Rise of the Chaotic Shadow Emperor

It is not long before Sidius and his classmates make their way to the training room designated for their section. The spacious area was divided into fifty small personal spaces, each perfectly suited for practicing magic spells without causing any harm to the surroundings.

With eager anticipation, the students hurried into the training room, excited to become an official mage or to earn the additional points.

"Miss Amelia, you're here at last," greeted a male professor as he saw the lady in white standing outside the training room. "It is always a pleasure to see you."

Amelia merely scoffed in response. "My eyes were hurting from just the sight of you."

"Come on, don't be like that!" he teased, deliberately provoking her. "How's your class going? How about we bet on whose students from both of our class can successfully cast a magic spell faster?"

"I don't want to bet with a cheater like you," Amelia retorted irritably.

The man standing before her was Raymark Gudman, the very reason she is now handling a class in the C section while her original section was under his control. Amelia had confidently accepted a bet with Raymark before, only to lose because the vile man cheated.

"He he he, come on, you said that I cheated but where's your proof?" Raymark replied, wearing a perverted grin.

"If only you weren't the nephew of the headmaster, I already sent your head flying and your body turning into ashes," Amelia shot back before turning on her heel and walking away.

"You...!!! horrible woman!" Raymark shouted in a fit of anger.

Though Raymark had won the bet yesterday, he couldn't forget the humiliating defeat he suffered in the past when he attempted to court Amelia— an event that he can never forget.

—

Inside the training hall, Sidius excitedly walked to his personal space.

Casting a magic spell had always been out of reach for him due to his family's financial struggles; even the most basic and low-ranked spells were highly expensive.

'Being a student at an Academy really was a privilege. Even someone as poor as me can access this expensive personal training space. They're even providing a high-rank tier 1 spell for the first lesson, like handing out candies on the halloween.' he mused silently as he surveyed his surroundings.

Sidius immediately sat in a lotus position and focused his attention on the magic spell before him. It is called a Fire Missile, it uses the fire element and can deal heavy damage in a small area.

"Let's see... the nodes started with this... and there..."

Sidius studied thoroughly the 'Fire Missile' and its magic circle.

Magic circle served as the very foundation of a magic spell, and its effectiveness depended on the complexity and stability of the design.

By grasping the essence of the magic circle, Sidius can lessen his mana loss and will gain greater control over the spell.

Closing his eyes, he immersed himself in the mental image of the Fire Missile's magic circle, planting every detail to memory. He strived to keep the image as vivid and precise as possible.

Fifteen minutes have passed and he already knows all of the information regarding the Fire Missile.

Afterward, he stood up and started his practice.

However, he refrained from immediately casting the spell, knowing it would consume a third of his mana. Instead, he focused on perfecting the motion until he was thoroughly satisfied.

After a couple of practices, Sidius made up his mind.

'This should be enough, let's try casting the spell.' he thought to himself.

"Huu..." he exhaled, taking two steps backward. Then, he extended his right arm forward, transitioning from a lazy pose to an open palm.

Soon, the mana began to form in his right hand.

"Fire Missile," Sidius enchanted.

Instantly, a white ball of fire oozed out from his palm only to be immediately dissipated.

"What?" he asked himself, feeling puzzled.

"I was confident that I could cast it already," he added in disappointment.

'Calm down Sidius, find out what went wrong.'

He sat back in his lotus position and delved deeper into the details of the magic spell.

However, he discovered nothing wrong with the magic circle that vividly stayed in his mind.

While he's carefully thinking about the magic spell, magic circle, and its nature, a wild thought suddenly struck him.

'The mana I use to channel magic comes from inside my body. But what if I can harness the free mana outside my body since my surroundings are full of mana? How incredible would that be!'

'No, that theory was useless right now because there was no free mana inside this personal space. I need to first learn to cast a magic spell.'

He then began recalling the traits of each topic.

'Magic spells are formulas...'

'Magic circles are the foundation of it...'

'All of my actions so far were correct, what went wrong?'

'Magic...'

'What is magic?' he asked himself.

In an instant, the young man found himself immersed in a state of profound enlightenment.

Countless principles and ideas burst forth like stars in the night sky, each one illuminating the vast realm of magic inside his mind.

'Magic is the art of weaving illusions into reality, shaping the intangible into tangible wonders.'

'Magic is the alchemy of imagination, breathing life into the fantastical creations of the mind.'

'Magic defies the boundaries of what seems possible, unlocking the door to endless potential.'

'Magic is the very essence of manifestation. bridging the gap between dreams and actuality.'

A few moments later, Sidius' eyes slowly opened, and his face displayed a newfound wisdom as if he had touched the very fabric of the universe and glimpsed its enigmatic truths.

"So that's where things went wrong," he muttered, a sudden realization hit him. "I need to have a strong mind and imagination to successfully guide the course of the magical effects."

'The mana in my body was in a raw form. I need to turn it into a fire element which was the requirement for this magic spell.'

'Turning my mana into something else huh?'

"Alright, let's try it again," he said while standing up.