SOUL FORGE CHRONICLES
Chapter 14 — The Grey Tower Academy of Magic
"Finally. It's over."
Aldric wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled slowly. That battle had been the most dangerous he had faced since arriving in this world. Without the Fireball staff, ten versions of himself wouldn't have been enough to put down that madman.
After searching the surrounding area, Aldric collected Cavan's armguards and greatsword.
What surprised him was that the armguards were self-recharging magic artifacts — a rare and valuable feature he hadn't expected. The greatsword, on the other hand, was simply crafted from exceptional materials. It wasn't a true magic artifact, just an extraordinarily well-made weapon that happened to survive a Fireball blast without warping.
Aldric tried refining both items through the Soul Forge. The forge showed no reaction to either of them.
"What exactly is the pattern here? I could refine the broken sword of the first Baron of Thornwood, I could refine the Synthetic Creature Core — so why won't the Soul Forge respond to these magic artifacts?"
He couldn't find an answer and set the question aside for later. He turned his attention instead to understanding what the armguards actually did.
He slipped them onto his forearms, and immediately a cool, soothing energy flowed outward from his arms and spread throughout his entire body. The wound on his chest — the gash Cavan's greatsword had left — visibly slowed its bleeding and began closing at a noticeable pace.
"No wonder that madman survived a Minor Fireball. He was carrying something like this the entire time."
Aldric noticed a slight friction against the inside of one armguard. He removed it and found an inscription carved into the inner surface — a breathing technique, describing a method of circulating energy through the body in a specific rhythm and pattern. It felt strangely familiar, like something he had encountered faint traces of before.
"I'll study this properly once I'm settled at the academy. There will be plenty of time."
He put the armguard back on and continued his journey toward the light pillar.
...
On the fourth day after the examination began, some of the stronger students had already arrived at the gathering point.
Kevan Aldros walked out of the forest with slow, heavy steps. After four days of fighting, traveling, keeping watch through the night, and fleeing from dangers he hadn't expected, this young noble was completely spent. He had never imagined that simply surviving could be this exhausting.
Behind him, a solidly built man with blonde hair and a greatsword across his back moved forward steadily — Griffon, Kevan's teammate and the key reason Kevan was still breathing. This man had single-handedly killed one of the devil-type monsters on his own, a feat that had left even Kevan speechless.
Entering the gathering point, Kevan immediately collapsed onto the ground with a long exhale of relief. The gathering point was a designated safe zone. Reaching it meant the worst was over.
"Kevan?"
Kevan looked up at the sound of a familiar voice and saw a lean figure carrying a greatsword and gripping a staff step out from among the gathered students.
"Aldric?!"
Kevan was genuinely surprised. Compared to his own ragged and exhausted state, Aldric — though his clothes were torn in several places — appeared full of energy and composure. He looked nothing like someone who had just survived a brutal life-or-death examination.
Aldric walked over and helped Kevan back to his feet with a slight smile. Kevan still owed him a magic stone.
"It seems my judgment was right — recruiting you was the correct decision. A shame it all came to nothing in the end," Kevan said with a wry smile. The alliance he had spent so much effort building had collapsed entirely the moment the teleportation separated everyone.
"Isn't staying alive enough? Register with the sorcerer quickly. There's a teleportation array at the gathering point — it activates every hundred people. With your friend here, there should be about a hundred now."
As he spoke, Aldric glanced at the large man standing behind Kevan, who had been watching him steadily since he first appeared.
"Friend, why are you staring at me?"
Griffon gave a slight, respectful bow toward Aldric. "It appears Cavan met his end at your hands."
"You knew the owner of this sword?"
Aldric looked up and met the large man's steady eyes. This man was at least the equal of a full knight in raw strength, and judging by his aura, he had also built a mana circulation — making him a rare dual-type warrior.
"Allow me to introduce you. This is Griffon, a genius knight from another continent," Kevan stepped between the two of them, sensing that the air had grown slightly tense.
"I knew him. Back home, he was always looking for an opportunity to challenge me," Griffon said with a quiet sigh. "He was extraordinarily talented. It's a shame it ended like this."
Seeing no intent of revenge in those words, Aldric said nothing further on the matter.
After Kevan and Griffon completed their registration, the sorcerer on duty issued the command.
"Prepare for teleportation. Students who experience dizziness from the array, please close your eyes. Three. Two. One. Teleport!"
In an instant, the familiar swirling blocks of color that came with teleportation filled Aldric's vision once more. The sensation was just as unpleasant as the first time.
When his sight returned to normal, he was greeted by a sight he knew immediately he would never forget.
Before him stood a colossal tower that could only be described as magnificent. Its height appeared limitless — as though it connected the earth to heaven itself, reaching all the way to wherever gods might dwell. Across every surface of the tower, countless intricate reliefs seemed to breathe with a quiet life, as if souls had been sealed within the stone itself. At the tower's corners, gargoyles crouched with bared fangs and raised claws, their expressions fierce and utterly alive, as though they were merely waiting for the right moment to leap.
"This is the Central Grey Tower. Originally it was the Dean's personal sorcerer's tower, accessible only to sorcerers. When the academy was founded, the Dean opened the first fifty floors as the teaching area for students."
Aldric turned toward the source of the voice. An oversized owl — roughly twice the size of a normal owl — was perched nearby, speaking in a perfectly clear human voice, its talons gripping a large bag.
"I am the academy inspector and your guide. I am responsible for monitoring whether you comply with school regulations." The owl dropped the large bag to the ground — it was filled with smaller individual bags. "Collect your belongings and follow me. I'll show you around the academy."
...
The layout of the Grey Tower Academy of Magic was relatively straightforward. Aside from the Central Grey Tower where classes were held, the academy was divided into three areas — the experimental area for dangerous magical research, the commercial district selling spell components and magical goods, and the residential area providing for students' daily needs.
The common currency in the commercial district was Academy Coins, issued by the academy itself. One magic stone could be exchanged for one hundred Academy Coins. Magic stones were also accepted directly as payment. Every sorcery student had their own room in the residential towers at no additional cost.
Aldric spent a full day following the owl guide around the entire campus. Just as the tour was ending, he spotted a familiar face among the newly arrived students.
"Hey! Aldric! You passed!"
Elara looked somewhat worse for wear — most of her blonde hair had been singed away, and a small burn scar marked her forehead. Her clothes were mostly torn. But then again, Aldric didn't look much better himself after days in the forest.
"I was lucky. I arrived a little earlier than you."
Seeing a familiar face in this strange new environment brought genuine warmth to Aldric's chest.
As dusk settled over the academy, plants resembling dandelions bloomed along the pathways, emitting a bright yet soft glow that lit the roads like quiet lanterns.
"Glowing night dandelions — spoils the Dean brought back from a conquest on another plane. They serve as the academy's streetlights," Aldric explained as they walked.
"They're beautiful," Elara murmured, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Just don't touch them. If provoked, they fire their seeds as projectiles. The explosive force of a single seed is comparable to a low-level Fireball."
Aldric's words shattered her impression immediately.
He pointed toward a tower ahead. "That's the residential area. New students have their own tower, so don't worry about finding a room."
He was heading toward it when he felt a gentle tug at his sleeve.
"Well then... let's be neighbors from now on."
Elara was pulling lightly at his sleeve, her hair falling to one side to partially hide her expression.
"Sure. The academy doesn't specifically separate male and female students," Aldric said simply.
"Really?! That's wonderful!"
"Come on," Aldric said, pointing toward the tower in the distance. "Arriving early has its advantages — no one fighting over rooms yet. Let's go find ones we like before the crowds arrive."
— End of Chapter 14 —