“I can’t stay up here long,” Victor muttered, realization dawning on him.

  Although the immense power of a Nexus Temporal Magus allowed him to travel beyond the atmosphere, he now felt the strain on his mana reserves. Even maintaining the protective cocoon around his body consumed a significant amount of infused mana. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to remain in the astral space for more than ten minutes.

  This realm was indeed dangerous, filled with unknown variables and threats that no earthly training could prepare one for. In a record Victor once read, back in the early days of magic, a conceited peak Nexus Temporal Magus had attempted to venture beyond Seraphia into the great unknown, fully equipped and confident in his preparations. But not long into his journey, he vanished without a trace and was never heard from again.

  With a subtle shift in posture, Victor turned and streaked back toward the world below, the stars shrinking as he descended.

  Maybe if he had already reached the Sigil Conversion rank, he would’ve been able to go farther. But even then, the distance to the nearest plane was incomprehensibly vast. It wasn’t something one could simply fly toward. He would need to develop a long-distance teleportation spell — one capable of bridging entire planes.

  Even then, such a spell would be useless without knowing the coordinates of his destination. It was a harsh reminder: power alone wasn’t enough. Knowledge, precision, and preparation were just as vital in reaching the cosmos.

  Per aspera ad astra… This is why I called myself Astralium, Victor thought with renewed determination.

  Soon, he broke through the stratosphere, his figure becoming a streak of silver light descending toward the world. The violet-black expanse faded back into the azure sky and then into the swirling cloud cover. Below him, the vast expanse of the wildlands stretched out like a brown pastel. The land here was truly barren — an endless, dusty wilderness, more akin to a desolate desert.

  Victor adjusted his descent, gradually slowing his fall. Moments later, he landed lightly in a small clearing near the rocky outcrop that concealed the sealed entrance to the meditation cavern. With a flick of his hand, the teleportation formation he had created earlier activated, and he vanished with a ripple of distortion.

  A breath later, he reappeared in the subterranean cavern. The still waters of the underground lake glimmered faintly under the soft glow of bioluminescent fungi clinging to the cavern walls. Victor took a deep breath, savoring the richness of the ambient elemental energy lingering in the air as well as recovering his mana reserves.

  “I’ll definitely return here again,” he said to himself.

  But as Victor turned to the Waypoint, a melodious ding echoed in his mind, followed by the sudden appearance of a blue holographic screen.

  [Mission Accomplished!]

  [Congratulations on passing the mission. You have successfully rallied your players to conquer Brightmoon City.]

  [The reward (10,000 academy points and a Substitute Effigy) has been issued.]

  This was the main mission he had received after defeating the Merlin invaders: conquering Brightmoon City. Believing that the academy and the players could handle the matter without his direct involvement, Victor had focused all his attention on advancing his rank.

  As for the reward, the Substitute Effigy was a rare and valuable life-saving treasure. It was said to absorb a fatal blow or deadly curse on behalf of its user, breaking apart in their stead. For any Magus, it was as valuable as a second life. Naturally, it came with limitations — any attack beyond a Gimmel-tier spell, or one imbued with mysterious or unknown properties, could bypass it.

  “That aside, what about the academy’s progression?” Victor switched to the main tab.

  Academy Name: Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi

  Headmaster: Victor Asteriscus

  Academy Points: 33,920

  Academy Grade: Level 5

  Total Acolytes: 4,639/5,000

  Total Professors: 6/5

  Total Assistant Professors: 41/20

  Progression Value: 4,620/5,000

  The side mission of building the new Asteriscus Manor had also been completed. With the help of the players and the power of Magi, a vast and luxurious estate had been constructed in less than a month. With that, the total academy points had skyrocketed, surpassing thirty thousand.

  Furthermore, all other requirements had already been fulfilled, leaving only the total number of acolytes and the progression value remaining. At this rate, it wouldn’t take more than a week before the academy leveled up again.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Well, it’s about time I go back to the academy.”

  While saying that, he placed his palm on the floating Teleportation Waypoint and fed it a surge of his infused mana. The device pulsed in response, and in a flash of light, his figure vanished. In an instant, he was back within the academy grounds, right at the plaza before the Headmaster’s Building.

  The Teleportation Waypoint had been upgraded after all, and the new one could travel much, much farther than before. It was all thanks to Lillie’s contribution, as her power to copy the voidstone had improved drastically, and she was now able to replicate it more perfectly and potently. Of course, Eleanor and the players played a huge role in making this possible.

  The plaza was still abuzz with activity, with players and academy staff walking and milling about. Even though hundreds of players had joined the Brightmoon expedition, the academy didn’t seem any less crowded. Well, Victor’s breakthrough had taken up a good part of the month following the Merlin invasion, so the total number of players in the academy grounds had, in fact, increased.

  Thanks to his high level of magic as a Nexus Temporal Magus, unless he chose to reveal himself, none of the players, even those at the peak of the third stage of Initiate Attunement, could sense his presence. This was because Victor had mastered the esoteric Cosmo element, allowing him to exist as though he weren’t there at all.

