Elune lowered her head, looking at her reflection in the mirror-like ice beneath her feet. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly to Jiang Lin.
“Your master... he’s definitely not what I imagined.”
“What did you imagine?”
Elune thought for a moment and replied, “Someone like you.”
She paused, then added, “Handsome, calm, powerful, and dazzling.”
“But I didn’t expect... him to be even more dazzling than you.”
“That’s because you aren’t used to my master’s impact yet,” Jiang Lin said, walking toward the ice crystal pavilion. “You’ll get used to it.”
Loren was already standing at the entrance of the pavilion, his ice-blue robes casting a soft glow under the aurora.
His gaze swept over the three elves before settling on Jiang Lin. “Come in.”
Jiang Lin turned to the trio. “Wait outside for a moment. I need to have a word with my master.”
With that, he followed Loren into the ice crystal pavilion.
In the first-floor hall, the fireplace was roaring, making the entire room as warm as spring.
Loren sat down at a stone table and gestured for Jiang Lin to do the same. An ice crystal teapot floated up on its own, pouring steaming tea for both of them.
“Tell me. What happened over these past two months?”
Jiang Lin took a sip of tea and began his story, starting from the Demon Lord Trial.
He spoke of the hunts in the Abyss Corridor and being tracked by four 9th-rank Demon Kings after slaying the successors of the Four Great Demon Kings.
He described being forced to use an ultra-long-distance random teleportation scroll and drifting across the Endless Sea.
He told of his arrival on the continent of Alderon, meeting Elune, and studying spatial magic at Silver Moon Academy.
He recounted exploring the Starfall Corridor, obtaining the ancient elven inheritance, and finally learning spatial magic capable of crossing the ocean.
Lastly, he explained how he used that magic to traverse the Endless Sea.
He kept his narrative concise, without unnecessary embellishment, but Loren listened intently.
When Jiang Lin mentioned the “Starfall Corridor” and the “ancient elven inheritance,” a flicker of emotion crossed Loren’s purple eyes.
“An inheritance from an ancient elven archmage?” Loren frowned slightly. “What did you obtain?”
“A mix of knowledge—the path to advancing my sword intent, high-level applications of spatial magic, and some information regarding status and the power of faith.”
Jiang Lin paused before adding, “Also, it seems they observed a certain plane within the void called the Abyss of Slaughter.”
Loren’s hand, which was holding his teacup, stiffened slightly.
“The Abyss of Slaughter?”
“You know of it, Master?”
“I’ve heard of a few scattered records. It is said to be an ill-omened place.”
Loren set down his teacup. “It is not a place mortals should tread. Your current strength is far from enough.”
“I know,” Jiang Lin nodded. “I don’t plan on going there now. I’ll handle the matters at hand first.”
Loren gave a slight nod and didn’t press further.
He poured himself another cup of tea and leaned back in his chair, his purple eyes appearing exceptionally deep in the firelight. “What do you plan to do with those three elves?”
“They want to come with me to the East Continent to see the world.”
Jiang Lin also picked up his teacup.
“Elune is a noble of the Silver Moon Kingdom, while Fenrir and Alicia are swordsmanship geniuses from Silver Moon Academy.”
“They wish to stay by my side to continue their studies in swordsmanship and magic.”
Loren remained silent for a while before slowly speaking. “An elven noble from the Silver Moon Kingdom will face no small amount of trouble traveling through human kingdoms. You must be prepared.”
“I know.” Jiang Lin set down his cup. “I’ll look after them.”
Loren hummed in acknowledgment and said no more.
He stood up and walked toward the inner depths of the pavilion. He stopped at the doorway and said without looking back, “Since you’re back, go and settle your academic affairs first. Your classmates must miss you.”
“As for those three elves, they can stay here at Frost-Tongue Peak for the time being, or return to the academy with you. Either is fine.”
“Alright. Thank you, Master.”
Jiang Lin stood up and walked out of the pavilion.
Fenrir was squatting at the edge of the ice terrace, drawing something on the ice with his finger. Hearing footsteps, he looked up with a hint of impatience in his voice. “Professor Jiang Lin, when are we going to the human kingdom?”
The group now knew that Matthew was only Jiang Lin’s pseudonym. Thus, they had all changed how they addressed him.
“Now.”
Jiang Lin stepped off the ice terrace, his golden eyes looking toward the southeast.
“Let’s go to my school first—Saint Brilliance Magic Academy.”
“Come, I will send you.”
Loren appeared beside them.
In the next moment, a spatial tunnel opened once again.
