Recaps

Ian passed Silver Fang’s trial and received the Four Symbols Cycle Technique, then used the knowledge he gained to strengthen his spells and reach Master Level in Gale Step. As full-scale war began, he chose a relatively safe alchemy position at Earth Fortress and received an unexpected summons from Elena after sending her his completed work.

• Ian caught the miniature White Shark when it flew into him, absorbed its Four Symbols Resonance Method experience, and received the Four Symbols Cycle Technique from Silver Fang.
• After half a month of recovery and study, Ian advanced his Four Symbols Meditation Method and several wind spells, then learned that Elemental Mysteries had launched attacks and full-scale war had begun.
• Kieran told Ian and El that elite members would be sent out in three months, and El warned Ian that the front line would test his combat strength.
• Ian chose an alchemy position at Earth Fortress beside the Silver Ridge Mineral Vein, where he could obtain Earth Vein Essence, and Augusto warned him about tensions with the warband alchemists.
• Ian reached Master Level in Gale Step after a month and sent his work to Elena, who messaged him that night to come see her.

Ian prepared to leave Wind Whisper Academy for Earth Fortress, receiving Elena’s help and strengthening his skills and body before departure. He obtained his new witchcraft artifacts and set out with only the journey ahead remaining.

• Elena gave Ian a Rank 2 Tempest Spear spell gemstone and a letter of introduction to the person in charge at Earth Fortress, while warning him that people from Crimson Eye had noticed him.
• After failing to find the wizardry he needed at the Academy, Ian learned from Nicole that Storm Spear might have the knowledge and prepared for the front lines by studying witchcraft artifact repair.
• Ian advanced Wind Roar to Master Level and completed Flowing Wind Barrier, improving its response speed by thirty percent.
• Ian used Earth Mercury to begin transforming his bones into Silver Bone, gaining immense strength and weight while finding that his speed had decreased.
• Xia gave Ian an Obsidian Staff and Mermaid’s Tear earrings, and Ian arranged the affairs of Horton Wizard School before his departure date arrived.

Ian received Horton’s spoils from the Emerald Shadow Secret Realm and set goals for his time at Earth Fortress before arriving at the front line. There, Supervisor Rolf challenged Ian and Walsh to prove their alchemy skills by repairing urgent equipment, and Allen prepared to judge their work.

• Horton gave Ian a Space Ring containing Body Tempering resources, seven combat-technique Knowledge Crystals, and three pieces of the Verdant Shadow Set, then told him about the Emerald Shadow Secret Realm and Mickey.
• Ian resolved to improve his combat techniques, pursue the core-member preliminary selection, and raise his talent to ten thousand points.
• Ian and Sam arrived at Earth Fortress, registered, and learned that Ian would report to Supervisor Rolf at the Alchemy Workshop.
• Rolf told Ian and Walsh to repair a batch of high-grade Alchemy equipment before daybreak, then assigned Allen to show them the work.
• Allen led Ian and Walsh into another room and watched Ian closely, eager to test whether his reputation as an alchemy genius was deserved.

Ian earned Allen and Rolf’s respect through his Witchcraft Artifact repairs, then spent a year improving his skills and strength at Earth Fortress. With his resources nearly exhausted, he proposed improving mining equipment to increase the supply of leyline essence.

• Ian repaired Witchcraft Artifacts so efficiently that Allen changed his opinion of him, and Rolf assigned him more demanding work.
• Ian met Renard Ironspine, who promised to help him if he encountered trouble at Earth Fortress.
• Ian spent a year cultivating and advancing his skills, reaching 9,000 talent points and raising his third crystal’s progress to 30/100.
• After nearly exhausting his resources, Ian decided to improve mining equipment to address the shortage of leyline essence.
• Ian presented his proposal to Rolf, who sprang to his feet in surprise.

Ian sought more earth-vein essence by proposing improvements to Earth Fortress’s purification Furnace, while awaiting the publication that could make him a senior scholar. He trained Earth Vein Tremor with Rockforge, obtained Wind Wings to complete the spells needed for Flowing Wind Barrier, and returned to the Academy as the new issue of Elemental Mysteries went on sale.

