September 1, Year 10008 of the Yulan Calendar marked the start of the autumn term at the Republic Imperial Magic Academy.
A group of lively children stood in the square outside the academy gates, wearing brand-new mage robes. Some were excited, some nervous; some looked around, while others looked down at their robes. They had completed their basic education and done well on their magical aptitude tests. Today, they would officially enroll in the Republic Imperial Magic Academy.
"Have you heard? Dean Linley will give a speech at today's opening ceremony!" a girl with a ponytail whispered, her eyes shining.
"Really?" The boy beside her widened his eyes. "Linley Baruch? The youngest Level 9 Great Mage of two elements in history, a master sculptor, the super genius whom the Head of State himself said could become a Deity-and he's a Saint Dragonblood Warrior too!"
"It's true," another chubby boy chimed in smugly. "I heard it from my third aunt's grandfather's younger sister's-" He counted on his fingers for a while. "Anyway, an older boy among a whole string of relatives told me. He's three years older than me and was in Dean Linley's first class. He saw Dean Linley teach in person and said he was really handsome."
"Looks like we'll get to see him for ourselves!" The ponytailed girl clasped her hands, her eyes narrowing into slits.
The children chattered away, their voices growing louder and louder, like a pot of boiling water.
Where was Linley at that moment?
Inside the Miniature Plane beneath the Energy Special Zone.
The Miniature Plane looked much the same: a spherical space ten meters across, with a stone bed, a stone table, and stone chairs. Beyond its membrane lay multicolored spatial turbulence. Compared with five years ago, a few things had been