Magus, so why is he exempt from it?!"


    Those and more complaints continued to come. In fact, even Linfel complained. "We already took our tests separately because we wanted to take the third test, so sending us to the fourth one would actually work against our plans."


    "ENOUGH!" Finally, Glien lost his patience. "This is my station, and these are my rules. I have the authority to give a free pass to whoever I fucking want to. If I feel like it, I can send them straight to the Ventis Sect, and none of you has anything to do with it! If you don''t like it, there is a simple way to resolve this. You can simply give up the test.


    Done! Easy, right? I''m not going to stop any of you."


    Everyone went quiet. Who would give up at this stage? It''s just that they had never heard about such things before. But then again, it wasn''t like the Ventis Sect would go out there and make every single decision they made public for the rest. There were bound to be similar situations in the past.


    Glien turned to Linfel. However, he didn''t speak loudly, but used his magic Energy so only Linfel and Alvin could hear. ''As for your idea of taking part in the third test on purpose, there is no need. You two would easily pass the next test since it pretty much revolves around magic Energy Control. I saw you two during the climbing, so don''t waste your time and just go.


    Otherwise, I will simply disqualify you two here.''


    Linfel and Alvin didn''t expect that. Indeed, considering what they did and the fact they are partners, it was easy to tell both had far better Magic Energy Control than most. Since that was the case, Linfel accepted it begrudgingly, while Alvin felt happy instead. ''Alright, then we will go to the fourth test.''


    As Linfel and Alvin walked out of the room, Alexandra watched the event unfold through the cameras. ''As expected of Glien, he has sharp eyes. Seems like I don''t need to intervene myself.''


    Alvin and Linfel then joined Milia and Nori and followed Berold to another room where they would wait. The fourth test would only start once after the third test was over.


    Alvin looked around and could see the piercing eyes of most of the participants. ''Don''t look at me! I''m not the one who did this... although I''m damn happy that I was given a free pass... hehe!''


    Linfel didn''t even notice, though... or perhaps he simply didn''t care. "So sad... how can one have fun like this?"


    Milia didn''t know what to say, so Nori spoke for her. "Stop complaining. Everyone else would kill to have such an opportunity. If you are that curious about the third test, just check your MCOM and watch the live stream of the test."


    "Oh! Right!" Linfel immediately focused on his MCOM inside his Spatial Storage. "Let''s take a look."

 Chapter 106 - 106: One Hour

    Glien wasn''t wrong. The third test was all about Magic Control. It was during that test that Alvin understood why the Ventis Sect prohibits leveling for the first two years. Alvin had been under Linfel''s care and a hellish training to get used to Magic Control, above all, he had Linfel''s clean energy that no doubt accelerated the process many times.


    Watching people trying to do the fine management of their Magic Energy and comparing it to what he could do now seemed like two completely different leagues. One part of the third test was very similar to Linfel''s one, where the contestants had to hit the targets precisely. Alvin watched that, and sometimes, he wondered how he would have fared in it had he not met Linfel.


    "Linfel..." out of curiosity, Alvin asked. "How do they compare to me when we met?"


    Milia and Nori were by their side, so they also got curious about what would be Linfel''s answer. They hadn''t seen Alvin much during the time they were in the Floating Blades Faction, let alone the several months Linfel and Alvin spent together after leaving Clondure. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel looked back at Alvin, and his expression turned weird. It was as if Linfel was struggling to come up with some words that wouldn''t hurt Alvin too much. "Errr... Oh, right! Can you see the female Maguses in the third test?"


    Alvin got confused but still nodded. "Yes, what about it?"


    "Let''s just say none of them would wish to reproduce with the past you," Linfel completed.


    Alvin almost fell with his face on the floor. "What kind of comparison is that?! Couldn''t you come up with a better way of saying this?!"


    Milia was completely red, while Nori felt like something was wrong with the familiar''s soul. No, wait, they know Linfel isn''t a Familiar...


    Linfel took the request seriously. "Hum... they are not bad, while ''the past you'' would have to improve a lot to be considered bad. How about that?"


    Somehow, Alvin felt even more hurt after those words. Did he have any value as a magus at all? Alvin began to have some doubts.


    "Don''t worry, though," Linfel continued. "You are at least as good as the top ones in the stream now. I would put your actual Magic Energy Control in the top 10%."


    Alvin''s mood improved again. "Really? That''s great!" Alvin wasn''t disappointed. It still hasn''t been a year since he met Linfel, so his progress could only be said to be insane.


    The third test ended, and as one can imagine, the majority of the qualified Maguses and Familiars were those at Level Four. Just like before, only 10% of the groups around the planet passed to the next phase. The Ventis Sect truly liked to cut down the numbers.


    Xifrin and Trodeu, the Level Five Magus and Familiar, did not take part in the third exam. They, too, were sent straight to the fourth test, just like Linfel and Alvin. With their Level alone, they already acquired a better Magic Control, so it would be useless to test them.


    Above all, even if their Magic Energy Control was bad, the fact they managed to reach level five on this planet makes up for it. They can spend their time in the Ventis Sect to learn the proper way to control their Magic Energy.


    A few minutes later, the participants who made it through the third test appeared in Linfel''s group room. With the last results, their Space Elevator participants had now fallen to miserly 1653. Around the world, the number was slightly below twenty thousand.


    Glien entered the room, looking at the participants of his Space Station. "Not bad, not bad at all. Although 99% of you won''t make it to the Ventis Sect, you already achieved results that will make you famous in your country for many years to come. Many resources will be spent on you by your home countries, hoping you can one day reach Level Six or maybe Level Seven."


    Glien continued. "However, that''s not what any of you want. That is nothing but a secondary plan, a safety net, somewhere to lay down. What you all want is to join the Ventis Sect. That said, let''s talk about the fourth test."


    Immediately, the screens in the room changed, and the live footage of an asteroid was made visible. The thing was at least fifty kilometers wide, quite a big one. Asteroids are rocky, metallic, or icy bodies with no atmosphere... or so it was supposed to be. However, this one did seem to have some atmosphere in it. When the image approached, everyone understood why.


    Thousands of poles had been attached to it, and they created some kind of barrier that separated the empty space from the asteroid. Together with some other equipment, the pseudo atmosphere was made possible there.


    "The Ventis Sect is a power that controls one-third of our galaxy. Naturally, there are plenty of times when we have to deal with our enemy with force, and these times aren''t always in the comfort of a planet. For the fourth phase, you will be tested in a zero gravity environment."


    Seeing the puzzled faces of the participants, Glien understood what they were thinking. "Some of you might be wondering why we didn''t just use anti-gravity runes in some area on the planet to test it. Or perhaps that there are manipulated fields on this planet that can be used in the same way. Well... would any of you truly feel the terror of space by staying on the planet?"


    Glien faintly smiled. "For the fourth test, there will be no such thing as safety. If you drift into space, goodbye; no one will go after you."


    Immediately, all the Maguses and Familiars became nervous. It didn''t matter if you were either one. Both Maguses and Familiars would be fucked if they were left alone in space with no way to go back. The only difference was that a Familiar would survive longer since they don''t need to breathe, but that''s it.


    Glien then pressed a few options in his MCOM, which caused the MCOMs of all participants to receive a message. "For this test, you truly are at the risk of dying, even more than when you were sent to deal with Magic Beasts or other Maguses and Familiars outlaws. We won''t force anyone. You have one hour to decide if you want to take this test or not.


    If you decide to give up, just answer the message we sent to all of you in your MCOMs. You will be released and sent back to the planet''s surface without repercussions. Now then, I''ll see you again in one hour... or at least those still here by then."

 Chapter 107 - 107: A Lot Of Fun

    Alvin got nervous, not liking the idea of being adrift in space and without being able to breathe. "What do you think, Linfel?"


    Linfel looked at everyone and then at Alvin, Milia, and Nori. "Well, you don''t seem to be the only one concerned, especially since the objective of the fourth test hasn''t been explained yet. It''s like Glein mentioned, it is a decision you have to make. I can''t speak for you here."


    Linfel then looked at the live stream of the asteroid. "As for the asteroid, it is quite big, so it might have a very low gravity, not by much. The trick will be to use your Magic Energy to keep yourself attached to the ground. There are many holes and equipment there that I don''t know their purpose, so expect anything."


    Finally, Linfel smiled at them. "Well, you haven''t forgotten our time in the war, right? Basically, it is another place with a high risk of death. You have gone through this issue before. The question is whether you can take it again or not."


    Milia didn''t even need to think. "It is no secret that deaths occur during the Ventis Sect exam. Anyone who signed up for this is aware of the risks. I''m definitely in."


    "Obviously, I''m following you," Nori added.


    Alvin looked at that and felt ashamed of his concern. However, Linfel suddenly sent him a mind message. ''Take a good look with your Magic Sense at her hands.''


    Alvin was taken aback and followed Linfel''s words. Finally, he understood. Milia seemed calm on the surface, but her hands were trembling slightly. It was true they had been to war, but this is space! Space is frightening, simple as that. "Alright, I''m definitely making it through!


    Let''s work together!"


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. "Now, that''s what I wanted to hear."


    Pretty much no withdrawals were made during the hour that followed. It was just like Milia mentioned. Everyone knew about the risk of death during this exam.


    Glien came back an hour later, not surprised to see most of the participants still there. "Good! You guys seem to have some courage. Now, follow me. Our spaceship is waiting."


    Everyone was brought to one of the docks where an enormous spaceship of the Ventis Sect was waiting. It could easily fit more than ten thousand triplets, let alone the little more than a thousand from this Space Elevator. Once everyone got inside, the spaceship quickly detached and drove into space.


    Looking to the outside, Alvin felt a little excited. "I''ve never left the planet before..."


    Milia, as a member of the Frondor Family, was different. "I was brought to Ferthis and Osango Planets once during the holidays. We should be entering the hyperspace anytime now. If I were you, I would take a seat."


    The fourth dimension magical engines activated, and the view outside suddenly became a sea of blue colors. Alvin immediately felt sick and found it hard to keep his balance. He looked at his hand, which now seemed to have several of them. Finally, he fell on his butt, trying his best to get used to that feeling.


    Milia had gone through this in the past, but she didn''t feel much better. She took a seat by the side and took a deep breath, just waiting for it to be over. As for Nori, Familiar Souls are also affected by the Fourth Dimensional Travel, so he had to stay on Milia''s lap for the time being.


    All around, the Maguses and Familiars seemed to be in the same positions. Some were faring better than others due to experience, but none of them were completely immune. Only the crew of the spaceship seemed unconcerned, having gone through this event many times.


    "Oh! So this is how the Fourth Dimension Engines work..." Yet, there was one guy completely fine. Naturally, it was Linfel, who seemed very interested in the hyperspace outside. "It is quite different from the time Horan brought me around."


    Alvin tried to not puke right there and then while asking. "Ho-How.... ugh... how was it back in your... time?"


    Linfel''s memories went to the past. "It was always Horan who did the journey while I simply tagged along. Back then, primordial energy allowed for Space-Bending. I believe you understand the theory. It is like the wormholes you mentioned, but it could be created at will. Magic Energy might be able to achieve the same thing, but you would truly need a huge amount of it. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, Magic Energy is a lot weaker. I wonder if there are any spaceships out there that can do that. With the right runes, perhaps."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori were surprised. It was basically the theory of folding space and passing through when the two sides touch. The wormholes did that, but they didn''t expect the experts from the past could do that as well. Even more impressive, Linfel seemed convinced it might be possible to be done nowadays. Could that be true?


    The asteroid was on a nearby solar system, which everyone was brought to. The journey lasted only fifteen minutes with the fourth-dimensional travel, though. Alvin then tried to get up to look outside, still feeling a little sick. Finally, he was able to see the asteroid up close. "So big... I saw it in the live stream, but isn''t this stage a little too big for the exam?


    Even with the twenty thousand remaining participants, it might take forever to end as there are just too many places to hide and run."


    "We don''t even know what is the fourth test about yet," Linfel shook his head. "Let''s wait and see. Besides..." Linfel looked in another direction. Suddenly, many spaceships began to come out of hyperspace, just like their own did a few seconds ago. "I don''t think we are alone."


    Alvin swallowed hard. Spaceships kept coming out, all of them carrying the emblem of the Ventis Sect. On Alvin''s field of view alone he could count more than two hundred, and he couldn''t see the other side of the asteroid. "Could it be..."


    Linfel nodded. "You don''t think the Ventis Sect would make it easy, right? No doubt, they are gathering all the participants who passed the third test on various planets in the nearby solar systems. Considering the size of the Ventis Sect Territory, I would have done the same."


    Linfel looked excited. "There is a lot of fun still."

 Chapter 108 - 108: Star Rays

    Linfel and the various other participants from Serfen Planet had to wait for days in the spaceships. Some of the solar systems were a little too far away, so there wasn''t another choice. Nonetheless, all the spaceships gathered, counting more than five hundred.


    Linfel''s spaceship carried more than a thousand participants, so one could have an idea of how many Maguses and familiars would take part in this.


    Another day passed without any other spaceships arriving. That extra day was given to the latest comers so they could recover from the fourth-dimensional journey. Everyone received a message stating the time when the explanation about the fourth test would start.


    *Zanm, zanm, zanm, zanm, zanm, zanm...*


    Linfel and his group were in the main hall of the airship, waiting with everyone else, when the screens all turned on. The same thing happened in all the other spaceships.


    On the screen, a man who wore the emblem of the Ventis Sect appeared, smiling at everyone. On the back, one could see a few more people with the same attire and emblem. One of them was Alexandra, responsible for the test in Serfen Planet. The others were the Minor Elders sent to supervise the tests on the other planets.


    The man looked at the time and finally began to speak. "Hello, my little friends. My name is Mosie Suan, an Inner Elder of the Ventis Sect. Congratulations on making it this far. You are all the cream of the crop of your planets, and I''m happy to see the seedlings this time around are even better than the last time.


    Some of you, in particular, caught my attention quite a bit, so I''m looking forward to your performances."


    Mosie continued. "Alright, I''m sure you all can only think about the fourth test, so let''s talk about it. As all of you know, the test will happen on the asteroid in a zero-gravity environment. Well, it isn''t completely zero, but it is barely perceptible at all. Anyway, the fourth test is all about high scores. The top 1% of the participants will make it to the fourth test."


    Everyone took a deep, cold breath. So far, it has always been the top 10%, but now it will be the top 1% only. Considering the number of spaceships, there are bound to be five hundred to a million participants. To have just a single percent succeed was quite brutal.


    "Some of you might be curious. For this test, we have a little over seven hundred thousand participants. Of these, only seven thousand will go to the next phase," Mosie commented. "Now then, release!"


    All the screens immediately changed to the surface of the asteroid. From its countless dark holes, even more Magic Beasts began to fly out. They had weird shapes, looking a little like stingrays. Their skins had the same colors as the space outside, dark with various white spots similar to stars on both sides of their bodies.


    Alvin and Linfel glanced at that and didn''t know what they were looking at. Those Magic Beasts didn''t only move inside the artificial atmosphere of the asteroid, though. They all could feel they were free and immediately flew out of the asteroid range.


    Nonetheless, they didn''t seem to feel anything. They could all survive in the middle of space without problems. It was a rare life form that didn''t need a planet to exist. One can only imagine what kind of evolutionary process had to happen for such a creature to exist. Their bodies shined with blue light, which seemed to be used to move in the zero gravity.


    Unfortunately for them, they weren''t able to fly much longer. A few kilometers away from the asteroid, they hit some kind of invisible barrier that bounced them all back. That caused them to start flying around aimlessly as they couldn''t dive deeper into the open space.


    Alvin was quite marveled by the creature. However, it was then that he noticed the expressions of a very of the Maguses around. The majority seemed confused or interested in the creatures, but the few who knew it were anything but pleased. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I give up the exam!" One of the participants installed jumped out of the ship.


    "I''m out too!" Another one quickly followed.


    "The Ventis Sect is crazy! How can they be using those things? I''m definitely not going!"


    Similar requests came up one after another, not surprising the crew of the spaceship at all. If anything, the organizers of the test already expect this reaction.


    However, there were also those who knew about these creatures but didn''t give up. Nonetheless, their expressions didn''t look good at all. They watched as the creatures flew around randomly all around the asteroid. There were tens of millions of them, maybe hundreds.


    Suddenly, the screens changed again, and Mosie''s face was shown. "Would you look at that? There seems to be a lot of you willing to give up already. I can''t blame you, though. Don''t worry; if you decide to give up now, our Ventis Sect won''t force you."


    Half of the screen then showed a scoreboard as Mosie continued his explanation. "While in zero gravity, you will have to survive for 40 Clicks."


    Every planet has its own time measurement. In Serfen, it is hours, but on other planets, they have different ways of counting time. Because of that, a universal measurement has been accepted a long time ago, the Clicks. For Alvin and Linfel, a single click was pretty much the same as a single hour, so it made things easier for them. There were just a few seconds of difference.


    Mosie continued to talk about the creatures and the rules. "If you kill a single one of those little guys, you are disqualified. Also, just because you are disqualified, it doesn''t mean we will come to save you. No one will enter that asteroid range until the 40 Clicks are over; keep that in mind. Once you are there, you will have to stay there until the end of the test."


    Mosie looked at the Magic Beasts as well. "You see, they are very special creatures. They are called Star Rays. Their bodies are capable of interacting with their target''s Magic Energy. Once they work together, they can even act like a magnet that can pull any source of Magic Energy towards them. Obviously, that includes your Cores."


    "Their method of hunting is very simple. They enter the planets, pull many living creatures with magic energy in their bodies all the way to space, and wait for them to die in the open space environment. They never need to get anywhere near their prey before it is already dead. They usually do it at clear nights, so you can understand why their bodies seem to be like the night sky itself."


    "Oh, and one more thing," Mosie added, "The effect on Magic Energy includes hallucinations, so make sure you take good care of your Magic Energy and don''t let it fall under these creatures'' control. Otherwise, you will try to fly into open space by yourself and won''t even notice you are dying. These little guys haven''t eaten for a while, so I''m pretty sure they will appreciate the free meal."


    "Alright, I''m finished explaining about the Star Rays. Now, let''s talk about the score and how to gain points."

 Chapter 109 - 109: Absolutely so

    By now, everyone understood why those Familiars and Maguses gave up out of nowhere. There are millions of those things, and they are hungry. Not to mention, you have to spend 40 Clicks on the Asteroid, and you won''t be rescued even if you are disqualified or give up midway. It truly looked like a one-way trip to the other side.


    Mosie did not care about what the participants were thinking and continued his explanation. "Now then, each of the Star Rays has a magic Energy Token on their back. As long as you touch it, the token will disappear, and points will be scored. There are three different colors of tokens, Yellow, Blue, and Green."


    "Yellow tokens are on the back of Level One Star Rays and are worth a single point."


    "Blue Tokens are on the back of Level Two Star Rays, and they are worth ten points."


    "Finally, the Green Tokens can be found on the back of Level Three Star Rays, and they are worth one hundred points each."


    "It goes without saying that you have a lot more Level One Star Rays than Level Three. Not to mention that they are easier to deal with. Level Three Star Rays, especially, always have a bunch of lower Level Star Rays following it. Trying to get its token won''t be easy, and you might actually become the prey instead, so be careful."


    "Another thing to keep in mind is that once a token is taken, the Star Ray who carried it will have nothing left, so you also need to be fast before the others take the tokens first."


    "Well, that''s basically it. You don''t need to worry about how we will identify who took which token. We have saved all your Magic Energy Signatures, so we will know who took the tokens without the need for any extra devices."


    "This exam can be taken in two different ways. You can do it with your Familiars, and in that case, your score will be equally shared between the two of you, or you can take it alone. Regardless of your choice, only the top 1% will make it to the next phase, so make sure you consider which approach to take very well.


    Finally, Mosie completed. "Alright, that''s all. In ten minutes, all of you will be carried by the gravity rays to the Asteroid. The gravity rays will also protect you when you get there, so don''t move until we give the order. Once we give the start signal, all gravity rays will disappear, and then you will be on your own. Good luck!"


    Linfel heard all the explanations and found it a very interesting exam. He then glanced to the side and saw a certain someone sneaking out, ready to give up the exam. Too bad Linfel pulled him right back. "Let''s go, Alvin, to the hangar! Hahaha!"


    "Errr... We can always try the next one, right? There is no need to try it now." Alvin tried to come up with an excuse.


    "What are you talking about?" Linfel didn''t agree. "You are almost seventeen. There is no second chance for you anymore. Hahaha!"


    Alvin bitterly smiled and just let Linfel pull him away.


    Milia couldn''t help but giggle a little while Nori snorted. Alvin, in the end, was still Alvin. "Let''s go, Nori. We will work together on this one, too."


    Nori, however, was still concerned. "Milia, are you sure you want to take this test? It is the type of test that those at lower levels will definitely struggle more. The risk is truly high."


    "Sure? I''m obviously not sure!" Milia explained. "But Alvin and Linfel are doing it, so can I stay behind?"


    Nori glanced at the tearful Alvin in the distance. "It looks more like only one of them truly wants to do it..."


    Milia smiled and shook her head. "Don''t worry. Alvin might be like that, but when it comes to it, he always pulls his weight. Don''t forget who saved us back then."


    "Linfel?" Nori asked back.


    "Nope," Milia corrected him. "Linfel told me it was Alvin who reacted first, and he just followed."


    ---


    Ten minutes passed fast, and the gravity rays caught all the participants. They were sent through the sea of Star Rays, landing on the asteroid. Because of the protection, the Star Rays couldn''t feel the Maguses and Familiars'' Magic Energy yet.


    More and more participants landed on the asteroid all around its extensions. At some point, the asteroid looked nothing more than a yellow light show.


    Yet, there weren''t seven hundred thousand participants on the asteroid. No, after hearing the explanation about the Star Rays and the test rules, a huge number of Maguses and Familiars gave up. Only a little less than five hundred thousand landed on the asteroid in the end. The rest stayed behind after giving up the test.


    Of course, the top 1% is still around seven thousand participants. After all, the ones who gave up were still part of this test until a few minutes ago.


    Finally, the last gravity ray delivered the last participants, and Mosie''s voice echoed all over the asteroid. "That''s about it! Forty Clicks! The test starts now!"


    *Ziu!*


    Immediately, all the gravity rays disappeared instantly. The moment it happened, the Star Rays seemed to grow restless, feeling the sudden appearance of so many sources of Magic Energy. Mosie wasn''t lying when he said they were quite hungry. It only took a few seconds before the Star Rays formed countless small groups and came after the Maguses and Familiars.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    Alvin looked to the side, just in time to see a small group of Star Rays pulling a magus away with them out of the asteroid''s atmosphere.


    Of course, even if it meant being disqualified, the guy wouldn''t just let himself die. He immediately circulated his Magic Energy and sent an attack, killing two Star Rays. That disrupted the group work, which the magus used to force himself back to the asteroid''s surface.


    Unfortunately for him, his display of Magic Energy attracted even more Star Rays. They all joined forces and began to drag him away. The guy continued to attack, but he couldn''t do anything against so many of those Star Rays. The more he used his magic Energy the more Star Rays he attracted. At some point, he lost control over his Magic Energy and began to hallucinate.


    In the end, he simply let himself be pulled away. Anyone seeing this knew that he would become food very soon.


    Similar scenes happened all around, scaring many of the Maguses and Familiars. Those who weren''t targeted straight away understood that using their Magic Energy to attack the Star Rays didn''t just disqualify you. It also made themselves become beacons of Magic Energy that the Star Rays swarmed with gusto.


    Suddenly, Alvin heard someone''s voice.


    "Oh! So this is the yellow token..." It was Linfel. Right at that moment, there were ten Star Rays around him. However... the Star Rays didn''t try to bring Linfel away. No, when they tried to pull Linfel away, Linfel used that connection to take control of their bodies. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Somehow... Linfel got ten new bodyguards...


    Linfel touched the tokens on the Star Rays'' backs, and his score instantly jumped to ten. "Alvin, what are you waiting for? Go grab a few Star Rays. Otherwise, I will release my new friends here all over you."


    "Fuck!" Alvin already knew Linfel''s training methods. If he said he would that that, he absolutely would do so!

 Chapter 110 - 110: What?!

    Alvin knew how Linfel achieved that result, but he couldn''t do the same. He could only hope he wouldn''t attract too much attention. He controlled his Magic Energy so that not much of it would escape, potentially making him a harder target to be noticed.


    Yet, things turned out weird a few moments later. "What is happening here?"


    Alvin got close to one of the Star Rays, ready to flee if it tried to call its friends. Yet, it was as if the Star Ray couldn''t even see him. He slowly approached its back, and after touching the Yellow Magic Token, it disappeared while a point was added to his score. "Could it be this little guy is sick?" He couldn''t help but wonder.


    Alvin slowly got away from the Star Ray and found another one that had a few others not too far from it. This one was also a lot bigger and moved faster, so Alvin had to increase his speed. Fortunately, Linfel didn''t slack when it came to Alvin''s physical training. Linfel used his Magic Energy to improve Alvin''s body while putting him under tremendous stress.


    Ultimately, Alvin became very fit over time, and he definitely surpassed his peers in physical strength alone... although he wasn''t aware of this yet. Alvin could move as fast as a Level One Magus even without using a single iota of Magic Energy.


    Alvin caught up to the Star Ray and touched its back. This time, however, Alvin was surprised. Not only did the Star Ray not respond, but it also had a Blue Token on its back. Just like that, another ten points were added to Alvin''s score. ''So that''s why there were more Star Rays around this one; it was a Level Two Star Ray. They were this guy''s followers!


    Yet... they still can''t see me somehow.''


    Alvin then looked around, looking for another magus or familiar nearby. It wasn''t hard to find one since there were so many. However, the guy he saw was already running away while quite a few Star Rays pursued him. Naturally, the Star Rays were seeing that guy without a problem. ''This makes no sense... Did Linfel do something to the Star Rays around me without anyone noticing?''


    Alvin tried it a few more times, and the same thing happened, so his score continued to increase. Finally, Alvin''s confusion reached his limit, and he turned around to ask Linfel in the distance. Yet, when he saw Linfel, he didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    "Alright, now sit!" Linfel commanded.


    A group of around fifty Star Rays all fell to the ground, only slightly lifting the front part of their bodies.


    "Good! Now, turn!" Linfel ordered again. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the Star Rays around him made a full 360 before ending in the same position.


    "Hahaha!" Linfel felt quite happy. "Alvin, look! This is quite funny. So that''s how you humans feel when you teach your dogs a few tricks. It also reminds me of when you manage to complete the training I give you. So satisfying..."


    "Dogs..." Alvin wanted to cry. Now, Alvin was being compared to a dog. No, even worse, there were five Star Rays in Linfel''s group that were as big as the one he just touched. They were all Level Two Star Rays, but they still followed every command from Linfel... just like dogs indeed.


    "Ahem..." Alvin tried to recover from his hurt ego. "Linfel, I''m managing to take the tokens. But how come the Star Rays can''t see me? They simply ignore my existence. There was even one who passed by me and went away, running after another Magus."


    "Hum?" Linfel looked back at Alvin like he was looking at an idiot. He then released the Star Rays, allowing them to return to space and clearing the area around Linfel and Alvin. "Isn''t that obvious? There is pretty much no Magic Energy escaping from your body. That''s called Magic Energy Control, you know? Mosie commented about it back in the spaceships before the test.


    If there is no Magic Energy, how can the Star Rays see you? They don''t have eyes."


    Linfel then pointed at another Magus not too far away. "Look at that magus there. He is focusing all his attention on controlling his Magic Energy. Can you see any Star Rays closing on him?"


    A few Star Rays seemed to get close to the guy, but after a few seconds floating around the Magus, they left, seemingly uninterested. Still, Alvin could see beds of sweat running down from the guy''s face. No doubt he was having to do his best just to keep that condition. "So that''s how it is..."


    It was then that Alvin noticed. "Wait, I know that guy. He was one of the Level Four Magus who climbed the same Elevator as me. How come he is struggling so much?"


    "Because he is terrible at controlling Magic Energy," Linfel explained. "Could it be you still haven''t understood?"


    "Understood what?" Alvin asked back?


    "This test is not just to see who can score more points. It is also a trial by fire to teach the future prospects of the Ventis Sect about how important Magic Energy Control is," Linfel shrugged. "If you manage to survive and score points, you will leave this place with a huge advantage for your future.


    Even if you don''t get into the top 1%, just this experience alone will prove invaluable in the places they came from."


    Suddenly, a familiar ran in Alvin and Linfel''s direction, seeing that there were no Star Rays near them. He wanted to use Linfel and Alvin to bait the Star Rays that were pursuing him.


    Alvin couldn''t help but turn around. There were at least thirty Star Rays after that Familiar. However, Linfel held him back. "Magic Energy Control. Don''t forget it."


    Alvin swallowed hard and nodded, feeling his body tense.


    The Familiar flashed past Linfel and Alvin. However, when it looked back, all the Star Rays pursuing it didn''t stop. They passed by Linfel and Alvin as if they didn''t exist and continued to pursue. "What? Fuck!" In the end, it had to use more Magic Energy to continue its escapade. Linfel and Alvin didn''t know, but this Familiar was taken away by the Star Rays a few minutes later.


    Linfel faintly smiled and released his Magic Energy again. Immediately, a few Star Rays noticed his presence and came after him. When they tried to pull Linfel through his Magic Energy, Linfel used that connection to take control of their bodies. He touched their backs, took the points, and suppressed his Magic Energy again before ordering the Star Rays to go away. "I quite like the Ventis Sect.


    Their tests are very thorough. They know very well what they are looking for and what to do to get the expected results."


    Alvin sighed. He got more impressed with himself and Linfel''s methods by the day. "Then I''m going out to score a few more points."


    "Sure, but don''t drop your guard. You need to control your Magic Energy like that for 40 Clicks or a little bit over 40 hours. It will be quite tiresome," Linfel warned. "Also, you can check the scoreboard with your MCOM if you are interested."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. Just how many Maguses and Familiars on this asteroid even had the time to care about their MCOMs? Seems like Linfel did... and so did Alvin. "Okay..."


    It was then that Alvin remembered something. "Wait! How is Milia doing?"


    "Milia?" Linfel pointed in another direction. "That girl with a flame sword in the distance is probably her. Oh! The Star Rays are bringing her away. Guess she will become food soon." Linfel spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.


    "I see..." Alvin nodded and turned around to go collect more tokens... Then, he froze. "WHAT?!"

 Chapter 111 - 111: Just Great

    Alvin immediately rushed over, releasing his Magic Energy and catching the attention of the Star Rays. However, he didn''t care. Alvin approached Milia''s location and gathered his magic Energy on his legs. Finally, he jumped... or so he tried.


    *Zack*


    At the last moment, a concentration of Magic Energy grabbed Alvin''s leg, pulling him back to the ground. Alvin looked to the side and saw Linfel there. "What are you doing?!"


    Linfel shrugged while he used his Magic Energy to take control of the Star Rays, who got close to Alvin. Otherwise, they would pull Alvin into space as well. "You were going to kill the Star Rays, right? If you did, you would be disqualified. Obviously, I stopped you. Now, concentrate and suppress your Magic Energy again."


    "Fuck that! I have to help Milia!" Alvin complained.


    Linfel looked in Milia''s direction and spoke. "Do you think she needs your help? Pay attention, idiot. Can you see she attacking any of the Star Rays?"


    "Uh?" Alvin quickly calmed down and looked as well. Sure enough, Milia and Nori were still. Nori was a flame sword, but at the moment, barely any flame came out of him. As for Milia, she just kept her eyes closed while a slightly big ball of Magic Energy floated in front of her body.


    Then, a Star Ray approached and ate the ball, ignoring Milia. The moment it happened, Milia slightly touched its back, catching a Yellow Token. That kind of occurrence continued a few more times. Milia generated another small concentration of magic Energy near her body and that attracted the Star Rays.


    "She... is baiting the Star Rays? But why is she floating in midair then?" Alvin was confused. "Wouldn''t it be too risky? The Star Rays might catch her at any moment. Also, you said she was being pulled away."


    Linfel faintly smiled. "But she is. The reason she is in midair is so that she can attract more Star Rays. She let them take her for a moment and then suppressed her Magic Energy. She wasn''t as good as you at suppressing her Magic Energy, but because she created those baits, the baits caught more of the Star Rays'' attention than her body or Nori''s. Now, she just needs to keep repeating that process.


    Of course, it is quite tiresome, so she should come back down soon."


    Linfel was right. A few minutes later, Milia took a deep breath and completely stopped circulating her Magic Energy together with Nori. The two of them worked together, using their connection to better look after each other.


    The Star Rays, not being able to feel their magic Energy, quickly lost interest. The asteroid might be in midspace, but it still had a very slight gravity. So, very slowly, Milia and Nori began to fall down back to the asteroid. It took another few minutes, but they were back to the ground eventually.


    Alvin approached, relieved she was fine. "You gave me a scare there."


    "Ah!" Milia was the one to get a scare this time, though. She was so concentrated on her Magic Energy circulation that Alvin''s sudden comment near her made her lose her control.


    Immediately, several Star Rays came down, aiming to catch Milia and Nori again. They didn''t get to learn from Linfel how to suppress their Magic Energy properly, so it was indeed a hard task for both of them.


    "Idiot! Look what you have done!" Nori cursed.


    Milia and Nori got nervous. They were already tired, so they had to focus again. However, the Star Rays were right there. Without another choice, Nori burst with lames while Milia circulated her Magic Energy. They would have to kill the Star Rays now since it was better than dying out in space.


    Alvin didn''t expect that and felt guilty, so he also prepared to attack while circulating his Magic Energy. He could control his Magic Energy easily, but he couldn''t do that for Milia and Nori.


    Yet, just as they were about to attack, Linfel''s words echoed around.


    "Sit!"


    In the next second, all the Star Rays that had caught Milia and Nori''s Magic Energy presence repeated the same actions as Alvin saw a while ago.


    Linfel approached one of them and patted its body. "Good boys and girls. Now, go find someone else to eat, okay? Don''t bother my friends here."


    As if they understood Linfel''s words, all the Star Rays around left, leaving quite a gap in the middle where Linfel''s group was staying.


    Milia and Nori looked at that with wide-open eyes. "Is that..."


    Linfel nodded. "You know about it already."


    Back when Linfel explained about himself, he also explained how he took control of the soldier''s body. Milia and Nori could only guess he did the same thing now... but not to such an extent. He controlled tens of Star Rays at once! "You truly are quite ridiculous."


    "That''s rude. I just saved your asses, you know?" Linfel sighed in response.


    Milia and Nori finally had the chance to properly calm down and suppress their Magic Energy correctly. With Linfel nearby, they felt safe.


    Linfel saw that and floated away, signaling Alvin to follow him. Alvin, of course, could only do as Linfel asked. "Shouldn''t you stay close in case they need?"


    "I shouldn''t have even helped to start with," Linfel explained. "She is grasping the meaning of this exam about Magic Energy control, so the best is to leave her alone. I only intervened because you were the reason they were almost caught, so it wasn''t fair."


    "That''s because you also said they were going to become food soon!" Alvin complained once again. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh! Right! I did say that, didn''t I? Sorry, sorry. Guess I was overthinking it." Linfel didn''t seem very apologetic, though.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. It was obvious Linfel did that on purpose. "You are hateful!"


    Linfel didn''t mind. "And you are impulsive. You should have analyzed the situation first instead of doing what you did. If you had truly jumped to save Milia, how would you come back? Just how many Star Rays would you have attracted after you started killing some? Above all, you almost made Milia fail her exam, not to mention you two would end up dying together instead."


    "This..." Alvin didn''t have an answer for that. "I will pay more attention next time."


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. "You better do. Now, go collect more tokens, and be careful. My helping just now was just because of the circumstances. I won''t help if you screw up on your own again. Hum...


    I need to come up with a training method to help with your impulses."


    Alvin felt a chill on his back. Somehow, he felt he would hate this new training as much as all the others. ''Just great...''

 Chapter 112 - 112: Just Forget

    The first Click went by, and over a fifth of the Maguses and Familiars were already taken away by the Star Rays. Some of the Maguses and Familiar on the asteroid didn''t even have the courage to look up. After all, those who were taken away were killed and then eaten. The scene outside of the asteroid''s atmosphere wasn''t anything beautiful.


    Back in the spaceships, the various Minor Elders and the Inner Elder watched the competition leisurely. They had seen this kind of thing many, many times. They didn''t feel any pit either. Every single participant knew exactly what they were signing for, so it was their fault they died.


    First of all, most of the elders there were once participants in these kinds of exams and went through similar experiences.


    Alexandra, obviously, kept her eyes on the Maguses and Familiars from the planet she was put in charge of, Serfen. She ignored the Level Five ones, though. The Level Five Familiar and Magus were having an easy time. Even if they hadn''t spent much time learning about Magic Energy Control and went full-throttle into leveling, their levels made everything much easier.


    The strongest Star Ray was only Level Three. Both Xifrin and Trodeu could easily knock out the Star Rays who tried to take them away. Yes, they looked like giant beacons of Magic Energy that attracted many other Star Rays, but they easily dispatched all Star Rays who tried their luck. They didn''t kill a single one, though. They only gave a beating and scared them off.


    The main reason was obviously the fact both Xifrin and Trodeu could fly in the real meaning of the word. Even if a few Star Rays managed to pull Xifrin and Trodeu''s Magic Energy together with their bodies, Trodeu and Xifrin only had to fly back to the asteroid.


    That said, Alexandra didn''t even pay attention to those two. The only way either of them could die in this exam was if they didn''t save enough Magic Energy to last the 40 Clicks of time. But if that happened, they could only blame themselves.


    Alexandra, instead, paid more attention to Linfel and Alvin. She couldn''t help but laugh every time she saw Linfel controlling the Star Rays like they were dogs. Alexandra wasn''t surprised. When she saw Linfel''s 999 points in Magic Energy Output while being only a Level Three Familiar, she was certain Linfel had peerless Magic Energy Control as well.


    She was still curious about how Linfel managed to control the Star Rays, but it wasn''t like there wasn''t anyone in the Ventis Sect with similar abilities.


    Her attention then turned to Alvin, who seemed to be Linfel''s master. Alvin wasn''t bad, considering the others. He could easily suppress his Magic Energy, making himself invisible to the Star Rays. Looking at Linfel and Alvin''s Scores, they were doing pretty great for their levels.


    Still, she was curious. ''Both of them could make much more points if they wished to. Most likely they are holding back, afraid of attracting more attention than necessary. Hehe. They are heads and shoulders above any other Magus or Familiar at Level Three and ahead of most Level Four, too. Who are they trying to fool?''


    She then looked at Mosie, who was stroking his beard with an interested expression. Xifrin and Trodeu obviously weren''t the only Level Five Maguses and Familiars. After all, this asteroid united the participants of many planets in a single place. There were more of them here. Yet, she could tell by Mosie''s expression that he was interested in something else.


    Level Five Maguses and Familiars weren''t enough to get his attention.


    She decided to approach the man, who didn''t really mind it. On the screen he was watching, Linfel was playing with his Star Rays without a care for the world. "Oh! I see Senior Mosie found my little chicken."


    Mosie glanced at Alexandra with a smile. "A very interesting chicken indeed. Controlling lower-level creatures without intelligence isn''t exactly that rare."


    He then changed his screen, showing another three Maguses and two Familiars. They, too, seemed capable of controlling the Star Rays. However, none of them could control more than one or two at the same time, and they suffered quite a lot to keep that control.


    "These guys can do it as well, and they are all at Level Four. Yet, none of them is anywhere near Leve Three Familiar''s control. Not only that, he is doing it as if it is the easiest thing in the world. I checked his score during the first test. 999 wasn''t bad at all. We should have brought a measuring orb that could go over 1000 points to see his real potential.


    Oh well, we can check it another time anyway."


    Mosie then looked back at Alexandra. "Such a soul is hard to come by in a Familiar. Only spending a fortune on the materials of his core is far from enough. It is all up to chance when it comes to souls, and his master truly hit the jackpot."


    Alexandra touched the screen as well, changing it to Alvin. "His master isn''t all that bad either. Of course, it looks good in this forgotten corner of our Ventis Sect Territory. It''s nothing special back in the sect, though."


    Mosie shook his head. "Don''t say that. It is impressive he got such a level of Magic Energy Control and Output in this place. That in itself is already worth paying attention to. I just wonder who taught him that Magic Energy Control. People here in this area only care about leveling."


    "That I wasn''t able to find," Alexandra had tried to check, but there wasn''t much information about Linfel and Alvin. She knows they came from Heffal and that they fled the war, joining Clondure later. Nonetheless, the data she was able to get only mentioned Linfel and Alvin weren''t anything that impressive back in Heffal. Were they hiding their strength? If so, why?


    Nonetheless, neither Alexandra nor Mosie cared about it. "In any case, what matters is that they are showing what they are capable of during the exam. Their past matters not for us. Let''s hope they can hold for 40 Clicks," Mosie said and changed the screen again. He also wanted to check other Maguses and Familiars.


    ---


    Ten Clicks went by, and Alvin began to get tired. Suppressing his Magic Energy for such a long time truly took a great toll on his body. He went back to Linfel, who had already gotten bored of controlling the Star Rays like Dogs.


    Linfel now just stayed there in the middle of the air while releasing a slight amount of Magic Energy. Like that, one or another Star Ray passed by to check on him. He used that opportunity to control them for a moment, take their token, and order them to go away. His points were steadily going up, but not enough to take the top 100. Still far more than enough for the top 1000, though.


    Since 7000 or so would pass, that was all he needed to do.


    "Lin, Linfel... can you keep an eye out while I rest a little?" Alvin asked.


    Linfel glanced at Alvin and then pointed into the distance. There, Milia and Nori still worked hard to get used to controlling their Magic Energy. "Aren''t you ashamed? Nori and Milia are doing their best there. If you are tired, then rest, but I won''t protect you."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Milia and Nori can work together to give each other some time to rest. I''m on my own, you know? If I rest, I will let my Magic Energy circulate a little. That will attract the Star Rays."


    "No doubt," Linfel agreed. "So make sure to rest where there aren''t too many Star Rays."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. That didn''t help much. "Fine, I will find a way myself."


    "Of course you will!" Linfel nodded. "Don''t forget, you are my trash."


    "Can''t you say something nicer?" Alvin complained. "Like, like... like a friend?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel was trying to be nice, though... "Oh! Alright, you are my trash friend."


    Alvin wanted to cry already. "Just forget the word trash, please!"

 Chapter 113 - 113: Not Fair

    Alvin did find a way to get some rest in the end. In fact, he did pretty much the same as the other Maguses. Suppressing his Magic Energy that long made it tiresome, so Alvin would release his Magic Energy and let it circulate naturally. When the Star Rays came after him, he would immediately suppress again and change to another position.


    Because the Star Rays went after him in that previous location, the other areas nearby would have fewer of them for a short time. He then released his Magic Energy again and rested until the Star Rays appeared once more. After that, he repeated the same process.


    Linfel watched that and smiled. ''He can do it on his own. He just needs to let go of his complex of inferiority.''


    After twenty Clicks of time were gone, the number of deaths had decreased massively. Not just because there were few Maguses and Familiars. That was indeed part of the reason but not the main point. The real reason was that the Maguses and Familiar who had survived until now, had finally understood how to Control their Magic Energy and suppress it.


    Thanks to that, few were being caught by the Star Rays, and as time passed, even fewer got caught. When the test reached the 30 Clicks times, it was already not a test of survival anymore. It all became a test of who could score more points. Top 7000, that''s what mattered. As for the number of Maguises and Familiars, there were slightly over 150000 remaining.


    But then, the Maguses and Familiars found a problem. Sure, there were millions of Star Rays, and all of them had tokens... at the start. By now, most of the tokens were caught by the participants. The Maguses and Familiars used their experience to finally attract the Star Rays, but more often than not, they had already lost the tokens on their backs.


    That made it extremely difficult for anyone below the top 20000 to make their way into the top 7000, let alone those below. There were simply not enough tokens for everyone who was still competing.


    Linfel and Alvin, fortunately, didn''t have such an issue. They could already suppress and Control their Magic Energy from the start. Thanks to that, they bathed in Tokens, although Linfel had many more. At the moment, Linfel was ranked 78th on the scoreboard. As for Alvin, he was in the 514th position.


    Both Linfel and Alvin were, by far, the Level Three Magus and Familiar with most points, especially Linfel.


    Truth be told, Linfel could have won. He can fly like the Level Five Maguses and Familiars, so he could have simply jumped in the middle of the mobs of Star Rays and taken the tokens nonstop. Too bad he wasn''t really viewing for the first place. 78 was already an accomplishment good enough for him.


    Alvin returned to Linfel''s side. He kept looking for more tokens, but there were none, so he decided to stop. "Well, it seems like we can stay put until the end of the test, and we will easily make it into the top 7000 or something. I hardly doubt either of us will drop below the top 1000 even if we don''t get a single extra token anymore."


    Linfel agreed with Alvin about that. "Nonetheless, it was a good training for you. You can go and try to get more if you feel like it, but since you already understood the main point of this test and got used to it, there isn''t really a need anymore. Just do as you like."


    Alvin sighed in relief. He was worried Linfel would have sent him to keep looking for Star Rays until the very last second. But then again, Linfel never gave Alvin meaningless training, and continuing with this test wouldn''t add much to Alvin''s abilities.


    Alvin sat down, still suppressing his Magic Energy so the Star Rays would ignore him. He opened his MCOM and took a look at the ranking. "Oh! Milia and Nori are doing pretty good too."


    Linfel floated higher and looked in the distance. There, he could see Milia and Nori still working together to catch more Star Rays with the tokens. It''s just that most of the Star Rays had nothing. "Milia and Nori seem fine. Their Magic Energy Control improved quite a bit. They will need several months to catch up to what you are doing now, but they are definitely on the right path."


    Linfel returned to the surface of the asteroid and looked into Milia''s Rank. "As expected of someone with real talent. Even without my help, she is still inside the top 3000. She isn''t at risk of falling out of the top 7000 anymore either."


    Alvin looked at the time and thought about the Star Rays that had no more tokens. "What about all the rest of the Maguses and Familiars that learned the tricks of this test too late? Without more tokens, they can''t catch up anymore. Do you think the Ventis Sect will add some rules towards the end? Like... kill a magus or a Familiar, and you gain their points?"


