End of the First Academic Year

June, 9993, Yulan Calendar.

The Ernst Institute welcomed its annual end-of-year examinations.

Morning sunlight spilled through the window into the dormitory. I opened my eyes to find myself staring directly into Bebe's pitch-black, bead-like eyes. The little guy had snuck over from Linley's bed at some point and was lying by my pillow, tilting his head as he watched me.

"Morning," I reached out to pet him.

Bebe zipped away in a flash, scurrying back into Linley's blankets in a few quick movements. He poked only his tiny head out, continuing to stare at me.

"He's been running over to your side a lot lately," Linley's voice came from nearby. He had already sat up. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Maybe I'm just popular with rodents," I said offhandedly.

Linley glanced at me, his lips twitching, but he said nothing.

A roar erupted from Yale's bed: "Everyone up! Today is test day! Don't drag your feet!"

Reynolds sat up, dazed. "What time is it..."

"Six-thirty!"

"So early..."

"Early? If you sleep any longer, you'll be late!"

After a flurry of chaos, the five of us finally got ready and headed toward the testing grounds.

The Ernst Institute's end-of-year exam was a major event. While one could slack off during regular classes, the test results directly determined whether you could advance to the next grade. Fail two years in a row, and you would be expelled.

The fire-element testing ground was located in an open area on the east side of the teaching district. By the time I arrived, quite a few people were already lining up.

"Aikesi Yan!"

Someone called out to me. I turned to see a few classmates from the first-year fire department. They waved at me, and I nodded in response.

The test content was simple: cast your most proficient spell within a magic formation, and the proctor would grade you based on power, precision, and control.

When it was my turn, the proctor was a white-haired old man with six gold threads embroidered on his cuffs—a Level 6 Magician.

"Aikesi Yan," he looked at the roster in his hand. "Fire department, first year. Are you ready?"

"Ready."

"Begin."

I took a deep breath and raised my right hand.

The Fallen Heart Flame within me trembled slightly, and the Five Spirit Wheel began to rotate, drawing the surrounding fire elements toward me in an instant. I intentionally suppressed some of the output—there was no need to reveal my full strength during a test.

A fire snake lunged from my palm.

Level 2 spell, Fire Snake.

The fire snake circled in the air before striking the target thirty meters away with pinpoint accuracy. With a boom, it exploded, sending flames scattering in all directions.

The magic sensor on the target lit up with a row of numbers: Temperature—1180 degrees.

The proctor froze for a moment, staring closely at the numbers before looking back at me.

"What was your name again?"

"Aikesi Yan."

He scribbled something on the roster, then looked up and said, "Power exceeds expectations, precision is excellent, control is excellent. Overall grade: Excellent."

"Thank you, sir."

I turned and walked away.

Just as I stepped out of the testing area, I heard a wave of discussion behind me.

"1180 degrees? Isn't a standard Level 2 Fire Snake only 800 degrees?"

"That's nearly forty percent higher. Who is this guy?"

"He's a first-year in the fire department. I heard he's always been pretty low-key."

"Low-key? You call that low-key?"

I didn't look back, heading straight for the dormitory.

At noon, the five of us met up at the cafeteria.

"Third brother, you're a beast!" Reynolds started shouting the moment he sat down. "1180 degrees! I heard! It's all over the fire department!"

"It was alright," I said.

"Alright?" Reynolds's eyes widened. "You call that alright? Do you know what my Wind Blade temperature is? 380! That's the normal level!"

George smiled and chimed in, "Wind Blade isn't about temperature; it's about sharpness and speed. Your speed is indeed a bit slow."

Reynolds pouted and stayed silent.

Yale slammed his hand on the table with a boisterous laugh. "Who cares about the degrees? The point is, everyone in Dorm 1987 passed this year! That's enough! My treat today, Wald!"

"Wald again?" George sighed helplessly.

"What, is it too expensive? Then we can go somewhere cheaper."

