At the entrance of Aetherion Arcane Academy, a lone boy stood silently beneath the enormous silver gates.
Students walked past him endlessly.
Some wore expensive noble uniforms decorated with family crests while others casually showed off small displays of magic while talking with friends. Floating lights drifted through the academy courtyard while distant explosions echoed from practical combat classes somewhere deeper inside the campus.
Will Grey quietly stared at the academy buildings towering before him.
Then he spoke softly to himself.
"What do people value most in this academy?"
His eyes slowly moved toward students practicing magic nearby.
A fire spell exploded brilliantly into the air.
Several students applauded.
Will smiled bitterly.
"Magic ability… of course."
That was the answer.
In this world…
Magic was everything.
Authority.
Status.
Respect.
Power.
Everything belonged to those born talented.
And someone like him—
A boy who couldn't properly cast even a single spell—
was called talentless trash.
A loser.
Will slowly began walking through the academy grounds.
Students passed beside him without even looking his way while others whispered quietly after recognizing him.
"The defective mage…"
"He still hasn't dropped out?"
"How embarrassing…"
Will ignored all of it.
Still…
A determined light remained inside his eyes.
"So how can someone like me ever survive in this academy?"
He tightened his fists slightly.
"How can someone like me ever hope to work his way toward becoming a Mage Lord?"
For a brief moment, silence filled his thoughts.
Then—
His lips slowly curled upward.
"I'll tell you how."
The world around him suddenly shifted.
Steel flashed.
Blood splattered across stone walls.
A wolf-like monster lunged toward him inside the dark lower floors of Eclipse Tower.
Will instantly stepped forward.
His sword sliced across the creature's neck before it could even react.
The monster collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Another beast rushed from behind.
Will twisted his body sharply, dodging claws by inches before punching forward with his left hand.
The magical glove wrapped around his arm glowed faintly.
BOOM.
The creature flew backward violently into the dungeon wall.
Will breathed heavily while blood dripped from his blade.
"If I keep going into the Tower…"
Another monster fell.
"And keep slaying monsters…"
A third creature charged him.
Will slid beneath it before stabbing upward directly through its skull.
"I can make it too."
The monsters slowly dissolved into mana particles around him.
Will stood alone in the dark corridor breathing heavily.
His grip tightened around his sword.
"Surely…"
His eyes burned with stubborn determination.
"Surely I can make it if I try hard enough."
His gaze slowly lowered toward his trembling hands.
"Who needs magic?"
The scene shifted once more.
Now Will sat quietly inside a classroom near the back corner beside a window.
The sound of lectures filled the room while students listened lazily.
In front of him, however…
Will wasn't paying attention to the lecture.
Instead, his notebook was filled with sketches.
Weapon adjustments.
Sword angles.
Movement patterns.
Small rune formulas.
Ideas to improve his combat style further.
"If I adjust the glove reinforcement here…"
He scribbled another note quickly.
"Then the recoil should decrease by at least twenty percent…"
At the front of the classroom, Professor Edward continued speaking calmly.
A tall man with sharp eyes and dark hair, Edward specialized in Dark Element magic and was considered one of the academy's strictest professors.
"Utility spells," he said while writing rune patterns into the air, "are among the most important forms of magic in modern society."
A glowing symbol appeared before the students.
"Unlike elemental spells, utility magic is required by nearly everyone regardless of affinity."
Several students nodded.
Professor Edward flicked his fingers lightly.
"Clean."
A faint wave of mana passed over his clothes instantly removing dust from the fabric.
"Search."
Another pulse spread outward across the classroom.
"A simple detection spell used for locating mana signatures and nearby movement."
The students watched carefully.
Then suddenly—
"Will Grey."
The classroom became silent.
Will froze slightly.
Professor Edward looked directly toward him.
"Come demonstrate the spell."
A few students immediately started snickering quietly.
Will closed his notebook slowly.
"…Not again."
Still, he stood up and walked toward the front of the classroom under countless stares.
He could already feel the humiliation coming.
Standing before everyone, Will slowly raised his hand.
A small magic circle formed weakly.
"Clean…"
Nothing happened.
The mana collapsed instantly.
A few students burst into laughter.
Will gritted his teeth slightly and tried again.
"Search…"
Flicker.
The magic circle shattered immediately.
This time the classroom erupted completely.
"Hahaha!"
"He failed again!"
"Even first-years can do that!"
"So pathetic!"
Will lowered his hand silently while enduring the laughter around him.
Professor Edward watched quietly for several seconds before sighing deeply.
"Will."
His voice wasn't mocking.
It sounded tired.
"In this world, magic is authority."
The classroom slowly quieted again.
"Magic determines status, survival, and power."
Edward looked directly into Will's eyes.
"You are talented in other areas."
His voice softened slightly.
"But perhaps…"
A brief silence filled the room.
"…perhaps this academy is not the right place for you anymore."
Will's fists tightened slightly.
Before he could respond—
"Hah. Even Professor Edward thinks so."
A student lazily stood from his seat.
Bright flames danced proudly around his fingertips.
Sion Valcrest.
One of the top students in the class.
And one of the nobles who loved mocking Will the most.
Sion smirked arrogantly before casting the spell effortlessly.
"Search."
A pulse of mana spread smoothly across the room.
The students applauded lightly.
Sion glanced toward Will mockingly.
"You can't even use basic utility magic."
His smile widened cruelly.
"And you still dream about becoming a Mage Lord?"
The classroom burst into laughter once again.
But amidst all the laughter…
One student remained silent.
A girl with soft brown hair quietly watched Will with worried eyes.
Elena Hart.
Unlike the others…
She wasn't laughing at him.
She simply looked sad.