• Ian visited the earth-vein essence production line with Rolf and learned that only a senior scholar’s project was likely to gain access to the purification Furnace schematics; Rockforge offered him an additional five grams of essence each month.
• Ian confirmed with Elena that her paper would appear in Elemental Mysteries in three months, making his advancement to senior scholar possible.
• Ian practiced Earth Vein Tremor with Rockforge, whose guidance helped him improve the spell and left Rockforge impressed by his talent.
• Ian used Renard’s favor to consult the Tempest Spear’s knowledge collection and obtained Wind Wings, the final spell he needed to complete Flowing Wind Barrier.
• Ian tested Wind Wings, then returned to the Academy by Airship as a new issue of Elemental Mysteries went on sale.

Ian returned to the Academy, learned that Elena had secured his promotion to senior scholar, and received a new ring and expanded benefits. After training in the secret realm, he arrived at the Silver Hall for a joint advancement speech with Ryan and Dante, where the ceremony was about to begin.

• Ian met Elton at the Academy Library, found Elena had listed him as the second author of her article, and learned that his senior scholar application had been submitted.
• Diana gave Ian his senior scholar ring and explained his new benefits, including discounts, access, and increased project funding; Ian asked about applying to study the Purification Furnace.
• Ian entered the secret realm again, trained in its shallow layer, and returned without encountering White Fang or learning the realm's secrets.
• Ian spent the following half month improving Wind Wings, his Meditation Method, and Earth Vein Tremor, then prepared for his advancement speech.
• Diana brought Ian to the Silver Hall, where he met the other advancing scholars, Ryan and Dante, and saw Great Scholars Elena and Kieran among the audience.
• The host introduced the three senior scholars, and the advancement speeches began.

Ian won a scholarly wager with a presentation on improving wizardry, earning Jade Spirit Tea, approval for a supplementary journal issue, and a research project. After his article made him famous across the Academy, he boarded an airship back to Earth Fortress.

• Ryan presented research on releasing fire-element energy, while Kieran challenged Zeno's assessment of Dante and wagered Jade Spirit Tea on the scholars' approval of their upcoming speeches.
• Dante presented his research on reducing energy loss in wind- and fire-element wizardry, but Kieran questioned its practical usefulness.
• Ian presented methods for adapting First-Circle Wizardry and improving spells toward perfection, impressing the audience and winning the wager.
• Kieran and Zeno awarded Ian Jade Spirit Tea, and the Grand Scholars supported publishing his article in a supplementary issue of Elemental Warp and Weft.
• Ian met with Diana for an academic exchange, then secured approval for a project that provided purification furnace blueprints, materials, and earth vein essence.
• Kieran obtained approval for the supplementary issue, Ian's presentation spread through the Academy, and Ian boarded an airship for Earth Fortress.

After Ian became a senior scholar, his new status earned him advanced alchemy work, access to an earth-rich meditation room, and a cooperating alchemist position with the battle group. Over the following year, he developed his skills and talent until he reached ten thousand talent points, while continuing the purification furnace project.

• Ian returned to the alchemy workshop, where Rolf granted him access to advanced repairs and Rockforge gave him earth vein essence, a mining district pass, and use of a meditation room.
• Renard invited Ian to work aboard the Storm Spear, but Ian declined the dangerous mission and accepted a cooperating alchemist title that let him earn military merit toward Earth Mercury.
• Ian repaired battle group Witchcraft Artifacts, studied the purification furnace's runes, and earned substantial income from his article and Pierce Chamber of Commerce products.
• Over the next six months, Ian raised Wind Wings and other skills, increasing his talent to 9500 and improving his domain.
• Ian later brought Earth Vein Tremor to Master Level, then reached 10000 talent points when Extraction Rune reached Master Level.

After reaching Master Level and gaining an evolved skill-completion ability, Ian improved a mining purification furnace and secured Academy support, resources, and personnel for the project. Three months later, his Witchcraft Artifact Repair reached Master Level, granting him the new talent Object Perception.

