When I woke again, deep night pressed against the window. I checked my phone—1 a.m. Damn it. I was supposed to meet that old man an hour ago. Had he given up waiting and returned alone to that other world? Though my body felt weak, every few steps leaving me breathless, I gritted my teeth and forced myself downstairs, sprinting straight to the alley from that day.

Luck was on my side. The little old man still stood there in his black robe, a knowing smile spreading across his face when he saw me. "I knew you’d come."

"Death’s coming either way," I panted, barely getting the words out. "Might as well gamble on your other world."

"Then from this day forth," he declared, "you are my official disciple—the one and only disciple of the Stellar Archmage!"

As his right foot struck the ground, a massive magic circle flared beneath him, etched with mystical patterns. His soft chant made the runes blaze brighter, forcing me to squint. The light didn’t scatter—it gathered like a living thing at the circle’s heart, coalescing into a radiant gateway that blazed against the night.

"Come, boy!" His voice rang out under the glow, his previously sleazy face now radiating a saintly aura. "Enter our other world! There, arcane magic thrums in the air, fierce battle auras clash, and beautiful princesses await you!"

"Princesses?" Golden-haired beauties instantly flooded my mind. *Huh. First love with a princess?* A little thrill shot through me.

I followed him into the light. When the glare faded, towering trees I’d never seen before surrounded us. Crisp, untainted air filled my lungs—nothing like the city. And in the sky… three moons hung in different corners of the heavens.

*So this is the other world?*

But a far more urgent problem hit me: my clothes had vanished.

Actually, the old man was naked too. His chest hair, thick and dark as weeds under the moonlight, didn’t seem to bother him at all. Calmly, he announced, "Welcome to my world, boy. This is Moonlight Forest on the Western Continent. Follow me—I’ll personally guide your first steps into magic."

His gaze held no trace of awkwardness, as if my nakedness meant nothing. *Makes sense,* I thought. *I’m not a girl, and I’m not into guys. What’s the big deal between two men?*

Like hell!

I clamped both hands over my manhood, face burning. "Why are our clothes gone?!"

"Only special lifeforms or spatial equipment can traverse dimensions," he explained matter-of-factly, utterly unbothered by his own hairy, aged body. "An ordinary person stepping into that circle would’ve turned to ash instantly."

"Uh… do you have any clothes? This is… not ideal…"

"We Mages seek the universe’s truths. A little nudity? Meaningless."

"*I* mind!"

He sighed like I’d asked for the moon. With a flick of his wrist, a black robe materialized before me. Knowing it was magic, I didn’t flinch—just yanked it on, relief washing over me. Still, the sight of his naked form stung my eyes. "Master… could you put something on too? I’m… not used to this…"

Grumbling, he conjured an identical robe and threw it on haphazardly.

*I seriously suspect he’s an exhibitionist.*

He led the way through the forest until we reached a crude wooden hut. Gesturing for me to sit on the floor, he cleared his throat. "Since we’re master and disciple now, I’ll be frank. My full name is Richard Charlemagne Hughes. I am a Council Member of the Mages Association, honored as the Stellar Archmage. And you… you will be my first—and only—disciple. Now, boy, your name?"

"Wu Tong. Senior student at Donghai City No. 16 High School. As for an honorific… I don’t have one."

"Wu Tong? A name steeped in the essence of the Eastern Continent!" His expression turned grave. "Time is short. I’ll guide you through magical awakening now. Whether you can forge an Elemental Matrix within five days to stabilize your collapsing mana space… that rests with fate."

*Wait—wasn’t coming here supposed to save me? Why’s it suddenly up to fate?*

But with my life on the line, I bit back my complaints. I sat up straight, hanging on his every word like I’d never done in any classroom.

First, he drilled me on magic fundamentals. Mages here ranked in five tiers: Apprentice, Mage, Archmage, Grandmaster, and Sage—each split into nine levels. Normally, only Apprentices who’d condensed an Elemental Sequence could cast spells. But my "exceptional talent" let me cast without one… at a cost. My mana space was rupturing from overload. Only forging a Mage’s Elemental Matrix could fix it.

Step one: meditation. In a tranquil state, sense the magic elements in the air. For me, it was effortless. I instantly "saw" swarms of colored lights—earth, fire, water, wind—the four elemental particles the old man described.

Next, arrange these elements mathematically within my mana space and lock them in place. That was the Apprentice threshold. Maybe my talent *was* absurd—I spent mere hours before orderly clusters of four-colored lights formed deep in my consciousness.

"A prodigy unseen in a millennium," the old man murmured, pride warming his face before hardening again. "But an Elemental Sequence is the simplest step. Any with magic aptitude can achieve it. Forging an Elemental Matrix? Many spend lifetimes failing, forever trapped as Apprentices."

"Don’t scare me like that…"

I feared nothing more than death.

"I speak truth. The true hurdle is mathematical analysis. Only by grasping complex mathematics can you formulaically combine magic sequences and embed them perfectly into the Matrix. Countless Apprentices stall forever, unable to comprehend the advanced math required."

*So being a Mage isn’t easy after all.* I focused hard on his lecture—until my expression twisted in disbelief. "Master… isn’t this just… high school math?"

Now *he* looked stunned. "This profound knowledge baffles Apprentices for decades—and you already know it?!"

*Uh… multiple integrals? Algebraic spaces? Differential equations? Matrix operations?* Standard college entrance exam stuff.

"It’s not just me," I added. "My classmates know this too."

"Remarkable! No wonder your world’s alchemy thrives—our highest scholarly pursuits are children’s lessons there!" He seemed genuinely shaken. "But this simplifies things. I can skip the basics and teach you Matrix formation directly."

Blessed with rare talent and this world’s "advanced" math, I unraveled the elemental formulas with ease. Four-colored light points slid into their designated positions within the equations. Slowly, a new Matrix took shape in my mana space.

Then—wonder. Magic particles flooded toward me from the air, like fragrant bathwater soaking into my skin. Pure light filled my mind and body. Elemental sprites danced around me, singing joyfully. Time dissolved as I drowned in the bliss.

Beside me, the old man stared, wide-eyed, at my human-shaped aura blazing with rainbow light. His whisper trembled: "Elemental Baptism… It’s been since the Third Era anyone received this upon becoming a Mage. Could it be…"