Recaps

Ian attended the Gray Tower’s first core-course lesson, mastered its Energy Integration Technique faster than nearly all the students, and drew attention from the gathered wizards. He learned that the Phase Coordination Technique could address his four-element physique’s coordination problems, though he would need to earn points to access it.

• Ian arrived at the classroom with Gideon, Emil, and Osborne, while Soren and Atticus discussed Ian’s earlier defeat of Soren.
• Wizard Anton taught the Energy Integration Technique, which coordinated spiritual power, magic power, and life energy.
• Ian mastered the technique and finished fifth, becoming the only outsider among the first ten students eligible for individual guidance.
• Ian asked Anton how to coordinate his four-element physique, and Anton recommended a virtual spiritual power hub while explaining that the Phase Coordination Technique required points to obtain.
• After Anton ended the lesson, a crowd gathered around Ian, and Emil greeted him warmly.

Ian attended the study program’s second-round classes, learning about the rankings and gaining combat and alchemy instruction. He became Stephen’s alchemy assistant and set his sights on ranking in the top ten to obtain Touch of the Source.

• Emil explained that high rankings earned more Points and access to valuable knowledge, then revealed that Kieran had once dominated the Gray Tower Wizards and was Ian’s teacher.
• Hades demonstrated brutal combat tactics by charging through Nathan Wade’s fire spell and defeating him, then taught the class how to fight to survive and kill.
• Ian joined Stephen’s alchemy class, where Stephen appointed him assistant and identified him as a Top Second Ring alchemist after he processed Starshine Stone.
• Ian spent a day organizing what he had learned and resolved to place in the top ten to obtain Touch of the Source.

Ian visited Ferman’s struggling shop in Thousand Tower City and explored the Truth Tower branch, where he took a research task and met two guides. After his contacts failed to find sales channels, he asked Edith for the Phase Coordination Technique, and her request reached Bruno at Gray Tower.

• Ian visited Ferman’s Bayers Chamber of Commerce shop and learned that its monthly revenue barely covered its high rent because it lacked sales channels.
• Ian toured the Truth Tower branch, learned how its points and academic credits worked, and accepted a Second Ring mission to improve a magic-based Wizardry technique.
• Ian noticed Eugenie treating another Second-Ring Scholar more warmly, then left the branch with contact information from Eugenie and Dalia Madison.
• Emil reported that his Lineage was unwilling to provide sales channels, so Ian asked Edith about obtaining the Phase Coordination Technique.
• Edith told Ian she would ask around for the difficult-to-obtain technique, then wrote to the Academy, and Bruno read her letter at Gray Tower.

Ian met Bruno, who agreed to consider him as Edith’s partner if he advanced to three rings and refused to give him the knowledge he wanted for free. After a year and a half of study and training, Ian arrived with his friends for Gray Tower’s first-stage assessment, which Anton announced was beginning.

• A powerful Wizard brought Ian to meet Bruno, who judged Ian’s foundation impressive but set reaching three rings as the minimum for a future with Edith and told him to earn the knowledge he sought.
• Bruno’s attendant Carter objected that Ian was too weak for Edith, but Bruno decided to reconsider after Ian advanced to three rings; Ian then discovered Bruno had given him a Communication Crystal that let him speak with Edith, who was training in another small world.
• Ian resolved to become bolder, continued studying Wizardry and Alchemy, completed Truth Tower tasks, and built up Points as an alternative way to obtain what he needed.
• A year and a half later, Ian mastered the Energy Integration Technique and prepared for the first-stage assessment, aiming for a high rank and enough Points to exchange for Replenishment Wizardry.
• Ian went to the assessment square with Emil, Osborne, and Gideon, where Anton announced that the first-stage assessment had begun.

Ian dominated the first stage of the Gray Tower assessment by safely decomposing every energy in his orb, then built an improved Energy Integration structure for the next stages. The third-stage endurance test began with his structure holding firm against Anton’s energy field.

