Chapter 2 – The Arch-Nemesis on the Same Boat

At this moment, Lin Wei stood on the brownish deck, surveying the hull of this “Magic Wheel,” his mood somewhat complicated. The entire ship was dilapidated, looking more like a small fishing boat compared to the merchant ships docked at the port. Moreover, it lacked the sails that other ships had, making it stand out awkwardly. The hull rocked back and forth with the waves, making one’s heart race with anxiety.

Xipo, the tester, seemed accustomed to this uniquely shabby Magic Wheel, showing no signs of discomfort on his face. He comforted Lin Wei, who looked rather uneasy: “You’ll get used to it soon.”

Lin Wei couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the thought of the wealthy Magic Association providing such a small and rickety mode of transportation for its next generation. Xipo chuckled awkwardly and explained, “Our ship has to cross an entire ocean, and halfway through, we’ll be affected by the psychic waves of the Mermaid Clan. Therefore, it requires a variety of magical enhancements, but the materials capable of withstanding multiple types of magic are extremely rare…”

As Lin Wei listened to Xipo’s explanation, he followed him into the ship’s cabin.

The interior of the cabin was far more impressive than its exterior. The walls were embedded with crystals that emitted a faint glow, illuminating the slightly dim cabin. After descending the stairs, a long corridor stretched out before them, lined with doors. Both the walls and each door were engraved with complex symbols and patterns, some of which even faintly shimmered with light.

Xipo explained, “The Magic Wheel was built by the first president of the Magic Association over a thousand years ago, during its founding. These are the runes carved by the Archmages of that time. The ones that still glow are the ones that remain effective to this day.”

The world of Mages seemed distant to ordinary people, and even the Empire couldn’t fully comprehend this ancient existence with its long history. As such, Lin Wei still knew very little about the history of the Magic World.

Curious, he asked, “Why don’t we just fly to Siren Island?”

Although flying was an unimaginable feat for ordinary people, Lin Wei knew that among the rare Mages, flying around was as common as walking. They seemed to avoid walking as much as possible, as if afraid that the dust on the ground would dirty their pristine Magic Robes. When it came to long-distance travel, they would even fly for an entire day without landing.

Xipo replied, “The Magic Wheel is the birthplace of the Magic Association. In its early days, it had multiple forms and once accompanied the six founding members of the Magic Association on their explorations across the continent. It could even be considered a symbol of the Magic Association on the mainland. However, it was severely damaged during an adventure at the edge of the continent, and since then, it has only been able to maintain its ship form. For over a thousand years, all new members of the Magic World have had to take this ship to enter the Magic Academy as a form of commemoration.” Speaking of this, Xipo’s face was filled with pride. “Magic has existed since the earliest days of the continent’s history, but it truly reached its peak during the founding of the Magic Association. Our Floating Sky Capital was also built during that time. Back then, Elves, Dwarves, and the Dragon Clan were all under the rule of the Magic Association. Unfortunately, their descendants have become scarce, and as humanity has flourished, they have gradually disappeared.”

At this moment, the door closest to them in the corridor opened, likely because the person inside had heard their conversation. Lin Wei turned around and saw a girl with wine-red hair poking her head out of the door, cheerfully greeting Xipo as he passed by: “Master Xipo!”

At first glance, Lin Wei felt that her appearance was somewhat familiar, but upon closer recollection, she didn’t seem like someone he had encountered on the battlefield.

Xipo introduced her to Lin Wei: “This is Haitie. You’ll be studying together at the academy.”

Lin Wei introduced himself to Haitie, who kept smiling at him throughout. She had a pair of deep blue eyes, and her ever-present smile made her seem very lively and spirited.

“I’m from the Astrology Tower in the north. What about you?”

Although magical talent was extremely rare, in places where Mages gathered and among Mage families, the chances of children with talent appearing were always slightly higher. Clearly, Haitie was one of them.

As for Lin Wei, who came from a pure-blooded family with no Mages in its lineage for over a dozen generations, he could only awkwardly scratch his nose and reply, “I’m from the Imperial Capital.”

Haitie stuck out her tongue, a bit embarrassed. “It’s fine! We’re all Mages now. Life in the Magic World is much more fun than in the Empire!”

After the introductions, Haitie asked Xipo, “Master Xipo, are there only two of us this year?”

“No, there are three people this year, but his situation is a bit special… You’ll be studying together, so take care of him.”

