Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Horton Green Shadow (Horton; 霍顿) |
| Alias(es) | Lord Horton; Teacher |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Horton Wizard School; formerly a student of Green Corridor Wizard Academy; former heir of the Emerald Shadow Wizard Family, whose holdings he later reclaimed 151 161 245 299 |
| Occupation / Role | Official Wizard; ruler of Horton Wizard School; natural wizard; Ian Green's first teacher 117 134 300 |
| Status | Alive; Second-Ring Wizard 300 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 117 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First-Ring / Official Wizard | 117 | Already an Official Wizard when he meets Ian; his Mental Power can immobilize Ian completely and pressure an entire area. |
| First-Ring, half-elementalization | 245 | Displays wood-grain patterns and turns a sealed stone chamber into a plant-filled domain. Overwhelms three veteran late-stage First-Ring Wizards. |
| Peak First-Ring Wizard | 299 | Has long been unable to advance for lack of suitable materials; receives a highly compatible set of natural-wizard advancement resources from Ian. |
| Second-Ring Wizard | 300 | Advances using the resources Ian gave him. The breakthrough rejuvenates him into a far younger appearance and substantially strengthens his nature affinity. |
Background
Born into the Emerald Shadow Wizard Family in the City of Elements, Horton was originally positioned to inherit the family. He abandoned that secure path to pursue higher knowledge and the possibility of advancement beyond the First Ring, leaving before his father died and eventually being removed from the family register by his uncle, Jules 151 162.
Horton attempted to enter Elemental Mysteries in his youth. He reached its final comprehension test but failed; the examiner, Kilan Howard, nevertheless allowed the candidates to retain the Four-Element Resonance Meditation Method used in the test. Horton later studied at Green Corridor Wizard Academy and acquired Veridian Wizard Academy's inherited Armor Plate, which led him to establish himself in Veridian Forest in search of that destroyed academy's legacy 148 151.
As the sole dominant wizard of Horton Wizard School, Horton concealed his true condition for years, pretending to recover from injuries in his Wizard Tower while waiting for threats to expose themselves. During the conflict with Blackstone School, he had remained fully recovered and was using the pretense to draw out enemies 117.
He formally accepted Ian Green as his student after discovering Ian's first-class talent, elemental affinity, and exceptional spellcasting ability. Horton gave Ian the complete Four-Element Resonance Meditation Method, access to the School Library, and guidance for Ian's Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice advancement 117 118.
Following Ian's trial, Horton publicly intervened against the adjudicators, declared Ian innocent, and killed the corrupt Jiabai as a warning to the School. He subsequently appointed Ian as Head of the Logistics Department 134 135 136.
Horton and Ian later signed a formal contract to explore the ruins of Veridian Wizard Academy. Horton assumed responsibility for their safety, while Ian opened the ruins; they agreed to divide resources seventy-thirty, with Ian permitted to copy knowledge-type resources 152. When Flint and Darkriver Schools threatened Horton Wizard School's position in Veridian Forest, Horton dismantled the School and moved its surviving members to the City of Elements to pursue body-refining knowledge and preserve their opportunity to explore the legacy 155 156.
In the City of Elements, Horton attempted to reclaim his father's magical farmland from the Emerald Shadow Family but was offered inferior compensation instead. He later killed Old Harker over the potion field dispute, was briefly arrested, and was released because the field was recognized as an asset connected to Kieran's official student, Ian 162 189.
Horton eventually eliminated Jules and the Emerald Shadow Family's First and Second Elders after discovering their interest in the Veridian ruins and their potential threat to Ian. Horton Wizard School subsequently relocated into the family's former fifth-level manor 245 250.
Horton returned to the Veridian secret realm and challenged its tower, completing roughly one-third of it. He left Mickey to guard the realm and passed his gains—including body-tempering materials, complementary Wizardries, and Witchcraft Artifacts—to Ian 254.
After years of being held back by a shortage of suitable advancement materials, Horton accepted a complete set of natural-wizard Second-Ring advancement resources from Ian. He initially refused the gift because he wanted Ian to use its value for his own growth, but agreed when Ian explained that his expanding organizations needed a Second-Ring Wizard to oversee them. Horton subsequently advanced and returned to help manage Ian's outside interests 299 300.
Following his advancement, Horton helped Ian and the Bayers Chamber of Commerce produce and expand the sale of Ian's basic constructs. He later took responsibility for recruiting additional Wizards as their business grew, reporting that several Second-Ring Wizards were interested in joining 300 402.
Appearance
Horton is initially described as an ordinary-looking wizard whose presence becomes impossible to ignore once he releases his Mental Power. After advancing to the Second Ring, he appears decades younger and carries a pronounced natural aura 134 300.
