In the northwest of Atlantis lay Honolulu. Once a bustling metropolis during Hawaii’s era, the city survived the continental reshuffling—but as districts were redrawn and newer zones promised growth, it was abandoned. Now, it stood as a crumbling relic, forgotten by all.
Beneath the silent night, a single window glowed in one building, stark against the desolation.
"Mr. Daniel," a purple-haired youth addressed the crimson-robed figure opposite him, "could we have more ‘Mage Reagents’?"
The blood-red robe bore a skull clutching a black rose on its back—the emblem of the Waste Law Society.
Over a hundred people filled the building, split into two factions. One group, led by the purple-haired youth Raul, consisted of twenty-somethings—all white, all members of the "Tutankhamun Society," a white supremacist youth organization. Had Yan Lingxuan been present, he’d have recognized one face: Mond, the white student he’d humiliated in the training room that day.
Facing them stood only eleven members of the Waste Law Society, led by their officer, Daniel I克斯.
"Sure thing~ Was planning to give them anyway."
At Daniel’s nod, a subordinate used Telekinesis Magic to slide a cardboard box toward Raul.
Roughly the size of a fruit crate, the box made Raul tense. Under Daniel’s benign smile, Raul crouched, peeled the tape, and lifted the flaps. Inside, glass test tubes packed tightly like soldiers.
"Three hundred fifty ‘Mage Reagents’ here. Enough for all your members?"
Raul’s face lit with unrestrained euphoria. Behind him, the Tutankhamun members surged forward, eyes greedy on the treasure-filled box.
"What do you want from us, Mr. Daniel?"
Raul wasn’t naive. He knew the Waste Law Society’s reputation. An old Chinese proverb echoed in his mind: *Beware the one who flatters without cause.*
Daniel’s dark face twisted into a grin.
"No need to be so wary. All I ask is that you follow your desires—freely, without restraint. Nothing more."
"Oh, and by the way," he added casually, "repeated injections of this ‘Mage Reagent’ amplify a Mage’s power."
At the back, Mond’s expression hardened. He remembered today’s humiliation in Magic class at Yan Lingxuan’s hands.
***
***
"What did you do to my sister yesterday?"
Yan Lingxuan hadn’t even sat down at his usual back-row window seat when Harold cornered him.
*What did I do to Nita?* Yan racked his brain. Nothing improper came to mind. Yet Harold’s tone suggested he’d committed some unspeakable crime against a child.
*Did he catch me fantasizing about Nita in black stockings and the school swimsuit?* Yan’s expression turned grave.
"Oho? What’s this?" Gavi slid in beside Harold, ever the opportunist. "Harold actually initiating conversation? Rare sight."
"Discussing something filthy, boys?"
They turned right. Yu Xiaozhuo waved playfully, Su Fangwen beside her—though Su’s face was stormy.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
Yan and Gavi mimicked Yu’s wave. Harold merely shot them a cool glance.
"Morning, Su."
Yan deliberately prompted the silent girl.
"Hmph. Morning."
"Why so angry?" Yan prodded, already guessing why.
Yu and Su usually sat mid-class. What wind blew them to the back row today—right beside Yan? Su’s sullen face confirmed it: Yu had dragged her here.
"Don’t be silly! Su’s thrilled to sit next to Yan!" Yu chirped as Su’s proxy.
"Xiaozhuo!"
"Alright, alright~ But Su’s so cute when she’s flustered, haha!"
Su clearly endured this often. Yan understood why Yu loved teasing her—her flushed cheeks were undeniably charming.
*Glasses would suit her.*
Yan snapped a photo of Su’s blushing face, then used his WD’s filter to add slim rectangular glasses. The literary aura they gave her, paired with that rosy flush, was lethal.
Selflessly, Yan shared the masterpiece with the class.
"Wow! Su’s adorable! Send it to me?"
"Of course!"
Yan pinged the image to Yu’s WD.
"You two! Unforgivable!"
Even Su’s furious pout was cute.
Gavi, ever the gentleman, admired the photo too.
"Tragic. Such a lovely lady’s heart is already claimed. Otherwise, I’d abandon these two men and pledge my devotion to her." He winked meaningfully at Yan and Su. Everyone understood—even if only Harold remained oblivious.
