War Preparation

After almost a month, Fannie's back in action, and man, does she look more radiant than ever. She's packing around 2200 MP, which is over a grand more than your average level 1 wizard at their peak.

But hey, that's no shocker, considering she was sitting on about 750 MP before leveling up. Usually, when wizards level up, they get a mana boost that can be up to three times what they had before.

So, they head back to their base, that little house in Greenfield Suburb. Who would've thought there'd be not one but two monsters hiding out in such a cozy spot?

And wouldn't you know it, Fannie drops the bomb: she's itching to go out and rescue her sisters from the clutches of the church. Turns out, besides her orphanage, there are tons of other places where the church raises potential saintesses. Basically, there are more hellholes out there built by the church.

She's gearing up to raid those orphanages and free the kids trapped inside. But she knows that just setting them loose won't solve everything. Those children need a safe place to call home and some support to start anew.

So, Fannie's thinking ahead and reaching out to the magic towers for backup. It's a smart move: she'll take on the orphanages solo, and in return, the towers will help her provide shelter and care for the rescued kids. It's a win-win scenario—Fannie gets to ensure the children's well-being, while the magic towers get to strike strategic blows against the Holy Empire. Plus, it'll help weaken the church's forces before the looming war.

Zack's definitely on the same wavelength. He's pretty convinced the towers will be down with Fannie's plan. I mean, those orphanages aren't just random spots—they're like goldmines for the Holy Empire.

They're cranking out inquisitor candidates left and right, and they're also pumping out priestesses for the church forces. You can bet they've got some serious security, probably guarded by at least one peak level 1 wizard.

But with tensions so high right now, the towers can only send out peak level 1 wizards. Even then, there's no guarantee they'll be able to take down those fortified orphanages. That's where Fannie comes in.

Sure, she's technically just a peak level 1 wizard, but she's packing way more punch than your average Joe at that level. With her skills and power, she's the perfect fit for the job. 

Still, Zack's still not completely sold on the plan. He's trying his darndest to talk some sense into Fannie, but man, it's like trying to convince a cat to take a bath—tough.

He's making the case that maybe she should hold off until she's a bit more beefed up, at least strong enough to take on one of those level 2 powerhouses before charging in to save her sisters. But for Fannie, it's like Zack hasn't walked a mile in her shoes. She and her sisters been through some serious stuff, and she's not about to let her sisters suffer for even a moment longer.

I mean, the fact that Fannie managed to hold on until she hit level 1 wizard status? That's nothing short of a miracle.

Plus, with Fannie rocking this massive mana heart and some seriously awesome wizard skills, she's starting to think maybe she's been blessed with all this power to take on the church forces and rescue others. And man, when she drops that bomb on Zack, he's looking at her like she's sprouted a second head.

Zack's like, hold up. Ain't great power supposed to make your own life easier? Sure, you gotta have some moral compass to avoid causing harm to others, but is it asking too much to make yourself comfy? But hey, even though Zack can't fully vibe with Fannie's philosophy, he can at least respect her determination.

And then there's Zack pondering if Fannie's principles are all part of some cosmic plan. Did Fate pick Fannie because of her principles, or did Fate nudge her in that direction after picking her? The latter option seems kinda brutal, implying Fate orchestrated all those terrible experiences Fannie went through.

Either way, Zack's got this gut feeling that Fannie's destined for something big, like saving the world or whatever epic quest Fate's cooked up. I mean, Fate didn't go through all that trouble just to have Fannie sit around learning magic forever, right?

Sure, Zack might not be joining Fannie on her orphan-rescuing crusade, but he's gonna lend a hand however he can. Like he said before, even the iciest heart would start feeling some sort of connection after hanging around someone for so long, especially a human.

Oh, and let's not forget, Fannie's practically Zack's apprentice. He's gotta mention how she kept stubbornly trying to call him "master" after he taught her magic. But for a modern-day dude like Zack, that title's just too cringe-worthy. So, he had to lay down the law and make her settle for just calling him by his name. But damn, Fannie's way more stubborn than he bargained for, so they compromised on "teacher."

So, Zack hooks Fannie up with this artifact he made, packing it with 100 containers of his mana. It's designed to help her hide her presence, which could come in handy when she's in a tight spot. Now that she's hit level 1 wizard status, she doesn't have to keep the artifact switched on all the time, saving it as a last-ditch lifesaver.

And oh, he's gotta emphasize again that the presence-hiding from [Hidden Strength] isn't your run-of-the-mill concealment spell. It straight-up erases your presence from existence. Like, nobody, not even some level 3 powerhouse, could sniff you out. Well, Zack hasn't crossed paths with a level 3 powerhouse to put it to the test, but you get what he means.

Plus, Zack hooks Fannie up with all sorts of spell patterns and knowledge bookos to chew on during her journey. He's always preaching to her about the importance of leveling up her spells whenever she's got downtime.

See, having a massive mana heart alone ain't gonna cut it against truly powerful wizards. A solid spell and technique can level the playing field, letting a wizard with less mana take on someone with way more. And peak level 1 wizards? They've usually been around the block for a long time, honing their spells to perfection.

As they part ways, Zack's hoping it won't be the last time they meet. But man, he knows it's gonna be a while before they cross paths again, maybe even years. Ah, crap. Now he's getting all sentimental and stuff.

Fannie gives Zack one last tight hug, burying her face in his shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. Despite being nourished by mana and now rocking the physique of an 18-year-old, Zack still sees her as the same timid kid he first met.

