Markley's Shock and Excitement

Cain Wizard Tower, twenty-third floor.

This was Markley's private domain.

Usually, this seventh-level Official Wizard maintained a suffocating air of authority and coldness, like an emotionless marble statue.

But now, that statue had come to life—and was almost excessively excited.

He paced back and forth through the spacious, brightly lit laboratory, his steps hurried as he occasionally waved his hands.

His stern face was filled with barely contained excitement, as though he had just discovered an untouched, mana-rich crystal mine.

"Great sage of our ancestors, bless me! I really have found a second peerless genius!"

Markley's eyes were fixed on a Mercury Mirror on the table. Beside it lay a Lion Head Token exactly like the one he had given Tylen.

This token was his proudest secret tool.

It was far more than a simple form of identification.

It was a secret Kane Family alchemical creation, containing the advanced Eagle Eye Spell and Soul Listening Art.

As long as the holder carried it, Markley could use the token as a medium to see everything around them in real time and hear every sound.

He had used it for seven or eight years. Even the shrewd seventh- and eighth-level senior apprentices in the tower—and even some Official Wizards of the same rank—had never discovered its true purpose.

With this method, he had seen through countless two-faced people and avoided countless schemes against him, surviving in this eat-or-be-eaten Wizard Tower to this day.

So Markley believed everything shown in the mirror without a shadow of a doubt.

This was absolutely no act.

This was the truest side of that boy called Tylen, revealed when he thought no one was watching!

An hour and a half had passed since Tylen took the token.

And that brief hour and a half had made Markley's heart pound even faster than it had when he was promoted to Official Wizard.

Markley knew his own limitations.

Though Kane Family blood ran through his veins, he understood his own talent. Whether in logical thinking or memory, he fell far short of the true prodigies.

He had made it this far thanks entirely to his family's influence and his own cautiousness.

But recently, things had changed.

The Empire had suffered a defeat in the Astral Realm Plane War, and many of its resource-rich territories had taken a heavy blow.

The entire Wizard Alliance was cutting back on resources, and the allocations within the towers had been drastically reduced.

To optimize resource allocation, the higher-ups had begun a ruthless internal review.

The mediocre would be removed; the capable would rise.

Wizards like him, with average talent who had climbed the ranks through seniority alone, were the first to be sacrificed.

He didn't want to become a disposable pawn.

So he had summoned Violet Star back to lend him some prestige.

But Violet Star alone, focused on her studies and haughty as she was, could do nothing to help him handle complicated conflicts of interest.

He needed a second pillar.

Someone who could handle dirty, exhausting work and remain absolutely loyal.

And Tylen's arrival was like providence sending aid when he needed it most!

The Mercury Mirror replayed the scenes from earlier. Since he had been so excited, Markley couldn't help spending his Mental Power to watch them again.

He wanted to savor every detail of this precious apprentice—and all those remarkable qualities that could make a man smile in his sleep.

Markley watched Tylen keep everything in the basement neat and orderly, even though he was alone, and carry out the assigned task without a word of complaint.

There was no greed for the money, nor any resentment toward Markley.

He had carefully stowed the money and token on his person.

"Good. He acts the same way when he's alone as he does in front of others!" Markley couldn't help remarking.

Then Tylen drove across the bridge and arrived at Old Mine Street.

When he saw the empty little house, the anger that surfaced in Tylen's eyes stirred something in Markley.

"Anger means he has a conscience."

In this cold world, conscience was a rare thing.

Markley had originally thought that, faced with this situation, Tylen would immediately turn back and ask him for help, or use the token to throw his weight around.

But he hadn't.

The boy had driven straight toward the Red Wine Gang's hideout, without a trace of hesitation.

Then came a scene that moved even Markley: Tylen speaking with Old Jack Wraith.

"This boy wasn't lying."

Markley watched Tylen gently soothe the evil spirit as the terrifying mass of resentment dissipated beneath the boy's quiet words.

"He really did share a deep bond with that coachman."

"Only that sincere affection could have soothed a vengeful wraith."

What came after was even more remarkable.

Even though the two corpses were of no further use, Tylen still kept his promise, carefully loading them onto the cart. He even paid for a dignified, peaceful funeral out of his own pocket.

"Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"

Markley's lips trembled with excitement.

"At a time like this, qualities like these are more precious than mana crystals or diamonds!"

He had seen far too many monsters who would stop at nothing to grow stronger.

For the sake of so-called truth, those people could betray their mentors without hesitation, kill their lovers, or even refine their own children into chimera beasts.

People like that might become powerful, but they were never worthy of trust, much less of being taken into one's confidence.

Because you could never know when they would stab you in the back.

