In a dark cave, hidden in a thick, unknown forest, a lone figure sat atop a makeshift throne carved into the rocky cavern. A tiny drop of water pierced through the eerie silence with a soft plop, echoing throughout the cave. The rock chamber was sealed shut, with not a single ray of light passing through.

  Suddenly, the stone wall opposite the throne moved with a heavy grinding sound, opening into a seemingly endless, dark tunnel.

  The candles along the tunnel lit up in quick succession, casting a soft yellow hue upon the still man. Or was it perhaps a grotesque creature?

  The man was old—maybe even as ancient as the cave itself. His loose skin barely clinging to his bones; his eyelids drooping heavily over his blind, foggy eyes. If not for the faint rising of his chest, he could easily pass for a corpse.

  The tiny spiders, nesting in his long silver beard, had mistaken his stillness for weakness. He would probably struggle to fling them off with the tiny stumps he had for limbs, but he was by no means helpless.

  Despite his sorry state, he exuded an aura of calm wisdom. The sheer mana thrumming around him made him look anything but pitiful.

  A young, beautiful woman silently emerged from the tunnel, her fiery red hair dancing like flickering flames as she gracefully stood before the blind old man.

  “You called for me, Sage?” she asked brightly.

  “It is time,” he said. His voice was low and scratchy, like he hadn’t used it in a while, but its majesty was undeniable.

  She immediately got on one knee, her previous playfulness disappearing from her face.

  “It's Starland. Take Solene with you— Leave no one alive,” he commanded.

  “When will it begin?” she asked, with a fervent glint in her eyes.

  “Follow the signs, and you will find the moment. Burn the whole city if you must, but we cannot fail. I’ve waited too long. It has to be perfect.”

  “It would be my honor. They will pay for their arrogance. I won’t let you down,” she declared passionately before blitzing away.

  The old man, now alone in the cave again, took a deep breath. His wrinkly lips curved into a faint smile.

  “The world will heal itself. It always has—always will,” he whispered before returning to his natural state: still as a rock.

  A lone wooden carriage paced along a rough unpaved road with a bright silver moon illuminating the way.

  Kaius took a swig from his waterskin, his feet dangling over the edge of the cart. He had moved to the front to chat with Theron somewhere along the way.

  In the distance, he could see a faint silhouette of the tall boundary wall, illuminated by tiny flickering lights.

  The journey had been long and bumpy, but at least they hadn’t encountered any wild beasts or worse— bandits.

  Kaius had long since reined in his emotions. Although he wasn’t looking forward to his time in Magecraft, he was ready.

  As they approached the massive stone entrance, Kaius channeled mana into his eyes, activating true sight. Since it was his first time in town, he wasn’t going to take any chances.

  The guards were all sitting together to the side, too immersed in their conversation to spare a glance. They were dressed in light leather armor, their weapons casually thrown against the wall.

  Even as they got closer, the guards paid them no heed. Theron didn’t look surprised by the cold reception.

  Despite not being told, he stopped the carriage at the gates and gestured for Kaius to follow him as he fetched a tiny cloth pouch from his satchel. Kaius immediately recognised its contents. The familiar metallic jingling didn’t leave much to the imagination.

  As Theron approached the guards with Kaius in tow, “Beautiful night, isn’t it?” he greeted, smiling.

  The guards welcomed him warmly, shaking his hand.

  “Theron! What brings you to town today?” one asked, like he had just noticed him.

  “We had a nice harvest, thought I’d try my luck,” Theron said.

  He approached the biggest of the three guards and subtly pushed the coin pouch into his hands.

  The guard smoothly stuffed it into the leather pouch hanging at his waist before bursting into full-blown laughter as he patted Theron on the back.

  “Is it corn season already? We caught a couple of plump beasts ourselves not too long ago. Come by the barracks later, I’ll give you a good deal,” he said.

  He finally turned towards Kaius. “And who is this behind you?” he asked.

  Kaius finally gave him a proper look.

  Race: Human

  Trait: Warrior

  Level: Third Tier

  “This is Kaius, a kid from my village. He is here for the academy.” Theron said, pulling Kaius closer. “He is a good kid,” he said.

  He then looked at Kaius and introduced the burly guard, “Dorr is the guard leader of the city wall. If anyone finds trouble with you, come to him. He’ll set them straight.” He laughed.

  “Hey, nice to meet you,” Kaius greeted politely, extending his hand for a shake.

  Dorr casually shook his hand. “You must be joking. Who would dare cause trouble here with the Guild Council around?” He smiled at Kaius. “Come find me if you want to taste some good meat, kid. I’ll even give you a student discount,” he laughed at his own joke.

