“How do I know, you ask?” Leonard laughed. “Any capable mage can see through the Shapeshifting Potion, and your transformation doesn’t change the calluses on your hand.”

“…I didn’t think you’d figure that out quickly,” said Kane. Masquerading wasn’t his virtue, so his cover would be blown sooner or later...

“I’ll ask you again. Why are you here? Did Vice Headmaster Reynar order you?”

“I’m training for the upcoming Class S exam.”

Leonard looked to the front, half smiling. “You’re special, aren’t you? Pity.”

“Why?”

“The burden of expectations from above us and one slightest mistake could cost you their trust. I know the feeling very well. Too well, in fact.”

“I don’t care about that. I can manage myself even if everyone leaves me behind.” He shrugged.

“Ah, is that so? How carefree.”

Later, Hymar and Lamille returned from their given mission. Upon seeing Kane, they both asked, “Who’s that?”

“Please welcome our newest member, Kane! He’s a wandering mage from Rabrond like us.”

“Nice to meet you,” greeted Kane.

However, the introduction was received with nothing but cold stares. They sure didn’t look too happy. Due to their silence, Leonard introduced their names to Kane by himself.

“Is he the only one?” asked Lamille.

“Yes.” Leonard nodded. “He requested it.”

“For what reason are you… obeying a stranger?” asked Hymar.

“Because I can say with utter certainty that he is stronger than me!”

“!”

Wide-eyed, the two were speechless. Kane thought he needed to prove himself, but they seemed to take Leonard’s words without hesitation.

“If Leader says so, then I will approve.” Lamille then glared at Kane. “Doesn’t mean I trust you completely, especially for a guy who’s drinking Shapeshifting Potion. You must’ve something to hide.”

“I simply don’t want to stand out,” said Kane.

“Kane, is it? What is your… specialty?” asked Hymar. He calmed down quicker than the girl.

“I’m a battlemage. I fight on the frontlines using melee weapons.” Kane then took out two of his weapons from his cloak and revealed them to the Class S.

“Are those stone axes?” uttered Leonard.

Kane nodded. Both of the axes were basically a large piece of sharpened dark rock tied together with a stick.

“What the!? Lamille cringed upon seeing them. “Do you think this competition is a joke?”

“Those axes are not ordinary. Ignasian Rock, I assume? A special mineral that when filled with mana… its temperature will rise. The branches and the vines… are also enchanted with strong magic.”

“You’re completely correct,” affirmed Kane.

“In the end, they’re still stone axes. Steel is much better, am I right, Leader?”

“That’s right, Lamille. But, I think Kane has his reason to use them.” Leonard nodded and proceeded to explain the properties of steel.

Well, it wasn’t like he had a choice when picking a weapon. Kane remembered the time when Maur forced him to use these axes.

---

Two days ago.

Amid the journey to Riehl Mountain, Kane was traveling together with Maur by Reynar’s coach. A sudden realization hit him: He had no weapon!

“Hey, can we stop by at a weapon shop? I need an ax,” said Kane.

“Nope! You need to stop relying too much on that and improve your ability to use magic first,” denied Maur.

“Oh, please. Magic swordsmen rely on both, right? I’m like them too.”

“No.”

Kane then gave up. Aged people such as Maur and him were usually stubborn, so trying to change their minds would be futile.

“After some consideration, I will allow you to use axes,” said Maur.

“Really!?” Kane jumped out of his seat. “You’re serious, right? What kind of axes will they be?

“Calm down, boy! You’re behaving like a child.”

Kane stiffened before sitting down. “Sorry. I really miss wielding an ax. It’s been too long.” He rubbed his nose.

“We’ll visit someplace nearby.” As soon as Maur said that, the coach took a sharp turn downward.

They landed on a rocky black mound, devoid of organic beings. The ground was warm despite the cold air. Perhaps it was due to the nearby lava river that flowed from the crater that was producing smoke. Below the hill was a lush pine forest, covering a large portion of the land. If his memory served him right, the place was located at the border of the native elven territory and around the middle of the Colvanza continent.

In the distance, dozens of balls of goo dragged themselves on the surface. They’re subspecies of slime that normally live in volcanic areas and absorb molten rocks for nutrition, causing them to gain resistance to fire. Sometimes, they turned into a ball of flame after crossing rivers of lava most of the time.

However, those monsters weren’t his concern, but rather, at Maur who was collecting a couple of rocks, sticks, and vines with his [Mage Hands] from the crater and the forest. He then dumped them all in front of Kane.

“Create your own ax with these,” instructed Maur.

Was he serious? Judging from his tone, he was. Kane wanted to protest, but he quelled his frustration instead and crafted axes using these materials at the nearby tree.