• Anton announced a three-stage assessment requiring Wizards to decompose an energy orb, build an energy structure, and withstand an energy field.
• A visiting Wizard triggered an explosion by separating the orb’s energy carelessly, and Anton eliminated him.
• Ian used Universal Empathy and his mastery of the Energy Integration Technique to stabilize and completely decompose his orb, taking first place in the round.
• Anton recognized Ian’s master-level skill, while Emil, Osborne, Gideon, Gabriel, and the Gray Tower Wizards watched in astonishment.
• Ian built a balanced structure combining the Energy Integration Technique with knowledge from the Four Symbols Codex.
• Anton released the energy field for the third round, and Ian’s eggshell-like structure remained immovable.

Ian won the first Core Curriculum assessment by outlasting every other Wizard and received the complete Energy Integration Technique. During the second assessment, he discovered that Shadow Beasts could be defeated by destroying their cores and shattered one’s core to win his fight.

• Ian outlasted Jared Craig and the other Wizards in the first assessment, taking first place as Anton ended the round.
• Anton awarded Ian the complete version of the Energy Integration Technique, and Ian joined the others at the Combat Curriculum assessment.
• Hades introduced Shadow Beasts with Peak Second Ring strength and a trace of Three Rings' essence, and the first groups struggled to survive their attacks.
• Ian sensed the Shadow Beasts' cores and deduced that destroying them could make the creatures dissolve.
• When Ian's group entered the arena, he used Balance Domain and layered defenses to catch a Shadow Beast's scythe, then drove a compressed Storm Inscription into its core and shattered it.

Ian won first place in the Combat, Alchemy, and overall Study Tour assessments, earning valuable rewards and invitations to join Gray Tower that he declined. After choosing a few trusted sources of support, he exchanged for the Touch of the Source and began studying it, while news of his results reached White Stone Territory.

• Ian defeated the Shadow Beast by finding and destroying its hidden core, earning first place in the Combat assessment and impressing Hades.
• Hades invited Ian to join Gray Tower's Combat Department and offered to mentor him, but Ian declined while accepting Hades's contact details.
• Ian crafted a Witchcraft Artifact that secured first place in the Alchemy assessment; Stephen invited him to Gray Tower and offered help with trade connections, and Ian declined the invitation.
• Emil agreed to give up his share of Lineage resources to support Ian, and the results confirmed Ian had taken first place overall.
• Ian reviewed his rewards, including Points, a free Star Hall inheritance, and access to the Spirit Tempering Pool, then chose to pursue support through Emil and Stephen.
• Ian exchanged for the Touch of the Source and began studying it as news of his assessment results reached White Stone Territory.

After Ian took first place on Gray Tower’s Study Tour, the Elemental Mysteries increased its support for him while other Academies and rival powers reassessed his growing influence. In Gray Tower, Ian impressed Truth Tower Deputy Tower Master Bruce Chandler, earned a dedicated liaison and an invitation to the scholars’ banquet, then arrived at the Spirit Tempering Pool.

• Word spread through the Elemental Mysteries that Ian had taken first place on the Study Tour, and Kieran announced that the Academy would increase its investment in him.
• Ian practiced Touch of the Source and arranged to meet Stephen three days later, then followed him to the Truth Tower to meet Deputy Tower Master Bruce Chandler.
• Bruce praised Ian’s record of completing thirty missions in a year, assigned Dahlia as his dedicated liaison, and invited him to the scholars’ banquet.
• Ian attended the banquet with Stephen and Bruce, where he met scholars from Gray Tower and Thousand Tower City.
• Dahlia learned she would become Ian’s dedicated liaison, while Eugenie recognized Ian and regretted having underestimated him.
• Ian arrived at the Spirit Tempering Pool, the greatest reward he had received.

Ian used the Spirit Tempering Pool for five days, dramatically increasing and balancing his mental power with his physique before testing his newfound strength. He joined the second stage of the Study Tour, where stronger Gray Tower contenders—including rivals pursuing Edith—had arrived, and Wizard Anton was about to explain what the stage entailed.