    "I can''t guarantee it, but I don''t think they will change this test towards the end," Linfel commented.


    "Really?!" Alvin was obviously happy to hear that. "Why?"


    "So what if there aren''t any tokens anymore?" Linfel asked back. "If you took too long to get used to this test, then that''s your problem. That''s how they have been operating so far. Those who learned fast are exactly the ones the Ventis Sect is looking for. They will not add that rule you mentioned. Otherwise, they might be giving a chance to Maguses and Familiars who are slower at learning.


    I don''t think they will risk it. Last but not least, if the Ventis Sect truly wants to put the Maguses and Familiars against each other, they will do it in another test, not this one. This test is all about learning how to control your Magic Energy." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s quite unfair... Even if they learned slower, they did manage to do it," Alvin sighed in response. "Some people just aren''t as talented as Milia. As for me, if I didn''t meet you, I wouldn''t even be considered to be average. I feel quite bad for them."


    Linfel could understand it. "Indeed. However, life isn''t fair, and the Ventis Sect even less so. Just wait for the time to be over."


    Time continued to pass, and when there was only one Click remaining, Milia joined Alvin and Linfel in their respite. She simply couldn''t find any Star Rays with tokens anymore. Pretty much the only participants looking for tokens were those near the 7000 position. There were those afraid of falling below and those doing their best to try to barely make their way in.


    Finally, 40 Clicks went by, and Gravity Rays shot from the many Spaceships outside the test range. All the survivors were quickly brought out of the asteroid. The fourth test was over.

 Chapter 114 - 114: One Second!

    Alvin, Linfel, Milia, and Nori appeared in the same Spaceship as before. There, a few Maguses and Familiars who didn''t take part in the test were still waiting. Other than them, there were also those who survived the test.


    Alvin couldn''t help but find somewhere to sit straight away, and so did Milia. Nori wasn''t much better, lying on Milia''s lap with a very feeble amount of Magic Energy coming from his core. 40 Clicks, or a little bit over 40 hours... No sleep, no real rest. The times they took to rest their bodies on the asteroid were filled with tension since they had to pay attention to their surroundings nonstop.


    It was physically, mentally, and magically tiring.


    *Zun, zun, zun, zun, zun...*


    The various screens once again turned ON, and Mosie appeared with the other elders. "Congratulations! Everyone who survived this test should feel proud of themselves. Even if you hadn''t made it into the top 7032, which was the exact 1% of the participants, you still gained a lot. You can use that experience for the next test if you are still within the age limit.


    Or, in case you won''t be anymore, use it in your life as Maguses and Familiars."


    Mosie continued. "Now then, I''m well aware that you all are very tired. Maguses and Familiars at your levels shouldn''t have a problem staying awake this long, but the situation itself was hundreds of times harder to deal with. I will let you all sleep soon."


    "But first, check your MCOMs. Those who passed the test should have received a message," Mosie spoke. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel''s group did as they were asked, checking their MCOMs. Sure enough, the four of them passed, and their final rankings were written there. The same went for the other participants who passed.


    "Now then, I believe you all checked it already. Those who passed the fourth test will be taking a different Spaceship. As for the rest, you will all be sent back to your own planets. Please cooperate with the organizers."


    Linfel looked at Alvin and the others. "Come on, get up. We need to move to the next Spaceship."


    Alvin, Nori, and Milia couldn''t help but silently curse. The wisp got it so easy that he wasn''t even a little bit tired. They wish they could say the same.


    Of their spaceship, only 14 Maguses and Familiars made into the top 7000. That was a pretty low number, considering the number that came first. The others could only watch and sigh, jealous that they couldn''t follow that group. Obviously, Linfel''s group were the only Level Three participants of their Spaceship.


    The next Spaceship, a much bigger one, arrived shortly after, taking Linfel and the others. Inside the new Spaceship of the Ventis Sect, they met the other participants of the fourth test. The numbers continued to increase as the Spaceship passed by the other Spaceships and collected everyone. Finally, a total of 7032 participants came aboard.


    A few minutes later, Linfel saw through the window the many spaceships disappearing in rays of blue light, all of them entering the fourth-dimensional realm. "There goes our friends."


    Alvin saw that as well. "We are still here. Could it be the next test is also on the asteroid?"


    Before Linfel could answer, Mosie arrived with the other elders, including Alexandra. He went to the middle and up to the stage that had been prepared in advance. "37 Level Five Maguses and Familiars, 6815 Level Four Maguses and Familiars, last but not least, 180 Level Three Maguses and Familiars. You are the 7032 successful victors of the fourth test. Well done."


    *fiuuuuuu...*


    Suddenly, the entire room was filled with a faint gray light, covering all the participants who made it to the next test. As it happened, Mosie continued to speak. "For the fifth exam, only one thing will be tested: Your mental strength! Have a good night!"


    *Tud...*


    Alvin looked to the side and saw Milia falling to the ground. "Milia!"


    *Tud... tud, tud, tud, tud...*


    Before he could check what happened, Nori fell by Milia''s side. They weren''t the only ones. Familiars and Maguses began to fall one after another. Alvin felt his vision spin for a moment and quickly followed the rest of the participants, falling on the ground as well. Other than the Level Five Maguses and Familiars, Alvin had been one of the last to fall.


    Finally, those at Level Five fell asleep as well, not being able to fight that sleepiness. Whatever was happening, it affected both Familiars and Maguses. Without a doubt, it was something related to the soul.


    Looking at that, Mosie nodded, satisfied. "It will take a few hours before the first one wakes up. Let''s go have a tea while we wai-"


    "Ahem... excuse me..." It was then that a voice cut Mosie''s voice, surprising the elders in the stage.


    Mosie and the others looked over, and there a Wis- Ahem! A Familiar floated, seemingly fine. "You... how are you still awake?"


    Naturally, that was Linfel. "I see. So it was truly you who put them to sleep. What kind of test is this? It doesn''t seem like my master is in any danger from what I can feel in his body."


    Mosie, obviously, recognized Linfel. "Aren''t you the Familiar who played with the Star Rays like they were dogs?"


    Linfel nodded, scratching the back of his head, ashamed. "Oh, you saw that? Sorry, sorry. I wasn''t trying to do anything bad to them."


    Mosie, still surprised, shook his head. "Forget about that. Just answer my question. How are you still awake? Do you know what we did just now?"


    Linfel was completely confused. "I have absolutely no idea. All I can tell is that this gray energy, or whatever it is, entered everyone''s souls. Then, everyone fell asleep. It was quite weird... for a second, I felt like I saw a past friend of mine.


    Then, he smiled and disappeared. From the moment he appeared to the moment he disappeared, I felt like I lost the track of time, too. What was that about?"


    Mosie and the others were even more surprised. That was a common test of mental fortitude in the Ventis Sect. It used Soul Power, which was quite powerful against Low-Level experts. However, only Level Eight Maguses, Familiars, or higher level ones could use Soul Power, which explains why Linfel didn''t know about it. Serfen Planet didn''t have a single Magus or Familiar at Level Eight, after all.


    That wasn''t a problem here, though. If you wanted to become a Minor Elder in the Ventis Sect, you had to reach Level Eight at the very least. There was no lack of such individuals in this Spaceship, especially Mosie, who was at Level Nine.


    Hearing Linfel''s description, it was obvious that he was also affected by the soul power technique. It was supposed to make him fall into a deep sleep and have a dream. What kind of dream would depend on the individual, and even the elders didn''t know what kind. However, that dream would also test the participants'' mental fortitude or willpower.


    Level mattered not here. All that mattered was how long it would take for you to wake up. The sooner you did, the faster you passed the willpower test in your dreams. Linfel... was affected by the Soul Power, and he did lose his consciousness... for a second!


    That was how long his willpower test lasted. That''s how strong Linfel''s Mental Fortitude was!


    Mosie''s mouth twitched when he realized that fact. "Errr... Ahem! Congratulations. You passed."

 Chapter 115 - 115: How To Make An Appearance

    "I passed?" Linfel looked around, seeing all the Maguses and Familiars unconscious. Familiars didn''t need to sleep. At most, they had to deactivate themselves and enter some short hibernation mode while their masters slept. Yet, that was not necessary for Independent Familiars since they didn''t have that special connection anymore. Nori is a good example. Yet, he, too, was unconscious.


    "Is this supposed to be right? I kind of feel like I cheated or something."


    "It is not unheard of participants who wake up in just a few seconds, but they are extremely rare," Mosie commented. "Usually, such participants received very strict mental training, and even so it is not guaranteed to work. Not to mention, this kind of thing only happens in higher-ranked planets, not in a place like this. Still, to think you had no more than a second off.


    That might just be a new record."


    Linfel then looked at Alvin, seeing his eyes narrowing. He wasn''t the only one. All the Maguses around seemed to be going through similar processes. "Are they really fine?"


    "They are," Mosie calmed down. "Come up to the stage and have a talk with us. It should take a few hours before the first one of them wakes up. Tell us more about your life. I''m quite curious how you reached your level in this place."


    Linfel shook his head, though. "I would rather stay with my friends if you don''t mind. Even if you said they are fine, I still get worried."


    "That''s fine too," Mosie didn''t mind, although he was a little disappointed Linfel couldn''t answer his questions. But then again, the Maguses and Familiars'' pasts don''t matter in the test. All that matters is ability, and this Familiar called Linfel seemed to be really good.


    Linfel approached Alvin and connected to him through their Soul Waves. ''Hum... he is truly completely asleep. I wonder what kind of dream he is having. That guy said the faster you wake up, the stronger your willpower is. Let''s try to take a look.


    Perhaps I can use our connection to see if I can nullify the force that is keeping him unconscious.''


    Usually, Linfel wouldn''t want to help Alvin. However, Alvin wasn''t exactly an example of willpower. If Linfel left him like this, he most likely would be one of the very last Maguses to wake. Who knows, he might never wake up again.


    Linfel tried to remember that sensation when the gray light entered his core and soul. While he kept his Soul Waves matched with Alvin''s, he controlled his Magic Energy to create a similar energy. However, it didn''t work. His Magic Energy always lacked something.


    ''Hum... that energy managed to affect our souls, but how?'' Linfel continued to ponder about the issue for the next hour without success.


    ---


    Meanwhile, in Alvin''s dream, he was on his father''s boat as Alvin tried to pull a huge fish from the water. However, even though he used all the strength of the equipment in the boat, it simply wasn''t enough. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alvin, this thing is too strong. We must let it go!" Lucau spoke. He was in the cabin, looking as Alvin worked.


    Yet, Alvin felt like he shouldn''t let it happen for some reason. "Father. This is the biggest fish we ever caught. How can I let it go?"


    *Shua!*


    The enormous fish then struggled again, pulling the entire boat down into the water for a moment before the boat returned to the surface. Alvin almost fell into the water but managed to hold on. He looked at Lucau, who also held to the boat. "Are you okay?"


    Lucau nodded. "Obviously! However, the boat won''t last for much longer like this. Just let it go, son."


    Alvin narrowed his eyes. Considering his personality, he should have let the fish go a long time ago. Yet, his hands simply didn''t want to relax.


    That situation continued for over a an hour, and the boat got more and more damaged. Cracks began to appear on the hull while Lucau did his best to throw the water away. "Alvin! You did enough! Just let it go!"


    Little did Alvin know, but if he let the fish go for real, the dream would reset, he would lose his memories of it, and everything would repeat from the start.


    Finally, Alvin felt like the situation got too dangerous, and his hands began to tremble. It was then that his father stopped taking the water out of the boat and asked. "Why can''t you let it go? Why do you insist in following the Path of a Magus?"


    "D-Dad?" Alvin was taken aback. The fish struggled even more while those words echoed in Alvin''s mind.


    "Alvin," Lucau continued, "What are you even trying to do? The Ventis Sect? One of the strongest forces in our Galaxy? What could someone like you possibly accomplish in that place?"


    "I..." Alvin''s hands began to let go of the fish. Indeed, he has never been talented to start with. If anything, he was below average. There must be something wrong with his head to think he could take such a test.


    Lucau patted his shoulder, nodding with a smile. "That''s right. Your place is here with me, in Serfen Planet. We can buy another boat, and we will fish together every day. All you need to do is let this fish go, and everything will be okay. Don''t you want to stay with your father?"


    "I... I do... but..." Alvin was almost convinced. However, it was then that time seemed to come to a stop. Out of nowhere, the fishing rod in his hand disappeared, and everything went calm. Right after, a woman appeared on the boat with Alvin.


    It was Milia, looking at him with an angry expression. "Are you truly letting me go to the Ventis Sect alone? I thought you were much more than that, Alvin."


    Alvin looked at her with a bitter smile. "But you don''t need me. You never did. You will do fine on your own, I''m sure of it."


    "Yes," Milia nodded, approaching Alvin and putting her hands on his face. "I can definitely go alone and thrive. However, is that what you want? Do you truly want me to go alone? Meet other people? Soar through the skies on my own?


    Even though you know you have a chance to be by my side when that moment comes?"


    "I..." Alvin was taken aback. "Do you think I have what it takes to be by your side? Me? A nobody who would have never had the chance to talk to you had Linfel never appeared? Do you truly think I''m such a guy?"


    Milia nodded sweetly. "I do. After all, when the Magic Beast was about to kill me back then, who took the initiative to block it? Linfel told me. It was you who acted first. He just connected with you to give you support, but your reaction was faster than anyone else.


    Why was that?"


    "Because..." Alvin thought about it. "Because I didn''t want you to get hurt..."


    "If I go alone, I might get hurt as well," Milia spoke. "Will you truly stay behind and let that happen?"


    "Master!" Out of nowhere, Felia also took form. "You didn''t leave behind for nothing. Remember, I''m here to take care of the Old Master."


    "Felia..." Alvin felt her determination.


    "Alvin," Milia spoke again. "I need you."


    Alvin''s expression changed, and he gritted his teeth. Time started to move again, and the fishing rod in Alvin''s hand returned, becoming even harder to hold. Yet, Alvin''s expression showed determination. His grip stabilized, and he circulated his Magic Energy to assist. "Dad, I do find the idea of fishing with you... quite boring, to be honest.


    Besides, there is someone I just can''t let go either!"


    Lucau was taken aback. "Is this person more important than me?"


    "No," Alvin shook his head. "However, she does occupy a similar space in my heart. I will come back to visit, don''t worry."


    Alvin then focused on the fishing rod and the struggling fish. "For now, let me hold to my objectives for a while longer. I''ll make sure you won''t regret letting go of me."


    The fish appeared on the surface! Alvin''s Magic Energy burst out as he gave it one last pull! The fish jumped out of the water, and Alvin moved the fishing rod, pulling it in his direction. Finally, the fish fell into his hands... or so it was supposed to.


    *Boom!*


    Out of nowhere, an explosion of rainbow colors happened between Alvin and his fish. Right after, a floating ball of energy appeared. The explosion broke Alvin''s fishing rod, and the fish escaped. Only Alvin''s tears remained.


    "Oh! It seems like it worked. Hey, Alvin, how are you doing?" Said the floating ball of energy. Linfel... truly knows when to make an appearance.

 Chapter 116 - 116: Help Her

    "Hum?" Seeing the tears flowing down from Alvin''s eyes, Linfel couldn''t help but get worried. "What happened? Don''t worry, I''m here. I''ll help you!"


    "HELP YOUR ASS!" Alvin exploded. "Look at what you have done! My fish... I struggled so much to finally catch it. I was going to get everything. I was going to convince Dad, I was about to go with Milia, I was about to overcome my own fears!


    But then, but then..."


    It was at this moment that Alvin realized. "Wait, that''s not right... Why am I fishing?" Alvin looked around and noticed his father was gone as well. The memories came back like a wave. "Weren''t we supposed to be in the spaceship to take the fifth test?"


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    Suddenly, the environment began to break down, much to Alvin''s surprise.


    Linfel couldn''t help but smile, though. "Now, that''s impressive. I came in because I was afraid you wouldn''t be able to overcome your hurdles on your own. Yet, seems like my concerns were unfounded. It seems like you do have some willpower, after all. That''s great!


    I was concerned that I would need to help you to cheat, but there is no need."


    "What is happening?!" Alvin was still confused.


    "This is just a dream, Alvin," Linfel explained. "You are now waking up. When you do, make sure to act surprised. It seems like the faster you wake up, the bigger your willpower. That is the fifth test of the Ventis Sect, and you will pass it with flying colors."


    Alvin was still shocked, but he quickly connected the dots. "So... that''s how this is. Is this what they call a lucid dream? After all, I''m talking to you about the events outside."


    "Oh, no, no, no..." Linfel shook his head. "I''m real. I just used the same power as those elders to invade your dream. Milia, Lucau, and Felia are truly a Dream, though. Anyway, I''m going ahead. See you outside."


    Alvin didn''t know what to do anymore. "Is there anything that Wisp can''t do? Wait! He won''t appear in my wet dreams, will he?" Then, the world collapsed, and everything went dark.


    In the next second, Alvin opened his eyes in the Spaceship. He got up slowly, noticing he wasn''t the only one awake. Most of the Maguses and Familiars were still sleeping, but there were seven of them standing like Alvin. "Ouch... my head. I feel like I was hit by a truck..."


    Mosie looked at Alvin in the distance, nodding. "You passed the fifth test."


    "I... did?" Alvin looked at Linfel, who was sitting on his shoulder. ''I remember everything.''


    Linfel already expected that. ''The other guys who woke up before you seem to remember as well. You don''t need to tell anyone about it, though. It seems like not even the elders on the stage know what kind of dreams everyone had.'' Linfel then explained how the exam worked after Mosie''s group put everyone to sleep.


    "I see..." Alvin didn''t forget Linfel''s words in his dream, so he acted surprised. "To think such test existed. So everyone took over an hour to wake up, is it?"


    "Almost. It seems like I only slept for a second, so Mosie there was quite shocked." Linfel spoke as if it wasn''t anything worth mentioning.


    Alvin''s mouth twitched again. However, he quickly ignored the Wisp. Why should he feel impressed with everything Linfel does? It will never end if he continue to do so. ''Ignore him, ignore him. Let''s just pretend he doesn''t exist.'' S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By the way, Alvin," Linfel called his attention.


    "What is it?" Alvin asked back.


    "What is a wet dream?" Linfel was genuinely curious.


    *Cough, cough, cough...*


    Alvin almost lost his balance. It seems like Linfel was still around before his dream was truly over. "Ahem... let''s just say it is a good way to have a dream."


    Linfel was confused, but he didn''t insist. "I understand... I think..."


    "Ah!" Only then did Alvin remember about Milia. He looked to the side and noticed the girl sleeping with Nori close by. "She is still going through the test, is it?"


    "Yes," Linfel confirmed. "They should be fine, though. How many people do you know to be as strong-willed as she? I wouldn''t be surprised if she wakes up soon."


    "Well, that''s true," Alvin agreed with Linfel. Nonetheless, he couldn''t help but worry. ''Psiu, Linfel,'' Alvin spoke with his Magic Energy. ''Can''t you take a look, just to be sure? You can enter her dream too, right?''


    Linfel pondered a bit. ''Well, I can give it a try. Just a moment.''


    Alvin sat by Milia''s side, pretending to just be worried about her. It was no secret they were friends, so no one found it weird.


    Linfel, too, touched the girl and began to copy her soul waves before connecting to her. ''Let''s see... I need to make my Magic Energy go through my soul and have it energize the Magic Energy itself. That way, I can create this Soul Magic Energy. They called it Soul Power, I believe? Anyway...''


    Linfel''s Soul Power was different, though. Since he could copy any target''s Soul Waves, he could use it to send his Soul Power into their minds and see what was there. It wasn''t easy, though. While Linfel took only a try to use the Master Familiar Connection for the first time, he took hundreds of tries to understand Soul Power. Naturally, it also made it difficult to use it to enter someone''s mind.


    Above all, the target could defend against it by simply circulating their magic Energy around their Soul. The process was so delicate that even Linfel wouldn''t be able to do it in that case. He only succeeded because they were all deep asleep, so no one was trying to defend.


    Finally, Linfel''s projection appeared in Milia''s Dream. "Hum? I can''t see shit!"


    Everything was dark. Linfel even wondered if he had failed in his attempt to invade her Dream. However, it was then that he noticed a small light not too far. Linfel approached it, and noticed a little girl on the ground. She head her head between her knees, staying there and doing nothing. If she didn''t look to be breathing, Linfel would have thought she was dead, considering how immovable she was.


    "Hum... this doesn''t seem right."


    Linfel quickly approached the little girl. "Hey, Milia, it''s you, isn''t it?"


    The little girl finally showed a little movement. However, the moment she lifted her head, the face of a monster appeared, who immediately attacked Linfel, trying to swallow him whole! "Holy shit!"


    Linfel shot back like a bullet, but the monster followed. Soon, he found more of those small sources of light, and more little girls were there. Yet, they seemed to notice the one pursuing Linfel. Each and every single one of them was a monster, just like the first one. They got up and joined in Linfel''s pursuit.


    "What kind of dream is this girl having?!" Linfel couldn''t help but complain. For a moment, Linfel thought about using his new knowledge about Soul Power to wake up Milia. All he had to do was to get rid of the Soul Power that had entered her head at the start of the fifth test. He could feel it and knew what he had to do.


    Yet, he felt like it wasn''t the right call. "No, this is a test about willpower. Everyone seems to be trying to overcome some kind of mental hurdle, just like Alvin did. Forcing Milia to wake up will indeed make her pass the test, but this kind of dream... What kind of mental demon does this girl have?"


    Linfel pondered a bit and thought about a plan. "This isn''t working, and I don''t care that much about Milia to be of much use. Yeap, it''s decided. Let''s try to bring Alvin''s consciousness inside her Dream as well. Perhaps he can help her have a wet dream."

 Chapter 117 - 117: We Run

    Linfel returned his attention to the outside world, looking at Alvin immediately. ''So, the thing is, there are a lot of little girls inside Milia''s Dreams, but they are all monsters, and they all kept pursuing me nonstop.''


    Alvin was taken aback by all that information in such a short time. ''What the hell does that even mean?!''


    ''Why are you asking me? I don''t know!'' Linfel answered straight away.


    ''Alright, alright,'' Alvin tried to calm down. ''You can help her wake up, right? Whatever is her mental blockage, it doesn''t seem something easy to overcome. Perhaps she won''t overcome it at all.''


    ''I can,'' Linfel confirmed. ''I can use my own Soul Power and get rid of the Soul Power that is causing Milia to have that dream. However...'' Linfel turned serious. ''It also means she will be losing her chance to overcome whatever was her mental demon. You managed to overcome yours, right? Do you think it was a waste of time?''


    Alvin shook his head straight away. ''No... That dream made me realize many things. But... should we truly just wait to see if she wakes up?''


    Linfel faintly smiled. ''Just sit on her side. I''m going to use my Soul Power to pull your consciousness into hers. Basically, you will see her dream. Don''t worry, though. Whatever happens inside will be nothing more than scary.


    It will have no real effect on your soul.''


    ''You can do that?'' Alvin felt like he was hearing some impossible thing.


    ''Hum... I have never tried it before, but I think it is possible. It is all about making a bridge between your Soul Waves and Milia''s. In any case, it has no risk for you or her, so it is worth a try,'' Linfel explained.


    Alvin pondered about it and looked at the elders on the stage. ''Won''t they notice?''


    ''Don''t worry,'' Linfel faintly smiled. ''I will be connected to you and Milia at the same time. Obviously, I can use my Magic Energy to control your body. I''ll make it look like you are awake and just taking care of her. Most of the Maguses and Familiars are still sleeping anyway, so no one will bother you.''


    Alvin remembered how Linfel used their connection to control his body before, so he understood it was possible. ''Alright, let''s give it a try.''


    Linfel nodded and connected with Alvin and Milia while using a very feeble Magic Energy circulation. After all, there wasn''t supposed to be a Familiar that could connect with two Maguses at the same time. Even if one of the elders came to check on them, they wouldn''t really understand what was happening as the process was quite different.


    Linfel''s newly acquired Soul Power flowed out of his body before entering Alvin and Milia''s souls. Through his own core, he made the bridge between their consciousness. ''Alvin, do not fight me. Soul Power is very hard to control and extremely easy to defend. If you use even a little bit of Magic Energy around your soul, I will immediately lose my connection with your mind.


    Then I will have to start again.''


    ''Understood.'' Alvin had very good control over Magic Energy, thanks to Linfel, so he didn''t have a problem doing what Linfel asked.


    Finally, the connection between the two souls happened, and Alvin''s consciousness was pulled into Milia''s dream.


    "Hum?" Alvin opened his eyes, although he couldn''t see anything due to the darkness in there.


    *Zush!*


    Right after, Linfel appeared on his side, and his ethereal form finally illuminated the surroundings a bit. "Well, seems like it worked. Good. Your soul wasn''t destroyed."


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Des... troyed? I think I remember you mentioning there was no risk involved."


    Linfel nodded. "Exactly. However, that was just my opinion. I have never tried it before, so I couldn''t be sure, right? Perhaps the consciousness of another magus could have caused some weird conflict that would kill you two. Anyway, everything is fine, just as I thought."


    #%@$#$@%!!!


    It took a minute for Alvin to calm down, but he eventually did. He also noticed that his body was all ethereal, just like Linfel''s. It''s just that it didn''t give any light.


    *grrrr...*


    Suddenly, he heard a growl from behind. He turned around and noticed a little girl approaching. "Is that..."


    "Yes," Linfel nodded. "She is one of the Little Girls I mentioned. It''s weird, though. The little girls that pursued me had their faces changed into some grotesque monsters before coming after me. This one, however, just seems an angry kid."


    Alvin approached with caution, and Linfel followed. Once they got closer, the light coming from Linfel''s body illuminated the girl''s face better. "It is truly Milia... although she looks very, very young."


    The girl took a step back and continued to growl at him, seeming afraid. Alvin looked around, and didn''t see the monster Linfel mentioned, so he got on his knees and smiled at the girl, who was most likely Milia. "Hey, Milia, do you remember me?"


    He then tried to extend his hand...


    *Grawl!*


    However, the girl immediately bit it... or so she tried. Her attempt passed straight through Alvin''s hand, only scaring him for a moment.


    "You are just a projection of your consciousness. Naturally, you don''t have a body," Linfel explained. "Well, I also took a few minutes to notice this obvious point, so I ran from them for a while when I came here my first time."


    Alvin sighed. "You should just tell everything at once. So, I can''t touch her?"


    "You can," Linfel nodded. "Just focus on your hand and wish for it. Then, it shall be. This is a dream world, after all."


    The girl tried to bite Alvin again, but she always missed. In one of the attempts, Alvin waited for her to miss and caught her, holding the girl. "Calm down, calm down. Why are you angry? Tell your brother Alvin. He will hear you."


    Yet, as soon as he did that, several other sources of light appeared everywhere around him. Many other little girls got up and looked at Alvin for a moment.


    When they did, Alvin noticed the girl in his arms trembling. When he turned his eyes back at the other girls, all their faces transformed into the monsters Linfel mentioned earlier... and attacked.


    "See, I wasn''t lying," Linfel nodded, satisfied.


    Alvin quickly got up and jumped out of the way when the monsters tried to attack him. "Holy shit!"


    However, the moment Alvin jumped out, he noticed the monsters didn''t come after him. Instead, they all pounced at the little Milia he was holding just a moment ago. The little Milia just closed her eyes, seeming to accept her fate. She intended to let the monsters eat her.


    "Fuck!" Alvin immediately circulated his Magic Energy and stomped the ground. Several Earth Spikes sprout from below, impaling the monsters that tried to catch the little Milia. "Oh, it works!"


    "As I said, all you need to do is wish for it," Linfel smiled in response. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin just ignored the wisp and caught the little Milia again. However, even more sources of light filled the darkness as many, many more of those little girls with monster faces took form. They all came after the Little Milia.


    Of course, Alvin tried to retaliate... but soon noticed his control over his Magic Energy wasn''t doing much good. "What is happening?"


    Linfel, who helped on the side, explained. "I believe it''s because this is not your dream; it''s hers. Your wishes don''t carry much power here."


    "Fuck!" Alvin complained. "What do we do?"


    Linfel looked around, seeing that they were about to be surrounded. "What else? We run!"

 Chapter 118 - 118: Ill Kill Them All!

    With Linfel''s help, they were able to outrun the monsters. Still, Alvin was confused. "Wait, why are we running? Even if they catch us of this small Milia, it is not like anything bad will happen."


    "True," Linfel agreed. "However, the dream will reset every time the Magus or Familiar fails to overcome their mental issues. If you let little Milia go, she will die, and the dream will start again. From the looks of it, this little Milia is the real one, or at least connected to the real one. Do you truly wish to start again and have to find this little Milia once more?"


    Alvin quickly shook his head. "Forget it. By the way, you sure know a lot of what is happening, uh?"


    "It is good that you think that," Linfel smiled back. "After all, everything I just said is theories. I could be totally wrong. Hahaha!"


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Fuck that."


    *Bang!*


    Suddenly, Linfel and Alvin hit some kind of invisible wall, preventing them from fleeing further. "What is this?"


    "Probably the limit of the dream..." Linfel answered.


    "Is that another one of your theories?" Alvin asked back, skeptical.


    "Yeap!" and Linfel confirmed with a hint of shame.


    Another one of those monsters got close. Alvin put little Milia behind him and summoned his gloves. "Oh, at least I can pretend I have Felia equipped even though she isn''t here."


    Right after, he punched forward, and an Earth Spike took form on his glove. The spike pierced through the monster''s face, killing it instantly. No, killing it would be the wrong way to put it. The monster simply disappeared instead.


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel''s Lightning Strike hit another one, which also disappeared in the next second.


    However, more and more of those monsters continued to come, all crazy to get little Milia at all costs. Because their back was closed, Alvin and Linfel couldn''t flee anymore and got easily surrounded by the monsters.


    *Boom, boom, crash, kabrum...*


    They did their best to get rid of the monsters. Fortunately, the monsters themselves were very weak, mostly dying with a single hit. The problem was the numbers. It was quickly reaching a situation that Alvin and Linfel couldn''t take care of them all alone.


    "Milia!" Alvin shouted from the front. "Get up! We need your help."


    Little Milia just growled slightly and didn''t move. She averted her eyes from the monsters, only waiting for them to come and consume her.


    "Is that how a member of the Floating Blades Faction should act? Is that why you came to take the Ventis Sect exam?" Alvin continued to try to call Milia''s attention.


    Hearing the Floating Blades Faction name, little Milia seemed to react for a moment, looking at Alvin. However, her eyes quickly turned blank as before and she looked away.


    "Fuck!" Alvin cursed. "Why isn''t she retaliating? Is this her mental issue?"


    "These monsters probably represent something that Milia can''t get rid of her mind, her mental demons," Linfel guessed. "They are too strong, so perhaps forcing her to face them isn''t the right choice."


    "Then what?" Alvin asked.


    Linfel pondered a bit. "Right, how about you try to make Milia have a wet dream."


    "What?!" Alvin was almost bitten by one of the monsters. "What the hell are you asking?!" sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel didn''t find anything wrong. "You said wet dreams are good dreams, right? Can''t you do something to make Milia have a wet dream instead?"


    "I..." Alvin wanted to punch himself in the face. Sure, he was a man, and he had his fair share of fantasies with Milia''s image. But... trying to do this in Milia''s dream? Above all, the Milia behind him was obviously a kid, so it would look even worse.


    It was then that Alvin had an idea. "She is still a woman... Linfel, hold the monster for a moment."


    Linfel didn''t know what Alvin intended to do, but he accepted. "Alright." His Soul Power increased, and that allowed him to have more power in Milia''s dream as well. However, it was hard to control that state. "Be fast. I won''t won''t last more than a minute."


    Alvin approached little Milia and looked at an empty space right in front of her. Whether she wished or not, she would see what was happening there since she was trying to avoid making eye contact with the monsters.


    Then... another Milia appeared. This time, it was the big Milia, the same sixteen years old one. "If you wish, it shall happen..." Alvin murmured.


    Little Milia seemed surprised for a moment, not expecting to see her big self there. However, what truly woke her up was what that big Milia did next. She... began to take off her clothes. Right in front of Alvin!


    "Hey, baby," the Big Milia began to speak to Alvin. "This place seems so boring. How about we have some fun together."


    Alvin smiled in satisfaction. "Oh, yeah! Why don''t you come to my embrace, beauty?"


    The Big Milia nodded, and just as she was about to take her underwear...


    *Bang!*


    *Arrrgh!*


    Alvin was kicked and sent flying! At the same time, the almost naked Milia vanished like smoke.


    "What the hell are you doing?! Are you looking to die?!" Spoke the little Milia, fuming! "It''s, it''s, it''s still too early for us to do such things!!!"


    Alvin tried to get up with some difficulty. "H-Hey... look who is back. Seems like you gave up your kid form as well."


    Milia was taken aback as she looked at herself. She wasn''t the Little Milia anymore, but her real self. Only then did she notice Linfel fighting the monsters, who went even crazier now that she was awake. "Ahhhh!" Milia immediately put her hands on her head while screaming. "Get away!"


    Alvin rapidly approached Milia again. She began to show signs of returning to the little Milia form, and he didn''t intend to let that happen. "Do you want to get rid of them?"


    "Yes," Milia nodded, trembling.


    Alvin smiled and patted her head. "Then let''s beat them. Look at me."


    Milia faced Alvin, although she was still scared.


    "I''m here," Alvin explained. "All you need to do is beat them. If any of them show any sign of hurting you, I will beat them for you. Simply, right? We are members of the Floating Blades Faction. What could some weak monsters do to us?"


    "But..." Milia wasn''t confident.


    "Look," Alvin made Milia face Linfel''s direction. "The wisp is here too. You know what that thing is capable of, don''t you? We are both here, so why fear what you can simply destroy?"


    "Calling me a thing is very rude!" Linfel complained as he got rid of another monster.


    Still, Milia didn''t seem to want to go. So... Alvin had to give a final push. "Hum... I wonder what you look like without your underwear. Let''s fantasize another one."


    *Bang!*


    In the next second, Milia kicked one of the monsters. "I''ll kill them all!"

 Chapter 119 - 119: Im Clueless

    The moment Milia destroyed one of the monsters, several images began to appear in the surroundings. Images from her life in the Frondor Family. Alvin looked at that and recognized the man in one of the images. ''It''s Lutian Frondor, Milia''s father...''


    "Do not shame the Family. Train well and level up..." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You are our bargaining chip for future alliances. Make sure to keep yourself clean..."


    "Do I look like I have time for such academy activities? Stop wasting my time..."


    Milia continued to kill the monsters. The more she got rid of, the more images of her time in the Frondor Family appeared. Her father, mothers, the elders of the family...


    "You have some talent. Perhaps you can stay in the family instead of being married off..."


    "Floating Blades Faction? Why would you waste your time in such a useless Faction? Whatever! As long as you don''t shame the family, that''s enough..."


    "Sigh... why do you have to be a woman? If your older brother had your talent, our family would have a proper successor..."


    "*Pah!* Move! Who said you can rest? Your father is counting on you to find a proper suitor willing to become a member of our family. You must be good enough to attract someone worthy of the position!"


    Alvin then looked at Milia and the tears coming from her eyes. At first, she did destroy the monsters because of Alvin''s threat. Now, however, she destroyed them out of her own volution. Alvin couldn''t help but sigh seeing that. ''So that''s what she meant back then when she said her father probably couldn''t care less about her. She was basically an object to her Frondor Family.''


    Suddenly, one of the monsters sneaked behind Milia and tried to bite her.


    *Kabrum!*


    However, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, destroying it even faster than Milia. "Hey, Milia, is that your family? You humans truly have some weird tastes. By the way, did you find a suitor in the end?"


    Milia''s expression darkened as she destroyed another monster. "Fuck them all! Who the hell wants to marry someone they have never seen before?"


    *Bang!*


    Another monster died, but this time, it was Alvin who destroyed. "Obviously! You will marry me and no one else. They can all go to hell!"


    Milia couldn''t help but grow red. "I... I haven''t said anything about marrying you!"


    Linfel agreed. "She is right, Alvin. Procreation is a serious topic. She is still looking for the best genes."


    "Your ass!" Milia tried to kick Linfel instead. Too bad Linfel was much faster than her, even in her dream. "I don''t even know if I will choose someone yet. Don''t make decisions for me!"


    The moment she said her last words, the dark environment began to light up.


    Alvin smiled, knowing that his plan worked. He looked at Milia, who seemed startled by the sudden change. "That''s more like it. That was your mental hurdle. Your life was basically determined by your family, never your choices. Even after you left Heffal and got a new identity with Linfel''s help, their shadow still lingered in your mind."


    Milia felt those words resonating with her soul. Then, she noticed the monsters became lethargic. They could barely keep their forms. At that moment, Milia felt like she understood something.


    Alvin moved ahead, ready to destroy another one. However, Milia immediately jumped in front of him, blocking his path. "No need."


    Milia walked forward and let the monster come to her. Yet, to Alvin and Linfel''s surprise, she didn''t defend against it, nor did she attack. The monster pounced at her, and Milia simply let it bite her. An expression of pain appeared on Milia''s face, but she bore it and still didn''t attack the monster. Instead, she moved her free head and patted its ugly head. "It is okay; they are not here anymore.


    We have a new family, a real family, so it is fine now."


    After saying those words, the monster head in the little girl''s body began to change. Slowly, the monster features disappeared, and another little Milia appeared, crying.


    Milia put the girl down and continued to pat her head. "Look."


    The little Milia stopped biting the big one and looked in the direction Milia was pointing at. Through Milia''s own wishes, the image of the people in the Floating Blades Faction appeared in that space, right beside Linfel and Alvin. That was her dream, so if she wished, she could make them appear. It was now a lucid dream.


    Alvin and Linfel recognized everyone but didn''t say anything. They just waited.


    Milia seemed happy as she explained to little Milia. "They had always been there. We just haven''t noticed them before."


    "But..." the little Milia spoke as the various other monsters in the surroundings slowly lost their monster faces. They all became different versions of little Milia. "But father... the family... our duty..."


    The real Milia shook her head. "They are most likely out there, somewhere. You and I know that the war in Heffal wouldn''t be enough to wipe out our family. However, it matters not because calling them family is wrong. We already have a real family, and it is not father, nor the Frondor family members. If they ever come after us one day, we can say with pride that we don''t need them."


    "Truly...?" The little Milia asked, a little more hopeful.


    "Of course!" Milia confirmed with conviction. "Who do you think we are? We are Milia Frondor, we have Nori, we are the best! Who needs them?"


    Milai then looked straight at the little Milia. "Do we need them?"


    The little Milia wiped her tears and shook her head. "No!"


    "Exactly!" Milia nodded. "It took us some time to understand, but we do now. We don''t need anyone! We can soar through the skies on our own and Nori!"


    "Yes!" the Little Milia answered. "We definitely can! Right, everyone?!" She looked behind, and all the little Milia spoke at the same time. "Yes! We Can!"


    The environment finally lit up completely, giving a warm feeling to Alvin and Linfel.


    The real Milia sighed in relief and got up. "Right... I can do it on my own... I always could..."


    However, at that moment, all the Little Milias ran in Linfel and Alvin''s direction, much to Milia, Linfel, and Alvin''s surprise. Then, several of them hugged Alvin while several other pulled his hands. "However, we want him! We absolutely want him! We are not giving him to anyone else!"


    Milia''s expression turned even redder. She wanted nothing more than to throw her head in hole. "Is... Is that what my subconscious really thinks?"


    *Crack, crack, crack...*


    Finally, the mental world began to fall, and the dream reached its last moments.


    Alvin and Linfel looked at each other, satisfied. "Guess this dream is over..."


    "A dream..." Milia calmed down as the many little Milias disappeared one after another. "So it was all truly a dream, uh? Good, good... I would kill myself if Alvin truly had seen all of this."


    Alvin and Linfel were taken aback. However, before they could say anything, the dream world collapsed, and their consciousness returned to their bodies.


    On the side, Milia''s eyes opened slowly, just in time to see her head lying against Alvin''s lap. In fact, even Alvin was taken aback. He doesn''t remember having put Milia in that position at all. It had to be Linfel while controlling his body!


    "Ah!" Milia instantly got away from Alvin, surprised by the things that just happened.


    "Congratulations, you passed," Mosie noticed Milia getting up and simply announced while he and the other elders continued to drink tea on the stage. None of them knew what happened in Milia''s dream.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry... I just didn''t think it was nice to leave you sleeping on the floor." At the same time, he cursed himself. ''Fuck! I wanted to be conscious while she slept on my lap! Sigh...


    I guess there is no helping it. At least we managed to help her conquer her mental demons.''


    Milia came back, still puzzled. "W-What happened?"


    Linfel and Alvin quickly explained everything, surprising the girl. "So that''s what happened."


    Then, Linfel used his Magic Energy to speak to Milia and Alvin alone. ''In any case, it is good that I managed to pull Alvin and myself into your dream to help you. If you feel anything weird, let me know. I''m still new to this Soul Power thing.''


    ''Fuck!'' Alvin cursed mentally. He wanted to pretend he didn''t know anything, but now it was too late.


    Milia felt her entire body growing hot as her face was basically a tomato. ''You saw everything?! Then... then... then when the little ones hugged you and spoke that they wanted... wanted...


    wanted... y-y-yo... ahhhh!''


    Alvin looked away, trying to not make eye contact with Milia.


    Linfel found it weird, though. ''Is that what you care about? The little Milias hugging Alvin? So weird... What about when Alvin wished for a naked Milia to appear? I thought you humans cared about those things a lot more.''


    Immediately, Alvin and Milia froze in place. Then, a dark aura seemed to come from Milia''s body as she stared at Alvin. "You..."


    Alvin continued to avoid eye contact. "I have no idea what he is talking about."

 Chapter 120 - 120: Fluids

    Milia began to approach Alvin while clacking her fists. Poor Alvin felt a chill on his back as he desperately tried to think about some excuse. Finally, an idea appeared in his mind. "Milia, what about Nori?"


    Milia immediately stopped. Indeed, what about Nori. he must have gone through the same test. Milia looked around and found Nori''s core lying near where she woke up. She quickly grabbed it, confirming that it was truly Nori, although he gave no answer.


    ''Linfel,'' Milia asked straight away. ''Can you take a look at his dream?''


    ''No,'' Linfel immediately shook his head.


    Both Alvin and Milia were taken aback. ''Why? Is it because he is a Familiar?''


    Linfel shook his head, though. ''That''s not it. The problem is that we attracted too much attention.''


    Alvin and Milia seemed to have understood and glanced back. There on the stage, a few elders seemed to be looking at them. Over 99% of the Maguses and Familiars were still asleep. Yet, Linfel''s group, in which the elders definitely got the information they were friends, got three of their members to wake up. Wasn''t that too much coincidence?


    Linfel sighed... or he would if he had lungs... ''They weren''t paying much attention when I entered Alvin''s mind. However, after we got to help Milia to wake up, I started feeling those elders'' senses focused on us. They seem all able to use Soul Power, and they are skeptical about us... or me, to be more precise.


    I''m afraid that if I try to use Soul Power now, I will definitely be caught. It seems like Soul Power isn''t something you should be able to use at my level, or we would have heard about it in the past.''


    Milia and Alvin looked at each other and then back at Linfel. They couldn''t feel Soul Power, but even they felt like they were being watched now that Linfel pointed it out.


    ''But... what if he gets trapped in his dream with his mental demons?'' Milia couldn''t help but ask Linfel. ''Will he stay asleep forever?''


    ''Not at all,'' Linfel assured her. ''I could have woken you up straight away if I wished. I just didn''t do so because I thought it was important for you to overcome your mental demons. I''m pretty sure the elders on the stage can do the same thing if they wish so. Even if they can''t, I can do it another time after we are over here, so don''t worry.''


    Milia still didn''t like it. If Nori truly doesn''t wake up, he will fail the test. Different from most of the Familiars in this place, Nori is an independent Familiar. If he fails the test, he will be considered a single individual instead of Milia''s Familiar. She won''t be able to bring him to the Ventis Sect with her.


    It was then that Milia remembered something. She turned to the elders on the stage, curious. "Seniors, we have passed the test... but what exactly are the rules? Is there a time frame for my Familiar to wake up if he wants to pass the test?"


    Alexandra answered that. "There is. How many of them will wake up, we don''t know. Unless, of course, we intervene, in which case they will wake straight away. This test lasts 10 Clicks, which is a little more than ten hours in your planet. If your Familiar doesn''t wake up by then, we will consider he failed the test and we will wake him up together with the others who are still asleep by that time."


    Milia nodded. "I understand, seniors. Would you please tell me how long it has been since the test started?"


    "You could have just checked your MCOM, you know?" Alexandra asked back. "Oh well, anyway. Two and a half Clicks have gone by already. He has Seven and a half Clicks."


    "Thank you," Milia showed her gratitude before she found a place to sit and put Nori''s core on her lap. "You can do it; I know it!"


    Alvin got concerned. Considering Milia''s Mental Demons and the fact Nori had always been with Milia since he was born, perhaps his mental demons were as strong or even stronger than Milia''s. ''Linfel,'' Alvin asked the wisp alone, ''If we didn''t intervene, do you think Milia would have woken up?''


    Linfel pondered a bit and shook his head. ''Highly doubt so. You witnessed her state yourself. Milia simply didn''t even want to try to fight her mental demons. They probably kept eating her and resetting the dream many, many times before you and I appeared there.''


    ''I see...'' Alvin nodded as he began to think about some way to help Nori wake up. Obviously, it can''t be with Linfel''s help if they don''t want to be found out. He couldn''t help but wonder. ''Linfel, Milia, do you think he can hear us even in this state?''


    Milia wondered the same thing, while Linfel didn''t have an answer. ''I don''t know. When I helped Alvin, I never tried to call him out from the outside. Same thing for Milia; we simply went into her dreams and never tried to speak to her.''


    ''It would be good if he could...'' Milia commented. ''I''ll try to call him out.''


    ''Yes, give it a try. Perhaps it will help,'' Alvin agreed with her.


    Milia then proceeded to call Nori and talked about some things between the two of them for quite some time. Yet, Nori didn''t seem to answer at all, making Milia more concerned. ''Perhaps he can''t hear after all.''


    It was at that moment Linfel had an idea. ''Hum... it is still not guaranteed he can''t hear you, Milia.''


