Recaps

He Xi and Zoya met their prospective landlords, Alvin and Mrs. Royce, and He Xi revealed that he had become a teaching assistant at Fernandez Academy. After dinner and a warning about strange reports from the Hidden Valley District, they moved into their new home at 46 Sea Breeze Street.

• Alvin questioned He Xi about becoming an adventurer, then described the prominent candidates preparing for Fernandez Magic Academy's entrance examination.
• He Xi told Alvin that he had passed the teaching assistant examination for Mentor Mirabelle's Introduction to Magic Missile course at the Evocation School.
• Mrs. Royce offered He Xi and Zoya half-year rent payments without a deposit, prepared their house, and invited them to dinner.
• Alvin introduced the newcomers to Fernandez and mentioned a report of ancient ritual signs linked to a long-vanished demon-worshipping cult in the Hidden Valley District.
• Jenny gave He Xi the key to 46 Sea Breeze Street, and He Xi and Zoya unpacked and settled into their new home.

He Xi attended Fernandez Magic Academy’s entrance test, where the examiner rejected five applicants for failing the age or Wisdom requirements and Auston mocked them. He Xi’s test result left Auston speechless, but the chapter ended before the examiner announced it.

• He Xi and Zoya completed small commissions around 46 Sea Breeze Street to learn the Dragon Throat Dock District.
• He Xi went to the academy’s entrance test with Bruce and entered the human applicants’ testing room.
• The examiner rejected five applicants for being too old or having insufficient Wisdom, while Auston and his companion mocked them.
• Auston and his companion passed the test and taunted the rejected applicants.
• He Xi placed his hand on the crystal ball, and Auston froze at the result before its value was announced.

He Xi completed his academy enrollment and went to inspect his dormitory, where a cat-eared girl offered to become his servant in exchange for a contract deposit. The chapter ended with He Xi questioning the deposit as she presented him with the contract.

• Valerie recognized He Xi as Mentor Mirabelle’s teaching assistant and introduced herself as a General Affairs employee.
• He Xi teased Auston and another youth about their test scores and promised to take special care of them in his Magic Missile class.
• He Xi paid his tuition and immediately applied for the teaching-assistant refund before collecting his dormitory key and freshman handbook.
• He Xi arrived at South District Three, Building Two, and observed the new students and other residents gathered outside.
• A cat-eared girl offered He Xi her services as a loyal servant and presented a contract requiring a deposit.

He Xi rejected Tata’s servant contract, but she followed him home and attacked him, revealing her connection to the Shadow Hand. He Xi captured her with magic and frightened her into offering to serve him, just as Zoya walked in.

• He Xi rejected Tata’s contract and left the dormitory with Bruce after she tried to persuade him to hire her.
• Tata followed He Xi home in stealth, and Bruce detected her presence.
• He Xi entered his house, trapped Tata with Mage Hand when she attacked him, and questioned her about her identity and motives.
• Tata revealed that she belonged to the Shadow Hand and threatened He Xi with her boss before he lifted her upside down.
• Bruce pretended he might eat Tata, and she begged for her life and offered to become He Xi’s servant.
• Zoya opened the bedroom door and dropped her bag of flour when she saw Tata hanging in midair.

He Xi and Zoya captured Tata after she made an obscene accusation, and Zoya nearly killed her in anger. He Xi later fed the bound cat-eared girl and selected her as the target for his Judgment Loss trait.

• Tata accused He Xi and Sirius of stalking her and wanting her to bear children, prompting Zoya to attack her with a blade.
• He Xi stepped between Zoya and Tata, and Tata fainted after wetting herself in fear.
• Tata woke up tied near the fireplace and discovered that Bruce could talk while He Xi and Zoya ate dinner.
• He Xi learned that Tata had followed him because of her interest in Shadow Hand and her ability to notice slight movements.
• He Xi untied Tata's hands and offered her a grilled meat patty, then selected her as the target for Judgment Loss.

He Xi persuaded the captured Tata to eat and stay as a servant to make up for her past actions, while insisting she could leave whenever she wanted. Tata became convinced of his kindness and worked around the house, even as Bruce criticized her cleaning.