• Ian reached Master Level, raised his talent to ten thousand, and discovered that skill completion now showed deficiencies, effects, and an optimal path.
• Ian tested his improved purification furnace with Rockforge, and the mine’s technicians found that it increased extraction efficiency by about five percent.
• Grand Scholar Zeno approved Ian’s additional resource and personnel request, and Rolf inspected the furnace and confirmed the improvements.
• Ian received more earth mercury after Renard lowered its exchange price, while the Academy recorded his project and brought Xia, Hayden, Finny, and other alchemists to assist.
• Ian continued developing his skills and resources for the core membership assessment, then reached Master Level in Witchcraft Artifact Repair and gained Object Perception.

Ian’s Object Perception talent greatly improved his alchemy work, and he reached Master Level in the Four Symbols Resonance Method, allowing him to begin the Three-Aspect Cycle. After Crimson Eye crippled the Storm Spear’s core power assembly, Ian saw a chance to help repair it.

• Ian used his new Object Perception talent to improve his artifact repairs and Airship work, earning more resources and contacts in the Storm Corps.
• Ian exchanged for Micro Insight and Dissolving Hand and trained both Wizardries while repairing Airships.
• Ian reached Master Level in the third level of the Four Symbols Resonance Method and began learning the simplified Three-Aspect Cycle.
• Xia told Ian that Crimson Eye had ambushed the Storm Spear fleet with two Peak Second Ring alchemy puppets, leaving only the Storm Spear able to return.
• Rolf found that the Storm Spear’s Second Ring core was intact but its First Ring circuitry was badly damaged, and Damian Lennox asked the alchemists to restore the airship to normal operation for a year.
• Ian saw that the damaged circuitry and the offer of any needed resources could give him a chance to help repair the Storm Spear.

Ian’s repair plan became the foundation for restoring Storm Spear, and his exceptional alchemical skill earned the Academy’s attention. After three months, the airship was repaired and flying again, and Renard summoned Ian to meet Damian.

• Rolf reviewed the Advanced Alchemists’ repair plans, found Ian’s work remarkably thorough, and used it as the basis for the final plan.
• Ian explained his ideas at a meeting, winning the respect of the other alchemists as Rolf finalized the repairs around Ian’s plan.
• Rolf told Damian that Ian deserved credit for the repair plan, and Damian ordered the repairs to proceed while deciding to assess Ian’s talent firsthand.
• Rolf assigned Ian the critical repairs, and Ian steadily took over the work as the airship’s restoration continued over three months.
• Storm Spear rose into the sky after the repairs were completed, and Renard told Ian that Damian wanted to see him.

After repairing Storm Spear, Ian received a high-ranking warband badge, valuable resources, and a warning that the ongoing war made this the best chance to become a core member. He spent six months preparing, then left Earth Fortress for the Academy to take the preliminary examination.

• Damian awarded Ian a grade-four affiliated alchemist badge and promised him earth mercury, three-aspect crystal, and missing Meditation Method knowledge.
• Damian told Ian that the Academy had lost two Second Ring wizards and urged him to join the current batch of core members before the opportunity passed.
• Ian returned to the Alchemy Department, where the other alchemists honored his achievement, and obtained the promised resources and knowledge through Storm Spear and the Stonewall Warband.
• Ian spent six months improving his mental power, skills, and alchemy before reviewing his progress and deciding he was ready for the preliminary examination.
• Ian said goodbye to Rolf, Renard, and Rockforge, then boarded an airship with Mia and departed Earth Fortress for the Academy.

Ian returned to the Academy, displayed his growing strength, and took control of the Pierce Chamber of Commerce while arranging protection for it. He then joined the core member selection, which began under the supervision of Three Rings Wizard Simon Brooks.

• Ian returned to the Horton Wizard School, where Horton sensed his powerful but incomplete Flesh Domain and discussed promoting the school after Ian became a core member.
• Ian agreed to become the Pierce Chamber of Commerce's largest shareholder, taking fifty-one percent and control as Cassian sought his help against rival chambers.
• Ian secured Flynn's temporary protection for the Chamber of Commerce in exchange for thirty percent of its profits.
• Ian reunited with Kieran's students and prepared for the assessment, while Kieran announced that the preliminary test would begin in a week.
• Ian gathered with hundreds of elite members at the Main Academy, where deputy head Simon Brooks revealed himself as a Three Rings Wizard and began the preliminary test.