    Milia and Alvin got interested. ''Did you get an idea?''


    Linfel nodded, feeling pretty sure it would work. ''Yes. There is one thing, and one thing only, that Nori absolutely doesn''t want to happen.''


    ''Something he doesn''t want to happen?'' Milia only had to think about it for a second to remember what. ''This...''


    What has Nori always tried to do? He always tried to get Alvin away from Milia! He simply didn''t like Alvin at all, especially since he noticed Milia seemed to have feeling for Alvin. Pretty much nothing bothered him more than that. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Oh!'' Alvin finally caught the gist. ''Wait! But that...''


    Linfel shrugged. ''We still have six Clicks. If you don''t want to give it a try, then just wait until near the end.''


    Alvin and Milia got embarrassed and nodded. ''Let''s... Let''s wai-''


    ''But,'' Linfel continued, ''the longer we take, the deeper he might fall into the hands of his own mental demons. Well, he is not my Familiar, so you decide for yourself.''


    Milia immediately made up her mind. ''Let''s do it!''


    Alvin was taken aback, but Milia didn''t give him time to think. She stopped using her Magic Energy to speak to Linfel and Alvin alone and switched back to her normal voice. "Alvin, I w-w-want to be with y-y-y-y-ou..." Too bad she struggled a lot to speak the words.


    Alvin felt nervous. "I also w-want to be wi-with you..."


    The elders and the few Maguses and Familiars who woke up looked at that, feeling uncomfortable. ''Is this truly the place to confess your love...?'' Of course, none of them intervened. If anything, they very much wanted to watch the show.


    Linfel smiled and remembered what humans liked to do. He didn''t understand why, but who cares? It should help. "Alright, since you want to procreate, you might as well start with exchanging mouth fluids."


    Alvin and Milia felt like dying. The wisp was truly terrible with these things.


    "Ahem..." Alvin tried to calm down. "C-Can, I kiss... you?"


    Milia, red as a tomato, nodded. "Yes... please."


    Alvin and Milia''s hearts beat like crazy to the point they felt they would come out of their mouths. Alvin, of course, was still the man, so he took the initiative. He approached Milia''s face, ready to have his first experience when suddenly.


    "You dare!"


    *Shaaaaaaaaa!*


    A burst of flames came from the Core on Milia''s lap, hitting Alvin''s face and burning his lips.


    "Arrrghhh! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" Alvin immediately jumped that, putting out the flames while using his Magic Energy.


    He then looked at Milia''s lap, seeing a small ethereal boy with an extremely angry expression. It was Nori. "Try to get close to my Milia again. I''ll burn you to a crisp!"


    "Nori!" Milia didn''t care about anything else anymore. She just caught the little boy by the core and hugged it. "I knew you would wake up!"

 Chapter 121 - 121: Except One

    Mosie watched that and finally understood what Alvin and Milia were trying to do. Yet, he couldn''t do anything about it since the test clearly stated that those who woke up in Ten Click''s time would pass the test. "Sigh... you pass."


    Nori, who was glaring at Alvin, finally came back to himself. "Eh? Pass? Pass what? What happened?"


    Alvin finally managed to manage the burnt with his Magic Energy, although he looked quite weird with that mark on his face. "Ahem... there is a reason for our actions earlier."


    Finally, Milia explained to Nori what happened and why they acted like that. Nori then looked back at Linfel, who came up with the idea. "Next time, forget about me. You better never try to put them together, even if it means I will sleep for all eternity."


    Linfel shrugged. "And I couldn''t care less about what you want."


    "You..." Nori felt like killing the wisp right there and then.


    However, Milia immediately stopped him. "Enough! What bullshit eternity? Don''t ever say such a thing again!" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I..." Guilty filled Nori''s soul, understanding he did say something he shouldn''t. "Sorry. I misspoke. Of course, I want to stay with you forever... and that doesn''t include Alvin."


    Alvin sighed and shrugged. At least Linfel''s plan worked... although he would have preferred Nori would take a little longer to wake up. ''I was sooooooo close!''


    Time continued to pass, and Nine Clicks went by. At the moment, not even 10% of the Maguses and Familiars managed to wake up yet, much to Linfel''s group''s surprise. "This willpower test is truly hard..."


    That reminded Milia of something. "Nori, what kind of dream were you having before you woke up?"


    "Me?" Nori pondered a bit. "Well... it was all about the Frondor Family taking you away from me. I always felt afraid of them appearing someday and getting in our way. I guess that became kind of a mental demon for me."


    Milia nodded. "It is good that you managed to wake up, even if it was through a... not very conventional... method. You can also forget this fear of yours. We have passed the exam, so we are now part of the Ventis Sect."


    Nori''s joy was palpable. "Yes! The Ventis Sect is beyond the reach of the Frondor Family. We are truly free now," he exclaimed, his relief and happiness echoing in the room.


    Alvin joined the conversation, and then they talked about their plans for the future. Meanwhile, Linfel sat on Alvin''s shoulder and let his core stay there. He had just learned how to use that Soul Power, and there were too many things he didn''t understand. He spent most of his time controlling it and getting used to the feeling.


    Finally, Ten Clicks were over, which propelled Mosie to stand up. "Those who are awake, gather on the back. We removed everyone who was sleeping there."


    Linfel and the others followed Mosie''s orders.


    Following that, Mosie''s Soul Power spread all over the room, entering the souls of the Maguses and Familiars who were still asleep. He was also helped by the other elders, who could use Soul Power, albeit to a lesser degree.


    *Ouch...*


    "My head..."


    "Why am I on the floor?"


    "I feel like I''m missing something..."


    The other participants woke up one by one, and a few minutes later, they were all up once more. Only then did Mosie continue his speech. "For those who are not on the back, you have failed. Stay in this Spaceship for now. We will send you back to your own planets soon."


    "What?!"


    "Failed?! Failed how?!"


    "Is this a joke?!"


    "You can''t be serious!"


    That and many more complaints came from the recently awakened participants. However, Mosie''s expression turned dark, and his Magic Energy spread through the room.


    *Bang!*


    The sheer power of his Magic Energy forced the bodies of all the Maguses and Familiars who were complaining to the ground. None of them could resist it, however hard they tried, regardless of how much they circulated their Magic Energy.


    "In here, I''m the only one allowed to complain. I will let you off... this one time. If anyone opens their mouth again, they will make a trip to the space outside. Let me see just how long you can survive out there. I will definitely open a few bets with my fellow elders here."


    Finally, Mosie let go of his Magic Energy pressure, and everyone was allowed to stand up again. No one complained this time, though. They were reminded that they were dealing with the Ventis Sect. Their planet''s laws and rules had absolutely no meaning in the Ventis Sect''s eyes.


    "That''s more like it," Mosie spoke, satisfied. "You failed because you didn''t manage to wake up in time. You will receive a full review of your performance in each test, including their rules. Once you go back, work out the reason for your mental demons to keep you down for so long. That is something that will deeply affect your futures."


    He continued. "This time, out of the 37 Level Five Maguses and Familiars, only three passed. Out of the 6815 Level Four Maguses and Familiars, only 53 passed. Ultimately, the group that impressed me the most this time. Out of 180 Level Three Maguses and Familiars, 21 passed. To think over ten percent of those at Level Three had made it is truly remarkable."


    Linfel group only counted as four of those at level three, so the rest did wake up on their own indeed.


    A few moments later, another Spaceship arrived, quickly connecting to the Spaceship where Linfel''s group had their fifth test. The elders came down from the stage as Mosie led them. "Those who passed, come with me. We are taking a different Spaceship to the Ventis Sect. As for the rest, good luck next time."


    The other spaceship was much, much smaller. Still, Mosie and the other elders didn''t seem to mind. It was much more than enough to make the journey back to the Ventis Sect since the number of Maguses and Familiars who passed was always very low. If you count all the planets that had their own tests before joining together at the asteroid, you would literally have tens of millions of participants.


    Yet, only 77 ended up joining the Ventis Sect. That alone showed just how terrifyingly hard it was to get through this hurdle... except for one little guy.


    ''The tests were easier than I expected...'' Linfel couldn''t help but think in the end.

 Chapter 122 - 122: The Entire Planet

    *Vishu!*


    The Spaceship came out of the Fourth Dimensional Realm, and an enormous planet, at least twenty times bigger than Serfen, appeared in everyone''s sight. They had been traveling through Fourth Dimensional Space for almost a month, having passed countless solar systems on the way.


    It was obviously Linfel''s Spaceship, as well as the other participants, who made it past the fifth test. As far as Linfel''s group could see, Spaceships kept coming and going from the thousands of different Space Stations on the top of Space Elevators. They could see only one side of the planet, though. The other side was bound to be just as busy.


    The Spaceship flew in the planet''s direction before turning to the side and following its circumference. Their journey lasted another hour before the spaceship finally arrived on the other side of the planet. There, the land below seemed completely illuminated.


    "What is that thing?" Linfel pointed below.


    Even though they were so far high in space, they saw a construction that covered tens of thousands of kilometers. It was round with an enormous appeared at the center. On the sides, four needle-like towers pointed in the space''s direction. These towers were even taller than any of the Space Elevators, not to mention much thicker.


    Alvin also saw that and felt impressed. "I wish I knew..."


    They weren''t the only ones. The Maguses and Familiars who made it through the test all came from an isolated region of the Ventis Sect Territory. Serfen, Linfel''s planet, obviously included. They knew pretty much nothing about the Ventis Sect since none of them ever had the chance to come here.


    Alexandra and the other elders were already used to that, so she simply explained. "That is the Wormhole Cannon." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel''s interest was immediately picked. "Wormhole Cannon?"


    Alexandra nodded. "Anyone intending to travel through the wormhole will have to activate the Cannon to open the passage into the Blackhole. Without a Wormhole Cannon, Wormhole Travel is basically impossible since you would die before getting anywhere near the Wormhole inside the Blackholes."


    Linfel couldn''t help but feel excited. That was exactly the thing he needed to use to go to the other side of the Universe. "How do we use it to travel? Can I do it?"


    "Hahaha!" Alexandra laughed. "Sure. You just need to become a High Elder of the Ventis Sect and pay the price to use the Cannon."


    The other elders also smiled. Linfel''s words showed his naivety.


    Linfel didn''t care, though. "What is the price to activate it?"


    Alexandra didn''t mind telling him. It wasn''t any secret anyway. "Magic Stones can only go up to Level Nine. Above it, you would enter the realm of Divine Magic Stones. Anyway, that is not something you can hope to see for many years. All you need to know is that you would need at least a million Level Six Divine Magic Stones to activate the Cannon."


    Linfel and the others took a deep breath. How the hell would anyone be able to pay for such a thing. Linfel felt like even if he robbed everyone''s Universal Credits, he probably wouldn''t have enough to pay for the Cannon.


    Still, he wasn''t idiot. "That''s just the price, right? It is not like you truly gather a million Level Six Divine Magic Stones and feed it to the Cannon."


    Alexandra confirmed. "Obviously. How bothersome such a thing would be? The Wormhole Cannon has its own source of Magic Energy that can hold all that energy in a single place for the Cannon''s usage. All I did was to give you a number that you could comprehend."


    Linfel looked with even more interest. "I see... The Magic Energy is not the normal Magic Energy we use. The source... Is it the Core of the Planet?"


    This time, Alexandra was surprised. "Have you read about it before?"


    Linfel shook his head. "No. But I''m quite good with Circuitry Rune Arrays and Diagrams. I couldn''t think of another source of such abundant energy other than the Sun. This Cannon isn''t placed on the Sun, so it could only be using the Planet''s Core instead. It is more like the builders had no other choice as they needed something to act as the stabilizer, and a planet was just perfect for it."


    "That is also correct," Alexandra commented. Feeling interested, she decided to speak a little bit more. "But it is not like there aren''t Wormhole Cannons that use Suns as a source of Energy. It''s just that you won''t find one in our Galaxy. The technology involved is just too advanced, and the work necessary is something even our Ventis Sect would have a hard time providing.


    Perhaps you will be able to see a Wormhole Cannon using the Sun energy one day."


    Linfel didn''t seem to be bothered by the hurdle to use it at all.


    Alvin looked at Linfel, knowing that Linfel wanted to use it, so he asked Alexandra something else. "How often is the cannon activated?"


    Alexandra pondered a bit. Every time the Cannon was activated, it could be felt over the entire planet. It wasn''t something you could hide anyway. "Even preparing it to open the passage to the Wormholes takes some time, so it usually shoots once every three years. During such time, we have to send everything we intend to send out at once, or it isn''t worth the action."


    Linfel couldn''t help but ask. "What if I just waited for when it activated and took a ride?"


    "Hahaha!" Alexandra laughed once again. "Sure, if you want your soul to be destroyed, by all means, give it a try. I''m definitely not stopping you."


    "Oh?" Linfel was curious and was about to ask more.


    However, Mosie stopped them. "Alright, we are here. You can learn more about the Wormhole Cannon in the future. Once we dock on the Spacestation, just follow me. I''ll bring you all to the ground so that you can be registered."


    "So when will we enter the Ventis Sect?" Someone else asked, curious.


    Mosie shrugged. "You are already here. The entire planet is the Ventis Sect."

 Chapter 123 - 123: Just One Rule

    Everyone was surprised to hear that. They always thought the Ventis Sect was some buildings on their Main Planet, but the planet itself would still be a normal planet, although a lot more advanced. To hear that the entire planet was the Ventis Sect was mind blowing.


    They rode down the Space Elevator, leaving it at the ground level, directly inside a huge building. There, tens of thousands of Maguses and families walked everywhere. They also noticed something. Most of them were all around the same age as themselves.


    "They are all young Maguses and Familiars who just passed the test in other regions. And this is only one of the buildings that are receiving the new disciples. Since we have one test every six months, we usually have around seven to nine million participants who join the Ventis Sect," Mosie explained.


    Mosie guided them through the enormous corridors until he finally arrived at a specific counter. Mosie presented his Magic Energy Signature and the door behind opened. When they entered, another group of Maguses and Familiars began to make their out. Their expressions seemed confused and concerned as if they had heard something none of them expected.


    Leaving the group that left aside, they found several terminals and a few workers in that room. Mosie didn''t care about any of them, though. "Alright, this is where we part ways. These disciples will register you into the Ventis Sect Network and give you a rundown of what to expect from now on. Make sure you pay attention."


    Mosie turned around and made his way to the exit. "Once again, congratulations on passing the Ventis Sect Exam. I hope at least half of you are still our disciples in a year''s time." He left with the other elders after that.


    The Maguses and Familiars were surprised by his last words. However, considering the test on the asteroid, they all could guess that he was talking about surviving until then. Would there be even more dangerous events? They began to grow concerned...


    "So, I just need to put my Magic Energy Signature?" Linfel, who seemed to not have heard a single word from Mosie, arrived at one of the terminals.


    Alvin and Milia were taken aback before quickly running to his side. "Couldn''t you wait us a little?"


    Linfel shrugged but didn''t answer. Danger? Nothing was more dangerous than having Horan as a friend and master. That was Linfel''s belief.


    The disciple didn''t seem to care, having seen such expressions countless times already while working here. "Yes, just use your Magic Energy, and the Terminal will save your Magic Signature."


    Linfel nodded and touched the receptor to the side. Instantly, information was recorded, and his name appeared on the screen. It already had his planet of origin, the country of his previous ID, his results in the test, and other things. Alvin, Milia, and Nori followed, having their Magic Energy Signatures taken.


    After everyone in the room was registered, one of the disciples moved to the center and began to talk. "Good. Then, I will take my time to explain the rules to the four of you. You can find everything once you download the Ventis Sect App into your MCOMs as well. However, we are required to at least tell you the basics upfront."


    "The first rule is very simple, but also the main reason why not even 50% of the new disciples can make it to the end of the first year. First rule: You are all absolutely prohibited from leveling during the first two years. If your level progress even an IOTA towards the next level, you will be immediately banished from the Ventis Sect."


    Naturally, those words took everyone by surprise... except Linfel''s group. They still remember how Glien mentioned back in Serfen how no one could level up for the first two years.


    Sure enough, the disciple explained exactly that. "Maguses and Familiar from areas like the planets you came from never pay attention to it. Know that above one''s actual level, one''s Magic Energy Control is even more important. This is something you will understand when you start your life here. I can see that we have a three Level Five Maguses and Familiars here.


    And yet, I''m pretty sure any disciples from our Ventis Sect who have been here over two years can completely trash you... while still at Level Three."


    It goes without saying the Level Five guys didn''t believe that even for a second. They are talking about two entire levels of difference, after all. Let alone Level Three. They are confident they wouldn''t lose to anyone at Level Four either.


    The disciple noticed that but didn''t try to correct their thoughts. They would eventually understand his words... or end up paying for ignoring it. "During these two years, all your training will be focused on Magic Energy Control. And don''t even think about trying to hide your leveling training. Believe me.


    If you do, we will know. The Ventis Sect isn''t one of the top four powers of our Galaxy for nothing."


    No one doubted that part, though.


    He continued. "However, you can level up if you complete the monthly exam. There, your Magic Energy Control will be tested. Anyone with a result above 1000 Points is then released from this impediment."


    "Oh, and just so that you don''t feel too comfortable... You can''t level up for two years, but two years is also your time limit. If you can''t reach 1000 points in the Magic Energy Test in two years, you will also be asked to leave the Ventis Sect. Or, you can simply decide to stay and work for the Ventis Sect in other areas. Just know that at that point, you aren''t a disciple anymore."


    Various eyes narrowed as everyone contemplated those words. They don''t even know how big their scores are at the moment, so they couldn''t tell if it was a hard task or not. Nonetheless, they had to do it. And since the Ventis Sect gave them two years, it probably wouldn''t be easy.


    "Alright, that''s basically it. Everything else you can check in the app later. We have to always warn you about the Leveling part since new disciples often go straight to their lodgings and start leveling up before even reading the rules."


    Someone couldn''t help but raise his hand. "Sorry, friend. I have a question."


    "Go ahead," the disciple nodded, already expecting it.


    "Where will we live?" The guy asked.


    Indeed. That was one of the most important questions, right. Yet, the disciple didn''t say anything.


    "Hum...? I don''t know. Most of the new disciples end up on the streets for the first few weeks. Just go out and find a place for yourself. Fight for a place, buy a house, share one, deceive someone and go live with them. Some even hide inside others'' lodgings, although I don''t recommend that approach.


    By the way, your Universal Credit Accounts are useless in the Ventis Sect. Here, only one thing is accepted, Ventis Credits. Good luck."


    *Zun!*


    Suddenly, the door behind opened, and several other disciples entered the room, being guided by another elder.


    *Clap, clap!*


    Seeing that, the disciple clapped his hands. "Alright, the next group arrived. Now, out with you. I have others to care about."


    The confused faces their group had initially seen when they entered this room... were exactly the same kind of faces they they now had as they left. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 124 - 124: Safe Place

    The Maguses and Familiars of this group looked at each other outside. There wasn''t anyone else there to give them any explanation.


    "It can''t be like that, right?" Someone asked.


    "Could this also be a test?" Another question came up.


    However, no one could answer that.


    Linfel looked at that and then called Alvin, Milia, and Nori out. "Alright, let''s go outside. This place is just too crowded."


    They followed the exit signs and eventually ended in the middle of one of the cities in the Ventis Sect. At the same time Linfel looked into the app in his MCOM, trying to figure things out.


    "Let''s check which city this is and see if there is any kind of support that new disciples receive. There has to be some trick behind this," Alvin finally spoke.


    Right after, Linfel pointed out something in his MCOM. "It seems like the guy back there wasn''t lying. Take a look."


    In the MCOM, Linfel now had access to the Ventis Sect Network. He quickly searched about their situation and countless links appeared. The main ones give a more detailed explanation of what they just experienced.


    "Let''s see..." Alvin and the others took a look.


    Turned out that this was indeed a test for the new disciples. However, there was no punishment or anything like that. It was simply a test to see if the new disciples could at least take care of themselves during their time here. The Ventis Sect even provided a link where you could access and then give up being a disciple straight away.


    If you selected that, you would be brought back to your planet once a transport was available.


    However, the information also showed that the majority didn''t do that and would rather live in the streets. That said, the information gave some steps that new disciples could follow.


    "The safe route seems to be to accept missions from the Ventis Sect App in the Mission Board Option. Still, for Level Three Maguses and Familiars like us, the missions available only provide a single Centis Credit," Alvin commented.


    Milia sighed. "We would need to spend almost an entire month doing those missions, and they are all menial tasks. Why do I feel like I''m still in the Academy back in Heffal?"


    "It would be good if that was the case," Alvin shrugged. "At least there we have a room and food provided. Here, it is different. The Ventis Sect doesn''t give you anything for free. We still need to think about our provisions."


    Indeed. Even if they did the missions nonstop, they would still not be able to buy a single carrot if they intended to rent a room somewhere. The prices of the simplest rooms in the city they are at the moment were 30 Ventis Credits.


    "Is there no other way to make Ventis Credit?" Nori asked. He also checked his own MCOM, and the missions, just like Milia mentioned, were all menial tasks. Each one of them had to be performed for an entire day, and only then would they gain a single Ventis Credit.


    They browsed the other options. That was the safest method, according to the posts. There were obviously harder options that paid more.


    "A... Assassination?!" Milia was taken aback by one of them. Taking a deep look, it was said the sect had no issues with killing as long as it wasn''t done inside any of the cities. On top of that, you could use your MCOM to take away the Ventis Credits from your victims. Because of that, a lot of higher-level Maguses and Familiars opted to simply kill and get what they wanted.


    "But there is a problem, look," Alvin pointed out. Anyone who selected to kill fellow disciples would be banished from the cities for a year. Once a year was gone, they could enter the cities again. Not only that but other than the Ventis Sect App, you would be excluded from the network entirely. That meant you couldn''t use your MCOM for anything else.


    Linfel understood. "Simply put, if you decide you want to kill for Ventis Credits, you must also be prepared to spend a year outside, isolated from everything. Well, if I were to guess, I would say there are plenty of settlements outside for these kinds of disciples with blood in their hands to spend their time."


    "Isn''t it a little too much?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask.


    Linfel shook his head. "Did you forget what the Elders explained during the exam? The Ventis Sect often gets into fights all over its territories. Pirates, rebellions, wars, you name it. If it happens inside the Ventis Sect Territory, the Ventis Sect might join it. That means you will have to kill at some point.


    The Ventis Sect understands this point and knows they can''t be soft, so they encourage their new disciples to draw blood by themselves."


    Milia sighed. "Seven to Nine Million new disciples every six months... They definitely don''t lack the numbers to constantly carry this kind of trial."


    Linfel then changed to another option. "Of course, killing other disciples isn''t the only option available. Private contractors seem to be an option as well. It''s just that we would need to check what they would need us for."


    "This... This can''t be right... right?" Alvin found one of those contractors, and the task was quite unbelievable.


    -Maguses needed for body experimentations. Look for any one of our branches in the Ventis Sect Cities.-


    -Reward: 20 Ventis Credits per day.- S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They could only imagine what kind of experimentation they were to pay so many credits for a single day. There were more, and that included Familiars.


    -Familiar Souls at Level Three and Above are necessary. If you are a master and don''t need your Familiar anymore, give his soul to us. We pay 25 Credits for each Level Three Soul. Level Four Familiar Souls get paid 100 Ventis Credit! Tramdex Familiar Engeneering. 235 years of experience in the field of artificial souls.


    You can count on us.-


    "This place... is pretty much a nightmare..." Nori complained.


    "In fact, this is a pretty safe place," Linfel disagreed.


    "Safe?! Are you crazy?"


    Linfel shrugged. "You are missing the point. None of these contracts can be forced by the companies. Also, no one can do anything to the Maguses and Familiars in the Cities of the Ventis Sect, only outside. Look around and check how crowded this city is. Do you see anyone here who seems to be afraid of suddenly being killed?


    The Ventis Sect is literally giving you the option to meddle in these matters or not. So, yes, this is quite a safe place to be."


    Linfel continued. "Besides, you saw yourself. You can simply give up being a disciple at any time. No one is forcing you to live here. If you feel this is too much. Just access the app and select the option to give up.


    Easy, simple, straightforward. I quite like it."

 Chapter 125 - 125: Strange Conversations

    Alvin looked at Linfel and couldn''t help but ask. "Ahem... Linfel, how about you use your little trick to get us some Ventis Credits?"


    Linfel immediately refused. "First, that kills the purpose of the Ventis Sect''s training, which is to get you to be able to soar on your own. Second, if I do such a thing here, I will most likely be caught."


    "Caught?" Alvin didn''t expect that. "How?"


    Linfel shrugged. "The Ventis Sect Network, which uses Ventis Credit, is a lot smaller than the Universe''s Universal Credits. If Ventis Credits suddenly start disappearing, all the Ventis Sect needs to do is follow the Credits. Do you think the Ventis Sect can''t check its own system? Come on..."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "It''s indeed not worth the risk..."


    Milia sighed. "Alright. Using Linfel''s trick doesn''t work. Killing... I don''t think I''m ready for that yet. Different from the war, this is just indiscriminate slaughter for money.


    I don''t think Ventis Credits is a good enough reason for me to go out and start killing people. As for the contractors..."


    "Contractors are always preying on poor Maguses and Familiars like us. That was pretty common in my time," Linfel explained. "Well, at least there are the safe heavens called cities here in Ventis Sect. However, it doesn''t mean all contracts are bad. There are quite a few that are dangerous but are not ethically wrong or anything." Linfel then opened one of the contracts he found.


    -Looking for Maguses or Familiars to collect Magic Energy Cores of Level Four or higher Magic Beasts in the Tromhue Magic Beast Forest. Ten Level Four Cores per one Ventis Credit. Numbers don''t matter. We will buy everything you have.-


    "See?" Linfel commented.


    Milia and Alvin took a deep breath. Level Four Cores are obviously Level Four Magic Beasts. And you need ten cores to gain a single credit. That seemed even more risky. "Let''s... continue to look into the contractors."


    *Pin!*


    Suddenly, Linfel''s group MCOMs received a message in their Ventis Sect App. After opening it, they felt relieved.


    -According to Rule 178.3, all new disciples will receive 10 Ventis Credits once they finish their registration. Please check your balances in the Sect''s App.-


    Nori and Linfel were considered independent Familiars, so they also got 10 credits each. That put their group with a grand total of 40 Ventis Credits, which would be enough to rent a common room in Gertei City, the same city they are at the moment.


    Alvin touched his belly, feeling quite hungry. "I didn''t want to bring it out. But now that we have some credits, how about we go eat something. We haven''t eaten anything since we arrived in this place, and Maguses consume especially a lot of energy."


    Milia agreed, and they moved to the restaurant. Meanwhile, Linfel continued to look into the thousands of contracts. Suddenly, one contract caught his attention, so he showed it to Alvin and Milia, who were having lunch.


    -Magic Beast Territory Delivery. Any Magus or Familiar accepted. We are looking for disciples willing to bring our wares to the settlements in various Magic Beast Territories around the planet. Look for one of our Dinval Delivery branches in any Ventis Sect City.-


    -Payment: 05 Ventis Sect Credit for every successful delivery.-


    Alvin was impressed by the huge pay. "That''s quite a lot. That probably means we would take a few days to get to deliver whatever they want us to."


    "Maybe," Linfel nodded. "However, we can also take Magic Beast Material Contracts and complete these contracts in the meantime. A single Contract doesn''t seem to be enough for us to sustain ourselves. That''s the trick here. With so many Contracts, we can take several at once."


    "I see..." Alvin and Milia nodded.


    Nori, on the other hand, was looking for something else. "Oh! There are really a lot of them. However, they are all 30 credits at the very least."


    -Seventh District-


    -One Room and One Toilet-


    -30 Credits per month-


    "30 credits..." Alvin felt a pain in his heart. And that''s not counting other expenses. "Now I know why my father kept complaining about bills."


    Nori then approached Linfel and Alvin before extending his hand. "Alright, give me."


    "Give what?"


    "Your Ventis Credits, idiots. We need to rent a room to stay," Nori explained.


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other and finally remembered a small detail. "Does that mean we will live together...?"


    "As if!" Nori snorted. "I will rent a room for Milia; you two find something else."


    "Keep dreaming!" Linfel immediately refused. "My credits are mine. I don''t mind sharing a room, but I''m absolutely not handing over my Credits for nothing."


    "That''s enough, Nori," Milia intervened. "Alvin, Linfel, let''s share the room. We truly can''t stay on the streets."


    "But..." Nori obviously didn''t like the idea of having Milia and Alvin in the same room.


    "I have decided already!" Milia gave no room for discussion. Besides, it wasn''t like she was completely against the idea. At least her subconscious... or all the little Milias... seemed to already have made their decisions...


    Linfel had no problem if that was the case. "Then let''s go get it."


    The seventh district was one of the cheapest in the entire Gertei City. That also made it quite crowded... Well, who are we fooling here? That was almost the same as the slums but with a room for yourself. In the end, they decided to have Linfel hold their credits and pay for the room.


    The room was as basic as it could be. One bed, one small toilet and, a simple washing machine, and a table. No kitchen or anything like that.


    Alvin looked at Milia, feeling a little embarrassed. Milia was no different, and that irritated Nori. Seeing that, Alvin forced himself to think about something to talk. "Now that I think about it, we have one more problem..."


    "Which is?" Linfel asked, checking the room and completely oblivious to the mood in the air.


    "Clothes..." Alvin commented while looking at his attire. "We went to get the Ventis Sect Test, expecting to return to our planet afterward. The clothes we have on us at the moment... are literally the only clothes we have at all..."


    As a man, Alvin wasn''t that bothered. Milia, however, immediately forgot about the sharing-the-room-with-Avin issue. She absolutely didn''t want to keep wearing that same clothes. Milia was, after all, a member of the Frondor Family. She never had to worry about such things.


    Linfel had to admit Alvin was right. "Can''t you just wash your clothes and reuse them? There is a washing machine right there, you know?"


    "Well, we can..." Alvin glanced at Milia. "But how will we do it without a spare to use in the meantime?"


    "What kind of question is that? Just get naked and get over with it," Linfel answered as if it was the most common thing in the world.


    "As if I would get naked in front of you!" Milia obviously got mad and all red again, imagining the situation.


    Linfel didn''t seem to care. "Whatever. Just go to the toilet, partially close the door, and pass the clothes to Alvin or Nori to put in the washing machine. See? Easy! You just have to wait for it to be ready.


    You can even take a shower in the meantime. Why are humans always this complicated?"


    He then remembered something. "Oh, right! We need other things. There is no electricity or running water. From what I''m seeing here, they also use Ventis Credits and can be turned on instantly once paid for. Both cost 01 Ventis Credit per day.


    With the room and the meal you had earlier, we already spent 32 of the 40 credits we had available."


    Linfel then pointed to the toilet. "I don''t really care, but you humans seem to do, so we also need soap and all that shit. Milia is a woman, so she obviously need those things that women use to deal with their periods, right? They also cost Ventis Credits."


    Milia felt like dying. Did he have to mention it out loud? "I... will think about something."


    "Linfel, you are making my master uncomfortable!" Nori complained.


    "What? Does soap make her uncomfortable? I thought humans liked to be clean... Sorry, my mistake. Forget the soap," Linfel answered, relieved he would be able to save more Ventis Credits.


    "Not the soap, idiot!" Nori complained. "The periods! My master periods are very regular, but you don''t need to mention them."


    Milia felt like dying already.


    As for Linfel, he was as confused as ever. "Why would she feel uncomfortable about periods? That is a vital mechanism for human reproduction. It would be much worse if she didn''t have them. After all, that would mean she is infertile... Wait! S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia, could it be you are infertile? Alvin, you won''t be able to pass you genes forward like that."


    *Bang!*


    Milia finally snapped and tried to kick Linfel. Too bad Linfel was much faster, so he easily dodged, so she ended up hitting the floor and cracking it. "Shut up! I''m fertile! Very fertile! Just stop talking about it already!"


    Alvin agreed, looking away and trying to not think about ''reproduction'' with Milia. "She is right. Just let it go for now."


    Linfel nodded. "Fine... but they still cost Ventis Credit, so you won''t be able to run from this. Anyway, we just lost two credits."


    "What?!" Everyone was taken aback. "How?!"


    Linfel opened his MCOM and showed the message.


    -For damaging the room, you will be fined in two Ventis Credits. A contractor will be with you shortly to fix the damage.-


    Milia was already crying. "That was your fault!"


    "Sigh..." Linfel finally gave up. "Alright, no more periods. We have 06 Ventis Credits remaining. What do you want to do first?"

 Chapter 126 - 126: Time To Go Out

    After getting the damage to the room fixed due to Milia''s periods, their group decided to pay for the water and electricity next, which cost 02 Ventis Credits. It would only work for a single day, and then they would need to pay again. Still, that was enough for now.


    Suddenly, Alvin had an idea. "Linfel, how about the Magic Stones. Can we sell them?" Alvin knew Linfel had over a hundred High-Quality Red Magic Stones in his Spatial Storage. They bought it together after getting all the Universal Credits from those criminals back in Serfen Planet.


    Linfel quickly opened his MCOM and looked for it. Surprisingly, Red Magic Stones could be sold for ten Ventis Credits each. However, there was a rule and made them helpless. Only Magic Stones with the Ventis Sect Magic Signature could be commercialized. Let''s not forget that even back in the Academy, the Magic Stones were already marked, so one would always know where it came from.


    That was to prevent any improper use by the students, and it wasn''t different here in the Ventis Sect.


    They quickly opened the rules in the Ventis Sect app, finding out that any disciple caught buying or selling Magic Stones not approved by the Sect would be immediately banished from the Ventis Sect.


    "Perhaps we can use them to trade directly with the Maguses and Familiars," Linfel gave the idea. "It would still be risky, though."


    Alvin and Milia shook their heads. "No, we better not push our luck. It is obvious the Ventis Sect wants to push us to the breaking point with all these restrictions."


    "We can still use them for leveling... although we can''t do that now. We have to pass the Magic Control Test that happens every month. Otherwise, we will also be banished," Linfel commented.


    "Alright, let''s go out and use the rest of our Ventis Sect Credits to buy food," Nori spoke from there. "We can use Linfel''s Spatial Storage to keep it and go out to do the missions. Let''s take as many contracts as we can so we can make a living for now."


    "Agreed!" No one had complaints.


    They looked for the cheapest food out there and spent the rest of the Ventis Credits. Milia and Alvin were the only ones who needed it, so they got enough for five days if they rationed. Besides, Linfel checked the network and found more about foraging. Since they were going to enter a Magic Beast Territory, they might as well look for food there.


    They could even cook the Magic Beasts'' meat, so it wasn''t that big of a problem.


    In the end, they accepted four different contracts. The first one was obviously the contract for delivery to the settlements in a nearby Magic Beast forest called Lungan Forest. The delivery would pay them five credits, but since Linfel, Milia, Alvin, and Nori took a contract each, they were able to take for packages. There was only one rule. The package had to be delivered in perfect condition.


    Any damage would make that mission invalid.


    Obviously, such a problem didn''t exist. They simply threw everything into Linfel''s Spatial Storage. It was a separate dimensional attached to Linfel''s core, so nothing would happen inside.


    Following that, they took contracts related to Magic Beast Cores for the same area. The strongest Magic Beasts in there were at Level Five, but they were quite rare as the Ventis Sect kept tight control. Most were at Level Three or Four. Linfel''s group is all at Level Three, but that Forest was the easiest place to go.


    That made sense since you couldn''t join the Ventis Sect if you weren''t at least at Level Three anyway.


    The other two contracts were related to herb collection and Magic Beast Materials. They had to acquire a certain amount and trade bade for Ventis Credit. Once they got everything, they returned to their room and rested. Their electricity and water would last only a single day, so they also took their showers and washed the only clothes they had on their bodies...


    using the idea of one staying in the toilet while the other stayed naked in the room during the washing time. One might wonder if they hadn''t fallen for a scam when they joined the Ventis Sect instead... S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Milia and Alvin went to sleep, which wasn''t very easy. There was one bed, and although Alvin offered to sleep on the floor, Milia refused to accept that. Nori, to make sure nothing would happen, stayed right in between the two while they slept. ''Hmph! Let me see if you dare take advantage of this situation with me here,'' he thought to himself, feeling proud.


    The next day quickly arrived as Linfel passed his night studying about the Ventis Sect rules. There were many, and they were all focused on making the lives of the new disciples as hard as possible. Linfel''s group was already lucky that they stuck together to share the costs and had Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    Usually, one is checked when they get to the planet to make sure they aren''t bringing anything with them. For example, the sect prevents Magic Stones from coming inside. It didn''t matter if you used your Universal Credits to buy something from some other planet to be delivered in the Ventis Sect. It would never make it to the hands of the disciples.


    ''They truly are trying to make the disciples go out of the cities and kill each other...'' Linfel thought about it. ''Alvin and Milia didn''t talk about it, but they aren''t idiots. They know that even if we took contracts that had nothing to do with other disciples, chances are we will bump in some of them during our time out. Well, we will see what happens.''


    The electricity and water stopped working in the early morning, just as they expected. They didn''t care, though. They were ready to go out anyway. Using their MCOMs, they selected the best route and left through the south side of the city. Thousands of Maguses and Familiars could be seen coming and going from the city, which was to be expected.


    However, Linfel''s group stood out quite a bit. After all, they were at level Three, and Level Three disciples were rarely accepted. All they could do was ignore the eyes on them and run into the distance. It was time to experience the dangers of the Ventis Sect.

 Chapter 127 - 127: Good Luck

    You could pay to be brought to the Lungan Forest, but it was rarely used by new disciples. That said, Linfel''s group had to keep running for almost an entire day. Fortunately, they were Maguses and Familiars, so they could control their Magic Energy to keep the rhythm. On the other hand, they saw themselves forced to spend more of the food and the Red Magic Stones in Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    Linfel also had a few Brown Magic Stones, but he decided to keep them in case they needed to recover their magic Energy fast during this journey.


    As the trees began to dominate the landscape, the group''s anticipation grew. By the end of the first day, they spotted several other Maguses and Familiars heading towards the forest''s entrance. They had prepared well and had even found a settlement at the entrance, which they were eager to use before venturing into the forest itself.


    "There it is," Linfel commented, pointing in the distance.


    Several wooden and earth houses began to appear in their view. The entrance of the forest was quite crowded, with the disciples coming and going. Seemed like everyone liked to use that settlement as a bridge between the inside and outside. "Too bad the place we need to deliver those boxes is deep within the forest..." Alvin commented.


    If he could, he would just leave the boxes there and return to the city.


    Diverse booths covered the side of the main street in the settlement as various Maguses and Familiars sold various items they got from the Forest. Most of them were Magic Beasts Materials, but there were a few ores and other materials.


    Alvin then noticed that one of the booths was selling Level Four Magic Cores, which obviously caught his attention. "Hello, friend. How much are you charging for Level Four Cores?"


    Then Magus looked at him and saw Alvin''s level straight away. He didn''t expect much from Alvin but gave his price. "Ten cores go for ten Ventis Credits."


    Alvin almost froze in place. The contractor was paying a single Ventis Credit for every ten cores. Yet, this guy was asking for one credit for each. It was ten times more expensive. "Why so expensive? The contractor is only giving a single Ventis Credit for every ten."


    "Hmph!" The Magus snorted in response. "Seems like your group is new here in the sect. Anyone who stays for over two years gains access to a new feature in the Ventis Sect App. It is called the Away Tokens, which allows you to go out of the planet to carry out various tasks for the Ventis Sect. That contractor you mentioned, for example, will give you one Away Token for every ten cores.


    These tokens can''t be bought with Ventis Credits, though. Only by completing missions can you acquire those tokens."


    "I see..." Alvin and the others immediately understood. They aren''t paying ten Ventis Credits for ten Cores. Instead, they are paying ten Credits for a Token since they can simply bring it back to the City and finish a contract that requires those tokens.


    "Well, that''s not an option for us at the moment, so forget it," Linfel spoke. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They continued walking between the booths, and various other items were also available for sale. However, the point is that almost no one was buying anything. It made the sight quite strange. If no one was willing to pay the prices, why are the prices still that high?


    They found the answer not long after. The problem was that Ventis Credits were also hard to come by. All the missions, contracts, and other methods to gain Ventis Sect usually paid very little. Besides, you spend Ventis Credit for everything else. Home, food, magic stones, etc.


    But, at the same time, there are those who need to go out of the planet for whatever reason, so they don''t mind paying a lot more for a fast contract conclusion. That''s why all those booths didn''t mind keeping the prices high since sooner or later, someone would appear and buy their wares.


    Looking around, Linfel''s group noticed that most of the booths were made by Maguses and Familiars who hadn''t completed two years in the sect yet, so they needed credits a lot more than those tokens. Above all, it was safer. You could risk your life to kill only ten Level Four Magic Beasts and then sell their cores for ten Ventis Credit.


    Even if you had to wait for days, it was still much better than to sell the cores to the contractors since you would need to kill 100 of the same beasts to acquire the same ten credits.


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "Perhaps it will be better for us to simply kill ten Level Four Magic Beasts as well. Then we can come back and sell the cores here."


    Linfel immediately shook his head. "It could take various days to find a buyer."


    "Then let''s drop the price," Alvin insisted. "We don''t need to sell them for ten credits. Let sell ten cores for just five Ventis Credits. Sure it would sell very fast."


    Linfel sighed. "You couldn''t possibly be thinking you were the first one to think about that, right?"


    "This..." Alvin noticed another problem. "Manipulation?"


    Linfel nodded. "Most likely, there are a lot of price control in the background. If we try to sell for cheaper, we might be making some undesired enemies from the other Maguses and Familiars. Of course, this is just speculation, but I would rather not risk it."


    Milia had already lost interest in that. "Forget it. Let''s go into the forest and make our deliveries. I don''t want to look overconfident, but I truly would rather follow the proper path. It is all training."


    "Well said!" Linfel nodded, satisfied. "Let''s go. We can take a look again when we come back."


    Finally, they exited the settlement from the other side, entering the forest together with various other Maguses and Familiars. The place was truly lively.


    Linfel used his Magic Sense, spreading it over two hundred meters. It went further than any Level Four Familiar, only barely losing to Level Five ones. Then, he looked into the map in his MCOM, finding the best route. "Let''s go."


    Not long after, the number of disciples began to grow scarce as everyone followed their own paths. Alvin, Milia, and Nori were quite nervous. From the moment they left the city, they could be attacked at any moment. However, it was in the forest where it would most likely happen since the terrain was much better for ambushes and the like.


    Yet, even though they kept moving for over an hour, not a single soul seemed to have shown interest in them. The few Maguses and Familiar who passed by them simply glanced at them and avoided getting too close before going on their way.


    "I thought there would be a lot more danger than this," Alvin couldn''t help but comment.


    Linfel shrugged. "That''s because we haven''t found anyone marked as a killer yet."


    "Marked... as a killer?" Milia, Alvin, and Nori looked at Linfel.


    Linfel nodded. Then, he opened his MCOM and showed another rule in the Ventis Sect App.


    -Once a disciple kills another, he is allowed to take all his belongings and Ventis Credits. However, that disciple won''t be allowed to return to any city for a year from the moment he killed his last target.-


    That part Alvin, Milia, and Nori already knew about. What they missed was the next part.


    -Such disciples will be market as ''killers'' and can be killed by any disciple without any repercussion. Disciples who kill killers will also gain double the amount of Ventis Credits in the killer''s body, so be aware.-


    "This..." The reason it was hard to find killers became obvious. "It kind of reminds me of a few online games," Alvin commented.


    Not only you can''t hide in a city, you will become a target yourself. Others can literally kill you without being marked as killers themselves. On top of that, they will gain double the amount of Ventis Credits on your body, so you immediately become a very fat sheep in everyone else''s eyes. That also included other killers.


    Only those absolutely confident in their abilities to stay alive for that long would attempt to do such a thing.


    Of course, that didn''t mean they didn''t exist. In the end, being a killer is probably one of the fastest way to accumulate a lot of Ventis Credits in a short time... as long as you survive long enough to lose your killer mark.


    "So, we might not find a single one during our time fulfilling the contracts," Linfel concluded.


    Alvin and the others sighed in relief. That made them relax a little more.


    *shush, shush...*


    Linfel''s Magic Sense suddenly caught something entering his range, warning the others. "Oh! I was wondering when the Magic Beasts would start appearing. Seems like they understand that staying close to the settlement is very dangerous. That''s why it took so long to find one."


    "Find one?" Alvin and the others looked around. "Where?"


    Linfel pointed out. "There. It is hiding in the foliage and making its way in our direction. I studied the Magic Beasts of this forest while you two slept last night. It''s a Level Four Magic Beast, the Fetou Centipede."


    "Level Four..." Milia, Alvin, and Nori immediately remembered the snake they found back in Serfen Planet. They almost lost their lives to that back then.


    Linfel then laid on a tree nearby. "Alright, that is yours to take care of. Milia, I''m prohibiting you from using Master Familiar Connection. As for Alvin, I''m not doing anything anyway, so he will be on his own as well. Good luck."

 Chapter 128 - 128: Thats The Plan

    Alvin and the others looked at Linfel, who just stood on the branch of a tree. "You won''t help?"


    Linfel shrugged. "What''s the point of me helping? Just stop complaining and go for it. If things grow too dangerous, I''ll step in."


    Milia narrowed her eyes but immediately ran forward. Her Magic Energy circulated through her meridians as Fire Element took form. At the same time, Nori changed into his Flaming Blade form, landing on Milia''s hand. They didn''t use the Master Familiar Connection, but that didn''t mean they couldn''t use each other.


    "Shit!" As for Alvin, his weapon had always been his gloves, which Felia transformed. Yet, Felia stayed back in Serfen with Alvin''s father, so he had no weapon to use.


    Nonetheless, he also ran forward and controlled his Magic Energy while remembering Linfel''s Magic Control training. Finally, a pair of spikes made of hard rock formed on his fists through his control of Earth Element. "I''ll take the front since I''m better a defense. Milia, Nori, wait for an opening and strike it down."


    "Alright!" Milia immediately accepted together with Nori.


    *Zsha!*


    The centipede noticed it was seen and gave up hiding. It immediately jumped out of the cover of the forest and pounced at Alvin, who was closest. It was five meters long and had powerful jaws. Above all, it could use its body and the Magic Energy in its core to use its body as a spring to pounce.