Fenrir shouldered his greatsword and was the first to step into the tunnel, followed by Alicia and Elune.
Jiang Lin bid his master farewell, then turned and stepped into the silver-white light.
When his vision cleared, the four of them were standing outside the city gates of Clearwater City in the Saintas Kingdom.
The setting sun painted the city walls a warm golden-red. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys within the city, accompanied by the occasional bark of a dog and the shouts of vendors packing up their stalls.
The air was thick with the scent of toasted bread, stewed meat, and ale—a mundane bustle that was entirely different from the elven realm.
Fenrir took a deep breath and let out a loud sneeze.
“Such a strong smell of spices. Do you humans always use this much seasoning in your cooking?”
“That’s right. I’ll take you to experience our local delicacies later.”
It had been three months.
It was early autumn when he left; now, winter had arrived.
The flags on the city walls flapped loudly in the cold wind. The gate guards had changed into thicker winter uniforms, and their white breath was clearly visible in the twilight.
“So this is a city of the human kingdom?” Fenrir shouldered his greatsword, curiously observing the pedestrians passing through the gate. “The scale isn't small, but the architectural style is completely different from the elves.”
The buildings in Clearwater City were primarily made of red brick and gray stone. The streets were narrower and more winding than those in Silver Moon City, and most of the shop signs were made of wooden boards.
“Let’s go. We’re heading inside.”
Jiang Lin walked toward the city gate.
The entry inspection went smoothly.
The guards were visibly stunned when they saw Jiang Lin’s exceptionally eye-catching face, as well as the three sharp-eared, remarkably beautiful elves behind him.
However, after checking the Saint Brilliance Academy crest, they let them through readily, though they couldn't help but linger their gazes on the three foreign faces for a few extra seconds.
As soon as they stepped onto the crowded main street, gazes converged on them like magnets.
It wasn't that the presence of elves was world-shaking; as a major trading hub, Clearwater City saw elves occasionally, though they were rare.
What truly made it impossible for people to look away was the visual impact of the four of them standing together.
Jiang Lin’s long golden hair flowed like molten gold under the setting sun, and his face was so perfect he didn't look real.
Having been tempered on Planet Teluofuto and the West Continent, he now carried an air that was both more composed and sharper than before.
The three elves standing beside him pushed the definition of “beautiful” several notches higher.
Though Fenrir was a brawny warrior, his rugged facial lines combined with the delicate features unique to elves gave him a wild charm.
Alicia had a cold, elegant aura. Her silver-gray leather armor outlined a slender and well-proportioned figure, and her eyes held the sharpness unique to a swordsman.
The most eye-catching was Elune, whose rare silver-purple hair fluttered gently in the evening breeze.
Her pale purple eyes seemed to hold the light of the stars, and the innate grace of the elven race was perfectly embodied in her.
As the four walked side-by-side down the stone-paved road, the rate of people turning their heads was nearly one hundred percent.
A woman carrying a vegetable basket stared so hard she nearly walked into a lamp post.
A vendor collecting laundry on a second floor froze with a bedsheet in his hands, not even noticing when the wind blew it away.
A teenager squatting by the road eating a flatbread looked up at the procession, his mouth hanging open as his flatbread plopped onto the ground.
“Mama... did they walk right out of a painting?” the boy muttered.
Fenrir scratched his head and whispered to Jiang Lin, “Professor Jiang Lin, I feel like we’re being stared at like animals in a zoo.”
“Get used to it. This is just my daily life.”
Jiang Lin’s expression remained unchanged.
Fenrir adapted quickly. Not long after entering the city, he squatted in front of a small roadside stall, staring at the sizzling, oily meat skewers in the vendor’s hand, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“Boss, how much for these skewers?”
On their way over, they had crammed as much of the Human Common Tongue as they could.
Thus, normal communication was possible.
“Three copper coins a skewer.”
The vendor was a middle-aged human man. He was startled for a moment when he saw Fenrir’s clearly non-human face, but he quickly flashed a warm smile.
“Give me ten!”
Without another word, Fenrir pulled a silver coin from his pocket.
This was the human kingdom currency Jiang Lin had distributed to them before they set out.
The vendor’s eyes lit up as he took the silver coin. His hands moved with lightning speed as he flipped the skewers. Oil dripped onto the charcoal with a sizzle, releasing a rich aroma.
A moment later, Fenrir had six skewers in his left hand, three in his right, and one dangling from his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster.
“Delicious!” he commented indistinctly.
Standing a few steps away, Alicia watched Fenrir’s completely unrefined behavior and couldn't help but sigh, though she said nothing.
