The God of Magic: Archmage Academy (OP, LitRPG)

Their room was crowded today. Sen was manipulating a wind magic essence sphere, hoping for inspiration to strike. But he always felt less imaginative while cooped up inside. Ilm and Samara sat together on one of the beds, studying for a test. Mori was busy making copies of the books that Orttha had given them by hand. It was tedious, but he enjoyed doing it, and the information would be worth having on hand in the future. While he worked, he helped Milim with a spell she was working on. Mori had always been adept at multitasking.

“Dream Decay!” she tried her spell again. It fizzled out in a puff of purple and black as soon as she released it. Sen caught the hint of dream and nightmare essence within her failed spell.

Mori frowned. “Hm, the effects are…quite different from one another. What are your intentions for it?”

“My idea was to create a spell that pulls someone into a pleasant dream, and then slowly warps it into a nightmare. Since skilled magicians can see through one or the other after only a short time, I thought I could prolong how long they’re under the spell’s effects by making them experience one after the other,” Milim explained.

Sen grinned. That was actually…genius.

What would you say her magic rank is, Tutor?

[It’s harder to tell with humans. Based on current data, she is likely either high-squire or low-knight rank.]

And what about that spell she’s working on?

[Knight Commander at least.]

Sen nodded. He’d thought as much. Milim was trying to create a spell well above her level, and she wasn’t failing completely. Which was impressive in and of itself. He stood and approached.

Milim looked up, and Mori turned to follow her gaze. “Oh. Did we disturb? My apologies.” Mori bowed from his position on the ground.

“No, it’s fine. I like where you’re going with this, Milim.” He reached into the coat of his blazer and pulled a magic essence sphere from his temporal world as if he’d taken it from his pocket. It was one of the spheres they’d taken from the cultists. A pink and white swirling sphere of dream essence. “Try incorporating this. It should strengthen your connection to the spell and make the concept more solid within you.” He held the sphere out toward her.

Ilm and Samara turned to watch now that Sen had gotten involved.

Milim carefully took the sphere. “Are you sure? This can’t be cheap. I’ve never even worked with an essence sphere before, what if I waste it?” she asked.

“If you make any progress whatsoever, it’s not a waste. Try it. I’ve had the opportunity to use plenty of these in my life. I don’t mind sharing.”

Milim nodded. She closed her eyes and pulled the sphere towards her torso. Her mana embraced it, and the sphere disappeared as if her body had consumed it. A moment later she held a hand out and focused on her spell.

Sen scanned her with his magic senses. Her mana was pooled in her hand. “Hold that,” he said.

She looked up, nearly losing her concentration. “What?”

“When you throw a punch, you find your balance first.” Sen positioned his feet as if to demonstrate. “You use your whole body to strike, not just your arm. Do the same here. Guide your mana, balancing it throughout all of your being. When you’re ready to release it, force it through yourself and out the focal point. If you start at the focal point, you mana is losing momentum,” he explained.

Milim stared at him for a moment, but then nodded. She turned her attention back to Mori. Her mana realigned, and he sensed her following his instructions to the best of her ability. It was awkward and disjointed, but that was natural for a first attempt. In a burst of power, her mana exploded through her body, and she released the spell directly at Mori.

“Dream Decay!” she shouted.

Mori’s head fell backward, and he slammed into the ground, cushioned only by the thick mane of hair on his head.

Sen looked over at him. “Mori?” The wards and magic runes on his body shouldn’t allow a spell to affect him like this. Had Mori somehow deactivated them, or had this spell slipped through his defenses?

Mori giggled. “Stop it! That tickles!” He was talking in his sleep.

Ilm shot a look at Samara. “Um, this is really going to embarrass him when he wakes up.”

“Stop it! I said stop!” Mori laughed. His laughter slowly died. “Oh, wait, you’re a tiger? Why is a tiger tickling me? Why are your claws out? Oh. Oh!” Mori’s eyes shot open. “Stop! That hurts!” he shouted. He blinked and looked around slowly. “Did I…did I fall asleep?” He looked up at Milim, her hand still outstretched towards him. “Oh. Your spell works wonders!”

“Mori...did that slip through your defenses somehow?” Sen asked. If he’d made a mistake with the runes, he’d need to check them soon. That was a dangerous oversight.

Mori shook his head. “Apologies, I lowered my defenses so Milim could practice. I used to do it when I was teaching Ilm new magic as well.”

That made Sen feel better. “Make sure you don’t leave our protected space without activating them again.” He turned to Milim. “That technique is effective. It kept Mori under far longer than it normally would. Keep practicing. With the right modifiers, you could control a crowd or take charge of a chaotic situation in an instant. I’d think of ones that expand the number of targets and disrupt mental fortitude.”

Milim nodded. She clearly took his advice seriously. Probably because she’d seen him in action. He smiled. As reluctant as he was to admit it, he was starting to enjoy the company of their newfound friends.

A bell chimed. Everyone turned to look at the door. “What was that?” Ilm asked.

Samara and Milim both got excited. “The class rankings! This will be the first update of the semester!”

Well, that was interesting. Sen had a class quest to fulfill after all, so checking his progress wouldn’t hurt.