    "Fuck!" Alvin didn''t expect the centipede to be that fast. He lifted his Erth Spikes to block the attack just as the centipede was about to strike his chest.


    *Bang!*


    A Level Four Magic Beast was no joke. Alvin was instantly sent flying by the force of the attack, losing his balance in the process.


    The centipede took that chance and pounced again. However...


    *Tsssss... swish!*


    The flaming sword from Milia came slashing down from the side, using the perfect moment where the centipede struck Alvin''s defenses to land a hit on its body. She wasn''t considered a genius back in Heffal for nothing. Even Alvin, who received Linfel''s full attention in th past months of training, still wasn''t as precise as her.


    *Clang!*


    *Crack!*


    Yet, the Centipede''s defenses were hard to break. All Milia managed to do was create a small crack on the carapace of the Magic Beast before the centipede turned its attention to her. Its tail, which was about to be use as the support for it to spring forward, suddenly changed direction, swinging straight at Milia''s torso.


    *Pam!*


    However, an Earth Pillar appeared out of nowhere, creating a barrier between the tail and Milia. Milia had bought enough time for Alvin to regain his balance, which he used to stomp the ground and send his Earth Element through it, creating that Earth Pillar. It didn''t have enough power to injure the Centipede, but it definitely could use for defense.


    *Bang! Boom!*


    The Earth Pillar was easily shattered into countless pieces. However, that also gave Milia the time to step back. Alvin, Milia, and Nori were working very well together. Their time in the army wasn''t forgotten yet.


    *Ksssssss...*


    The centipede didn''t end its assault, though. From the start of the fight, it hasn''t been injured in the least, and only a small crack in its carapace could be seen, which didn''t bother it. Even worse, it understood Alvin and Milia didn''t have enough attack power to get past its defenses, so it shot forward with even more power.


    Alvin didn''t lose his calm. He now had more time to understand what kind of monster he was facing, and his Magic Energy was practically full still. Alvin also shot forward, meeting the centipede''s jaws without any fear. Just as the two were about to crash, Alvin''s Earth Element intensified on his legs, and he sent it through the ground one more.


    *Zash!*


    *Bang!*


    Another Earth Pillar shot from the ground, hitting the centipede from below. Its carapace also covered the bottom, so it didn''t receive any damage. That''s what Alvin was aiming at, though. Instead, the Earth Pillar changed the centipede''s direction slightly, which he used to strike the side of its head with his Earth Spike fists.


    *Bang, bang!*


    The force of the centipede and Alvin''s all-out attack met each other, and both of them were forced back. Yet, Alvin faintly smiled in response. He knew he managed to send the centipede in the right direction.


    *Shaaaa, swish!*


    Milia''s Flaming Sword came from the side once again. This time, even more flames sprouted from the sword as Nori used his Magic Energy to the maximum. It could be even higher if Nori and Milia were using Master Familiar Connections, but Linfel prohibited that. It didn''t matter, though. Milia was definitely good enough to hit the same place twice!


    *tsssssss...*


    The Flaming Sword broke through the cracked part of the centipede''s carapace, piercing deep into its body. Flames burst from inside it, causing excruciating pain to the centipede.


    *Kssssss!!!*


    The centipede immediately forgot Alvin and attacked Milia, but Alvin wouldn''t just let it do as it wished. He attacked once again during that small window where the centipede was struck and felt the pain.


    *Bang! Bang!*


    His Earth Spike Fists hit the centipede''s head twice, making the centipede go dizzy for a moment.


    Its survival instincts immediately kicked in, and the centipede rolled its body all over, eventually forcing Milia away with Nori in her hands. Right after, it turned around and shot away!


    "It''s trying to flee. Are you truly willing to let your first Level Four Magic Beast escape?" Linfel''s voice came from the tree away.


    Milia, Alvin, and Nori obviously wouldn''t let that happen. They were now faster, thanks to the serious injury they left behind on the centipede''s body, quickly catching up to it.


    From that point onwards, it was an attrition battle. Milia and Alvin didn''t take any big risks. Yet, because the centipede was heavily injured, all that extra movement only made things worse. Finally...


    *Pucth!*


    Milia''s sword managed to pierce the centipede''s body once again, this time near the head, right in the middle of its back. That severed several connections the centipede had with the rest of its body, and it began to wriggle everywhere without control. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Sush, sush, sush!*


    Several Earth Spike sprout from the earth, courtesy of Alvin. They were still not strong enough to pierce its carapace, but they definitely could make some strong impacts to worsen the centipedes inside.


    Then, five minutes later, the centipede stopped, and its purple blood was the only thing that still moved as it spread through the ground.


    Linfel then came flying and landed on the tired shoulder of Alvin. "Not bad, not bad at all. You truly learned how to save your Magic Energy well. I can see you still have over half of your reserves."


    He looked at Milia and Nori in the next second. "Milia is definitely much better at moving her body, no doubt due to her talent and the intense training she received both in the academy and her family estate. However, both Milia and Nori''s Magic Energies are almost completely spent. I''ll focus on both your Magic Energy Control training from now own, so you better be prepared.


    Alvin couldn''t help but feel sorry for Milia and Nori. "Errr... just try to not kill them, will you?"


    Nori didn''t like Linfel''s comments at all. He quickly returned to his Familiar Form, complaining. "Do you even have the right to talk like that?! You did nothing! Weren''t you just afraid of the centipede and pretended to be all bossy? Uh?


    UH?!"


    *Kabrum!*


    Suddenly, a blade of lightning appeared in the air. It happened so fast that it sent shivers in Nori''s core. That blade of Lightning slashed the Centipede''s carapace, splitting it in half in a single go. From inside, a Level Four Core came rolling out intact. "My second Level Four Core... Not bad, not bad..."


    Nori swallowed all his words in a second. That carapace, which Milia, Alvin, and himself had so much difficulty breaking, was cut through by Linfel''s attack as if it was made of butter. No, it was even worse. Linfel cut the Centipede''s body segment in half, so he attack had to cut the entire carapace in a single go instead of just a small part of it like he and Milia did.


    Linfel then looked back at Nori. "Were you saying?"


    "No... Nothing..." Nori had no ground to complain anymore. Linfel just proved the obvious. If he had joined the fray... the Fetou Centipede would have met an instant death. No training would have been carried out at all.


    Milia took a deep breath and stabilized her Magic Energy. Alvin, in fact, used several times more Earth Skills than she did. And yet, Linfel just said Alvin used only half of his Magic Energy Reserves. Meanwhile, Linfel was right. She and Nori truly used pretty much all their Magic Energy. The difference in Magic Energy Control between her and Alvin was unbelievable.


    Truly difficult to believe, considering they hadn''t seen each other for just a few months. "Linfel, don''t make it easy for me. Give me the full course!"


    Linfel smiled in response. "That''s the plan."

 Chapter 129 - 129: Good Learning Speed

    Linfel took out his MCOM again and checked the map with the others. After checking their route, they resumed their journey. This time, however, they moved more cautiously since they were getting deeper into the Lungan Forest.


    As they walked, Milia looked at Alvin and felt conflicted. In that last battle, even though she wasn''t connected to Nori, the two of them were still fighting as one. Nori used his Magic Energy to keep the destructive flames of his sword form while she focused on maneuvering it in the battle.


    Yet, Alvin acted on his one, and you could say that he arguably did more in that fight than she and Nori did together. It was always Alvin the one receiving the attacks, catching the attention of the centipede, and being sent flying right and left. Alvin wasn''t anywhere near as good as her before, but those months with Linfel truly transformed him. ''I have to catch up...''


    It didn''t take long for them to find the next Magic Beast, but this one was at Level Three. Linfel once again stepped aside, not fighting at all. "Only one of you will fight this one. Nori, you are up!"


    Nori nodded and shot forward. Milia wasn''t the only one feeling like falling behind. After seeing Linfel''s Lightning Blade, Nori also had the urge to catch up, even though Linfel wasn''t really a Familiar.


    Nori''s Core burst with flames as he used his Magic Energy to also move around this time. Fighting on his own was a lot different. He couldn''t focus his entire power into the flames. He had to pay attention to his surroundings and the Magic Beast that tried to destroy him. Assuming his sword form was also out of the question since his ability to move would be highly impaired in that shape.


    Fire lances, Fire Explosions, Wall of Flames, Flame Tornados... Nori used his full repertory of skills he learned over the years, but they were all lacking in power. The good thing was that his opponent didn''t have intelligence and was at the same level as him. If it was a Level Four Magic Beast, he definitely would have been caught already.


    Suddenly, Linfel''s voice echoed in his mind. ''You are not using your Magic Channels to their best. Your Magic Channels in your Core are not just connected to the outside world, but also to each other. You probably haven''t noticed since you are usually in Sword Form, but your Magic Energy is colliding in those connections. Every time it happens, a lot of Magic Energy is lost.


    Not only that but the amount of Magic Energy you can use after channeling it is not even 50% of what I believe you can do.''


    Nori was taken aback, almost falling for one of the Magic Beast''s attacks. He couldn''t understand how Linfel could speak straight into his soul.


    Linfel didn''t mind that, though. He just continued speaking. ''There is a good way to start getting used to control those connected channels. Your Magic Channels are connected to your Magic Energy pool, and you are forcing your Magic Energy through all the exits, trying to bring it out to create your flames. Stop doing that.


    Select just a few channels far away from each other in your Magic Energy pool and use them. Leave the rest empty.''


    Nori, now more alert, immediately shouted back. "But if I do that, I won''t be able to generate enough Magic Energy to continue fighting!"


    Milia and Alvin were puzzled. They obviously couldn''t hear Linfel''s voice. Nonetheless, they imagined it was Linfel the reason behind, so they said nothing.


    Linfel continued. ''That''s a price you will have to pay. And if you do it outside of battle, it will take even longer to learn. You need the pressure of battle to bring out your potential. Milia created your Core with quite impressive materials for the Serfen Planet; don''t waste it.''


    ''Do it like this: Start using the channels far away from each other. That will help you understand the various intertwined paths of Magic Channels in your core. Of course, you will have way less Magic Energy to work with. So, if you see that you are in a position where you might truly die, forget this method and use all channels until you fall into a safe position again.


    Right after, stop using all channels at once and resume your training with just a few channels far away from each other.''


    "Do you think this will really work?" Nori shouted back while a wall of flames was formed again. The Magic Beast was forced to go around, giving Nori some time. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''How would I know?'' Linfel answered as if stating a fact.


    Nori almost stumbled with that answer and wanted to curse.


    Fortunately, Linfel continued. ''I''m not really a Familiar. I don''t have Magic Energy Channels. All my Magic Energy passes through my Core Walls. You could say my entire Core is a single huge Magic Channel. However, I spent these various months with Alvin, and he does have his Magic Energy Channels, or Meridians, in their case.


    I was still able to devise a good method for him to reach his level now. So, I''ve been observing you, and I believe this method should pay dividends in a short time. I will use the same method with Milia.''


    ''The only question is,'' Linfel became serious. ''Are you willing to put everything on the line to improve? Or are you fine with falling behind Milia and becoming a burden? Or even worse... never be on par with Alvin and see Milia exchanging you for him.''


    As if gasoline was thrown in the fire, Nori immediately burst with determination. "LIKE HELL I WILL!"


    Following that, Nori stopped his Magic Energy from leaving through all his Magic Channels. He selected a few of them in his Magic Energy pool that were fairly far from each other and channeled the Magic Energy through them. Just like mentioned, his attack power and movement speed through the air instantly decreased, making it even harder to deal with the Magic Beast.


    "Nori!" Milia got worried and wanted to step forward.


    However, Linfel stopped her. "You stay right there. This is his training. If things turn to worse, I''ll step in, so don''t intervene."


    The battle continued for another two minutes. During this time, Nori was forced to open all his Magic Channels over ten times to escape danger before returning to using just a few. However, one thing has already begun to become apparent. Nori was wasting less Magic Energy than before. The difference was subtle, but Linfel could easily see that. ''He wasn''t an independent familiar for nothing, it seems.


    Good learning speed.''

 Chapter 130 - 130: Brutal Training

    Nori returned victorious... and almost empty of Magic Energy. "Is it me... or are the Magic Beasts in this Planet Stronger?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    Linfel agreed with him. "They are," then he looked around and Magic Energy accumulated around him. "The concentration of Magic Energy in the air is at least three times higher than back in Serfen Planet. Well, that''s what you would expect of the Ventis Sect that controls such a huge territory. But..."


    Linfel looked at the body of the Magic Beast that Nori just killed. "That also makes the Magic Beasts on the planet stronger by default. It is not bad, though. They proportionate even better training for all disciples venturing into the Magic Beast Territories."


    Their group moved, and this time, Linfel gave Milia a task. She could use only ten Magic Energy Channels at a time. Also, she could not go back to the previously used Ten Magic Channels, or meridians, until she used all the other channels in her body.


    Alvin heard that and bitterly smiled. He absolutely remembers when Linfel put him through that kind of training. It was a kind of training you would not see anyone using in Serfen Planet since it impaired their leveling speed. The concept of focusing so much on Magic Energy Control was pretty much unheard of.


    Alvin thought about Linfel''s words back then, which were the same he used for Milia. "The Meridians of Maguses are different from the Magic Energy Channels from Familiars. They are living things that are connected to your senses of the body. However, because you have used them all at once during your entire life, you can''t even distinguish each one."


    Alvin tried to focus on his meridians, but he noticed how hard it was to pay attention to a single one. "Yeah.. it is quite difficulty."


    Linfel continued. "I can imagine. So, from now on, you will use only ten meridians at a time and not repeat them until you have gone through all the meridians."


    "Is that even possible...?" Alvin couldn''t help but comment.


    "Hmph!" Linfel didn''t seem to care. "If you can''t even control your Meridians independently, what kind of Magic Energy Control do you think you can achieve? There is no such thing as possible or impossible; you just have to do it! I don''t mind if you keep messing up during the start. However, if I sense that you gave up and returned to your normal usage of all meridians... Hehe!"


    Back in the present, Alvin felt a chill on his back. He failed... many times... and every time he did, an even more hellish punishment awaited for him. Eventually, he managed to use ten at a time and alternate without repeating.


    Sometime later, Linfel had him actively change those numbers. Ten at a time, then fifteen, then twenty, then five, and keep a mix of random numbers. Today, Alvin could easily feel, close, and open every single one of his meridians... but that was anything but easy. A huge part of his great Magic Energy Control came through this method.


    "What are you looking at?" Linfel looked at Alvin. "Does it feel funny seeing Milia starting the same training as you did? Very well, we can''t stop your training either. Do the same thing as Milia, but add three meridians every turn. Also, you can''t use the meridians for more than a second before going to the next ones, or you will pay later."


    "A SECOND?!" Alvin felt like crying. "That''s too much! I will absolutely mess up!"


    "Good!" Linfel nodded. "It''s through trial and error that you will get proficiency. Now, quit complaining and do it! You already know what will happen if I sense you slacking out."


    Alvin gritted his teeth as tears fell from his eyes and focused on his meridians.


    *Tud!*


    Too bad such a task required so much concentration that he stumbled a few seconds later, falling with his face on the ground. Fortunately, he was used to Linfel''s ridiculous methods, so he quickly got up and restarted. What he absolutely couldn''t do was to stop. If he did, then he would be in for even more pain.


    "Seems like I tamed y- Ahem... trained you pretty well," Linfel nodded, satisfied.


    "You said tame, right? Right?!" Alvin complained again.


    *Bzzz!*


    *Arrghh!*


    Suddenly, a spark of lightning hit Alvin''s butt, making him jump. Sure enough, it was Linfel. "You lost your focus again."


    Alvin continued crying and returned his attention to the task while they kept running.


    Milia looked at Alvin''s expression and couldn''t help but giggle.


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    Too bad Linfel never took his senses from her either. "What? Were you jealous of his punishment? Don''t worry, I''m completely full of Magic Energy to use, so I can zap your butt as many times as I will probably zap his."


    Milia glared at Linfel, but Linfel seemed to not care. Even worse, she couldn''t do anything. Linfel was faster, stronger, had better control, and was more intelligent. Getting revenge for that attack was a dream within a dream.


    "Hmph!" How could Linfel not tell what she was thinking? "You said it yourself. I should not hold back, so I won''t. What you will go through is the same as Alvin did, so I recommend you to focus on your task." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nori was just as angry, but he was really spent after the last battle, so he barely had the energy to complain.


    *Bzz!*


    *ouch!*


    *Zap!*


    *Arrghh!*


    *Bzt!*


    *Yai!*


    Another hour went by in that fashion, Linfel being merciless. Because Alvin''s task was several times harder than Milia, he got zapped just as much as her. As for Milia, her task was obviously much easier, but she had never done that before, thus the similar number of zaps.


    Still, Linfel couldn''t help but feel impressed. ''Compared to Alvin back then, her proficiency is definitely much higher. I''m not zapping her anywhere near as much as I did Alvin. Well, at least Alvin had the perseverance to push it to the end. That''s the most important.''


    Suddenly, another Magic Beast entered Linfel''s Magic Sense. "Halt!"


    Alvin and Milia stopped before quickly moving to Linfel''s side. Both of them had their hands rubbing their buttocks, several holes in their pants after so many shocks. They already had no extra clothes, so how will they deal with it later. That was a question for the future.


    "Above, a Level Four Zoinhic Hawk, the main element is wind. Alvin and Milia will fight together. Nori will wait on the side with me. Don''t use more than half of your meridians at once, and you must swap to other meridians every thirty seconds. Now then, go ahead."


    Alvin and Milia, seeing each other''s butts, weren''t even in the mood to feel embarrassed. Linfel didn''t give them that comfort. They could only tighten their fists and jump ahead to face the Level Four Zoinhic Hawk.

 Chapter 131 - 131: Me Too!

    Milia, Nori, and Alvin already had such difficulty to defeat the Fetou Centipede before, a Level Four Magic Beast. And they did that while they had access to all their meridians and magic channels. Now, Linfel asked for Milia and Alvin to fight without Nori and not use more than half of their meridians at the same time. Not to mention, they had to swap to other meridians every thirty seconds.


    "Is he trying to kill us?" Milia complained as she stepped ahead.


    Alvin didn''t even feel like laughing. "I''ve asked myself that question hundreds of times during the time Linfel and I were traveling together..."


    Finally, the Zoinhic Hawk arrived, diving through the trees while its magic Energy controlled the Magic Energy in its surroundings. A whirlwind of wind element appeared on both its wings, which spun at a speed capable of cutting its enemies.


    Alvin was just about to step ahead again. However, Milia took the front this time, using only half of her meridians to control her fire element. A sphere of fire quickly took form, and she used her Magic Energy to shoot that forward.


    The two whirlwinds on the Hawk''s wings also shot in Milia''s direction. They hit Milia''s fireball, and acting as fuel, an explosion took place in midair.


    *Boom!*


    Alvin understood Milia''s plan. He immediately used the explosion as a cover and stomped the ground. Several earth spikes shot upwards until they reached Alvin''s shoulder in height. Right after, Alvin filled his fists with Earth Element and created two gauntlets of Earth before punching forward.


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!*


    The Earth Spikes were used like bullets, passing through the explosion''s aftermath and coming on the other side.


    The Hawk was taken aback by the sudden appearance of those spikes and flew downwards to escape. Although it was a Level Four Magic Beast, it didn''t have a very high defense like the Fetou Centipede.


    Yet, as soon as it dodged the spikes, another attack came from below, this one burning with flames. Milia didn''t have Nori, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t create a blade of flames with her Magic Energy alone.


    Linfel watched their work in group and nodded, satisfied. ''They don''t have much Magic Energy to work with due to the restrictions I created. That said, being on the defense would only bring their destruction. Milia understood it immediately and took the initiative. Above all, she understood her Fire Element could be used to much greater efficiency against the Hawk''s wind element.


    Alvin also noticed that and made sure to give support. His Magic Energy control is still many times better than Milia''s, but she is doing pretty well.''


    Because Milia and Alvin couldn''t use too much Magic Energy, their attacks didn''t have much power behind them. The Hawk got injured a few times, but it also managed to injure Milia and Alvin. Milia and Alvin''s only advantage was never to use the trees, so the Hawk would have a hard time maneuvering.


    Their fight lasted another ten minutes, and the Hawk finally understood it most likely wouldn''t win easily. It was probably a 50-50 to both sides. So it turned around and tried to flee. It could hunt something else.


    Alvin and Milia bitterly smiled as they saw that. They couldn''t fly like the Hawk, so they obviously couldn''t give chase. However...


    *Bang!*


    Out of nowhere, a burst of Wind Element happened right above the Zoinhic Hawk. Wind Element was supposed to be his main weapon, but even the Hawk couldn''t resist that burst. The blast of Wind immediately forced it downwards, and it barely managed to stabilize itself before hitting the ground.


    Nori looked at Linfel, impressed. While Milia and Alvin fought, he saw Linfel preparing those sphere of Wind Element and hiding them between the foliage of the trees. When the Hawk tried to escape, Linfel burst one of them. Not only that, Linfel made it in a way that the Hawk would not be able to flee but wouldn''t be hurt either. ''I knew his control was incredible, but this is ridiculous...''


    Alvin and Milia were taken aback, but they quickly understood what happened. Without another choice, they attacked the Hawk once again, and the Hawk obviously retaliated. Their struggles continued.


    It wasn''t before twenty minutes went by that Alvin managed to land a clean hit with his Earth Spike fist in one of the Hawk''s wings, breaking its bones. From there onwards, they held the absolute advantaged, and the Hawk was finished shortly after.


    Both Alvin and Milia were covered in cuts and bleeding from everywhere, Milia especially since she wasn''t very good at defense like Alvin. She was also a lot worse in Magic Energy reserves since her control was way below Alvin''s. Nonetheless, she managed to last to the end.


    Nori quickly approached, worried. "This is not good. You are too hurt! How are we going to continue this mission if you are in this state?"


    Milia laid down on her back, breathing with difficulty. "At... At least... we managed to fulfill Linfel''s task."


    Linfel arrived at her side a moment later. "That you did. Alright, let''s take care of your injuries. Alvin, go ahead and collect the core of that Hawk. It is another Level Four Core, after all."


    Alvin nodded and bore the pain of the injuries, leaving Linfel''s side. He knew what was going to happen next.


    *Blub, blub, blub...*


    Suddenly, several spheres of water appeared above Milia before slowly coming down. Each one of them was filled with rich and pure Magic Energy. They landed on all of Milia''s injuries, and the Magic Energy inside began to work on them.


    Milia didn''t have the strength to even try to fight against it, so she just let Linfel do as he wished. She wasn''t concerned Linfel would do anything to her either, so it was fine.


    *Ugh...*


    Milia felt all her injuries, internal and external, hurting at the same time. But that wasn''t all. She was also able to see that the injuries began to heal slowly. "This..."


    Nori was also surprised. "What kind of ability is this?"


    Linfel quickly explained. "Maguses'' bodies are highly receptive to Magic Energy, especially extremely pure Magic Energy, like mine. I practiced this on Alvin many times until I understood how to activate the cells through my Magic Energy to increase the speed of healing. It can''t be used during battle since it needs high precision and a lot of time.


    We are obviously not battling anything now, so I have enough time to work on her."


    "You are truly overpowered, you know?" Alvin finally returned, already carrying the Core in his hand. Not only that, he also brought the tail feathers and the talons of the Hawks. They were materials that could be sold to the contractors.


    "It is not that incredible. Suppose you have an affinity with Water Element and Pure Magic Energy. In that case, you should be able to do something similar," Linfel explained.


    Alvin sighed. "I''m still to meet anyone with Magic Energy as pure as yours, you know?"


    "Well, that''s true. Hahaha!" Linfel laughed. "Anyway, sit down and focus on recovering your Magic Energy. Milia, Alvin, go back to using the Meridians like I mentioned. Every second not doing it is a second of training wasted."


    Nori got angry. "Can''t you see how injured both of them are? Let them recover first!" Surprisingly, he even defended Alvin this time.


    "Really?" Linfel pointed at Alvin. The guy had already started to follow Linfel''s orders even though he was injured as well. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia saw that and gritted her teeth. "Ten meridians, ten meridians..."


    Nori now felt like he was the only one being lazy. "Fine! I''ll do that too!"

 Chapter 132 - 132: A Good Amount

    As they got deeper to the forest, the more they found Magic Beasts. In the end, Linfel had to intervene twice to save Milia and Nori. Alvin, as someone further into Linfel''s training, managed to hold on his own. The day passed like that, and after they dealt with 13 Magic Beasts, Linfel finally gave them time to rest. "Alright, this is enough for today.


    Even though I can heal your bodies, I can''t get rid of the fatigue. Any more than this, and it will have a detrimental effect on your body, including Nori''s core."


    Alvin immediately went to a tree and sat down, laying his back against it. "What a day..."


    Milia nodded and sat beside Alvin. "So this is the type of training Linfel had made you go through during these various months. It basically brute forces the concepts of magic Energy Control into your brain."


    Nori landed on Milia''s lap, his Magic Energy feeble. "It''s just too hard... Milia, I''m turning myself off. Even my soul is feeling strained after all of this," And so Nori''s ethereal body disappeared, leaving only the core behind. He didn''t even have the will to warn Alvin to not do anything anymore.


    Linfel got close to those two. "So... are you going to sleep here in the open?"


    Alvin shook his head and got up once again. "Of course not! I just needed a few seconds."


    Milia was just about to get up, but Alvin stopped her. "You stay here. I''m already used to this, as Linfel brought me into Magic Beast territories before. I''ll be back in a few minutes."


    Milia didn''t have time to answer before seeing Alvin shot into the distance. "How does he have so much energy still?"


    Linfel shrugged. "I didn''t train only his Magic Control but also his physic. Or could it be you didn''t notice the difference? He definitely got a few extra muscles since we separated from you."


    Milia looked away, pretending she didn''t know anything. "If you say so..." Well, she definitely noticed it, but she didn''t comment, that was all.


    A few minutes later, Alvin returned. On his hands, two beds made of leaves could be seen. They weren''t anything like real beds, but they were definitely better than the ground. "Here, one for you. I''ll use the other one. Also, come with me.


    I found a nice corner for us to sleep." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia and Linfel nodded and moved to another location. It was s small cliff of just a few meters. It couldn''t be considered an obstacle for any Magic Beast, Magus, and Familiar at all. Nonetheless, it offered a place to take over. As Alvin put his bed of leaves on the ground, he spoke with a smile.


    "One thing I noticed during my training sessions with Linfel is that a human truly doesn''t feel at ease if they try to sleep in an open space. We need something nearby, some kind of wall or similar."


    Milia put her own bed down and laid down while holding Nori''s core. "Indeed... I just couldn''t feel safe laying on that tree."


    "Alright, that''s enough, you two," Linfel intervened. "Just eat this and go to sleep." He then took some of the food they prepared before coming from his Spatial Storage.


    Milia didn''t complain and quickly filled themselves. The fatigue kicked in almost instantly as their bodies relaxed. "But... will we be safe here as well?"


    Linfel assured that. "Don''t worry, I''m here. I have done pretty much nothing other than watch your training today, so I''m completely fine. Besides, wisps don''t sleep to start with. I will keep watch during the night while I train to control this Soul Power thing."


    Milia and Alvin wanted to ask more about it, but Linfel didn''t seem willing to talk. In the end, they just laid down and went to sleep... which happened pretty fast. In less than five minutes, those two were already in the land of dreams.


    Linfel looked at that and faintly smiled. Then, his humanoid ethereal form disappeared, and he returned to his core enveloped in Magic Energy form instead. That was his real form, and he just kept his humanoid ethereal body in case he bumped in some Magus or Familiar on the way.


    *Bzzz...*


    Linfel summoned the same Blade of Lightning as he used against the body of the Centipede, looking at it with interest. ''This Soul Power is truly something else. Normally, my Lightning Blade wouldn''t have cut through that Centipede''s body that easily. Yet, the Soul Power seems to boost the Magic Energy. It is still not as strong as Primordial Energy, but it should be around 10% comparable now.''


    *Zush!*


    The Lightning Blade then shot into the distance, piercing a tree not far away.


    *Roar!*


    Then, a Leopard-like Magic beast with a spiked tail fell down from behind it, a hole in its head. It was moving silently, trying to ambush their group. Too bad that it could never escape Linfel''s Magic Energy sense. Just like that, a Level Four Magic Beast died. Alvin, Milia, and Nori didn''t hear anything. Linfel had covered their surroundings with his Magic Energy, so no sound reached them.


    ''Still, this Soul Power is truly difficult to control. Primordial was also difficult, but soul power is difficult in another way. It requires a very delicate control, and even I am struggling a bit to get it right. Primordial was basically extremely powerful and chaotic. I guess to go from one end of the spectrum to another is a challenge even for wisps...''


    Following that, Linfel took out his MCOM. The entire planet was covered in the Ventis Sect Network, so it had signal even in this place. He took his time to learn more about the Ventis Sect and especially the fastest way to become a High Elder.


    Night gave way to the first rays of light. Behind Linfel, Milia felt those rays of light hit her eyes, which succeeded in waking her up. She opened her eyes, and it was then that her body froze. At that very moment, Milia was hugging Alvin very closely. She looked more like an octopus tangled around him. "Eh?"


    Alvin faintly smiled at her. He obviously ended up waking up a lot earlier due to that situation. "Hello... did you sleep well?"


    "Ah!" She immediately jumped back, letting go of Alvin. "It, it, it wasn''t on purpose!"


    Alvin nodded. "Don''t worry, I know. I just woke up a few minutes back anyway. It''s just that I didn''t want to wake you up. Of course, didn''t do anything! You can ask Linfel."


    Milia, red as a tomato, just nodded. "I trust you..."


    She then looked to the side, and her body froze once again. Alvin did the same, and his reaction was just as spectacular.


    Finally, Nori''s Core burst with Magic Energy, and his ethereal body appeared again. He floated up, looking at Alvin and Milia''s expression. "Hey, did someth-" Yet, his words stopped when he looked in the same direction.


    There, Linfel floated with his MCOM open. Yet, that wasn''t the problem. The problem was the terrain around him. At least thirty corpses of Magic Beasts were fallen all over the place! Did he kill all of that? On his own?!


    And the answer was yes! After killing the first one, the smell of blood attracted the next. Then the next came, and the next, and the next, and the next... The more blood in the surroundings, the more Magic Beasts came. At some point, all the Magic Beasts in the surrounding area came to this place... just to die.


    Linfel closed his MCOM, looking back. "Oh! You three are awake. Good. Let''s continue. If we move fast, we should reach the settlement where we need to deliver the packages in the next three days."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori didn''t even know what to say. He killed all those Magic Beasts, and yet, he didn''t seem the least bit tired. Was Linfel really so powerful like that?


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Linfel got confused. "Oh! Right, right! Don''t worry, I removed all their cores. Now, we have 44 Level Four Cores to bring back to the contractors later. I also got the Materials that could be traded with other contractors as well.


    It should provide us quite a good amount of Ventis Credit."

 Chapter 133 - 133: Red Spots

    Alvin and Milia didn''t know what to say. Sure, they cores and other materials were important, no doubt. But above all, Linfel''s strength while being at Level Three seemed just ridiculous. "Ignore it, Milia," said Alvin. "Thinking too much about it will needlessly drive you crazy."


    Milia began to get used to that. "I see what you mean..."


    Nori looked into his own MCOM and found it strange. "Linfel said we should reach the settlement in three days... but the settlement is only one day ahead from what I''m seeing in the map."


    Alvin and Milia trembled a little and checked their own MCOMs as well. "Indeed. We aren''t that far, Linfel."


    Linfel nodded. "Obviously not. However, a single extra day of training is far from enough. We need to use this opportunity well, so I selected another route that will take a long roundabout before getting there. There is no need to thank me. I''m doing it for our mutual good."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori didn''t feel very happy, though. Nonetheless, they knew he was doing it for them... or perhaps he was having fun seeing them suffer? Maybe a little of both. In any case, they asked for it, and Linfel was taking it seriously.


    Another day, another and danger-filled training. Linfel didn''t hold back, having Milia, Nori, and Alvin repeat the same process as the previous days but with added difficulty.


    "Why the hell did you swap meridians earlier?!"


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    "What? You were going to die if you didn''t? Then you did wrong from the very start!"


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ghhh!*


    "Uh? Do I look like I care? Since I said to use only ten percent of Magic Energy through the Magic Channels of your core, you have to use only ten percent of Magic Energy!"


    *Bzzz!*


    *Fuck!*


    Not only did Milia and Alvin''s buttocks smell like cooked meat, but even Nori''s core had more black marks than his brown color at Level Three. Linfel was spartan to a fault. Of course, Linfel would still heal them once in a while when he saw they got in too bad of a shape. However, that would only happen after a long time of hellish struggle.


    During the second night, Milia made sure to make her bed very far from Alvin, all to make sure that she would roll over and entangle him once more... which proved ineffective. When she opened her eyes again, her own bed of leaves was several meters away while she held Alvin very, very comfortably. "That''s not possible!"


    Alvin tried to raise his hand, which was a little hard since she held him hard. "Wo-Would you let me go first?"


    "Ah!" Milia quickly got away. Then, she looked at Linfel not far away... and there were more Level Four Magic Beast bodies around. She ignored that this time, though. "Linfel! It must be you.


    You are carrying me to Alvin, aren''t you?"


    Linfel looked back at Milia, confused. "Hum? Does that mean you wanted me to carry you to him? Then why don''t you simply go sleep with him from the start?"


    "No!" Milia immediately denied it. "I''m saying you are carrying me there on purpose!"


    "Is that true, Linfel?" Alvin asked, a little disappointed. If that''s the case, then Milia wasn''t really coming for him on her own.


    Yet, Linfel felt wronged. "I did no such thing, look!" He then turned his MCOM to Milia and Alvin, and a recording began to play. In the middle of the night, just a little bit over an hour after they had fallen asleep. There, Milia suddenly got up on her own and made her way to Alvin''s side.


    She got down on his bed of leaves, hugged him tight, and finally settled down with a very big and satisfied smile on her face. She couldn''t look any happier.


    Alvin glanced at Milia, who had her hands covering her face. She now couldn''t deny it. "It... It must be the fatigue. Yes! The nights were cold, and I automatically looked for the closest source of heat.


    That''s it! Yes, absolutely!"


    Linfel nodded. "I see... humans are creatures of warm blood, after all." The clueless wisp believed Milia''s words without even questioning.


    Somehow, Milia felt relieved Linfel was like that. Still, there was an Alvin on the side who seemed to try to hold his laugh. "You! Don''t say anything!" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin raised his hands. "Yes. I won''t say anything."


    Nori woke up not long after. "What are you guys talking about?"


    Milia immediately cut him off. "Nothing! Let''s keep going!"


    "Well said!" Linfel nodded approvingly. "Training first, the rest is the rest. Let''s go!"


    Finally, through Milia, Nori, and Alvin''s efforts, they managed to get to their destination. It only took them three days, but it felt as well an eternity. As for the nights of sleepwalking... Milia basically asked Linfel in secret to make sure she wouldn''t go to his side, and Linfel helped.


    She simply came with an excuse that moving during the night would interfere with her fatigue recover, which Linfel bought quite easily.


    "Look!" Alvin''s eyes shined with hope. "It''s the settlement!"


    Milia''s dead-looking eyes seemed to react as her face raised in the direction Alvin pointed at. As if finding paradise itself, her eyes became teary.


    Even Nori''s feeble Magic Energy around his cores seemed to increase in concentration when he noticed the same place.


    A few Maguses could be seen leaving while some others arrived. It was quite a busy settlement in the middle of the Magic Beast Forest. No doubt it had some kind of Magical Array in place that kept the Magic Beasts away.


    Linfel, obviously, noticed that as well. "Hum... I guess we are finally here. That''s good enough. However, you should be careful. Lift your MCOMs and turn them in the direction of the settlement with the camera activated.


    Make sure the Ventis Sect App is open as well."


    Alvin and the others did as Linfel mentioned. Immediately, hundreds of red spots appeared with several different names. "This..."


    Linfel smiled, excited. "This is a fun place, full of killers. Of course, majority here are still in the clean since there are bound to be tens of thousands of Maguses and Familiars around. Still, there seems to be some rules in place to prevent people from ganging up on the killers. In any case, just be careful. Let''s go."

 Chapter 134 - 134: Bound to be fun

    Their group entered the settlement, which looked like a place with a mix of medieval and advanced technology. Wooden houses of diverse sizes could be seen while several types of Magic Array Devices were in every corner. The place seemed to have the same stalls where the Maguses and Familiars sold their materials, cores, herbs, etc, for higher prices.


    Above all, it seemed easier to sell as well, and that''s because prices here were slightly smaller than the settlement at the entrance of the Forest.


    Linfel''s group followed the location in the MCOM, arriving at a three-story wooden building with the emblem of the Ventis Sect in front. The Ventis Sect was also present here to receive the contracts and other things. It''s just that they didn''t intervene with anything that happened in this place.


    Inside, Linfel found an opening to bring the delivery packages out of his Spatial Store without anyone seeing. Then, they went to a counter, where Linfel showed the contracts they got.


    "Hum? Four Packages?" The attendant looked at Linfel''s group''s information in his terminal. "That''s not bad. All packages are in pristine condition, which is rare for newly arrived Maguses and Familiars. There is no sign of opening either. As per the agreement, you will receive 05 Ventis Credits per package."


    Soon, Linfel and the others received 05 Ventis Credits each. "Thank you, friend. We also have some other things to deliver here."


    Alvin and Milia then pulled two huge sacs from their backs and put them on the counter. Following that, they also showed the other contracts they had for Magic Beast Cores and Materials... and they were a lot!


    "Now, that''s surprising," the attendant admitted. "Still, why are you selling it here? Aren''t you going to open a stall and sell to higher-level Maguses and Familiars or two with more than two years in the sect who come by? Do you know about the Away Tokens?"


    "We do," Linfel answered. "However, we also know that it might take various days to sell the materials, and we have quite a lot of them. Besides, this place is not exactly protected. If we open a stall with this many items, that will pretty much put a target on our backs."


    The attendant faintly smiled. "Well, it seems like you aren''t completely clueless of the rules here. Alright, give me everything."


    The attendant checked the contracts and the items that went for each one. However, as the materials kept coming, his expression began to change. He quickly checked his terminal just to make sure, confirming Linfel''s group arrived on the planet just five days before. Yet, the number of Magic Beasts they killed was astounding.


    Above all, he could easily tell they were all Level Three Maguses and Familiars. It seemed hard to believe.


    "212 Level Four Magic Beast Cores. Level Three Magic Beasts don''t have cores, but you still got other materials from them, which means you probably killed over 300 on your way here..." The attendant looked at Linfel''s group with doubts. "Were it really you guys who killed all these Magic Beasts?"


    "Are you thinking we got help?" Linfel asked back.


    "Did you not?" The attendant answered with another question.


    Linfel faintly smiled. "Well, that''s up to your imagination. As far as we are aware, there is no rule about getting help in such a way."


    "True..." The attendant admitted. If robbing was fine, so why not a helping hand? Perhaps they had some High-Level Magus or Familiar friends. Or, most likely, they had a background in the sect and had it help them with their contracts. "Alright, who will receive the whole payment?"


    Linfel quickly floated forward. "Just send everything into my Ventis Sect Account."


    The attendant nodded, once again a little surprised. Usually, the Maguses, who were the masters, received everything. Well, that wasn''t his problem.


    Linfel quickly opened his MCOM and then the app, showing their earning to Milia, Alvin, and Nori.


    -Ventis Credits: 102-


    -Away Tokens: 21-


    That was quite a big number, and 60 to 70% of all of that was contributed by Linfel alone. While they slept, Linfel killed Magic Beasts like there was no tomorrow, and he made it look extremely easy on top of that.


    Linfel turned back to the attendant, who was putting the materials away. "Bother, can we take more contracts to fulfill on our way back?"


    "But of course!" The attendant quickly replied. He pointed to a terminal on the side. "That terminal is connected to the various companies in the cities. Just check the contracts in there and get as many as you think you can fulfill."


    Linfel and the others did as mentioned and took more delivery contracts with their own city as a destination. Other than that, they just checked the contracts for materials but didn''t take them this time. It would be faster to simply see what they needed and then take the contracts back in the city at the company themselves. They would be able to take and deliver the goods at the same time.


    However... "If you are thinking about just note down the items for the contracts, you shouldn''t. Make sure you take the contracts now."


    Linfel and the others turned back. "Why?"


    "Because the contracts are constantly changing," the attendant explained. "If you gather the materials and go back to the city without the contract, the company itself might have no need for the materials anymore. Then, you would be left with a bunch of useless items you have no use for.


    However, if you have the contract, they will have to take the items regardless if they need the item or not since you already signed with them."


    "I see..." Alvin looked at the contracts. "Linfel, should we just take the contracts from before?"


    Linfel pondered a bit. "Friend, can we take a bunch of contracts? Are there penalties if we don''t complete them all?"


    "There are," the guy nodded. "You will have to pay half of the Ventis Credits that you were supposed to receive if you completed the contract."


    "Then forget it," Linfel spoke. Right after, he sent the mind messages to Alvin, Milia, and Nori. ''It matters not if the contracts disappear when we get back in the city. I can simply keep everything inside my Spatial Storage, so we won''t have to walk around with anything.''


    Milia and the others nodded. ''This Spatial Storage is truly convenient...'' they thought, feeling a little bit jealous. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With that concluded, they left the Ventis Sect building and headed outside. There wasn''t much for them to do there anyway, and they definitely didn''t want to attract anyone''s attention. Finally, they were back in the forest, this time heading back to the city.


    "Let''s make a little turn," Linfel suddenly asked, changing direction.


    Alvin and the others didn''t mind. They were used to Linfel changing the routes to give them some ''very amicable'' training twists. However, his voice echoed in their minds again. ''We have a few new friends to play with coming from the settlement. I told you, this place is bound to be fun.''

 Chapter 135 - 135: Ambush

    Alvin, Milia, and Nori were surprised to hear that, but they didn''t show it on their faces. After what they passed in the war, they got some experience. Above all, that gave them an element of surprise if they were truly being targeted.


    Linfel landed on Alvin''s shoulder, and their group kept on their way back to the outside of the Forest. As they got further away from the settlement, the number of Maguses and Familiars around also went down. They didn''t stop, though. Finally, they got far enough that it would be hard to bump into any Familiar or Magus, especially since they were following another route.


    *Sush, sush, sush...*


    Suddenly, four Maguses jumped out of the trees ahead, already using their Master Familiar connection with their Familiars. Linfel looked at them through the MCOM, but only one of them was marked as a Killer. They others seemed to be in the clean.


    "Well, well, well... so we have Level Three newcomers. How unfortunate for you guys," said the guy with Killer Mark. He was obviously this group leader, especially since he was the only Level Five Magus there. "How about we make things easy for big brother Vantun here? Just transfer your Ventis Credits to me, and of course, show me your accounts, and then you can leave.


    No harm done."


    Alvin had a scared expression while Milia hid behind him. They were the full picture of a mouse in a trap. "P-Please, we don''t want trouble. We don''t have many Ventis Credits either. Wh-Why would you even care about the Ventis Credits of such low-level experts like us?" Alvin asked.


    Vantun snorted in response. "It is exactly because you are this weak that you make a great target. Sure, I don''t expect any of you to have many Ventis Credits, but it is a guaranteed income without any risks. Now, open your MCOM and show your credits."


    Linfel looked at the other Maguses and Familiars who didn''t have Killer Marks. No doubt they were there only as support and to make sure his group would escape. If a kill was truly necessary to be made, the Vantun guy most likely would do it. In exchange, he shared the Ventis Credits with his subordinates, and his subordinates could go back to the city to acquire anything Vantun needed.


    Alvin, Linfel, Nori, and Milia quickly nodded at each other and took out their MCOMs. Sure enough, their full balances came into view, surprising Vantun. "Now, that''s unexpected. I wonder how long it took you guys to earn all these Ventis Credits. Although it is not that much to me, it is still a lot more than I expected from ants like you."


    Vantun then approached while releasing his Magic Energy, pressuring Alvin and Milia together with Linfel and Nori. His subordinates also approached from the sides with their weapons pointed at Linfel''s group and ready to attack at any moment.


    Out there in the open, one couldn''t simply transfer their Ventis Credits. That only worked in the cities. To make the transfers, one had to make contact with the other''s MCOM. Such a limitation was created exactly so the assailants would have to approach their targets, giving more chances for sudden developments. The Ventis Sect wanted to see as many struggles as possible.


    Vantun touched Alvin''s MCOM first, thinking him to be the leader of Linfel''s group. None of his people were the least bit worried. They were all Level Four, while Vantun was Level Five. The difference in strength was just too great.


    *Sush!*


    Suddenly, a Magic Beast came running at their group. It wasn''t anything out of the norm. They were in the middle of the Magic Beast Forest, after all. One of Vantun''s companions immediately broke formation and faced the Level Four Magic Beast.


    However, that sudden movement still robbed Vantun and his group out of their attention for a split second.


    *Kabrum!* S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the very start, Linfel was connected to Alvin, and the two worked together. That allowed him to use not only his own Magic Energy but also Alvin''s. That made him even faster since he could bring Magic Energy out from both his and Alvin''s cores to complete his attack.


    The same blade of Lightning, filled with Soul Power, appeared in mid-air and pierced through Vantun''s body in half! Linfel didn''t just aim at Vantun''s body, though. He aimed at both Vantun and his Familiar, which had a breastplate form while using his Master Familiar connection. Linfel and Alvin, working together, took down a Level Five Magus and Familiar.


    Everything was planned from the start. Linfel guided the group to this area until he found a Magic Beast inside his Magic Sense. Then, he stopped close enough to attract its attention eventually. When the Magic Beast came out, Vantun and the others were bound to divert their attention, even if just for an extremely short moment.


    Milia wasn''t any slower. The moment the Magic Beast appeared and one of the guys broke out to intercept it, she also connected to Nori and slashed out at one of the guys.


    Too bad that she wasn''t as fast as Linfel. The guy she aimed at was able to move in the last moment, avoiding a fatal injury. Nonetheless, he was still caught by the side, and his arm flew off while the flames cauterized the injury, adding to the pain. Milia had no mercy for anyone who helped with such schemes.