• Ian entered the Spirit Tempering Pool, where his mental power surged as his Four Symbols Sacred Body triggered its balancing mechanism.
• Kase reported Ian's extraordinary energy consumption to Albus, who allowed him to continue using the pool.
• After five days, Ian left with almost twice his previous mental power and 136 filled mental power anchors, then spent ten days assimilating his gains in a Meditation Room.
• Ian tested his improved abilities and found that his mobilization and bursts of energy had risen by at least thirty percent, while his staying power had nearly doubled.
• Ian met Emil, Osborne, and Gideon on their way to the second stage of lessons and joined them in the classroom.
• Ian learned that five stronger Gray Tower wizards had entered the second round, including two who pursued Edith, just before Wizard Anton arrived to reveal the stage's purpose.

Anton began the Core Curriculum’s second stage by teaching the Wizards to comprehend Rule Fragments, and Ian mastered the Piercing Rule Fragment on his first attempt. Impressed, Anton gave Ian a Resonance Prism as a reward, and the class resumed practicing with three hours remaining.

• Anton introduced Rule Fragment comprehension as the Core Curriculum’s second stage and explained its three steps using a Piercing Rule Fragment.
• Ian met Grant, Zachary, Cyril, and the other newly arrived Wizards, then traded barbs with Grant and Zachary before Anton began the exercise.
• Ian used his willpower and prior exposure to Rule Fragments to absorb the Piercing aura into his mental power on his first attempt.
• Grant and the other Wizards realized Ian had completed the exercise while they were still struggling with its first step.
• Anton praised Ian’s success and gave him a Resonance Prism that amplified the signals produced during rule comprehension.
• The Wizards resumed practicing after Anton reminded them that three hours remained.

After impressing the Gray Tower Wizards, Ian learned about the Black Wizard Codex and began studying his Rule Fragments with the Resonance Prism. A year passed as he focused on his studies and preparations for advancement.

• Grant vowed not to give up on Ian, while Zachary challenged him to a fight and Cyril invited him to a Wizard salon.
• At the Mirror Hall, Ian watched a Black Wizard defeat a Peak Second Ring Wizard with the Soul-Rending Chapter, and Hades explained the Black Wizard Codex and its dangerous powers.
• Stephen appointed Ian as his teaching assistant in Alchemy Class, and Ian attended Cyril's salon, where he learned more about the Graystone Domain and Black Wizards.
• Ian sensed the Burning Rule Fragment and gained progress toward its mastery, then used Anton's Resonance Prism to accelerate his progress by at least thirty percent.
• Ian realized he needed to raise all four Rule Fragments to beginner level before advancing his physique, and he spent the next year studying and preparing.

Over the past year, Ian advanced his studies, developed fragments of several rules, and brought Flow of the Source to Master Level while preparing for the Second Phase assessment. He remained an outsider to Grant’s study group, and the chapter ended with his newly mastered Wizardry and the assessment three months away.

• Ian met with Bruce, who praised his Alchemy Products and advised him to abandon his research into the Resonance Meditation Method, but Ian refused.
• Ian reviewed his progress over the past year, then studied new material that helped Flow of the Source advance toward Master Level.
• Ian attended Anton’s class on the Explosion Rule Fragment and learned that Grant was close to Law Initiation and that the Second Phase assessment was three months away.
• Grant boasted that the assessment would reveal the gap between them, while Cyril apologized for leaving Ian out of the group; Ian accepted her apology but recognized their friendship had ended.
• Ian watched a Body-Tempering Wizard fight a Black Wizard who practiced the Body-Devouring Chapter, then continued his studies after Combat and Alchemy classes.
• A month later, Ian brought Flow of the Source to Master Level.

Wizard Anton introduced the Academy’s second-stage curriculum on comprehending Rule Fragments, and Ian mastered the Piercing Rule Fragment on his first attempt. Anton rewarded him with a Resonance Prism, while the other Wizards resumed their study.