• He Xi gave Tata a meat patty and told her he would let her go, then convinced her to stay and work as a servant until she felt she had made up for her mistakes.
• Tata agreed to stay and was moved by He Xi’s offer of more food.
• Tata scrubbed Bruce in the bath and cleaned the dusty guest rooms while Bruce monitored and complained about her work.
• The next morning, He Xi brought Tata and Bruce hot milk and toasted bread with smoked meat.
• Bruce reported that Tata had missed spots while cleaning, and He Xi defended her and told Bruce to be patient.
• Tata felt guilty for slacking and resolved to work harder and become the best maid.

He Xi learned that Tata’s Shadow Hand was a small gang that targeted new students, then extracted the Motion Tracking trait from her and transferred it to Zoya. As he prepared to move into the academy dormitory, his attempted flirtation with Zoya was thwarted by her ability to sense his movements, though she eventually let him hold her hand.

• He Xi questioned Tata about Shadow Hand, and she described the gang’s enrollment-season scams and thefts.
• He Xi decided Tata was safer staying with him, extracted Motion Tracking from her, and selected it over Nervous Overload.
• He Xi told Zoya he would be moving into the academy dormitory and transferred Motion Tracking to her when he touched her shoulder.
• He Xi tried to surprise Zoya with a touch, but she sensed his movements and blocked him.
• Zoya clasped He Xi’s hand and gently let him hold it.

He Xi attended Fernandez Magic Academy’s freshman ceremony, where Vice Dean Herman welcomed the new students and Princess Aislin Catherine Winter gave a speech. As the banquet began, He Xi reflected that the academy’s grand promises coexisted with hidden tensions and rumors.

• He Xi arrived at the academy’s great hall and joined the first-year students beneath its enchanted starry sky.
• Vice Dean Herman Starwhisper welcomed the freshmen and outlined the academy’s principles and expectations.
• Aislin Catherine Winter introduced herself as the Frost Winter Kingdom’s second princess and named Ston Iron Crown as her guard captain.
• Aislin urged the students to look beyond their origins and build knowledge and friendships together.
• Herman opened the banquet, and He Xi considered rumors and encounters that hinted at undercurrents beneath the academy’s formal rules.

He Xi explored the academy after the entrance banquet and learned that first-year students had to impress instructors to earn personal guidance. He met his new roommate, Lionel Burke, whose lost keys and meticulous notes hinted at his unusual habits.

• He Xi wandered through the lively academy and overheard students discussing Princess Aislin and how instructors selected students for specialized guidance.
• A blond student explained that his sister’s roommate had earned Instructor Mirabelle’s favor by researching fire elements and mastered [Fireball Spell] first in her year.
• He Xi found Dormitory 303 empty and met Lionel Burke, who had chased after him to introduce himself as his new roommate.
• Lionel explained that he had lost both his original key and the borrowed spare, which he suspected had been thrown away with his dinner knife at the banquet.
• Lionel wrote He Xi’s name and roommate status in his worn notebook, saying his father had taught him that remembering people could be more useful than remembering incantations.

He Xi learned from Lionel about the academy’s ways to earn credits, including the Alser’s Steps ranking, and considered his roommate’s advice. The chapter then moved to He Xi’s General History of Magic lecture, where he listened as the lecturer began discussing the Meherlis Era.

• He Xi read Lionel’s notes about Ston Ironcrown and asked what the asterisk beside his name meant.
• Lionel explained that Ston’s presence beside Princess Aislin suggested Grand Duke Sigmund privately supported her claim to the throne.
• He Xi asked Lionel how to earn credits quickly, and Lionel described academy tasks, research projects, and Alser’s Steps.
• Lionel warned that first-years would struggle against upper-year students in Alser’s Steps, then fell asleep before He Xi could ask more.
• He Xi attended a General History of Magic lecture and drifted off while the lecturer discussed the early Meherlis Era.

