The Primeval World Tree, the Cheonryeong Tree, spread its roots across the Primeval Mountain Range, home to countless spirits and sacred beasts—a place so abundant in life that people joked simply breathing there could extend one’s lifespan. But since a hundred years ago, this place had been forbidden to outsiders.

“Tch, it was a precarious time back then.”

Dwarf King, Geumgang Paljeong.

At 318 years old, he was practically a living history of the magical world. Compared to him, Elteman Eltewin was practically a child at only 200 years, yet he didn’t use any reverential language toward the older dwarf.

“Are you reminiscing? That makes you sound so old.”

“Don’t be disrespectful, Elteman. You owe me a great debt.”

“I repaid it twice over. When will you repay me?” Elteman chuckled, causing Geumgang Paljeong’s face to scrunch up.

As he turned away, he caught Flowerlight’s gentle smile, only adding to his irritation.

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t smirk at me, Elf King. Just seeing your pretentious smile is infuriating.”

“…Understood.”

At Geumgang’s harsh words, Flowerlight looked downcast, making the dwarf feel a pang of guilt.

“Gah! I’m surrounded by people I don’t like. Where’s Duamri? Duamri!”

“Your assistant? You sent him back, saying it was too dangerous.”

“Damn it.”

With a heavy sigh, the Dwarf King slammed his massive metal staff on the ground, raising a cloud of dust that ruffled Flowerlight’s hair.

They were deep within the Primeval Mountain Range, in the Land of the Dead Giant.

A hundred years ago, the last giant in the world had died here.

The body of that giant was so tall it pierced the clouds, and its frame was massive enough to support an entire country on its back. Many coveted its magically infused body, but no one could claim it.

Unfortunately, the giant’s final resting place was the very spot where “Damgaltoriwal” slumbered.

…Boom!

A distant rumble caused Geumgang, Flowerlight, and Elteman to stop in their tracks, looking in the direction of the sound.

“…Where’s the special analysis team?” Geumgang asked with a concerned expression, and Elteman replied with a similarly grim face.

“You know the rules. Mages can’t enter here. Instead, the Association set up an outpost at the entrance. The Academy built a camp there to ‘analyze the reverberations,’ but I doubt it will yield anything meaningful.”

“Analyze the reverberations? What foolishness. How do you analyze sleep talk?”

“Nothing is impossible with magic. We just haven’t mastered it yet.”

“Ridiculous. If everything’s possible, why don’t they put that damned New Moon to sleep?”

“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

Elteman looked back, his gaze falling on the parched ground, now undulating like waves. A typical mage would struggle just to take a single step here.

‘The terrain is as chaotic as ever.’

What had been flat ground moments ago now rose to a hill the size of a sixty-story building, while the mountains blocking their view had transformed into a deep crater.

He had grown used to the landscape shifting with Damgaltoriwal’s mood, but he still found it hard to adapt.

“Don’t be tense.”

Seeing Elteman’s hardened expression, Geumgang patted him on the shoulder.

“We did this a hundred years ago.”

“…Yes, we did.”

This wasn’t the first time Damgaltoriwal had caused tremors. For millennia, the being had stirred in its sleep countless times, and each time, the spirits united to cast a spell that put it back to sleep.

However, as the reverberations grew stronger, the last incident a century ago had escalated into a catastrophe, which required three 9th-class mages, then in hiding, to come together to contain it.

Elteman raised his head, gazing far into the distance…

At the towering “peak” ahead.

The Primeval Mountain Range had four main ridges, but a fifth had emerged a hundred years ago.

The dead giant’s body was so massive that it formed a mountain range.

Now covered in thick vegetation, it genuinely resembled a mountain, but to those like Geumgang and Elteman, who had witnessed the giant in life, it still resembled an old friend.

“Prepare yourselves.”

Geumgang said, reaching into his small backpack and pulling out a monolithic stone slab.

*Thud!*

The slab was only possible thanks to his spatial expansion magic backpack. Not to be outdone, Elteman waved his hand, summoning three more massive stones in quick succession.

Though they varied in size and color, each stone was inscribed with a powerful “Seal of Restraint.”

One of these slabs alone could restrain a divine beast, yet they had brought nine.

“Elf King. Begin.”

“…Yes.”

Flowerlight clasped his hands together in prayer, and branches of the World Tree sprouted from the ground, connecting the stones to each other.

The stones rose into the air, darkening the once-blue sky as their immense magical power distorted the world’s essence, briefly blocking out the sun.

Red, blue, yellow, green…

Each stone began to glow, the branches of the World Tree igniting where they touched.

“…Ugh…”

Flowerlight groaned in pain, but no one had the luxury of comforting him.

“Elteman.”

“…Understood.”

At Geumgang’s signal, Elteman rose into the sky, unfurling the sealing ritual. The nine stones spread out, forming a colossal magic circle across the entire area.