• Anton explained the three steps for comprehending a Rule Fragment and presented the Piercing Rule Fragment for the class to study.
• Grant and Zachary disparaged Ian, but Ian calmly answered them before Anton ordered the class not to fight.
• Ian used his willpower and experience with Rule Fragments to sense Piercing and draw its aura into his mental power.
• The other Wizards realized Ian had completed all three steps in only a few hours, while they were still struggling to reach the fragment.
• Anton gave Ian a Resonance Prism as a reward and told everyone to continue studying.

Ian excelled in the Support Curriculum by crafting the Soul-Anchor Pendant, then joined a Gray Tower assault on a Black Wizard camp where Percival Stanton had begun a mass soul sacrifice. The chapter ended as Hades attacked Percival and Ian’s group moved in to surround the ruined city.

• Ian demonstrated strong understanding of natural laws, and Anton offered to take him as a student in the Gray Tower.
• Ian crafted the Soul-Anchor Pendant for protection against soul attacks and received first place in the alchemy assessment.
• Hades led the wizards aboard three airships to attack a Black Wizard stronghold holding a sacrifice.
• Percival Stanton began sacrificing the souls of Keser City to summon a being from the Astral Realm.
• The airships bombarded the city, shattered the altar, and killed many Black Wizards.
• Hades attacked Percival as Ian and the other wizards surrounded the city.

Ian helped Gray Tower destroy the Black Wizards in Keser City, killing Archie Stanton after revealing his overwhelming power. Hades announced that the Second Phase assessment was over, while the survivors stood amid the bloodshed.

• Ian killed fleeing Black Wizards with fire and helped overpower their forces as Hades fought their Third Ring Wizard.
• Ian sensed Archie Stanton escaping underground and pursued him with Emil and the others.
• Osborne identified Archie as a powerful wizard from a neighboring academy, and Ian ordered the others to retreat before fighting him alone.
• Ian used elemental mist and Overclocking to suppress Archie and kill him with a barrage of spells.
• Hades destroyed the enormous soul crystal, and the Black Wizards were killed or captured after the battle continued for half a day.
• Hades announced that the Second Phase assessment was over.

Ian took first place in all three events of the Gray Tower’s second-phase assessment, drawing Bruno’s favor and gaining access to the Myriad Source Pool. After more than half a month inside, he brought his Four Symbols Sacred Body to the peak of top-tier physiques and left as the next round approached.

• Ian saw the death aura and supernatural creatures gathering around Keser City, then resolved to grow strong enough to reach three rings.
• Ian’s results confirmed him as first in all three events, and Grant, Zachary, and Cyril each acknowledged his strength or apologized before leaving.
• Bruno upgraded Ian’s reward to grade-one access to the Myriad Source Pool, prompting Gray Tower families to seek his favor and send gifts.
• Ian received the Mountain Giant Construction Technique, the final earth-element Replenishment Wizardry he needed.
• Ian spent more than half a month in the Myriad Source Pool, fully integrating his body-tempering aura, nature aura, and physique as his Four Symbols Sacred Body reached the peak of top-tier physiques.
• Ian left the pool after breaking the Academy’s previous stay record, ready for the next Study Tour round.

Ian practiced the Mountain Giant Construction Technique and attended the third round of the Gray Tower Study Tour, where he learned about the Pattern-Eyed Civilization. During combat class, he saw through instructor Chase Farrell's Goatman transformation and defeated him with a single Dragon Breath.

• Ian summoned a mountain giant, tested its destructive power and defense, and continued practicing the spell ahead of the third Study Tour round.
• Anton introduced the Pattern-Eyed Civilization, a low-level civilization at war with the Gray Tower, and gave the Wizards books on its supernatural system to study.
• Ian studied the Pattern-Eyed people's power patterns and decided their techniques might be worth adapting to his own Wizard abilities.
• Instructor Chase Farrell transformed into a Goatman and challenged Ian to demonstrate combat against creatures from other civilizations.
• Ian detected Chase's deceptive position with the Four Symbols Mirror Eye and blasted him with Dragon Breath, leaving Chase injured and astonished.