Several hours later, four sharpened stone axes were made. They had roughly the same proportion of a one-handed ax. He preferred two-handed weapons, but he chose them for the sake of convenience. He held one of them, feeling the weight. Ah, it had been a while.

“You look like a caveman now!” Maur cackled. His laughter echoed as if several people were laughing.

Kane twitched his brows. “Laugh all you want, but to me—”

He grabbed a fistful of dried leaves nearby and flung them skyward. As they fell gently, Kane swung his ax many times. The leaves continued falling as if nothing happened. When they touched the ground, they were split up into pieces — every, single, one of them.

“No axes are bad in my eyes.”

“Not bad.” Maur applauded with his tiny insect arms. “Did you use your vis?”

“Of course, not. It was simply pure technique, and you sealed mine, remember?”

“Hmph, allowing you to use axes is a mistake, it seems. No matter, as long as you’re using magic.” He then inched closer toward Kane. “You must’ve noticed that those stones on your axes are not ordinary. The same could be said for the vines and branches; I enchanted them to be more fire-resistant.”

“Ignasian Rock, right? I’m familiar with them. They’re much better fuel than coal, thus nicknamed ‘Magic Coal’.”

“They are essentially coal but were formed with the help of mana underground. You can heat them with your mana to enhance the cutting performance, although…” Maur paused in the middle of the sentences.

“They’re brittle.” Kane filled the silence.

“Exactly.”

“Fair enough. I won’t rely on my axes too much,” he assured. “But, could you teach me to summon one?”

“I know a weapon-summoning spell or two, but no ax spells. You should try to create one.”

“Isn’t that too early?”

“You fool! With that mentality, you’ll never go far. Here, I’ll teach you the basics…”

---

“Hey! Did you hear me?” shouted Lamille to Kane, interrupting his flashback. “I said, why didn't you use a normal ax?”

“I have my reason, alright? You’re really different than you look,” said Kane. A gloomy-looking girl was noisier than he thought. The same could be applied to him also.

Then, she threw her face away, fidgeting quietly.

“She acts that way… when we are around. And perhaps because Leonard… recognized your strength,” explained Hymar.

“Huh, interesting.” Despite the clear answer, it was still strange.

“Hymar, Lamille, please tell us your findings.”

“I have questioned the sect members… and here’s my report…” Hymar then proceeded to explain. The dungeon was mostly already cleared by the sect, however, that didn't mean it was safe to explore; the Lumetrax had been mass reproducing their armies. Lastly, there were actually variations of them that had been found: Lumetrax Scout, a tiny unit that specialized in speed and traveled in swarms; and Lumetrax Knight, a sturdy unit that excelled in close quarters — very dangerous and had to be avoided at all cost. Thankfully, they were rarely found on the first floor.

“Why didn’t the sect leader’s assistant tell us the missing information?” asked Lamille.

“To avoid a morale break before the exploration began,” said Kane.

“That’s very likely.” Leonard turned toward her. “Your turn, Lamille.”

“I’ve found most groups were ordinary except for some. The most notable ones are Luxheart, Veridia Pox, Wintermist, and…” She gulped. “…Calsweir.”

Both Leonard and Hymar were wide-eyed, staggered upon hearing the last academy.

“I was mistaken to assume… the competition would be trivial,” said Hymar.

“Is Roslain also here?” asked Leonard.

“Yes.” Lamille nodded. “I saw him from far away, but there’s no mistake. He’s here.”

They became silent. The situation had turned for the worst, it seemed. Kane had no idea about those academies she mentioned, he asked, “What’s the matter? Is the school and Roslain strong?”

“Strong is an understatement… Calsweir is one of the top five magic schools… in the world,” said Hymar.

“Roslain also could’ve won O.M.A.T if he showed up in the final match,” added Leonard.

“I see.” Kane couldn’t wait to meet them.

“Oh, I forgot,” Lamille interjected. “There’s a mysterious group of thirty or so of people wearing green hooded robes. I don’t know who they are, but they’re kind of scary.”

“Thirty… that’s a lot of members. It’s rare for schools to bring that many,” said Leonard.

“Nonetheless… they are less of a threat… than Calsweir.”

“True.” Leonard checked his pocket watch. “It’s almost time for my daily ritual. I’ll be back after a while.” He stood up and left the building.

“Ritual?” asked Kane out loud.

“He’s Quillonite. A pious one, in fact,” answered Lamille.

“Oh.” Leonard did tell him his religion.

“Speaking of Quillonite… I heard one of its paladins… visited our school," said Hymar.

