Eryndor looked at her daughter Darlene's sulking profile, her tone gentle but earnest:

  "Darlene, since you were the one who spoke rudely first, you must be prepared to be rebutted. As a princess of the Empire, you must know how to mind your manners."

  She continued,"In a few days you will take the entrance trials for Sword Mage Academy. With your magical talent, you should go explore a wider world."

  Darlene's cheeks flushed at her mother's words, her fingers tightening on the quilt. Though resentful, she knew her mother was right.

  After a few seconds of silence she mumbled softly,"Mom, I know. I'll watch my manners from now on."

  Eryndor smiled with satisfaction and smoothed her daughter's hair, tucking the quilt in for her:"Sleep now. The Sword Mage Academy entrance trials are extremely difficult. You need to prepare well. With your aptitude, if you take it seriously, you will pass."

  Watching Darlene's eyelids slowly close, Eryndor sighed quietly. She simply hoped that once her daughter entered the academy she would learn to grow under rigorous magical training and get along with other students, instead of being impulsive and hotheaded like now.

  …

  A few days passed quietly, and only one day remained before the Sword Mage Academy entrance trials.

  The air smelled faintly bitter of bone-strengthening potion.

  Derrick pinched his nose as he looked at the green potion Ryan handed him, his face contorted:"Mentor, this stuff is way too bitter! I feel like I'm going to puke!"

  He gagged after one sip.

  Ryan's hands were fast; he grabbed the back of Derrick's head, forced his jaw closed, and steadied him.

  "No spitting! Swallow it! This potion will strengthen your bone density and pave the way for awakening your light element magic."

  Though this bone-strengthening potion was only low tier, it contained concentrated magical energy and was an indispensable aid for a student about to awaken light element magic.

  Today was the day Ryan had set for Derrick's light element awakening and magic rank breakthrough.

  Derrick had no choice; he clenched his brows, pinched his nose, and forced the potion down. The bitter taste exploded in his mouth and made him grimace.

  Before long, a burning energy spread from his abdomen through his veins, making his whole body feel hot.

  "It's so hot!" Derrick gasped, his bare torso dotted with sweat, his skin flushed a faint red."This energy feels like it's going to burn me up!"

  "That's right, heat means it's working!" Ryan's eyes gleamed."Quickly run Dawn Swordsmanship and refine the potion's energy!"

  "If you take the potion today and still can't break through to Adept Mage, I'll personally beat you down tomorrow so you won't even make it to the competition stage. I won't let you embarrass me."

  Though he spoke harshly, a sharp guiding sword-light slowly emanated from him. This sword-light was not an attack but an oppressive guiding brilliance, a special technique used to forcefully induce awakening.

  Ryan watched Derrick struggle painfully under the oppressive sword-light, his expression utterly unmoved.

  Though this extreme oppression method was agonizing, it was the most direct way to awaken Derrick's latent light element magic.

  After all, Derrick was the one enduring the pain, not Ryan himself. As long as the awakening succeeded, this torment was nothing.

  Derrick's bare torso was already marked with cuts from the sharp sword-light. None struck vital points, but his flesh was torn and bloody.

  Each wound sent stabbing pain through him, forcing him to scream,"Mentor! It hurts so much! Can you stop for a moment?"

  The bone-strengthening potion continued circulating within him, repairing the sliced flesh even as new cuts reopened.

  The cycle of injury and repair, combined with the potion's burning sensation, made him feel as if he were in a furnace, tortured beyond endurance.

  "Stop whining! Immediately run Dawn Swordsmanship!" Ryan's tone did not waver, and the guiding sword-light around him intensified further.

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  "If you stop now, all the suffering so far will be in vain. Later the sword-light will become denser, and it will hurt even more!"

  He ignored Derrick's agonized cries, focusing instead on the fluctuations of his magical energy.

  A few days ago Derrick had briefly emitted a trace of light element magic. Though fleeting, it proved his light element magic was on the verge of awakening, needing only a final catalyst.

  As the sword-light intensified again, Derrick's wounds deepened. Small blood streaks expanded, fresh blood sliding across his skin.

  "Damn it! Why hasn't it awakened yet?" Ryan muttered, watching Derrick still struggle in pain with no sign of a light element magic burst."A few days ago, he had already awakened halfway. Why is he stuck now?"

  Ryan remembered when Derrick had briefly unleashed the pressure of light element magic under the guard captain's grasp. The aura was faint but clear. Yet now, under the dual stimulation of the potion and sword-light, there was no response. Irritation flickered across Ryan's eyes.

  A ruthless glint appeared in Ryan's gaze. He no longer held back and expanded the guiding sword-light to its maximum.

  He precisely controlled its path, avoiding Derrick's heart, throat, and other vital areas, while amplifying the oppressive force on all other regions.

