The morning mist spreads across Chaos Magic Island, drifting low over the land like a quiet veil, softening the outlines of everything it touches and muting the world into a pale, silent haze.
Hidden within this mist stands a long and narrow waterfall, its stream descending from a jagged cliff in a continuous silver thread, stretching downward with relentless force as if time itself has carved its path.
Ancient trees surround the waterfall on both sides, their massive trunks twisted by age, their roots gripping the earth like claws, while thick vines coil around them and hang down in layers, swaying gently with the damp wind.
The sound of falling water dominates the area, a constant thunder that drowns out all other noise, creating a place both isolated and unyielding.
Beneath the waterfall, Wang Hui sits firmly, his body positioned directly under the crushing stream as the water pounds down onto him with immense pressure.
He remains still, enduring the force, using the relentless impact to refine his body, allowing the pressure to temper his flesh and strengthen his bones.
Each drop feels heavy.
Each moment tests his endurance.
Only one year remains before Chaos Magic Island opens again.
Yet he has still not found a way to create a First Tier Spell.
Time is slipping away.
Even if he succeeds in creating one now, advancing to a First Stage Wizard within a single year would still be nearly impossible.
Because a First Tier Spell is not the only requirement.
There are many conditions.
To break through to the First Stage Wizard, the spirit must reach one hundred, and mana must reach three hundred.
These, Wang Hui has already achieved.
But one crucial requirement remains incomplete.
The transformation of mana.
And this is something he does not understand.
When he first arrived on this island, he was only a newly advanced middle-level Wizard Apprentice.
Back then, he did not expect betrayal.
He did not think his fellow students would turn against him.
He did not think he would be trapped here.
And that was his mistake.
He should have been cautious the moment his name appeared on the participant list.
It should have been impossible.
That alone was enough to signal danger.
He had the chance to refuse.
He could have stepped back.
But he did not.
His arrogance and overconfidence clouded his judgment, pushing him forward with the desire to prove something.
He wanted to show those working behind the scenes that they could not harm him.
He wanted to demonstrate his strength.
To make them realize their schemes were meaningless.
Instead, their trap had given him an opportunity.
It had strengthened him.
Improved his cultivation.
But that does not change the truth.
At that time, he only thought about showing off.
About gaining resources from the island.
He did not consider the deeper danger.
If they could send him here, they could also ensure he never left.
That thought lingers heavily in his mind.
He tries to shake his head, wanting to push these thoughts away, but the immense pressure of the waterfall pins him in place, preventing even the slightest movement.
His body remains fixed.
His thoughts, however, shift.
He forces his focus back.
Back to the problem at hand.
The transformation of mana.
At the Wizard Apprentice stage, mana remains loose and unstable, lacking cohesion both within and outside the body, and once released, it quickly loses its shape and disperses into the surroundings.
Because of this instability, a large amount of mana is wasted during spellcasting, as much of it dissipates before it can fully exert its effect on the world.
For this reason, mana must be improved, refined to the point where it can maintain form and exert a stronger, more stable influence on reality.
At the Wizard Apprentice stage, externalizing mana requires spell models, precise structures that guide and stabilize mana so it can interact with the world in a controlled manner.
Without these models, their mana simply cannot maintain its form long enough to produce any meaningful effect.
But an Official Wizard is entirely different.
Even without relying on a spell model, they can release their mana directly, allowing it to manifest and influence the world with stability and force.
At that stage, mana becomes something tangible.
Something real.
It is no longer just energy.
It becomes a substance, almost like an extension of their own body, fully integrated and responsive.
To reach that level, mana must transform.
It must condense into a state similar to atoms, forming a stable structure that does not collapse upon release.
But Wang Hui does not know how to achieve this.
The method remains unknown to him.
From what the crow, Talon, told him, a secret technique is usually required to cultivate and transform mana into this higher state.
Talon possesses such a technique, but it is specifically designed for crows.
Even if it were adaptable, Talon had made his stance clear.
He would not share it.
To obtain such a method, a formal contract would need to be signed, binding both sides.
There is another way.
A more direct, but far more difficult path.
Mana can also be forcefully transformed through an increase in life level or by mastering a First Tier spell.
