The Month of Flowing Fire—when the blazing sun seemed to walk upon the earth—was a time of relentless heat. The scorching weather left most people irritable and sluggish, their tempers simmering beneath the oppressive light.
But within the walls of the inner castle, the atmosphere was entirely different. There was joy and celebration.
After consuming four bottles of Dragon Blood Potion in succession, Rune had finally succeeded in breaking through and becoming a Great Knight!
If ordinary Knights were considered the backbone and elite fighting force of a territory, then a Great Knight was its unshakable pillar. In any realm or kingdom, a Great Knight was a being of great renown—an upper-tier combatant who could turn the tide of war.
A Knight who could externally release battle qi was nothing short of a war beast in human form—a tank-like existence on the battlefield, nearly invincible.
With Rune's successful promotion, the heavy gloom that had lingered over Blackstone City since the incident in Shining City seemed to lift. The people's morale rose, and laughter once again echoed through the streets.
However, the joyous atmosphere outside did not reach Magus.
He was close—only about two hundred proficiency points away from advancing his Star Ring Meditation to the next level. Knowing how crucial this step would be, he shut himself inside his Meditation Room, instructing everyone not to disturb him under any circumstances. He devoted himself entirely to the final preparation for his advancement.
Three days passed.
Inside the quiet chamber, Magus sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly shut, his breathing steady. In the depths of his consciousness, countless tiny motes of energy merged into the phantom image of a third Star Ring, slowly filling in the last illusory gaps.
The moment the Star Ring completely materialized, an overwhelming tremor rippled through his mind like a tidal wave, engulfing his entire consciousness.
Within the deep stillness of meditation, Magus felt as though he were drifting in a boundless starry sea. Invisible streams of warmth surged through his body, washing over him inside and out. An ineffable sense of purity and joy flooded his very being—a joy born from the sublimation of his life essence.
Time seemed to lose meaning.
When he finally opened his eyes, the world around him appeared different. It was as if someone had wiped away a layer of dull gray dust from existence itself; every color, every shadow, every breath of air seemed clearer and more vivid.
"So this is what advancement feels like..."
A delighted smile tugged at his lips. He quickly summoned his status panel.
Name: Magus · Yaniesite
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Attributes:
Spirit: 13.25 | Constitution: 12.02
Skills:
Star Ring Meditation Lv4 (3 / 20000)
Potion Making Lv2 (2641 / 3000)
Biological Modification Lv1 (527 / 1000)
Puppet Refining Lv2 (816 / 3000)
Magus' eyes shone with satisfaction.
"My spiritual power increased by 1.27 points—slightly less than I expected, but still within reason. After all, my spirit was already close to twelve before the breakthrough."
"My physique improved as well, though only by about half a point."
Even so, a deep joy filled his heart. From this moment onward, Magus was officially a Second-level Wizard Apprentice.
On the Starlight Continent, such a title already marked one as a person of power. The road to becoming a true Wizard was long and perilous, but this was an undeniable, solid step forward.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his excitement and began to examine the changes that came with his promotion.
The first and most obvious improvement was the speed of spellcasting.
He tested it immediately—casting Wizard's Hand, Acid Splash, and Sleep Spell one after another. To his amazement, each spell's casting preparation time had been reduced by roughly one-third.
At first glance, a mere one or two points of spiritual increase shouldn't have produced such a drastic effect. Magus reasoned that surpassing twelve points of spiritual power must have broken through a critical threshold—transforming his control from mere quantity into quality.
Such a reduction might sound minor, but in battle, even the blink of an eye could determine life or death. For a Wizard Apprentice, casting time was equivalent to survival.
"Super-magic techniques like Silent Spellcasting or Instant Cast can only be learned after reaching the Third-level Apprentice stage," he murmured thoughtfully. "At my level, reducing casting time to about one second is already close to the limit."
The second major change was in his control over energy particles.
With a light snap of his fingers—snap!—a faint blue glow shimmered around him. Moisture gathered from the air, condensing into a fine mist that drenched his robes. A moment later, a fiery red radiance bloomed from his skin, and the water evaporated in a burst of steam.