But Tylen was different.

He had principles, kept his promises, and repaid kindness.

As long as you treated someone like him well, he would become the sharpest sword in your hand and the strongest shield!

Yet the surprises were far from over.

Just as Markley thought Tylen would know when to quit and hurry away from that dangerous place, he was astonished to see Tylen sitting still on the handcart.

"This kid... he's got some nerve. He's not leaving—does he still want to provoke them?"

Then came the moment that shocked Markley most, making him leap straight out of his chair.

Black Glass returned with his men and swung a fist at Tylen.

But Tylen didn't move from where he sat. He merely raised his hand.

Whoosh!

The surge of Mana in that instant was precise, sharp, and deadly.

Squelch!

An arm was severed, blood spurting everywhere.

"This..."

Markley's eyes widened. His mustache nearly curled with excitement.

"Magic! He can use magic!"

As an experienced mentor, he swiftly searched his memory and immediately connected it to what Tylen had said to Old Jack's corpse earlier: "Thank you for the notes your son left behind."

"I remember now! The coachman's younger son was an apprentice at the Blazing Sun Wizard Tower... He learned this magic there!"

"Magic Thorn Art, a first-level spell."

Markley quickly reached a professional conclusion, but his gaze grew even more feverish.

"No, it's not just Magic Thorn Art."

"Ordinary Magic Thorn Art has to be attached to a regular object like a dagger or a longsword. But he... he attached it directly to his hand!"

"And to the hypothenar at the edge of his palm! Extremely compressed, extremely stable!"

Markley spun around the laboratory, waving his fist with all his might.

"A variant application! That's a perfect variant application!"

"No wonder! No wonder he was so excited when he heard me talk about rune resonance this morning!"

"This boy... he learned and applied it on the spot, using the 'frequency resonance' and 'three-dimensional weaving' theories from rune class to improve Magic Thorn Art!"

"He can draw inferences from one example! He can put theory into practice!"

"What is that? Talent! Combat instinct!"

Markley watched the boy in the mirror flick the blood from his hand, his expression cold. Appreciation practically overflowed from Markley's eyes.

"Good boy! What a truly exceptional boy!"

The scenes that followed raised Markley's opinion of Tylen even higher.

Facing Ars, a sixth-level apprentice, Tylen showed not the slightest trace of fear.

He remained composed and confident, neither servile nor overbearing.

First, he used force to intimidate Ars, then tempted him with rune technology, and finally pressured him from the moral high ground.

With that string of moves, he not only resolved the crisis but also negotiated a deal, leaving Ars completely taken in.

"Brilliant," Markley exclaimed.

"As you'd expect from a poor kid who grew up scrabbling for a living. His grasp of people, his experience negotiating on the streets—he's practically gifted!"

There were many geniuses in the Wizard profession, but most of them were oddballs.

The most typical example was his prized disciple, Violet Star.

Violet Star was indeed talented, but far too arrogant.

Whenever she looked at someone, she habitually lifted her chin and stared down her nose, as if even a single word from her were a gift.

And yet, even someone like Violet Star counted as normal among those geniuses.

At least she liked to dress up, enjoyed socializing, and was willing to speak properly with ordinary people.

Many geniuses couldn't even be bothered to talk to ordinary people. At the slightest disagreement, they went straight to violence!

Disciples like that were suited to being figureheads, doing research in the laboratory, or taking exams to make their mentor look good. But they were absolutely unsuited to handling complicated social relationships.

If Violet Star had been sent to deal with today's situation, she probably would have blown everyone up with a fireball and caused a heap of needless trouble.

But Tylen was different.

He was loyal, consistent inside and out, and reliable in his work.

He had excellent people skills, and when the situation called for it, he could be as ruthless as a wolf. When it was time to yield, he could flow like water.

He knew when to advance and when to retreat, leaving no openings.

"This is the person I've been looking for..."

Markley took a deep breath, calming his turbulent emotions.

He sat back down and watched Tylen drive away in the mirror. His gaze had completely changed.

He no longer looked at Tylen as a nominal apprentice, but as his future trusted right-hand man.

"Tyron Arthas Magnus."

Markley murmured the name, a meaningful smile curling his lips.

"Once you deliver the scroll and pass the final test..."

"I'll show you that I, Markley Kane, have never failed to reward true loyalty!"

He reached out and gently stroked the Mercury Mirror, as though caressing a peerless uncut gem.

"This faction purge... Hmph. It's not yet clear who'll come out on top."

After a pause, he rubbed the Mercury Mirror and smacked his lips.

"That wasn't enough. Let's savor it again."

Then, thoroughly pleased with himself, he began his second replay.