Chapter Summaries

Ian gained the talents Universal Empathy and Elemental Dominance after mastering the Earth Rhythm, then reinforced Soren’s Witchcraft Artifact and earned his approval. Soren later challenged the Elemental Mysteries, prompting Gabriel to arrange a fight with him at the Academy, where the chapter ended as the battle was about to begin.

• Ian advanced Earth Rhythm to Master Level, gained Universal Empathy and Elemental Dominance, and discovered that the talents let him perceive unfamiliar energies and control nearby elements with far less effort.
• Ian continued training for his planned trip to the Gray Tower and found that his improved elemental affinity helped him get more out of each Elemental Crystal.
• Soren arrived at Ian’s Wizard Tower with several Wizards, but Ian dispersed a Magic Hand spell before it could hit Farn and returned Soren’s upgraded Witchcraft Artifact.
• Soren tested the artifact against three Mental Power Impacts from Leo, confirmed its strength, paid Ian more than they had agreed, and again asked to fight him; Ian refused.
• Soren defeated Quentin on the battlefield and taunted the younger generation of the Elemental Mysteries, so Gabriel announced that he would fight Soren when they returned to the Academy.
• Ian went to the Academy’s Battle Trial Arena, where Gabriel and Soren faced each other as the fight was about to begin.

Gabriel lost to Soren after a fierce exchange, and Soren challenged Ian next. Ian accepted and revealed a Four-Colored Light Wheel that unleashed a thousand powerful attacks, leaving Soren to realize he had underestimated him.

• Soren defeated Gabriel by slipping a lightning strike through his fiery shield and paralyzing him until he surrendered.
• Soren challenged Ian to an exchange match, and Ian accepted despite Edith’s concern.
• Soren recovered for half an hour while Ian and the spectators prepared for their fight.
• Ian entered the arena and summoned a Four-Colored Light Wheel that launched hundreds of attacks at Soren.
• Soren sent hundreds of thunderbirds to counter the attacks, but Ian’s spells destroyed them and kept advancing toward him.

Ian defeated Soren in the Trial Grounds by overwhelming his attacks, evading his lightning, and disrupting the energy Soren had gathered for his strongest strike. Soren conceded and was carried away unconscious, while the Wizards of Elemental Mysteries celebrated Ian's victory.

• Ian unleashed a barrage of varied Wizardry that forced Soren to defend himself and left him battered.
• Soren attacked with the full power of his Thunderous Physique, but Ian dodged his lightning and broke apart the bolts he could not evade.
• As Soren gathered power for his strongest strike, Ian used an illusion to misdirect him and a spiritual attack to destabilize the energy inside him.
• Ian stopped Soren's internal energy from collapsing further, and Soren conceded before passing out from his injuries.
• Gareth took Soren away to recuperate as the Wizards of Elemental Mysteries cheered Ian, who returned to Kieran and received his praise.

Ian’s victory over Soren shifted his standing at Elemental Mysteries, and he prepared for the Gray Tower Study Tour a year later. After completing new training and discovering that a missing piece of Four Symbols knowledge was available at Gray Tower, Ian joined the tour and arrived in Thousand Tower City.

• Ian discussed the Bayers Chamber of Commerce’s growing earnings with Horton and confirmed he would go to Gray Tower on the Study Tour.
• At Kieran’s banquet, Academy leaders gathered around Ian, while Gabriel realized Ian had become the Academy’s leading talent; Kieran then told Ian he had received an extra Study Tour slot arranged by Edith.
• Soren visited Ian, said they would meet again at Gray Tower, and revealed that he and other Academy geniuses would also join the Study Tour.
• Ian completed the Fourth Satin Body Layer and raised the fourth layer of the Four Symbols Codex to Master Level, merging its layers and revealing knowledge gaps, including one tied to Gray Tower.
• Ian boarded the Study Tour airship with Edith, Gabriel, Quentin, and the Gray Tower group, and they traveled north to Thousand Tower City.

Ian arrived in Thousand Tower City with the visiting wizards and saw Gray Tower’s immense power, including its World Teleportation Array opening a route into the Astral Realm. He met his new roommates and, as the study tour began, learned Edith would soon leave for a while.

• Ian and the other wizards reached Thousand Tower City, where Ian witnessed Gray Tower send wizards through the Astral Realm to fight in a small world.
• Edith and Soren guided Ian’s group through the city to Gray Tower, where a wizard assigned Ian a room near the academy and introduced him to Emil, Osborne, and Gideon.
• Ian dined with his roommates and learned about their backgrounds and ambitions; Emil briefly grew warmer toward Ian after hearing he had connections at his academy.
• Edith visited Ian the next morning, embraced him, and said the study tour would begin in about three days and that she might leave afterward.
• Elmi saw Edith’s Gray Tower insignia and lost interest in pursuing Ian’s connections; three days later, the study tour began.

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.