The temporary refugee settlement smelled like boiled rice, wet clothes, and unresolved grief.
Xu Mang stepped off the train and walked through rows of tents where families whispered names of people they would never see again. Children clung to their parents. Hunters sat with hollow eyes. Volunteers carried blankets and soup from camp to camp.
He moved through it without being stopped; he didn't look like a refugee.
He looked like a man who had decided the world should worry about him, not the other way around.
He found Mo Fan and Lu Jun sitting at a battered metal table near the edge of the encampment. Lu Jun had maps spread out. Mo Fan had food containers that were somehow empty despite being untouched a minute earlier.
Mo Fan looked up.
"Bro. Where have you been? You disappeared for two days. I thought you got drafted into child labor by the national government."
Xu Mang slid into the seat across from them.
"Stealing from aristocrats," he replied casually.
Mo Fan nodded seriously, as if this aligned perfectly with his worldview.
Lu Jun paused, then looked up from his documents.
"You're joking," he said.
Xu Mang placed the forbidden book on the table.
Lu Jun blinked once.
"Ah," he said quietly. "You're not joking."
Mo Fan reached toward the book.
Xu Mang slapped his hand away immediately.
"No touching. You have the self-control of a starving raccoon."
"Rude," Mo Fan said, flexing his fingers. "Accurate, but rude."
Xu Mang leaned back, folding his arms.
"I've got the technique. The real one. Not a summary. Not a stolen page. The whole damned manuscript."
Lu Jun inhaled slowly. "Then the whole plan changes."
Mo Fan raised an eyebrow. "What timetable? You two planned something without me?"
"Yes," Xu Mang and Lu Jun said in unison.
Mo Fan looked betrayed. "Why did you say it together? Why does it sound rehearsed?"
Lu Jun pushed the maps toward Mo Fan.
"Listen. Pearl Institute is still accepting early-entry candidates for next year. I will go now—this term. Xu Mang will follow shortly. You…"
Mo Fan frowned. "Yeah?"
"…you will come after one year."
Mo Fan stood up so fast his chair screeched. "One year?! What am I supposed to do for one year? Raise chickens? Babysit toddlers? Train in the mountains and get mistaken for a feral child?"
Lu Jun's tone remained calm.
"You need the year."
"For what?!"
Xu Mang tapped the book.
"For this," he said. "The forging technique isn't something you apply like deodorant. It requires preparation. Resources. Soul stabilization. Compatible donors. High-tier essence catalysts. You're strong, but you're not ready for the kind of upgrade this thing can give."
Mo Fan sat back down, veins twitching in annoyance.
"So I'm being power-leveled later?"
"Yes," Xu Mang said frankly.
"No choice?"
"No."
Mo Fan groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "I hate when reality makes sense."
Xu Mang's expression softened slightly.
"You're not falling behind," he said. "You're getting set up. Pearl Institute isn't ready for you yet. Let Lu Jun and me build the stage first."
Lu Jun nodded. "We'll stabilize influence networks, secure teacher support, and identify threats. By the time you arrive, you'll be walking into a school already primed for you to dominate."
Mo Fan peeked through his fingers.
"…That actually sounds good."
Xu Mang smirked. "Also, you're going to awaken two more elements there. And you're going to need the Holy Spring to refine your Fire and Lightning to the limit before going."
Mo Fan perked up. "Oh. Yeah. That's true."
Lu Jun folded the last of his papers. "I depart tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Mo Fan exclaimed. "Damn, you two move fast."
Xu Mang shrugged. "We're ambitious. You're hungry. It balances out."
Mo Fan grabbed the nearest food container and hurled it at him. "Shut up."
Xu Mang caught it effortlessly. "Good aim. Bad insult."
Lu Jun stood and adjusted his coat. In the fading afternoon light, he looked older, sharper—like someone already stepping into the next chapter of his life.
Mo Fan's expression softened.
"You sure you'll be okay alone at Pearl?" he asked.
Lu Jun smiled faintly. "I won't be alone. Xu Mang will join soon after. And Pearl Institute is… interesting."