Ian studied the Pattern-Eyed People’s methods, used their frequency techniques to advance his stalled Frequency Resonance Method, and learned that the next level of physique was called the Primordial Body. After Ian submitted a bold analysis of the Pattern-Eyed People, Anton was so shocked by its contents that he hurried to bring it to Vincent, head of the Patterned-Eye research project.

• Chase demonstrated the dangers of unfamiliar alien abilities by defeating Grant, while Ian’s earlier victory prompted the Wizards to take the class seriously.
• Stephen gave Ian individual alchemy instruction, and Ian studied the Academy’s analyzed Pattern-Eyed legacy, discovering its world-connected patterns and unusual frequency method.
• Ian learned the Pattern-Eyed Resonance Method and saw his Frequency Resonance Method progress from 50 to 51, then received Edith’s letter explaining the Primordial Body.
• Ian advanced the Pattern-Eyed Resonance Method to Master Level and began researching how to improve his Four Symbols Sacred Body.
• Anton taught the class about the Sea Folk, the Abyssal Race, and the Wizard World’s other enemies, then collected the Wizards’ analyses of the Pattern-Eyed People.
• Anton read Ian’s complete analysis and countermeasures, became visibly shocked, and rushed to Vincent, head of the Patterned-Eye research project.

Vincent recruited Ian to the Academy’s Pattern-Eyed People project after reading Ian’s analysis of their first-ring methods. Although the team suspected Ian had joined through connections and assigned him a difficult frequency to decipher, Ian quickly mastered it and developed the Burst Frequency Method.

• Anton showed Vincent Ian’s analysis of the Pattern-Eyed People, and Vincent invited Ian to join the Academy’s project team for five hundred thousand magic stones per month.
• Ian accepted the invitation, visited the project laboratories, and saw the Pattern-Eyed People’s ancient tree covered in patterns.
• Vincent assigned Ian to work under Cameron Stone on frequency resonance, and Cameron gave him an undeciphered pattern frequency as his first assignment.
• The project team’s Wizards assumed Ian had joined through connections and doubted he could solve the difficult assignment.
• Ian used Universal Empathy to decipher the frequency, discovered the Burst Frequency Method, and raised it to Master Level in one week.

Ian joined Cameron’s Pattern-Eyed Resonance project after deciphering its Second Ring portion in ten days, then spent half a year advancing his studies and wizardry. After reaching Master Level with the Mountain Giant Construction Technique, he completed a transformed Four Symbols Core chapter and emerged from a month-long physique reconstruction having advanced, but not completely.

• Ian gave Cameron his report, and Cameron made him lead the project’s Second Ring analysis after Royce and Lia accepted his ability.
• Ian quickly completed his assigned portion of the Pattern-Eyed Resonance analysis, while Vincent hoped the project would help the front lines against threats to the Pattern-Eyed World.
• Over the next half year, Ian advanced his alchemy, project work, and training until the Mountain Giant Construction Technique reached Master Level.
• Ian used the skill’s insights to complete the Earth Core Chapter of the Four Symbols Codex and began preparing resources for a major physique advancement.
• Ian spent a month undergoing reconstruction in a Second-Ring Elemental Pool, then awoke with gray patterns across his body and realized his advancement was incomplete.

Ian advanced his Four Symbols Sacred Body to a Pseudo-Primordial Body, greatly strengthening his abilities, then helped his team complete the analysis of the Pattern-Eyed Resonance Method and earned a personal reward. Vincent told Ian that the Study Tour might end early because of a problem in the small world and promised to arrange the knowledge Ian needed; Ian then went to meet Bruno.