Ian ranked fourteenth in the Mental Power pressure test and first in the Domain Fusion Rate test, drawing the Academy’s attention. As the final combat test began, he decided to hold back and protect his overall standing.

• Simon announced that the assessment would test Mental Power endurance, Domain Fusion Rate, and combat, with valuable rewards for top performers.
• Ian endured Simon’s Mental Power pressure until he chose to stop at fourteenth place; Adela ranked eighth, and Wesley Novak placed third.
• Ian told Adela that his improvement came from spending hundreds of thousands of battle-merit Magic Stones, surprising the Wizards around them.
• In the Domain Fusion Rate test, Ian scored ninety-five percent, ranking first in the Academy and raising his overall position to eleventh.
• Simon began the final combat test on a vast plain, where Kieran would oversee waves of elemental creatures; Ian resolved to hold back and maintain his rank.

Kieran began the preliminary assessment by flooding the plain with elemental creatures, and Ian fought through the escalating waves while seeking to improve his ranking. Under mounting pressure, Ian entered resonance, comprehended the Lava Storm domain skill, and finished in sixth place after unleashing a powerful attack.

• Kieran started the assessment, and Ian used his domain and Four Symbols Cycle to kill elemental creatures and climb into the top thirty.
• As the waves intensified and Wizards were eliminated, Ian practiced integrating his combat abilities and sensed a possible fusion of his wind, fire, and earth elements.
• Simon noticed Ian nearing resonance and told Kieran to increase the assessment's intensity, putting even more pressure on the remaining Wizards.
• Ian used Principle Insight to overcome the final obstacle and comprehended the Lava Storm domain skill, merging wind, fire, and earth into a volcanic domain.
• Ian unleashed Lava Storm, destroying the elemental creatures within several hundred meters and rising to sixth place on the ranking board.

Ian finished second in the preliminary trial, earning a place in the retest and drawing attention to his newly comprehended domain skill. Kieran gave him Moonlight Dew and explained that first place in the retest could earn a Heart of Four Symbols, leaving Ian determined to strengthen himself and win.

• Taylor, El, Nicole, and other Wizards watched Ian's domain skill propel him up the rankings while the remaining contestants continued fighting.
• Ian watched Abraham and Wesley display powerful domains, then finished the preliminary trial in eighth place as Abraham placed seventh and West fifth.
• Simon announced that the top hundred would compete in the retest in the middle region of the Sea of Spiritual Resonance one year later, and Ian returned to the Main Academy.
• Abraham invited Ian to a salon, and Ian later met Kieran, who gave him Moonlight Dew to raise his Mental Power.
• Kieran explained that Four Symbols Academy would have two additional core-member slots and that the retest's first-place reward included a Heart of Four Symbols.
• Ian resolved to reach four Mental Power crystals and win first place, while Kieran wondered whether Ian could advance beyond the known limits of the Meditation Method.

Ian’s seventh-place result in the core preliminary examination drew attention from Academy leaders, factions, and businesses, bringing him invitations, a better sponsorship contract, and a possible place in a major Second Ring research project. After meeting with Flynn, Elena, and Gunnar, Ian returned to Earth Fortress to continue preparing for a core position.

• Flynn learned that Ian had ranked seventh and sent him an invitation along with a contract offering a larger share of his profits.
• Elena reviewed Ian’s assessment recording and listed him as a provisional candidate for her Second Ring research project, while Gunnar asked Nicole to invite him to discuss sponsorship.
• Ice Trace ordered Ancient Vine to stop targeting Ian’s Bayers Chamber of Commerce, though he allowed ordinary commercial competition to continue.
• Ian attended Flynn’s salon at Four Symbols Academy, met prominent Wizards, and learned that the front lines might soon need large quantities of potions.
• Elena told Ian that joining her research project depended on him entering the core, and Gunnar offered him quarterly Wind Soul Crystals in exchange for supporting the Edward Family’s proposals if he became a core member.
• Ian accepted Gunnar’s sponsorship, gathered resources in the secret realm, and returned by Airship to Earth Fortress.

