The first thing I had to learn was how to read—and that alone cost two months of my life. I hated it, but as a member of the Blackwood family, it was the bare minimum.
Next came geography. I needed to understand the important places in the empire. As a peasant, all I knew was Thornfield, my hometown in Baron Ashford's territory. But with time, I learned about Emberhold, the capital of the Loth kingdom, and other key locations in the Gyro Empire.
According to William, the new academic session would start in six months. That meant I had little time to spend in Blackwood Thicket before getting shipped off to Emberfield, where the academy was located.
But the academy wasn't really about learning. Training mages was expensive—so expensive it would cripple most noble houses. Only the empire could afford it, and they did so through academies scattered across the four remaining subsidiary kingdoms.
These academies held the best cultivation materials and tools, but in exchange, mages became weapons—forced to take missions and fight on the front lines of the never-ending war between humanity and beasts.
At first, I was forced to read those books. But eventually, I did it willingly—and got a greater understanding of this world.
According to the books, ten thousand years ago, the Church of the Four Pillars was the only religion embraced by humans, elves, and dwarves—the original inhabitants of this continent.
That was until the Knolls arrived. A humanoid race with beastly traits and a powerful resistance to magic. With them came the beasts—hordes of them—so vast and brutal they nearly wiped out all three races.
And then they appeared.
The four knights of fortune: spear, shield, sword, and bow. These were the original magic knights, and under their leadership, the Knolls and their armies were pushed back.
Towering walls were raised over what remained of the once-glorious Gyro Empire, alongside Vael'Thirion, the elf empire, and Durgrimhold, the dwarven one.
These three were all that survived the era now known as the Dark Ages.
The four legends who saved the world were honored. The Church of the Four Pillars was abandoned—replaced by the Church of the Four Heroes.
Originally, Gyro had nearly thirty subsidiary kingdoms. Now, only four remained. That's why the academic system made sense. The empire funded these academies, and in return, they used students to fight their battles. Three years of service.
It was no different from military conscription.
The Gyro Empire Academy's mortality rate stood at around 50%. But its student quality? Impressive. That was how the empire had survived this long.
---
Five Months Later, Blackwood Forest
I stood on a tree branch, looking down at three Ironback boars squealing below.
Massive, four-legged beasts with coarse, bristly fur. About three feet tall and four feet wide. Their entire bodies were covered in thick, iron-like plates—nearly impossible to cut with normal weapons. Their short but razor-sharp tusks could tear through armor and trees alike.
Three pairs of small, fiery-red eyes glowed with fury—but I wasn't startled.
Hunting had become my routine for the past month, ever since Blackwood let me out of the house. A team of six guards usually followed me but always waited outside the forest.
"What do you think lies in the depths of this forest?" I asked casually, like the Ironbacks weren't about to bring down the tree I stood on.
{It's most likely a magical beast. Since the village leaves it alone, it does the same.} Lin replied.
I frowned. From what I'd read, magical beasts were rarer than human mages.
Incredibly intelligent.
Capable of speech.
Usually non-aggressive.
It's said the average person has a higher chance of dying at the hands of another human than a magic beast.
I won't lie—I was curious.
Oink! Oink!
The tree trembled slightly as the three Ironbacks charged from all directions.
{Remember to keep one in good condition—you'll need something to show for the hunt.}
I shrugged and crouched. Before the boars reached me, a burst of wind erupted beneath my feet, launching me high into the air. A deafening bang followed.
Ka-ka!
Ka-ka!
The sound of splintering wood shattered the night's silence—but that was the least of my concerns. My eyes locked onto the boars, and theirs locked onto me, eagerly waiting for my descent.
"They think I'm the prey here…" My eyes glowed emerald. "Let's educate them."
Without hesitation, I summoned my death magic. Dark green hellfire bloomed in my palm. The boars froze—and like all beasts who saw it—they tried to run.
Too late.
It's said that once you see death, it sees you.
Bam!
I landed palm-first. The ground trembled violently as the boars scattered, trying to throw me off.
Pointless.
Bone thorns erupted, skewering the Ironbacks mid-charge.
{All that's missing is a fire, and we've got pork.} Lin chuckled.
"That'd be nice, but this magic destroys everything it touches." I frowned as the boars stopped struggling. Their bodies dried up, shriveled, and began to collapse.
In seconds, they were empty husks. Two more seconds, and they turned to dust.
"Five seconds… that's all it takes to turn anything into ashes. This is just crazy." My frown deepened.
Even after seeing it countless times, I still couldn't get used to it. These beasts never got the chance to fight back. They didn't squeal. They didn't thrash.
They just died—eyes wide in horror.
And that's why I let them turn to ash. I didn't want to see their faces afterward.
Sometimes I wondered what they saw before death claimed them.
{I told you to kill one the normal way. You keep coming back empty-handed—they'll start getting suspicious.} Lin warned.
I rolled my eyes. "Suspicious of what? That a fifteen-year-old turned nearly thirty beasts to dust in a month?"
