Read Novel Full Chapter 1215: The Disciples
Chapter 1215: The Disciples
At the Marshall Academy, the news spread like wildfire.
Word had arrived that the Mystic Arts Tower had suddenly closed its doors, expelling all challengers mid-trial.
Professors confirmed what the students already suspected. Someone was in the process of being accepted as its new master.
The Academy's publications including the City's newspaper, wasted no time. The Arcane Gazette ran headlines such as "Mystic Arts Tower Chooses Its Successor!" while the Student Chronicle speculated wildly about who it might be. Rumors filled the halls and some claimed it was a visiting prodigy, others whispered it was one of Vale's disciples.
Excitement buzzed through the classrooms and courtyards.
For many students, the Towers were distant dreams, symbols of ultimate mastery. To hear that one had chosen a new master stirred both awe and envy.
Among the students, the disciple candidates of Vale were especially motivated.
They knew that if one of Vale's disciples had truly claimed the Tower, expectations for them would rise even higher. They studied harder, practiced longer, determined to prove themselves worthy.
One of them was Ruth Vey.
Ruth was an orphan raised in the Church of the Fortune Goddess, where she had undergone the traditional Rune Sanctification, the process that made her choose the Rune Arts Path and also the same process that measured one's talent for becoming a Runemaster.
Her result had been disappointing. She had low-grade talent, meaning she could only handle a limited number of spells. Many dismissed her future as mediocre.
But the Shadow Pillars, Shane's secret soldiers, had reported something unusual. Ruth possessed a special eye. It was a latent ability to see through defects in Runes. Though undeveloped, it was rare enough to earn her a place among Vale's disciple candidates.
When Ruth heard the news of the Mystic Arts Tower closing, her heart raced.
She sat quietly in the Academy library, clutching her notes, imagining herself standing before the Rune Arts Tower one day.
If someone could do it… Maybe I can too, even if I'm only a first-year.
Her dream felt distant, but it motivated her. It was something she needed since she had a lot of outstanding classmates.
***
For now, Ruth had only learned the three Foundational Spells of the Rune Arts, the basics every student had to master before advancing:
One of them was Rune Amplification.
It was a spell that strengthened the effect of any rune inscribed, allowing a simple rune to carry greater power. It was the cornerstone of efficiency, teaching students how to maximize limited resources.
There was also the Rune Freeze.
It was a defensive spell that locks a rune in place, preventing it from being disrupted or tampered with. It was essential for stabilizing formations during combat or study.
Lastly, there was the Rune Link. This third foundational spell allowed two or more runes to be connected, creating a chain of effects. Though simple, it was the basis for complex rune arrays and formations.
It truly deserved to be part of the three Foundational Spells of the path.
Of course, Ruth practiced these diligently. During this time, she had already learned about her special eye…
Though she could barely use it, it sometimes caught imperfections in her inscriptions, allowing her to correct them faster than her peers.
As she gazed out the window, watching students chatter about the Mystic Arts Tower, Ruth whispered to herself…
"One day… I'll take the Rune Arts Tower trial. Even if I'm weak now, I'll prove myself."
The Tower's closure had inspired her, igniting a dream she had never dared to voice aloud.
***
It wasn't just Ruth Vey who was motivated in this matter.
Among the disciple candidates of Vale, there was another orphan named Rice…
Rice had grown up in the backstreets of a war-torn city, abandoned at birth and raised in a small orphanage that barely survived on donations from wandering mercenaries.
Unlike Ruth Vey, who had been nurtured by the Church, Rice had known only hardship and hunger. His earliest memories were of watching soldiers train in the courtyard nearby, mimicking their movements with sticks and broken blades.
When he had a chance to be brought to the Academy, he underwent the Martial State Test, the Combat Arts equivalent of Rune Sanctification. The results shocked the instructors. Rice possessed high-grade talent, meaning his affinity for Combat Arts was extraordinary.
His instincts, reflexes, and ability to grasp martial techniques were far above average.
But there was a huge flaw. His physique was weak, fragile compared to that of other candidates. His body lacked endurance, his muscles strained easily, and his stamina faltered during prolonged training. Many believed he would never survive the grueling path of Combat Arts.
Yet Rice refused to give up. As soon as he got accepted, he remained focused.
Every day, he trained harder than anyone else, compensating for his frailty with sheer determination. He studied the foundational Combat Arts techniques as if they were the only thing that could keep him alive…
The three foundational spells were also not easy.
The first was the Iron Guard Form… It was a Spell that could assist with a defensive stance that allowed him to redirect force rather than absorb it, protecting his weak frame from direct impact.
There was also the Swift Step. It was a mobility technique that emphasized speed and evasion, letting him avoid blows instead of enduring them.
Lastly, the Spirit Strike. It was a basic offensive technique that channeled willpower into a single decisive blow, teaching him to rely on accuracy rather than brute strength.
Though his body often failed him, his talent allowed him to master the essence of these techniques or spells faster than his peers.
When the news of the Mystic Arts Tower closing reached the Academy, Rice listened quietly as the other students buzzed with excitement. He clenched his fists as he felt that he had to hurry up improving…
"One day, I'll stand before the Combat Arts Tower and show them that talent is more than muscle. Even if someone claimed it that time, I will do my best to take it from them…" He muttered.
'Maybe I can challenge them for the ownership?' He mused.
Though he was only a first-year student, his dream was already set!