Full-Time Mage: Starting With the White Tiger Pendant

Lu Mei introduced, "Using Vibranium as the main body, fused with other metals to refine an alloy, its performance in all aspects is extremely superior. It can withstand the strength of a Commander-level Demonic Beast without breaking, and a High-Order Mage wouldn't even damage it in the slightest."

Demonic beasts are humanity's great enemy, ranging from the lowest Servant-level, to General-level, Commander-level, Monarch-level, and Emperor-level, corresponding respectively to the five major human magic realms: Elementary, Intermediate, High-Order, and so on.

Normally, a single demonic beast, with its formidable physique and demonic arts, could match the combat power of seven or eight mages. This held true from Servant-level all the way to Monarch-level—a demonic beast of the same rank was vastly stronger.

Only a very few exceptional humans could single-handedly contend with a demonic beast of the corresponding rank. These were almost always Prodigies fully equipped with cultivation, Demon Slaying Gear, Innate Talents, and Spirit Seeds.

"Tsk tsk tsk, you'd need a Super Rank Fire Element spell to melt this, right? What a steal."

Lu Jun realized just how huge a bargain it was to buy this alloy for a million.

"Try it out quickly." Lu Mei was Eager to Move, urging him on. "I haven't seen what the new magic system's skills are like yet. If the power is strong, I might awaken it in the future."

Hearing this, Lu Jun was impressed. He felt his Elder Sister had a bold heart, incredibly confident in his creation of a new system.

"Primary Level One: Artifact Forging · Edge Sharpening!"

Lu Jun controlled the star particles and released the Elementary Gold Element spell. A platinum-gold star trail streaked across, like a sharp flying sword.

Moreover, this wisp of white trace didn't dissipate. It transformed into a phantom suspended in midair, containing seven connected star particles.

He picked up the heavy Vibranium Heavy Sword, and with a thought, he controlled the white trace to descend. A sizzling sound rang out. Though the pitch-black alloy was Hard and Immortal, under the magic's effect, it was like a branding iron, leaving behind red-hot patterns.

Buzz buzz buzz!

Lu Jun gripped the heavy sword with both hands. A Platinum Glow spread from his hands, inch by inch sweeping across the longsword, as if bestowing some kind of spiritual nature upon it.

After a moment, his face turned slightly pale. The Gold Nebula in his mind dimmed; his magic power was exhausted.

Clang!

The Vibranium Heavy Sword trembled and hummed, its black surface glowing as if reborn. Golden patterns interwoven on its surface contained a kind of magical power, solemn and majestic, yet also sacred.

"Success! It's transformed into a Demon Slaying Gear." Lu Jun was overjoyed. He Perceived that the heavy sword in his hand could be stored at any time within the Gold Nebula to be nourished.

This was the characteristic of magic tools. Once branded, they could be stored within the Spiritual World, turning into a mark. When magic power was infused, they would manifest back into reality. It was quite miraculous.

The Spiritual World had a sense of being an independent space.

And the Gold Element could only possess one exclusive magic tool, similar to a lifebound artifact. From then on, it would accompany him for life.

At this moment, the Vibranium Heavy Sword was brand new. The patterns on the sword body were gold when not in use, but once it entered a combat state, they would shine with a platinum radiance, granting powerful slaying capabilities.

Lu Mei was surprised. She Never Expected a magic tool could be directly crafted like this. It was definitely top-tier among Elementary-level items. Its hardness surpassed many Soul-level magic tools.

Its value instantly multiplied several times; they had recouped their investment.

She herself only had a Shield Magic Tool worth over a hundred thousand, which could at most withstand a full-force strike from an upper-middle Servant-level Demonic Beast.

Lu Jun pondered for a moment, then revealed a smile. After being sharpened by the Gold Element, the Vibranium Heavy Sword's hardness had reached another level, gaining the Additional Effect: Fortified. It could withstand the power of an Advancement Period Commander-level beast without breaking. This brought him one step closer to being Immortal and Undying.

Because later, as he advanced to Intermediate, High-Order, and Super Rank, he could step by step integrate various metals to strengthen it, even adding multiple effects.

