Chapter 4 – Dragons, Magic, and the Academy

The little mermaid shuffled over to the edge of the ice, her slender, finned arm reaching out to tug at the hem of Duan Yu’s robe.

Duan Yu bent down, and the little mermaid studied him with her round, unblinking eyes. After a while, she even affectionately hugged his arm.

Duan Yu, suddenly receiving such treatment, seemed a bit flustered, while the others watching this scene were utterly stunned—especially Xipo, who had just presented a gift to the mermaid.

Only when the adult mermaid splashed a few waves did the little mermaid reluctantly wave her tail and swim away.

The group returned to the deck from the icy steps, and amidst the question of “Are mermaids always this friendly?” Xipo, utterly confused, admitted that he had never encountered such a situation before.

Although mermaids and Mages had a good relationship, it was rare to see a mermaid so eager to be close to a Mage.

At this point, Duan Yu spoke up: “That mermaid has a metal attribute.”

“Metal attribute?”

Unlike humans, who could sense all elements with their magical talents and tended to specialize in one for better communication with elements, other races were different. Their talents were often limited to one magic element, and within a race, the talent was usually fixed.

For example, the mermaid clan of the Siren Sea possessed exceptional water magic talent, capable of manipulating waves. More powerful mermaids might even use higher-level water magic, such as freezing or melting ice.

Thus, a mermaid with a metal attribute was truly extraordinary.

After hearing Xipo’s explanation, the mermaid’s affection for Duan Yu made sense.

A mermaid who was different from her kind, unable to use the same magic as her clan, and living in an endless ocean where metal elements were exceedingly scarce—no wonder she had been so warm toward Duan Yu.

At this point, Haitie asked, “But since the mermaid clan has always had a water attribute for generations, why would a metal-attribute mermaid appear?”

Xipo frowned slightly, “Perhaps there’s a special reason. We should inform the Academy Headmaster after we arrive at the academy.”

“Is it that serious?”

“If this is due to elemental disturbances in the seabed, it could be a major event,” Xipo nodded. “There are too many unknowns on the continent. Even though we Mages can communicate with elements, we still don’t know what might happen.”

Haitie looked at Xipo and said, “My mother has said the same thing.”

Xipo gazed at the vast sea under the moonlight, seemingly sighing, “Although Mages often pride themselves as the closest beings to the gods, over the past few centuries, what we’ve done is merely explore this continent as much as possible, hoping to one day understand all its secrets.”

Haitie continued, “Just like the first generation of Mage leaders who disappeared in the endless ocean.”

Lin Wei stared fixedly at Xipo’s back. Before his eyes, white sea mist seemed to rise, blurring his vision. The ship’s railing seemed to transform into the intricately carved balcony railings of the Imperial Capital’s palace, and the figure before him overlapped with that of a tall man in luxurious attire.

The newly crowned Emperor, having just released the Empress’s arm, stepped out from the warm banquet hall filled with laughter and chatter. He wearily removed his crown, and the cold winter wind tousled his shoulder-length deep red hair, which now seemed somewhat dull despite its noble hue.

Lin Wei stood behind him, his black cloak concealing his noble attire, the wide hood hiding his face, leaving only his pale chin and colorless thin lips exposed—an image no different from the evil Mages depicted in the ancient murals of the Empire.

“Lin Wei, you are a Mage. You know how many terrifying things a Mage can do,” the Emperor turned around, his sharp gaze more striking than his chiseled features. “Since the first day I ascended the throne, the thought of that evil Kalaway City looming over the Imperial Capital has made it hard for me to breathe.”

Lin Wei slowly knelt on one knee under his gaze, “I will be loyal to you, Your Majesty.”

A hint of satisfaction flashed across the Emperor’s face but was quickly overshadowed by gloom, “Mages are a group of devils. No one knows what they are planning, and I will end them…”

Mages are all devils.

He had long accepted his fate, understanding that he, like every previous head of the Tidis family, would forsake so-called freedom and add another mark to the Flame Sword’s long list of achievements. The only difference was that while his ancestors used swords to expand the Empire’s borders, he would use magic to eliminate hidden threats for the Emperor.

Lin Wei clearly remembered himself at that time, bowing even lower before the ruler of the Empire, silently acknowledging his identity as a “tamed devil” and demonstrating his loyalty to the Empire.

He had never imagined that he would one day be on a vast, free ocean, listening to two young Mages speak with firm and pure tones about their longing to explore the continent.

And the world of Mages—were they aware of the scent of smoke rising from the Empire?