He Xi sat through a history lecture, reflected on the academy’s course structure, and discussed Princess Aislin and the upcoming Magic Missile class with Lionel. As class ended, Lionel mentioned Instructor Mirabelle’s reputation as the “Mana Burner,” catching He Xi’s attention.

• He Xi observed the first-year students and considered how few of them would eventually graduate.
• He Xi reviewed his course schedule and planned to return to 46 Sea Breeze Street after his required classes.
• The history lecture ended, and the students packed up and left their seats.
• Lionel complained about the history course and noted that students avoided speaking to Princess Aislin.
• Lionel warned He Xi that Instructor Mirabelle was strict, and her nickname triggered a thought in He Xi.

He Xi hurried to the Evocation School’s Practice Room, where Mirabelle taught him to inspect the Protection Circle and introduced him as her teaching assistant. The students reacted with surprise and tried to probe his mana, while He Xi kept his abilities hidden and left Lionel revising his notes about him.

• He Xi rushed away from Lionel to arrive on time and help Mirabelle prepare for class.
• Mirabelle taught He Xi to inspect the Protection Circle, and he confirmed that it was functioning normally.
• Mirabelle outlined the lesson on Magic Missile and assigned He Xi to demonstrate spells and help students practice.
• Mirabelle introduced He Xi as her teaching assistant, surprising the students who recognized him as a fellow first-year.
• He Xi blocked the students’ attempts to probe his mana, while Aislin studied him and Lionel changed his notes to describe him as “strong.”

Mirabelle introduced Evocation School and taught the freshmen that precise control mattered more than raw destructive power, then explained the principles and magic circuit of [Magic Missile]. She asked Teaching Assistant He Xi to demonstrate the spell, leaving the class ready to move from theory to practice.

• Mirabelle demonstrated her control over powerful magic and warned the students that uncontrolled energy could harm its caster.
• Mirabelle explained that the class would begin with foundational control and taught the structure and advantages of [Magic Missile].
• Princess Aislin took careful notes, Ston Ironcrown studied the spell, and Lionel stole glances at Aislin as the students followed the lesson with varying degrees of understanding.
• Mirabelle asked Teaching Assistant He Xi to demonstrate the standard casting process and posture for [Magic Missile].

He Xi demonstrated Magic Missile and helped the new students practice, drawing on Fivik’s detailed instruction to diagnose their mistakes. He Xi then advised Princess Aislin on casting multiple missiles, earning her thanks and Mirabelle’s approval.

• He Xi demonstrated a stable, accurate Magic Missile, and Mirabelle sent the students to practice with the Training Dummies.
• He Xi guided struggling students through mana gathering and spell construction as they practiced.
• He Xi helped Auston calm his mana flow, and Auston managed an improved but still inaccurate shot.
• Princess Aislin successfully cast one Magic Missile but struggled to cast a second in succession.
• He Xi advised Aislin to shape a dual-release circuit for one cast, and she thanked him for the guidance.
• Mirabelle watched He Xi’s instruction and approved of his work.

After helping Mirabelle teach [Magic Missile], He Xi secured permission to skip two required courses and an invitation to study [Lightning Bolt] early. He planned to find [Lightning Guidance] and investigate Alser's Steps as a way to advance his spell training and earn credits.

• Mirabelle agreed to speak with Harper and Instructor Lina so He Xi could skip their classes after passing the final written exams, and she invited him to attend her [Lightning Bolt] lesson on friday.
• He Xi returned to Room 303 in South District Three, where Lionel questioned him about becoming a teaching assistant and his conversation with Princess Aislin.
• He Xi asked Lionel where to buy Skill Scrolls, and Lionel described the academy shops, Karte Grand Market, and credit exchanges.
• He Xi planned to acquire [Lightning Guidance] to prepare for [Lightning Bolt] and reduce its mana cost through [Elemental Harmonizer].
• He Xi rested and reviewed the [Magic Missile] class, planning to attend Introduction to Magical Material Processing and look into Alser's Steps.

He Xi could not buy [Lightning Guidance] because upperclassmen had bought out the shop’s stock, so he planned to look for it elsewhere. At home, Tata tried to help him bathe, but fled after someone appeared at the bathroom door; Zoya then entered and offered to help.