Magus chuckled softly, feeling refreshed.
He had finally gained the ability to manipulate energy particles directly, using their elemental traits to mimic simple magical effects without invoking full spells. It was a subtle but powerful leap.
Extending his hand, he focused his will. A flicker of blue-green light gathered in his palm, followed by a sharp crackle—tiny arcs of lightning danced across his skin, snapping and twining like living threads.
With a shift of intent, the lightning transformed into a blaze of orange-red flame, then into spiraling gusts of wind, then crystalline frost, then eerie, shadowy mist. The various elements alternated fluidly, responding perfectly to his will.
This was the true power of a Second-level Wizard Apprentice—the ability to materialize energy particles into elemental entities for attack, or to infuse them into weapons and one's own body.
Infusing fire energy into a weapon could grant it searing flames.
Infusing wind energy into one's body could make movements faster and lighter.
These augmentations were simple yet incredibly effective. It was this newfound control that made a Second-level Apprentice vastly stronger than their former self.
Even without relying on spells, a Second-level Apprentice—armed with enhanced physique and elemental assistance—could easily defeat an ordinary Knight. And when spells entered the mix, even a Great Knight like Rune would no longer be an insurmountable opponent.
Moreover, this advancement also meant Magus could now use magic items and form contracts with magical pets.
At that thought, his gaze drifted to the blood vine ring on his index finger—a relic he had retrieved from the Blackstone Mining Area.
Before his breakthrough, he could sense the energy swirling within the ring but lacked the strength to command it. Now, with just a single thought, he could activate its magic properties instantly.
The Blood Vine Ring would serve as one of his hidden trump cards—powerful and reliable.
"Also," he mused, "I can finally begin crafting Energy Rune Gems... and it's about time I considered obtaining a familiar."
Magic pets were a vital part of a Wizard's arsenal—creatures bound by mystical contracts that allowed them to share power and life force with their master.
Some were born from common animals or exotic beasts; others from rare species infused with ancient bloodlines. Once bonded with a Wizard, these creatures awakened extraordinary abilities, transforming into true magical pets.
They were generally divided into two categories: auxiliary and combat.
Auxiliary familiars were usually elemental creatures—sprites, fairies, and similar beings—rich in spiritual affinity with nature. Such familiars could communicate with magical plants, making them invaluable assistants in alchemy gardens or experimental laboratories.
Others served as research aides, assisting apprentices during dangerous magical experiments.
Combat-type familiars, on the other hand, came in countless forms—from bats, cats, and snakes to owls, toads, and even larger exotic beasts capable of matching a Knight's strength. Once transformed into magical pets, these creatures became fierce warriors that could protect their masters or strike down their enemies.
A few exceptionally powerful familiars could even become a Wizard's ultimate trump card, capable of turning the tide of battle single-handedly.
"The stronger the original creature, the stronger it becomes after transformation," Magus reminded himself. "So for my first contract, I must choose the target carefully."
Then, as if struck by inspiration, his eyes lit up.
Wait... wasn't there a perfect candidate already nearby?
In the castle's courtyard, resting lazily under the sun, was that Giant Lizard Variant—a formidable beast with traces of Dragon Lizard bloodline.
If he could transform that creature into his first magical pet, it would no doubt become a powerful weapon at his side.
A slow grin spread across Magus's face.
"Yes... that's worth a try."
He rose from his meditation seat, the air around him shimmering faintly with residual energy. His breakthrough had not only elevated his power—it had also ignited a deeper ambition within him.
The path of the Wizard was long, dangerous, and filled with unknown challenges, but Magus had already taken another solid step forward. From now on, his strength would no longer be something anyone could ignore.
The young Wizard Apprentice, eyes gleaming like stars, turned toward the door of the Meditation Room.
Beyond it awaited the next stage of his journey—new experiments, new spells, and the creation of his first magical companion.
The world outside might still be burning under the Month of Flowing Fire, but within Magus's heart, an even greater flame had begun to rise.