  Theron recognised his cue to leave. “Alright, men. I won’t take more of your time. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waved them off. “Take it easy.”

  The duo climbed back onto the carriage and rode into the city. The metallic hooves of the horned bull clacked against the cobbled street, wide enough for at least three carriages like theirs.

  The city greeted them with a beautiful sight: rows upon rows of neat wooden shops with black tiled roofs adorned the street. The soft yellow glow from the paper lanterns lit up the town.

  A delicious fragrance permeated the air, inciting Kaius’s hungry stomach. People lined up along the busy street, browsing through the stalls. The atmosphere was nothing short of festive.

  Theron pulled the beast into a quiet side street with practiced ease. A bit further in was a massive stable with tens of carts like theirs all lined up neatly within.

  “Here we are,” he announced, pulling the cart to a stop.

  Kaius grabbed his satchel and hopped off.

  “Thanks for the ride. Let’s get something to eat. I am buying,” he said.

  “You go ahead; I would rather eat at the flower house,” Theron said with a sly grin.

  “We can eat there if you want. Is it too expensive?” Kaius asked.

  “It's not the food that’s expensive, kid, it's the beauty feeding you,” Theron burst into laughter.

  Kaius gawked at him, dumbfounded. “Aren’t you married?” he asked.

  “That's exactly why I need this. There’s no better place to release my stress.”

  He suddenly grabbed Kaius’s shoulder enthusiastically. “You know what? Why don’t you come with me? It’s a whole new world. The girls back at the village are nothing compared to the flowers.”

  Kaius was a little taken aback, but he quickly schooled his expression. Theron was supposed to be a kind, village uncle, not this lecherous old man in front of him.

  “I think I’ll pass. I will just treat you to a meal next time,“ he said with an awkward smile.

  “Your loss, kid. There are a lot of inns on the main street. Just grab a room for the night and check in to the academy tomorrow,” Theron said, pointing to the street they came from

  .

  “Alright, Thanks again for the ride. I’ll see you around.” Kaius bid him goodbye and walked back to the busy street.

  Despite the sweet temptation of the sizzling meat skewers, Kaius decided to secure a room first. The exhaustion from the sleepless night was starting to catch up to him. He wasted no time and walked into the first inn he saw.

  A strong whiff of cheap mead hit his nose as soon as he stepped in. The dining room was packed to the brim. The conversations were loud, and the mood jolly.

  After waiting at the entrance for a minute, he finally caught the server’s eye. She briskly walked up to him.

  “Come on in. Take a seat wherever you want,” she said.

  Kaius briefly scanned the room and politely declined, “I am just looking for a room.”

  “You and everyone else, buddy,” an old, balding drunk shouted, getting a few chuckles from the room.

  Kaius ignored the man and waited for the server to answer.

  “I am sorry, Sir. We are fully booked for the night,” she politely declined.

  “Alright, thanks.” Kaius nodded and quickly turned around to try his luck elsewhere.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Before he could leave, a youthful voice yelled, “You can sleep in our room if you want.”

  It was a dark-haired boy around his age, sitting at one of the smaller tables.

  Before Kaius could politely decline his offer, another drunk shouted, “Or you could sleep under the stars.”

  The server added, “It will be hard to find a room anywhere this late. It's one of the busiest days of the year because of all the new students.”

  While Kaius was still contemplating, “Come on! It’ll be fun. We are also here for the academy. We might even be in the same training group,” the boy said, gesturing towards the quiet, brown-haired boy beside him.

  Kaius would have preferred to sleep under the stars any other day, but he was exhausted. The strange dream, the sleepless night, and the long trip had drained him completely. Knocking at every inn in the city sounded like a chore. Besides, having friends would make blending in at the academy easier. He still scanned all three people at that table for good measure, starting with the dark-haired boy:

  Race: Human

  Trait: Warrior

  Level: First Tier

  His brown-haired friend was a mentalist in the first tier, and the older, bulkier man, probably related to the dark-haired boy given their similarities, was a second-tier warrior.

  Even if they had ill intentions, they wouldn’t be much of a threat. Kaius politely thanked them after accepting their kind offer.

  “Come, join us," the black-haired boy beckoned.

  The older man looked around the cramped table and chuckled, “Why don’t you go out and explore the city with your friends instead?” he suggested.

  “Okay,” the boy cheerfully leapt out of his seat, followed by his quiet, mentalist friend.

  “I am Emil, and this is Noel,” the black haired boy introduced.

  “Kaius,” he replied as he shook their hands.

  “Let's go,” Emil said as he led the group outside.

  Kaius grabbed a couple of meat skewers from a stall as they walked around, chatting.

  “So, where are you from, Kaius?” Emil asked.