- Ordinary facial features, despite an overwhelming presence 134
- Immense Mental Power that makes nearby wizards struggle to breathe 117 134
- Displays wood-grain patterns across his body while using advanced power 245
- Rejuvenated into a young man following his Second-Ring advancement 300
Personality
Horton is driven by an uncompromising pursuit of knowledge, greater realms of Mental Power, and longevity. He willingly abandoned family status, security, and resources rather than accept a future limited by his circumstances 151 162.
He is calculating and decisive. Horton concealed his recovery to lure enemies into acting, used Jiabai's execution to reassert control over the School, and chose to abandon Veridian Forest when remaining would no longer serve his long-term goals 117 135 155.
Despite his ruthlessness, Horton is deeply invested in Ian's growth. He recognizes Ian's potential early, gives him privileged access to knowledge and resources, protects him from assassins, and repeatedly prioritizes Ian's future over the School's immediate wealth 117 148 182. Even when offered resources suited to his own long-awaited advancement, his first instinct is to ask Ian to exchange them for something Ian needs 299.
Abilities & Skills
Natural Wizardry
Horton specializes in natural and plant-based Wizardry, using vegetation for perception, defense, suppression, and lethal attacks.
- Nature Perception Spell — Uses natural plants as his eyes and ears and can transmit messages through them 146.
- Tree Muscle Spell — Connects the caster with the ground and disperses incoming attacks through the earth 146.
- Life Drain Spell — Absorbs vitality from magical plants to restore the caster's life force 146.
- Can create overwhelming masses of vines and vegetation capable of binding, draining, and killing First-Ring Wizards 182 189.
- Manifested a plant-filled domain while confronting Jules and the Emerald Shadow Family elders 245.
- After reaching the Second Ring, struck an unseen assassin from several dozen meters away with a vine and dragged the peak First-Ring Wizard out unconscious 300.
Mental Power
As an Official Wizard, Horton possesses Mental Power vastly beyond that of wizard apprentices.
- Immobilized Ian with a simple examination and scanned his body without entering his Mental Power Space 117.
- Suppressed the assembled School wizards during Ian's trial merely through his presence 134.
- Can fly and engage First-Ring Magic Beasts directly in aerial combat 159.
- Detected and neutralized assassins targeting Ian, including one who had infiltrated the Outer Academy 182 300.
Imprint Body Tempering Method
Horton practices the Imprint Body Tempering Method and possesses the Armor Plate inheritance connected to Veridian Wizard Academy.
- His body-tempering aptitude is poorer than Ian's; he forced his rune mastery forward through resources but could not achieve complete comprehension 148.
- Located the ruins of Veridian Wizard Academy because of the method and its associated Armor Plate 148.
- Uses his knowledge of the method to test and guide Ian's physical cultivation 150 151.
- Reached half-elementalization, marked by wood-grain patterns and a major increase in power 245.
- Challenged the secret realm's tower and passed on body-tempering resources and complementary Wizardries obtained during the expedition 254.
Equipment / Resources
- Dark Gray Armor Plate — An inherited Armor Plate associated with the Imprint Body Tempering Method and Veridian Wizard Academy 147 148.
- Wizard Tower — Horton's headquarters at Horton Wizard School; contains powerful elemental conditions and a concealed underground cultivation cavern 117 149.
- Elemental underground pool — The School's core resource, connected to an underground elemental river and used to accelerate Ian's cultivation 149.
- Veridian Grass — Horton personally gathered increasingly potent grades of the magical plant to support Ian's body-tempering cultivation 148 150.
- Natural-wizard advancement resources — A complete First-Ring-to-Second-Ring set given to Horton by Ian, including potions and a living Second-Ring Iron Thorn; the resources were highly compatible with Horton 299.
Relationships
- Ian Green — Student and most valued disciple. Horton provides Ian with core knowledge, resources, protection, and opportunities, while Ian later supplies Horton with Second-Ring advancement resources. After advancing, Horton helps oversee Ian's expanding businesses and recruit Wizards for them 117 152 299 300 402.
- Vilo — Daughter. Horton involves her in School affairs and openly supports her relationship with Ian 149 155.
- Ronan — Student and senior School administrator who assists with managing the School during crises 149 155.
- Mickey — Horton's magical pet. Mickey had not seen Horton for roughly seven years while Horton maintained his hidden status, and later guarded the Veridian secret realm for him 115 254.
- Jules — Horton's uncle and head of the Emerald Shadow Wizard Family. Jules exploited Horton's absence to seize family assets and remove him from the family register; Horton later killed him 162 245.
- Victor — A School instructor whose damaged Mental Power Horton examined. Horton identified Emerald Morning Dew and Mind Revival Potion as possible treatments 120.
Notable Quotes
“I believe Ian is innocent. Now. Who agrees? Who objects?” 134
“For the transcendence of mental power, for higher realms, for a longer life!” 151