"Don't worry about me, you should focus on yourself," Fannie says, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Don't spend all your time holed up researching spells and artifacts. Get out there more, enjoy life a bit. And don't forget to water the plants in the house. And... always remember me. I won't forgive you if you don't recognize me in the future." Fannie continued nagging. Man, who's the real kid here? He's way older than her, after all!

Zack gazes up at the sky, blinking back tears. It's just that the wind's kinda strong today, you know? Lots of dust floating around. After what feels like forever, Fannie finally pulls away, quickly turning her face away from Zack to hide her tears.

But her wet shoulder and the glimpse of her tear-streaked cheeks give her away.

"This won't be the last time we meet, I promise!" Fannie declares, before disappearing into thin air accompanied by the crackle of lightning.

…

Over the next year, Zack catches wind of Fannie's exploits through the grapevine, courtesy of some informant he knows in the black market. Apparently, there's talk of a wizard sporting a black demon mask wreaking havoc, kinda like the one Zack used to wear when he saved her back in the day. Heh.

According to the church, she's been tearing through orphanages left and right in the Holy Empire territory. They've even slapped a bounty on her head, dead or alive. But thankfully, the magic towers have made it clear: anyone who goes after that bounty is basically declaring war against them. So, not many folks are brave (or stupid) enough to take it up.

Unfortunately, Fannie's actions have ratcheted up the tension even more. The two empires are on edge, like they're standing on thin ice. One wrong move, and those level 2 powerhouses are gonna come clashing together in full force.

Finally, after a year of causing chaos, Fannie gets jumped by two inquisitors. These guys are like the church's elite squad directly under the saintess, packed with nothing but level 2 powerhouses called Grand Priestesses.

Seems like the church pulled out all the stops to nab Fannie, sending out two of their only twelve level 2 powerhouses. Maybe they figured out that Fannie's the one who slipped through their fingers a year back.

So, right now, nobody knows where the black oni is hiding out. But the movements of those level 2 powerhouses from the church? They're stirring up some serious trouble.

Both the Fulminar Empire and the magic towers are feeling the heat. They've beefed up security big time, sending out nine level 2 powerhouses to guard the border and three to each fortress city. Plus, they've got soldiers and supplies pouring in to fortify those cities.

But the Holy Empire's not sitting idle either. They've matched the Fulminar Empire's move, sending out their own nine level 2 powerhouses along with their army to the border. It's like a powder keg ready to blow, and everyone's holding their breath, waiting to see what happens next. Tensions are running high, that's for sure.

With war looming, the lightning magic tower starts drafting all their apprentices and shipping them off to the three fortress cities on the front lines. Luckily, apprentices with specializations like formation masters, artifact artisans,, and alchemists aren't expected to fight on the front lines.

But they do have to send a bunch of their creations to the magic tower. Like, Zack's gotta churn out ten arrays a day. These goodies get shipped off to the frontline, and the tower hooks them up with raw materials and contribution points as compensation.

These days, Zack watches as reinforcements and supplies keep pouring in from the north. Mossley city's basically under military lockdown, with merchants and nobles stuck inside. They can't leave, but they can still reach out beyond the city walls.

So, they're forced to support the military effort by sending supplies from the outside. It's not like they have much choice— their only shot at keeping their status and wealth intact is if the Fulminar Empire comes out on top.

And man, Zack can feel the presence of three level 2 powerhouses right smack in the center of the city. Their aura's like dormant volcanoes, brimming with power but eerily calm.

Despite the tension, Zack keeps on with his daily grind, mostly focusing on beefing up the city's defenses and offense under the guidance of a level 2 formation master. He's just one of many "level 0 formation masters" from the towers. Yup, there are tons of 'em, with even five level 2 masters in the mix. They might only pack level 1 wizard strength, but their formation know-how is off the charts.

This is Zack's big chance to level up and score some level 2 knowledge, so he's all in, shadowing that level 2 formation master and soaking up everything he can.

After putting in some serious work, Zack figures it's about time to make the leap to level 1 wizard. So, he shoots off a request to the tower, hoping they'll greenlight it. And lucky him, with the war brewing and all, the tower's desperate for more firepower. Couple that with his squeaky-clean record, and bam, his request gets the thumbs-up in record time.

Not even a day later, he gets a message from the tower summoning him for the advancement ceremony.

Zack had figured tensions between the empires would heat up eventually, but he didn't expect things to escalate this fast. He thought he had at least a good decade before things hit the fan. Figured he'd have plenty of time to peacefully level up and absorb as much level 2 knowledge as possible to prep for the inevitable conflict.

But now, with the war looming, he's faced with a tough decision: advance now and likely get shipped off to the front lines, or hold off and risk missing his chance during the chaos of war. It's a real pickle.

In the end, Zack figures it's better to seize the opportunity now. Besides, if things get dicey, he can always bail.

Just to cover his bases in case Fannie swings by while he's at the tower, he leaves a message at their base and leaves behind a bunch of containers filled with his mana.

With that sorted, he sets off for the lightning magic tower.

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Name: Zack

Age: 14/100 (300)

Occupation: Apprentice wizard

Contract: [Lightning Magic Tower - Member]

Hidden Contract: -

Mana: 100/100 (9,508/9,508)

Overt Talent: [Low Mana Manipulation Correction], [Low Mana Sensory Correction]

Hidden Talent: [Limitless Mana Well], [Advanced Mana Manipulation Correction], [Advanced Mana Sensory Correction], [Advanced Intelligence Correction] 

Hidden Boss Abilities: [Hidden Strength] [Thousand Faces]

HBP: 0

HB Progress Bar: 30/100% 

Expand Hidden Boss abilities Store? yes/no

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