"It's not that I mind the price, it's just that going to the same place every time is boring, isn't it?"

"Then where do you suggest we go?"

The two of them began discussing where to eat that evening, with Reynolds chiming in from the side. I turned to look at Linley, who was eating at a leisurely pace, looking as if he were completely detached from the conversation.

"How did your testing go?" I asked.

Linley swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "I passed both Earth and Wind. For the Wind Blade test, the speed was decent."

"What were the ratings?"

"Two Excellents."

I nodded. Linley's aptitude was top-tier to begin with, and with Doehring's guidance, it was no surprise he earned an Excellent.

In the afternoon, everyone went to the auditorium for the end-of-year assembly.

The Dean spoke on stage for an hour, the gist of which was: You are the most outstanding magic seedlings on the continent; cherish your time, cultivate diligently, and do not let the academy's expectations go to waste. Then came the speeches from the department heads, followed by the recognition of outstanding students.

My name was on the list of outstanding students for the Fire element.

Linley's name appeared on the lists for both the Earth and Wind elements.

Dixie's name appeared for three elements—the guy was a dual-element mage, but he had also studied the Lightning element, and he had earned an Excellent in all of them.

"The Three Heroes are the Three Heroes, after all," Yale whispered from beside me.

"What Three Heroes?" I asked.

"You don't know? That's what the academy is calling you all now—Dixie, Linley, and you. The Three Heroes."

"..." I was speechless.

A nickname like that sounded like something the students had cooked up.

After the assembly ended, the five of us headed to the Wald Hotel as planned. Yale waved a hand grandly and ordered a table full of food.

"Come on, let's celebrate everyone passing!" He raised his glass.

Five glasses clinked together.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation began to flow.

"What are your plans for summer break?" George asked.

"I'm going home," Reynolds said. "My dad said I have to go back for the summer; there are important matters to attend to."

"I'm staying at the academy," Linley said.

"I'm staying at the academy too," I said.

Yale looked at the two of us. "You two are really... cultivation maniacs. It's finally a break, aren't you going to go out and have some fun?"

"You can have fun anytime," I said. "Cultivation cannot stop."

Linley nodded, rarely chiming in with a, "Mm."

Yale shook his head and sighed. "Fine, fine, you two go ahead and cultivate. I'm going home to live it up."

George also said, "I'm heading back to the Yulan Empire as well; there are some family matters I need to handle."

"Then we'll see each other when the term starts," Reynolds said, raising his glass. "Wishing you both smooth cultivation in advance!"

"Cheers!"

Back at the dormitory that night, the five of us didn't go to sleep immediately, which was rare; instead, we sat in the courtyard chatting.

The summer night breeze was very comfortable, blowing coolly against our faces. The sky was filled with twinkling stars, and occasionally a shooting star would streak across.

After a while, Bebe crawled out from Linley's arms and ran over to lie down at my feet. I looked down at him, and he looked up at me, his dark, round eyes shimmering in the night.

"He really likes you," Linley said.

"Maybe it's because I've grilled meat for him a few times," I said.

"Just because of that?"

"What else?"

Linley thought for a moment and nodded. "Fair point, he's a sucker for that."

Both of us laughed.

In the distance, the sounds of Yale and Reynolds bickering drifted over—they were arguing about what to have for breakfast tomorrow. George was nearby trying to mediate, his voice gentle and mild.

I leaned back in my chair, looking at the night sky, and suddenly felt that days like these were quite nice.

No schemes or infighting, no life-or-death crises, just five teenagers together, cultivating, eating, chatting, arguing, and making up.

Simple, but real.

"Third brother," Linley spoke up again.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me, what do you think we'll become in the future?"

I turned to look at him. Under the moonlight, the teenager's face held a trace of confusion—the sixteen-year-old Linley had not yet experienced the events to come and did not yet know what awaited him.

"You will become strong," I said, "you will become very strong."

Linley was silent for a moment, then nodded gently: "Mm."