With sufficient strength from the body or the structure of a higher-tier spell, mana can be pushed into transformation by sheer force.
But for Wang Hui, achieving either within a single year is nearly impossible.
The time is too short.
The foundation is incomplete.
According to Talon, if Wang Hui wants to ensure his safety after leaving the island and gain support from the academy to advance further, then he must aim for another goal.
To become a Quasi-Wizard.
Among one hundred peak Wizard Apprentices, only one may successfully become an Official Wizard.
But among the three Quasi-Wizards, two will eventually reach that level.
The difference is enormous.
Quasi-Wizards are considered seeds of Official Wizards.
They are rare.
Valuable.
Their potential is recognised early, and because of this, they are placed on priority protection lists by the wizard academies.
To become a Quasi-Wizard, one must push their mana beyond three hundred points, surpassing the normal peak and entering a higher threshold.
And this is what Wang Hui is attempting now.
He sits beneath the crushing waterfall, using its immense pressure to temper his body, forcing it to adapt and strengthen under constant strain.
Even the slightest improvement in his physical body feeds back into his cultivation.
Through the Blood Nourishing Formation, his mana is continuously refined and strengthened.
This refinement creates an opportunity.
A chance to push his mana further.
To exceed its limits.
To step into the realm of a Quasi-Wizard.
Wang Hui sits beneath the waterfall, his body unmoving as the relentless stream crashes down upon him, while he meditates and clears his mind, focusing entirely on breaking through the limits of his physical body.
Time passes without his awareness, his thoughts dissolving into silence as he endures the pressure again and again, seeking even the slightest sign of improvement.
When he opens his eyes again, the rising sun is gone, and instead the night sky stretches above him, with stars scattered across the darkness and the pale moon shining quietly overhead.
He exhales slowly, his body trembling faintly from exhaustion, then leans forward as his strength gives way, causing him to fall from the stone into the rushing water below.
The cold current engulfs him instantly.
He swims forward with effort, pushing through the flow until he reaches the edge of the river and pulls himself out onto the bank.
Water drips from his body as he lies there briefly, then he lets out a tired sigh.
Another day has passed.
And once again, he has failed to break his physical limit.
He rises to his feet and walks toward a nearby tree, where he begins to put on his clothes, his movements steady despite the lingering fatigue.
After dressing, he turns his attention to survival.
He gathers dry branches and fallen vines, collecting them carefully and piling them near the riverbank where the ground is clear.
Raising his hand, he casts his Candle Fire Spell.
A small flame flickers into existence in his palm, gentle yet steady, and he lowers it to the pile, igniting the branches as the fire begins to grow.
Next, he casts the Gust Spell.
The wind gathers and moves across the surface of the water, guiding and trapping a fish with controlled precision before lifting it out.
He catches it easily.
Without delay, he cleans the fish, removing what is unnecessary with practised efficiency.
Then he maintains the Gust Spell around the fish, carefully controlling the airflow as he holds it above the fire, allowing it to cook evenly.
As the scent of roasted fish begins to spread, his thoughts drift once more.
Back to Talon's proposal.
The offer lingers in his mind, heavy and unresolved.
It is dangerous.
It could cost him his life.
Yet despite the risks, he cannot see another path forward.
There is no clear way for him to become a Quasi-Wizard on his own.
And without reaching that level, everything becomes uncertain.
Only by becoming a Quasi-Wizard can he ensure protection from the academy after leaving this island.
Until he becomes an Official Wizard, he will remain vulnerable.
Exposed.
At risk of falling into another trap.
If he returns as he is now, those who schemed against him will not stop.
But if he returns as a Quasi-Wizard, everything changes.
Their plans will fail.
Their reputations will suffer.
It will be a direct blow to their pride.
At the same time, it will prove his talent.
His worth.
It may even attract the attention of a Second Stage or Third Stage Wizard, someone powerful enough to take him as a student.
And with such backing, a Quasi-Wizard's chances of becoming an Official Wizard approach certainty.
Wang Hui takes a bite of the cooked fish, eating slowly as he continues to think.
The decision weighs on him.
Each possibility carries its own cost.
When he finishes the fish, the silence around him lingers for only a moment.
Then a familiar voice breaks through the stillness.
"Have you come to a decision?"
Talon's voice.