"Isn't this the same as Mo Fan's future Rock Element Innate Devouring Seed? Except it replaces Spirit Seeds with minerals. I guess it's a unique feature of the Gold Element. Everyone has the potential to craft one."

Lu Jun spotted the blind spot. What was called a Devouring Seed was actually a special kind of Spirit Seed. Ordinary Spirit Seeds and Soul Seeds only possessed some special effects if they were exceptionally high quality—these were the Additional Effects, like the Water Element's innate Healing Ability or the Plant Element's innate toxicity.

However, once a Spirit Seed was replaced, these effects would all be replaced by the new Soul Seed. A Devouring Seed was a special Spirit Seed that could retain all Additional Effects in one.

If a person's Innate Talent was a Devouring Seed's Additional Effect, then when they advanced to High-Order and found a Spirit Seed or Soul Seed, one skill would unleash a triple effect, making them far stronger than an ordinary mage.

But while the Vibranium Heavy Sword was hard, hardness wasn't the deciding factor for lethality. No matter how sturdy the blade, if the sharpening was mediocre, it was just a stick.

What determined the heavy sword's power was the magic: the Gold Element's Primary Level One spell, Artifact Forging · Edge Sharpening; Level Two, Size; Level Three, Golden Radiance.

"Come on, let's test the magic's power. Don't end up being a fool who got ripped off."

In the courtyard, Lu Mei brought over a ten-centimeter-thick steel plate and urged him on curiously.

Buzz buzz!

Seeing this, Lu Jun raised the Vibranium Heavy Sword with both hands, infused it with magic power, and the platinum patterns gleamed. He smashed it down with a rumble. The expected metallic clang of hard-on-hard didn't happen.

Instead, it was as if the sword had sunk into mud. Although there was some resistance, with a little extra force, he could still cut through smoothly. With a clang, the black longsword severed the thick steel. The sword tip sank deep into the courtyard's soil, and the two halves of the iron block flew apart.

Cutting Iron Like Mud!

Lu Jun drew in a sharp breath. At the same time, his already dim Gold Nebula completely extinguished; his magic power was exhausted. The Vibranium longsword in his hand turned into a wisp of platinum radiance and merged into his body.

Inside the Gold Nebula, a sword seal floated and sank, nourished by the gentle warmth emitted by the White Tiger Pendant.

"Ten-centimeter steel plate." Lu Mei picked up the two pieces of iron. Looking at the cross-section, it was smooth as silk. She said strangely, "Servant-level Demonic Beasts have hard horny armor, but it shouldn't be harder than steel, right?"

This lethality was terrifying.

An Elementary Thunder Fire Mage might still be under heavy protection from teammates, needing to release three or four spells to kill a weaker Servant-level Demonic Beast. But the Gold Element had the potential for a one-hit kill.

However, Lu Mei was ultimately from a demon-hunting squad. Having dealt with over forty demonic beasts in two years, she was experienced. She immediately saw the Gold Element's flaw and frowned, saying, "Only melee combat? This element won't work. It's a big problem."

Mages were too fragile. Even at Super Rank, getting close by a small Servant-level beast could lead to their downfall. Melee combat was extremely rare, let alone at the Elementary level.

Lu Jun was also knowledgeable. At the Elementary level, fifty meters was the lifeline. At that distance, a Servant-level Demonic Beast would take about two or three seconds to charge over. A skilled Elementary Mage took about that time to release a spell, and the distance was exactly fifty meters or more.

Two spells would be enough to block it.

The Thunder and Fire elements might not have the sheer killing power of Artifact Forging · Edge Sharpening, but they couldn't be beat for range.

"No, this element is probably useless." Lu Mei sighed lightly. "Holding a sword for melee combat is like a child playing with a knife, walking on the edge of death. The margin for error is too low."

And Lu Jun was also pondering—did he have the courage to raise his longsword and fight vicious demonic beasts head-on?

