Dark Magus Returns

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as Raze had expected to combine the enchanted item with the artifact. In fact, the only real challenge was making the two connect in a way that wouldn’t raise suspicion. The artifact itself was far more powerful than the original item it was being merged with.

What Raze ended up doing was fairly straightforward: he reworked the staff so that Beatrix’s Qi could flow naturally through it, linking directly to the orb embedded at the top. The staff would now act as a conduit, channeling her energy and disguising the artifact’s true potential under the guise of Earth magic.

By morning, the modification was complete.

Raze handed the staff over to Beatrix just as the rest of the dorm woke up. Curious, they all gathered around to watch as she tested it.

Beatrix closed her eyes, focusing her Qi into the staff. Instantly, objects around the room began to shift and move, responding to her will. She reshaped a cluster of scattered chairs and floated them mid-air, then gently returned them to their original positions.

It worked. Flawlessly.

“Be careful with how you use that,” Raze warned. “The artifact can manipulate terrain in any form, using your Qi. That’s why it worked so well indoors, it doesn’t need to rely on existing materials.”

He looked at the others, knowing at least a few of them were listening in.

“Earth mages have to either construct earth using their mana and mold it, or control what’s already there. Creating from scratch takes a ton of mana. That’s why Earth mages perform best outdoors, in open environments.”

Safa nodded as she jotted notes in her notebook. She appreciated details like these, things most advanced mages skipped over assuming everyone already knew. But most of them had skipped the foundational training.

“And the staff’s changed appearance, won’t that be an issue?” Beatrix asked, examining the sleek new look.

“Just say someone in your family is good with enchantments and reconstruction,” Raze said. “Don’t mention me. We’ve already got enough eyes on us.”

With that handled, the group fell into a comfortable rhythm at the academy. Over the next few days, things went… unusually well.

Unlike their time at Pagna, there were no early conflicts, no targeted mockery. Students at Alterian had taken a strange liking to them, helping them, giving them nicknames, even asking questions to learn from them. It was a nice change.

Beatrix continued to get attention from boys. Not just in A-Class, her reputation was spreading quickly through the school. Meanwhile, Safa was becoming a minor celebrity.

People began calling her the Saintess, and Diana had started to notice that the queues for healing magic were getting longer and longer by the day.

Still, Safa had seen real progress. Her star level hadn’t just gone up once, but twice. She’d officially reached Five Star status.

Thankfully, Diana was with her every step of the way. The transition was smooth and precise. Even so, Diana kept her advancement quiet. She was worried.

Despite Safa’s quick growth, Diana knew the girl’s magical foundation was still weak. She was smart, but underdeveloped, too much attention from the other teachers might put her under pressure she wasn’t ready for. Or worse… they might try to take her away to train her themselves.

For now, Diana kept things quiet.

Liam, meanwhile, was thriving in his own way. His academic performance had turned heads among both boys and girls. After years of being teased or ignored, the newfound popularity was more than welcome.

And like Beatrix, Dame had no shortage of admirers. Every hallway he walked down earned second glances.

While everyone blended into academy life, they also continued to carry out the task Raze had given them.

The phrase: Fear the unseen.

They’d repeated it to dozens of students. All of A-Class had been checked, some more than once. But no one responded with the secret line Raze had told them to listen for.

For we are always near.

They asked him what the words meant. What it all pointed to. But Raze had kept quiet.

For now, he said, it was better they didn’t know. The truth about the Dark Guild, and its current movements, was still something he himself was unraveling.

“Alright, everyone!” Teacher Redrick’s booming voice pulled the room to attention. “You’ve all worked hard up to this point, and now, we’re getting close to the Magical Exchange.”

Whispers and murmurs rippled through the students. Some grinned. Others stiffened.

“This is the event where academies gather at the Central Academy to showcase their most exceptional students. It’s not just about prestige, though that’s a part of it. Being selected proves that your academy is producing top-tier mages.”

Redrick’s eyes scanned the room.

“And that means only ten of you will be chosen to represent Alterian’s A-Class.”

There was a mix of excitement and anxiety. Everyone wanted in.

“There will be two phases of assessments,” Redrick continued. “The first is combat-based, a battle assessment between students. But listen carefully, it’s not just about raw power.

“We’re not picking the strongest mage. We’re looking for the most special ones.”

The room went still.

“Yes, the Central Academy will have powerful mages, but this is about magical exchange. If you bring something unique, something no one else can, you have a shot.

“That said, you still need to be able to fight. Victory in your battle will weigh heavily in your evaluation, but it won’t be the only thing we look at.”

He gave them a moment to take that in.

“From that assessment, twenty students will be chosen to move forward. Then comes the second phase.”

Redrick’s tone shifted. Serious now.

“All twenty of you will enter a dimensional portal. With a teacher accompanying you, you’ll venture into a hostile realm. There, you’ll face real beasts in real combat. No sparring. No safety nets.”

He folded his arms.

“During this phase, we’ll judge how well you adapt, how you respond to chaos, pressure, and danger. Your reactions, strategy, leadership, and resilience… that will determine who’s truly ready.”

A long silence followed.

Then Redrick’s voice rose one last time.

“So… are you ready?”

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