Chapter 3: Magic Awakening

"Mu Bai, you're up first."

On the large playground, the homeroom teacher, Xue Musheng, smiled as he spoke. He had high expectations for this student. Mu Bai was a descendant of the Mu family in Bo City, and his uncle, Mu He, was one of the family's key figures and also a school director.

Whether as a corporate employee or a teacher, currying favor with this student was critical for personal achievements.

The Awakening Stone resembled a solid compass, suspended in mid-air, with a clear handprint on it. Mu Bai appeared calm, but his heart was filled with nervousness as he placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.

Suddenly, the Awakening Stone emitted a starlight glow. These lights formed interconnected star marks that crawled like unique veins up to Mu Bai's right hand.

A chilling frost enveloped his entire body, and a transparent layer of ice appeared on the compass.

"He awakened the Ice Element—worthy of being a Mu family member."

"Whoa! Ice is one of the most coveted elements for magicians. The beginner spell Ice Vines is both offensive and controlling!"

The first-year students couldn't help but exclaim.

Among them, Lu Jun watched this scene with mixed emotions. Mu Bai—Mu Bai!

While others might not know, Lu Jun was well aware that the school director, Mu He, was not just Mu Bai's uncle but actually his father. Mu Bai was an illegitimate child, and Mu He was also a high-ranking member of the Black Vatican, an absolute villain.

Three years later, Mu He would unleash the monsters outside the city, leading to the destruction of Bo City. He would go on to commit many atrocities, nearly becoming a demon who slaughtered millions.

When Mu Bai discovered the truth, he chose to stand on the side of justice, even turning against his own family. Born in darkness, with a soul stained by it, he acted with righteousness and became a classic example of redemption.

At this moment, Mu Bai exhaled in relief, feeling prideful. Ice Element—it was the same element as Mu Ningxue, the Mu family's little princess. He imagined practicing together with her in the future.

He cast a glance at Mo Fan, who stood at the end of the line, and sneered. A swan could never associate with a toad like him—the gap between them would only grow larger.

Recalling events from childhood, Mu Bai's lips twitched. Mo Fan had once dared to elope with Mu Ningxue. What was he thinking? Such reckless behavior!

While the kids didn't take it seriously, the adults held a grudge. Mo Fan's father, Mo Jiaxing, had been dismissed from his job, and the Zhao family, who were third-class servants, were also exiled from the Mu family's service. It was fortunate they weren't driven to ruin, or they would've perished in some corner.

"Next, Qiu Yueying!"

"Next…"

Lu Jun saw students awakening various elements like Earth and Wind, all within the seven major elemental categories. Fire and Lightning were rarer among them.

However, some students failed the awakening altogether, leaving them devastated. Awakening wasn't cheap; even for the beginner level, it cost ten thousand yuan per attempt. Only schools could provide it for free.

The high school entrance exam acted as a filter—those who didn't pass had to give up learning magic due to its cost. It wasn't that the country didn't want everyone to awaken; the resources simply weren't enough.

Even Mo Fan had only been admitted to Tianlan Magic High School after his father humbled himself to secure a spot through the school director, Mu He.

Soon, a female student placed her hand on the Awakening Stone, and a brilliant golden light shone, looking exceptionally divine. The visual effect outshone the others.

Yet, the homeroom teacher, Xue Musheng, sighed sympathetically, "What a pity—it's the Light Element."

Lu Jun noticed the girl covering her face and crying, leaving him speechless.

The surrounding students didn't miss the chance to comment, mocking and gloating:

"Light Element, huh? One of the weakest elements early on—only Water is worse."

"Yeah, Light's beginner spell Radiance is basically a flashlight. It's harmless and can only blind monsters temporarily when maxed out."

"Each magic tier only allows for one fixed spell. Beginner magicians only get one skill, and if it's something useless like Light, they're doomed. Even ordinary people can take down a Light Element magician!"

Lu Jun knew this was a common misconception in small cities with limited knowledge. Even teachers held this view. Every element had immense destructive power when fully cultivated. The difference lay in rarity, not strength.

So, he spoke up, "Light Element isn't weak. At the super tier, the Holy Judgment Sword is known as the strongest single-target spell. It guarantees death for opponents of the same tier, surpassing Fire and Lightning."

The room fell silent. Mo Fan, Mu Bai, and others stared at him in surprise—it was their first time hearing this.

Xue Musheng frowned and asked suspiciously, "Lu Jun, where did you hear this?"

Lu Jun sighed internally and replied casually, "The library. The Magic Association publishes detailed records of every element's spells from super-tier downward. Anyone can look it up."

The Magic Association was the world's highest authority, overseeing all matters related to magic, from continental to national levels and beyond.

Hearing this, the girl's despair turned into joy, reigniting her determination. She thanked Lu Jun profusely, and several other girls looked at him with admiration.

Xue Musheng, feeling embarrassed to be corrected by a student, couldn't help but retort, "You do realize it's the super tier? How many people ever reach that level? I've taught so many classes, and even reaching the intermediate tier is rare."

He wasn't wrong. The saying "There are no weak elements, only weak magicians" was a myth. Without a strong foundation, reaching the higher tiers was impossible.

Lu Jun, uninterested in giving face to mediocre teachers, calmly countered, "Isn't the Light Element's beginner spell effective against undead? Same-tier Dark magicians can't stand up to it. In our country's ancient capital, plagued by the Undead Empire, Light magic is the most sought-after."

The ancient capital, once the historical on Earth, became a haven for undead monsters due to its many burial grounds. It was common knowledge that Light countered Darkness—a trope as old as literature itself.

Xue Musheng said nothing further, feeling outclassed by the student's knowledge.

Mo Fan and Zhang Xiaohou exchanged whispers. "Who is this guy? His showing off even beats Mu Bai!"

Finally, it was Lu Jun's turn. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. His awakened talents and magic element would determine his future. He hoped for something extraordinary—anything less would make him a mere bystander during future crises.

Hum…

Closing his eyes, Lu Jun's spiritual world appeared as a void, pitch-black and empty. At the same time, a gentle magical energy from the Awakening Stone flowed through his arm and into his mind.

Suddenly, raindrops began falling in this spiritual void, each drop carrying a mysterious force.

Normally, with closed eyes, one would see nothing. But the magical energy allowed the spiritual world to manifest visually.

Lu Jun saw a small patch of stardust in his void, tiny and dim compared to the vast darkness—a blue glow representing the Water Element.

But that wasn't all.

A red stardust appeared, representing Fire.

Next, green stardust for Wind.

Brown for Earth.

Gold for Light.

Purple for Lightning.

Just as Lu Jun thought it was over, another surge of magical energy entered his body. His heart leaped with joy. Was this… dual elements by nature? No! It might even be dual elements at every tier!