Full-Time Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant

Dealing with the aftermath was still a hassle.

As daylight broke, dense black dots in the distance rapidly approached. They were Sky Eagles, reinforcements from the military of nearby cities.

Sky Eagles were rare mounts domesticated by the military, possessing considerable combat strength. Each Sky Eagle signified an Intermediate Mage arriving.

Zhan Kong was incredibly busy, receiving the friendly forces who came to provide support while also tallying casualties and losses.

After a good while of bustling about, he finally found time. He strode quickly to Lu Jun and Lu Mei, scanned them both, and said with deep emotion, "I already know about Bai Yang's matter. We will investigate it thoroughly."

He paused and said sincerely, "We also need to thank you. I didn't expect the Black Vatican in Bo City to be so deeply hidden, and to even attract Wolf Packs. They almost overturned Bo City."

"No need for thanks, I was just protecting myself," Lu Jun waved his hand and joked, "I'm a hunter, you know what I mean. Give me some practical rewards, don't just talk."

"Hahaha, you kid," Zhan Kong roared with laughter, "I think the person most deeply hidden in Bo City is you. Even the Black Vatican doesn't know where they slipped up, tsk tsk tsk, Intermediate level in two elements."

"Don't worry, there will be rewards. We in Bo City won't let heroes bleed and then cry. I'll give you a hint, at least this much."

Zhan Kong pondered and made a gesture with two fingers.

Seeing this, Lu Jun understood. Over twenty million. Combined with the money saved over the past half-year, he could get a good Spirit Seed for his sister. He didn't feel embarrassed at all; he was playing the role of both father and mother, so taking this money was only natural.

Finally, apart from the military garrison, most of the social Mages gradually evacuated and returned to Bo City's Safe Zone to find their families.

This time, it was filled with cheers and laughter. The civilians and ordinary people were well protected.

Following this, Zhan Kong caught up with Mo Fan and also called Lu Jun over.

Inside the Yin Mao Building, the Mu Family, Mo Fan, and Mu Ningxue were all present. Zhan Kong's mouth twitched as he looked at the two geniuses and exclaimed in frustration, "You're saying you swallowed the Earth Sacred Spring whole and then advanced to Intermediate Mage?"

Mo Fan gave a sheepish smile, "Wasn't I trying to prevent the Black Vatican from taking it? Besides, I was supposed to soak in it for a week, but I ran into this situation. Consider it compensation."

"Forget it," Zhan Kong waved his hand, "It's good that it's gone, saves people from coveting it. There wasn't much energy left anyway."

This matter was settled and no longer pursued.

Only the two Mu brothers looked grim. The Earth Sacred Spring was nominally for the shared use of all factions in Bo City, but under the Mu Family's dominant influence, it had long become their private property.

With its loss, they suffered the most.

The bad news didn't end there. Zhan Kong hesitated, "Oh, right. After this battle, Bo City will be downsized and converted into a military fortress. Because there are moles from the Black Vatican among the higher-ups, the authorities want to completely dismantle and reorganize it. Every high-ranking official will be investigated."

"How can this be? We clearly defended Bo City."

The Mu Family was quite unwilling. Turning civilians into soldiers meant ordinary people wouldn't be affected, and safety would actually be greatly improved. What suffered were those large-scale organizations; their land would be confiscated.

Lu Jun watched this scene. Bo City's development would be restricted, and the Mu Family would have to relocate.

Most of the rest was different from the original story. The night rain was no longer a shadow for the people of Bo City, but a testament to their collective defense.

Except for a few parts, the houses were all intact. A little cleaning and they could be reoccupied without needing to rebuild.

And now it was time for Lu Jun and Lu Mei to leave. Before that, official commendations and rewards arrived. After processing the Demonic Beast corpses, they split them with Tang Yue, totaling thirty million deposited into their accounts!

