Kenny stepped out of the Tower Master's quarters.
Behind him, the alloy doors closed shut with a soft hiss, sealing the room once more.
For a brief moment, he remained standing in the quiet corridor.The mission order had been accepted.His will had been left in the Tower Master's care.Everything that needed to be done before departure had been completed.
Now, only one responsibility remained.
Gather the five apprentices entrusted to him.
Turning away from the administrative wing, Kenny made his way toward the apprentice district. The Tower bustled with its usual activity. Apprentices hurried through corridors carrying manuals borrowed from the Hall of Tomes, while others made their way toward the residential quarters after spending the better part of the morning training.
His pace remained steady.Before long, he spotted the first apprentice assigned to him.The young girl sat under a tree in the apprentice district, quietly reviewing a beginner's manual. Hearing footsteps approach, she looked up and immediately straightened her posture.
"Instructor Kenny."
Kenny gave a slight nod before asking,
"Have you seen the others?"
She pointed toward the training courtyard.
"I saw them over there a few minutes ago."
Without another word, Kenny continued on.
The second and third apprentices were exactly where she had indicated, discussing the spell diagrams they had copied from the Hall of Tomes. Upon noticing Kenny, their conversation came to an abrupt stop.
"Instructor Kenny."
Kenny acknowledged them before his gaze swept across the area.One apprentice was still missing.The fourth was easy enough to find. He was sitting alone on a nearby bench, a half-finished meal resting beside him.Now all four stood together before Kenny.His eyes moved across each of their faces.Then he asked,
"Where's Kelvin?"
The four apprentices exchanged uncertain glances.It was the water-affinity girl who answered first.
"We haven't seen him since the free training session ended, Instructor Kenny."
Another apprentice nodded.
"We thought he'd returned to his dormitory."
"So did I," a third added.
Kenny listened without interrupting.
After a brief pause, he simply said,
"Wait here."
The four watched as he turned and walked toward the apprentice residence...Rows of residential buildings stretched neatly across the district.Unlike the heavily secured administrative wing, each dormitory was fitted with automated sliding doors connected to the Tower's residential management system.
Every apprentice received a room upon admission, and every entry or exit was automatically recorded through their identity card.
Several minutes later, Kenny stopped outside the room assigned to Kelvin.
The automated door remained closed.
Mounted beside it was a small illuminated access panel.A series of records appeared on the display.
Occupant: Kelvin
Room Status: Unoccupied
Recorded Entries: 0
Recorded Exits: 0
Kenny studied the screen for only a moment.Kelvin had never entered his assigned room.Not even once.Without lingering, Kenny turned and retraced his steps toward the four waiting apprentices.They noticed his return immediately.
"Instructor Kenny..."
Kenny looked at them.
"You're certain none of you have seen Kelvin since the free training session ended?"
"Yes, Instructor Kenny."
The reply came almost in unison.
Kenny gave a small nod.
"I see."
If Kelvin had never returned to his dormitory...And no one had seen him since the free session...Then there was only one place he was likely to be.The Mana Chambers.Kenny wasted no more time.Leaving the apprentice residence behind, he headed directly for the Cultivation Administration Office
The Cultivation Administration Office stood several hundred meters from the apprentice residence.
Unlike the quieter residential district, the building remained busy. Apprentices entered and exited at regular intervals, some making reservations for cultivation rooms while others returned temporary access cards after completing their sessions.
The moment Kenny stepped through the entrance, a cool current of mana washed over him. This was the normal atmosphere of the cultivation administration office as he was used to it he paid it no mind and walked right through as if nothing had happened
Kenny walked up to the nearest available clerk.The man looked up from the terminal before him.
"How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for an apprentice."
"Name?"
"Kelvin."
The clerk entered the name into the terminal. His eyes scanned the results before he looked back at Kenny.
"Yes. An apprentice by that name is currently occupying a mana rooms."
"I'll need an access card."
The clerk paused.
"Are you the apprentice's assigned instructor?"
"I am."
"I'll need verification."
Kenny raised his hand and tapped the interface on his wrist.A translucent screen unfolded before him.Five portraits appeared across the display, The clerk recognized one of them. It was the same boy who had the last available mana chamber taken from him.
He gave a slight nod.Turning back to his terminal, he entered a few commands.
A moment later, a fresh access card slid out from a slot beneath the counter.The clerk picked it up and handed it to Kenny.
Kenny accepted the card with a nod before turning and walking away.
Inside the Mana Chamber ...The cultivation room had long since transformed into Simulation Mode.The ordinary suite had vanished.In its place stretched a vast white training arena illuminated by a soft, even light. The walls were no longer visible, giving the illusion of an endless expanse.
Dozens of circular targets stood at varying distances across the arena, each waiting for the next spell to strike.
Kelvin stood alone at the center of the room.His breathing was calm, but his sleeves bore several small scorch marks from repeated failures.Before beginning, he had spent nearly half an hour studying the Fire Spell from the hand book he was given titled introduction to hand seals .
Only after committing every movement to memory had he started practicing.
There were two recognized methods of casting a spell.The first relied on incantations.By chanting a predetermined sequence of words, a mage guided mana into a stable spell construct. It was the easier method and the one recommended for beginners.
The second relied on hand seals.
Rather than using words to stabilize mana, the caster shaped the spell directly through a precise sequence of hand movements.It demanded greater control and far more practice.A single mistake could destabilize the spell before it was completed.
Yet once mastered...
It was considerably faster than relying on an incantation.