  Victor then walked unhurriedly toward the Headmaster’s Building, ascending the familiar staircases until he reached his office. When he pushed the door open, instead of being greeted by the assistant fairy, he was met with a pair of wide, innocent eyes — Lillie’s.

  “Mentor, you’re back!” she exclaimed, rushing forward to hug him tightly.

  “Yes. I’m back.” Victor rested a hand on her head, his keen senses immediately noticing the subtle yet distinct change in her mana fluctuation. She had already reached the third stage of Initiate Attunement. “My little apprentice, it seems you’ve done everything I told you to. Your progress has not disappointed me.”

  “Mm-hmm! Lillie has given her all to practice meditation and learn magic,” she replied proudly, her face beaming like a child presenting a perfect report card to a parent.

  “Good, good.” Victor patted her head more.

  “Ahem. I’m not someone who likes to interrupt your touching reunion…” came a voice from the side as Lizbeth’s tiny wings gave a faint flutter. She hovered in the air, arms crossed. “But I don’t think this is the right time for that, Master.”

  Before Victor could respond, a familiar, lively voice called out from behind him.

  “Yo, Patron!” Eleanor strode into the room with a casual wave and her ever-present grin. She looked completely unfazed by the fact she had just barged into the Headmaster’s Office without knocking — though, to be fair, the door was already open.

  As a Nexus Temporal Magus with heightened senses, Victor had, of course, detected the three of them long before he even reached the door. Still, aside from noting Lillie’s progress, he also picked up on something unusual: Eleanor’s mana signature had transformed.

  Victor raised an eyebrow. “Eleanor, have you advanced to official Magus?”

  “I have!” she replied with a wide, toothy grin. “Now, we’re equ—” Her words faltered mid-sentence as her eyes narrowed on him, her expression twisting into shock. “WAIT!! Y-You’re a Nexus Temporal Magus now?”

  Victor allowed himself the faintest, sheepish smile. “So it seems.”

  Eleanor’s jaw dropped wide enough to fit a watermelon. “You—! That’s… that’s insane! Do you have any idea how many dozens or even hundreds of years people spend just trying to reach that Magus rank? And the most unbelievable part is that it hasn’t even been a year since you advanced to Elemental Adept!” She raked a hand through her hair, as if trying to force the absurdity into something her mind could accept. “And here I thought I was catching up!”

  Lizbeth, still hovering in the air, let out a chuckle laced with schadenfreude. “Hehe. Master isn’t someone you can compare to the likes of you.” She puffed out her chest with smug pride, as if she herself had achieved the feat.

  Lillie mirrored her, puffing out her chest as well. “Mentor’s the best! He’s unbeatable!”

  “Boohoo… I’m gonna cry,” Eleanor said, launching into her familiar antic of exaggerated, fake sobbing, clearly fishing for sympathy.

  Really? You’re an official Magus now, so act like one…

  And, of course, it worked as Lillie gently patted her arm. “Don’t cry. Big Sis Eleanor is also the best.”

  “Aww, come here. Gimme a hug!” Eleanor swooped in, wrapping Lillie in a tight embrace and rubbing her cheek against Lillie’s. “You too, Lizzy!”

  “Eep! No!” Lizbeth shot higher into the air, wings fluttering frantically to stay out of Eleanor’s reach.

  Truth be told, Eleanor had every right to complain. Her progress had been nothing short of remarkable. When Victor had first met her a little over half a year ago, she’d only been at the second stage of Initiate Attunement.

  Still, Victor had the advantage of the System and nearly limitless resources at his disposal. If he hadn’t been able to reach his current level of power under those conditions, he would have had to be ashamed of himself.

  “Anyway, enough of this,” Victor cut in, his tone shifting to one of authority.

  Almost instantly, the three of them straightened and stood at attention, though Lizbeth was flying in place.

  Victor’s eyes settled on Eleanor. “Eleanor, you’re not here just to flaunt your advancement, are you? What brings you here so urgently?”

  “Well, it’s about the recent expedition to Brightmoon City,” she replied. “Lillie’s here for that, too. But it just so happens you returned in time.”

  “I see.”

  Victor knew exactly what she meant. One glance at Lillie, wearing a resolute expression, made it clear what this was about. After all, Brightmoon City was her homeland — her birthplace, and the place where she had spent her childhood.

  The players had only recently taken control of Brightmoon City, and they had likely already set up a Teleportation Waypoint somewhere within its walls. Reaching it would be effortless, without the need for a dirigible.

  On top of that, although Victor hadn’t looked into the finer details, the new main mission seemed to involve reinstating Lillie as the rightful lord of the Brightmoon territory. Of course, she was still far too young to handle such responsibilities alone, so her butler, Brown, would act in her stead. After all, Victor couldn’t simply leave the administration of the city entirely in the hands of the players.

  “All right. What are we waiting for then? Let’s move.” Saying this, he turned on his heel, with Lillie and Eleanor following close behind.

  Volume 1 and

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  Volume 3

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