He heard that reporters sent by the Fifth Young Master of the Imperial Court were preparing to do a detailed report on Bo City and had invited him as a participant for an interview. Of course, his identity was anonymized with a mosaic to avoid persecution by the Black Vatican.

The Disaster of Bo City had long since fermented online, becoming a topic of nationwide discussion. Charity donation drives were launched everywhere, embodying the spirit of "when one place is in trouble, eight places send support."

Naturally, this attracted the attention of the higher-ups.

Lu Jun felt more secure, knowing that his performance had likely been noticed by the original story's Leader Hua, giving him a patron.

The Fifth Young Master, on Earth, was from the sports channel. Here, it had become Magic. In this extraordinary world, Magic was sports.

Its importance had also risen significantly. Although not as crucial as the general news channel, it was one of the most important, second only to a few others.

The interview process was quick. They even came while the damaged areas and corpses had not yet been cleared, which better illustrated the horror of the Demonic Beasts and the Black Vatican.

Lu Jun recounted the events as expected. The Bo City incident was concluded.

Chapter 49: Heading to Magic City

In a small, single-story house, Lu Mei paced back and forth, touching this and looking at that, her face full of reluctance.

She sighed, "You're going to the Magic City Academy, and I have to go with you. The highest pursuit of Magic has a better chance in a big city. But don't sell this house, keep it as a memory."

"We're not short of money now anyway," his sister counted on her fingers, "If we fail someday, we'll come back to our hometown and live a simple life. If we succeed, we'll also have a time to retire from the world."

Lu Jun quietly listened to his sister's rambling, a sense of parting sadness and homesickness welling up in his mind, making it difficult to calm down.

A week had passed since the Disaster of Bo City. Familiar people like Zhang Xiaohou, He Yu, Mu Bai, Mo Fan, and Xu Zhaoting had all made their decisions and were going their separate ways, heading to different corners of the world.

Zhang Xiaohou and another chose to join the army. Mu Bai, lost, followed his uncle Mu He to the Ancient Capital. Xu Zhaoting applied to an Academy. Mo Fan resolutely took his family and went to Magic City to forge a path.

Zhan Kong was also being transferred, and Tang Yue was returning to Hangzhou.

Before leaving, both sincerely invited him again, promising to provide high-level resources as a baseline.

Admittedly, Lu Jun was somewhat tempted. One had to realize that Intermediate level and High-level were different. To break through to High-level through one's own efforts, unless one had a Star River Magic Tool for long-term cleansing and nourishment, it was necessary to buy a rare treasure called [Star River Vein] to impact it, which cost a hundred million!

Now that Lu Mei was at the peak of Dual Elements, she urgently needed such a thing to break through. With so much money, the two of them would need at least two to three years to save up, wasting a significant amount of time.

As for someone like Tang Yue from a major faction, she was still at the peak of Intermediate level. Upon returning to Hangzhou, she would likely use the Star River Vein to impact it. Within a few weeks, she would transform into a High-level Mage, truly entering the elite ranks, and be considered a minor expert nationwide.

Lu Jun was also unsure of the future and could only take it one step at a time. He hoped to find a channel for a [Star River Magic Tool]. Such high-level resources were no longer available on the market.

Now, the siblings' combined savings, including past accumulations, totaled forty million. Theoretically, it was more than enough to rent a Star River Magic Tool.

"Oh, right, Sister, you need to fill both your elements and your Spirit Seeds. My Gold Element's magic metal is so expensive, it feels like it just drains money."

He shook his head in lament and turned to Lu Mei, "It's time to go. I've already bought the train tickets."

Sigh, Lu Mei sighed, taking one step back at a time, looking back at their small, simple house. Even Lu Jun himself felt reluctant to leave. It was the place they had lived for eighteen years, three of which were spent relying on each other... Pfft, years of mutual dependence.

Creak~ Dong!

The courtyard gate closed, likely having been sealed for who knows how long.

