“This is just a kindergarten…”
Su Yun stood in the Academy Plaza with his hands on his hips, unable to stop himself from complaining as he watched the dense crowd before him.
Short magic apprentices wore robes that didn’t fit them, chasing and playing in groups of two or three on the lawn. Some were waving their staves around aimlessly. Pink little fireballs and transparent little water arrows flew about in a chaotic mess. Eventually, they slammed into the academy’s barrier and exploded into clouds of harmless light mist, drawing bursts of crisp laughter.
There were even a few mischievous troublemakers climbing along the barrier, pressing themselves against the transparent shield while shouting at the Mid-tier Mage area.
“Big dummy sister!”
“Oh my, could it be that some people still don’t have a vacation yet? No way, right? No way!”
…
They were like a herd of wild horses that had slipped their reins.
The result was that essentially all the low-tier mages had come to the academy. Without the restraint of their parents, they had completely unleashed their true natures. Some played with water magic in the fountain, condensing splashes into small ice sculptures to throw at each other. Some gathered around the magic stone tablets, chirping away as they tried to use the detection magic they had just learned to see something special, only to produce a string of distorted, garbled halos. Others simply rolled around on the lawn, getting their robes covered in grass clippings, lacking even a shred of the poise a mage should possess.
However, under the obstruction of the barrier, this farce had absolutely no impact on the Mid-tier Mage area. Those stray low-tier spells hitting the barrier were like raindrops hitting glass; they couldn’t even stir a single ripple.
The only one affected was the Sovereign of Rules, who was constantly monitoring the entire academy.
He hovered at the top of the academy’s clock tower, his long silver hair moving without wind. His brows were knit into a deep scowl, and the power of rules surrounding him fluctuated with a hint of irritability.
But these were, after all, just a bunch of children with an average age of less than twelve years old. He couldn’t scold them, and he certainly couldn’t hit them. As a dignified Sovereign, he couldn’t exactly bicker with a group of brats, could he?
Yet, if he merely confined them to this tiny patch of land in the Plaza, how would he be any different from that ignorant Elemental Holy See? He had always advocated for free experience rather than a captive-style education.
‘If there’s no other way… then… I’ll open up a place that can capture their attention.’
‘It needs to be similar to the environments in isekai novels. Children like to run around, they like adventure, and they like picking up treasures…’
‘Then… let’s open the “Environment.”‘
As the Sovereign of Rules shifted his intent, the light blue barrier around the academy receded slowly like a tide, turning into specks of light that dissipated into the air. At the same time, a deeper, broader golden barrier rose around the academy’s perimeter, forming what appeared to be a narrow, circular space.
However, if someone could penetrate the barrier to observe, they would find that the actual size inside was comparable to the entirety of Asia. Mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, forests, plains, urban ruins, ancient labyrinthine ruins, and underground dungeons were all present. There were even simulated day-night cycles and weather changes, making it feel like a real miniature world.
Most importantly, in this space that did not exist in reality, several “red-named” mages who had been exiled from the distant future became permanent “monsters.” Every single one of them was a murderer with blood-stained hands. Some specialized in eerie blood magic, some practiced the Laws of Slaughter intended only for killing, and others mastered forbidden arts.
This was originally a “training dungeon” the Sovereign of Rules had prepared for the Mid-tier Mages’ vacation. He truly hadn’t expected these low-tier brats to be so rowdy. If he didn’t hurry up and release this space to distract them, he feared the entire academy would be torn apart until nothing but a pile of ruins remained.
Upon entering this adventure world, there was a price for those who died to be resurrected. Each resurrection required a payment of 200 credits, and an entry fee of 80 credits had to be submitted beforehand to explore. Those who returned alive could have their 200 credits refunded. If they died, it was considered a resurrection fee.
However, the rewards were quite generous. Collecting rare materials and bringing them out of the space allowed for credit exchange. Killing red-named mages not only granted credit rewards but also dropped magic items and Soul Beads.
Once they saved up enough credits, they could go to the academy’s exchange counter to purchase weapons, items, and potions, or they could participate in the lucky draw. The Sovereign of Rules had specifically designed a 1,200-pull pity system and a “Lucky Strike” mechanic. His goal was to make these brats get fired up over pulling legendary equipment, making them enter the training grounds of their own free will.
A single pull cost 500 credits, and a ten-pull cost 4,900 credits. For a mid-tier mage, it would only take forty-nine days to afford a ten-pull if they maxed out their classroom points every day. It was very affordable.
This was the best training method the Sovereign of Rules could think of. It used profit to drive the mages to strengthen their combat experience, and it used the hands of the red-named mages to filter out truly potential talent. It was a perfect industrial chain!
To this end, he even added an “Affix System” to the original rules!
That was right; all magic items and tools were now loaded with affixes. As long as one held them, they could see the specific effects, attribute bonuses, and instructions for use.
Examples included:
**[Common Wand: Max Mana + 5%, Mental Strength Amplification + 3%, includes instant-cast skill: Small Fireball (Basic)]**
**[High-Quality Life Potion: Instantly recovers 30% of injuries, adds 2% extra vitality for 5 seconds]**
Want to obtain top-tier equipment shining with the word “Legendary” and accompanied by colorful affixes? Go grind the ruins! Want to obtain an ultimate potion that can instantly refill mana and grant immunity to control effects? Go conquer the underground dungeons!
And to enter this adventure world, one had to study hard at the academy and pass assessments to earn more credits. The Sovereign of Rules, who had played countless isekai games, was calculating everything perfectly.
Not only that, he had even “pried” an experimental result from the future out of the Sovereign of Time: Soul Beads.
A person’s soul wasn’t only capable of carrying their own will and memories; it could also accommodate Soul Beads. By using the exclusive pendants issued by the academy, one could refine the soul of a creature after killing it into a special equipment Soul Bead. By inserting it into a “slot” within the soul, it could provide a massive boost.
Naturally, these Soul Beads were also loaded with the affix system and quality rankings. White was Common, green was High-Quality, blue was Rare, purple was Legendary, and orange was Mythical.
After all, if it were just a simple bead, one wouldn’t be able to tell the good from the bad, and the attraction would naturally be greatly reduced. But if the word “Legendary” flashed the moment it was taken out, accompanied by a string of colorful affixes, it wouldn’t just satisfy the holder; it would draw looks of envy and jealousy from everyone else.
Even ignoring the terrifying enhancement effects, the simple fact that it “made the soul emit a rainbow halo” was enough to make countless mages flock to it. Who didn’t want to be the most dazzling person in the crowd?!
However, this project also had certain limitations. There was a limit to the number of Soul Beads each person’s soul could hold. This had nothing to do with strength; it was purely an innate talent.
As strong as the Sovereign of Rules was, he only had six slots. The Sovereign of Time had nine slots. Meanwhile, the Power Sovereign — this deity famous for strength — unexpectedly only had four slots. This was also why the Power Sovereign’s expression had been so ugly when he later tested the students’ slots.
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