High above the plateau, surrounded by deep chasms and the golden peaks of Mount Caelorum, stood the Arcane Radiance College — the foremost Magus academy and the supreme magical authority in the Luminos Kingdom. Its Magus towers pierced the heavens, and its grand halls echoed with the footsteps of those who had long shaped the world of magic.

  But today, the tallest and most imposing Magus tower at the academy’s center was cloaked in a sense of unease.

  Inside the Grand Assembly Hall, beneath a dome of starlight-infused crystal, the twelve deans of the Arcane Radiance College gathered in a ring, flanked by elder professors and high-ranking Magi. At the center of the chamber, seated upon the throne-like chair reserved for the college’s leader, was Headmaster Magnar Elvanius — an aged, silver-bearded Sigil Conversion Magus whose eyes burned with the intensity of twin stars.

  The atmosphere was quite serious.

  “I’ve reviewed the full report,” Dean Caldrin of the Astral Division began, tapping a scroll against the polished marble. “A new Magus academy has emerged in the Vesta region, at the border of the territory of Brightmoon, right inside the Thornwood Forest. It calls itself the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi — and it was founded by a young man named Victor Asteriscus.”

  “Victor Asteriscus? Of the Asteriscus Magus family?” Dean Thalassa of the Lux Division scoffed. “How can a supposedly third-stage Initiate Attunement of a barely medium-sized Magus family establish a Magus academy, defeat the Merlin family’s patriarch, and seize Brightmoon City almost overnight? Wasn’t he once an acolyte of the Arcane Radiance College?”

  “The Merlins were fools,” muttered another dean. “But still, what Dean Thalassa said is correct. The report from his mentor stated that he left the Arcane Radiance College on an expedition to Thornwood Forest less than a year ago. Clearly, this Victor is dangerous and holds many secrets.”

  Headmaster Magnar slowly opened his eyes. “What do we know of this Victor?”

  A projection appeared, showing a blue-haired young man floating in the air, raising his hand toward an army of acolytes and golems as dirigibles soared above.

  “He’s an Elemental Adept Magus,” Caldrin reported. “He’s proficient in both Cosmo and Chrono affinities, and I have confirmed this personally. Furthermore, his academy boasts thousands of acolytes, each wielding numerous unique spells. He may also have access to lost spell models… and he’s backed by a mysterious force we have yet to identify, nor can we make heads and tails at the moment.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Thalassa, narrowing her eyes.

  “You see, the mechanical golems his Magus academy employs resemble those from before the Dark Era. After careful observation, I discovered something strange — these acolytes are… odd. They seem to appear out of thin air and possess the ability to learn, grow, die, and return… all without fear.”

  The projection turned to show the acolytes advancing against their enemies without the slightest trace of fear. No matter how many of them were killed, they kept charging, even resorting to suicide bombing, all for the sake of accomplishing their objective. It was as though they had been brainwashed.

  A heavy silence fell over the room.

  “This…” one professor whispered, voice tight with unease. “Are these acolytes even human?”

  “No,” one of the deans murmured, steepling his fingers. “They are dangerous… especially since they can grow stronger and replenish their numbers with alarming speed.”

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  The gravity of the situation settled over the hall like a storm cloud. Everyone present understood the significance of what had just been revealed.

  Victor Asteriscus was no longer some curiosity lurking at the edge of the kingdom. He was a growing threat. A force that could one day challenge the Arcane Radiance College’s long-standing supremacy.

  “Then the question is simple,” Dean Caldrin asked at last. “Do we acknowledge this Sanctum like we did with other Magus forces… or do we erase it before it grows further?”

  “I vote for immediate erasure,” snapped Dean Rovar of the External Affairs Division, slamming his fist against the table. “This isn’t a sanctioned force. This Victor left our institution, stole knowledge, and used it to establish a rogue academy in a territory we once governed. And now, he has the gall to defeat the Merlins and seize Brightmoon City? That is an act of war, plain and simple.”

  Several others murmured in agreement.

  It didn’t matter whether Victor’s academy had acted in self-defense — the fact that they had crushed the Merlins and claimed Brightmoon City was reason enough for the Arcane Radiance College to respond with force.

  “This Magus force is not like the other minor factions we tolerate,” he continued. “They’ve amassed thousands of acolytes in under a year. If we allow them to grow unchecked, we won’t be facing a nuisance — we’ll be facing a rival. And next time, they might be the ones deciding our fate.”

  Headmaster Magnar remained silent, but the gleam in his star-like eyes flickered with deep thought. After a moment, he stood slowly, his aura rippling like a rising tide.

  “Send a diplomatic envoy first… and a shadow strike team. Regardless of whether we intend to extinguish him and his force or bring them to heel, we must first uncover their secrets and true intentions. If Victor Asteriscus wishes to establish a new Magus force, then he must abide by the rules and prove that he’s worthy.”

  “As you wish, Headmaster.”

  Everyone in the room agreed without a single word of complaint.

  The words of a peak Sigil Conversion Magus were absolute in a world where power reigned supreme. Even though all the deans present were at least peak Nexus Temporal Magi — with some just half a step away from Sigil Conversion — their strength paled in comparison to Magnar’s. He was an elite among Sigil Conversion Magi.

  Moreover, Magnar wasn’t the only one of his rank in the Arcane Radiance College. Three others remained in secluded meditation or deep experimentation of the arcane, only emerging when the academy itself stood on the brink of crisis.

  With its millennia of foundation, the Arcane Radiance College was the hegemon of the Luminos Kingdom — the force that ruled the kingdom from behind the scenes. It had about a thousand Elemental Adept Magi, dozens of Nexus Temporal Magi, and four Sigil Conversion Magi. The total number of acolytes alone was in the tens of thousands, and that did not even count those who had already graduated.

  Victor’s Magus academy was just an ant in front of this titan. The two couldn’t even be spoken of in the same breath.

  And yet… that very ant had just devoured a lion.

  In less than a year, Victor had gathered an army of loyal acolytes, defeated a Magus family with deep-rooted connections, and claimed an entire city for himself. Such explosive growth defied every conventional rule of Magus society.

  Magnar remained cautious in handling the matter. Not because of the strength the Sanctum had amassed, nor the possibility that Victor was a once-in-an-era genius — but because there might be someone, or a mysterious force, supporting that academy from behind the scenes. Possibly from outside the kingdom… or even from outside this world.

  He stroked his silver beard in contemplation. As a vast and ancient Magus institution, the Arcane Radiance College was not without its enemies.

  The neighboring Demornial Kingdom had long stood as an equal rival to the Luminos Kingdom, its enmity dating back to the very founding of both realms. More concerning, however, was the Magus force backing them — a force just as powerful and ancient as the Arcane Radiance College.

  If the Mausoleum of Eternal Dusk is the one behind this, then the once-every-hundred-year war is imminent. But if it’s not them… Magnar creased his brows.

  There was one more Magus force that he remained deeply wary of — a force so elusive and ancient that not even the combined might of the Luminos Kingdom could contend with it: the Doomsday Cult. If they were the ones supporting the swift rise of the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi, then this situation would be far more than a territorial dispute.

  There might be some hidden motive behind this sudden emergence — one that even he, a Sigil Conversion Magus, could not yet grasp.

  Hence, Magnar decided to verify this matter with his own hands.

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