    "You!" The third guy saw how a Level Five Magus died in an instant while his other friend lost an arm. However, he believed that only happened because they were careless, having underestimated Linfel''s group because of their level.


    Water Element gathered around his body before it froze and created several icicles that shot in Linfel and Alvin''s direction. The guy who lost an arm was also furious. Unfortunately for him, the arm he lost was his dominant one, so he got a lot weaker, especially due to the pain. Milia followed with a barrage of attacks, not giving him time to recover. The battle was just starting.

 Chapter 136 - 136: Killing

    The last Level Four Magus was still fighting the Magic Beast, so he could not come to help his companions either. Just like that, it became an even field... if one of his group''s enemies wasn''t Linfel, that is.


    Wing flowed through Alvin and Linfel, and Alvin''s body moved from his position like a bullet. All the icicles missed the target. Alvin''s fists turned into two spiked weapons, and with Linfel''s help, they closed in on the Water guy. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?!" He couldn''t believe Alvin and Linfel''s speed. They were even faster than himself. In the end, he changed his tactic to defense. Countless shards of ice spread from his body, creating a barrier that he could manipulate.


    Alvin''s earth spike fists came forward, and the shards concentrated in front of them, blocking Alvin''s attack.


    *Bang! Bang!*


    *Crack, crack, crash!*


    Yet, the power behind the attacks were so great that the ice shards barrier crumbled almost instantly. By now, the enemy knew that they had piqued a fight with the wrong opponent. Linfel''s group was much stronger than what you would expect from their levels.


    Finally, Alvin and Linfel''s opponent gave up the attack and turned around to flee. He might not be able to face them, but if he and his familiar used all their Magic Energy to run, they should be able to outlast Linfel and Alvin with their extra Magic Energy. They were sure the fast movements performed by Linfel and Alvin consumed huge amounts of Magic Energy as well.


    Truth be told, Alvin and Linfel''s Magic Control was better than Vantun, the Level Five Magus. So... they were actually using a lot less Magic Energy than the Level Four Magus and Familiar. They would definitely outlast the guy if they wanted. Yet, Linfel saw no need for it.


    *Boom!*


    As soon as the guy turned around to flee, he ended face to face with a fireball! Linfel''s control allowed him to manipulate Magic Energy much further away than his enemies as well, so he prepared that in advance. The guy was sent flying, crashing against the ground and kicking a few times.


    *Arrrgh!*


    On the other side, Milia and Nori landed another heavy attack on her enemy. They were far from having Alvin and especially Linfel''s Magic Energy Control. Nonetheless, they improved quite a bit.


    The last guy was scared out of his mind as he fought the Magic Beast. Never would have he thought his companions, who were all at higher levels, would lose so miserably. It made him wonder who was ambushing who for real. He gritted his teeth and a burst of magic Energy came from his body.


    An enormous hammer of Earth Element came crashing down on the Magic Beast, forcing it to retreat for a moment. Without thinking twice, the guy turned around and fled! He didn''t want to have anything to do with his companions anymore. The only thing that mattered in this place was to stay alive, and he wouldn''t stay alive for much longer if he stayed there.


    Linfel noticed that but didn''t do anything. Instead, he communicated with Alvin, who quickly grabbed the dead guy''s MCOM and retreated to Milia''s side. The two joined together and easily broke several bones of the last Magus while cracking his Familiar''s Core. Yet, they didn''t kill the guy. Even in this situation, if they landed a killing blow, they would be the ones to be marked as Killers.


    "Got them! Let''s go!" Linfel''s orders came. The Magic Beast was still there, and the commotion was bound to attract more of them. They weren''t too far from the settlement yet, so there was also a chance of more Maguses and Familiar appearing as well.


    The two guys who were still alive felt the despair. They were in terrible condition and could barely move. Linfel and his group had no intention of helping, leaving them for the Magic Beast to deal with. If they survived, then that''s it. If not, then they could only blame themselves.


    *Roar!*


    Sure enough, the Magic Beast lost track of the guy it was fighting and then returned, just to see the two Maguses trying to run away while spilling blood all over the ground. How could it let them go? It immediately attacked. As for what happened after that, Linfel''s group wasn''t close enough to watch.


    Thirty minutes later, Linfel''s group stopped. "Now, that''s what I call a good day''s work," Linfel said with a smile. Right after, he took out three MCOMs, one of them being the Level Five Magus and Familiar''s MCOM. He touched those MCOMs to his own. He couldn''t access the information of those maguses and Familiars, but he could definitely rob them of their Ventis Credits thanks to the Ventis Sect app.


    Soon, the Ventis Credits inside those three MCOMs entered Linfel''s account.


    -Ventis Credits: 659-


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori looked at that and sighed. "No wonder there are people willing to attack others. Such huge rewards..."


    Linfel smiled. "Well, we got rid of one of the killers, so the Ventis Credits in his MCOM were doubled when they fell into my account."


    "That''s true..." The other agreed.


    Linfel then threw the MCOMs away. He could copy those guys'' Magic Energy and use the MCOMs as if he were them. However, it was better to only display this ability of his if extremely necessary. "Well then, we have made our first killing, no pun intended."


    Alvin''s eyes lit up. "Then let''s just go back to the City and use the credits."


    "Of course!" Linfel nodded. "After we finish our next cycle of training. Good thing we used some of our Ventis Credits to buy food in the settlement. We can stay out in the open for another week. By the way, the direction we have been moving is actually a lot more towards the center of the Forest than the City. I want to meet a few Level Five Magic Beasts while we are still here.


    Let''s go."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori trembled slightly. Obviously, Linfel still hasn''t had enough of ''fun'' in this journey. "Well... It wasn''t like I didn''t expect that," Milia commented with a sigh. She was getting used to Linfel''s craziness.

 Chapter 137 - 137: Gray Spiked Wolf

    It wasn''t that Linfel was stronger than the Level Five Magus and Familiar combo. He definitely held the advantage against those at Level Four but a great margin, but a Level Five duo should be more or less within his capabilities when connected to Alvin.


    However, the absolute advantage of Linfel''s group was no doubt their levels. Other Maguses and Familiars would more than likely underestimate his group. Alvin had always been a scared cat and only recently he began to change. Still, that experience made it a lot easier to pretend to be scared. The guy almost deserved an Oscar.


    On their way to the central part of the Forest, their group stopped to fight the Magic Beasts that were part of the contracts they took earlier. The days that followed seemed to take forever. Obviously, Linfel kept the restrictions so they could get a better control over their Magic Energy.


    Then, it finally came the time for their group to face a Level Five Magic Beast, the Gray Spiked Wolf. This Magic Best didn''t really use any Magic Energy attacks. All of it was gathered in its body and fortified it as the wolf grew up. That made them even more fearsome than most of the Level Five Magic Beasts in this forest.


    *Bang!*


    Alvin''s Earth Wall was easily broken by a spike shot from the wolf. In the next instant, the wolf jumped over rubble, pouncing at Alvin''s neck. Once again, Alvin acted as the vanguard for th fight. Linfel also allowed everyone to use all their Magic Channels this time.


    Alvin jumped back, but his speed was nowhere near as fast as the wolf, so it caught up to him in a flash. However, the moment the wolf was about to land a bite, Linfel''s Magic Energy condensed in between Alvin and the Wolf, creating another burst of air.


    Alvin was sent tumbling down in one direction while the wolf went on another. The difference was that the wolf recovered his balance much faster.


    *Zash!*


    He wasn''t alone, though. Even though he recovered his Balance, Milia was already at his landing point, slashing out as soon as he was about to touch the ground. Her Flame Sword came down, fire spread and the attack was bound to hit the wolf at point-blank distance.


    Yet, the wolf hasn''t reached Level Five for nothing. The moment Milia''s attack was about to land, various of the spikes on the wolf''s body turned in Milia''s direction.


    *chut, chut, chut...*


    The spikes, which had easily destroyed Alvin''s Earth Wall, were all aimed perfectly against Milia''s Sword, Nori.*


    *Clang!*


    The power behind the spikes not only forced Milia''s sword back but shooting them also helped the wolf to change his direction in mid-air, landing a few meters away. The wolf didn''t waste time and pounced at Milia, more spikes shooting from his body.


    *clang, clang, clang...*


    Milia''s Sword slashed as fast as she could, but each strike of a spike made her hand numb. The difference in level was just too high. It was already incredible she lasted a few seconds against it, but it definitely would last more than that.


    Good thing she wasn''t alone. Those exchanges now gave Alvin and Linfel time to recover. Alvin came running as his Earth Spike Fist aimed at the Wofl''s open spot. It wasn''t like the wolf could shoot those Spike forever. Each one he used was a spot open in his body, and it would take a few days to recover.


    The wolf once again saw itself forced to change targets. Its claws moved like lightning, rotating his body to increase the force of the attack.


    *Bang!*


    *Crumble!*


    Alvin was more resistant than Milia, but because he threw himself head-on, the force of the attacks he received was much higher. His Eart Spike fists were destroyed by the impact, and he saw himself at the mercy of the Spikes that followed the opening in his defense.


    *Ptch, ptch, ptch!*


    Alvin tried to dodge the gray wolf''s spikes, but he was still too slow compared to the wolf, and three spikes landed on his leg, abdomen, and shoulder. All he could do was prevent them from hitting a vital organ.


    The wolf obviously followed, but its instincts immediately made it stop. Then, from behind Alvin, Linfel''s core appeared. This time, not only one blade of Lightning was summoned, but ten of them at the same time. ''As expected of a Magic Beast that survived to Level Five. It truly knows when to force the issue and when not. Too bad, though.


    You are looking in the wrong direction.''


    *Zush, zush, zush!*


    The wolf had Linfel, Milia, Alvin, and Nori in his sights, so it didn''t pay attention to his back. From behind the tree, three Lightning Blades appeared out of nowhere. To make sure the Wolf wouldn''t notice them, Linfel even shot his own Lightning Blades, forcing the wolf to pay attention to them. When it dodged the attack, the three Lightning Blades landed on its blind spot.


    *swish, swish, swish!*


    *Roar!*


    Linfel''s hidden Lightning Blades pierced through several of the spikes and went deep into the wolf''s body. Lightning and Soul Power quickly spread. The Soul Power made the wolf''s reaction''s slow, and the Lightning caused havoc in his body.


    *Slash!*


    Yet, the finishing blow didn''t come from Linfel, but Milia and Nori instead. With that little opening, she landed her Flame Sword on the open without spikes, piercing all the way into the Wolf''s Heart before jumping back.


    The Gray Spiked Wolf coughed and turned around, trying to flee. Unfortunately, the damage in his body, especially his heart, was too great. It only managed to move a few meters before it was too much for it to resist.


    *Tud!*


    *grrr...*


    It fell to the ground, trying to get up. But soon, its vision went black, and its body stopped moving forever.


    "Alvin!" Milia ignored the fallen wolf and quickly run to Alvin''s side. He was pierced by the wolf''s spikes, which were quite big.


    Linfel didn''t seem as worried, though. "Not bad, Alvin. I had my Lightning Blades ready to counter the spikes if you didn''t move away in time. However, you did move and avoided fatal damage. Never give up. That''s how you do it."


    *Arrgh...*


    "Ca-Can you just... heal me up already?" Alvin wasn''t in the mood to receive compliments, though.


    Linfel nodded and used his Magic Energy to remove all three spikes at once. However, his Magic Energy also prevented any blood from coming out as the healing process immediately started. "Milia, go take the wolf''s core. We need to leave before more Magic Beasts come after the smell of blood."


    As Linfel healed Alvin, he also used his Magic Energy to lift his body and move away from the scene. Milia did as Linfel told. Not only that, she also collected a few of spikes that seemed the hardest, which she had seen a contract for. A few moments later, their group was gone from there.


    *Roar!*


    *Awuuu!* sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel''s words were correct. Even after gaining some distance, they soon heard the sound of other Magic Beasts from their backs. No doubt, Magic Beasts began to fight over the wolf''s carcass. Linfel''s group only stopped one hour later, and Linfel focused on healing Alvin completely. "Alright, guess this is it."


    Alvin got up, seeing that not even a scar was left behind. "Sigh... that one was close. Linfel, I hope you aren''t planning to fight another Level Five Beast so soon."


    Milia and Nori agreed. Even they were at their limit, and one misstep could have ended with those spikes inside their body or core instead.


    Linfel pondered a bit and decided to call it quits there. "Alright, this should be enough for our first time out. Besides, the Magic Control test is approaching, and if we want to use Magic Energy to increase our level, we must pass that test first. Let''s return to the city."

 Chapter 138 - 138: Blow Off Some Steam

    Linfel''s group made a beeline back to Gertei City, only stopping to fight the Magic Beasts on the way. No other Maguses or Familiars tried to bar their way. Just as mentioned before, Killers were just too rare considering the issues of being one of them carried.


    Back in the city, their room was still there, quite dusty after being empty for over a week. They didn''t waste time and immediately paid for the electricity and water, which was one Ventis Credit per day.


    From there, they divided their tasks, and everyone went out again. Milia and Nori went after clothes and other common house items... including the ones for her periods, of course. Milia was happy they returned when they did since it was only three days before her special days arrived.


    Alvin and Linfel, on the other hand, went to the contractors to deliver the cores and other materials. They also took extra contracts regarding the extra materials they got from magic Beasts that were not part of their initial contracts.


    They paid special attention to the Magic Core of the Gray Spiked Wolf, which was a Level Five Core. They were worth one Ventis Credit each. It made sense since you needed ten Level Four Cores for a single Credit, so the Wolf''s one was worth ten times more.


    However, Linfel and Alvin decided to not sell it in the end. A single Ventis Credit wouldn''t make much of a chance for them at the moment. Besides, Linfel said the Core itself had a very high concentration of Magic Energy. It was even better than Brown Magic Energy Stones.


    Normally, no one would be idiot enough to try to absorb the Magic Energy in a Magic Beast Core. The Magic Energy inside was completely different than the Magic Energy one absorbs from magic Stone or in the environment. It would pollute the Maguses and Familiars'' Cores faster than any other source of Magic Energy.


    However, that was not an issue for Linfel. He could get rid of all the impurities related to the Magic Beast. It''s just that once he was done with the cleaning, not much Magic Energy remained. It was still a high level of Magic Energy, though. Simply put, it was worth keeping it if the Core was at least two Levels higher than Linfel''s group.


    Level Four ones were better to be sold off and then use the Ventis Credits to buy Brown Magic Stones instead.


    The Spikes of the Gray Spiked Wolf were different. They were worth a Ventis Credit each, and Milia collected twenty of them together with the core. Those ones they had no use for, so they sold everything.


    In the end, after all contracts and materials were exchanged, Linfel''s group had a grand total of 943 Ventis Credits. Above all, they got the untradable Away Tokens, which were shared between the four members of the group. Linfel and the others ended with 13 Away Tokens each.


    Following that, Alvin and Linfel went after the food and also clothes for Alvin. Alvin and Milia felt quite embarrassed as they walked around the city. The lightning sparks Linfel hit their buttocks with had created several holes there. And since they didn''t have spares, they were literally using leaves to cover, which attracted quite some attention.


    That''s the reason Milia went to buy clothes for herself as her first task.


    After buying food and other necessary items, the four of them returned to their room.


    "Alright, we have everything necessary to live here for a while," Linfel started. "Not only that, we still have 712 Ventis Credits remaining."


    Alvin sighed. "Food, everyday items, and especially clothes, they were truly expensive. We risked our lives several times, and over 200 Ventis Credits only bought us a single month of supplies."


    Milia agreed with him, now wearing new clothes and feeling more relaxed. "The Ventis Sect truly intends to push you to the brink. Have you seen the streets? Everything is very advanced, all systems work perfectly, and yet..."


    Alvin knew what she was talking about. As they walked through the city, they saw a few of the Maguses and Familiars who arrived with them in the Ventis Sect. They lived in the cheapest district at the moment, so it made sense those guys also came here. Yet, they didn''t seem to even have a place to live.


    It made sense. Alvin, Milia, Nori, and Linfel were considered a participant each during the Ventis Sect Exams. When they passed, they gained 10 Ventis Credits each, which were put together since they were friends. They could trust each other.


    The other Maguses and Familiars were mostly single entities. Let''s not forget the huge majority of Familiars are not independent. That''s the norm. So, both the Familiar and its Master got just 10 Ventis Credits to be used by both of them. Even worse, after checking how the Ventis Sect worked, could they trust someone else like Linfel''s group did?


    Could they pass the Ventis Credits they had to someone else to get a room or something? That was a hard task to accomplish. Thus, a few were still on the streets even now. The streets had plenty of Maguses and Familiars in those conditions.


    "There is no point feeling sad for the others," Linfel cut in. "Most of them are at Level Four or Level Five. What about us? We are only Level Three and we still managed to get ourselves together. If they can''t find people to trust, that is not our problem. Instead, we have something else to focus on now; take a look."


    Linfel pulled his MCOM, and the information regarding the next Magic Control test was shown to them. As explained when they arrived, there was one Magic Control test every two months. If you wanted to use Magic Energy for leveling again, you had to pass this test. Otherwise, you would need to wait two years.


    And, by the end of two years, if you still didn''t pass the test, you would not be a disciple anymore.


    However, now that they had the conditions to take the test, the requirements took them by surprise.


    "150 Ventis Credits for a change?!" Alvin exclaimed. "Holy shit! That''s a robbery!"


    Linfel shrugged. "Well, to be more specific, it costs 50 Ventis Credits for each level of the participants. So, Level Four Maguses and Familiars will need to pay 200 Ventis Credits to take the test. Our lower level played in our favor this time."


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "However, because Linfel and Nori are independent Familiars, they need to pay for themselves. Well, I wouldn''t change my mind regarding Nori''s independence anyway."


    Linfel smiled. "Alright, the test will start after tomorrow. However, Milia, Nori, I''ll be honest, I find it very hard to believe you two will pass it." Then, Linfel showed the score necessary to be approved.


    -Minimal Score: 800 Points-


    Alvin felt nervous. "Linfel... Even I don''t know if I can make 800 points."


    Linfel nodded. "Yes, but you have a real chance after this last week in a half of training."


    Milia looked at Linfel, sighing. "I understand it, Linfel. It is better if Nori and I don''t take the test and save the 300 Ventis Credits. Otherwise, it will be a waste since we can''t reach 800 points."


    "Uh? What are you talking about?" Linfel asked back. "You are absolutely taking the test, idiot."


    "Eh?" Nori and Milia didn''t understand. "Why?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Linfel smiled. "Experience! Without taking it at least once, how will you prepare for the next time? 300 Ventis Credits will be very well spent even if you fail, and that includes Alvin."


    Linfel closed his MCOM and sent it back into the Spatial Storage. "Well then. We just returned from our training, so I want you two to relax during the next two days. I read in the forums of your human race that sex is often a very good way to blow off some steam. Since you are in the same room, you should try it out. Oh, right!


    We need to buy some contraceptives since a kid right now would be too much of a bother." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Alvin and Milia almost vomited blood. Not because Linfel gave them such an option. Instead, Linfel truly, from the bottom of his soul, believed that it was fine to just go to bed and have sex right there and then. "We... don''t think it would be a very good idea..."


    "Is that so?" Linfel took his MCOM out again. "Weird. The people in those forums seemed very confident about it."


    Alvin put his hand on Linfel''s MCOM. "Just don''t look at those forums anymore, okay?"


    "You sure?" Linfel felt there was some potential there. "What about these anal-"


    "WE SAID FORGET IT!" Milia, Alvin, and Nori shouted at the same time.


    "Fine, fine!" Linfel felt wronged. "And here I was, trying to help. Such a letdown."

 Chapter 139 - 139: A Friend

    Linfel''s group spent the next two days just relaxing... except Linfel himself. His Soul Power training was difficult, but it wasn''t something that made him tired. It was like making an easy and boring job but that you only got good after many years of practice. So, instead of staying still with Alvin, Milia, and Nori, Linfel went out on his own, saying he would be back before the day of the test.


    Two days later, in the morning, Alvin''s group left for the Magic Control test.


    "No news about Linfel?" Milia couldn''t help but ask.


    Alvin shook his head. "He only sent a message yesterday that he would meet us at the test site. As to what he was doing, I have no idea."


    "I just hope he didn''t do anything idiotic. That guy has a very peculiar train of thought," Nori commented.


    Milia and Alvin looked at each other. They, too, had the same fear.


    They took the public transportation available in the city, which brought them to the city center. There, one could find the Ventis Sect building where they would take the test.


    Obviously, they weren''t the only ones there. Several queues already began to form as various Maguses and Familiars at Level Three, Four, and Five joined it. Most of them were returners, while just a few, mostly from the last batch of disciples accepted, were here for the first time.


    Alvin joined the same Queue with Milia, while Nori had to leave and join another queue for Familiars.


    "What time does it start?" Asked someone on the side.


    "At midday sharp," someone else answered. "Until then, we have to wait to even enter the building."


    Milia looked at her MCOM, seeing there were still an hour to go, so she had a conversation with Alvin in the meantime. Nori, on the other hand, just talked with the Familiars near him, asking about their experiences.


    The queues increased, and at least a few thousand Maguses and Familiars were now waiting. Finally, the clock marked the right time, and the building opened its doors. Until now, Linfel still hasn''t appeared. Alvin tried to contact him, but the wisp seemed to be out of reach.


    At first, the building didn''t seem that big, with just a few floors when you looked from the outside. However, once inside, things changed completely. The space extended several hundred meters in all directions, and that was only the first floor. The insides definitely didn''t seem to fit the size from the outside.


    "Spatial Magic Arrays..." Alvin commented.


    Milia nodded, feeling just as impressed. They knew about arrays capable to control space, but those things were extremely expensive. A planet like Serfen, from where they came, probably didn''t have more than a handful of places that used it. Neither Milia nor Alvin had ever seen it at work before.


    Reaching the terminal, they put their hands on the receptors, confirming their Magic Energy signatures. That allowed them to enter the next room, which was also also manipulated with Spatial Magic Arrays.


    "Hey, aren''t you Alvin?" Suddenly, someone called Alvin from behind.


    Alvin and Milia turned around, looking at the Magus that had just arrived. Yet, their expression turned weird. They truly couldn''t remember that person at all. "Errr... do I know you, friend?" Alvin asked in the end.


    "Come on. Don''t you even remember me?" The guy asked. "I was one of the Maguses that passed the last exam. I was literally in the same batch of Maguses and Familiars that came down to the planet."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry... I don''t remember most of the people that came with us. We all went our separate ways after we landed, after all. And I don''t think you ever tried to talk to me back there either."


    "Sigh..." The guy could only introduce himself. "I''m Zandel Dorin, a Level Four Magus."


    Only then did Milia remember. "Oh! I saw your name in the rankings. You were one of the first Maguses to reach the necessary score with your Familiar during the Asteroid Test."


    Let''s not forget you could take your test alone or with your Familiar. Back then, Linfel and Alvin took their test alone, while Milia and Nori took it together. Naturally, she paid more attention to the score of Magus Familiar Duos than the individual scores that Linfel and Alvin were part of.


    Zandel finally showed a smile of appreciation. "THANK YOU! Geez, and here I thought I was some kind of ghost already. By the way, I also saw you. Milia, right? You took the Asteroid test with your Familiar. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I was really impressed you made it through at your Level."


    Milia nodded. "It wasn''t easy, but it is good we both made it."


    Zandel then turned to Alvin. "So, Alvin, I called you because I saw your Magic Output Score. I''m not from the same planet as you, but I did check all the Maguses and Familiars who entered the Ventis Sect with me. I was truly impressed by your score. I was planning to call you eventually to ask about how you did that. Fortunately, I met you here.


    It seems like you also managed to earn some Ventis Credits despite all the difficulties."


    Alvin finally understood. Indeed, his Magic Energy Output score, the one calculated before climbing the towers, was very high. "Yeah, the Ventis Sect truly made it so that you will have to put your life on the line to make a living. As for my Magic Output Score, it was all due to training. You will eventually get there. After all, Magic Energy Output is part of one Magic Energy Control.


    The better you can control, the more you can release at once."


    Zandel was happy to hear that. "No wonder the Ventis Sect insists we must pass the Magic Energy Control test before we can do leveling again. Would you mind telling me more about your training methods? I don''t mind paying some Ventis Credits for it."


    "Well, I would need t-" Alvin began to talk, but a voice suddenly cut in.


    -Attention all participants. The Magic Control Test will start in five minutes. Proceed to the center of the room where the Magic Array is located. A supervisor will explain the test shortly.-


    Alvin sighed. "Well, let''s just exchange MCOM numbers. We can talk more after this test is over."


    Zandel saw no problems with that. "Sure."


    After giving each other their numbers, the three Maguses went to the center of the room. Finally, a door opened on the back, and the supervisor of the exam moved to the center of the Magic Array. "Ahem... Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Magic Control Test. This is my first time doing this job, so take it easy on me."


    Alvin and Milia''s mouths twitched when they heard that voice. When they turned their heads in the direction of the supervisor, a certain... wisp... was there, talking to everyone.


    The supervisor this time around... was none other than Linfel!

 Chapter 140 - 140: Pay Attention

    Alvin smiled and shook his head slightly. "Sigh... seems like I haven''t rested enough after all that training. I could swear the supervisor is our guy."


    Milia nodded, refusing to believe her eyes. "Indeed. Still, there are a lot of Familiars that look like each other in this Universe. That supervisor is just somewhat identical to him. That''s all."


    Then, the ''supervisor'' looked at Alvin''s group. "Oh! Alvin, Milia, you came. However, don''t expect me to go easy on you two. As the supervisor this time around, I''m absolutely doing my best."


    Milia and Alvin''s mouths twitched. Two days... they hadn''t seen Linfel for just two days! Finally, they couldn''t hold it back anymore. "HOW THE HELL YOU BECAME A SUPERVISOR OF THE VENTIS SECT?!"


    ---


    Going back two days in time, Linfel was at the city center, gathering information. He wanted to find the fastest way to become an elder. It was then that he received a call through his MCOM. Seeing the person''s name, he got confused. "Hum? Elder Alexandra?"


    -Hi, Linfel. It''s been over a week since we last saw each other.-


    Linfel nodded. "Indeed. I just didn''t expect senior Alexandra to contact me like this. Did I do something wrong?"


    -Not at all,- Alexandra shook her head. -Instead, it is something good. I showed your test results to the higher-ups in the sect, and they are quite surprised with your scores. Above all, they saw how your Magic Energy Control was the best within all the participants of the last test. So, I just want to tell that you have been cleared from the exam. You can start leveling anytime you feel like it.-


    "I have?" Linfel was surprised. It was indeed good news. I won''t need to pay 150 Ventis Credits to take the test anymore. "That''s great!"


    Of course, since Alexandra called him, he had to take the chance to ask. "By the way, Elder Alexandra. I intend to go up in the ranks of the Ventis Sect as fast as possible. I wish to become an elder in the future. Do you know a way to realize this fast?"


    Alexandra couldn''t help but laugh. -Hahaha! An elder? Little guy, it took me almost a hundred years to reach Level Eight. That''s what you need to do, reach Level Eight first. You have many years ahead of you still.-


    "Level Eight..." Linfel remembered that it was indeed a requirement back when he searched for it with Alvin. "That''s gonna take a while..."


    -Well, that''s not the only way, of course.- Alexandra added. -You can also become kind of a supporting elder at lower levels, but that requires huge contributions.-


    Linfel''s interest was piqued. "What kind of contributions? If it is Universal Credits, I''m afraid I''m not very rich."


    -What? Universal Credits? There is no way you could become an elder of the Ventis Sect through Universal Credits. Boy, do you think the Ventis Sect lacks Universal Credits at all?-


    "Well... that''s true," Linfel admitted he was wrong. "Then what kind of contributions."


    -Pretty much any kind. But usually, a supporting elder is exactly that, a kind of support. They were disciples who had cleared the Magic Control Test and started to help out with other Sect Tasks that demanded some particular sets of skills.-


    She continued. -For example, do you remember Glien?-


    Linfel nodded. "He was one of the organizers of the test on Serfen Planet, right?" Glien was the same guy Linfel met at the top of the Space Elevator. He even spoke to Linfel about how the Ventis Sect put immense importance on one''s Magic Energy Control before anything else. He also allowed Linfel and Alvin to get past the third test without taking it.


    -That''s him alright. He is what you could call a supporting Elder. He isn''t a Minor Elder like me, much less an Inner Elder like Mosie. A supporting elder is below in the hierarchy chain. Nonetheless, they are given almost similar treatment to Minor Elders like me due to their great contributions to the Sect. It is definitely worth becoming one...


    and also incredible difficulty.-


    -In Glien''s case, he proved that his organizational skills, test building, talent checking, and things like that were top-notch. Every time the exams start to be carried out every six months, you can be sure he will be included in the teams organizing such exams.-


    Linfel was more than happy to accept the role of a supporting elder. "Something you excel at... I''m extremely confident in my Magic Energy Control. Is there some way I can use it to vie for a Supporting Elder Role?"


    -Well... considering that Magic Energy Control is an absolute must in the Ventis Sect, we are filled with Maguses and Familiars who excel at it. You would need to add something to the bag on top of that.-


    "Hum..." Then, Linfel remembered the Magic Energy Control test in two days. "Right! I''m not only good at Magic Energy Control but also at feeling the Magic Energy around me. It is particularly efficient to help others in their training. You remember Alvin, right? He became like that by following my instructions.


    I could be some kind of teacher or whatever."


    -Let me see... Well, it would still take a few years, and you will have to do a lot, but it should be possible. Still, I saw what you were capable of, so I''ll give you a cup of tea. There is another magic Energy Control test happening in your area soon. I will send a message to the testing area and have them test you instead. If you pass their test, you can become a supervisor for the exams.


    It won''t make you a supporting elder, but it is definitely a good start. Or, of course, you could level up and wait to reach Stage Eight.-


    Linfel didn''t need to hear it twice. "Great! Then, let me take the test to become a supervisor of the exam."


    The next day, Linfel went through various tests, most regarding his Magic Energy Control and his situational view of things. It goes without saying he smashed all Magic Energy Control tests, with few ever being as good at it as him during the same Level. But, above all, he was great at identifying and guiding talents through Magic Energy Sense.


    It was to the point that the Manager of the testing building in the area sent a message back to Alexandra, thanking her for finding him a good new supervisor for the exams since they were slightly lacking people at that time... although he commented about Linfel''s weird common sense, which Alexandra just told him to ignore.


    It was all in Linfel''s files about how he was born through very weird choices during his soul creation. They even had access to Heffal Country''s files regarding these issues.


    Thus, Linfel was now there, acting as supervisor of the exam for the first time. It was his initial step to become a supporting elder. He even asked to test his friends. Normally, such a thing wouldn''t be allowed. The supervisors would always be selected at random within those available in the testing building. But...


    just for this one little thing, Linfel used his Magic Energy Copy to make sure he was the one testing Alvin and the others. It still looked like he was selected at random, though.


    Well, there was no need for anyone to worry, even if they found out what Linfel did. The reason was simple. He absolutely wouldn''t go easy on Alvin and Milia. If anything, he might go even harder on them on purpose.


    ---


    Back in the present, Linfel turned to the rest of the participants. "Alright, I will now explain your test this time around. Pay attention since I won''t do it twice." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 141 - 141: Bonus

    "Usually, the Ventis Sect would add some targets in various forms, checking your reactions and control over Magic Energy. However, I believe such a method is a little outdated, so I''m introducing a new method. This should give you a better view of your own capacity, which the score would hardly translate," Linfel explained.


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask Milia on his side. "He just became a supervisor... Can he change the Ventis Sect like that?"


    Milia sighed. "Well, I doubt the Manager of this place would let him do such a thing if he hasn''t shown his method ahead of time."


    Linfel then activated the Magic Array, and it connected to his Core. Following that, Linfel''s Magic Sense spread as the Array followed. Finally, everyone''s bodies began to show various lines that covered all their bodies, much to the participants'' surprise.


    Seeing that, Linfel nodded, satisfied. "I believe you all can tell what these are. They are projections of the Magic Channels in your bodies. Magic Energy Control has a lot to do with how well you control your channels. The test''s score will be based on that instead of any target practicing or those kinds of bullshit. You are all in luck.


    Even if you fail today, you will leave this place with a huge advantage. The Ventis Credits you paid to take this test will look cheap."


    Milia and Alvin immediately understood what Linfel was doing. After all, that was the kind of training that Linfel put them through back in the Lungan Forest.


    "Alvin," Linfel called him.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head and moved to the front. "So you really called me in the end..."


    Linfel smiled. "But of course!" Then, he turned his attention to all the Maguses in the room. "Everyone, please pay attention. Alvin is someone who has been under my tutelage for around half a year now. I want you all to try to reproduce in your Magic Channels what he will show to you."


    Returning his attention to Alvin, Linfel started. "Alright, Alvin, this is also your test, and the Magic Array will give you the final score. So, even if we know each other, I can''t, nor would I change the results. Start by circulating your Magic Energy through twenty channels for five seconds, then swap to the next twenty channels.


    Continue in this fashion until you cover all your channels only once."


    Indeed, Linfel had Alvin repeat the training he did. With all the eyes on him, Alvin could only follow the orders and do a full rotation. He wasn''t worried, though. He could do that with ease since he had been practicing for quite some time. However, just as he tried the first circulation, the Magic Array activated.


    *Bzzzz!*


    Suddenly, Alvin felt his Magic Energy go chaotic, finding it really hard to control it inside his Magic Channels. Beads of sweat soon appeared on his face, now understanding that things wouldn''t really be easy. When he finished a full rotation, he was left gasping for air.


    "Good!" Linfel was happy that Alvin completed a full rotation with the Magic Array''s intervention. "Everyone, you saw it. Now, I want you to do the same thing. Of course, Alvin is used to this, so I had to add some obstacles in his way, as you all noticed. You, on the other hand, won''t be influenced by that. You are free to use your Magic Channels normally.


    This is your first test out of three. The degree of difficulty will increase. You can start now." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone looked at how Alvin''s Magic Channels worked and tried to copy. Too bad it was truly difficult. And for everyone, the Magic Array wasn''t even bothering them. That was truly a fine control of Magic Channels they hadn''t tried before, especially the new Maguses. Some of the older ones managed to use twenty channels for five seconds before swapping to another twenty.


    However, they couldn''t do it one after another and ended up failing after the third or fourth test.


    "This is too difficulty!" One of the Maguses immediately complained. He was especially angry since he had gotten used to the normal test, and he was confident he could finally pass the test today. Unfortunately, Linfel just had to appear.


    Linfel smiled at him. "Your control over the Magic Energy after they leave the Meridians isn''t too bad. Unfortunately, you are wasting too much Magic Energy. For the normal Magic Energy Control test, you truly would have a good chance of succeeding, but that wouldn''t really make you as good as Alvin here."


    Linfel approached him and then used his own Magic Energy. "Can you feel my Magic Energy in your body?"


    The guy nodded, confused. It wasn''t a Master Familiar Connection. Linfel was just throwing Magic Energy inside, which pretty much anyone could do as long as the other part allowed it to happen. "What about it?"


    Linfel''s fine control over his Magic Energy then changed it into several threads, with a number exactly the same as the number of Magic Energy Channels as the guy. "What about now?"


    "This..." The Magus was surprised. Linfel made him feel his Magic Energy Channels with ease. He quickly tried to use twenty as once for five seconds and swap to the next twenty. "So easy..."


    "Focus," Linfel warned him.


    Sometime later, the guy completed a full rotation. "I did it... and it cost me so little Magic Energy..."


    Linfel nodded, satisfied. "I''m a supervisor of the Ventis Sect for this exam. But that doesn''t mean I can''t help you as long as I don''t interfere with the result. Obviously, your attempt just now didn''t count. However, you can use your memory of this experience to try again. Go ahead.


    The exam will last all day. You have time."


    "Friend! Help me now!" One of the Magus didn''t waste time and approached Linfel. He was close to the last Magus Linfel just helped, so he was able to see the difference clearly. He found it hard to believe he was looking at the same Magus.


    "Me too!"


    "Hey, I was here first!"


    "Fuck you! I want to try it next!"


    Linfel quickly intervened. "Everyone will have one chance to work with me. There is no need to worry. We have plenty of time. No one will be left behind."


    At that moment, Milia finally completed a full rotation on her own. She was still not used to it, but she had experience. It''s just that the Magic Array didn''t bother her like it did with Alvin. Soon, a green light was projected in front of her, giving a message. -First Stage Concluded. Congratulations.-


    Milia smiled and then sat by the tired Alvin''s side. "And this is just the first test. I wonder if anyone will pass it at all..."


    Alvin shrugged. "Hard to say. However, even if they don''t pass the test, I don''t think a single Magus here will complain after spending a day with Linfel and his training methods. He is not only examining everyone; he is helping them to improve."


    Milia looked around, aware that the examination was definitely being watched to make sure the exam was fair and according to the rules. "If he wanted to get attention, he definitely will after today."


    Milia couldn''t be more correct. The Manager who employed Linfel for this Exam was looking at the examination at this very moment. "Alexandra... just where did you find this piece of work?" He murmured to himself.


    Yet, he was happy; the test was definitely difficult enough, and Linfel followed the rules. It was Linfel''s idea, but above all, it was something that only someone with astonishing Magic Energy Control could pull off. Usually, such Magic Energy Control wouldn''t be achieved before Level Seven, Level Eight being the norm.


    Too bad that such high-level experts would never waste their time in these exams, so Linfel was a heaven-sent. "Guess I have to give him a bonus at the end of the test today to make sure I can get him back next time."

 Chapter 142 - 142: Not Surprised

    A few hours later, a few of the Maguses managed to get past the first test. That didn''t mean the others failed. Until the day was over, the tests would continue to run. Nonetheless, Linfel gave everyone the exact same treatment, one after another. Only then did he jump to the next part.


    "Alright, everyone. Now, for the second test, I want you all to focus on the Magic Channels displayed by the array on your bodies. In the first test, I asked you to use twenty channels alone and then switch. This is very good training for those who want to get better at Magic Energy Control and efficiency. In the second test, however, I want you to do the opposite."


    He continued. "I want you all to use almost all your Magic Channels and leave only twenty of them empty. Then, switch to another twenty channels after thirty seconds. This one is even harder since your senses will be clouded by the Magic Energy circulating in most of your Magic Channels."


    "Alvin!" Linfel turned to his guinea pi- ahem, friend. "Show to them. They will all watch and use their own magic Energy Senses to see how you switch between channels."


    Alvin nodded but had some doubts. "Will the Magic Array intervene with my test again?"


    "Of course!" Linfel didn''t hold back. "You are already used to this, and that''s why your Magic Energy Control is the best in this room. I was able to evaluate that after checking all the candidates. If I give you a test with the same difficulty, wouldn''t it be unfair to them who never tried this before?"


    "But..." Alvin insisted. "This test is to see if we have the necessary Magic Energy Control. It doesn''t really matter if the person is already used to it or not, right? So... even if I am, the test should still be the same so my score can be displayed correctly."


    The Maguses around narrowed their eyes but had to admit Alvin''s words made sense. It wasn''t a contest against each other. There was no need for fairness in this exam since anyone would pass as long as they reached the score.


    "Stop complaining! Aren''t you a man?!" Someone immediately blurted.


    "Yes! You deserve a higher difficulty!" and another Magus joined.


    "Hmph! That''s what you deserve for pulling ahead."


    "Just do it!"


    It''s just that the Maguses didn''t say they agreed with Alvin since they didn''t like the fact Alvin had Linfel for himself all this while. They wanted Linfel instead, so they were angry. They were more than happy to see him suffer!


    "See?" Linfel pointed at everyone. "Will you truly ignore the voice of the people? I''m the supervisor in this test. What I can''t do is make an exam easier for someone. However, I can definitely make it harder, and the Ventis Sect will be more than happy to accommodate my wishes."


    Alvin felt like crying. Why does he have to go through all of this? "Fine! All of you, watch closely."


    Alvin concentrated and immediately circulated his Magic Energy through all his Magic Channels. Then, twenty of those Magic Channels were emptied.


    A few seconds later, the Magic Array activated again, and Alvin''s body was flooded with Magic Energy. That made it very hard to keep those specific twenty channels empty nonstop while the rest were circulating Magic Energy to the brim.


    Alvin gritted his teeth and switched to another twenty channels once the time was right. He continued to do that another four times... until he missed. "Fuck! This is too difficult!"


    Linfel shrugged. "That means it is good training. Continue trying. If you don''t do it, you won''t pass the second test." Right after, he turned to the rest of the Maguses. "Alright, same thing as before. I will help you understand your channels better, and you will have to repeat the process on your own.


    Who''s first?"


    "Me!"


    "No, me!"


    "I got here first!" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel laughed. "Hahaha! Alright, alright. Same sequence of people as before. Let''s start."


    This time, Milia was the first one to finish. Linfel didn''t use the Magic Array to make the test harder for her since she just started his training recently. She obviously caught a few eyes since she was must faster, though.


    Alvin was the second one, once again lying on the ground while gasping for air. Linfel truly didn''t know how to take it easy on him.


    As for the rest of the Maguses, it wouldn''t be before three hours later that the first one managed to do a full rotation on his own. The Magic Array didn''t bother him, but he was even more tired than Alvin.


    Now, the room had Maguses stuck in the first and second tests. Linfel didn''t mind it, though. He kept waiting for another hour, and a total of only six Maguses made it past the second test.


    "Okay, everyone. Stop for a moment. I will now explain the third test since we are getting to the end of the day. Even if you haven''t got this far, you definitely wanna see it," Linfel explained.


    The Maguses all stopped instantly and focused on Linfel.


    "The third and last test will focus on Magic Energy efficiency," as soon as he said that, the Magic Array activated, and several orbs appeared in the room, one for each Magus there. "These Magic Energy Receptors have the same number of Magic Channels as your bodies.


    I prepared them so that the Magic Energy Channels will only receive Magic Energy from the channels displayed by the array in your own bodies. If you use as much as a single Magic Channel wrong, the receptor will be emptied straight away, and you will have to start from again."


    Even the Maguses who reached the third test felt terrified. They only managed to make a single rotation. To fill the receptor, they will probably need to repeat the process hundreds of times.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel wasn''t that hard on them, though. "For the receptor to fill up, you only need to repeat a full rotation ten times. Do that, and you will pass the third test."


    Ten times was still hard to imagine, but at least the Maguses could accept it.


    There was one exception, though. "Alvin, your orb will need a hundred rotations, and the Magic Array will interfere with your Magic Energy Channels all the time. You can start."


    Alvin could already feel the agony... "Why am I not surprised anymore..."

 Chapter 143 - 143: New Place

    At exactly midnight, the Magic Control test was over... and only four people made it through in Linfel''s group. There wasn''t anything strange about this number. Usually, no more than an average of six or seven passes it during every exam, so Linfel''s numbers was just a little smaller.


    Milia... was not among those who passed the test, though. She ended the first two tests faster than the rest of the groups. Unfortunately, the third test went beyond what Linfel taught her. She barely began her training of swapping magic channels to gain better Magic Control. It would be weird if she suddenly was better than even the Level Five Maguses present.


    The third test required Magic Control not only about one''s Magic Energy Channel but about the Magic Energy outside their bodies and the Magic Energy inside their Cores. While she excelled at the completely focused Magic Energy Channel tests, the last one was out of her range.


    She wasn''t disappointed, though. The Magic Array still followed a fair scoring method, and it showed a score of 657 out of the 800 necessary to pass. Most of those who were taking this test for the first time didn''t even reach 500 points.


    One of the four successful participants was obviously Alvin. Once again, the Magic Array was fair, and Linfel couldn''t interfere with the calculation of results it made. Alvin ended up having a score of 1325, far above the other three who passed. The reason for such a monumental score was Linfel''s obstacles.


    The interference were caused by the array, so the array considered Alvin''s performances to be worth even more points than it did to the other Maguses.


    The other three were two females and one male. The Two females were Leel Four Maguses, while the other Male was a Level Five. All three of them had been here in the Ventis Sect for over a year, so they worked a lot on their Magic Control.


    Normally, the rest of the Maguses would feel dejected that they didn''t make it through the test. Yet, today was different. What Linfel showed to them all, and especially the difference his training made right from the start, gave all of them hope. Those methods were just too effective!


    "Supervisor Linfel," one of the Maguses quickly came to Linfel''s side. "I''m Olix Dunnes. Would you perhaps have time for a paid tutelage? I''ve saved quite a bit of Ventis Credits since I arrived and would like to receive more of your teachings. I''m sure to pass the test next time if you take me."


    "Get out of the way!" Another magus intervened. "Senior Linfel... No! Master Linfel! I also have Ventis Credits, and I''m already at Level Five. Please accept me instead.


    Just one month! That''s all I need from you."


    "Ha! Bunch of idiots. Supervisor Linfel wouldn''t lose his time with the likes of you. I, on the other hand, have plenty of Ventis Credits I''ve been saving. Senior Linfel, I can pay more than any of these Maguses. Take me."


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other. Linfel had easily become the center of attention after he helped all the maguses in the exam. No other supervisors did that for them before. Alvin then whispered in Milia''s ears. ''Let''s leave quickly. These guys are all over Linfel and willing to pay for his help.


    If they find out we aren''t paying anything, we will become the focus of their anger.'' S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Milia was taken aback and nodded vigorously. They down down and walked fast between the Maguses. The results mattered little at the moment.


    However, Linfel suddenly flashed in front of the two. "Hey, where are you going? Don''t leave me behind. The test results are out, so my job for today is over. Let''s go home together."


    All the eyes immediately turned to Alvin and Milia. "Do you guys live in the same place?"


    Linfel nodded. "Yes. They are my friends. We came from the same planet, so I''m also helping them train. Anyway, everyone. I can''t help with your training since I already have these two under my wings.


    Goodbye." Right after, Linfel grabbed them and walked out, ignoring all the requests from the Maguses behind.


    Milia and Alvin walked out with their heads down, feeling all the jealousy targeted at them. Couldn''t this wisp have at least waited for them to come out?


    Outside the room, Nori quickly runs in Milia''s direction. His test ended a lot earlier. "Milia!"


    "Nori!" Milia grabbed the guy with a smile. "How was it? Did you do well?"


    Nori shook his head. "Nowhere near it. I scored 612 points only. What about you?"


    "657 points. I didn''t pass either," she explained as they made their way out of the building.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel was satisfied, though. "Your scores are within what I expected. Above all, you know how the tests work. Well, one of the tests was given by me, but that''s okay."


