Chapter 3

He had sent off batch after batch of apprentices, several of whom were now respectfully addressed as masters.

Back then, under his watchful gaze, they too had once reversed the order of a single rune and caused gathered energy to explode into specks of light.

Magic had never been a gentle game.

First, one had to hear the faint vibrations deep within the universe, like distinguishing the sound of a leaf hitting the ground amid a storm.

Then one had to use willpower to draw them in and weave them into specific patterns—every arc had to be flawless, every turn precise.

Only then would the shape of a shield emerge in the air, transparent as glass yet tougher than steel.

The process was like building a glass bridge at the edge of a cliff. One trembling step could bring everything crashing down.

Most people might only safely master two things in their lifetimes: a shield to protect themselves and a door leading elsewhere.

Those two things alone often took ten years, twenty years, or even longer.

So when the young man named Zhao Yu stood before him and formed a complete Magic Shield out of nothing in three seconds—

He heard himself draw in a sharp breath.

Three days.

Only three days.

From the other end of the corridor came the low chants of apprentices practicing, their syllables broken and uneven like dampened strings.

Cold light reflected from the distant snow-capped mountains streamed through the high windows, carving sharp patches of brightness across the floor.

He bent down to pick up that strand of beard, a faint itch tingling at his fingertips.

How was he supposed to teach him?

The question suddenly settled heavily on his shoulders.

None of the masters were in the courtyard—the disturbances at the borders had been growing more frequent lately, and shadows in the darkness had begun casting their gaze upon this planet once more.

At this moment, there were surprisingly few people in all of Kamar-Taj who could take charge.

He looked toward the training grounds.

The snow was falling more thickly now, slanting against the stone pillars and instantly melting into dark wet stains.

A panic he had never felt before was slowly crawling up his spine.

In Kamar-Taj's courtyard, only Wong, who was responsible for guarding the place, and Master Hamir might still be there.

He had to help Zhao Yu settle down first.

The deeper questions could wait until later, when he could seek the masters' counsel.

Kamidar raised his eyes and spoke directly.

"You said you had learned the Magic Shield—show me with my own eyes."

"Yes, Master."

Zhao Yu gave a slight bow.

He raised both arms and lightly swept them through the air.

A streak of golden light appeared before him and began to rotate slowly. As it spun, densely packed runes emerged within the glow.

A pale golden shield took shape just like that, hanging in midair.

Kamidar narrowed his eyes and examined it closely.

"Not bad... very good."

There was little expression on his face, but the hand behind his back clenched the cuff of his sleeve so tightly that the fabric nearly tore.

Seeing such talent displayed with his own eyes left him deeply shaken.

Zhao Yu dismissed the shield.

He lowered his gaze, unease seeping into his voice.

"Master, is there no problem with me casting it like this?"

He had learned this Magic Shield on his own through that "system."

What if it differed from the way others learned it?

If the Sorcerer Supreme noticed something strange, would he be taken away for a thorough examination?

"There is no problem. Your foundation is very solid."

"Compared to many apprentices, your shield is sturdier."

"And—it has vitality. That is rare."

Kamidar could not help offering another word of praise.

He had thought Zhao Yu's talent was already astonishing enough.

He had not expected the young man to be even more outstanding than anticipated.

The shield carried a lively spirit, something usually only felt in sorcerers who had immersed themselves in this path for many years.

But Zhao Yu...

It had only been three days.

Yet his shield already possessed such life.

That could only mean—

He truly was born for this.

Kamidar's hand behind his back slowly tightened, his knuckles turning faintly white from the force.

Yet his face was like a frozen lake, without the slightest ripple.

"Very good."

His voice was as steady as polished stone. "You remembered what I told you before."

"Magic has never been merely brute force, nor merely destruction."

"It is an eye that sees the truth of the world, a key that unlocks the laws of all things."

He added one more sentence.

Zhao Yu lowered his head and folded his hands before him in salute.

That posture made Kamidar nod inwardly.

But then he raised a hand.

"However—"

"Do not think you are standing firm just because you have mastered the shielding technique."

"Compared to the others who entered with you, your progress is indeed somewhat faster."

"But in the history of Kamar-Taj, this is merely ordinary."

"Do not let this little bit of light blind your eyes."

"Keep moving forward. You cannot stop for even one step.

Do you understand?"

The old sorcerer's tone was as cold and hard as winter iron.

"I understand, Master."

Yet a trace of confusion surfaced in Zhao Yu's heart.

Hadn't Xiang Nan said he was a talent seen only once in a century?

How had he become so **ordinary in this elder's eyes?

After turning the thought over a few times, he suddenly understood.

The sky Kamidar had seen was naturally far broader than Xiang Nan's.

In his eyes, Zhao Yu's tiny glimmer probably did not even count as firefly light.

He quietly clenched his palm.

After returning, he needed to make that transparent barrier stronger and temper it day and night without rest.

One day—

He would make it worthy of the title Sorcerer Supreme.

After all.

How could the barrier raised by one standing at the pinnacle possibly be the same as that of ordinary people?

While Zhao Yu was lost in thought, Kamidar was using all his self-control to steady his breathing.

He had rarely lied in his life.

It was truly difficult to call a miracle that had just bloomed ordinary.

Even harder was suppressing the storm surging within his chest.

But he had lived through long years, after all.

That wrinkled face had long learned how to hide a storm.

Zhao Yu did not notice anything amiss.