After passing the core preliminary trial, Ian returned to Earth Fortress, gained access to better resources, and prepared for the next assessment while rumors questioned his result. His wind Wizardry lesson for battle group recruits was interrupted when infiltrators from the Crimson Eye were discovered, and Ian joined a team sent to eliminate them.

• Ian returned to Earth Fortress, where Rockforge welcomed him and offered him use of an empty Meditation Room while Ian estimated that the purification Furnace would take another six months.
• Rolf freed Ian from less important workshop duties so he could focus on the second trial, and Ian's spiritual power rose to 85/100 over the next half month.
• Renard asked Ian to teach wind Wizardry to battle group members, and Ian agreed to give three paid training sessions while addressing rumors about his trial result.
• Ian delivered a well-received lesson on wind Wizardry, impressing Nolan, Iron Thunder, and the other Wizards watching.
• Archer Weiss announced that Crimson Eye Wizards had infiltrated Earth Fortress and assigned Ian and other advanced First Ring Wizards to help eliminate one group of intruders.

Ian helped defeat and capture Crimson Eye spies in Earth Fortress, earning a medium merit award and receiving the top-tier Water Curtain Tianhua spell from Kieran. After three months of cultivation, Ian perfected his third spiritual power crystal and reached the perfected late stage of the First Ring.

• Archer led the Wizards in an attack on a Castle, and Ian defeated three Crimson Eye Wizards with Lava Storm while Renard stopped their one-armed leader from killing him.
• The battle group captured or killed the remaining spies, uncovered more infiltrators, and spent the day sweeping Earth Fortress and the Academy for sleeper agents.
• Renard credited Ian for helping expose the spy network and told him the Crimson Eye had planned an assassination against him.
• Renard gave Ian a medium merit award, which Kieran had exchanged for a crystal containing the top-tier water spell Water Curtain Tianhua.
• Ian continued training and teaching, then spent three months increasing his spiritual power until his third crystal reached perfection.

After perfecting his three mental power crystals, Ian mastered Water Curtain Tianhua and obtained the Water Soul Crystal needed to practice it fully. He reached the peak of his spiritual force, gathered breakthrough resources from the warband and Kieran, and advanced to become a four-crystal Wizard.

• Ian perfected his three crystals and discovered that Lava Storm had become stronger, faster to cast, and less costly.
• Ian used an experience crystal to learn Water Curtain Tianhua, then asked Rockforge to secure the Water Soul Crystal required to master it.
• Rockforge obtained thirty grams of Water Soul Crystal for Ian, who practiced Water Curtain Tianhua while preparing for advancement.
• After three months, Ian fully digested the spell, reached the peak of his spiritual force, and found a valuable gold crystal ore while practicing.
• Renard gave Ian the breakthrough resources sent by the Academy, and Ian discovered that Kieran had provided three sets of materials.
• Ian entered the warband's Meditation Room and advanced to become a four-crystal Wizard.

Ian advanced to four mental power crystals, tested his improved Four Symbols Domain, and received support from Renard, the Alchemy Department, and the Iron Mountain Family. With his Furnace redesign submitted and resources promised, he prepared to focus on the second examination for core membership.

• Ian advanced to four crystals, gained an outward mental power field, and tested his stronger, more adaptable Four Symbols Domain.
• Archer brought Ian to Renard, who gave him a Soul Condensing Stone to stabilize his Mental Power Space and warned him not to underestimate the second assessment.
• Ian completed a redesign of the purification Furnace and submitted it to Rolf, who approved it and offered him contribution points, an advanced alchemy room, and a top-tier Alchemy technique.
• Rockforge offered the Iron Mountain Family's sponsorship for Ian's bid to become a core member in exchange for three Alchemy creations after his acceptance.
• Rockforge agreed to provide Ian with requested resources in advance, and Ian resolved to prepare for the core-member second examination.