"Fourth brother." I stood up and patted his shoulder, "No matter what happens in the future, remember the five of us."

Linley looked up at me, a flash of complexity in his eyes.

"Mm."

He responded with a sound.

Early the next morning, Reynolds was the first to leave. A carriage was waiting at the academy gate; before boarding, he turned back and waved at us: "See you when school starts!"

Next was George. His carriage procession was more impressive, as expected of a great family from the Yulan Empire. Before leaving, he was uncharacteristically talkative: "You two, don't push yourselves too hard. Remember to rest."

Yale left in the afternoon. Before departing, he wrapped his arms around our necks and said: "If you're short on money, write me a letter. I'll have someone send it over. Don't stand on ceremony with me."

In the end, only Linley and I remained.

The academy was very quiet during the summer break. Only one window in the cafeteria was open, and occasionally one could see a few students who had stayed behind. Linley and I practiced on our own, but every evening we would go to the cafeteria together to eat and chat about our progress for the day.

Bebe grew closer to me during this time. Sometimes when Linley was meditating, it would come over to find me and nap by my side. It wouldn't make a fuss while I was practicing, just watch me quietly.

"Has Bebe accepted you as its second master?" Linley asked one day.

"Maybe." I smiled and stroked Bebe's head; the little guy squinted its eyes in comfort.

One day in late July, while I was practicing in the back mountains, I suddenly sensed the Fallen Heart Flame trembling slightly.

It was hungry.

To be precise, it had sensed an aura of fire elements—deep in the back mountains, there was a natural gathering point for fire elements.

I did not hesitate and followed the sensation.

After walking for over an hour and passing through a dense forest, the view suddenly opened up.

It was a mountain hollow where the ground was exposed dark red rock, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur. In the center of the hollow was a fissure, from which a faint red light emanated.

The Earth Fire Fissure.

I approached the fissure and looked down. It was about a dozen meters deep, with magma flowing at the bottom. The concentration of fire elements in the surroundings was five or six times higher than outside.

"A good place," I thought with joy.

I sat cross-legged and began to practice.

The Fallen Heart Flame and the Five Spirit Wheel operated simultaneously, and the surrounding fire elements surged into my body frantically. That feeling... it was like parched earth finally receiving sweet rain, utterly refreshing.

I sat there for three days.

During those three days, I barely moved. When hungry, I ate the dry rations I had brought; when thirsty, I drank mountain spring water; when tired, I closed my eyes for a nap, and upon waking, I continued to practice.

On the morning of the fourth day, I opened my eyes.

The magic power within me was significantly more robust than it had been three days ago, and I was only a hair's breadth away from becoming a fourth-rank mage.

"Almost there." I stood up and stretched my stiff body.

When I returned to the dormitory, Linley was eating breakfast in the courtyard. Seeing me return, he paused: "You were gone for three days; I thought something had happened to you."

"I found a good place to practice in the back mountains." I sat down and picked up a piece of bread.

Linley nodded and didn't ask further.

That was just how he was. No matter what I did, he wouldn't pry or get to the bottom of it; he would only silently trust.

This kind of tacit understanding was stronger than any explanation.

[Ding—Detected that the host has completed a long-term closed-door cultivation for the first time.]

[Hidden condition triggered. Would you like to sign in?]

The system's voice suddenly rang out.

I was stunned for a moment, then recited in my heart: Sign in.

[Sign-in successful.]

[Obtained reward: Azeroth Mana Source (Fragment)—Magic recovery speed permanently increased by 20%.]

A warm current flowed into my body, lingered in my chest for a moment, and then spread throughout my entire being. I could clearly feel that the magic I had consumed was recovering at a faster rate.

"Good stuff," I thought with delight.

An increase in magic recovery speed meant greater endurance in prolonged battles, and it also meant my cultivation speed had taken another step forward.

"Third brother?" Linley's voice came, "What are you smiling at?"

"It's nothing," I came back to my senses, "just thought of something good."