At best, they'd think I was struggling with the hunt. No one expected me to be exceptional—especially without formal combat training.
{Thirty-three. It was thirty yesterday.} Lin corrected.
Cawwwwwww!
A crow's cry echoed across the forest as I approached the corpses with a small smile on my lips.
"This is my favorite part." My eyes sparkled as three gray soul wisps formed where the beasts had died.
This was the reason I couldn't resist killing them all. Death magic's greatest perk was its ability to devour souls and use them as substitutes for cultivation materials.
I watched the soul wisps wiggle away, and I chuckled—it was always the same.
Buzz!
A powerful pull erupted from my body, halting their frantic retreat instantly. Then, dark green chains exploded from my chest and impaled the three souls before reeling them into my body.
Warmth spread through me, driving away the chill of the night. I loved this perk because it also filled me up—I didn't have to eat afterwards.
I could survive on just souls.
"Thirty-three and barely any improvement to my core... This thing isn't as amazing as you described it." I said, but Lin didn't back down.
{Do you expect the quality of Ironback boar souls to be high? If they were strong, you wouldn't be driving them to the brink of extinction.} he retorted, and I rolled my eyes.
Nothing got Lin worked up more than death magic. It felt like he didn't just wield the power—he worshipped it like a god.
"So I need to find stronger beasts." I glanced deeper into the forest with a thoughtful expression, but it was already getting late.
With no choice left, I made my way out. I hadn't gone too deep, so it only took a few minutes to make it out. There, my carriage and guards were waiting.
We headed back to the Blackwood residence. Seated in the comfortable seats, I couldn't help but wonder how many more souls I needed to consume to enter the second stage of the Mortal Realm.
"Do I go deeper?" I mumbled.
{It depends on the cultivation base of the magic beast. I recommend finding out what it is from William—maybe he's already trying to locate it.} Lin advised, and I nodded in agreement.
The carriage rolled up to the front gates of the Grand Estate, but another carriage was riding out hastily with two dozen guards—it was Lord William!
"What's going on?" I stuck my head out the window, but they didn't seem to notice me. They were in too much of a hurry.
Or rather, they didn't have time to spare me a glance.
"Follow them!" I ordered.
We chased William's carriage for over thirty minutes until we arrived at the bustling city of Blackwood Thicket. Lord William headed into an upscale residential area meant for the wealthiest merchants, and his carriage came to a stop in front of a densely crowded building.
We stopped next to him and exchanged glances as we stepped out of our carriages, then took bold strides toward the scene. Civilians had gathered, murmuring in hushed tones. City guards paced outside with nervous expressions.
"What the hell is going on?" I mumbled as we approached. Everyone stepped aside, bowing as we passed through.
We entered the building, and a wailing cry could be heard upstairs. The place was sparse—guards had kept most people outside. We speed-walked up the stairs to the first floor, took a sharp left, and entered the first room on the right.
Bam!
The door yanked open, exposing a sizable room, though not as glorious as mine. Merchants were usually wealthy, but their wealth was nothing compared to the House of Blackwood, which had existed for nearly a thousand years.
Standing next to the bed was an overweight man in a coat with silver embroidery and finer fabric. He wore a feathered tricorn hat—clearly a rank symbol. I guessed he was the commander of Blackwood Thicket's city guard.
I glanced at the blue sash across his chest, then at the finely crafted swords hanging loosely on his waist.
"What a waste." I rolled my eyes. How did this man defend himself, let alone others?
My eyes left the buffalo-shaped commander, fell on the sobbing woman, but quickly locked onto the man lying on the bed. A bald, pot-bellied man in a white singlet and underwear. His breathing was shallow. He looked pale and drained, his skin flaking.
His breaths were heavy and labored. Standing over him—though unseen by others—was a shadowy figure with a raised scythe.
"He's going to die," I muttered. "What kind of thing can do this?"
{I can name a few, but for this? I'm certain it's a fox spirit. He probably went to a brothel with a lady and had his life force drained.}
"They exist?" I slowly stepped out of the room as William consoled the crying lady.
There were books on supernatural creatures—vampires, werewolves, you name it. But I hadn't taken them seriously. I'd never seen one.
Monsters? I'd heard of and fought them.
But creatures that looked human, drank blood, or turned into wolves under a full moon?
I wasn't buying it.
{The world is vast—filled with creatures humanity has yet to discover. Don't worry. You'll meet all of them on your journey to godhood.}
Huff!
I exhaled loudly, trying to process everything, and the door behind me creaked open. William and the city guard commander stepped out with worried expressions.
"I thought we got all of those damned things! Robert died getting rid of their queen!"
I had never seen William this angry. And who the hell was Robert?
The commander paled, fell to his knees, and began banging his head on the ground repeatedly.
"Forgive me, my Lord! We are mere humans—we cannot deal with things of the supernatural!" he cried, leaving me even more confused.
"What the hell is going on?" I blurted out, frustration boiling over.