Mo Fan narrowed his eyes. "You're smiling. That's suspicious."
"I read ahead," Lu Jun said lightly. "There are many opportunities there."
Mo Fan squinted. "And by opportunities, you mean—"
"Yes," Lu Jun replied, absolutely unapologetic. "Exactly that."
Xu Mang stood next. "I won't leave immediately. I have to prepare a catalyst for the first forging attempt. But soon, I'll follow. And when I do…"
He tapped the book again.
"We'll start shaping new talents."
Mo Fan leaned back, folding his arms, pretending he wasn't impressed. "Fine. But when I arrive next year, I expect both of you to still be alive. And both of you better not get expelled for starting a clan war."
Xu Mang and Lu Jun exchanged a look.
"Well," Xu Mang said, "we can promise one of those."
"Probably," Lu Jun added.
Mo Fan threw breadcrumbs at both of them.
The sun dipped below the treeline. The settlement lamps flickered to life.
Three figures sat at a metal table:
One heading to Pearl Institute early.
One heading toward a deeper, darker path involving forbidden magic.
One who would arrive later—but hit harder than both combined.
The world had not yet realized what kind of storm was forming.
But it would.
The Magic Capital was loud.
Not the way Bo City had been—chaotic, shrill, desperate.
No, the capital's noise was confident, arrogant even. Carriage wheels clattered along polished stone roads. Advertising screens flickered with spell academies, elemental competitions, and high-end magical gear. Students in pristine uniforms walked in groups with the kind of swagger that said:
My family name could buy your entire hometown.
Lu Jun adjusted his bag over his shoulder and stepped off the tram line, taking in the towering gates of Pearl Magic Institute.
The academy rose like a marble fortress wrapped in elemental resonance.
Wind glyphs spiraled along the upper arches.
Frost wards shimmered faintly on the shaded stone.
Student patrols moved with discipline, though most wore expressions that implied they were bored and looking to be impressed.
Lu Jun smiled faintly.
So this is where the world's future geniuses gather… or at least where they pretend to be.
He approached the entrance checkpoint. A receptionist mage scanned him over with a careful eye before handing him a folder of documents.
"Lu Jun, early admission. Class placement will be determined after tomorrow's assessment. Dormitory assignment is F-2 block. Do you need assistance with campus orientation?"
"No, thank you," Lu Jun replied. "I can manage."
She blinked, slightly surprised by his composed manner. Most newcomers arrived in awe or insecurity. Lu Jun walked in like he was entering a library he owned.
He passed through the courtyard, watching magical turf shift under students practicing elemental spells. One girl tested Ice Spread. Another hurled Fire Burst at a moving target. A boy tried Wind Disc and nearly sliced off his friend's hair.
The laughter, the confidence, the ambient arrogance—it all screamed Pearl Institute.
Lu Jun's fingers tightened around the folder.
He wasn't here to be impressed.
He was here to compete.
And eventually—to stand beside two monsters named Mo Fan and Xu Mang.
Across the Magic Capital, at a modest rented room above a noodle shop, Xu Mang sat at a desk crowded with soul essences, notes, and diagrams copied from the forbidden book.
A single candle burned beside him.
He turned a crystalline shard over in his hand—Wu Ku's Water Calamity Soul Essence, shining faintly like fluid starlight.
"This one's for Manyan," Xu Mang murmured.
Zhao Manyan's future echoed in his mind:
The arrogant shield mage
The walking wallet
The man who joked through life
…
And the man who, under the right circumstances, could become a literal fortress.
With Wu Ku's innate defensive potential…
He could become untouchable.
Not now.
Not soon.
Much, much later.
Xu Mang closed the box gently and locked it.
No one could know. Not Lu Jun, not Mo Fan, not Tang Yue, not anyone.
This wasn't the time.
Instead, he opened a blank journal and began recording neutral, harmless research notes—things that looked like simple elemental theory studies.
If anyone snooped, they'd see a bored young mage preparing for Pearl Institute exams.