    "Given... by you?" Nori was puzzled, so Milia had to explain everything to Nori. "What?! You became a supervisor?! How?!"


    Milia and Alvin quickly turned to Linfel. They were just as curious.


    However, before Linfel could talk, the manager of the testing building appeared. "Linfel, good work today."


    "Oh! Senior Truqil. I hope my new method proved efficient," Linfel was happy to see the man. It was Truqil who gave the final word that accepted him as a supervisor for this exam.


    Truqil nodded, satisfied. "It was great. Not many passed, but you set the ground for those Maguses to improve. Not all supervisors spend much time doing such things. By the way, can you come with me for a moment? I want to talk about the next exam in two months."


    Linfel looked at Alvin, who just nodded back. "We can find our way back home. Just meet us there later."


    "Very well," Linfel quickly nodded and joined Truqil. "Let''s go, senior Truqil."


    It wasn''t before two hours later that Linfel arrived back in their shared room. "Hey there, I''m back!"


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori quickly gathered around him, not leaving much space in the already small room. "So, how did you do that?"


    Linfel didn''t talk about it, though. "I will explain later. For now, gather your things. We are leaving."


    "Leaving?" Alvin''s group obviously got confused. "Why?"


    Linfel then took out his MCOM and showed the map. "We are moving to the city center. I just got us a house... paid by the Ventis Sect. Hahaha!"

 Chapter 144 - 144: Hired!

    Close to where the tests for Magic Control happened, Linfel and his group stared at a giant residential complex. At the gate, Linfel used his Magic Energy Signature, and also took the chance to register Alvin and the others. Finally, they moved to their house, not too far from the entrance gate. "Well, this is the one."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori were still surprised. Alvin even took out his MCOM just to check how many Ventis Credits you would need to rent something like this for a month. "3000... Ventis Credits..." he barely was able to pronounce it.


    Milia and Nori were skeptical. "Are you sure this is ours to use? We won''t suddenly get charged for trespassing, will we?"


    "It''s fine. It''s fine!" Linfel said as he entered the house with them. It had four rooms, kitchen, baths, everything they would need. "This is part of my payment for being a supervisor in the exam every two months."


    Still, Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "Wouldn''t it be better if you had got the payment in Ventis Credits instead of this house? We could have simply rented something much cheaper and kept the rest of the Credits."


    Linfel shrugged. "I thought about that. Unfortunately, the amount of Ventis Credits you can be paid for working as a supervisor of the exam has a limit. It''s just that Truqil didn''t want to lose me, so he offered this house, which is property of the Ventis Sect, on the side. He is not paying me anything extra, and the house isn''t mine either. We can only use it.


    We still have to pay for water and electricity, though."


    "So that''s how it is..." They were all happy. Since that was the case, they weren''t losing anything and got a much better place to live.


    "We can continue here as long as I continue working on the tests as supervisor every two months," Linfel concluded.


    Suddenly, Alvin heard his MCOM and brought it out. "Oh! Shit! I completely forgot about him. It''s Zandel."


    "Zandel?" Linfel remembered that name from his test just a few hours ago.


    Alvin and Milia quickly explained about their meeting in the exam, and the fact he wanted to talk to Linfel.


    "He wanted to learn about the training I gave you?" Linfel asked back. "Well... even if he offered Ventis Credits, it doesn''t matter much. There were plenty of Maguses in the previous test who offered Ventis Credits for me to take them. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen."


    "Why is that?" Milia asked, curious.


    "Do you need to ask?" Linfel didn''t seem very willing. "Not only do I have to focus on my own training, I''m already helping the three of you. There is only so much I can do on my own. You saw it back in the test. Just to help the various magus with that simple task took me hours and more hours. Try to guess if I gave them the same treatment I''m giving you."


    Alvin couldn''t help but feel a little bad for Zandel. "Can''t you make an exception? There is no need to bring him with us. Just give him some time when we are in the city. I very much would like to see people from our planetary area do well here."


    Linfel pondered a bit and gave in in the end. "Fine, call and tell him to meet us here. I''ll take a look at his progress. I already have an idea after checking him earlier in the test. I''m too nice for my own good."


    Later that day, Zandel arrived at their house, feeling impressed Alvin''s group could afford such a thing. "How did you even get that many Ventis Credits? You have some backing in the Sect, right? Right?!"


    Alvin shook his head and explained what happened.


    That only made Zandel more interested in their training methods, though. He quickly turned to Linfel in the room, bowing in a polite manner. "Friend Linfel, help me out. I don''t have as many Ventis Credits as the guys back in the exam, but I will pay whatever I can. I just need to get the necessary Magic Energy Control as soon as possible so I can use the Away Tokens."


    "You need to leave the planet?" Milia asked out of curiosity.


    Zandel scratched the back of his head. "Not exactly. You see, the missions and contracts you get inside the sect aren''t really considered of great importance. If you want to become a focus of the Ventis Sect resources, you need to appear more. The Away Tokens allow you to take missions in the name of the sect on other planets, and that''s where the real rewards come from.


    I could even manage to buy Blue Magic Stones with it."


    "Blue Magic Stones!" Alvin''s group took a deep breath. It was the same Magic Energy color as Level Five Maguses and Familiars.


    Linfel looked at Alvin. "Well, you passed the exam, so we can use the Away Tokens we got so far to take such missions."


    Alvin remembered something. "Right! You became a supervisor, but did you even take the exam? You still haven''t explained to us how you became a supervisor at all."


    "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you the story," Linfel nodded. It wasn''t any secret, so he didn''t mind speaking about it with Zandel There. He told how Alexandra contacted him and how the higher-ups considered that Linfel had no need for the test. Finally, due to Linfel''s wishes to become an elder, he ended up hearing about the Support Elder position that didn''t need you to become a Level Eight Familiar.


    He would need to help the sect with several tasks, and the Supervisor Exam for Magic Control was one of the ways to show his utility.


    Alvin and the rest didn''t know about that. "It must be pretty rare for someone to get exempt from the exam..."


    "If it is or not, that I don''t know," Linfel commented. "But it was pretty convenient."


    Alvin then returned to the previous topic. "What about the missions outside the planet? Should we take it?"


    Linfel looked at Milia and Nori, who still didn''t have the necessary Magic Energy Control. "Since I''m helping the three of you, it would be better if you all could use Magic Energy for leveling. Milia can''t do that at the moment, so I''m also prohibiting you from doing it, Alvin."


    "Why?" Alvin asked back.


    "It will be better if you, Milia, and Nori are on an equal footing when I''m focusing my Magic Sense on your bodies so I can make a proper comparison," Linfel explained. "Don''t worry. Milia and Nori didn''t pass the exam this time, but I''m certain they will pass the next one in two months. They just didn''t have enough time to train under the same conditions I put you several months go."


    Linfel then turned to Zandel. "And that brings me to you. Truth be told, I don''t have much use for Ventis Credits at the moment since we aren''t buying any Magic Stones. What can you offer to have me help you as well?"


    "This..." Zandel immediately went silent. He only had Ventis Credits, and only a few of them. "I... am quite good at cooking?"


    "You are hired!" Linfel answered instantly.


    S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 145 - 145: New Member

    "Coo...king?" Alvin and Milia didn''t know what to say. "Is that the reason?"


    Linfel glared at the two. "Do you think I didn''t see what you did back in the room we were sharing? I don''t need to eat, but even I could tell that what you made there wasn''t food. It was poison! Holy shit! How the hell have you got to burn so many things?"


    "I... never really had to cook anything in my life," Milia was the first one to answer.


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Dad cooked for me, then I got into the Magus Academy and simply ate at the cafeterias..."


    Linfel nodded. "Exactly. But here in the Ventis Sect, nothing comes for free, and you were wasting Ventis Credits! I will not stand for food waste! You know about me and the place I came from. Do you know how hard it was for the people back then to get something as simple as food?"


    Zandel couldn''t help but get curious. ''Isn''t Alvin Linfel''s Master? Did they go separate ways at some point since Linfel''s creation?'' He wondered to himself but didn''t say it out loud.


    Linfel turned to Zandel. "Alvin and Milia as humans, just like you. They need proper sustenance. If I help you, I will have you cook all their food for the next months until the next test. Are you up for it?"


    Zandel didn''t need to hear that question twice. "Of course! I can even pay for the food myself!" He wasn''t kidding. Paying for the food would be way cheaper than what he would need to pay Linfel for the tutelage. Especially if you compare his savings to the other Maguses who wanted to hire Linfel back in the test.


    Nori felt relieved to hear that. "Good work, Linfel. Milia absolutely couldn''t keep going with that."


    "Thank you for warning me in the MCOM as well," Linfel nodded at him. On this point, they were of the same idea.


    Alvin and Milia looked away. It was just cooking. Was it really that bad to not know how to do it?


    Linfel then turned to Zandel. "Since that the case, go out there and prepare food for two weeks. We are leaving the city tomorrow morning."


    "Two weeks?!" Zandel was taken aback. However, he quickly recovered. Linfel obviously had the plans set for them. "A-Alright! I''ll be right back. Leave today''s dinner with me as well.


    It will be a feast!"


    That was quite a calm and happy night for their group. Linfel even allowed Zandel to stay in the house since they would leave the next day anyway. By the morning, everyone felt invigorated, having rested really well.


    "Okay. First, the contracts. Where should we go this time?" Linfel asked everyone.


    They all opened their MCOMs and started to take a look. There were many things available. Going out to collect Magic Beast Materials was a good call. Delivering items would be easy, too. However, the Ventis Sect offered many options, and Linfel didn''t want to return to the same forest again.


    Hearing that, Zandel gave them an idea. "Well, how about doing what I did for some Ventis Credtis? What you did is also good, but my method isn''t any worse. When I arrived, I dove into the information in the Ventis Sect Network and found this."


    He quickly turned his MCOM to everyone.


    -Fucoes Dungeon Investigation. The Larwerty Foundation is looking for Maguses and Familiars to wear its devices and go down the Fucoes Dungeon. It will be necessary to reach the third floor for the readings to be worth the Ventis Credits.-


    -Rewards: Reaching the third floor: 100 Ventis Credits.-


    -Extra Rewards: 50 more Ventis Credits for each extra floor explored while wearing our devices.-


    "Dungeon? Now it truly feels like a game," Alvin commented, remembering about the killers back in the Forest.


    "You took this kind of job before?" Milia asked Zandel. In the contracts, the danger of each task is closely related to the Ventis Credits paid. If the Larwerty Foundation was paying 100 credits just to reach the third floor, one could imagine things weren''t that easy. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zandel, obviously, understood that. "That''s how this sect operates, right? It forces you to put your life on the line if you want to make a living, let alone if you want to pay for the Magic Control Exams. I went down three times since we arrived several weeks ago. And yes, I won''t lie, it is dangerous. That''s why I joined other groups when I did.


    Of the more than twenty people I met during my journeys, two already died."


    "That is perfect!" Linfel quickly opened the contract in his own MCOM. The contract was valid, and the reward was real. They just needed to go to the Larwerty Foundation to have to take the devices.


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori understood Linfel''s behavior. Now that he made up his mind, he wouldn''t change it. Even worse, if they said they didn''t want to go, Linfel would simply go on his own.


    On the way to the Larwerty Foundation, they stopped by Zandel''s room. He, too, was renting a cheap one for him to live. There, they met Kefin, Zandel''s Familiar, also at Level Four. He wasn''t independent, though. Zandel was still his master.


    Neither Alvin nor Milia paid much attention to it. That was the norm in the Magus World. Independent Familiars like theirs were pretty rare, so there wasn''t anything wrong with Zandel''s handling of the issue. Besides, judging by the way Zandel and Kefin interacted to each other, they seemed to get along quite well.


    Finally, they arrived at the Larwerty Foundation, and presented the contract at the counter. The Foundation was used to those contracts and quickly brought them to the back to receive their devices.


    Alvin, Milia, and Zandel received a bracelet each that was attached to their arm. As for Linfel and Nori, they got a device similar to the Familiar''s MCOM. Familiars usually changed the shape of their Core to hold the MCOMs, so Nori simply had to do the same. Linfel, on the other hand, just threw it inside the Spatial Inventory when no one was looking.


    He couldn''t change the shape of his Core, after all.


    "What are the functions of these devices?" Alvin asked Zandel on the way to the Fucoes Dungeon.


    "They vary," Zandel pondered about the ones he wore during the times he went down. "Some do monitoring of the conditions of the Dungeon, like the Magic Energy Concentration, Elemental Balance, etc. Milia''s one seems to be exactly that. Others do some different probing. For example, Nori and I are definitely using Magic Energy Output devices.


    They will read into our Magic Energy when we fight the Magic Beasts down there and send the data back to the Larwerty Foundation."


    "Anyway, it''s these kind of things. The Larwerty Foundation works for the Ventis Sect, like many other companies, and they help making sure everything is running as it should. In this case, the Fucoes Dungeon environment," Zandel explained.


    Everyone nodded. "Well, if they are paying, so be it."


    The Fucoes Dungeon was three days away from the city... if you refused to pay for transportation. Linfel''s group definitely had some Ventis Credits now, so they used it this time... or so they wanted.


    *bzzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    "Run!" Linfel shouted from behind after zapping Zandel''s buttocks. "Do not look down on your physical development. It is as important as your Level! Run like your life depends on it! And while you run, support your body with Magic Energy. However, only ten Magic Channels can be used at a time."


    Alvin, Milia, and Nori glanced at Zandel and Kefin, feeling pity for them. They know way too well how that feels... and how he would suffer for the foreseeable future. Well, most likely, they would suffer, too.

 Chapter 146 - 146: Die is Good

    *Gasp, gasp, gasp...*


    Zandel fell to the floor like a dead log. His body simply couldn''t take another step, and he couldn''t even bother to pay attention to his buttocks appearing. He was zapped there by Linfel so many times that he didn''t even know if he still had everything there.


    Kefin wasn''t much better. As a Familiar, he only had his core... However, the Green Color that demonstrated its Level Four was gone. All one could see was a charred, black core. He was even worse than Nori at using his Magic Channels, courtesy of a life dedicated to Leveling Up nonstop.


    "M...Master... W-why are we doing... this?" Kefin couldn''t help but ask, not sure if it was all worth it.


    Zandel bitterly smiled. If he had known that the training he would go through was something like this, he probably wouldn''t have accepted. That wasn''t all. At some point, he really got angry and trying to give up. Unfortunately, Linfel completely rejected his request, saying that if he stopped running, he would make sure he wouldn''t be allowed to take a single Magic Control Test anymore.


    Zandel highly doubted Linfel could really do it. That would be going against the rules. However, he also remembered how the Ventis Sect got a luxurious house for Linfel just a few weeks after he arrived on the planet, all because Linfel was that necessary. Perhaps... the Ventis Sect would think it was better to sacrifice Zandel to make sure they kept Linfel.


    And so, he continued run, run, and run even more. Now, he was almost dead, and so was his Familiar.


    Linfel approached him, nodding in satisfaction. "That''s good. A very nice smell of cooked meat, or cooked buttocks, for that matter."


    Zandel wanted to cry. "You are a familiar. You can''t even smell things!"


    "Wrong!" Linfel immediately denied it. "A familiar can smell things as long as they know how to use their magic Energy to interact with the environment. If you don''t believe me, check your MCOM."


    "Its... It''s true... Master," Kefin confirmed Linfel''s words. "I saw it being mentioned in the Ventis Sect network while I gathered information about our new life here. However, that was supposed to be something you can only do at Level Six or higher..."


    "Wrong again!" Linfel cut him off. "The reason it only happens at Level Six is because it is around that time a Familiar gets a high enough Magic Energy Control to achieve this effect. I, on the other hand, already have it. Do you think they exempted me from the test just because I was a little better than other Familiars? No!


    I was exempt because I absolutely can trash any other familiar at similar levels. And that''s the kind of Magic Energy Control that I''m drilling into your bodies."


    Zandel and kefin went silent. They didn''t have much energy to move anyway.


    Alvin approached, scratching the back of his head while rubbing his buttocks as well. He wasn''t zapped anywhere as much as Zandel, but he was still punished a few times on the way. Linfel''s Sparta supervision was all-encompassing. Milia even went behind a tree to change her pants since they were also full of holes due to Linfel''s Lightning Attacks.


    "Here, take it," Alvin spoke.


    Zandel raised his head and saw a new pair of pants. "Th-Thank you... Seems like you came prepared."


    Milia arrived right after, now with new pants, nodding at Zandel. "We spent almost a hundred Ventis Credits buying new pants and underwear. We will probably need a new pair every day from now on. Don''t worry. We knew it was going to happen, so we have plenty for you as well."


    Zandel finally got a little bit of energy back and slowly got up. "I... I will change. Give me a moment." Just like Mlia, he also went to a hidden corner and only came back after changing his destroyed pants and underwear.


    Linfel looked at all of that and didn''t seem to care. "Hmph! Be happy I''m being lenient. If it was a certain friend of mine from the past, you wouldn''t even have clothes anymore by the time he finished with you at the end of the day." Linfel wasn''t lying. Horan was indeed that much Sparta than him.


    He continued. "In any case, you are just like Alvin and Milia were back then, absolutely terrible physical strength."


    "I spent my life trying to reach Level Four before the exam," Zandel explained. "Anything physically related before it, I compensated by circulating more Magic Energy through my body. I don''t regret it since I indeed managed to join the Ventis Sect with Kefin." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel nodded. "And you shouldn''t. You had a plan in mind; you were young, and you still got through it. There is nothing wrong with that. However, now that I''m in charge, I will beat the hell of your body and Kefin''s core to extract every single IOTA of potential. Physical training also strengthens the Magic Channels, so you will gain a lot from this, even if you don''t see it now."


    Right after, Linfel accessed his Spatial Storage and took out the food Zandel had prepared before they left. "Anyway, time to eat. Make sure to stuff everything down."


    Alvin and Milia''s eyes lit up. They had been waiting for this. "Finally!"


    Zandel, however, found it hard to feel hungry. It was a normal condition when someone had just started physical training to such an extent for the first time. However, Alvin warned him. "Eat, even if you have to force it down, and try to keep it inside at all costs. Believe me! You will regret it if you don''t recover your energy."


    Milia nodded vigorously, feeling a little scared when she remembered her first days. "Regret is an understatement..." She quickly shook her head right after, trying to push those memories away.


    Linfel ignored that and checked everyone''s bodies more carefully while they ate or recovered their Magic Energy in the Familiar''s cases. "Alright, here''s the report of the first day. Well, truth be told, it was all about Magic Channel Control today, so there isn''t much I can add other than that you are getting better with it.


    Naturally, the level of difficulty to each of your is based on your actual level. So, Alvin is having the hardest training together with me. Milia and Nori are having the second hardest, while Zandel and Kefin are just starting the basics. I will check how you do tomorrow and adjust your steps accordingly."


    Zandel looked at Linfel, who seemed completely fine. Was Linfel really training at all? And having the hardest type of training? He found it hard to believe. ''If he is, then he is even more of a monster than I thought...''


    Night fell, and their group found a hotel to stay. They weren''t passing through any Magic Beast territories, so the trip was relatively safe... as long as a Killer didn''t appear, of course. Nonetheless, Killers were rare in the Magic Beast Territories, so outside them, it was even harder to find one.


    The next day, Alvin, Nori, and Milia got up early and waited outside. Linfel was already there, hidden in a corner not too far from the entrance, controlling four different blades of elements. Fire, Lightning, Wing, and Water. They couldn''t see it, but he was adding his Soul Power to each one of them.


    Zandel and Kefin arrived a few minutes later, and the shock in their eyes was easy for anyone to see. "Four elements at once?!"


    Alvin and Milia patted his shoulder. "Ignore him. Trust us; it is for the good of your own mental health."


    Linfel then stopped using his Magic Energy and Soul Power, and the blades vanished. "So you are all here. Because Zandel was new, I took it easy during the first day. That is not gonna happen today, though. So..."


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    Three bags weighing 70, 60, and 40kg, respectively, fell to the ground. "Put them on your backs. Since we don''t have Magic Beasts to fight, there is no need to worry about sudden developments. We will run at 30% more speed today as well."


    Zandel trembled all over. "I... I will not last..."


    "Good!" Linfel nodded. "Remember, if you think your are going to die, then the training is going according to the plan. Alvin, the bag with 70kg. Milia, the bag with 60kg. And Zandel, the bag with 40kg. Today, Alvin has to alternate between three sets of five Magic Channels every fifteen seconds.


    Milia and Zandel will do it with ten Magic Channels. Nori and Kefin will use three sets of seven."


    *Bzzzzz!*


    Then, several arcs of lightning began to dance around Linfel. "Now, run! I''ll be right behind, making sure you will have to wear a new pair of pants and underwear by the end of the day."

 Chapter 147 - 147: No Doubts

    Fucoes Dungeon was constantly being used as an initial area for new Maguses and Familiars. It was even more popular than Lungan Forest since it was far from any Magic Beast Territories. As mentioned before, that also reduced the chances of killers appearing. Also, transportation to this dungeon was free to those who accepted contracts related to it.


    Today, an airship landed on the south side of the dungeon entrance, and several Maguses and Familiars came out, looking forward to what they could get. The Ventis Sect Entrance Exam happened pretty much all year round due to its enormous territory, so new Maguses and Familiars constantly arrived on the planet.


    Naturally, these new guys constantly flooded places like this since most of them didn''t have a single penny to their name.


    One of those Maguses looked at the pyramid-like construction ahead, which was s few tens of meters tall. It wasn''t that big compared to many of the buildings in the city, but it was still easily spotted in this empty region.


    He turned around, intending to go check one of the various stalls there. Suddenly, the image of a ghost appeared by his side, making him jump back in scare. Then, another two such ghosts appeared by the first ghost''s side, walking forward like they would fall at any moment.


    *Tud, tud, tud...*


    Those three ghosts then fell with their faces on the ground, seemingly completely dead. Only when the Magus paid more attention did he notice that they weren''t ghosts. They were humans, just like him. It''s just that they were so pale and badly ravaged that the thought of a human wasn''t the first thing you would think about them.


    If one paid attention, they would also see another two black cores lading by those ghosts'' sides. Feeble Magic Energy came out of those charcoal cores, making one wonder if it was some new kind of Magic Stone with a new color.


    That group easily caught the attention of the new and old Maguses who came to enter the Dungeon. Just what could have happened for them to end in such a state?


    Finally, that first Magus ran forward and caught one of the ghosts. "Brother, get up! What happened?!" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Someone else arrived by his side. "That''s sad. Killers aren''t common outside the Magic Beast Forests, but it isn''t impossible to bump into some. Their group must have been attacked, and only these three survived."


    "Look at their injuries; their bodies don''t even have water to sweat anymore. The killers must have played with their lives all the way here."


    "Don''t worry, friends. The killers won''t dare to get close to the entrance of the Dungeon. There are too many Maguses and Familiars here for them to risk approaching this place since their heads are worth double the amount of Ventis Credits they carry."


    The ghost on the Magus''s arm then tried to turn his body around, pointing in a certain direction. It was hard to do since a heavy bag was attached to his back. There, a Familiar floated calmly ahead, approaching the group of Maguses and Familiars who gathered to help the ghosts. The ghost could barely utter a few words. "M-Mons...ter... B-Be careful..."


    When the Familiar arrived, he looked at the ghosts and shook his head, disappointed. "How rude! Here am I, using my priceless time to help you five train your bodies, and you all me monster? All I did was make you run a little bit." Naturally, that was Linfel, not satisfied with the ''exaggeration'' shown in front of him.


    Run... a little bit? Training? What kind of training is this? These guys are pretty much dead already!


    Linfel then conjured three water ball and purposely made them salty with his Earth Element. Then, he threw it at the three Maguses and Two charred Familiars on the ground.


    *Shua!*


    *ARRRRRGGGHHHHH!*


    The three ghosts immediately jumped from the ground as the saltwater splashed all over their injuries. That wasn''t training anymore. That was torture! The two charred Familiars weren''t much better since Linfel also added a little bit of his Magic Energy into the two Water Balls in a way that made their souls tremble.


    As one can imagine, the three ghosts and the two charred cores were none other than Alvin and the rest. The one who called Linfle monster was Zandel, the ''new'' member of the group.


    Alvin finally recovered some of his will and complained... falling to the ground again. "Can''t you take it easier? Why did we need to move twice as fast in the last two hours? And you even threatened us with harsher training if we didn''t make it here in time."


    Zandel''s ghost face also showed some anger. "He is right! And what with the disappointed expression? It is a miracle we even made it!"


    Milia, who was usually cold and aloof, lost all of that by now. "Linfel. That was too much. I''m a lady!" Milia never used the lady card, NEVER! That was how determined she usually was. Today...


    she made an exception...


    Nori and Kefin couldn''t even speak the poor Familiars. Linfel zapped them so much that their magic channels couldn''t spread Magic Energy correct, which made it hard to transform Magic Energy into sounds. They were, however, just as indignant.


    Linfel completely ignored their complaints, though. "Good. Since you have so much energy to talk, you obviously don''t need to rest. Let''s enter the dungeon straight away."


    The Maguses and Familiars around didn''t know what to say about that situation. Would anyone push their training to such a half-dead state? Was it truly a good thing for their bodies and cores? Of course, none of them knew Linfel had the capability to heal them all, so it wasn''t really a problem.


    Alvin and the others immediately trembled in fear. "Ahem... We were not complaining. We... Yes! We were just giving a spirited opinion.


    That was all!"


    Zandel nodded vigorously. "He is right. I didn''t say monster. I said... I said... Right!


    I said Mommy! I was just feeling a little homesick and thought about her."


    Milia, the princess of the Magus Academy, today learned how to lie beautifully. "Little Fel, training is good, but so is our mental health, right? If we can''t concentrate in the dungeon, then the training might do more harm than good. Sure you wouldn''t force us to go in and get a bad result, no?"


    Linfel glanced at them all, feeling a little apologetic. "I see. Feeling homesick is normal. Giving sincere opinions is not bad either. Seems like it was my mistake. Let''s find some corner to rest and sleep.


    Tomorrow, we are entering the Dungeon."


    Then, their group walked away from the commotion.


    As for the crowd watching... ''Did that Familiar truly believe that bullshit?''


    Oh, my friends, Linfel didn''t doubt a single word...

 Chapter 148 - 148: A Better Challenge

    Linfel''s group caused a little bit of commotion, but with the number of Maguses and Familiars coming and going in this Dungeon, they were quickly forgotten by the time the next day arrived.


    Linfel made sure to heal all their injuries, while Alvin, Milia, and Zandel had to once again change their clothes. They had a great dinner, and the night went by without issues since Linfel watched over them.


    Finally, they stepped in front of the Dungeon entrance, ready to get inside.


    "So... Zandel, you had been here before. Where do we go from here?" Avin asked.


    Zandel moved forward. "Right, it will be better if you follow me. The Dungeon has thousands of different routes leading to the lower floors. Usually, I join other groups and we follow the most used routes to guarantee our safety. After all, we are already making a good amount of Ventis Credits from the contracts. We can do the same during the next few days on our way down."


    Linfel nodded. "Good. We will take the absolutely most unused route."


    Alvin''s group immediately sighed. They expected something like this was going to happen.


    Zandel was still not used to it, though. "Did you hear what I just said...?"


    "Of course!" Linfel was already floating into the Dungeon. "The safe routes have so many Maguses and Familiars that there will be barely any Magic Beasts for us. Naturally, we have to take the routes that will benefit us the most. So... we are taking the routes no one uses. Our objective for the first day is to take down at least thirty Magic Beasts.


    Let''s go."


    "Just one second," Alvin quickly stopped him and looked at Zandel. "What kind of Dungeon is this one? It would be better to hear that first."


    Zandel thought they had checked in the MCOM already. Nonetheless, he still explained. "Okay, it is like this..."


    This Dungeon was a cave-type one, mainly filled with Earth Element Magic Beasts and with low to no illumination. There were various Magic Beast of flesh and blood, but so were those of rock and metal, like golems and spirits.


    Above all, new traps took form every day, which was the reason for most new Maguses and Familiars to use the main routes. Not only would the traps be easily found due to the higher number of experts passing by, even if you were caught by one, you could still ask for help... although anyone willing to help during such moments would ask for payment in exchange.


    "That''s basically it," Zandel completed. "Oh, and there are also a few safe points for people to rest. After all, going down the floors takes various days."


    Linfel and the others got the picture. "Alright, seems simple enough."


    And so, their group went down the Dungeon. At first, the various other Maguses and Familiars could be seen everywhere. But as they strand further from the main routes, the numbers started to go down rapidly. Zandel also reduced his pace so that they would end up calling more than one Magic Beast at once.


    *Pluc, pluc, pluc...*


    Suddenly, the rocks on the walls began to move, catching their attention.


    *Zush, zush, zush, zush...*


    The rocks then shot into each other, quickly creating a mass of rocks and took a big humanoid form. A core soon materialized inside that thing, creating a true golem.


    Alvin and the others raised their guards, ready to fight, when Linfel sighed in disappointment.


    "This is kinda ridiculous..." Linfel couldn''t help but comment.


    *Kabrum!*


    A bolt of lightning immediately took form, striking the core of the golem and piercing it through. The mass of rocks immediately stopped taking form, and the golem wasn''t able to take a single step. "That wasn''t even a Magic Beast, just a shit Magic Puppet or something like that. What was the use for it?"


    Zandel''s mouth twitched. He had met a few Golems in the past, and they had a power similar to Level Four Maguses. Yet, Linfel destroyed it with one attack. "Aren''t you a little too overpowered for a Level Three Familiar?"


    Linfel glanced at him. However, he didn''t answer Zandel. Instead, he looked at Milia, Nori, and Alvin. "Do you know why I''m disappointed?"


    Alvin nodded. He understood it the moment Linfel struck the Golem down. "Yes, it was indeed somewhat ridiculous."


    Milia followed. "The core. While the golem took form, the core was pretty much exposed. Linfel attacked it before the armor of rocks could even finish gathering. Unless we purposely waited for it to take form to then fight, defeating that thing can''t even be considered a challenge."


    "Ah!" Zandel and Kefin finally understood. "Why haven''t we thought about that before?" All the times they came down here, they took distance from the Golem when it started taking form. It seemed so simple, so why hasn''t he ever noticed that?


    "Hum...?" Linfel went to the area where the Golem died and noticed that the core of the Golem dissipated. "That''s weird, where are the Golem Magic Strings?"


    For the golem to control its body, the Magus Strings were necessary. It spread through the rocks and allowed the core to control the Golem. It was also the Magic Strings that could be sold to contractors. Yet, the Magic Strings, which should have been there, were nowhere to be seen.


    Zandel raised his hand. "You killed the Golem before it could even take form. So... I think the magic Strings didn''t have time to take form either."


    "Oh..." Linfel nodded. "So killing the Golem before they take form is nothing but a waste of Magic Energy, uh? And here I thought they were useless. Seems like there was some thought behind their creation."


    Linfel moved to the back, not intending to do anything anymore. "Good, let''s keep moving forward. Next time we see one, Zandel will wait for the Golem to form and fight it. Kefin and the others must just watch."


    "What?!" Zandel was taken aback. He wasn''t afraid of fighting a single Golem since it was similar in power to a Level Four Magus like him. However, that was while Zandel was connected to his Familiar. Fighting alone would be too dangerous. "That''s not a good idea."


    Linfel pondered a bit and had to admit Zandel was right. "Indeed, that''s not a good idea."


    Finally, Zandel sighed in relief... for a second. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We came here to train our Magic Control since we can''t level up. Zandel will fight alone and can''t use more than thirty Magic Channels at once," Linfel completed. "There. This should pose a slightly better challenge."

 Chapter 149 - 149: Zandels Baptism

    ''Me and my big mouth...'' Zandel wanted to kill himself.


    *Bzzzz!*


    Yet, the moment he heard the Lightning Sound from Linfel, he quickly ran ahead. "Here, golem, golem, golem. Hereeeeee, golem, golem, golem..."


    It wasn''t a golem what they found next, though. Instead, several bars of bronze-like metals detached from the walls and gathered. In a moment, something like a star-shaped being appeared. This one didn''t seem to have a core like the golem, either.


    Zandel got nervous. He knew it was a Bronze Elemental. Nonetheless, he gritted his teeth and charged forward.


    *Bzzz!*


    *Ouch!*


    Too bad he was zapped on his buttocks the moment he tried to do that.


    *Zush!*


    Then, the Bronze Element came crashing down on him, all the bars pointing forward, trying to pierce Zandel''s body.


    Zandel was scared of his mind and immediately tried to jump away. Linfel''s intervention completely threw him out of synch.


    *Bang!*


    Unfortunately, one of the thick bronze bars hit his chest, sending him flying against the wall. He coughed out blood and then looked at Linfel in the distance. Why did he do that? Is Linfel trying to kill him?


    However, Linfel just spoke without caring too much. "I said thirty magic channels; you used thirty-one just now when you tried to charge at the Bronze Elemental. I will zap you every time you miss the target."


    The Bronze Elemental didn''t wait for Zandel and Linfel to finish their words, though. It once again shot in Zandel''s direction, trying to finish the job.


    Zandel, without another choice, focused even more on his Magic Channels, this time truly only using thirty. He then managed to avoid the impact of the bronze bars, turning around and attacking with his Magic Energy and Element. There, his element appeared for the first time.


    Various roots or vines sprouted from the ground and tried to pierce the Bronze Elementals'' bars. Zandel was a Wood Element user.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Unfortunately, the Bronze Element was too resistant. The roots completely failed to cause any damage whatsoever. All they succeeded in was to slow the Bronze Elemental slightly for Zandel to take some distance. "Linfel, this doesn''t work! My affinity with this thing is too poor!


    Even worse, just thirty magic channels is way too little to be able to produce any powerful enough attack to damage this thing! I''m gonna die here!"


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    The Bronze Elemental continued to attack, forcing Zandel to dodge nonstop and use his Wood Element to create vines and roots to hold and slow it down. It was particularly difficult since the first attack broke a few of Zanel''s ribs, all because of Linfel''s intervention.


    Linfel watched all of that, not concerned. "Is that so? Good! I told you, didn''t I? If you think you are going to die, then the training is going as planned. Give it your best!"


    "What?!" Zandel began to think about running away. This was ridiculous. He was at too much of a disadvantage! "Kefin, help me!"


    However, Linfel held Kefin in place, not allowing Zandel''s Familiar to charge to help Zandel. Had Linfel not done that, Kefin would have jumped at the Bronze Elemental a long time ago. "That won''t do."


    Zandel noticed that in the distance and wanted to cry. Was he going to die here today? Zandel finally decided that he would use all his Magic Channels. If Linfel tried to zap him again, he would just flee.


    However, Linfel''s words reached his ears before he made his move. "Zandel, this is not your limit. You are at risk at the moment and hoping for our help. However, what will happen if no one is near you next time you fall into danger? Will you just give up? What if you don''t even have the choice of fleeing?"


    "Focus! This Bronze Elemental has a strength similar to your own at Level Four. It''s just that I''m not allowing you to use all your Magic Channels at once. Look at the Bronze Elemental. Why is it moving? Something must be controlling it, but what?


    You know this dungeon and the type of Magic Beasts and the Ventis Sect puppets like the golems. Don''t give up that easily. Find a way out instead!"


    *Bang!*


    Zandel was taken aback, dodging another attack from the Bronze Elemental. Indeed, how are these bars moving together even though they are not attached to each other? There is no core here, so what is controlling it.


    It was then that Zandel remembered his last three days running while using just a few magic channels and changing them constantly. It was all about Magic Control... and with Magic Control, you also get better at Magic Sense.


    *Zush, zush, zush!*


    Zandel accumulated as much Magic Energy as he could with his thirty available magic channels and once again created the vines and roots. They all shot at the Bronze Elemental, but it wasn''t an attack. Instead, they tried to hold it down. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Snap, snap, snap...*


    Yet, it was obvious they wouldn''t hold for more than a second or two. That was enough, though. All Zandel wanted was a small moment of respite so he could focus his own Magic Sense on the Bronze Elemental.


    *Snap!*


    Finally, the last roots and vines broke, and the Bronze Elemental got free. It spun at high speeds and shot in Zandel''s direction again. It was as if it got angry for being held just now.


    However, Zandel ignored it and turned to the side. "There!" He once again controlled his Wood Element, and several vines and roots shot from the ground, piercing a specific point on the wall.


    *Crack! Crash!*


    As soon as they did, an inconspicuous rock fell to the ground and broke into several parts. Yet, the insides were completely different. They looked like a yellow gem that had just been shattered.


    When that happened, the Bronze Elemental Bars immediately stopped.


    *Clang, clang, clang...*


    All the Bronze Bars fell to the ground, hitting each other with metallic sounds until they became inactive. The Bronze Elemental was no more.


    Zandel looked to his side, feeling a chill on his back. The Bronze Bars were just a few meters from him. If that last attack hadn''t worked, he would have been pierced and probably killed. "So close..."


    "Master!" Kefin quickly came to Zandel''s side, feeling concerned.


    *Clap, clap, clap!*


    Yet, Alvin, Nori, and Milia clapped at him. "Well done, Zandel. That was great! Consider it your baptism. We all went through this craziness."


    Linfel approached as well. "It wasn''t that terrible. I still had to give you a clue, but you figured it out in the end. Let me heal you, and let''s find our next target. Someone go there and collect the Bronze Elemental parts. There are definitely contracts that buy them."


    Zandel bitterly smiled. "I hope I can survive to the end..."

 Chapter 150 - 150: Perhaps...

    From there onward, Linfel''s group simply continued with the same training methods as before. Linfel would choose who would fight and what they could and could not use during such fights. Of course, there had been times he had to intervene or allow someone else to help. It wasn''t like he knew all the Magic Beasts and Ventis Sect controlled monsters of this Dungeon, after all.


    Due to them taking unused routes and having to fight more enemies as a result, they took three days just to get to the entrance of the second floor. The second floor, which had a higher concentration of traps and enemies, took even longer. They only arrived at the third floor after five days.


    Still, even though they didn''t take common routes, it wasn''t like they never met any magus or familiar. In fact, they met quite a few of them. Not everyone was afraid of exploring distant patches. Some even considered it good training, just like Linfel. There were those who were just lost al well, of course.


    Other than that, they also found a few corpses or broken cores of Familiars. There were actually more than the ones Alvin and Milia found back in Lungan Forest. Since the Dungeon was used by many more experts, it was only normal for it to have more deaths. Proportionally, though, it had a smaller death toll than the Forest.


    Linfel''s group then stopped somewhere on the third floor, taking some time for Zandel, Alvin, and Milia to have their food while Linfel healed them. It also gave time for Nori and Kefin to recover their Magic Energy.


    As they ate, another Magus-Familiar duo passed by them. They just looked at each other for a moment before the Magus and Familiar kept going on their way. Even if killers were much rarer in this Dungeon, anyone could become one at any given time if they wanted to. So, most of the Maguses and Familiars who avoided the mainly used routes wouldn''t approach others if they could.


    After that duo left, Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "We have passed by so many Maguses and Familiars. We even found one or another Level Three, just like us. Yet, I haven''t seen a single Level Five until now. How come? Back in Lungan Forest, there weren''t many, but there were still some."


    "Oh! That''s because they can''t enter the Dungeon," Zandel immediately explained. "This dungeon is considered an area for new disciples. To make sure no one will abuse of the resources in this dungeon, the Sect blocks the entrance of any Level Five Magus and Familiar or above. You probably didn''t notice that since you obviously don''t fit the criteria to be barred.


    Those at Level Five don''t even come here to start with since there is nothing for them to do."


    "I see..." Alvin nodded, surprised. "We should have come here first instead of the Lungan Forest..."


    Milia shook her head. "It matters not. Lungan Forest was closer, so many of us would still chose to go there instead to save time."


    "Milia is right," Linfel joined the conversation. "That''s probably why we haven''t seen a single Level Five Magic Beast or one of these Dungeon-Controlled monsters. Most likely, there isn''t any here."


    Zandel shook his head, though. "There are level Five ones, but you can only find them from the fourth floor onwards. Before that, you will only encounter Level Three and Four opponents." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh!" Linfel got interested. "That makes me wonder, how many floors are there in this Dungeon?"


    Alvin took out his MCOM and checked the information of the Fucoes Dungeon. Yet, regardless of where he looked, forums, official websites, etc, he couldn''t find an answer. "Hum? There doesn''t seem to be any information regarding it."


    Zandel agreed with him. "I checked that as well. The furthest people and familiars had gone was the fifth floor, which basically has Level Five Magic Beasts and the controlled enemies like the golems and elementals. Since no one at Level Five or above can enter, no one tried to venture much further since it was a meaningless risk."


    Alvin couldn''t help but laugh. "Hahaha! See, it truly looks just like a game. Guess what? There is probably a great treasure waiting for anyone who reaches the end of the Dungeon. Who knows?


    There might even be a Dungeon Boss."


    Milia sighed. "What''s the point of any of that if no one can get there. Forget about it. We came here to train and fulfill the contracts. Let''s finish eating and continue."


    Yet, they suddenly noticed that someone seemed to be trembling. When they glanced to the side, they saw the look of excitement in the face of a certain wisp. "Treasures! Boss! Isn''t that great?! Let''s go take a look!"


    Everyone froze for a moment. However, they quickly resumed their conversation as if nothing had happened. "Zandel, these ribs taste really good. How did you make them so juicy?"


    Zandel smiled brightly in response. "There is a little secret behind it, the sauce! However, you need to control the temperature of the oven very well so the juice doesn''t dry while the sauce gets absorbed by the meat. This is one of my best dishes."


    Milia ate another piece, nodding. "This is incredible indeed. No wonder Linfel said we needed proper food. It feels completely different to train after we put proper food in our belies."


    On the side, Nori spoke to Kefin. "So you see? Milia and I had been together since I was born, but she made me independent very soon. Nonetheless, I always stayed by her side."


    Too bad Linfel''s patience didn''t last long. "Stop fucking ignoring me! Did you even hear what I just said?"


    Alvin glanced at him. "I only heard someone giving an absolutely bullshit idea. Go to the end of the Dungeon? Find the boss? I only said that for fun! Did you even hear what Zandel said?


    There are pretty much only Level Five Magic Beasts and controlled enemies on the fifth floor. The fourth level doesn''t have as many, but it still has Level Five enemies as well. How do you expect to survive all of that?"


    Milia nodded. "Linfel, I understand your Sparta-like methods and accept them since they bring the results, but what you suggested is beyond risking life and death. That is nothing but suicide. Did you forget the Level Five Gray Spiked Wolf? The four of us had to fight together and it was still dangerous. It was just a single Level Five Magic Beast, and there are plenty on the fifth floor.


    Are you crazy?"


    Zandel was happy he wasn''t the only one who thought like that. "To end this discussion, you haven''t thought of the worst yet, Linfel. Let''s say we manage to get past the fifth floor, so what? Is the sixth floor the last one? No, let''s pretend we somehow get past that as well and find this so-called boss. Do you think we could defeat it?


    I''m absolutely not going."


    Hearing all those comments, Linfel had to admit it was too much. "Fine! We will turn back as soon as we enter the fifth floor."


    He still wishes to reach the fifth floor... Well, that was still plausible since there were very few Level Five opponents on the fourth floor. Besides, just reaching the fifth floor would add more Ventis Credits to their contracts.


    Later that day... Linfel''s group found themselves deep into the so-called sixth floor... Linfel turned to Alvin and the others, seeing their ugly expressions. "Errr... Ahem! Look!


    Perhaps we can truly find the boss. Isn''t that nice?"

 Chapter 151 - 151: Sixth Floor

    "Your ass!" Zandel finally exploded. "We are so dead! So fucking dead!"


    Alvin and Milia looked around nervously. "Just how will we even leave this place? Zandel, since this is the sixth floor, does that mean we might find a Level Six Magic Beast?"


    Zandel trembled. "I... I don''t know..."


    ---


    To understand how they ended in this place, we need to return a while to the past...


    Linfel''s group was still in the third floor, following the routes few Maguses and Familiars used. Because Linfel''s Magic Sense far surpassed anyone at Level Three or Four, he obviously had an easier time identifying dangers ahead. Traps, magic Beasts, or the Monsters controlled by the Ventis Sect. It didn''t matter if they couldn''t see as far as Linfel did.


    However, there was another advantage to having such a big Magic Sense: the fact that Linfel could find hidden places. According to Zandel, this Dungeon was indeed very similar to games or purpose, so there were even some secret rooms that were created now and then through the Magic Array that operated the entire Dungeon.


    He wasn''t very hopeful about finding one, though. After all, they would hold big rewards that the Sect couldn''t simply give to everyone. Zandel spoke with his groups during the other times he entered this place, and none of them had ever found such hidden rooms, let alone the rewards.


    That made sense. After all, Zandel only used the main routes to complete the contracts. Even if he did go to the far away paths, it would still be difficult to find such a place.


    Yet, that was exactly what Linfel did. It was different from what happened back in the Canyon, though. Back then, Linfel felt the flow of Magic Energy, and that ended up being the cave where they found the Spiritual Pool and the Level Four Snake Magic Beast. This time, however, his Magic Sense passed through the walls.


    Once his Magic Sense hit a physical thing, it would be deterred. So, while Linfel''s Magic Energy could go 200 meters of distance in thin air, once aimed at the ground or the walls, the farthest he could see was around 20 meters.


    That was more than enough, though. Linfel was walking with his group, looking for the next opponent, when his magic Sense found an empty passage around ten meters deep into the cave walls. Naturally, everyone thought Linfel found a hidden room with the so-called rewards, so they all worked together to open it.


    After opening a passage for them to pass through, they followed that path a few tens of meters. Finally, they entered an open area where nothing could be seen. For a moment, they all were a little dejected. There were no rewards, treasures, or whatever. It was as if it was a wasted effort.


    It didn''t end like that, of course. They still entered the area and began to look for anything else. It was them that Linfel''s Magic Sense caught something and called everyone. "There is another path below us," Linfel explained.


    They all looked down to the ground, not being able to sense as far as Linfel. "We are quite close to one of the various passage to the fourth floor," Zandel commented. "Could it be another passage into there?"


    "So that''s where the reward is? Let''s take a look!" Linfel didn''t wait for an answer and immediately used his Magic Energy to control the earth elements. In a single swoop, the entire ground vanished from under everyone''s feet, and they went fell.