The siblings finally set off, first heading to nearby Xiamen, then to Magic City.

Right, Lu Jun suddenly remembered something. Bai Yang seemed to have been interrogated and executed. Many members of the Black Vatican were captured, and Yu Ang had disappeared somewhere. He'd need to keep an eye out.

Now that the script had been completely torn apart, Xu Zhaoting probably wouldn't be taking any more hits for him, right?

On the high-speed train, the siblings were each engrossed in their phones. Lu Jun was researching information about the Shanghai Pearl Academy, a top-tier academy in the country, second to none.

It was also a world-class institution, where even the most average graduate would have at least Intermediate level cultivation.

After much thought, Lu Jun decided to apply to this school. It had abundant resources and sacred training grounds like the Three Step Tower.

Of course, due to the Disaster of Bo City, all students from Tian Lan had missed their college entrance exams. The authorities could only arrange for the third-year students to repeat a year and retake the exams. Xu Zhaoting, Mo Fan, and others had decided to wait another year.

But Lu Jun was different. Staying for another year would be a pure waste of time. He might as well use the special admission quota and enter university early to improve himself.

Special admission, as the name suggested, required special talents. On the surface, he possessed the Water Element and Curse Dual Elements at Intermediate level (though in reality, it was the Gold Element). His high cultivation and the rarity of his elements were enough to get him in.

Furthermore, Lu Jun had a hidden motive for applying to Pearl Academy. Principal Xiao was a hidden boss, a master of the Water Element Forbidden Curse, who would only reveal his true power later.

If he could be taken under his wing and accepted as a disciple, he'd be unstoppable in the world. The related Water Element cultivation experience would also be incredibly valuable.

"Wow! Lu Jun, look."

Just as he was contemplating his future, his sister beside him exclaimed in surprise, holding out her phone with a beaming smile, "Little brother, you've gone viral."

Lu Jun was slightly taken aback. He saw a shaky, dark, and blurry video on the phone, which captured the Yin Mao Building through a screen.

From the angle, it seemed to be filmed by people from the Safe Zone looking outwards.

The subsequent scenes were familiar: him standing proudly on top of the building, controlling the Vibranium Flying Sword and unleashing a barrage of attacks, followed by a torrent of azure floodwaters that seemed to wash away all the sins of the world.

With every attack, cheers erupted from the voiceover in the video. One person even roared, "Good, good, good! Give them hell, Black Vatican!"

Seeing this, Lu Jun felt an inexplicable emotion welling up inside him. Was it gratitude, or pride and vanity? But he thought that being recognized by the people of the city he protected must be a great achievement.

At least, it was something he had never experienced in his previous life.

He clicked on the comments, curious to see what the silly netizens were discussing.

"I was there, I'm from Bo City. That night was so cool. I just don't know who this Mage is."

"Flying on a sword, I'm moved to tears. Ancient myths are actually reappearing. Did those ancient people two thousand years ago already discover Magic?"

"I want to become a Mage like this in the future, to slay demons and monsters!"

"The person upstairs is dreaming. Magic Tools like that aren't easy to get. It might be an expert from a Great Noble Family."

"Does anyone know the Mage's ID? I want to follow him, a good Mage who protects the people."

"Hehe, I know. He also participated in the demon war later and performed outstandingly. He's very young and handsome, but I can't say."

Lu Jun scrolled through several more videos, all praising him. There was even a brief report about the Fifth Young Master, which had caused a huge stir. Finally, the netizens affectionately gave him a nickname.

"Bo City Sword Immortal."

"Hahaha." His sister burst into laughter, her body shaking with mirth, slapping her thigh. "What a chuunibyo nickname, Sword Immortal~ I can laugh about this for a year."

Lu Jun's cheeks turned red. He thought it was fine; his identity was kept secret by the authorities, and it probably wouldn't be exposed online in the future. Probably... Once the hype died down, knowing the internet, it would sink into obscurity.