She bought a skewer as well, eating it in small bites, her pale gold eyes filled with a hint of novelty.
Elune chose a skewer of golden, crispy roasted corn, holding it carefully as she took small nibbles.
The food of the human kingdom certainly had its own unique flavor.
“Professor Jiang Lin, where are we going now?”
Fenrir swallowed the meat in his mouth and asked.
Jiang Lin looked toward the western part of the city.
There, several towering mage towers loomed in the twilight, the magic crystals at their peaks glowing softly in the fading light.
“Saint Brilliance Magic Academy. My school.”
The gates of Saint Brilliance Magic Academy stood open in the dusk.
The school crest on the lintel—an open magic book surrounded by seven stars—glowed with a warm luster under the porch lights.
Jiang Lin showed his identity certificate and entered the campus.
On the lawns, along the tree-lined paths, and in the open spaces before the teaching buildings, students could be seen everywhere, either sitting or standing.
They held textbooks, reciting in low voices. The air was filled with the sound of turning pages and the faint scent of magic potions.
“The atmosphere of study here... is so intense.”
Alicia watched the reciting students, a hint of surprise flashing in her pale gold eyes.
“You’ll get used to it. Like me, they’ve probably all developed the habit of not sleeping.”
Jiang Lin told them to stay calm.
He turned to look around, a long-lost sense of familiarity welling up in his heart.
It had been nearly three months since he left this place.
“Come on. Let’s go see Vice Principal Keith first.”
Vice Principal Keith’s office was on the third floor of the east wing of the teaching building, still the same well-lit room as before.
When Jiang Lin knocked, a slightly weary “Come in” sounded from inside.
Pushing the door open, he saw Keith sitting behind his desk. A thick stack of documents was piled in front of him, and he held a quill, staring at a form with a furrowed brow.
Hearing the movement, he looked up, his gaze landing on Jiang Lin.
He froze, rubbed his eyes, and looked again.
“...Jiang Lin?”
“Principal Keith, your student has returned.”
Keith set down his quill and stood up. He walked around the desk to stand before Jiang Lin, looking him up and down.
After a moment, his expression shifted from surprise to shock, and from shock to numbness.
“4th-rank early stage? Weren't you barely at the 3rd-rank when you left? It’s only been three months, and you’ve improved this much?”
“I was lucky. I came across some opportunities.”
Keith was silent for a long while before taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling.
“Isn't your luck... a bit excessive?”
Keith glanced at the three clearly non-human figures behind Jiang Lin, his eyebrows twitching slightly. “And these three are?”
“Friends I met on the West Continent.” Jiang Lin stepped aside, revealing the three elves. “Fenrir, Alicia, and Elune. They are all elves who have come back with me for study and exchange.”
“The West Continent... the elven race...” Keith’s gaze swept over their faces, finally resting on Elune’s pale purple eyes. “You went to the West Continent during your time away?”
Elune nodded slightly and replied politely in the Human Common Tongue, “Yes. Elune Starsong, of the Silver Moon Kingdom.”
Keith looked incredulous as he turned back to Jiang Lin. “You certainly had quite a harvest on this trip.”
“It was alright.”
Keith didn't press further. He walked back behind his desk, took a document from a drawer, and handed it to Jiang Lin.
“But you’ve returned just in time. If you hadn't come back now, I would have had to find someone else to take your place in the competition.”
“The official matches of the National Youth Adventurer Competition open in the Royal Capital in three days.”
“You received an internal recommendation slot previously, so you can enter the knockout rounds directly. Use these three days to prepare well. Don't embarrass our academy.”
Jiang Lin took the document, scanned it, and put it into his spatial ring. “Understood.”
Keith glanced at the three elves again, thought for a moment, and said, “Since they are friends who came with you, the academy can arrange for them to enter the venue as your entourage.”
“However, elves are quite rare in the Royal Capital. They might draw some attention.”
“It’s fine,” Jiang Lin said. “They’ll be low-key.”
Just as he finished speaking, Fenrir let out a loud, satisfied burp.
The air became thick with the heavy scent of roasted meat.
Keith: “...”
Jiang Lin’s expression remained unchanged. “At least most of the time.”
By the time they walked out of the office building, the sky was completely dark.
The campus streetlights had turned on, tracing warm ribbons of light through the night. In the distance, the windows of the dormitories glowed with scattered lights, offering glimpses of busy students.
“Professor Jiang Lin, where are the dormitories of your academy?” Fenrir asked.
...
Rate on N.U.