  If gentle stimulation didn't work, he would escalate to extreme measures.

  The sharp sword-light poured down like a storm. Derrick's wounds multiplied instantly, deep enough to reach bone. His vision darkened and cold sweat streamed from his forehead like a mountain creek.

  Piercing screams erupted from Derrick's mouth.

  Ryan watched Derrick teetering on the edge of unconsciousness."Derrick, if you don't awaken soon, I'll have to make a cut at your neck."

  He planned to use the Soulweaver's Pendant. The pendant could temporarily lock life energy, letting one feel the flow of life slipping away.

  At that point, Derrick would not die, but the mental agony would be hundreds of times worse than now, with a ninety percent chance of forcing the light element magic to awaken.

  Derrick's consciousness was already blurred from torment. His wounds outpaced the potion's healing, and his blood had stained half his body.

  Yet Ryan's words rang in his ears, snapping him partially awake. He did not want to experience near-death and could not disappoint his Mentor.

  "Ahhh!" Derrick lifted his head, summoning all his strength into a roar.

  At that instant, it was as if a dam inside him broke. A scorching energy erupted violently from his body, sweeping the surroundings like a volcanic eruption.

  This light element energy carried the dual force of swordsmanship energy. Though less refined than Ryan's guiding sword-light, it overflowed with raw power.

  It even clashed briefly with Ryan's sword-light in midair, producing sizzling sounds of energy collision.

  "It's finally awakening!" Ryan's eyes lit up with delight. He reined in most of the sword-light, leaving only a small portion to guide.

  He could clearly feel Derrick's light element magic rapidly coming to life. The presence of swordsmanship energy was proof enough.

  For Ryan, the surge of power Derrick had just unleashed was still as immature as a newborn child.

  "Don't just stand there! Immediately speed up the Dawn Swordsmanship cycle!" Ryan shouted at Derrick, while slowly retracting the guiding sword-light surrounding him.

  At this moment, Derrick no longer needed external pressure. He only needed to steadily integrate with the momentum of his light element magic awakening.

  Derrick took a few steps back, eyes scanning the surroundings warily. His magical energy quietly circulated, ready to respond to any sudden situation.

  Just as Derrick's light element magic was on the verge of completing its preliminary awakening, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from a distance.

  Ryan's gaze instantly locked onto the source of the sound. Three figures were running swiftly toward them.

  "Excuse us, friends in the middle of a magic breakthrough, may we pause for a moment?" The leading young man called out loudly while running.

  He wore a lavish magical robe. His features were long and handsome, and his demeanor exuded noble calmness.

  Following him were a young man and woman. The man carried a faintly sinister aura, his lips curled in a subtle, almost imperceptible smirk, giving off a distinctly villainous impression. The woman wore a pink magical dress. Her round face was adorned with sparkling large eyes, and her chubby cheeks made her look exceptionally cute.

  Ryan instinctively moved to stand in front of Derrick, his magical energy instantly condensing around him.

  In the magical world, being interrupted by strangers during a breakthrough could be disastrous. Many mages had been attacked by raiders at critical moments of their advancement, often resulting in death.

  "Who are you?" Ryan's tone carried obvious caution, his eyes fixed on the academy badges on their chests.

  The badges bore the mark of the Sword Mage Academy, proving they were indeed academy apprentices, but that did not mean they lacked ill intent.

  The gentle young man at the front stopped running and slightly bowed to Ryan, speaking politely:"You need not be tense. We are apprentices of Sword Mage Academy. My name is Charlie. We were nearby conducting magical training and sensed a strong energy fluctuation here. Out of curiosity, we came to observe. We mean no harm."

  The girl in the pink dress ignored Ryan and instead turned to the sinister-looking young man, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

  She giggled,"Giles, look! His swordsmanship magic carries magical energy, it's so special!"

  She did not hide her fondness for the sinister man, lightly tugging at his sleeve as she spoke.

  The man called Giles merely hummed softly, like a block of cold iron that could not be warmed, not even giving the girl a glance.

  Yet when he looked at Derrick, there was a barely perceptible flicker of surprise in his gaze. The light element magic embedded in that swordsmanship energy was purer than that of many academy prodigies he had seen.

  Ryan coldly watched the three of them."You've seen enough. You may leave now."

  He understood well that in the magical world, curiosity was often an excuse for plundering. Especially at critical moments of a breakthrough, any lingering could bring danger.

  Charlie, however, was not offended by Ryan's cold tone. Instead, he spoke sincerely,"Could you make an exception? His swordsmanship contains a rare light element magic talent. Observing it could greatly aid our research on elemental fusion techniques. We only wish to watch from the side and will not disturb him."