In Miracle City, there was an Alchemy Association with a long history.A beautiful 25-year-old woman named Carmen served as its director.Despite her youth, she had proven herself a capable leader, surpassing many of her older colleagues.Initially, some whispered that she had used her beauty to attain her position, but her talent and genius in alchemy soon silenced the doubters.This morning, as Carmen sorted through the association's emails, she deleted the usual love letters from her device without a second glance.Her attention was caught by an email titled "15 Applications of Gotu Kola Grass in Alchemy."She frowned slightly. Gotu Kola Grass was commonly regarded as worthless, used only for making tea for digestive problems.Intrigued but skeptical, she opened the email.Inside, the author described over fifteen uses for the herb.Notably, adding a small amount to the Mana-Gathering Pill and Body-Strengthening Pill could boost their effectiveness by 35% and increase the success r
As night embraced the quiet elegance of her room, Sofie sat at her desk, immersed in her research.She pored over the texts, searching for anything about the "blizzard" magic pattern that Alex had drawn, but even her family’s old volumes offered no clue."Where did Alex find this inscription pattern?" she murmured, frustration curling in her voice.Just then, a graceful woman entered, her movements poised. "Princess Sofie, you called for me?" she asked with a gentle smile."Teacher Tatiana, you're a master in magic inscriptions. Have you ever seen this pattern before?"Sofie’s eyes shone with a sliver of hope as she looked up at her private tutor.Tatiana’s gaze dropped to the drawing on the desk, and her eyes widened."Where did you find this? I've never seen anything like it," she said, her voice touched with awe."Even you don’t recognize it?" Sofie whispered in disbelief. If Teacher Tatiana—a master—didn’t know it, could Alex have created this pattern himself?"It does resemble 'B
Meanwhile, Alex sat down across from Sofie."So, how are you doing?" he asked with a gentle smile.His calm confidence set him apart from other boys his age.Sofie felt a mix of curiosity and admiration. She was impressed by his vast knowledge; even her teacher Tatiana thought Alex might be a great master of inscriptions."Alex, I tested the inscription pattern you gave me," Sofie began. "It's indeed the complete version of the 'Blizzard' magic pattern.""Oh," he replied simply. For him, it wasn't something to boast about.Sofie realized that despite his talents, Alex remained humble.She felt a bit ashamed of her own pride. Compared to him, she had little to show off.She began to admire him more. Though it wasn't love, he was the only boy she felt comfortable around."Here's the talent crystal you asked me to bring," Sofie said, handing it to him."Inject your mana into it," Alex instructed.As she did, Alex carefully observed her elemental affinities and the form of her mana. He wa
"Really?" Alex's eyes narrowed as he stared down Vlad, a cold smirk playing on his lips."I don't see how you plan to kill me today."Vlad's face twisted with rage, and he began to signal to his lackeys.But before they could act, the library doors swung open.Carlos, Ethan, and a crowd of commoner students poured in, their gazes locking onto Vlad with open hostility."You all better stay out of Bolton family business with this loser," Vlad snarled, his voice dripping with menace. "You'll regret it."Ethan stepped forward, his jaw set and eyes blazing. "Even if I have to take you down for big brother Alex, I won't regret it.""Yeah!" Natalie and several other students shouted, their voices echoing off the library walls.Their numbers swelled, quickly surrounding Vlad's six lackeys.Vlad's confidence wavered as he felt the weight of their united stares.His plan had been to eliminate Alex quietly, but now, with so many witnesses, he felt trapped.Even though Richard Bolton waited just
As Alex left the store, he noticed a lively group of noble students nearby, clustered around a tall boy flaunting a sleek piece of armour he just bought."This is the Platinum Dark Armor," the boy announced proudly. "It's bronze-ranked and costs a hundred thousand dollars!"The speaker was Renault, a member of the prestigious DuPont family—one of the four major noble houses and the wealthiest among them all.At fifteen, he was already a 5-star bronze rank, close to silver.His reputation was well-established, and he was rarely seen without an entourage of admirers."With this armor, I’m unbeatable below silver rank!" he boasted, his confidence sparking admiring glances from several girls who sent him flirtatious smiles.Handsome and rich, he seemed to have everyone’s adoration.Renault shrugged, then tossed the armor casually to one of his lackeys."It’s yours," he said as if it were nothing.The group fell silent, stunned.Giving away an item so expensive without a second thought was
Alex wore his exo-armor beneath his standard uniform.Its concealed strength could withstand a silver-ranked fighter’s attack with ease, making the blows from Vlad’s six lackeys feel like nothing more than pillow strikes.Knowing that Alex hadn’t yet reached bronze rank, Vlad had sent senior fighters—all bronze rank, with two at 1-star and four at 2-star.By all rights, they should have overwhelmed him, especially given their relentless assault.But instead of faltering under the blows, Alex's voice rang out even louder, echoing between the Institute buildings."Help! The Bolton Family is trying to murder me!" His shout drew students to their windows, a murmur of alarm spreading through the crowd."Isn't that Alex?""I heard he crossed the Bolton Family!""Didn’t he expose their plagiarism of the Bolton Inscription Pattern? This must be revenge!""Unbelievable! Trying to kill a student on campus?""Someone, get the principal!"More and more students pulled out their phones, recording
Seeing Sofie beside Alex, Cassandra felt a surge of jealousy twist in her chest.She and everyone at the institute knew Alex had feelings for Sofie, but she couldn’t suppress her own.Alex was the first boy to truly touch her heart and had somehow captured it effortlessly.She believed she was the only one who truly recognized his talents, hoping she might eventually win his attention.But now, it looked like Alex and Sofie were getting closer."So what," Cassandra muttered to herself, straightening her shoulders. "It just means I have to try harder to win his heart.""Alex, let me help you back to class. I brought breakfast for you," she offered gently, supporting him as they walked.She even went as far as to hold his arm closely, pulling him to her side.Feeling her warmth, Alex glanced awkwardly over at Sofie. "Sofie, I...""The matter's settled, so I’ll be going," Sofie cut in, turning away.She didn’t understand why seeing them together unsettled her, but it did."He’s just a no
Alex sat beneath the tree, lost in thought, a quiet ache tugging at his heart.He missed his family, but he couldn’t see them.All students were confined to the school dormitory, allowed home only twice a year.Only the noble-born had the privilege of leaving freely; anyone else caught sneaking away faced punishment.In a month, after exams, he’d have a brief reunion with his family.His father had recently hinted that their family might regain noble status—though temporarily, in exchange for a fireball inscription.For Alex, even a temporary nobility was enough; he would make it last this time.He would rise to the rank of a top expert—a gold rank, maybe even legend rank—to protect them from the looming danger.Within a few years, demon beasts would attack without relent. Time was against him.The Artificial Intelligence Black Box was crucial for the future, and he had to obtain it.As night fell and silence blanketed the area, a sudden sound behind him made his muscles tense.Withou