Flying

The road leading to the dormitories was silent. Everyone stared at Adam in terror. They could not imagine that while they were still smug over mastering a single Low-Level Magic, an apprentice had already reached such heights.

"Was he really a New Apprentice?"

"Compared to a monster like him, what are we?"

Those two sentences were likely the thoughts of every onlooker at that moment. The blow was like a heavy hammer smashing viciously into their hearts, shattering their confidence until it teetered on the verge of collapse.

Yet Adam felt no joy at all. Instantly defeating them was perfectly normal. According to his calculations, even if he fought every apprentice of this batch at once, so long as it was not in an open and transparent setting like the Duel Arena, Adam was absolutely certain he could Annihilate them all.

Instead, Adam found it unsatisfying. So far, the only research he had encountered that truly touched upon knowledge itself was Meditation Methods. The magic he had just used looked dazzling, but at most it was merely a technical achievement. Anyone who met the requirements could use it.

At that moment, a violent tearing sound came from the distance—the sound of an object breaking through the Sound Barrier in flight. Elliot said, "Don't move. The academy Enforcers are coming."

No sooner had Elliot spoken than a squad of four Alchemy Golems descended around Adam. They swiftly inspected the surroundings, then a stiff synthesized voice rang out: "Severe ground damage and traces of life extinguishment detected within the area. Present your Identity Verification immediately, or Mordo Element High Tower reserves the right to kill you."

Adam held up his token. Mysterious Energy Fluctuation radiated from the four Alchemy Golems, forming a force field around him. Within the field, Adam felt his Mental Power becoming sluggish, while his magic was completely cut off.

"Identity confirmed: Apprentice Adam. The damages you caused to the High Tower will be sent to your dormitory in the form of a bill. Pay it promptly, or the High Tower will enforce punishment."

The verification process was casual, almost childish. It only further convinced Adam that the weak had no value whatsoever in the eyes of mages. Rather than human lives, they were better described as groups of moving data.

Adam put away his token. This time, the Alchemy Golems did not stop him and allowed him to leave. After bidding Elliot farewell and returning to his dormitory, Adam continued the final steps of constructing his Meditation Method.

James and his former team had focused entirely on adding special effects to Mage's Armor in hopes of producing effects aligned with the soul. But Adam believed that direction was wrong. Mental Power arose from the soul; rather than trying to give Mental Power special effects, it was better to deeply study Mental Power itself.

Adam almost completely rejected James's research direction, focusing only on the nature of Mental Power and the amount of magic it could carry. There was little to say about carrying magic. No matter how powerful Mental Power was, it could not reach aether's Energy Level. Single-mindedly pursuing Mental Power while abandoning magic was absolutely inadvisable. A viable Meditation Method had to become a good vessel, and that was crucial during the apprentice stage.

So what exactly was the nature of Mental Power?

To be honest, Adam's current knowledge could not explain that question. But in this world, where technological Black Boxes were everywhere, not understanding the essence did not prevent the creation of technology.

Adam's main line of research was the materialization of Mental Power. Mental Power was an invisible yet substantial form of energy. Most apprentices regarded that quantity merely as a vessel for magic, but through telekinesis, Adam inferred that it could be used in more powerful ways.

According to the fragmented information in Adam's mind, it could be called telekinesis. By this world's terminology, it should be called spirit-type magic.

Adam could not guarantee how powerful such magic would be, because he did not believe that after hundreds of millions of years of evolution in the Mage World, with the wisdom of countless mages, no one had researched it. Perhaps one could not advance by relying solely on Mental Power. Or perhaps at higher levels, mages could not form effective Combat Strength through Mental Power alone. But it was, at the very least, a somewhat promising direction.

Over the next three days, Adam never stepped outside. He devoted himself in his room to deriving rune array models and constructions, casting all the clamor of the Outside World behind him.

After Adam's blow, the atmosphere in the academy changed greatly. Adam seemed like an iron brush, scrubbing away the restlessness in the apprentices' hearts. Howard and his companions had been considered an exceptionally strong group among the apprentices, yet when their elite forces had all come out, they could not withstand even two spells from Adam. That made them realize they were still fools.

Thus, they changed from displaying their muscles in vulgar fashion into humble seekers of knowledge. The library became the liveliest place. They tightened their belts to read every book they could get their hands on, and unexpectedly acquired something of the bearing of poor scholars.

William became completely low-profile, silent like Adam had once been, alone and solitary as he came and went through the academy.

