Luke happily carried the Ruihuo Wand through the sewers beneath Aolu Academy.
The stench was overpowering, and rats scurried everywhere, but nothing could dampen his mood.
In Era Game, Players who stole the Ruihuo Wand couldn't keep it. It was a quest item, and after breaking through the Air Labyrinth Wilfred had unleashed, they still had to return it to him as the story required.
Players had tried all sorts of ways to keep the Ruihuo Wand for themselves. After all, its stats were enough to make anyone drool.
Luke had a photo of the wand's stats on his phone.
Ruihuo Wand:
Attack: 468
Spell Mastery: 214
Energy Affinity: All
Spell effectiveness increased by 15%
Mana consumption reduced by 50%
Mana recovery increased by 20%
Polearm skill: +2
Independent mana core: Stores mana for spell use (1000/1000)
He couldn't see the real Ruihuo Wand's stats, but after testing it, Luke felt that all the expected attributes were there, and it performed much as it did in the game.
The Ruihuo Wand's strengths were its high attack and Spell Mastery. The same spell cast through it could jump up one or two levels in power. It also increased spell effectiveness, reduced mana consumption, and boosted mana recovery.
Any mage who saw it would be unable to look away.
But the game's mechanics were what they were: if Players took the Ruihuo Wand and didn't return it, they couldn't leave the sealed instance.
That wasn't a problem anymore.
Luke had fulfilled the wish of every Era Player and swiped the Ruihuo Wand.
Well, not exactly swiped it.
He'd taken it fair and square!
Another major reason Players had always wanted to get their hands on the Ruihuo Wand was that... despite being a two-handed wand, its stats included a bonus of +2 to Polearm skill.
It was like grabbing players who loved modifying gear by the soles of their feet and tickling them endlessly with a feather!
The moment Luke got the Ruihuo Wand, he couldn't resist testing how it performed as a polearm. It was so smooth that he could hardly put it down.
It also proved the Players' complaints right.
A polearm shaft this incredible was wasted on Wilfred as a wand. What a pearl cast before swine.
Now... you could finally fulfill your true potential!
Luke was so happy that he couldn't bear to put the Ruihuo Wand in his inventory. He carried it on his shoulder all the way out of Aolu Academy.
He found a spatial node and returned to Raging Wave City.
The bright daylight gave way to night, and the wilderness became a city.
Luke met up with Clear Sky in a secret chamber beside the Lime River.
Now... with the long night ahead, he could make a weapon for his main body.
A spear.
He'd use the Ruihuo Wand for the shaft, a Red Dragon's tooth for the spearhead, and wrap the outside in the soft hide from beneath the dragon's neck.
He'd make sure Wilfred wouldn't recognize his Ruihuo Wand even if he saw it.
While Luke and Clear Sky worked on the spear in the secret chamber,
Raging Wave City was in an uproar.
The Elf who had stolen the Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon had invaded Aolu Academy and stolen the Book of Calamity as well.
She had even taken the wand belonging to Wilfred, the head of Aolu Academy.
More than a hundred years ago, the loss of control over Secret Arts caused by the Book of Calamity had brought about the greatest crisis in Aolu Academy's history.
More than ten Secret Arts mages from the Department of Secret Arts had fallen during the outbreak. They gained tremendous power, but their hearts turned toward the chaos and darkness of the Abyss.
They called themselves Abyss Mages and secretly organized the Abyss Chamber, using the power of the Book of Calamity to lure the Academy's staff and students into joining them.
When Aolu Academy discovered that their Secret Arts research involved sacrificing living people, it demanded that they hand over the Book of Calamity and disband the Abyss Chamber.
The Abyss Mages immediately attacked the Academy.
The war drew everyone at Aolu Academy into the fighting and nearly destroyed the entire school.
Countless people died, and an incalculable trove of precious records went up in flames.
The losses left Aolu Academy crippled. It took decades to recover and gradually overcome the effects of the rebellion.
But the Abyss Mages were not wiped out.
The original thirteen Abyss Mages called themselves Apostles, and they wielded the greatest power. After Aolu Academy put down the rebellion, seven surviving Apostles fled with the remaining Abyss Mages.
And the Abyss Mages had remained active for more than a century.
Using the Secret Arts they had mastered as their foundation, they transformed the old Abyss Chamber into the Abyssal Temple and expanded their ranks. Their goal was to recreate the Book of Calamity, which Aolu Academy had seized and destroyed.
The Abyss Apostles believed that since the Book of Calamity had been transformed from the "Encyclopedia of Secret Arts" into a mysterious item, they could certainly make a copy of it.
According to reports, the Abyss Apostles' efforts to copy the Book of Calamity had not gone smoothly.
Now the Book of Calamity, which should have been destroyed, had resurfaced—and fallen into the hands of a powerful Elf Slayer.
This was unquestionably a more serious incident than the theft of the Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon.
After all, even a Red Dragon could only wreak havoc for ten minutes.
The Book of Calamity was an evil, mysterious item that had nearly destroyed Aolu Academy.
And then there was the female Elf's strength.
She had managed to escape from Dean Wilfred, and had even stolen his wand.
She was so powerful that just thinking of her made people hold their breath.
The Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon, the Book of Calamity, the Ruihuo Wand, and Clear Sky the Elf.
That combination was right there in Raging Wave City.
No one who heard the news could sleep.
Aolu Academy convened an emergency meeting of senior staff that very night.
Dean Wilfred first admitted that he had underestimated his opponent, then proposed reestablishing Aolu Academy's Crisis Committee. He called for capable Academy staff and upper-year students to be assembled into the Aolu Battle Mage Corps, which had been formed to fight the Abyss Mages back then.
At the Aolu Academy board meeting, Dean Wilfred said solemnly, "We cannot determine whether Clear Sky the Elf is connected to the Abyss Mages, but the Book of Calamity's reappearance will certainly draw them out.
"The war between Aolu Academy and the Abyss Mages will begin again. We must prepare for it in advance.
"As one of the few people still alive who experienced that disaster a hundred years ago, I'm warning every one of you: do not entertain even the slightest hope or illusion about the Abyss. When you face it, you must either defeat it or be devoured by it..."
After the disaster a century ago, Dean Wilfred took charge of Aolu Academy. Through his tireless efforts, he brought the Academy back from the brink of destruction and restored it to the world's top tier.
His contributions to the Academy had earned him unmatched authority.
He was fair in his dealings and warm toward others, earning the respect of the Academy's staff and students.
Although the vast majority of staff and students knew little about what had happened in the disaster a century ago, they chose to trust Dean Wilfred unconditionally.
The Academy's Crisis Committee was reestablished.
Outstanding staff and students were selected to form the Aolu Battle Mage Corps.
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