A cough came from across from him. Kamidar cleared his throat. "Zhao Yu,"

he said, his voice carrying a deliberate pause, "since you have already mastered the Magic Shield, it is time to learn something else."

His heart gave a violent leap.

A new spell—he had finally been waiting for it.

Zhao Yu suppressed his surging excitement and lowered his head. "Thank you, Master."

"The Magic Shield is merely Kamar-Taj's introduction."

With his hands behind his back, Kamidar looked into the distance. "What you will learn next is its extension.

Use flowing runes to shape whatever form you desire."

He paused, tracing through the air with his fingertips. "At its core, it is the restructuring of a shield's runes.

But making that energy hold steady in the shape of swords or blades? That is not easy.

Once you return, you must practice it repeatedly."

"I understand."

Zhao Yu's voice was respectful. "Please instruct me, Master."

The image of the Sorcerer Supreme flashed through his mind.

In that person's hands, energy was more than a shield.

At times it formed into a long whip, at times into sharp blades, and it could even spread open like a fan.

Without relying on any magical artifact, that person alone had sent traitors fleeing in defeat.

He had longed for that kind of power for a long time.

Kamidar had already begun explaining.

His voice flowed steadily, covering rune sequences and structural stability.

Zhao Yu listened with his head lowered, maintaining a focused expression, but his thoughts gradually drifted away.

Those syllables entered his ears. He recognized each one when separated, but together they became a tangled fog.

He suddenly remembered classrooms from years ago, staring at a board full of symbols as that same silent confusion rose within him.

By the time Kamidar stopped speaking, his throat was already somewhat dry.

He picked up the cup of water beside him, moistened his lips, and looked at the young man before him.

"Can you understand what I just explained?"

he asked, his tone carrying his usual patience. "If anything remains unclear, we can go through it again."

Zhao Yu raised his eyes.

The haze that had occupied his thoughts half an hour earlier had now vanished without a trace.

Clear and orderly understanding had settled firmly in the depths of his consciousness, like pebbles revealed after a stream had washed over them.

He nodded, his voice steady. "Please rest assured, I understand everything."

Not long ago, when the experienced sorcerer began explaining the principles behind those complex patterns and energy circuits, a familiar insight—not born of Zhao Yu's own comprehension—had quietly sounded inside his mind.

That voice held no warmth, yet it announced progress again and again: the sequence rules of basic runes, the initial framework of magical constructs... With every piece of information it implanted came the sensation of some invisible level quietly being broken through.

He looked at the tireless instructor before him.

Kamidar might not have stood at the very peak in the realm of power, but his years of focusing on teaching the most fundamental knowledge had given him a thorough grasp of every difficulty and crucial point at the introductory stage.

Under the guidance of his words, those obscure concepts seemed to dismantle and reorganize themselves, turning into things Zhao Yu could master with astonishing efficiency.

The proficiency of the two theories he had only just encountered was rapidly climbing toward the next stage.

An almost imperceptible smile crossed Zhao Yu's lips.

The sense of distance and frustration he had felt in magic theory class earlier now seemed insignificant.

The unique advantage he possessed had once again proven its irreplaceable worth.

The gap in talent, it seemed, could be easily filled in another way.

Kamidar observed his expression.

The confusion and tension that had initially been on the young man's face had disappeared, replaced by quiet certainty.

That reassured him somewhat.

He had seen too many students struggling at the starting line. Being willing to put in extra effort was always a good thing.

"That is good."

He set down his cup. The ceramic base lightly tapped the table, producing a faint crisp sound. "These are the most fundamental parts. You must build them solidly.

If you have questions later, come ask me anytime."

Zhao Yu nodded again, suppressing the thought that had quietly arisen from his rapid gains—of viewing the other man as an efficient "source of experience."

He knew the sorcerer before him could not offer endless guidance, nor was that guidance his alone.

He had to seize every opportunity.

The light outside shifted slightly, stretching silent shadows across the floor.

The explanations that had filled the room for the past half hour had stopped, leaving only the rich lingering warmth of knowledge passed on.

Those "messages" in Zhao Yu's mind

They, too, had fallen silent, but the changes they had brought were real—the two disciplines had firmly settled at the threshold of Level One, their edges still being steadily honed and broadened.

He rose to his feet and thanked the mage.

As he moved, a faint stiffness lingered in his shoulders and neck from the intense concentration he had maintained during the lesson.

Yet his mind was clear, even eager to try.

Kamidar watched the young man take his leave, rubbing his brow to ease the fatigue brought on by speaking for so long.

He had not expected a single explanation to work miracles, but as long as the student had truly absorbed even a little, it had been worthwhile.

He did not know that during that time, the process of "understanding" occurring within the other's consciousness

was completely different from any path of learning he knew.

As Zhao Yu stepped out of the room, he felt the differing temperatures in the afternoon air.

He reviewed the outlines of knowledge that had already taken firm shape in his mind, and a solid sense of confidence replaced his earlier emptiness.

The door to the world of magic seemed to be slowly opening before him by some other force, in another way.

The door closed behind him, and his footsteps faded away along the stone corridor.

Kamidar remained where he was. Only after the young man's figure had completely vanished around the corner did he slowly let out a breath he had been holding for a long time.

A faint prickling came from his fingertips. He looked down and saw several silvery-white beard hairs tangled around his knuckles.

What a pity.

He thought this as he gently brushed them away with his other hand.

That young man was quite good.

His bow had been proper, and there had not been the slightest hint of impatience in his words. More rare still were his eyes—calm as the waters of a deep pool, reflecting the light without a ripple.