  “Millwich, it's a small village. You probably haven’t heard of it.”

  “Oh, we’re also from a village, Summerton. It's pretty close to Starland. It's a beautiful place. You should visit sometime,” Emil chirped, wrapping his arm around Kaius’s shoulder.

  “Excuse his behaviour,” Noel interjected. “He gets a little too excited sometimes.”

  “Oh, come on! He is our first friend in the city,” Emil said, pouting.

  Kaius chuckled at their silliness. He was surprisingly having fun.

  “Do you know your trait yet?” Noel asked.

  “Yeah, I am a trickster; still at Tier one, though,” Kaius answered.

  “Nice, a warrior, mentalist, and a trickster. Now we just need two more traits to complete the set,” Emil quipped.

  “And what are you going to do with a complete set?” Kaius asked, amusedly.

  “Form a guild, of course,” Emil said as a matter of fact.

  “Do you mean join a guild?” Kaius asked, hoping the answer would be negative. It would be a shame to have to part ways so soon.

  Emil’s smile softened a bit. “Look at them,” he said, pointing towards a crowd huddled around a tiny stage.

  An Elementalist breathed fire rings into the sky as the other performer, definitely a trickster, nimbly jumped through the blazing hoops. The crowd cheered wildly, thoroughly entertained. Kids cackled, sitting on their parents’ shoulders, while the adults frolicked around, joining the festivities. The night was bright, but people’s smiles were brighter.

  “Look how happy they all are,” Emil said. “This is what I want. A world where kids can just be kids and adults can be free. They can all sleep soundly at night, knowing the Guild Council watches over them.”

  Noel placed a steady hand on Emil’s shoulder. There was clearly more to their story.

  Emil turned towards Kaius. “The current five guilds all recruit based on talent. They are strong– absurdly so- but they still can’t protect everyone. The world is too vast. They just don’t have enough people.” His smile had all but vanished.

  Kaius was surprised by the sudden change in mood but didn’t interrupt.

  “We will fill that gap. I will create a new guild: a place for people like us to protect those too far for the guild council to help. We will take in everyone, as long as they have a noble character and justice in their hearts, regardless of their talent. Then, we will join the Guild Council as the sixth official guild. With their talents and our numbers, we can put a Guild Council branch in every corner of the world and wipe out all evil from the face of the earth. I will make this beautiful scene a commonplace even in small, remote villages like ours.” His misty eyes shone under the yellow lanterns with determination.

  Kaius could see, clear as day, that his dream meant a lot to him. His faith might be misguided, but his heart was in the right place. That would surely change when he saw the true face of the guild council, but it wasn’t Kaius’s place to judge.

  “Sounds like a noble dream,” he genuinely praised.

  “That's great because you are now a part of this dream as the third founding member of the People’s Guild,” Emil announced with a bright smile, sucking his tears right back into his eyes.

  Kaius smiled. At least they weren’t part of the Guild Council yet.

  “And what if I don’t want to join?” he asked.

  “You will. I can tell,” Emil said with a confident smile.

  Kaius didn’t know where Emil’s confidence came from but decided to play along. If they hadn’t even made it to the second tier at twenty, this guild of theirs wasn’t going to work anyway. They both seemed like decent people, so the least he could do was be there for them when they finally realized the futility of their juvenile fantasy.

  They chatted a bit more as they explored the vibrant town. Emil was like a child, getting excited about every little thing they saw.

  Noel tried to act calmer, but his eyes gave him away.

  Their happiness was infectious. Even Kaius let himself go and basked in the festive atmosphere.

  The trio played around for over an hour with no end in sight. Even with all the fun, Kaius’s tiring day had finally caught up to him.

  Noel noticed his visible exhaustion and called the night, dragging the reluctant Emil back to the inn.

  Kaius was glad not to have to camp outside. He blacked out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Fortunately, it was a quiet, dreamless night.

  The sun shone down the open hallway as the new students poured out of the classroom.

  The first class was just an introduction ceremony, but the instructors had put on quite a show for them. The students were beaming with excitement over the potential of their traits.

  Kaius was no exception, but the reason for his smile was different from others’.

  He was relieved.

  While the others were fawning over the flashy skill demonstrations, Kaius was celebrating the instructors’ low levels.

  None of them had even surpassed the first wall: their human limits.

  Given their age, he didn’t think they would ever break through to the fourth tier. If they were talented enough, they wouldn’t still be stuck in the third tier.

  For Kaius, who was already a peak superhuman and on the cusp of breaking through the second wall to the godlike sixth tier, the people still struggling against their human limits posed no threat.

  He fit right in with the crowd, grinning like an idiot.