    Alvin and the others felt like crying, but it was too late. As for Nori and Kefin, they could float, but they wouldn''t leave Milia and Zandel behind, so they obviously threw themselves inside as well.


    However, they didn''t fall just for a few moments. Instead, they kept falling for almost a minute straight. The passage acted like a slider, and they simply couldn''t find grip to stop the fall. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, they ended up inside another empty area. Not only that, the passage they had just come in caved right behind their group, making it impossible to turn back.


    "Linfel! Couldn''t you have waited a little?!" Alvin couldn''t help but complain.


    "That was too risky," Zandel agreed.


    Linfel shrugged. "We were already going to the fourth floor anyway, so why bother? Besides, there might be a treasure here, right? Let''s take a look!"


    Linfel''s words obviously caught everyone''s attention. They were already here anyway, so they might as well check it. However, as soon as they took out their MCOMs so they could refresh their maps, the name on the corner of the map made their bodies freeze.


    -Fucoes Dungeon: Sixth Floor-


    And thus, they were now here.


    ---


    "First, let''s go back into previous room and get some rest," Linfel spoke. "If we are to adventure further into the Sixth Floor, we need to recover first."


    They all looked at Linfel with angry expressions. It''s just that Linfel was also their main hope to leave this place. With his huge Magic Sense, perhaps they can avoid the Magic Beasts and Monsters before finding a way up.


    "Let''s first think about a plan," Alvin called out. "Linfel, the training is over. We will use all our Magic Channels now."


    "I understand," Linfel wasn''t an idiot. "Still, this does work as a training, even if just to check the results of the past week and a half. Zandel is definitely the one to have improved the most since he started from zero. And since he is at Level Four, it should help with our cause."


    Zandel didn''t know about that. Even since joining Linfel''s group, he hasn''t been allowed to use all his magic channels at once, so he doesn''t know if he truly made progress or not. "I just hope you aren''t asking me to take the front."


    "That will be me," Alvin immediately volunteered. "Earth Element Maguses are much better for this kind of thing."


    Linfel agreed. "Milia and Nori will stay close to Alvin, attacking from the flanks in case we end up fighting something. As for Zandel and Kefin, your Wood Element is very good for support, so you stay on the back. I will obviously be with Alvin."


    Zandel sighed in relief for a moment. But then, he remembered how he was Level Four while Milia and Alvin were only at Level Three. He couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed that he was happy to stay on the back. "I..."


    Alvin stopped him. "I know what you are thinking. There is no need for you to worry about your higher level, Zandel. I''m much better at controlling Magic Energy, even though my level is lower. With my Earth Element, I have to be at the front. It is that simple."


    Linfel also added a piece. "Truth be told, if Alvin and Zandel fought each other, Alvin would most likely win. Zandel, that is the difference between your Magic Energy Controls. Even Milia would give you some work to do, although you probably can win against her since she started to train with me recently as well."


    Zandel took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. Then let''s follow your plan."

 Chapter 152 - 152: Simple Way

    After taking their rest and being relieved that no enemies appeared during that time, they found themselves in a pitch-black environment. Linfel had to use his Magic Energy to conjure a small but highly concentrated fireball. It consumed a good amount of Magic Energy, but Linfel could keep up with it with his absorption skills.


    Looking at the map, everything was also black. However, the map on their MCOMs at least showed them where was north. Judging from where they came from and the map from the floors above, they had a small idea of which direction to go. It''s just that they didn''t know what they would find.


    However, several minutes passed, and not a single soul could be seen. Then half an hour, then one hour, two hours, three hours... So far, they haven''t found a single Magic Beast or one of the Controlled Golems and Elementals. Everything was completely empty.


    "Could it be that the sixth floor doesn''t have anything?" Alvin couldn''t help but ask.


    "Perhaps because the Ventis Sect never expected anyone to come here, they hadn''t added any Magic Beasts or anything else. We haven''t found a single trap either," Milia added.


    Linfel didn''t think that to be the case. Magic Beasts don''t really follow any logic since they don''t have intelligence. The only reason he thought for none to live here was because all the ''food'' was on the top levels. It didn''t mean they wouldn''t find any during their travels.


    As they kept walking, Linfel began to grow tense. He could feel that something wasn''t right, although he simply couldn''t tell what. The Magic Energy flow was pretty much stagnated, so using it to guide himself wasn''t an option.


    It was then that Linfel''s expression changed. "We need to go back."


    Alvin and the others were taken aback. "What?! Why? It took us one hour to get here."


    Linfel shook his head. "Just follow me." Without explaining, he began to float back from where he came at high speeds. Everyone was forced to use their Magic Energies to the maximum just to keep up with Linfel.


    However, they didn''t need to do that for long. In just two minutes, they arrived at their destination. "This..." Seeing the passage ahead, Alvin and the others finally understood why Linfel asked them to go back. "But we have been walking for over three hours!"


    Linfel felt like an idiot. "I knew it. It is not that the sixth floor is empty; it is just that we barely left the area where we arrived at all."


    They were back exactly at the place where they fell. The caved passage was still there, and so were their footprints. "How is this possible?!"


    Linfel now understood why he felt something wasn''t right. "It isn''t that hard to guess, right? Back in the Magic Control Exam Building, the entire building''s insides were manipulated by Spatial Magic Arrays. A room that was supposed to be no more than a few meters wide extended for over a kilometers when you got inside.


    I think it is safe to say the entire Sixth Floor is being manipulated by a similar array."


    It was possible. The entire Dungeon already had Magic Arrays controlling the Golems, Elementals, and Magic Beasts. Why couldn''t there be a floor where Spatial Arrays were used?


    "I''m starting to think that perhaps it was better if this floor simply had Level Five Magic Beasts or the equivalent of those controlled puppets," Milia couldn''t help but comment.


    "Forget that," Zandel tried to reason things. "Perhaps this isn''t a bad thing. If the sixth floor is dedicated to Spatial Array Traps, perhaps there is a way out without having to fight anything. We just need to find a way to do that."


    Alvin and Nori agreed. "He is right. Level Five Enemies would definitely be more dangerous, especially if there were many of them. Still, how exactly will we find a way out? We walked for over three hours, going up, down, right, left, you name it."


    "We took several different paths," Linfel explained. "And yet, how many divisions of path have you guys seen on our way back?"


    Only then did they notice. "None... It was a straight line all the way here, with no different paths." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel was happy that he wasn''t the only one to notice it. "Then perhaps the trick lies behind the paths we chose. We are quite lucky already. It only took us three hours to notice this problem. How long would other groups take to notice it? Let''s go out again.


    We need to gather more information."


    Everyone nodded, and they followed Linfel. After a few minutes, they found the first division of paths even though there was no such thing on their way back. "Okay, there are three paths to choose, but the number isn''t always the same. We saw divisions with only two paths and others with four or five paths to choose from. We need to find something that would tell us which direction to go.


    Spread out and see if you can find any clues."


    Everyone began to look at the different entrances, using their Magic Sense up close to find any information. Linfel, obviously, did the same, and his Magic Sense could go deeper into the walls than anyone else''s. Unfortunately, all they could see and feel were rocks and more rocks. Dirt and more dirt. There didn''t seem to be anything out of the ordinary there.


    "There is nothing here," Alvin finally gave up looking.


    Zandel, Milia, Nori, and Kefin eventually did the same and returned to the center. "Nothing for us either."


    Finally, Linfel joined them. "I can''t find anything different. And that''s the problem."


    "We know," Alvin shrugged. "We are looking for clues, after all. Finding nothing isn''t a good thing."


    "That''s not what I meant," Linfel shook his head, though. "There is a Magic Array trapping us in this place, and yet, I can''t catch anything different with the flow of Magic Energy in the surroundings. In fact, there isn''t any flow at all. For the Magic Array to work on us all, there was supposed to be some difference in the Magic Energy Flow that feeds the Magic Array and keeps us in the same place.


    Since even I can''t feel it, we must be missing something, anything."


    "Can we disrupt the array somehow?" Alvin asked out of curiosity.


    Immediately, Linfel''s eyes lit up. "That''s it! Alvin, you are a genius!"


    "I am?" Alvin didn''t hear those words often. "Sure... but why am I a genius?"


    *Zush!*


    Suddenly, several rolls of thin thread reels, like the ones used for fishing, appeared on the ground, coming straight out of Linfel''s Spatial Storage.


    "I meant to ask it a few times, but I guess now is better than never," Zandel commented after seeing that. "Just where are you keeping all these things?"


    Kefin nodded. He had been curious all this while as well.


    "I''m more curious about why you keep fishing line with you..." Alvin asked, and that was something Milia and Nori had to agree they were curious about.


    "I''ll explain later," Linfel didn''t answer, though. "Grab one each and knot them together. There is a very simple way to disrupt this Spatial Magic Array."

 Chapter 153 - 153: Probably Not

    After knotting the lines together, Linfel pointed at the entrances. "Each of us will go in one direction. There is enough line for 500 meters in each roll, and since we are knotting them together, there is a kilometer from one end to the other. That should be much more than the total area of effect of the Magic Array."


    Everyone felt confused. "How would that disrupt the Magic Array?"


    "That is quite simple," Linfel explained. "The Spatial Array must be focusing on us individually. If my theory is correct, it works like a bubble, and we are inside this bubble. Once we go in different directions, the Magic Array will have to create a bubble for each of us."


    "However, because we are connected by the fishing lines, we can''t truly disconnect from each other," he continued. "The array will have trouble separating us into our own bubbles and will be forced to expand the original bubble instead. I doubt it was made with that plan in mind, so the array should show some reaction. At least, I think it will."


    No one had a better idea at the moment, so they all agreed with the plan. "Alright. But what if we break out of this Magic Array? What would we expect to find?"


    "Who knows?" Linfel shrugged. "If I had the answer to that question, I would be working with the Ventis Sect here, too. Of course, be prepared for everything. Perhaps as soon as we break out of it, if we break, of course, we might end up in the middle of a pack of Magic Beats."


    Alvin and the others didn''t even want to think about it. "Okay, let''s give it a try."


    Linfel nodded. "Let''s keep moving away from each other until the end of our lines. Simply, we are locked inside some kind of Spatial Bubble; there is no need to go walking. Just start running, and I will float at the same speed. Alvin, you are on your own since I will go back."


    Alvin didn''t like the idea of going into one of the paths alone, but there wasn''t much of a choice if they wanted to cover all four paths. "Let''s do this."


    Then, Alvin rushed into the left path. Milia and Nori took the middle one, while Zandel and Kefin went to the right. Linfel, obviously, turned around and rushed back to where they started.


    The lines expanded, and for the first tens of meters, nothing ordinary seemed to be happening. However, after they crossed a hundred meters of line in their reels, the space around them began to show signs of instability. Surprisingly, this simple plan truly seemed to be working.


    They kept running, and soon, all four sides had gone 400 meters away from each other, or basically, 200 meters of their lines were used. The space continued to contort even more. The weird thing was that the pitch-black cave began to show cracks of light everywhere.


    Alvin stopped for a moment. ''Is this okay? This is far more than just a disruption...'' S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, he heard a voice echoing from behind. "Everyone, you are probably seeing the same thing as me," Linfel spoke. He was using his Magic Energy to amplify his voice and make it go further enough to reach the others easily. "The Magic Energy is not stagnant anymore, so the plan is working. Don''t worry, though. The Magic Energy isn''t in a state that can cause us harm either.


    Just keep moving further away from each other in case you stopped moving."


    "Alright!" Milia''s voice was the next one to echo a second later. She also had stopped for the same reason. "Let''s keep going!"


    Alvin took a deep breath and turned around again, immediately resuming his run away from Linfel and the others. "It''s not like I have a better idea anyway," he murmured to himself.


    In the end, there was no need to use all the five hundred meters of line in each reel. By the time they reached three hundred, the space around finally collapsed. Light entered everyone''s eyes, so bright that they were forced to close them. Even Linfel and the other Familiars seemed to be affected by that, and they didn''t even have eyes.


    After a few seconds, the light began to normalize, allowing everyone to see again. All around them, shards of what seemed a broken glass disappeared in the air. Inside those glasses, the image of the dark cave could be seen before it disappeared with the glasses. Obviously, they were made of Magic Energy, and now that they lost their effect, they were dissipating.


    After those shards disappeared, what they found was not the walls of a cave anymore. Instead, they were standing in the middle of an enormous white room. From the looks of it, the room was at least a few kilometers wide from one side to the other. Milia, Alvin, Zandel, Linfel, Nori, and Kefin looked in the direction of their lines and saw each other in the distance.


    They escaped the Spatial Magic Array.


    "It worked!" Zandel couldn''t help but shout. The Ventis Sect wasn''t known for caring about its new disciples'' lives, so Zandel truly thought they might starve to death in those caves. Well, it was obvious they weren''t inside any cave but some kind of Spatial Illusion instead.


    Linfel laughed. "Hahaha! See! It told you the Array wasn''t made for such things."


    Their group quickly gathered again. "Is everyone okay?" Alvin asked, looking at Milia.


    Milia and Nori nodded. "Other than that light and the scare caused by the collapsing of the array, nothing else happened."


    Zandel then looked around and noticed a huge closed gate at the end of one of the sides of the room. It was basically the only thing in the room that wasn''t completely white, having a blueish color instead. Zandel tried to see if there were any stairs or anything leading upwards, but there was nothing there.


    "Guess we can only open that gate and see where it leads us," Linfel commented, already moving in that direction.


    However, Milia, Zandel, and Alvin quickly stopped him. "Are you crazy? What if that is truly a boss room?!"


    Linfel shrugged. "We kill it and get out. What else is there to be done? Come on! It might be fun!"


    Everyone felt like crying. They highly doubted there was anything fun on the other side.

 Chapter 154 - 154: How Did You Know?

    Arriving at the gate, it was a lot bigger now up close. At least three times higher than Alvin and the others, let alone the Familiars.


    Alvin went to one side and Zandel to the other. Together, they pushed the gate together, trying to open it. The gate was quite heavy, but it still opened slowly. Alvin and Zandel made sure to open it completely in case they had to leave straight away.


    The insides were once again dark, impossible to see.


    "I wish I had something to put on the ground and prevent the gate from closing..." Alvin couldn''t help but mention it. All boss rooms in most games usually isolate the player from the outside world, and Alvin was afraid the same would happen here.


    Linfel''s Magic Sense spread ahead. The, he got excited and shot inside, disappearing in the darkness. "Come on! Get in already!"


    Alvin and the others didn''t have Linfel''s Magic Sense range, so they couldn''t see much further. "Does he understand things aren''t as easy for us?" Zandel complained in a low voice. Nonetheless, they all entered together.


    *Vup, vup, vup, vup, vup...*


    Several lights began to turn on one after another.


    *Bang!*


    Behind, the gate closed shut, not surprising anyone. Ahead, Linfel was standing in the middle of an arena. Finally, above, there was a chest that truly looked like those from games.


    "Look! That has to be the treasure you guys kept talking about, right?" Linfel asked, his eyes shining... or they would if he had one.


    The chest was almost a hundred meters above, so Milia and the others simply couldn''t tell what was inside, even with their Magic Sense. Of course, they knew Linfel''s Magic Sense. "Can you see what that chest is about?"


    Linfel nodded. "There are some kind of... electronic tickets? I don''t know. They seem to be some electronic cards or whatever. I can''t tell what they are about, though.


    There are twenty of them inside."


    This Dungeon was made so no Magus or Familiar above Level Four can enter. The initial idea was for the chest to be so high that the Magic Senses wouldn''t see what was inside. After all, over a hundred meters was much more than any Magic Sense at Level Four usually could go. Too bad that didn''t work with Linfel there.


    *Dcham!*


    Suddenly, a holographic message appeared above the arena, explaining the rules related to that room.


    -Rewards and risks come hand in hand. Above, there is a huge reward, but to get it, you must go through the risks.-


    -Six participants detected, three maguses and three familiars. There will be no distinguishing between Maguses and Familiars. Six doors will be generated, and only one will be correct. The other five will result in the participant''s death. The six participants must select a single door that will seal everyone''s fate.-


    -Warning: Not selecting a door by the end of the countdown will also result in all the participants'' deaths.-


    -There is one way to open the right door. For every participant dead, one wrong door will be discarded.-


    -You have ten minutes.- S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Friuuuu...*


    At the back of that room, the six doors appeared one after another. Right above, a countdown started, not giving anyone time to digest the information.


    "Wait, what?!" Alvin almost lost his senses.


    Zandel wasn''t any better. "This is bullshit! This has nothing to do with one''s ability. It is all luck!"


    Alvin shook his head. "There is luck, but the Ventis Sect obviously wants us to kill each other! Why do you think there is an aran behind us?"


    Nori turned to Linfel. "Hey, use your Magic Sense! Can you see anything on the other side of the doors?"


    Linfel shook his head. "They have an array preventing Magic Sense from going through. I have no idea what is on the other side of the doors."


    "Fuck! What now?!" Zandel cursed.


    Milia narrowed her eyes. "Let''s not complain. Think! There must be a trick here to select the right do-"


    *Zup!*


    Then... Linfel opened a door.


    Everyone fell with their faces on the ground. It hasn''t been even ten seconds! However, they quickly got up and prepared to defend themselves. Perhaps the room would attack them somehow. And yet... nothing happened.


    *Tam, Tam, Tam!*


    Then, several colorful holographic images appeared one after another, followed by a message.


    -Congratulations!-


    Milia was as lost as the others, looking at Linfel. "How... did you know that was the right door?"


    Linfel turned back. "I didn''t."


    "What?!" Sure enough, the answer shocked them all. "Then why did you try to open?!"


    Linfel shrugged. "Because there was no right answer. Or, to be more specific, all doors were correct."


    *Zush!*


    As soon as Linfel said that, a video call started where the holographic images were passing. In the call, a young man with green hair and a long beard appeared. -That''s unexpected. How did you know there was no right answer?-


    Everyone looked at the person in surprise. Were they being observed all this while? "W-Who are you, sir?" Zandel asked.


    -Right, where are my manners? I''m Tandlau, the elder in charge of the maintenance of this Dungeon. I created it over thirty years ago, but your group was the very first one to reach this last floor. Congratulations!-


    "Elder?" That was a little hard for them to believe. The young man in front of them didn''t seem to be more than fifteen or so years old. And yet, he did say he created this Dungeon over thirty years ago. "Magic Aging Retrocess..." Zandel commented.


    Milia''s eyes immediately opened wide. As a member of the Frondor Family, she did hear about it. "The natural phenomenon of body aging regression achieved when one reaches Level Nine..."


    Alvin, Nori, and Kefin couldn''t help but tremble a little. Level Ten! For them, such an existence was pretty much a legend!


    Linfel didn''t look all that surprised with Tandlau''s sudden appearance, though. "I mean, we had an elder at Level Eight taking care of something simple as Sect Recruitment. Sure there would be Maguses and Familiars at stage Ten or higher, right? Why all the surprise?"


    Everyone''s felt like kicking Linfel right there and then. The problem wasn''t that there were experts at that level. Instead, the problem was that some nobodies like them were now talking to one. Can''t Linfel understand this incredible fact? Even worse, such a carefree behavior might even anger that elder, which wouldn''t be good for them.


    -Hahaha!- Tandlau didn''t seem to mind it. -You are quite the figure, little one. It is rare to see a Familiar leading a group, but I guess I can see why. So, can you answer my question now? How did you know all doors were correct?-

 Chapter 155 - 155: The True Face of the Ventis Sect

    "Because it didn''t make sense," Linfel answered.


    -Hum?- Tandlau''s interest was piqued.


    Linfel continued. "After so many years, people barely made it to the fifth floor, right? And yet, those autonomous golems and spirits, as well as Level Five Magic Beasts, live there in huge amounts. Getting past the fifth floor is simply out of the question. I won''t say it is impossible, but simply not worth the risk."


    "Then, finally, someone made it to the sixth floor and even broke through the Spatial Array. That alone was supposed to be more than enough to gain a prize. However, in the end, there was this thing about the six doors and the correct answer. Isn''t that strange? Several Maguses and Familiars made this far, showing they are great talents, just so that they would kill each other?"


    "That''s when I reached the conclusion. The Ventis Sect wouldn''t want to lose such Maguses and Familiars. Since they don''t want to lose them, there must be no wrong door. At the very least, even if a door was wrong, I highly doubted it would really kill anyone," Linfel concluded. He might have no common sense, but he definitely wasn''t an idiot.


    -Hahaha!- Tandlau couldn''t help but laugh. -Indeed, the Ventis Sect wouldn''t want to kill such talents. However, you didn''t get to the sixth floor by traversing the previous ones. Instead, you just fell here. What do you have to say about that?-


    "That was even more of a reason not to lose anyone," Linfel shrugged. "Without a ridiculously high Magic Sense, sensing the hidden path behind the wall back up there would be impossible. Magic Sense also equals Magic Control, which the sect definitely prioritizes above Magic Level.


    If anything, you are probably much happier that we got here through that hidden path than going through the various floors."


    Tandlau nodded. -You are quite smart. But there is still a flaw in your conjecture. You forgot about the ''kill a participant to reduce the number of wrong doors'' part. If everything you said is true, then I should have never come up with that rule.-


    Linfel nodded. "Indeed. That last part was nothing but a gamble of mine. Simply put, I would rather deal with whatever might have come out of the choice than kill anyone of my teammates."


    Alvin and the others were taken aback. That''s some resolution right there. Would they be able to say the same thing, or would they end up attacking each other to get out alive? Linfel found the answer, so they didn''t know what they would have done in the end.


    Suddenly, the treasure chest above the room began to float down. -I''m satisfied. The Ventis Sect made so many environments where stepping on others would give you higher rewards, especially in the case of killers. However, what the Maguses and Familiars tend to forget during their years in the sect is that the Ventis Sect is still a Sect.-


    Linfel couldn''t agree more. "I''ve been thinking about that as well. The Ventis Sect controls a third of this Galaxy. How could it be doing that in a situation where the Maguses and Familiars are always at each others'' throats? It didn''t make sense. Such a Sect should have imploded a long time ago."


    "That''s why I went out to do my own research in my spare time. Then, I noticed something interesting. The higher one climbs in the Sect Ladder, the bigger is their responsibility towards not only the sect but also its members. Slowly, the sect''s methods shift from absolute distrust to reliance on each other, especially missions for those who pass the Magic Control Test."


    "I might be wrong, but I believe the initial stages of being a disciple are all about not distrust but about learning how to live by oneself," Linfel finished.


    *Clap, clap, clap...*


    Tandlau clapped his hands, seemingly very satisfied. -Good, good! That''s correct. I believe you all at least had some contact with the elders of the sect during the entrance exams, right? If you had paid attention, you should have noticed that they work together and treat each other very well. They have grown to understand that the Sect can only stand if unified.-


    -Of course, that''s not the only method. There are dictatorships, for example. Still, our Ventis Sect truly believes that voluntary union holds a greater power. You see, the new Maguses and Familiars of the sect usually come from strong backgrounds in their own planets. They are used to relying on the power of their elders, their money, their influence, etc.


    They simply don''t know how to stand on their own.-


    -That''s why this environment of danger exists. It looks like we are promoting deception and killing, but that is a facade. What it is truly promoting is the ability to grow on your own. Once they have grown enough to not depend on anyone else, that''s when unification starts. Which one is better to have your back?


    Someone who can stand for himself, or someone who doesn''t know how to do things on his own?-


    -In the end, those at Level Six and above know they can rely on their companions, and the rules for them are very strict in this case. I''m not saying there is no deception in the Sect. Such a utopia doesn''t exist in this place. You still have to fight for your own resources least someone else takes everything from you. There will be times when you will fall against your fellow disciples. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, when it comes to the sect itself, both sides will always stand together.-


    -This is what this test was about. To see whether you would rather stand together against the danger or simply kill each other until only a single door remained. We lose many, many Maguses and Familiars because of things like this, and we don''t regret it one bit. It is all so we can find disciples like you, Linfel.-


    Tandlau then looked at the others. -As for them, you didn''t give enough time for them to decide what they would have done. I can only hope they will keep today''s words in mind.-


    Alvin and the others had weird expressions. They indeed couldn''t tell what they would have done in the end. Linfel was the only one who truly never doubted he would rather not kill anyone.


    "Don''t worry," Linfel smiled in response. "I trust they would still stand with me to the end."


    "Linfel..." Alvin and Milia couldn''t help but tear up. Even Zandel seemed a little touched.


    Tandlau nodded. -In any case, your rewards are inside the chest. Oh, by the way, the thing about no one ever making it to the sixth floor is a lie. It happened many times in the past. It''s just that everyone who makes it here is forced to keep their mouths shut so it won''t prejudice the results of the next Maguses and Familiars. Congratulations, you all passed.


    May we meet each other again.-


    *Ziu!*


    Then, the Video Call ended. There was only the rewards to collect now.

 Chapter 156 - 156: Displays

    Linfel looked behind, seeing the weird expressions on everyone''s faces. "I know what you are thinking. There is no need to dwell on the true meaning of this test anymore. Take it as an apprenticeship. No power in existence will last without some kind of order or union. Dictatorship, Democracy, Union, whatever.


    Something has to be there, always. Now you know that the Ventis Sect put a lot more thought into the upbringing of their new disciples than you expected. Make use of it."


    Everyone nodded, a collective decision to stop dwelling on the choices that might have been made and focus on the present. Since it didn''t happen, there was no way to know. Instead, Alvin quickly turned his head to the chest following that. "Let''s take a look at the treasure."


    Linfel approached with the others, and they opened the chest. As Linfel mentioned, there were some kind of electronic cards inside. However, even though there were many, the chest only allowed for one card to be taken for each participant. In the end, six silver-colored cards came out before the chest closed by itself and returned to the top of the room on its own.


    *Tludum...*


    As soon as the chest reached the highest point, the gate they used to enter this room opened on its own, allowing them to leave if they wished to.


    "Alright... we got the cards. What now?" Milia couldn''t help but ask, confused. She didn''t know how to use the cards.


    Linfel simply put the card away. "There is definitely something we can use them, but we can figure it out after we exit the Dungeon. For now, we need to make our way back."


    Zandel didn''t forget the issue, though. "Go back...? So we will need to go through the fifth level regardless?" The Fifth Level still had many Level Five enemies, after all.


    However, it was then that they saw a platform appearing in the middle of the empty white room. As for stairs or anything like that, not a single one could be seen. "Errr... I guess we have to stop on it?"


    They looked at each other and back at the platform. Without another choice, they went to the platform. For a moment, a silver light flashed brightly, forcing them to close their eyes. Even the Familiar''s senses were disrupted there. When their sight finally returned, they found themselves inside another space.


    "This..." The location was filled with many mannequins, each one wearing equipment. How could they not know what they were? "Magic Armors!"


    They had seen a few back in the war in Heffal. The Level Four Maguses from their battalion could even use them to fly. However, such armor was ridiculously expensive. Even Milia, as a direct descendant of the Frondor Family, didn''t have one.


    Besides, it was widely known back in Heffal that only those at Level Four or higher could wear those Magic Armors and control them. But then again, it was hard to believe anyone at Level Two, Like Alvin''s group was, would even have the money to buy one.


    Alvin arrived in front of one of those displays. There was a transparent barrier separating him from the armor. When he touched the barrier, a small holographic message appeared.


    - Price: 10 Silver Cards -


    Alvin''s mouth twitched. "Ten?! I got only one!"


    Zandel and Milia also went to the other Magic Armors Displays and touched the energy barrier. Similar messages stating the prices appeared on each of them. Below, there was a description of what the armor was good for, what element was necessary, the level of Magic Control, the level of the Magus, etc. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, there were prizes there for the Familiars as well. Familiars don''t use armor since they often connect to their Masters and become a part of them during combat. Nori was Milia''s Sword, and Kefin was Zandel''s Bracelet. Linfel... well, Linfel couldn''t change his core form, so Linfel was just Linfel, even connected.


    Of course, there were exceptions: Familiars that fought alone. And for them, there were special types of equipment that interacted with their Magic Energy without the need to wear anything.


    "Hum?" Linfel arrived in front of one of those displays and touched it.


    - Omnidirectional Familiar Shields: One Silver Card per shield.-


    Linfel got quite interested. If there was one thing he was bad at, it was definitely defense. Wisps had never been known for being highly resistant. If someone landed a direct hit on Linfel''s Core, he was afraid he would truly break right there and then.


    There were other options on display, although they weren''t even a hundredth of the amount of offers displayed for Maguses.


    "Milia, take this," Nori said as he passed his card to her.


    Milia accepted without saying anything. Nori is her sword, and if she can get a Magic Armor, that will help both of them. Nori would always be her sword, so he even though he was an independent Familiar, he had no intention to change that.


    Zandel and Kefin were the same. Kefin simply gave his card away. "I wonder if there isn''t an armor here that can be bought with two cards only..."


    Alvin then looked at Linfel, his eyes shining? See them? What about you? Will you give me your card?


    Linfel nodded at him. "So you want to give me your card? Thank you. I can buy two shields with them."


    Alvin almost vomited blood. "Like hell I will give it to you! I thought you were going to give me your own."


    Linfel smiled in response. "I also want to buy a few things, you know? If you want more cards, you will have to fight for them."


    Linfel then turned to the rest of his group. "Talking about cards, there are different colors. We have Silver Cards, but some of the displays require Golden Cards, while others only ask for Bronze Cards. Also..." Linfel pointed at the end of the room. There, a terminal could be found, and a message was already on display.


    -Card Exchange Terminal-


    -Ten Bronze Cards for One Silver Card-


    -Ten Silver Cards for one Golden Card-


    -Maguses and Familiars can also exchange higher-level cards for lower-level ones; the opposite rate applies.-


    Alvin got excited. He could get ten Bronze Cards with his Silver one. "Where are the Bronze Armors?"


    However, he soon found out there were no full armors being exchanged for Bronze Cards, only pieces. "Eh? Only pieces of the same armor? That''s pretty much useless."


    Milia pondered about her choices. In the end, there wasn''t a single armor that could be bought for only two Silver Cards, so she decided to keep them. "Nori, I will try to get more before selecting one."


    Nori didn''t mind. "Sure. We can search the network later about how to acquire more of them."


    Zandel reached the same conclusion. "I have no interest in pieces either, so I will keep them."


    Alvin, without another choice, decided to do the same. "Well, at least this is a start."


    Linfel commended their decisions. "That''s the right choice, everyone. We didn''t know about this before, but now we do. Let''s go out and look for the next ones. Since these are Magic Armors from the Ventis Sect, and such hard requirements are necessary to acquire them, you can be sure the armors here are several levels above of what you could buy."


    No one doubted that.


    "Alright, let''s go back!"

 Chapter 157 - 157: Why Always Like This?

    *Zuuuuu...*


    Then, one of the barriers came down, and a shield came flying in Linfel''s direction. Everyone looked at that, surprised to see that happened. "Linfel..."


    Linfel smiled and used his Magic Energy Signature to bind the shield to him. It quickly began to float around his core, following Linfel''s every thought. Finally, it shone with a blue light, and a Magic Barrier took form in from of it, adding a second layer to the shield itself. "Truly impressive. None of the Magic Devices I used so far had such a perfect response.


    The way it moves in the air is even better."


    Alvin felt like crying. "Didn''t you just commend us for saving our Silver Cards?" Obviously, Milia and the others had the same thought as Alvin.


    "That I did," Linfel answered, not feeling the least bit of shame. "However, my choice has nothing to do with armor. It is called Omnidirectional Shields, and they work apart from each other if you don''t have them all. If you do have more than one, you can make them work together. Simply put, it does not matter whether I buy one now or all of them later. I already made up my mind I want them."


    "So that''s how it is..." Everyone understood.


    Milia sighed. "That makes me feel a little jealous actually. You can work with a single piece, while for us, a single piece of armor would actually be more detrimental than beneficial."


    Alvin and Zandel couldn''t agree more.


    *Vup!*


    Then, the Shield Disappeared without a trace. "Alright, I''m done here." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the room, there was a Magic Array for the Maguses and Familiars to use. When they all stepped on it, Fourth Dimensional power flowed around them, and with a flash of blue light, Linfel''s group disappeared.


    ---


    Back in Gertei City, there was a building of the Ventis Sect near the center of the city. The building wasn''t that big, and the insides weren''t manipulated by any Spatial Magic Arrays like the building for the Magic Control Test.


    However, no one random could enter this build. There was a Magic Barrier on its only entrance and exit that prevented anyone from getting inside without special permission. The only ones allowed inside were the few contracted Maguses and Familiars from the Ventis Sect. They had only one job in there, keeping the over one hundred Fourth Dimensional Arrays working nonstop.


    It was very similar to how the Fourth Dimensional Engines worked. Those engines were fast enough for you to travel inside this galaxy from one corner to the other in just a few months. As for these Magic Arrays, they weren''t engines. Instead, they connected two different points that Maguses and Familiars could use to move between.


    Calling it a Teleport Array would be wrong. After all, you are not bending space to disappear in one point to reappear in another. You are still making the journey between two points, but you are going through the Fourth Dimension for that.


    The Fourth Dimensional Journey could bring you from one side of the galaxy to the other in a few months. Now, one can imagine how fast it would be to travel between two Fourth Dimensional Arrays that weren''t more than a few hundred kilometers from each other. It was exactly because such points were not too far that this Array even worked. Otherwise, you would need the Fourth Dimensional Engine.


    In the end, Linfel''s group was transported from the bottom of the Dungeon back to Gertei City in a split second. It was so fast that it almost did look like teleportation. Naturally, the place they appeared was exactly this building in the middle of Gertei City. The same city they live in.


    "Hum?" One of the few Maguses there noticed Linfel''s group appeared while he worked on the maintenance of another Magic Array. "Oh! Seems like we have a few more Card Winners. How was it, first time?"


    Linfel and the others were confused, though. "Where are we?"


    The guy smiled. It was also his job to explain things to any newcomers through the Fourth Dimensional Arrays. "This is the Fourth Dimensional Transportation Building. This is where everyone who got access to the armor exchange area ended up after they were done with whatever they were doing. You are now in Gertei City.


    If you are from some other city, then you will have to make your way back on your own."


    "I see..." Linfel commented. "These Arrays are really convenient. We are from Gertei City, by the way."


    The Magus continued to work on another Array. "Cool. The exit is on that side," he said while pointing out for a moment. "You can go now. Don''t try to come back inside, though. Unless you work here, like me, you can''t enter this building.


    It only exists to receive those who complete the various tasks related to the cards."


    Well, that was very convenient for Linfel''s group. They reached the sixth floor, so their contracts would pay quite well. They also fought plenty of Magic Beasts and those Golems and Elementals. Now, it was time for them to consolidate what they had learned in the past weeks with Linfel. The same went for Linfel since he also practiced on his own in the Dungeon with his Soul Power.


    "Thank you for the information, friend," Alvin nodded. He just wanted to get home already. "We are leaving now."


    "Oh, just one thing," The Magus warned Alvin and the others. "Card owners are highly sought after. There are plenty of onlookers outside, just waiting for any new prey to come out. They can''t do anything to you in the city, but they will definitely mark your faces, so be careful next time you leave the city."


    "What is it? Some kind of Card Hunters?" Zandel complained with a dark expression.


    "Did you know them?" The Magus asked back. "That''s exactly how they are called."


    Zandel''s mouth twitched. He didn''t want to guess anything, but seems like he did guess it... He then turned to Alvin and the others. "What do we do?"


    Alvin pointed in the exit direction. "I don''t think that guy over there cares too much about it..."


    Zandel turned around and wanted to cry again. Already stepping outside, there was a wisp who didn''t give a damn to the Card Hunters or whatever. "Why is he always like this?"


    Milia and Alvin patted his shoulder. "We truly wish we knew the answer for that... Let''s go."

 Chapter 158 - 158: Not At All!

    "Linfel, wait!" Zandel tried to stop him, but in the end, he ended up outside with everyone else.


    "Hahaha!" Linfel laughed. "Why wait? It is not like we can stay in the building forever, now can we? Since that''s the case, we might as well come out with a straight face." Linfel looked around, spreading his Magic Sense and taking mental notes of everyone looking at them.


    This was the center of the city, so there were obviously many people and familiars moving around or vehicles passing by. Fortunately, Linfel''s 200-meter Magic Sense was able to cover most of the surrounding area. Following that, Linfel''s mind messages reached everyone in his group. ''There are indeed quite a few interested in us.


    As far as I can see, around 30 eyes are looking in our direction, and most of them seem to be reporting their finding through their MCOMs.''


    Zandel wanted to cry while Alvin and the others just sighed. "So... what do we do?"


    Linfel continued to float away. "We? We will just go home, eat something, rest, review what we learned, and prepare for the next adventure. Besides, we will receive some visits as well. Right! Zandel, prepare a lot of snacks when we come back, okay?"


    Without another choice, Linfel''s group returned to their residence. Zandel went to prepare their food, and the others had a conversation with each other about their time in the dungeon. There were many things to go over.


    However, around an hour later, the first visit arrived, just as Linfel predicted.


    Alvin opened the door, not recognizing the Magus in front of him. "Errr... can I help you?"


    The man took out his hat and introduced himself. "Hello! I''m Ruffus Finwen. I''m here to talk about a little bit of business regarding your Cards. Would you mind if we had a little conversation?"


    Alvin didn''t know what to say, but Linfel appeared on his shoulder a second later. "Oh! It was faster than I expected. Welcome, welcome! Please, come in. What about your friends?"


    Alvin was taken aback and looked behind Ruffus. A few other Maguses and Familiars seemed to be in line, wanting to talk to them as well.


    "We have our own rules, so I will be the first one. They will have their chance to talk to you later," Ruffus explained.


    "That will take too long!" Linfel didn''t like that, though. "Everyone, come inside. Our house is quite big, so we can definitely accommodate you all in the living room. We are also preparing some snacks for you all to eat."


    Linfel then returned inside, leaving Alvin smiling with a weird expression. "You... heard my Familiar. Please, everyone, come inside. One by one won''t work since Linfel will definitely complain."


    Ruffus didn''t like to hear that, but those behind him, especially those further back, were more than happy to follow Linfel''s wishes. Soon, they all entered, and the house door closed behind them. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the living room, Zandel finally understood why Linfel asked for many snacks. It wasn''t for Alvin and Milia, but all these people. He approached Alvin, asking in a low voice. ''What are these guys?''


    Alvin had an idea of who they were. ''Most likely related to the people who saw us leaving the Fourth Dimensional Transfer building.''


    Milia joined. ''Weren''t they supposed to mark our faces and try to rob us outside?''


    Alvin and Zandel went silent. This didn''t seem like an attack, and it couldn''t be anyway since this was still inside the city.


    Linfel approached the center of the room, speaking to everyone. "Well, I believe you all came here to negotiate, right?"


    Ruffus, who had entered first, nodded. "Yes. We would like to buy your cards, regardless of their colors. Since there are six of you, you should have received at least six cards."


    Linfel expected that. "We still don''t know how the rules of the cards work. Is it truly possible to buy the cards? We heard the away tokens can''t be bought, for example."


    "They can," a woman called Jiva took from there. "There are no rules about using Ventis Credits to buy the cards of other Maguses and Familiars. We can also pay through other methods, of course. You can be certain of one thing, we will pay very, very well for every single card."


    Alvin couldn''t help but ask. "Are the armors on display truly worth so much?"


    Ruffus confirmed. "They are. The Ventis Sect Magic Armors are by far superior to what you can acquire on any of our planets. The Ventis Sect is connected to the other powers of this galaxy but especially with powers from the outside. The technology in those armors might not even be found in our galaxy at all. That''s why everyone wants to have one at least."


    Linfel was more interested in the price. "Okay, how much are you offering?"


    Ruffus showed his MCOM. "For each Bronze Card, we offer a thousand Ventis Credits. For each silver, ten thousand Ventis Credits. Finally, for each Golden Card, we offer one million Ventis Credits."


    "Wait, from silver to gold, the price jumps a hundred times?!" Alvin spoke, taking a deep breath.


    Everyone nodded. "It does. Could it be you have Golden Cards?"


    "We wish!" Linfel exclaimed. "But that''s weird. You can swap ten Silver Cars for one Golden Card, according to the terminal exchange we saw back in the Magic Armors Room. Shouldn''t Golden Cards be worth only ten times more then?"


    Ruffus smiled in response. "Do you have ten silver cards to exchange for a golden card?"


    "This..." Linfel immediately understood. "It''s just too hard to acquire ten silver cards, is it? Let alone Golden."


    "That''s correct," Jivas was used to that question from new Maguses and Familiars. "Golden cards are so important that we are willing to pay much more than they should be worth it. Simple as that."


    Finally, Ruffus asked the main question. "Which cards do you have? Also, would you be willing to sell them to us?"


    "Not at all!" Linfel answered without thinking twice.

 Chapter 159 - 159: Increase the Collection

    Linfel pointed to the exit. "You guys can leave now. Thank you for the explanation regarding the commerce of cards, though."


    Ruffus and the others didn''t expect such an answer. "You are kidding, right? I''ll be straight with you. These cards will only bring you trouble in the future. There will be plenty of Maguses and Familiars at Level Four and Five coming after you because of them."


    "That''s for sure!" Linfel agreed with him. "However, I''m not an idiot. I checked the information regarding the cards in the Ventis Sect System. It is indeed possible to rob them, but you must have your own cards with you during that moment. Cards have their own ownership, after all. I''m looking forward to gaining a few more cards when your friends come to pay us a visit."


    Alvin''s group felt like crying. They could tell Linfel was dead set on incurring the wrath of all these experts. "Linfel... isn''t it better to consider it a little first? We can try to find more of those dungeons or other methods to get more cards later."


    Ruffus glanced at Alvin and nodded, satisfied. "You should listen to your master. You can prevent meaningless danger right here and right now. That is definitely the best outcome for your future."


    Linfel opened their house''s door. "Not interest. Shoo, shoo! You are wasting my time. Make sure you call everyone interested in our cards as well. Next time I leave the city, I want at least ten of some card owners after me."


    Java, Ruffus, and the other experts were enraged by how Linfel treated them. However, no one could cause trouble inside the cities, so they could only follow the orders. Otherwise, Linfel could even flag them for trespassing.


    With those guys gone, Linfel closed the door and returned to the living room, just to see Milia and the others looking at him with weird expressions. "Linfel. We don''t think that was a good idea at all. We won''t be able to step out of the city for a long time now."


    Linfel shrugged, not feeling the tension like the others. "You are overthinking it. I doubt more than four or five guys will appear next time we leave for missions, contracts, or training. Didn''t you see the order they took just to talk to us? With such a big target on our backs, that also means more danger for anyone following us. Don''t worry.


    We can deal with it. If not, we can just throw our cards away and flee. At that moment, those who came after us would definitely ignore everything and go after the cards."


    They looked at Linfel, wondering if things would turn out that well. Unfortunately, Linfel already gave his final word to those experts. Unless they go out now and try to mend things, there is no way back. Linfel obviously wouldn''t let them do such a thing, though. He was confident they could deal with the danger. If anything, Linfel welcomed the danger instead.


    "Alright, they didn''t eat all the snacks, so make sure you finish them. After that, we will head to the Ventis Sect Building, where you took the magic Control test," Linfel spoke.


    "We will?" They found it strange. "But the next test is still far away."


    "They are," Linfel smiled in response. "However, I work as one of the supervisors of the test, you know? I have some special privileges, and that includes access to the equipment used for the many types of tests. It will be nice to check how far you have gone with your Magic Control."


    No one had any complaints about that plan. Milia, Zandel, and Alvin quickly finish the food, although not everything. Zandel stored what they couldn''t finish for later. Finally, they followed Linfel out and went back to the Ventis Sect Building.


    Meanwhile, the news about Linfel''s group rejecting the deals spread fast among Card Owners. Above all, the fact that only one member of their group was Level Four made them look like an easy target, which excited those interested.


    For the next weeks, there were Maguses and Familiars keeping an eye on Linfel''s house and friends. Everywhere they went, someone followed behind. They didn''t even try to hide it since there were quite a few.


    That obviously bothered Milia and the others, but there was no rule regarding such things. As long as they didn''t invade the house or other private areas or cause trouble, those stalkers could follow anyone they wanted.


    ---


    There was still a month for the next Magic Energy Control test, and Linfel worked with everyone to improve their abilities. Thanks to all the dangers in the previous Dungeon, there was much to be revised, and the Ventis Sect Building equipment was great for it.


    Without any surprises, Zandel, Kefin, Milia, and Nori were the ones who had the greatest improvement. After all, they had never followed Linfel''s instructions before. Alvin also improved, although not as much since it gets harder, the better it becomes. Nonetheless, Linfel recognized Alvin probably would achieve at least 1400, 50 points higher than he did during the previous test.


    Of course, Alvin has already passed the test. The only reason he isn''t leveling up is because Linfel prohibited him from doing so.


    Coming out of the Ventis Sect Testing Building, Linfel felt satisfied with everyone''s progress, including his own. He also put himself to the test during these weeks and was happy that he was managing to merge the Soul Power and Magic Energy together in his attacks with more ease.


    If Linfel used Magic Energy alone, he could easily surpass 2500 points of score, something you wouldn''t see below Level Five and within some top geniuses on the entire planet. 2500 would only become more commonly seen at Level Six. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, when adding Soul Power to the mix, things became a lot more difficult. No doubt the Soul Power increased the strength of Linfel Magic Energy Abilities, but it also made it a lot harder to control. While using Soul Power, Linfel''s score barely hit 1000 points. Of course, it was still a great score for a Level Three Familiar. In the end, it all depended on the situation.


    Linfel''s plan was to get used to Soul Power so he could use it as easily as he did Magic Energy alone.


    "Okay, it is time to put what we learned into practice," Linfel spoke. "We are going to get a few contracts. But first, I''ve found the information about where we could get more cards. Let''s see if we can increase our collection."

 Chapter 160 - 160: We Expected That

    After finding out about the cards, it became a lot easier to search for them. However, Linfel also noticed something during his research. The information regarding the cards seemed to be suppressed in the Ventis Network. Unless you were looking specifically for it, you probably wouldn''t just bump into it there.


    That was most likely, so the various maguses and familiars wouldn''t lose sight of their objective. In Linfel''s opinion, it made a lot of sense. Those who still haven''t massed the Magic Control Test should be focused on it instead of looking for those cards. As for the ones who had already passed, it was the right logical step to try to acquire one of those armors.