• He Xi learned that [Lightning Guidance] was sold out at Silver Scholar and that it normally cost around twelve Gold Shields.
• Tata cooked dinner with Zoya’s guidance while waiting for He Xi to return, and Bruce eagerly greeted him at the door.
• Tata served He Xi clam-stewed cod and later prepared his bath, pleased when he thanked her.
• Tata entered the bathroom wearing a revealing apron and offered to help He Xi bathe.
• Someone appeared at the bathroom door, startling Tata into fleeing, and Zoya later entered and asked He Xi if he needed help.

He Xi drew Zoya into the bathtub under the pretense of demonstrating how to bathe someone, then used the conversation to coax her into showing him Tata’s apology gesture. The chapter ended with Zoya realizing he had tricked her as he began touching her.

• Zoya reluctantly agreed to help He Xi bathe, and he claimed her technique differed from that of a bath attendant.
• He Xi pulled Zoya into the bathtub and began bathing her while asking about her recent commissions.
• Zoya asked whether He Xi would teach Tata the same way, and he said he planned to punish her for failing to apologize properly.
• He Xi persuaded Zoya to demonstrate Tata’s apology gesture, then began touching her as she bowed.

He Xi visited Karte Grand Market to look for skill scrolls and found a vendor selling a reliable [Lightning Guidance] scroll. The vendor offered to obtain an [Earthstone Eruption] scroll for him, while Tata’s unexplained departure left him worried about her.

• He Xi found Tata’s breakfast, note, and ten Silver Scale coins, learning that she had left to take care of personal matters.
• He Xi took Bruce to Karte Grand Market, where they saw a signed Adventure Card depicting Wen Nai Ke Fusi.
• He Xi browsed the market’s skill scrolls and found a stall whose scrolls gave off stable magical fluctuations.
• He Xi bought the [Lightning Guidance] scroll for eleven Gold Shields after checking it with [Fivik Appraisal Spell].
• The bundled stallkeeper asked what kind of scroll He Xi wanted, and he requested an earth-element area-damage spell.
• The stallkeeper said they could get He Xi an [Earthstone Eruption] scroll.

He Xi bought an Earthstone Eruption scroll and searched the market for ingredients to cook dinner for Zoya, discovering and bargaining for a bottle of soy sauce. The chapter ended with Zoya arriving home to find He Xi frying food over a stream of fire breathed by Bruce.

• He Xi arranged to buy an Earthstone Eruption scroll for around 160 Gold Shields and learned the seller was available on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
• He Xi bought a little over a pound of Luminous-Feelers Green-Shell Shrimp to cook for Zoya.
• He Xi recognized the aroma of Karatu Black Sauce as soy sauce and bought the bottle from Fat Hal for fifteen Silver Scales.
• Zoya followed the strong aroma to 46 Sea Breeze Street and found He Xi cooking with Bruce breathing fire beneath his frying pan.

He Xi cooked dinner with Zoya and learned that Tata had wanted to make grilled meat patties for him before she left. After mastering Lightning Guidance, he visited Lionel at the academy, where Bruce demonstrated his flame magic and explained Lionel’s confused lessons about sulfur ore.

• He Xi used Bruce’s flames to cook pepper beef and served Zoya shrimp with soy sauce dipping sauce.
• Zoya told He Xi that Tata had learned about his fondness for grilled meat patties and hoped she would return; Bruce promised to apologize for bullying her.
• He Xi studied the Lightning Guidance scroll and mastered the skill, gaining one point of Wisdom.
• At the academy, Lionel begged He Xi to teach him Mage Hand and Mage Armor after mixing up his lessons.
• Bruce introduced himself to Lionel as a spellcaster skilled in flame magic, breathed fire, and revealed why sulfur ore was part of Lionel’s confused instructions.

Lionel took Bruce’s absurd advice about fire magic seriously, while He Xi left Bruce with him and went to Instructor Mirabelle’s Lightning Bolt lesson. Mirabelle warned the students that they had to successfully construct and cast the spell before the third class to earn credits, then began gathering lightning.

