Awakening Magic Power

Lister sat on the ground with his eyes tightly closed, meditating.

Meditation was a required discipline for mages. Only by concentrating their minds completely could they refine magic power from within their bodies. It was an extremely delicate process, and they could not be distracted.

He could sense magic power flowing through his blood like a gentle stream. His cells were producing magic power, and he could feel that strength, as natural as breathing. Yet some invisible barrier stood between him and it. Like a fish beneath the ice, he could only watch through the frozen layer and could not touch it at all.

Something is blocking me. Lister calmed himself and focused on sensing it, but the more he did so, the harder it became to reach the magic power. He could only "watch" it flow, unable to touch or control it.

"Don't rush." Lister opened his eyes. Uther stood behind him, having returned at some point. "It took me a full three years of studying the Holy Light before I touched even a corner of it. Though I don't understand how mages master the arcane, I think patience is the most important thing."

Lister fell silent. He looked at Uther. "I've known you for so long, but I still don't know what the Holy Light truly is. Could you explain it to me?"

Uther froze for a moment, then shrugged and sat down on the floor. "I thought mages weren't interested in the Holy Light. Since you want to know, I'll tell you about its most fundamental teachings."

"The Holy Light has three great virtues: respect, perseverance, and compassion."

"The Holy Light teaches us to respect life. Every life has a reason to exist. We never kill meaninglessly, except to feed ourselves."

Lister interjected, "That sounds very much like those druids. I read that druids only take enough food from nature to fill their stomachs and never demand more."

Uther nodded. "Because we all understand that greed is humanity's most terrifying enemy. No, it is the most terrifying enemy of all life."

Lister nodded with deep feeling. "I understand that very well."

Uther looked curiously at him. How could such a child possess such a strange air of worldly weariness? But considering that he was a mage apprentice, he had probably gone through unusual experiences. Given that he had defeated Joel, that was likely the case. Uther continued, "The Holy Light teaches us to persevere, to have the courage to face everything."

"Fear is part of human nature. Everyone dislikes hairy spiders and disgusting rats, and people fear the unknown as well. I have read your history textbooks. During the Troll Wars, humans and elves faced an uncountable number of trolls. We humans were afraid, but we did not retreat. Overcoming fear is one of humanity's noblest qualities."

Uther's words won Lister's wholehearted agreement. "If humanity cannot overcome fear, how can it survive in this cruel world, much less speak of civilization?"

"When intelligent life rules the world, the Holy Light also teaches us compassion. Have compassion for the weak. The weak are not lowly; they have dignity, they have faith, and they deserve our respect."

Lister nodded. "Thank you. I think I should reflect on this alone."

He pondered. What was a mage's fundamental creed? What shaped a mage? Whether necromancers, arcane mages, or even warlocks and shamans, what was their fundamental creed?

Lister placed both hands on the windowsill and felt the warm evening breeze. It carried his thoughts far away. Slowly, he closed his eyes. In his past life, he too had reached the end of the road because of his obsession.

But! He suddenly opened his eyes! I do not regret it!

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails pierced his palms. He bit down hard on his lip. His most violent inner world, his most obsessive soul, were as hard as steel. I, Lister, will never admit defeat!

At that moment, Lister saw it—the magical river of stars running through the world. A man who had once succeeded in trading but ultimately failed, he finally understood. The essence of magic was balance. Everything could be balanced equally through magic power. That was the essence of magic, just like the entire financial market: you could go long or sell short, but no matter what, the platform itself would not change.

The path of balance. He stretched both hands toward the night sky and murmured, "Failure taught me humility, but the Holy Light taught me perseverance. I understand even more clearly that I must turn this world around and change its fate. I will have compassion for them. I belong to this world."

A vast torrent spanned the entire starry sky, with countless powers gathered within it. He saw the purple radiance of the arcane, the red, blue, cyan, and brown colors of the elements, the pure green light of life belonging to the druids, and the golden glow of the Holy Light flowing among them. Fel's yellow-green radiance was mixed in as well, and deeper within lay sinister black-purple shadows. Yet regardless, they all followed the path of balance.

And Lister had finally, like the others, touched the slightest fragment of those scales. Even so, immense magic power surged from within him, joyfully merging with the scales and joining that purple radiance.

The purple arcane light pouring from between his hands became the brightest point in the night. Uther quietly pushed open the door and saw that purple beneath the moonlight. Lister's expression was sorrowful yet joyful, tears slowly falling beneath the purple glow. His saintly expression filled Uther with joy as well. His gaze held happiness for him, but also resolve and persistence—persistence in his own path of the Holy Light.

Antonidas immediately rose and came to the rooftop. He looked in a certain direction. That purple radiance, gradually blending into the night, had already stirred all of Dalaran. Kael'thas also looked in that direction solemnly. The two men in the Violet Citadel exchanged a glance.

Many arcanists stood outside. Even their hushed discussions could not conceal their respect for that fellow practitioner. Another arcanist had touched the essence of the world. For Dalaran, this was both unbelievable and glorious.

"Could the council become a Council of Seven tomorrow?" someone even said. Indeed, one could not possibly make an archmage bow to six mages equal to himself in strength. But a discordant voice rang out, and a piercing scream tore through the night sky. "That looks like the freshman dormitory! How could someone there become an archmage?!"

An uproar erupted!

Something even more shocking happened. An azure beam streaked across the night sky. Astaroth cried out, and every mage who saw it and knew what it was exclaimed, "Ebony Chill!"

Lister reached out and caught that azure light. A passing mage happened to witness the moment. The purple radiance that had just faded blazed once more, completely alarming all of Dalaran.