• Ian advanced his Four Symbols Sacred Body to a Pseudo-Primordial Body, doubling his mana quality and capacity and dramatically strengthening his balance ability and physique.
• Ian returned to the Laboratory, where Royce and Lia reported that the pattern Ian had identified was related to resonance.
• Ian led the team to complete the analysis of the Pattern-Eyed Resonance Method, earning praise and a personal reward of five million magic stones.
• Vincent offered to help Ian with Edith and promised to arrange the knowledge he needed, then warned that the Study Tour might end early because of a problem in the small world.
• Ian followed a Servant Witch to the Wizard Tower and met Bruno again.

Bruno tested Ian by having him fight Zane, a third-ring wizard whose rules Bruno sealed, and Ian won after revealing his extraordinary strength. Impressed, Bruno accepted Ian as Edith’s partner and gave him the inheritance crystal for the Phase Coordination Technique.

• Bruno told Ian that Edith might soon advance to the third ring and study at the Eternal Firmament, then asked Zane to test Ian in a fight.
• Bruno sealed Zane’s rules, and Ian and Zane traded powerful spells across the small world’s plain.
• Ian used Balance to disrupt Zane’s explosive power and brought an icicle to his face, winning the fight.
• Bruno mistook Ian’s ability for a law-level talent, accepted his relationship with Edith, and went to prepare Ian’s inheritance.
• Bruno returned several hours later with the inheritance crystal for the Phase Coordination Technique.

Ian received Bruno’s Phase Coordination Technique legacy crystal and learned that Kieran had been severely injured in an ambush, prompting him to return to White Stone Territory. After gathering resources and allies, Ian left Thousand Tower City and began studying the technique aboard the airship as he approached the City of Elements.

• Bruno gave Ian a Phase Coordination Technique legacy crystal, reported Kieran’s severe injuries, and supplied a healing potion and his identification badge for Ian’s return.
• Ian used Bruno’s authorization to exchange points and a rule fragment for resources, then received a Space Teleportation Gem from Vincent.
• Gabriel, Quentin, Emil, Osborne, Grant, and others saw Ian off, while Gideon joined him on the journey home.
• Ian boarded the airship with Gideon and kept the black wizard’s book containing black sorcery and two levels of the Soul-Rending Spell.
• Ian absorbed the legacy crystal’s knowledge and reached Proficient Level in the Phase Coordination Technique after three days.
• The airship reached the outskirts of the City of Elements as Ian prepared to face the situation in White Stone Territory.

Ian returned to the City of Elements and learned that Kieran had been ambushed, gravely injured, and left in a coma. Ian revived him with a third-ring restorative potion, but Kieran’s opponents prepared to use the Academy assembly to remove him as acting dean.

• Ian visited Horton and learned that Kieran had been attacked and that the Horton Wizard School and Bayers Chamber of Commerce were facing pressure.
• Ian returned to the Four Symbols Academy and gave the comatose Kieran a third-ring restorative potion, which awakened him.
• Kieran told Ian that Wizards from three Academies had ambushed him at the White Stone Vein, while Cerys revealed plans to appoint a new acting dean.
• Derek warned Kieran that most of the other Academies and several departments supported replacing him, despite his return to consciousness.
• Una, Wade, Russell, Anthony, and Damian discussed forcing Kieran to resign, with Russell dismissing Ian as too young to threaten them.
• The Academy assembly began after a day of preparations.

At the Academy assembly, Kieran resigned as acting head and named Huo Yan his successor, but Una and other academy heads accused Kieran of abusing his authority and targeted Ian. Ian challenged Una to a duel and, after Una unleashed his strongest ice attack, emerged unharmed and struck him down.

• Kieran resigned as acting head and presented Aaron's recording naming Huo Yan as his successor.
• Una accused Kieran of misusing Academy resources and singled out Ian, while Kieran accepted sole responsibility.
• Ian defended his teacher, accused Una and Wade of involvement in Kieran's ambush, and challenged them to fight.
• Una accepted Ian's challenge, and the assembly moved to the arena as wizards gathered to watch.
• Una covered Ian in a vast iceberg with his ice law, but Ian shattered it without moving and knocked Una into a crater with one punch.