*Rumble…!*

The tremors intensified, but there was no room for delay. Any hesitation, and another catastrophe like the one a century ago would begin.

However, Geumgang couldn’t shake a feeling of doubt.

Was this temporary sealing really the right solution?

No matter how much power they poured into sealing Damgaltoriwal, the being would only resist harder, awakening with greater strength each time.

Could this method still subdue Damgaltoriwal a hundred years from now?

Geumgang was filled with existential dread, but Elteman merely smiled it away.

‘Don’t worry about such things, Your Majesty.’

Elteman spoke as if putting Damgaltoriwal to sleep now would solve everything.

‘In time, it will all be resolved.’

Was he just an optimist? Or did he have another solution?

‘I have no idea.’

Floating in the air, Geumgang gazed at Elteman, who was holding a complex spell formation in both hands.

‘He’s a suspicious one.’

Unpredictable. His instincts warned him.

Right now, Elteman seemed even more dangerous than Damgaltoriwal, the slumbering calamity.

But for now, there was no choice but to cooperate. Elteman Eltewin was the 9th-class mage who had established Stella Academy, wielding unparalleled influence in the magical world over decades.

If Elteman Eltewin desired something, no matter what, he would make it happen.

He possessed… that much power.

‘I hope he doesn’t.’

---

In the second semester, classes became primarily practical, significantly reducing indoor lecture time.

Most lessons took place in labs, training rooms, outdoor fields, or the Stella Dome. For Baek Yuseol, it was an inconvenience.

Theory classes, where he could sit at a desk and study quietly, were his only chance to relax.

So on the rare occasions there were theory classes, he made the most of them.

“Snore…”

“…The student in the back row, you’re not sleeping, are you?”

Oh, he made the most of it.

By napping.

Despite the professors’ glances, he couldn’t help it. Half the time, he barely understood the lessons.

Moreover, the main episodes of his second semester’s big storyline were almost over. All he needed to do was keep an eye on anything urgent, so he felt a bit more relaxed.

“Were you sleeping during class again?”

“…Huh?”

After class, Aizel approached him, looking curious. Apparently, she’d been in the same class without him noticing, as he’d been dozing.

“Lately, I’m just so tired.”

“Take care of yourself. I don’t know what you’re doing, but still.”

“Nothing much…”

Really, it was just training day after day.

“What about the League of Spirits tournament?”

Currently, the Flame Team faced a dilemma. Their pride had driven them to defeat Gah Yurin, only for them to make it to the finals.

So why was this a problem?

“To be honest… it’s kind of a hassle now.”

The Flame Team hadn’t planned on going all the way to the finals. They had only started the tournament to dodge Jeremy’s scrutiny.

Aizel, too, felt it was time to focus on her studies after having fun with this “hobby.” None of them had any real intention of going to the finals.

“Well…”

“We should forfeit.”

Of course, forfeiting wouldn’t come without a penalty.

If they withdrew now, they’d be barred from future tournaments at Stella and face a temporary ban on professional competitions for several years.

But who cared?

They had no plans to continue in the League anyway.

“It does feel… a bit wrong.”

“What does?”

“Well, it may have just been a fun sport for us, but for others, it’s serious.”

True enough.

On Earth, many people were deeply invested in sports, and this world was

 no different.

Even in a world of magic and monsters, people who poured their hearts into their sports deserved respect.

Besides, in the original storyline, Flame was destined to win the finals.

‘If they don’t win… what happens?’

This was a main episode, and “Flame wins” was supposed to be inevitable. There wasn’t meant to be any alternative outcome.

While he doubted a mere change in the finals would drastically alter the future, he couldn’t shake a bit of worry.

‘Well… how much could it really change?’

Baek Yuseol shrugged off the thought, heading with Aizel to their next class: “Understanding and Countering Dark Magic.” After recent professor resignations, this lecture was packed with over two hundred students.

“You’re taking this, too?”

“Yes, it’s required for second years.”

“Is it? I can’t even keep track of what’s mandatory anymore.”

“Try to focus. It’ll be useful.”

Yawning widely, Baek Yuseol entered the lecture hall.

There was a lot of murmuring.

“Hey, did you see?”

“She looks so young…”

“She seems younger than us!”

“That’s our new professor?”

“How can she look that young? Isn’t she a 9th-class mage?”

“Nah, no way. That’d make her equal to the Headmaster.”

Something felt wrong.

“New professor” was a foreign concept to him. There was no reason for a new instructor to join at this point.

Anxiety began to bubble up inside him. He pushed his way through the crowd, heading to the front to get a better look at the “professor.”

And then.

Their eyes met.

“…No way.”

He’d never seen her face before, but he recognized her instantly.

The oldest witch, the Queen of Witches.

Scarlet.

She gave a playful wave, smiling as she spotted him, and he felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.

He realized things had taken a serious turn.