Not the boy sitting on a bomb of ancient dragon magic.
Not the thief who stole a forbidden technique from one of China's top clans.
Not the forger of future miracles.
The candle flickered.
His phone buzzed.
A single message from an unregistered number:
[Arrived at Pearl. Class assessment tomorrow. Keep your head low.] – Lu Jun
Xu Mang smirked.
"As if I'm capable of that."
Pearl Institute – Dormitory Block F-2
Lu Jun pushed open the door to his assigned dorm room. It was larger than expected, with polished floors, a built-in desk, two beds, and a wide balcony overlooking the training fields.
His new roommate was standing at the window—a tall boy with casual posture and faintly amused eyes.
He turned when Lu Jun entered.
"You must be the newcomer," the boy said, grinning. "Name's Zhou Lixing. Second-year elite track."
Lu Jun bowed politely. "Lu Jun."
Zhou Lixing studied him a moment.
"You don't look nervous," he said. "Most early admits look like they're about to be fed to wolves."
Lu Jun smiled faintly. "I've already dealt with wolves."
Zhou Lixing blinked, then laughed. "Okay, I like you."
He gestured out the window.
"Tomorrow is the placement exam. Half the student body will be watching. No pressure."
Lu Jun nodded once. "Understood."
Zhou Lixing's grin widened. "Good. Because Pearl likes students who don't cower. They want talent that bites back."
Lu Jun looked out at the massive training grounds, where students sparred with colorful elemental explosions.
He didn't feel intimidated.
He felt… ready.
Meanwhile, at the Clear Sky Hunter Agency—the temporary relocation center—Mo Fan sat on a bench with a cup of instant noodles, watching hunters file in and out.
He'd come here after hearing rumors that assignments and relocation approvals were happening in waves. He needed to know when he could move to Magic Capital, to train, to get out of the suffocating stagnation of the refugee center.
His phone rang.
Tang Yue's voice flowed through the line like warm tea.
"Mó Fàn? Can you hear me?"
He straightened instantly. "Miss Tang Yue? You're alive!"
A soft laugh. "Of course I am. And I heard you've been causing trouble even without me nearby."
Mo Fan coughed loudly. "That's propaganda."
"Mm-hm. I'm sure."
Her tone shifted, gentle but serious.
"Listen carefully, Mo Fan. I've arranged for you to come to the Magic Capital soon. Not now—but sooner than the others in Bo City."
Mo Fan's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Yes. You'll train here and start building your foundations for Pearl Institute. There are dangers, but I'll guide you."
He glanced at the Clear Sky Hunter Agency sign.
"Miss Tang Yue… what exactly is the Agency planning?"
"A counter-campaign," she said. "And they could use someone like you."
Mo Fan blinked. "Like me?"
She laughed again. "Someone too stubborn to die."
Mo Fan puffed his chest. "That's me."
"Keep your head down in the meantime," she said. "Prepare. And don't do anything reckless while I'm gone."
Mo Fan's eyes darted to a hunter posting a "Wanted – Black Vatican Operatives" notice.
"…Define reckless."
"Mo Fan."
"…Yes, Miss Tang Yue. No recklessness."
"Good. I'll contact you soon."
The call ended.
Mo Fan sat back, staring at the ceiling.
"Pearl Institute, huh… Just wait. I'll come in next year and crush every smug genius."
He grinned.
"And I'll drag Xu Mang and Lu Jun down with me."
Back in the Magic Capital, Xu Mang closed the ancient book, locking it away under layers of mundane items.
Tomorrow, he would refine the safe catalysts.
Next week, he would secure contacts in the city.
Next month, he'd quietly shift shadows in Pearl Institute to prepare for Mo Fan's arrival.
And much, much later?
Zhao Manyan would become a wall even the heavens hesitated to strike.
But not now.
For now—
Lu Jun was entering the lion's den.
Mo Fan was sharpening his fangs.
And Xu Mang?
He smiled to himself, stepping out into the lantern-lit streets of the Magic Capital.
He had work to do.