After that day, Ophelia locked herself in her room for an entire day. At dawn on the next day, she went to the laboratory and signed a contract with a Body Refining Mage. From then on, she disappeared completely.

Krystal became the most dazzling rising star among the apprentices after Adam. She successfully entered under Black Mage's tutelage, becoming the personal disciple of this Second Rank Mage and officially leaving the ranks of New Apprentices.

On the last day of the ten-day deadline, James learned of Adam's "glorious" record during the Handover process. He was not surprised in the slightest. No one knew better than he did how strong Adam was. Without exaggeration, even he was no match for Adam. Moreover, Adam's strength was not limited to Combat Strength; his research ability was equally astonishing. In their laboratory, their positions had long since reversed, and Adam had successfully changed from an assistant into the one in charge.

"Ah."

James watched as the Alchemy Golems sealed the laboratory and sighed softly, his heart filled with melancholy. His path as a mage had become uncertain from this point onward. Once he left the Mage Continent, he would even have to use magic cautiously, because communicating with aether in a low-magic environment would place an even heavier burden on his body.

He had few friends. He was the oldest apprentice in the academy; those from his batch had either already advanced or died long ago. He had never been someone dazzling, so it was within his expectations that no one would see him off now that he was leaving.

"Adam didn't come." He muttered the words with mixed feelings, slowly pacing through the academy as he transferred Adam's due payment into his balance. James took one final look at the place where he had struggled for decades, then turned and left resolutely.

Adam was running his thoughts beyond their limit.

If someone could see his Soul Sea, they would discover that within that boundless space, densely packed runes were constantly being constructed and annihilated. A newborn rune would often shatter and vanish the moment it appeared. As time passed, fewer and fewer new runes emerged, until only nineteen pyramids remained in the Soul Sea.

The bases of these pyramid-shaped runes were curved. From the base to the tip, each had a different structure, making them extraordinarily complex.

Adam's heart stirred with excitement. This Meditation Method composed of nineteen runes was completely Self-Consistent. Not only was it superior to the basic Meditation Method in carrying magic, but it also possessed an attribute uniquely its own.

Adam combined all the runes, eventually forming a spherical Rune Array. At the same time, his Mental Power automatically spread outward, sweeping through his room with violent force. Every mundane object in the room was instantly blasted into Fragments, its power astonishing.

New Meditation Method construction complete. Empirical Verification successful. Named: Telekinesis Meditation Method.

After Logical Thinking delivered its report, Adam leaped out of his room, sending his completely unprotected body dozens of meters into the air. The new type of Mental Power named telekinesis spread from his body and steadily held Adam aloft. Thus, Adam achieved flight through the power of Mental Power alone.

It was true flight, not levitation. Telekinesis first canceled gravity, then continuously shifted the air, transforming resistance into propulsion. With a thought, Adam shot himself forward like an arrow and freely changed direction in midair.

The people on the ground were dumbfounded.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look, the sky—the sky!" An apprentice clutched his companion's arm tightly, shouting unconsciously. He gripped so hard that bruises had already appeared on his companion's arm.

His companion pulled his hand away in annoyance and muttered, "Let go! Have you gone crazy? What could possibly be in the sk—" Then he looked up and froze as well. "My heavens!"

Of course they had seen flight before, but that was something the mages within the High Tower did. How could they ever have imagined that the apprentices around them could do such a thing too?

Adam felt heartfelt delight. The feeling was so strong that it even made him act childishly, constantly changing his posture in the sky, speeding up and slowing down, diving one moment and soaring higher the next, playing to his heart's content.

The actions of the two on the ground drew the attention of others. Gradually, more and more people looked up at the sky, then stood frozen in place. Their unconscious murmurs merged together, and two words grew louder and louder.

"Flight."

"Adam."

People in the library, classrooms, cafeteria, and dormitories also came out after hearing the commotion. They did not know what they were feeling. They could only watch Adam's freely soaring figure in fascination.

The noise distracted Elliot. His hand trembled, and a bottle of potion exploded. Cursing, he walked out of the laboratory. Before he could voice his displeasure, he saw Adam in the sky.

He had no idea what madness his Little Friend was up to. It was only flight; wind-type magic could accomplish it easily. Why show off in front of Newbies? He stamped his foot, and Airflow gathered behind him into Wings. Then Elliot also flew into the sky and arrived beside Adam.

"What are you doing? You ruined all my potions," he complained to Adam.

Adam replied casually, "Oh, how unfortunate. Do you know where James is?"