Yan smiled silently. Su turned away, but the crimson glow on her neck betrayed her.
"Quite the charmer," Gavi murmured to Yan, who dared not comment.
Yu seized on Gavi’s words:
"So… you *are* gay, Gavi?"
"Secret~" Gavi pressed a finger to his lips. On anyone else, it’d be cringe. On golden-haired Gavi? Pure charisma. Yan noticed girls nearby gazing starry-eyed. *Typical popular kid,* Yan thought, *disgusting.*
"Don’t dodge the question." Harold’s voice cut through. "What did you do to my sister?"
Gavi’s eyes sparkled with gossip-hunger. "Spill!"
"Harold has a very cute little sister," Yu supplied.
"Oh?"
Yan summarized yesterday’s beginner Magic class with Nita.
"You look so tense," Yan teased. "Did I do something awful to her? I like loli, sure, but flat chests don’t excite me."
"Hmph."
Nita had only called Yan "a good person"—but with an unusual, shy smile. As her brother, Harold sensed unprecedented danger. *This guy must be eliminated.*
After a long glare, Harold still hadn’t accused him of anything specific.
"So… you’re just an overprotective brotheroo?"
"I’m NOT a brotheroo!" Harold snapped.
Yan patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"I get it. We both have sisters. Sisters are the world’s most precious treasures. No need to be strangers."
Harold slapped his hand away at light-speed.
Yan chuckled, unfazed. He pulled up photos on his WD: Nita in class.
Her petite frame in tight training gear, shifting between innocent grins and fierce concentration.
"Your sister’s adorable," Gavi praised, earning Harold’s death glare.
"You took these without asking!"
"Public space. And Nita approved."
"Damn it!"
"Calm down. I’ll send you the photos. I only care about *my* sister’s pictures. Yours? Not interested. Stop glaring—it’s making me shy."
"Brotheroo of a brotheroo," Su muttered, recovered enough to snipe.
Harold scrutinized the precious images of his growing sister. Why did he look… excited?
"And here’s Su," Yan added, showing Su and Nita training—all filtered with glasses. The sleek uniforms highlighted Su’s slender waist and long legs.
"..."
"Send Su’s pics to me too!" Yu reminded him.
Everyone suddenly understood: *skin-tight training gear is dangerously revealing.*
***
Class began. Homeroom teacher Puxia entered.
High heels clicking, Puxia glided to the podium. Her faint smile carried a teacher’s mature grace, flooding the classroom with testosterone.
Yan was no exception. *Such eye candy deserves extra attention.*
"Ten minutes left. Let’s discuss the upcoming Ranking Battles—they may disrupt classes..."
Puxia wrapped up her lesson early to explain Valhalla Academy’s semester-ending tradition.
The Academy Magic Combat Rankings—Ranking Battles—tested student strength through duels. Part exam, part rivalry, it was the academy’s grandest event.
"That’s all. Details will come from your Magic instructors. Dismissed."
Only after Puxia’s elegant figure vanished did the class erupt into chatter about the battles.
"So, Lingxuan?" Gavi’s tone was loaded.
"The Ranking Battles? Honestly, I’m not the competitive type. Why sweat when you can lounge?"
Watching classmates crack knuckles, Yan sighed. *Climbing ranks sounds exhausting. Ten thousand students? From middle school to university? How many matches? How much sweat?*
"You really are hopeless," Su Fangwen declared. Yan *was* peace-loving. He just wanted quiet days with his sister.
As Yan slumped over his desk, Gavi added gently:
"Ranking Battles aren’t just about power. They’re an outlet. Teens need to vent. Plus… top hundred get solid rewards."
Just then, someone approached Yan Lingxuan.
"You’re Yan Lingxuan?"
A man with muscles so solid he didn't look like a student. He wore the same uniform as everyone else, but his muscles bulged the fabric until it seemed ready to burst.
Yan Lingxuan faced the man's swarthy face and confirmed he'd never met him before.
"What do you want?"
"Fight me."
"Why?"
That swarthy face held a serious expression. Yan Lingxuan felt himself getting dragged into trouble.