Servant-level Demonic Beasts were fiercer than tigers and leopards, and then some. Born in an era of peace, he was the type to flinch at the sight of an Evil Dog. Casting magic from a distance was fine, but close-quarters bloodshed was too much to ask.

Yet, thinking of the disasters to come, Lu Jun's gaze hardened. He could adapt slowly. After all, wasn't Mo Fan the same? Starting from the relatively safe City Demon Hunting Squad, then moving to the wild, and only after Again and Again disasters did he forge his peerless bearing.

He too could start small and grow step by step.

"No!" Lu Jun said resolutely. "I want to practice the Metal Element. I want to join the City Demon Hunting Squad to sharpen myself."

This winter break was an excellent opportunity to improve.

Chapter 8: Practice and Trial

Lu Mei flatly refused. "The City Demon Hunting Squad is out of the question. You're too young. Hunting demons isn't a game—it's war. And using the Metal Element is too dangerous."

In the Magic World, where demonic beasts roamed rampant, demon-hunting and similar activities naturally emerged. In any given city, there were roughly five armed forces that wielded magic to protect it.

The strongest was the [Magic Association], followed by the [Political Faction] of the city lord and councilors, the [Military] of the Military Governor and soldiers, the [Great Noble Families], and finally the [Hunter's Alliance]—in other words, mercenaries, dominated by civilian mages.

Among them, the City Demon Hunting Squad was semi-civilian, semi-official. Registered under the Hunter's Alliance and employed by the authorities, they operated within the city, relatively safe, handling the occasional demonic beast that wandered in by accident. Half a Urban Management Officer, really.

Most graduates from magic high schools first gained experience here before stepping out of the city's Safe Zone to Facing Demonic beasts head-on.

Hearing this, Lu Jun felt helpless. Sometimes his Elder Sister was just too protective of him. Of course, at sixteen, a first-year high school student, no normal adult would let him go demon hunting.

After all, even the school's Field Training wouldn't happen until the winter break of sophomore year. Mo Fan himself didn't join the City Demon Hunting Squad for an internship until the summer before his senior year, and he deliberately made himself look older.

His success wasn't without reason—he was one of those overachievers who secretly studied during summer and winter breaks.

But Lu Jun wasn't far behind. He was starting a year and a half early.

He decided to convince his sister first. "You've seen the power of the Metal Element. We can't give up eating for fear of choking. No Magic System is invincible; if it has strengths, you have to accept its weaknesses."

"Besides, the Metal Element has four subsequent spells. There might be solutions later on, and its prospects are broad. Integrated with various metals, its power Soared."

"In the future, I'll have to face demonic beasts anyway."

Lu Mei Pursed Lips, her stance reluctantly softening.

Seeing This, Lu Jun decided to Strike While the Iron is Hot. "My other element is Water. As long as Water Shield can block one blow from a demonic beast, my Metal Element can handle the rest."

"By the way." A thought struck him, and inspiration flashed. "Sis, aren't you a Wind Element? Give me a Wind Track boost for speed—double protection."

Only then did Lu Mei reluctantly agree. "Fine. Under my watch, at least your chances of survival will be a little higher."

Curious, Lu Jun asked, "You broke through to Intermediate half a year ago. Have you mastered the Intermediate Wind spell [Wind Disk] yet? What are you awakening for your second element?"

"Mastered it long ago. Forty-nine star seeds, simple as that."

His sister gave a light snort. "For my second element, I awakened the Rock Element. I wasn't happy about it at first, but now it looks like it can save your sorry hide countless times."

The Rock Element's basic spell, Ground Wave, was both a mobility skill and a control skill. At level three, it formed a Swamp Collapse that could trap demonic beasts.

"Sis is invincible." Lu Jun offered a well-behaved compliment, then asked with some confusion, "At Intermediate, you can already awaken some rare elements. Why stick with the elemental ones?"

"You think I didn't want to?" Lu Mei's eyes were full of grievance. "Awakening costs a hundred thousand, let alone the exclusive guiding stones. You spent a million, so I had to save where I could."

At that, Lu Jun felt awkward, a pang of guilt in his Inner Heart.