• Lionel asked why Bruce could breathe fire from his rear, and Bruce claimed it improved mana conversion efficiency.
• Bruce advised Lionel to bark at an opponent twice before battle to provoke anger, and Lionel recorded the advice in his notebook.
• The next morning, He Xi arrived at the fifth floor of the Tower of Strength and entered Practice Room No. 4.
• Instructor Mirabelle warned the students that they had to successfully construct and cast Lightning Bolt before the third class to earn credits.
• Mirabelle told the students to focus and gathered blue-white lightning above her fingertips.

Instructor Mirabelle taught the students how to balance compression and release when casting Lightning Bolt, then invited them to practice. He Xi observed Lidona’s casting and recognized the gemstone on her staff as resembling the Heart of the Swamp, but he could not explain why it was connected to her.

• Mirabelle explained how to shape and release mana to cast a stable Lightning Bolt, then demonstrated the spell on a Training Dummy.
• He Xi observed the sixteen third-year students and chose not to volunteer first.
• Lidona volunteered, and Mirabelle moved a metal Training Dummy to the center of the Practice Room for her.
• Lidona began casting while holding her staff, and He Xi noticed the deep blue gemstone at its tip resembled the Heart of the Swamp.
• He Xi wondered whether Lidona was Flora’s daughter, but dismissed the idea because Lidona showed no elven traits, then returned his attention to Lightning Bolt.

He Xi carefully gathered lightning elements while practicing [Lightning Bolt], revealing unusual control that led Mirabelle to suspect he had the rare [Elemental Harmonizer] talent. As the lesson ended, his spell suddenly broke free, and Mirabelle stepped in front of him.

• He Xi slowly guided lightning elements toward the critical balance needed to form [Lightning Bolt].
• Lai An and Lidona recognized that He Xi was controlling the spell’s gathering stage unusually well, while Mirabelle suspected he had [Elemental Harmonizer].
• Mirabelle moved the other students away and stayed nearby as He Xi continued practicing after class.
• Lidona left the Practice Room when Mirabelle warned that He Xi’s spell might become dangerous.
• A silver-white lightning serpent burst from He Xi’s fingertips, and Mirabelle stepped in front of him.

He Xi practiced Lightning Bolt and a self-designed earth spell, then went with Zoya to Karte Grand Market to prepare for buying an Earthstone Eruption scroll. The chapter ended when Bruce smelled the cat he disliked nearby.

• He Xi mastered Lightning Bolt under Mirabelle's guidance, and she reminded him to save mana for Monday's demonstration.
• He Xi practiced Lightning Bolt in the first-floor Practice Rooms, then used his earth spell to bury himself and recover mana through Earth Affinity.
• He Xi asked the Silver Scholar for an Earthstone Eruption scroll but found none, and he told Zoya about his plan to meet a stallholder the next morning.
• He Xi and Zoya went to Karte Grand Market, where he planned to spend 160 Gold Shields on the scroll and stopped Zoya from paying for him.
• Bruce sniffed around the market and told He Xi he thought he smelled the cat he disliked.

He Xi, Zoya, and Bruce followed Tata’s scent from the market to the Gray Rat Tavern, where they found signs she had been attacked and tracked her trail inside. He Xi sent an invisible Bruce and Zoya to investigate the tavern’s back passage while keeping an eye on a mysterious cloaked stranger.

• Bruce led He Xi and Zoya to an alley where they found Tata’s blood, fur, and signs of a struggle.
• Bruce followed a tangled trail of scents south into the Hidden Valley District and stopped at the Gray Rat Tavern.
• He Xi and Zoya entered the tavern, where He Xi recognized the halflings as possible members of the Shadow Hand.
• Bruce followed Tata’s scent toward a dark passage, but He Xi called him back before a nearby thug could interfere.
• He Xi spotted a cloaked stranger whose level he could not appraise, then used [Shadow Dodge] and Telepathic Communication to send Bruce and Zoya invisibly into the passage to investigate.