Ian completed the final replenishment for his Four Symbols Resonance Method, returned to the Academy ahead of the second examination, and learned that advancing beyond four crystals required elemental resonance. Renard defeated an attack on their airship and gave Ian a fire elemental crystal as an introduction to the path toward the Second Ring.

• Ian learned Silk Web with the help of blade spider silk and spent the next five months training it, replenishing his Meditation Method, and strengthening his domain.
• Ian completed the final replenishment for his Four Symbols Resonance Method, bringing it to the perfect level, and reached 11,500 talent.
• Ian left the mineral vein for the Academy three weeks before the second examination, while Renard joined him aboard the airship carrying precious resources.
• Renard told Ian that Crimson Eye planned to attack the airship and that Ian was a secondary target because of his four crystals and alchemy products.
• When Wizards attacked the airship, Renard vanished and quickly killed them, then gave Ian a piece of fire elemental crystal.
• Renard explained that raising elemental resonance was necessary before attempting Elementalization and a breakthrough to the Second Ring, and the airship later reached Elemental Mysteries.

After returning to the Academy, Ian dealt with threats to the Bayers Chamber of Commerce and entered the secret realm’s middle layer with White Fang to seek the Four Symbols Legacy. He sensed all four hidden inheritances but found one sealed off by the retest site, then trained in the secret realm before the retest began three weeks later.

• Ian learned from Cassian that the Ancient Vine Chamber of Commerce and the new Anvil Chamber of Commerce had weakened the Bayers Chamber of Commerce, then used Academy contacts to recover stolen goods and have Anvil fined.
• Ian visited Kieran and demonstrated his perfect Four Crystal Domain, earning permission to enter the secret realm early and see White Fang.
• White Fang brought Ian into the Memory Wasteland, where Ian sensed all four parts of the hidden Legacy, astonishing White Fang with the perfection of his Meditation Method.
• Ian discovered that the Academy had sealed the area containing the first inheritance for the retest, then hunted spiritual bodies in the wasteland and gained substantial knowledge.
• Ian returned to the shallow layer, continued training, raised his talent by one hundred points, and reached the Academy retest three weeks later.

Ian entered the Four Symbols Academy assessment area and unexpectedly obtained the Four Symbols Legacy, gaining control of its spiritual lifeforms and their marks. After securing first place and absorbing much of their knowledge, he left with Kieran and met Principal Simon, who asked whether he had obtained the legacy.

• Simon explained that the Wizards would search for spiritual power marks while facing dangerous spiritual lifeforms in the secret realm.
• Ian followed the pull of the Four Symbols Legacy to the central region, where he found a half-elementalized Four Symbols Giant guarding twenty marks.
• The legacy entered Ian and gave him the Four Crystal domain Wizardry Four Elements Rotation, while the Four Symbols Giant submitted to him.
• Ian summoned spiritual lifeforms across the hills, collected fifty-five marks, and absorbed their elemental knowledge after Kieran confirmed he had secured first place.
• Kieran took Ian to meet Principal Simon, who asked whether Ian had obtained the Four Symbols Legacy.

Ian explored the deeper levels of the secret realm with Simon and Kieran, discovering sealed parts of the Four Symbols Legacy and learning the Four Element Turning Wheel. The assessment ended with Ian back in the Main Academy square as Simon prepared to announce the rankings.

• Simon explained that the Four Symbols Legacy came from a former master of the secret realm and that Ian’s first inheritance was a four-crystal domain technique.
• Ian led Simon and Kieran to three deeper inheritances, but their seals required resonance rates and mastery he did not yet possess.
• Ian practiced the Four Element Turning Wheel, mastering it in three days and continuing to improve it with the experience he had gained.
• Ian sensed black lines leading toward the secret realm’s core before he and the others were pulled out as the assessment ended.
• Wesley and other Four Symbols Academy Wizards wondered where many of the marks had gone, while Nolan hoped he had placed third.
• Simon announced that the assessment was over and that the rankings would be revealed.