    Linfel took out his MCOM, showing it to his group. "So, it took me some time, but it seems like we have three options. The first one is actually focused on research than anything else. The Jogtan Organization is in need of Maguses and Familiars to conduct some tests, and the rewards are Bronze Cards. One card every three months of contribution."


    Alvin didn''t like it. "Sounds like those Maguses and Familiar experiments we decided to stay away from..."


    "Exactly," Linfel nodded. "That''s exactly what it is about. So, I guess none of you want to donate your bodies for this cause, right?"


    Linfel heard no complaints there, so he continued into the second option. "The second way to acquire cards is in the monthly Magus and Familiar races."


    "Races?" None of them expected that. "You mean... just trying to see how is fastest and gaining cards if you win?"


    "If it was just that simple..." Linfel shook his head as he said that. "These races obviously are quite dangerous. Simply put, you can attack any other participant, and you must not deviate from the path of the race during this time. The path is made so that there is nowhere to hide either."


    Milia sighed in response. "As always, the Ventis Sect tries to force its members into combat..." Of course, now she knew the real reason the sect did that, so she didn''t complain.


    Alvin looked at the information, seeing that there were various categories. However, there was no mention of cards as rewards. "Are you sure? I can only see Ventis Credists as rewards."


    Linfel faintly smiled and touched a hidden option there. Then, the reward list changed, now displaying the cards as well. "Is that what you were looking for?"


    Alvin was taken aback and did the same on his MCOM. Sure enough, the list was also updated for him. "The Ventis Sect truly went all out to hide the cards, didn''t they?"


    Zandel then looked at the categories. "Doesn''t seem that complicated, though. Level Three Maguses and Familiars can only participate in Level Three Races. The same goes for Level Four and Five. There doesn''t seem to be races for Level Six and above, though."


    "Why would there be races for Level Six and Above?" Linfel asked back. "Such high-level Maguses and Familiars would already be going into away missions outside the planet. I''m pretty sure they can also acquire Ventis Credits and Cards in this way. Make sure to keep all your Away Tokens."


    "I also can''t see Level Six Maguses and Familiars participating in those races to entertain the public," Nori pointed out to the rules. The races were transmitted in the Ventis Sect Network, and from the number of views, they were extremely popular. But, at the same time, it would be quite embarrassing to participate in such things at Level Six and above.


    Alvin then looked at Linfel. "In the Level Three categories, there is a Master Familiar race as well. Linfel, what about we connect and participate. With your control over all elements and my Magic Energy, it should be fairly easy for us to win in this category, no?"


    Linfel looked at him before pointing at the Level Three Familiar category. "I can also win on my own. You just want an easy path to win a few cards."


    Alvin scratched the back of his head. "Well... is that wrong? I mean, I''m an Earth Element user. I have no speed whatsoever."


    "There aren''t only races," Linfel changed the page. "There are also monthly competitions for Strength, Endurance, etc. After everything I taught you, I believe you would do pretty well in the resilience department."


    Alvin had to admit he was interested. Not only him but so did Milia, Zandel, and their Familiars.


    Linfel could understand then, but he still had one last option to give. "Last but not least... we have another dungeon. Who could have imagined that, right? Hahaha!"


    He continued. "From what I found out, we can''t repeat the same dungeon and acquire cards again. Even if we managed to reach the sixth floor back in the Fucoes Dungeon, nothing would be there for us to receive. Anyway, the other Dungeon that is relatively close to us is actually inside a Magic Beast Territory, the Ronmel Mountain range. As for the Dungeon, it''s the Crystal Caves, a labyrinthine system of caves adorned with luminescent crystals... or so says the description."


    Zandel immediately made his choice. "I want the Crystal Caves!"


    "Eh?!" Alvin definitely didn''t think Zandel would choose the Magic Beasts option. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"


    Zandel glanced at him and shrugged. "I''ve seen you, Milia, and your Familiars. At Level Three, you guys truly have a very good chance of winning these monthly contests. However, I''m Level Four, and in the Ventis Sect, I''m not exactly that super talented. I would probably drown in the midfield. Since that''s the case, I might as well take my chances with the Crystal Caves and see if I can get a card. At the very least, now I know I would be going there to look for them." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel was happy to hear that. "In fact, the choice was made from the very start. We can take these contests later since the next ones will happen only three days prior to the Magic Control Test. Meanwhile, we must go to the Crystal Caves. Reason being, I want to see what you learned after these long time of training here in the city. Show me what you can do there."


    Alvin and Milia looked at each other. "Yeah... we expected that."

 Chapter 161 - 161: Everything Will Be Fine

    Linfel''s group didn''t leave the city through the gate like the last time. Usually, Linfel would have everyone run and battle all the way to the Crystal Caves. However, because the next Magic Control Test would take place in just one month, they might run out of time. That''s because the Crystal Cave was over five thousand kilometers away.


    They went to the public airship transportation and paid the Ventis Credits fee. No one would believe Level Three would spend their Ventis Credits on these things, but Linfel''s group definitely did. They got even more Ventis Credits after returning from the previous dungeon. Right now, their total amount was 1147, after paying for their seats in the airship. They could have even more, but they spent quite a bit here in the city before leaving.


    If Linfel''s group had made their way on foot, there would be quite a few Maguses and Familiars waiting to ambush them and take their cards away. However, trying anything inside the airships of the Ventis Sect was absolutely forbidden. After all, these airships were operated by various companies contracted by the Ventis Sect, so they were out of limits.


    Sure, there were a few idiots who tried to do such a thing before, but without exception, their ending wasn''t very good. Right now, no one even considered the idea anymore.


    "Those guys must be pretty mad..." Alvin couldn''t help but comment, looking down from the airship window.


    "Not so much," Zandel shook his head. "They saw what kind of residence we lived in, right? They probably already considered the possibility that we would use public transportation. It''s just that they can''t do anything to us here."


    "Linfel," Milia looked at the Wisp. "Is there a limit of level for the Crystal Caves as well?"


    "Of course!" Linfel quickly nodded. "The Crystal Caves are forbidden to anyone at Level Six and above. I hardly think someone at that level would go there when they can take away missions, but it is good that the limit exists. After all, there are cases like ours, so some Level Six Maguses or Familiars might throw their pride away and come after us inside. With the limit, those people can''t send anyone beyond Level Five while we are there."


    Zandel was still nervous. "Level Five is still not something we should be able to deal with..."


    Linfel faintly smiled but didn''t say anything. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time passed, and around an hour later, the airship landed at the entrance of the Crystal Caves. Hundreds of Maguses and Familiars came out, including Linfel''s group. Linfel didn''t waste time, spreading his Magic Sense around, covering everything in a 200-meter range. Right after, he talked directly into everyone''s minds.


    ''Sure enough, they left some waiting for us. I can see four guys focused on our group, three Level Four and one Level Five. The Level Five guy seems to be alone, while those three at Level Four are acting as a group.''


    None of Linfel''s group expressions changed. Before even leaving their house, Linfel had a conversation with everyone. They must not act suspicious, so as to not hint out that they know they were being followed. With that, they all walked into the Crystal Cave''s entrance.


    The name Crystal Caves was indeed suiting. The entrance already had many crystals protruding out of the walls, and they shined lightly. From what Linfel read about this place, further down the Crystal Caves, you wouldn''t even see dirt anymore. Everything would be covered in crystals.


    Linfel''s Magic Sense continued to observe their new ''friends'' as they tried to hide. Normally, what they did would be enough, but not with Linfel there. ''They don''t seem to want to act right at the entrance, which makes sense since there are plenty of Maguses and Familiars passing by. They will wait until there aren''t many experts or when we get alone.''


    Zandel immediately commented, using his Magic Energy to make sure only Linfel and the others heard his voice. ''Then let''s keep in the main routes. Should be safer.''


    Linel completely ignored him, though. ''Alright, on the count of three, we will all run to the cave passage on the right. That''s the path to the least used routes of the crystal caves. Let''s try to end these things fast. One, two, three!''


    Zandel wanted to cry. End things fast? How? Was Linfel trying to die faster, perhaps? Too bad Zandel''s best chance was still to stick with Linfel''s group, so he also shot forward, trying to keep up with Linfel and the others.


    As one could imagine, the Level Five Magus and the other Level Four Magus/Familiar group noticed that straight away and followed.


    As one of the least used paths, it didn''t take long for the number of Maguses and Familiars to reduce. This place was considered a labyrinth, but Linfel made sure to buy a map of the area. This dungeon didn''t have floors like the previous one. It was all about deepness. All caves headed down, although in different directions. Linfel''s map was enough to not get lost up to fifty kilometers. As for how far the Crystal Cave went, that information he wasn''t able to find.


    Just like the Fucoes Dungeon, it seemed like information regarding the furthest parts was controlled. Let''s not forget that Zandel told Linfel''s group that no one had ever made it to the sixth floor of the Fucoes Dungeon. Yet, they found out back there that actually a lot of people had got there. They just couldn''t mention it outside, or they would be punished. The same went for Linfel''s group, so they never told anyone about the sixth floor and what you could find there.


    "Linfel," Alvin asked as they kept running. "What about the Magic Beasts? Is that really okay to continue running like this?"


    Linfel nodded. "It is fine. The main issue of the Crystal Caves is to find your way further down. Look around; everything looks the same, right? This place is more about not getting lost than fighting Magic Beasts... or at least that''s the case at the start. There are pretty much no Magic Beasts in the first 30 or so kilometers. Beyond that, we might find one or two. It''s only after fifty kilometers that I''m not sure about what we can find."


    Zandel kept glancing back, waiting for the moment their enemies would reveal themselves and attack his group. "What''s the plan? Just wait for them to come?"


    Linfel nodded, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Yeap, just wait. Keep running nonstop. That''s all you need to do. As long as you do that, everything will be fine."

 Chapter 162 - 162: Soon!

    No one understood why Linfel said that. Keep running, and everything will be fine... Why would it be fine? They were getting even further away from the main routes. It will become harder and harder to meet anyone the further they go into these routes. It would instead give their pursuers the perfect chance to attack! Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel could tell what they were thinking, but he didn''t say anything. His Magic Sense, which was definitely bigger than those coming after his group, kept focused on them. "Okay, increase the speed a little."


    Alvin and the others looked at each other and nodded, increasing their speed.


    Half a minute later. "Increase again; go ten kilometers faster."


    Zandel jumped right and left, narrowing his eyes while he pulled Kefin with him. "This terrain is terrible to move through."


    The Crystal Caves weren''t smooth. Giant crystals could also be found on the ground everywhere. To make the most of the situation, Zandin and the others were forced to keep jumping everywhere to keep the increase of speed requested by Linfel.


    That was the same for everyone. Just like the city, it was also impossible to fly inside a Dungeon due to the Magical Arrays controlling it. The Ventis Sect never made life easy for anyone. Well, that was good for Linfel''s group since not even the Level Five Magus behind could fly, either.


    Linfel kept checking his group''s distance from the Level Five Magus and the trio of Level Four ones. He would tell Alvin and the others to increase their speed now and then; sometimes, he asked them to reduce their speed a little as well. Simply put, Linfel was making sure his pursuers would stay around a hundred meters away.


    That situation continued for over an hour, and exactly as Linfel mentioned, they didn''t find a single Magic Beast. This place truly looked more like a labyrinth than anything else. Everywhere they looked at seemed the same. If not for the map of the first 50 kilometers Linfel acquired, they wouldn''t even be sure if they were lost or not.


    "Hehe!" Linfel laughed a little. "Seems like our friends are getting impatient. Everyone, increase your speed by another 30 kilometers. You can use your Magic Energy normally."


    Behind, both the Level Five Magus and those at Level Four in the other group were indeed getting angry. They kept trying to catch up to Linfel''s group, increasing their speed several times. Yet, Linfel''s group seemed to away be a step too far for them to even see their shadows. They were sure they were ahead, but they couldn''t catch up.


    Little did they know, but Linfel was using his map to go in circles. This dungeon was enormous and with countless different paths. As long as the enemy didn''t catch up, Linfel could bait them around forever.


    Another two hours went by, and the trio of Level Four Maguses and Their Familiars finally found themselves forced to stop. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to pursue Linfel''s group anymore. Instead, they had been using their magic Energy nonstop to move in this weird terrain of crystals while keeping up with Linfel''s group speed. One could just imagine their shock to see that they were running out of steam while Linfel''s group continued to run.


    *Gasp, gasp...* "How''s that possible..."


    *Gasp, gasp...* "It makes no sense..."


    "Forget it..." *gasp...* "We already knew we probably wouldn''t have a chance with that Level Five guy pursuing them anyway. Let''s go back and wait at the exit. We can''t make a move there, but at least we can report them once they go back to the city."


    Just like that, the Magus Group gave up. In their eyes, Linfel''s group was actually committing suicide. There was no way they could outrun the Level Five Magus reserves of Magic Energy. Once Linfel and the others ran out of Magic Energy, they would become the stronger guy''s prey and would be forced to give away their cards.


    Linfel, obviously, noticed when the trio stopped with his Spiritual Sense. "Good news, our first pursues gave up."


    "What?!" Milia and the others were taken aback. "Why?!"


    Linfel looked at Milia, Alvin, and Zandel. Milia and Zandel''s Familiars were just cores, so carrying them wasn''t a problem. Still, neither of the three seemed tired yet. "Still can''t understand? Did you forget what you looked like when I first started to train your physical bodies without having to rely on Magic Energy? Why do you think I made you all run so much? Tell me, how much Magic Energy have you used until now?" Linfel asked as they continued to run.


    The group was surprised to hear that. Alvin, Milia, and Zandel checked their reserves.


    "I''m still full..." Alvin was the first to answer. As the one who trained with Linfel the longest, he obviously had the best Magic Energy Control. He was using Magic Energy to move fast through the crystals, but his control was so good that he was able to recover more than he used.


    "I''m around 80%," Milia was next. She had been with them for a while longer than Zandel but nowhere near as Alvin.


    "What? I''m already at 50% of my reserves!" Zandel exclaimed. He was at Level Four, and yet he used more Magic Energy than Milia and Alvin, who were at Level Three. Well, it had been just two months since he began to receive his tyrannical magic Energy Control and Physical Training from Linfel, so he still had a long way to go.


    Linfel shrugged. "That''s pretty much it. Magic Energy Control and, in this case, pure body fitness and strength. Those guys behind us are most likely the same as 99%+ of the Maguses of the world. Absolute no physical training, only Magic Leveling and Magic Energy Control. Maguses tend to underestimate the difference of a properly trained body. After all, they can make up for it all by simply adding Magic Energy. Now, you just saw the result of such thinking. We are all still fine to keep runing for many more hours. As for our friends behind..."


    Everyone was quite happy to hear that.


    "Great!" Alvin cheered. "We can just keep running until the Level Five guy gives up. Hahaha! We are safe!"


    "Uh?" Linfel looked at Alvin, confused. "Why would we do such a thing? Be ready. Soon, we will turn around and confront him."


    Alvin almost stumbled when he heard that. Sure enough, things were never that simple when Linfel had the reins.

 Chapter 163 - 163: Be Right Back

    "Are you crazy?" Zandel followed with Alvin''s reaction. "That is not a Magic Beast. It''s a magus, one that can think about his moves!"


    Linfel didn''t seem to care. "Good! Then that means we will have a real challenge. Now, shut up and increase the speed. We are changing direction."


    Alvin and Milia did as Linfel told them, forcing Zandel to follow so he wouldn''t be left alone. As Linfel mentioned before, they kept changing directions and going in circles. Once in a while, they bumped into some Magus or Familiar, but those ones didn''t want to have anything to do with Linfel''s group. Now, Linfel repeated the process while the Level Five Magus followed them.


    There was a difference this time. Linfel had his group increase their speed to the maximum, which also forced the enemy to give his best. If Linfel and the others stopped for a moment, they would definitely hear the curses coming from the Magus behind.


    Finally, another thirty minutes later, Zandel began to lose performance. He was still far from having a good physical body or Magic Control. Fortunately for him, Linfel was waiting for that moment. "Alright, on the count of three, everyone stops. I was thinking about charging at our enemy, but it will be better if we pretend we are too tired to continue to flee. One, two, three!"


    Alvin and the others immediately stopped. It wasn''t hard to pretend to be tired since they had been running forever. Even if Alvin, Milia, and Nori were still full of Magic Energy, they were still sweating quite a lot, let alone Zandel. In his case, he was already using Kefin''s Magic Energy since his own was pretty much gone.


    With their stop, the Level Five Magus caught to them in no time. Just like Linfel''s group, he also was sweating buckets, and his expression was as dark as one could imagine. "Finally... *gasp* you gave up, uh? *gasp!*"


    Alvin turned to him as Linfel was now sitting on his shoulder. "Who are you? Why do you keep following us? We did nothing to you!"


    The guy couldn''t care less. "I''m Zuzei. Now, shut up and hand over your cards. You better be happy that killing others would make me a Killer. Otherwise, I would take your lives right here and right now."


    Well, it was true that killing someone would make Zuzei a killer. However, the guy had no intention of simply taking the cards anymore. He would also break a few bones and take a few limbs. That was his plan. Of course, he wouldn''t tell Linfel and the others about it. But first, he had to take the cards.


    Alvin showed a relieved expression and nodded. "So, will you let us go if we give you our cards?"


    "Yeah, yeah! Fast before I change my mind!" Zuzei approached, now breathing a little bit better. Yet, his Magic Energy was already circulating in his body, ready to attack.


    Alvin looked at Milia and Zandel, and they quickly gathered their Silver Cards. Seeing that surprised the Magus quite a bit. He was expecting Bronze Cards to come out, definitely not Silver Cards. In his mind, he felt like he hit the jackpot. It was definitely worth all the effort he put into pursuing Linfel''s group.


    As Zuzei approached Alvin, he glanced at Zandel all the time. He could tell that Zandel was the only Level Four member of this group. Although Zuzei was at Level Five, he didn''t want to underestimate Zandel just because of a single level. If Zandel managed to land a hit on him with his full power, even Zuzei might get seriously injured.


    Alvin extended his arm, the cards in his hand. He seemed to be trembling, afraid of what could happen. Well, the trembling wasn''t pretension. Alvin was truly nervous due to the difference in Level. Milia was by his side, holding Nori in his sword form. They were in their Magus Familiar connection. Zandel and Kefin too.


    Zuzei didn''t complain about those two since they were being careful. Nonetheless, once he got the cards, he could definitely beat them.


    Finally, Zuzei extended his hand to grab the Silver Cards. However, his right hand suddenly moved like lightning. He, too, was connected to his Familiar, which had the form of a belt. Their Magic Energy acted together, Fire Element gathered on his hand, and he tried to destroy Alvin''s arm as he took the cards for himself.


    *Bang!*


    However, Zuzei''s plan didn''t work as he expected. Out of nowhere, a shield appeared right where Zuzei was about to strike Alvin''s Arm, completely absorbing the shock as Fire Element spread around.


    *Kabrum!*


    He didn''t have time to think about the shield, though. The moment his right hand hit the shield, a lightning bolt shot from Linfel on Alvin''s shoulder, aiming at Zuzei''s left hand instead. His second hand was trying to catch Alvin''s cards once his right one cut Alvin''s arm away. Now, it was unprotected, and Linfel hit him at point-blank distance.


    *Arrrrghhhh!*


    An arm flew out, disconnected from its body, as the smell of burnt flesh spread in the air. Zuzei lost his arm even faster than he could think. He immediately jumped back, using all his Magic Energy to open some distance from Alvin and Linfel.


    Yet, that was the signal for Zandel, Milia, Nori, and Kefin to act. They attacked Zuzei from behind before he could recompose himself. Alvin also followed from the front... although Linfel was nowhere to be seen.


    "Alright, I got one of his arms. Now, the three of you need to work together to take him down," Linfel spoke from further behind. "Just be careful to not kill him. Oh, and don''t forget to take his Cards. The way he reacted when he saw our own cards is proof that he wants the cards for himself instead of selling to anyone."


    Alvin''s Earth First appeared again, and he attacked Zuzei from the front. His Magic Energy output surpassed what a Level Three Magus should be able to, making it impossible for Zuzei to ignore him.


    *Bang!*


    Zuzui used his only arm to block Alvin and his superior Magic Energy reserves to force Alvin back. Yet, that gave Zandel and Milia time to strike from behind. Of course, Zuzei was still a Level Five Magus, and he was connected with his Familiar, which was also at Level Five. Magic Energy immediately built on his back, creating a barrier to block the attacks.


    Linfel didn''t stay there to watch the show, though. "Alright, you guys continue. Don''t forget his cards. I have something to do. Once you are done, wait for me here. I will be right back."


    Alvin and the others were taken aback. "You are abandoning us?!" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Linfel laughed as his voice grew further away. "Hahaha! This guy doesn''t have even 10% of his Magic Energy left. If you still lose to him, then that''s all there is to it. Put your training to the test. See you in a moment." And just like that, Linfel disappeared in the distance. Linfel... was the only being in this Dungeon who could still fly!

 Chapter 164 - 164: Cant Escape

    Alvin and the others were taken aback. Not even ten 10%? Zuzei was already connected to his Familiar, so there was no doubt Linfel was talking about their total amount of Magic Energy. What about Alvin? He was full! Milia still had around 60 to 70% left.


    Zandel and Kefin were the only ones in a similar state to Zuzei, having around 10% of their magic Energy left. However, let''s not forget that Zandel and Kefin were only at Level Four. For them to have a similar amount of Spiritual Energy to Zuzei after all this long pursuit already shows Linfel''s training results.


    Zuzei obviously heard those words, and his expression became even worse than when he lost his arm. He didn''t know how that Familiar found out about his Magic Energy reserves. Even worse, the Familiar left, saying that this group of Levels Three and Four could deal with him because of that. "You seem to be underestimating me quite a bit, no? Is that because you took one arm? Hmph! Let''s see how this is going to end after I finish with you all."


    Fire Element immediately gathered as his Magic Energy spread and circulated in his body. Without holding back, he shot forward, this time aiming to take Alvin down in a single strike. Even if he had just one arm left, there was no way a Level Three Magus could resist his strike. He was also confident he was faster than Milia and Zandel.


    Alvin wasn''t any slower, though. His Earth Element gathered, and Magic Energy circulated. He crossed his arms, which became covered in an armor of rocks filled with Magic Energy, ready to receive the strike.


    Milia and Zandel also acted, attacking Zuzei from behind, but he wasn''t wrong when he thought he was faster than these Maguses and Familiar. He indeed was... or so he thought.


    Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on Alvin''s face as he stomped his fot on the ground. Who said that Alvin intended to defend? If anything, Alvin understood that he had the best attack opportunity at that moment. Zuzei would be focusing on Milia, Zandel, and their Familiars, afraid of their attacks.


    *Zash!*


    As soon as Zuzei was about to land his strike on Alvin, an earth pillar shot from the ground, aiming straight at his face. Zuzei could barely believe that. It wasn''t like he didn''t think Alvin could attack him. Instead, seeing that Alvin was only at Level Three and was an Earth Element user, he simply thought nothing Alvin did could be faster than himself. Little did Zuzei think Alvin could use his Magic Energy with such speed and precision. That went completely against what he knew about experts at Level Three.


    Zuzei was still experienced, though. In that last split second, he turned his face to the side, and the earth pillar missed a point-blank hit. However, Alvin didn''t completely miss it. The Earth Pillar opened a huge wound on Zuzei''s face right side.


    It didn''t all end there, though. Because Zuzei was forced to give up the attack to not plunge his face into the Earth Pillar, he didn''t have time to think about anything else. He simply drained as much Magic Energy as possible from his core and once again created the Magic Energy barrier on his back, expecting Milia and Zandel''s attack to arrive right after.


    Too bad, though. Milia and Zandel positioned themselves a few meters away, seemingly waiting for something. That Magic Energy barrier turned out to be useless.


    ''Not good!''


    Only then did he understand. Yes! Since he didn''t land his strike against Alvin, that meant Alvin didn''t go anywhere else. In fact, Alvin wasn''t truly intending to defend himself from the very start. When he summoned the Earth Pillar, he already uncrossed his arms, actually revealing his usual Earth Fist Spikes that he was so used to fighting with.


    *Bang!*


    *Pft!!*


    Alvin bellowed as his Earth Spike Fists landed against Zuzei''s chest, opening two big holes before Alvin used the attack strength to send Zuzei flying.


    Zandel and Milia were waiting for exactly that. Well, truth be told, only Milia was. Zandel just followed Milia to see what she was planning to do when she didn''t attack Zuzei. Seeing Zuzei flying straight at them and with big injuries, everything became clear to him.


    Milia''s Flame Sword and Zandel''s Wood Element immediately acted. Both of them landed another two attacks on the now unprotected Zuzei. Milia aimed her sword strike at Zuzei''s Familiar, who had the shape of a belt, while Zandel aimed at Zuzei''s other arm, pulling it apart!


    *Arrrrrghhhh!!!*


    The Belt was easily cut while Zuzei''s last arm separated from him. His body fell right in between Milia and Zandel, who were ready to give the final strike.


    "Stop!"


    However, Alvin quickly arrived, blocking the two. "If you kill him, we are going to become killers. We won''t be able to return to the city anytime soon."


    Only then did Milia and Zandel stop. Indeed, it wouldn''t be the end of the world to become a killer, but that would severely limit their movements.


    "Understood," Milia nodded. "Now, get out of the way. I know what to do."


    Alvin sighed in relief and pulled his Earth Fist Spikes back.


    Then, Milia''s Flame Sword moved.


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    *Arrrghhh!*


    Zuzei screamed even more, taking Zandel and Alvin aback. However, they immediately understood. When Zandel used his Vines to pull Zuzei''s arm away from his body, part of it still remained. Milia used her Flame Sword to cut that off as well. She wasn''t trying to kill Zuzei, nor was she torturing him. Instead, Nori was a Flame Sword, and those flames instantly cauterized the injury, stopping the bleeding. If she hadn''t done that, Zuzei would eventually bleed to death.


    Zuzei''s belt then began to change shape, returning to his Core Form. He was very feeble, and a crack could be seen on the core. When Linfel said Zuzei didn''t have much Magic Energy remained, he wasn''t kidding. Zuzei had even used all of his Familiar Magic Energy, so he couldn''t keep his belt form anymore. Even if he did, when Milia cut it, she already limited the Familiar''s strength while connected to Zuzei.


    *Shin!*


    Milia thrust her sword right beside Zuzei''s ear, not giving him time to focus on his pain. "You have two choices. One, we will pin you to the wall and make sure you can''t move. Even if there are pretty much no Magic Beasts in this place, one is bound to appear sooner or later. As long as it kills you, that won''t count as our kill."


    "Two," Milia continued, "give us your cards. We know you have your own. Do that, and we will just leave. At least, you will have the chance to crawl back to the surface on your own. Simply put, your life, or your cards. Choose!"


    Zandel and Alvin looked at that and felt a chill on their back. The woman was savage!


    ---


    Meanwhile, Linfel found what he was looking for. "Hehe! As if I would let my beloved cards escape that easily." Linfel had now caught up to those three Level Four Maguses who were initially pursuing his group!

 Chapter 165 - 165: Good Luck

    Those three and their familiars had made it halfway back to the main routes of the Crystal Caves. At first, one might imagine they were quite slow since Linfel spent even more time baiting the Level Five Magus around.


    However, let''s not forget that these Maguses were forced to stop because they ran out of Magic Energy first. Not to mention their much, much higher physical fatigue. They were your normal magus that you can find in every corner of the Ventis Sect. Maguses that used magic Energy for everything, even high-speed pursuits. It''s just that doing it for so long, adding Magic Energy to make sure the body can sustain that speed, also exhausted the body.


    The three Maguses weren''t worried on their way back since these parts of the Crystal Caves were relatively safe, even if you left the mainly used paths. Unfortunately for them, that negligence gave Linfel the perfect moment to act.


    *Kabrum! Kabrum!*


    Two bolts of Lightning suddenly came from behind, filled with a huge concentration of Magic Energy and Soul Power. They struck the magus and familiar on the back of the trio. In an instant, the magus was seriously injured, losing consciousness. The familiar wasn''t any better. The electrical power, combined with the soul power, easily sipped into the core, affecting its soul. The familiar''s core fell by its master''s side, also unconscious.


    "Who''s there?!" The other two Maguses and Familiars obviously noticed that and connected to each other, merging their total Magic Energy. They never expected to be attacked in this place.


    Linfel didn''t try to hide, though. The surprise element was gone, so he just came out in the open. "Hello, friends. You sure made my group run a lot in the past hours. So, as compensation, I decided I might as well come and ask for compensation. Don''t worry, though. As long as you give me your cards, everything will be fine. I can leave immediately." Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    None of the two believed what they saw. A single familiar came to intercept them? No, that can''t be possible. The two quickly scanned the surroundings with their Magic Sense. Yet, no magus could be seen. "Where is your master?"


    "Oh? Alvin?" Linfel asked back. "He should have finished that Level Five Magus by now. If he didn''t, well, that''s basically it. Anyway, you shouldn''t worry about him. Come on, cards. Let''s not waste each other''s time."


    The two Maguses, connected to their Familiars, felt Linfel''s actions to be hilarious. "So you abandoned your master to flee from the Level Five Magus, uh? Hehe! Well, you did great to take one of us by surprise. But now that we two know you are here, we might as well capture you to use as an exchange later."


    *Bzzzz...*


    Linfel shrugged as five lightning spears appeared around his body. They were created with both Magic Energy and Soul Power. "Well, you can''t say I didn''t warn you."


    The first magus snorted and didn''t speak anymore. He took out a Magic Device that looked like a fire weapon from his waist, pointing at Linfel. Finally, he pulled the trigger. Charged with his Magic Energy, the weapon shot a ray of red light, obviously filled with dense Fire Element and Magic Energy.


    This was different from your normal firearms, which were useless against Maguses. Its power far surpassed any normal bullet, and it was much faster, too. Unless you had your magic defenses up beforehand, reacting to it was very hard if your level was too low.


    Yet, when the shot reached Linfel, something weird happened. The Magic Energy of the shot suddenly dispersed in mid-air, leaving only the Fire Element, which began to disperse as well.


    The Magus''s eyes opened wide, not understanding what happened to his attack. "What the hell?"


    His friend, using a similar weapon, didn''t know what happened either. However, he didn''t want to give Linfel time to think about anything. He took a similar weapon but with Wind Element, shooting Linfel without thinking twice. Several Magic Shot sounds echoed in the caves, but they all dispersed once they reached within a meter from Linfel''s core. It was as if there was some kind of dead zone for Magic Energy in there.


    The two had terrible expressions and went all out, shooting Linfel nonstop until their Magic Guns went empty. Fire and Wing Magic Shots continued to fly at Linfel, just for them all to disperse in the same way.


    Linfel, who hadn''t moved yet, nodded with a satisfied expression. "Sure enough, it works. Good thing I didn''t have a use for a Magic Energy Barrier. Blocking that many shots would cost some extra Magic Energy."


    The two maguses didn''t know what Linfel was talking about. Instead, they glanced at each other... and ran! Yes, as soon as their weapons ran out of Magic Energy, they threw caution to the wind and sped away, leaving their friend behind.


    Linfel watched that and laughed. "Hahaha! So, still without Magic Energy? Too bad, I have a lot."


    He knew they were empty, and after their weapons were discharged, there was pretty much nothing left for themselves. When they were pursuing Linfel''s group, they were to tap into their Familiars'' Magic Energy as well. Only when both were almost empty did they finally give up. Yet, having pushed that far was a terrible mistake that put them in this situation. They didn''t have the means to fight Linfel at the moment, even if Linfel was only at Level Three.


    *Kabrum!*


    The Lightning Spears immediately shot at the Maguses, who used their Magic Senses to try to avoid them. They were indeed Ventis Sect Maguses. Even in that situation where they were almost empty of Magic Energy, they received great training, and these ones were obviously used to battles between Maguses and Familiar pairs.


    Still, Lightning Spears continued to rain down on them, making the two feel like crying.


    "How can he cast so many of those spears at Level Three? Even I would be hard-pressed to do such a thing!" One of them complained


    "How would I know? Just keep running until he gives up! Save your Magic Energy!" The other had no answer either.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    Everywhere the Lightning Spears fell, a big hole was opened. That scared the Maguses even more since not only Linfel was using many at once, each one of those Spear carried incredible power. Was it even possible to have such huge Magic Control and Magic Energy output at just Level Three?


    Linfel continued to pursue them, shooting his Spears. Yet, inside, he felt bitter. ''Sigh... sure enough, conjuring Magic Energy abilities and adding Soul Power to them takes a long time. Soul Power is just too difficult to control.'' Linfel looked ahead, seeing that the Maguses weren''t that fast. ''Well, practice makes perfect. Let''s continue.''


    Good thing they didn''t know Linfel could be at least three times fast at conjuring Lightning Spears if he didn''t use Soul Power. But then again, Linfel''s Lightning Spears had such huge destruction power exactly because he was using Soul Power. In exchange, he didn''t need much magic Energy to conjure them. He could continue like this for a very long time.


    *Kabrum, kabrum, kabrum... bang, bang, boom, boom...*


    Lightning Spears fell everywhere, some even brushed the Maguses, making them scream in pain as they kept running. Just the electrical part was enough to make their bodies numb for a moment. Their anger quickly changed into fear and then into despair. Linfel didn''t slow down, and the Lightning Spears continued to fall. At some point, one of them finally made a mistake, and one of the spears hit his chest.


    *Bang!*


    *Arrrrgghhh!!!*


    As he was connected to his Familiar, both of them suffered the damage. Or, you could say they shared the damage, which would have been higher for one of them if they weren''t connected. Different from the first Magus and Familiar, Linfel didn''t need to shoot two Lightning Spears to take both down.


    Linfel knew very well how to control himself, though. He easily injured and made those two lose consciousness, but neither of them died.


    Now, only one Magus and Familiar remained, and all the Lightning Spears began to rain down on him.


    The guy finally understood. He had no Magic Energy, and the Familiar pursuing him was a monster! "Wait! I give up! I give up!"


    Linfel instantly stopped his attacks, arriving by the guy''s side in the next second. "And here I thought I could practice for a while longer..."


    When Linfel appeared, the last Magus got even more shocked. He didn''t pay attention to the first Magus and Familiar Linfel took down, nor did he pay attention to the second ones. He just wanted to flee. Now that Linfel was here, he noticed that Linfel was carrying both Maguses and Familiars with his Magic Energy. From the very start, Linfel was keeping at his speed while carrying others! "I will definitely ask your Master later about how to make such an amazing Familiar like you..."


    Linfel was taken aback for a moment but laughed. "Hahaha! Good luck."

 Chapter 166 - 166: Make Good Use

    Linfel''s Lightning Spears changed into Lightning Blades, positioning themselves around the guy. "Alright, my beloved stalker, how about you show me your cards. And don''t say you don''t have them. I have already noticed that these cards seemed to react when more cards are nearby."


    Linfel wasn''t lying. He noticed that peculiar change after he got separated from Alvin and the others. For safety, Alvin asked Linfel to keep his card with him since Linfel had the Spatial Storage. During the times Linfel wasn''t with his group, he noticed that his card seemed to lose its vibrancy somehow. Then, once he returned, the card recovered. It was almost imperceptible. If Linfel hadn''t paid very close attention, he truly would have missed that.


    He didn''t tell Alvin, Milia, Zandel, and the Familiars, though. He didn''t want to have wrong ideas while still in the city. After today, they should understand what i in play, so he will tell them later.


    The magus sighed and immediately brought out five cards, all of them bronze in color. "These are all of them... Just don''t do anything drastic, okay?"


    Linfel took the cards, which disappeared a second later. Obviously he sent them into his Spatial Storage. The magus saw that and wondered where the cards had gone. Nonetheless, he wasn''t in a position to ask questions, so he didn''t ask. "Can I go now?"


    *Zush, zush...*


    Linfel immediately threw the other Maguses and their Familiars at the guy. "Sure. Do me a favor and bring these guys with you, will you? I don''t really have anything against you guys, and I understand why you came after us. I will probably be doing the same in the future, too. No hard feelings."


    The Magus didn''t expect it to be that easy. "Really? No punishment at all?"


    Linfel looked at him, confused? "Do you want me to cut a limb or two from you? I did it to that Level Five Magus deeper in the dungeon. Don''t worry; it will be over in less than a second." Linfel''s Lightning Blades began to move.


    "No, no, no!" He immediately refused the offer, afraid of Linfel''s Lightning Blades. "There is no need at all! Although it is possible to regrow lost limbs in the sect, it will be quite expensive. I would rather not do it."


    "I guess so..." Linfel didn''t mind, dispersing his Lightning Blades. "Well then, my friend, this is where we part ways. It was good to meet you all, and thank you for your generous offerings. Goodbye!"


    *Kabrum!*


    Linfel''s body flashed with arcs of lightning, and his core shot into the distance, disappearing in a couple of seconds. The Magus looked at that, feeling a chill on his back. "And he still had plenty of Magic Energy to use..."


    Then, he grabbed those unconscious companions of him and began to make his way back to the exit. He didn''t look very happy, though. He wasn''t angry about Linfel. Instead, he was angry at the Maguses who contracted his group to rob Linfel and his friends'' cards. "Those fuckers. And they said it would be an easy job with good payment if we succeeded. Easy their arses!" He was determined to seek compensation for the loss of his own cards in the matter.


    With no one in his way, Linfel easily made it back to where Alvin and the others were waiting. Arriving there, he saw that the Level Five Magus was still alive and that his group was keeping an eye on him and his damaged Familiar. "Sure enough, you can deal with him."


    Zandel''s mouth twitched. "Only because he had almost no Magic Energy left! Even so, he underestimated us greatly, which also made things easier. Had these factors not been in play..."


    "Then you would have to deal with it," Milia immediately cut in. "Zandel, do you think everything will always go to plan? That you never will get yourself into some shit against your will? Linfel at least left after confirming this guy had almost no Magic Energy left. There is nothing to complain about here. Instead, I''m more than happy for the earned experience."


    Alvin agreed with her, although he also understood Zandel. He was just like that not long ago. "She is right. Besides, you helped defeat a Level Five magus while only at Level Four. You should feel proud of yourself."


    "Well..." Zandel had to admit their words made sense. "Alright, my bad. Thank you for the opportunity, Linfel."


    Linfel smiled in response. He didn''t have to say anything. "No problem." Then, he looked at the fallen magus. They obviously didn''t kill so as to not be branded as killers. "Did you get his cards?"


    Milia and the others finally smiled. "Here they are!"


    On Milia''s hand, three Silver Cards and four Bronze ones appeared. They were all Zuzei''s cards that he gave away.


    "Hahaha!" Linfel laughed after seeing that. Then, he brought out his own. A total of nine Bronze Cards appeared there. The last Magus Linfel defeated had five Bronze Cards. The other four were in the hands of the first two Maguses he took down. "Guess we have enough bronze cards for an extra silver card now."


    Alvin couldn''t help but comment. "Doesn''t that mean we have nine silver cards in total? That''s almost the same as a golden card!"


    Milia passed her cards to Linfel, knowing that it as indeed safer in his hands. "Are you suggesting we gather ten total and buy a Magic Armor with them?"


    Alvin nodded. "Indeed. Also, I think you should have it, Milia."


    Zandel narrowed his eyes. "Why her? I also want a Magic Armor from the Ventis Sect."


    Linfel understood, though. "It makes sense. Other than me, Milia and Nori do have the highest attack power in our group. Alvin is already good enough with defense, and Zandel''s wood element is great for long-distance support. If the aim is to end the fight as fast as possible, it would be good if she could finish the enemies faster while Alvin and Zandel work together to pin down any enemies."


    Zandel wanted to retort, but he did not have an answer for that. Besides, even without the armor, he is gaining a lot just for being in this group. "Fine! But it is still up to debate who the second armor goes to."


    Milia didn''t expect they would decide it for her that easily. "Are you sure? I mean, I definitely want it, but..."


    Linfel stopped her. "It is decided. Besides, I also want more of those shields. You saw how it worked perfectly against Zuzei. Yet, I also think it will be better for you to have a complete set of your own."


    Finally, Milia accepted. "Okay! I will definitely make good use of it."


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 Chapter 167 - 167: Tough

    With that resolved, Linfel turned to the Level Five Magus, who was still being held there. "So... what did you guys decide to do with him?"


    "We made a deal," Milia explained. "He voluntarily gave us his cards, so we will not tie him down to this place and leave him here for any possible Magic Beast."


    Linfel didn''t have anything against that course of action. After all, they couldn''t simply kill him directly. They could perhaps throw him at some Magic Beast on purpose, but chances are the Ventis Sect''s System would still consider them as the killers. "Alright, good luck on your way back, friend."


    Linfel turned around and began to float deeper into the Crystal Caves. Alvin and the others quickly followed as well, leaving the guy and his Familiar behind, alone.


    *Ugh...*


    He tried to get up, but his injuries were quite severe, especially without his arm. His Familiar was also damaged, so there wasn''t much it could do for him. Nonetheless, he knew that staying here wasn''t a good idea. He gritted his teeth, collected his Familiar''s core, and began to make his way back to the Dungeon Entrance. As to whether he would get there or not, Linfel and the others wouldn''t know.


    ---


    Following Linfel''s map, they moved a few kilometers further down the Crystal Caves. However, they soon stopped, taking their time to rest, recover their Magic Energy, and have some food.


    "Zandel, Kenfin," Linfel turned to the two. "How was it for you? I didn''t see the fight, so were you able to make use of what you learned so far?"


    Zandel and Kefin looked at each other and felt quite satisfied. "We did indeed. Alvin and Milia did much more, and we were almost without Magic Energy. However, we are only at Level Four, while that guy was at Level Five. For our Magic Energy to last the same as him is proof of our improvement. The fact we could help with that fight at all is something I wouldn''t have imagined those months ago before we met."


    Linfel was happy to hear that. "Alvin, Milia, Nori, do you think the same?"


    Alvin and Milia agreed. "They definitely helped."


    Nori also added. "He had the least Magic Energy remaining, but he was at Level Four, so his presence alone took most of the enemy''s attention during the fight." Then, he turned to Linfel, angry. "I still think you shouldn''t have left us behind to deal with him. What if you were wrong about his abilities?"


    Linfel could only laugh. "Hahaha! What if, you ask? Simple, deal with it. It wouldn''t be the first time, and it definitely wouldn''t be the last, either. You will definitely get into situations where things go out of plan in the future. Experience, Nori, experience. That was more valuable than anything."


    Nori wanted to complain more, but he didn''t have an answer for Linfel, knowing he was right. "Fine... pretend I didn''t say anything."


    Linfel then proceeded to check their bodies while he also recovered his energies. Any injuries remained, he healed, allowing his group to return to tip-top condition. After some rest, they were ready to continue. "Let''s go!"


    Finally, they passed the point where Linfel''s map ended. The Crystal Caves were like a labyrinth, so they could only check at every entrance while mapping the paths themselves.


    *Crack... Bang!*


    Sure enough, there were pretty much no Magic Beasts in the first part. However, the unmapped part definitely wasn''t the same. Out of the crystals on the wall, a Magic Beast jumped out, breaking the crystals on its way to Linfel and the others.


    "Crystal Scorpion!" Alvin quickly recognized.


    That was a Magic Beast at Level Four, but its defense could definitely be compared to a Level Five one. In this closed space, it was especially efficient due to its size. It pounced at the Alvin in front, trying to snap him with its pincers.


    Alvin had already accepted the role as tank in Linfel''s group, so he was always in front. His Earth Element gathered with the help of his Magic Energy, and his arms were covered with rocks... and crystals.


    Alvin understood that the crystals are also a type of earth element material, although they were harder to control. Nonetheless, he was confident and mixed the crystals with the rocks, hardening them as much as possible. Finally, his arms met with the pincers of the Crystal Scorpion.


    *Clang, clang!*


    Two metallic sounds echoed when both of them encountered each other. Alvin didn''t show any fear, though. Level Four Magic Beast? Ha! He just fought a Level Five Magus, so this thing couldn''t scare him as it would have in the past.


    Of course, the scorpion still had its tail. With both its pincers locked in a strength match with Alvin, the pincer behind immediately came forward... or so it was supposed to be.


    *Zush, zush, zush, zush, zush...*


    Tens of vine roots shot out of the ground, being controlled by Zandel and Kefin''s Wood Element and Magic Energy. The two had connected and started to act even before Alvin clashed against the scorpion. When the scorpion tried to use its tail, Zandel and Kefin immediately caught it, making it impossible for the scorpion to use the pincer to attack Alvin.


    Then, the final blow came from above. Milia waited for the moment Alvin and Zandel immobilized the Scorpion. It wouldn''t stay there for more than a moment, but that was all she needed. Nori and Milia connected, Nori chanced into his Flame Sword Form, and she came down, aiming at an opening in the Crystal Scorpion''s Crystal Armor.


    *Pift!*


    *Shhhhhaaaaa!*


    Her sword penetrated the insides of the Magic Beast, her Magic Energy and Fire Element immediately bursting with full power. The Crystal Scorpion''s inside was cooked almost instantly, not being anywhere near as resistant as its Crystal Armor.


    Milia, Alvin, and Zandel jumped back as the Scorpion began to struggle.


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    Unfortunately for it, the damage was too great, and it feel to the ground, dead.


    Linfel watched everything, not moving a single finger to help. "As expected, a simply Level Four Magic Beast isn''t truly a match to you guys anymore. Zandel, Kefin, the two of you were definitely good. You understood your role as support pretty well. You aren''t front liners; you will never be. Your potential will always be maximized as support. Keep that in mind."


    *Bzzzzz!*


    *Zash!*


    Then, a Lightning Blade appeared above Linfel, which he charged with as much Lightning Element and Soul Power as possible. It came down against the Crystal Scorpion''s body, slicing open its armor. Linfel wasn''t able to cut through the Scorpion, though. "Really tough. Anyway, now we have one more Level Four Magic Core. Let''s continue."


    Milia and the others couldn''t help but sigh. Even Milia, using all her strength while connected with Nori, had any confidence she could pierce the Scorpion''s armor. Linfel did that on his own, even if he was only able to pierce the upper part. It would indeed be a waste to have Linfel join the battle against such a beast. It was best to leave them for Milia and the others.