In the classroom.
As Wizard Anton entered, every Wizard fell silent.
Anton opened the door and walked to the front.
His gaze swept over the Wizards, pausing on Ian and the five newly arrived Second Ring Wizards.
Then he spoke slowly:
"Starting today, our Core Curriculum officially enters its second stage. In the first stage, we focused on gaining a deeper command of mana, mental power, and related fundamentals. In this stage, we'll work on comprehending Rule Fragments."
Comprehending Rule Fragments?
Anton's words caught Ian off guard.
"Lord Anton, some of us only recently reached Peak Second Ring. Isn't this a little early?"
A Wizard voiced the question.
It was what many of them were wondering.
Ian looked toward Anton as well. The Three Rings Grand Wizard spoke slowly:
"To become a Three Rings Wizard, you must meet many requirements, including those for physical strength and mental power. But the most important is mastering a suitable Rule Fragment. None of you can skip that step."
"If you wait until you've truly reached the peak before you begin, it'll be too late. I recommend gradually making contact with Rule Fragments once your Peak Second Ring advancement has stabilized. Even a fragment takes a long time to comprehend, let alone the higher standard required for advancement. Besides, an initial grasp of a rule can strengthen you again, putting you a level above ordinary Peak Second Ring Wizards. That's why the second stage is suited to every Wizard."
So that was it.
Understanding dawned on Ian.
His teacher, Kieran, was also at Peak Second Ring, yet no one in the entire Academy seemed able to beat him.
Even when Kieran had fought Ian,
Ian could tell
that Kieran had held back a great deal of his strength.
It seemed his teacher had already