"Forget it. The Earth Element isn't bad either. At least if you throw money at it, you can visibly Grew Stronger."

Lu Mei Understatedly changed the subject. "By the way, if you want to join the City Demon Hunting Squad, you have to pass my test first."

"Huh? What test?"

"Follow me."

Soon, the two arrived at a park forest—a wide, four-hundred-meter clearing dotted with Standing Tall trees.

His sister wore A Set Of white dress, her figure tall and curvaceous, her features stunning, drawing the eyes of countless passersby. Her face was expressionless, aloof and proud.

Beside her, Lu Jun stood with a bitter expression.

Lu Mei spoke firmly. "If you can nimbly dodge through the Dense Forest trees under the speed boost of a Level Three Wind Orbit · Floating Shadow, without a scratch on yourself, and cut a target leaf, then I'll let you join the City Demon Hunting Squad and allow you to use the Metal Element for close combat."

Her demeanor suddenly shifted. She raised her fair hand, her eyes glowing cyan. A star track traced through the air, her dress billowing, outlining her perfect figure. She was like a solitary, aloof snow lotus atop a mountain peak.

Wooosh!

A strange wind swept through the park, trees rustling and shaking. Girls on the roadside blushed as they clutched at their suddenly Stirred Up skirts. An old man dozing on a bench had the newspaper on his face blown away, his hands flailing.

Dust and fallen leaves covering the ground lifted into the air. In that moment, everything moved.

"Wind Orbit · Swiftness!"

His sister called out, mercifully only using a Level One Wind Track.

As her voice fell, in an instant, the Filling Sky swirling leaves and dust all shifted along a designated trajectory.

A peculiar air current track appeared through the forest, layered with overlapping red leaves spinning like a blood-colored passage.

This track started from Lu Jun's position and stretched to the end of the Dense Forest. Even the trees along the way could barely block it, bent and tilted by the gale, leaves scattering.

Lu Jun immediately Perceived a powerful force pushing from behind. His body felt incredibly light, As If with a single Thought Moved, he could break free.

Buzzzz!

His body flickered, and then, like lightning, he shot along that red maple-leaf wind track, his speed soaring to the extreme.

His first experience with magic left Lu Jun's vision a blur. The speed was too fast to see clearly, and before he could react to anything, darkness loomed before him—an obstacle tree on the track.

But when he realized it was a tree, his body could no longer respond, and he slammed straight into it.

Thud!

The tree trembled, a loud sound rang out, and Lu Jun cried out in pain. His forehead was bloodied from the impact, and he collapsed to the ground, his head spinning dizzily.

Lu Mei stopped her magic. Before she could walk over, the uncles, aunties, children, and elderly folks around the park were all shocked and buzzing with chatter.

"Holy crap, a mage!"

"Is that the Wind Track from the wind element? So cool!"

"Ahhh, a capable elder sister is the most charming!"

Lu Mei paid no attention. She quickly strode to her younger brother's side. Seeing his miserable state, she felt a pang of heartache but showed no trace of it on her face. Instead, she said sternly:

"See that? If that tree on the Wind Track had been a demon, you'd be dead right now! And with this, you still want to play at close combat?"

Lu Jun, still muddled, heard his elder sister's scolding. Fortunately, as an Elementary Mage nourished by the elements, his body was no weaker than an average athlete's, and he soon came to.

Hearing this, he fell silent for a moment. Most other mages never had to undergo such training, because their Wind Track was for dodging—pulling back to create distance, with the wind mage planning a route that avoided obstacles.

Only a few strong practitioners trained this way, and that was at the Intermediate Level or higher.

But he was different. He had to charge at demons, attack and fight up close. He had to master it flawlessly, with no room for error—one mistake and his life was forfeit!

Lu Jun suddenly recalled a saying: "Precision is the difference between slaughter and butchery."

Using the metal element meant accepting its flaws.

He stood up and said, "Again!"

Lu Mei broke into a smile, but her words were firm: "This is just the beginning. I'll have you stepping on the Wind Track, casting Water Shield, and swinging a longsword all at once until it becomes muscle memory."