“Yep, she’s Leader’s sword instructor. Maybe she came to check on him.”

“Right…” Hymar then looked at Kane.

The three uttered no words, busy with themselves. It seemed Leonard was the key to the group’s chemistry. Kane welcomed the silence more than chatters and noises. In the meantime, he practiced magic until Leonard came back.

Every participant was escorted to a complex of identical cottages. They seemed to be big enough for ten people. Each of them was built on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the massive open tundra. For a humble sect-like Eight Shrouded Stars, they sure had classy accommodations.

Everyone got a separate bedroom with many left vacant. In Kane’s bedroom, an insect buzzed while he was trying to sleep. It was Maur.

“Where have you been?” whispered Kane.

“Exploring the realm inside that portal. I’ve investigated all the floors for you, so be grateful, boy!” replied Maur.

“You did? Tell me more about it!”

According to Maur, there were four floors in total. The second floor had roughly the same layout as the first. The third floor was filled with hundreds of Lumetraxes, although he had killed most of them on his way. The last floor, however, had an impenetrable door blocking the entrance. It was possible to destroy it, but it would take a long time.

Maur then materialized a piece of paper filled with lines. “Here’s a map of the floors I’ve drawn.”

Kane turned on a nearby magic lantern. The floor layouts were relatively simple, resembling the usual castles. Lots of rooms were scribbled black; they were inaccessible. There was one particular spot he was interested in: the workshop quarter. Perhaps he could find a treasure such as rare ingots or equipment.

“Thanks, Maur. I appreciate this.” Every little piece of information was crucial for adventuring and exploring hostile environments.

“If you wish to thank me, then do not let the Class-S students be severely injured or worse, dead.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

“The one who hired my service is Rey, who’s also Niflenia Vice Headmaster, which means they are within my responsibility despite not being my students.”

“I still don’t get it.”

“To put it more simply, if they die, I would be blamed by the mage community, and therefore, damaging my reputation in The Circle. Understand?”

“Oh, I see.” Kane closed his eyes. “I can’t promise you, but I’ll try to keep them alive.”

Not only did he have to survive, but Kane had to become their bodyguard. How troublesome. At the very least, he didn’t need to lead nor babysit them. All he had to do was keep them alive without being too suspicious.

“If there’s nothing else—”

“Wait, could you give me the Magic Weapon theory book? I’m still confused with some parts.”

Maur opened his pocket dimension. “Here.”

The book was manifested. It was thick and complicated, but Kane had to learn it no matter how hard and complex the content was.

“I doubt it will be useful for you.”

“Why?”

“Your comprehension capability is much greater through physical exercises, not reading. Typical for warriors such as yourself. ”

“Then, how should I learn the spell—” Kane was hit with realization before finishing his sentence. “Oh, I know. Battles, right?”

“Correct. You ought to seek battles, boy! Preferably the kinds that gamble your life at stake.”

“You don’t need to tell me.” Kane smiled.

“Well, just don't die. I’ll be off. Good night!” He flew away into the darkness.

The next morning, every participant stood in front of the portal to receive a briefing. Each group was given a bag full of supplies that would last for a week and a map. It might be a little overboard for most people, but for Kane, there was no such thing as being over-prepared.

His members did a second check for everything to ensure nothing important was missing. Judging from their composure and preparation, they had gone through similar events several times. No wonder that their teacher wasn’t very involved as he was watching from far away.

The groups entered the portal based on a random pick. After their bodies were transported, the others had to wait for a while before they could enter to prevent any complications. Filling the time, Leonard revised their plan.

Finally, their turns had arrived. Kane and others stepped forward. The closer they got to the dimensional tear, the quicker it pulsated. With a nod from Leonard, they leaped inside.

Everything turned black as frequent lightning occurred in the distance. Floating in the temporal vacuum, Kane was unsure whether he or the space itself was moving. Then, another hole was spotted, and they were moving toward it.

The trip ended abruptly as they plunged from above. Kane along with Class-S students found themselves in a wide cylindrical hallway. Triangle windows were installed with a pattern between them, giving access to the outside. Lava cascades flowed from above into a bottomless abyss.

“Is everyone alright?” said Leonard.

“We’re fine,” Lamille replied, standing up. “Whoa, it’s really a dilapidated castle!”

“What an unpleasant environment… The heat is making my skin rough.” Hymar then hydrated his reptilian skin with a water spell.

“Enemies behind us!” Kane alerted them, causing everyone to turn around.

Behind them, three human-sized red bugs emitted incoherent noises. Their physical appearance matched Maur's description; they were akin to oversized beetles that donned plate-like carapace armor. Magic circles formed above their heads. They’re attacking!