  “What tier do you think instructor Calihan was? An illusion to ensnare all five senses— I wish I were a mentalist.” Emil said with stars in his eyes.

  “How long until you can make something that beautiful? I am getting tired of those stink bomb illusions every time we spar.”

  “Are you now? I’ll keep that in mind the next time we spar,” Noel replied with a playful smirk.

  “What about you? When will you get those huge muscles like instructor Nathan’s?” Kaius playfully joined the teasing.

  “You best believe it won’t be long. You should start counting your days as the tallest member in our guild,” Emil said, puffing his chest.

  “Says the shortest member,” Noel jibed, only to end up in a headlock from Emil.

  “Calling it a guild might be a bit much. Besides, I haven’t joined your Duet yet,” Kaius chuckled.

  “It’s only a matter of time,” Emil said confidently.

  Kaius was having fun. Perhaps the academy wasn’t as bad as he thought.

  They made their way to the dining hall and grabbed some lunch.

  Excited chatter filled the air, with Kaius’s table contributing their fair share.

  Clack!

  Suddenly, the bright atmosphere was interrupted by a shattered soup bowl.

  “Oh no! I am so sorry,” the short girl said in a tiny voice. Her cute, round face would make it impossible for anyone to get mad at her, or so Kaius thought.

  Just as he looked away,

  SLAP!

  The sound echoed, silencing the entire hall.

  Kaius’s head snapped back.

  The girl pitifully held her cheek with tears welling in her eyes, her long black hair messily strewn across her face.

  “How dare you spill your filth onto my boots,” shrilled the fat, ugly blonde she had accidentally collided with.

  His well-built, dark-haired friend beside him stared down at her intimidatingly.

  “I am sorry,” she whispered meekly, with tears running down her red cheek, before hurrying away.

  She had barely taken two steps before a sudden stream of fire blocked her way.

  She shrieked, narrowly dodging it.

  The blonde stood with a firestarter in his extended hand.

  “Who said you could leave?” he asked with a condescending smile, puffing his chest like a peacock.

  He looked comically stupid with his arms on his hips and his fat belly hanging over his belt.

  Kaius glared at the scene, his true sight revealing more than what others saw.

  He unknowingly clenched his fists.

  Unlike most other students he had seen, both guys were in the second tier.

  The poor girl stood no chance.

  Kaius wanted nothing more than to plant his fist in that fat, smug face. It would be as easy as breathing, except he couldn’t afford the extra attention.

  Before Kaius could make up his mind, Emil rushed past him.

  “What are you doing?” he yelled, shielding the girl. “It was just a mistake, and she apologised.”

  ‘That idiot!’ Kaius cursed in his head.

  He gritted his teeth, accidentally crushing the edge of the wooden table. The veins in his head were about to pop.

  While still paralyzed by indecision, he saw another figure rush past him— Noel.

  “Oh! Are you seeing this, Al? Her very own white knight. I guess we have to apologise now,” the blonde said sarcastically.

  “I apologise, my lord. I’ll take care of it,” replied Al, his warrior friend.

  He unhurriedly walked towards Emil, his intention obvious.

  Emil reluctantly readied himself in a fighting stance. “I am sorry. I didn’t know you were a noble. Even still, you can’t break the academy rules.” He still attempted to de-escalate the situation.

  Al stopped in his tracks.

  “ARE YOU MOCKING ME?” the blonde shrieked, his face red with anger.

  Al stepped aside, bowing his head towards the chubby elementalist.

  “How dare you— you filthy trash!” the blonde yelled as he rushed towards Emil.

  He readied his firestarter, prepared to burn Emil to cinders.

  Right as he flicked it open, he suddenly grabbed his nose, blocking it desperately.

  “Ah, FUCK!” he yelled.

  His face twisted in disgust as he writhed around, holding his nose. Tears welled up in his eyes.

  He suddenly glared at Emil with anger that could kill.

  “You filth!” he hissed through gritted teeth and launched a massive burst of flames at his face.

  Kaius finally leaped out of his seat, staring wide-eyed as the flames parted in the middle, closely missing Emil and the girl behind him.

  “I didn’t know you had a family name, Calen.” A soft, feminine voice spoke from the flames mockingly.

  The blonde froze in his tracks; the flames disappeared.

  Kaius could finally see the person who had protected Emil.

  As soon as he laid his eyes on the twenty-something-year-old woman, his eyes widened in horror.

  His heart was racing, and it was neither because of her perfectly sculpted, doll-like face nor her beautiful shoulder-length silver hair.

  She suddenly looked right into Kaius’s eyes.

  ‘SHIT! What the hell is someone like her doing in a place like this?’ he cursed in his head.

  Race: Human

  Trait: Sensor

  Level: Fifth Tier