Lin Wei didn’t know how many students the Magic Academy usually accepted each year, but three people seemed rather few. This meant that the number of new members in the Magic World each year was almost the same as the number of Mages secretly recruited by the Empire’s Mage Corps. As for whether the third person was Duan Yu, based on his memories from his past life, that person didn’t seem like someone who “needed care.” Lin Wei felt somewhat relieved, but this realization also left him with a subtle sense of regret. According to rumors, Duan Yu was a once-in-a-generation magical genius in the Magic World. As someone who had been at odds with him for half his life and was only a half-baked Summoner, Lin Wei knew full well that he was no match for Duan Yu in a one-on-one fight. Now that he finally had the opportunity to learn the most orthodox magic, he couldn’t help but feel a bit competitive.

However—this complicated feeling completely vanished the moment he saw a certain figure with distinctive dark golden hair on the dock.

Mages were highly perceptive, and Xipo immediately noticed Lin Wei’s momentarily stunned expression. “Do you know him?”

Lin Wei immediately denied it.

Xipo said, “Your expression just now was strange. I thought you two had some history.” And not a good one, at that.

Lin Wei replied with a straight face, “Maybe it’s because I rarely see someone better-looking than myself.”

Haitie burst out laughing.

“But is there something wrong with him? He seems normal.”

Before disembarking, Xipo answered Haitie, “He’s blind.”

Huh? Was this a joke? Lin Wei thought in surprise. Had things changed since he was reborn?—That guy’s eyes had always been perfectly fine in the past.

As Duan Yu gradually approached them, it became apparent that his eyes were indeed half-closed. Although they were open, there was no sparkle in them. His dark golden pupils were hidden behind long lashes, giving him an indescribable beauty.

Lin Wei glanced at Haitie beside him and noticed that the girl’s eyes had widened slightly, staring unblinkingly at Duan Yu. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—this guy’s looks were truly a curse.

At this time, there weren’t many people on the dock, and Xipo didn’t have much trouble leading him onto the ship. The rocking of the ship caused the blind Mage to stumble slightly at first, but he quickly regained his balance.

Duan Yu, led by Xipo, approached Haitie and Lin Wei. Now, his eyes were no longer half-closed. Although they still lacked focus, it felt as if he was indeed “looking” at them.

Lin Wei had a guess. He released his still-nascent spiritual energy to observe and found that the surrounding environment was covered in a faint golden hue. This meant that Duan Yu was truly using his spiritual energy to “see” them. However, while spiritual energy could assist Mages in observation, it couldn’t fully replace vision. In other words, everything related to magic in Duan Yu’s view was composed of the trajectories of various Magic Elements. The three of them on the ship probably looked like three differently colored blobs to him. As for ordinary objects, although they contained some Magic Elements, the amount was so minimal that they would only appear as faint outlines. If he wasn’t careful, he might walk straight into a wall.

Well, in his past life, from the first time Lin Wei had met Duan Yu, the guy had been a final opponent with both a formidable mind and combat prowess, and his eyes had been perfectly fine. Now, this blind youth who had trouble walking normally was a bit beyond Lin Wei’s expectations…

Xipo introduced the two to Duan Yu, who simply replied with two words: “Duan Yu.”

Haitie seemed to remember something and asked Duan Yu, “Duan Yu, are you from that family in the Valley of Metal?”

Duan Yu’s tone remained indifferent. “Yes.”

Lin Wei knew of the family Duan Yu came from. It was an ancient lineage with a unique and advantageous Bloodline. Almost everyone in the family had considerable magical talent and a special affinity for the Metal Element. However, by now, the family’s numbers had dwindled significantly.

By this time, it was already dusk. The sun slowly sank into the sea amidst a glorious array of clouds, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd gradually quieted down. Many ships of various sizes were docked at the port, but few were heading out to sea.

Xipo unfurled an ancient scroll and began chanting an obscure incantation. The ship’s rocking slowly ceased, and as if it had gained a consciousness of its own, it turned around, bypassing the docked ships, and sailed toward the massive setting sun on the vast sea. It had only a few empty masts, but one could vaguely sense a powerful force surging there.

Lin Wei leaned against the ship’s railing, gazing into the distance. The familiar sunset reminded him of the war-torn wasteland, but his current situation was worlds apart from then—the feeling of drifting away from the mainland on the same ship as his arch-nemesis was truly hard to describe.