At this moment, more clearly than when he had removed the Five-Colored Cloud Stone, he realized that he was about to embark on a completely different path. The end of this path was shrouded in thick fog, with known and unknown storms lurking, waiting to swallow passing ships in the vast ocean of fate.

But no matter what, he had temporarily escaped the suffocating swamp of the Imperial Capital, escaped the lifeless Mage Corps, and was about to truly step into the world of Mages for the first time, with the chance to find an answer to a question in his heart.

Are Mages closest to gods, or to devils?

As the moon reached its zenith, Xipo called the three of them into the cabin to sleep.

“We’ll arrive at Siren Island by noon tomorrow at the latest.”

Haitie cheered, and judging by her excitement, she was unlikely to sleep tonight.

Well, after tossing and turning in bed for a while, Lin Wei had to admit that he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep either.

What would the Magic Academy be like?

Would there be eccentric old men flying around everywhere? Or cheerful, smiling young Mages like Haitie?

He just wondered… was Duan Yu as excited as he was?

Lin Wei gave up on trying to sleep and stared out the window at the water.

Remembering how flustered Duan Yu had been when the little mermaid hugged his arm, Lin Wei couldn’t help but laugh.

Turns out that annoying guy was actually kind of cute when he was younger.

————————————

Lin Wei didn’t fall asleep until very late, and the next morning, he woke up hungry.

The sunlight streaming through the window made his face feel warm. Lin Wei covered his eyes with the back of his hand, realizing he must have overslept.

Sure enough, when he finished getting ready and stepped out of the cabin, he found he was the last one on deck.

Xipo waved a grilled fish at him, “Come here!”

There was food on the ship—the Magic Academy wouldn’t be so stingy as to make its students catch fish to fill their stomachs. It seemed they were just having some fun.

“A rare dark green fish, come try it.”

Haitie proudly recounted the process of catching this small magical beast of a fish, using small spells like Eagle Eye, Daze, and Ice Blade, which made Lin Wei, who couldn’t use these, feel a bit frustrated.

However, the dark green fish was indeed delicious, perfectly soothing Lin Wei’s half-empty stomach.

As the sun rose higher, the light became slightly blinding, but none of them went back to the cabin. Instead, they leaned against the ship’s railing, eager to catch the first glimpse of their destination.

Finally, the Magic Wheel began passing by scattered small islands covered in dense vegetation, and in the distance on the horizon, the shadow of a large island appeared.

Facing the unknown, long-awaited place that was finally coming into view, newcomers couldn’t help but hold their breath.

The first thing they saw were several floating islands high in the sky, surrounded by thick, colorful clouds that kept them suspended. Two giant black beasts with massive wings circled the skies, letting out long, piercing cries. In the ocean below, massive shadows occasionally moved, sometimes churning up high waves.

“Mr. Xipo, is that a dragon? And what’s in the water?”

Xipo smiled and nodded, “The two in the sky are dragons, and the ones in the water are some top-tier magical beasts.”

Such a scene was undoubtedly impactful, as evidenced by the slightly open mouths of Lin Wei and Haitie.

As they got closer, the island’s features became clearer, and Haitie even cast an Eagle Eye spell on Lin Wei so he could see more clearly.

Siren Island was large, and like the small islands along the way, it was covered in tall, dense vegetation. Only a few areas and the very center of the island had been cleared for the Magic Academy.

At the center, surrounded by over a dozen tall, translucent crystal pillars of various colors, the tops of the pillars were adorned with statues of different forms, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight.

The main structure was a tall castle, with a lake in front of it. Extending from the castle were various flying bridges connecting all the buildings on the island. Perhaps due to the dense magic elements, the air here seemed clearer, and the colors appeared more vivid.

The Magic Wheel gradually slowed and finally stopped not far from the shore.

One of the dragons let out a sharp cry, flapped its wings a few times, and flew toward them. Thanks to the Eagle Eye spell, Lin Wei saw a green-robed old man sitting on the dragon’s back, waving at them.

The dragon’s speed was beyond description—it was almost instantaneous. In the blink of an eye, the massive shadow of the dragon enveloped the small Magic Wheel, and the old Mage’s booming voice rang out, “Children, come on up—”

Before he knew it, Lin Wei felt himself swept up by a powerful gust of wind, as if an invisible hand had lifted him up and tossed him precisely onto the dragon’s back. The dragon’s large scales were cool and rough, like armor forged from metal.

The dragon skimmed over the water and soared high into the sky. Lin Wei opened his eyes against the rushing wind, and before him was the ever-expanding view of the Magic Academy.

—This was the place he had finally reached.