Then he browsed Zhihu to see how he was being evaluated.

As expected, the most popular article was about guessing his identity.

The article even cited the report about the Fifth Young Master, essentially listing the motives and evidence for his initial actions: first discovering abnormal activity of Giant Eyed Rat Demons in the sewers, then contacting the Earth Sacred Spring guards and finding some had been stolen.

Thus, he decisively sounded the alarm and took charge of the operation.

A series of interviews, combined with visuals, made for a passionate read.

The author concluded that anyone who could detect underground anomalies must be a member of the City Demon Hunting Squad, and with such decisiveness and experience, they must be older and act with composure.

Finally, the author confidently asserted that this person could never be young, criticizing the fantasies and rumors of the "little fairies" online.

Chapter 50: Pearl Academy

Seeing this, Lu Jun caught a familiar scent. It was an analysis that seemed logical and well-founded, but in reality, the process and the conclusion were entirely wrong.

He put his phone away with satisfaction. Great, Zhihu's move had misled everyone. No one would pay attention to him now.

This article had a significant impact. Before long, Lu Jun's communicator was flooded with kind private messages, such as Yang Zuohe and Lin Yuxin expressing their support.

Lu Jun, however, was unconcerned. For now, stealthy development was the priority. Otherwise, he could have seized the momentum to create an account, gain traffic, and start a livestream to earn back the Star River Vein.

Uh... why did he feel a little tempted?

Never mind, Lu Jun gave up. He wasn't a deep-diving internet celebrity. He couldn't earn a hundred million, and besides, livestreaming felt too demeaning.

Soon, the high-speed train arrived at Magic City. The first thing the siblings did upon disembarking was to find an apartment to rent. Considering his brother's upcoming schooling, Lu Mei looked for places around the Pearl Academy.

They finally settled on an apartment complex called [Jinyuan]. It was a bit expensive, but it was very close to the Green Campus and the environment was good.

"Jinyuan Apartments?" Lu Jun's expression turned strange. He mentally sifted through his memories and discovered a blind spot. Wasn't this the place where Mo Fan, Mu Nujiao, and Ai Tutu would be living a year and a half later?

The latter two were supporting female characters with some significance in the original story. Ai Tutu had a powerful background, with her father being a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Defense directly under the central government. Mu Nujiao's Mu family was one of the four great noble families of Magic City.

When they went inside to take a look, it was nominally one apartment, but in reality, it was two combined into one, each with its own living room. It was truly a presidential suite.

Seeing her brother's expression, Lu Mei asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, I was just wondering if we rented too big a place."

"But this is the only rental available near the school," Lu Mei's mouth twitched as she complained, "The students at Mingzhu University are really rich."

The poor lived like the poor, and the rich lived like the rich. Most commoner students lived in dormitories, while the children of the great noble families had already rented out the better apartments nearby.

Lu Jun wasn't short on money now, so there was no need to squeeze into a dormitory and make himself uncomfortable. Moreover, his cultivation of Intermediate level four elements required privacy, and his sister also needed a place to live.

"Then let's take this one."

Hearing this, Lu Jun nodded. The future was the future; it didn't matter if they rented it now.

After deciding on the apartment, the siblings parted ways. Lu Mei went to buy Spirit Seeds, while Lu Jun turned and headed for Mingzhu Academy.

Mingzhu Academy was divided into two major areas: the Green Campus and the Main Campus. The Green Campus was mainly for Elementary Mages, both freshmen and upperclassmen. Only upon reaching Intermediate level and passing an assessment could one enter the [Main Campus].

The Main Campus was the true Mingzhu Academy, with distinctions between the outer and inner sects.

Lu Jun had glanced at it when he applied. Coincidentally, the rare element enrollment projects at Mingzhu Academy were Black Magic's Curse Element, Dimensional Magic's Summoning System, and Space Element.

One could imagine how rare the Curse Element was and how extraordinary its power was.