They filed out of the room, and they weren’t the only ones. A large mass of students crowded the hallway, everyone eager to see the rankings. Oliver, the boy from Milim and Samara’s patrol group, found them and walked alongside them as they went. The crowd ended up in the academy’s lobby. The grand space was wide enough to fit all the students, though some spilled onto the stairway to the second floor or leaned over the balcony above to look at the makeshift platform Dean Withershade stood on.

On either side of the dean, several members of the faculty stood beside him. Professor Calabari, Professor Ladia, Professor Crosp, and even old Orttha the librarian for some reason.

When the crowd had more or less settled, Professor Crosp raised a hand. A floating box made of lights that reminded Sen of fireflies hovered in the air over the stage. It was empty now, but there were one hundred little spots, each indicated by a single firefly-like light.

The dean cleared his throat. “As most of you know, the rankings allow us to reward exceptional students and also to motivate others to catch up to their peers should they fall behind. This year, for the first time, we have expanded the list to allow first-year students. Though this is just to allow them the experience and excitement that comes with participating, so please don’t feel bad if you haven’t quite made the list yet. Remember, you’re competing with students who are one, two, and even three years your senior. That being said, I know you’re eager to see the results, are you not?” the dean asked.

The students cheered. Sen got the feeling that these rankings were a big deal. Though the prizes were pretty good. So he understood the excitement.

The dean smiled at their response. “Then I’ll leave you with a reminder that the rankings will continue to update throughout the year. A powerful magic governs the board and cannot be influenced by faculty in any way. That magic reacts to quest completions, duels, and various other activities. Remember this: at Brightsail Academy you are here not only to study but to be studied!”

Oliver shuddered. “I hate that slogan. It’s like he’s telling us they’re always watching.”

“They are, especially when you shower, Oli.” Samara winked at him.

The poor boy turned a bright shade of red.

The dean turned to Professor Crosp and signaled him to begin.

Professor Crosp nodded and pointed a finger. The fireflies moved into position, forming names, and the student rankings slowly appeared. At the top of the list, in position four, was someone Sen recognized. He wished he hadn’t.

Snake. No last name. That was odd. He’d thought it was a nickname at best, had he been born Snake? Surely not.

The list continued, and he saw a few other names of people he’d heard of but hadn’t met.

1. Susanna Tower

2. Girch Hammerrock

3. Damian Sand

4. Snake

Sen thought it might be nice to spar with some students from the top three.

“I made the list!” Milim said excitedly. All around her, others were having similar realizations. Sen studied the board and saw her name toward the bottom. She had made the list, just barely, but she’d made it. Oliver, Samara, and Ilm celebrated with her. The four of them jumped in excitement.

98. Milim Alma

Mori was staring intently, and Sen looked for any other names he recognized as well. Mori was the first to see it. “Oh! Oh, look! There!” Mori pointed to a spot on the list.

78. Sen Locke

79. Mori Locke

They weren’t the only ones to notice. Apparently, it was news to Professor Calabari as well. When he saw Sen’s name, he fumed. Sen had the impression that the professor didn’t care for him too much. This only confirmed it.

Dean Withershade gave everyone a few more moments to read. “Well, the list is news to me as much as to you all. It seems a few first-years did make the list, and in the first year we’ve allowed them to take part. Congratulations. Keep up the good work, and keep climbing the list, everyone! For those of you who didn’t make it, you’ll have several chances before the year is over. Including the big one coming up. In just one month, the annual Academy War event will take place, and a lucky few will have the opportunity to represent our school and town on stage. We’ll provide more information in the coming week. Thank you, everyone, and congratulations again to these exceptional students!” The dean gestured towards the ranking board one last time.

The faculty members led the students in a clap, and as it fizzled out, people started to slowly file out of the room. Professor Calabari’s eyes hadn’t left Sen and his group since the reveal.

“You see that bald creep staring us down?” Samara asked.

So he wasn’t the only one who noticed. “Going back to the dorms might take a while. What if we go hang out in the library instead?” Milim suggested. Most of the crowd was moving in the opposite direction. So they could kill time and get off their feet.

“Sounds good to me. One phoenix, two lives, as they say.” Mori smiled.

“Ugh, Ilm, your big brother is so lame.” Samara groaned.

Ilm giggled. Sen patted Mori on the back. “It’s okay, buddy.”

They made their way to the library when the last voice he’d hoped to hear called after him. “Mr. Locke, do you have a moment?” Professor Calabari called out.

His friends exchanged odd looks, wondering what the heck this was about. Sen sighed. “You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up.” He could at least spare his friends the man’s presence. Het turned his attention to the professor as they hurried off. “What can I do for you?” he asked, cutting straight to the point.

That seemed to catch Calabari a bit off guard. “Oh, well, actually, I wanted to let you know that I would be in charge of picking our team for the academy war this year.”

“I…uh, congrats?” Sen pursed his lips.

Professor Calabari frowned. “Well, I was thinking perhaps it might be to the benefit of us both if you were to participate.”

Sen crossed his arms. “You want a first-year? Isn’t this an event for the third and fourth-years to show off?” he asked. Calabari obviously didn’t like him. Why would he invite Sen to compete in something like this?

“Well, normally, yes. But it’s really about ensuring we represent the school to the best of our abilities. Sure, a third or fourth-year student would have the advantage of having more experience at the academy. But imagine if a first-year student showed up and wiped the floor with another academy’s more advanced students? It would reflect well on us,” Professor Calabari said. It was clear he meant to flatter Sen into a yes if that’s what it took.

There were perks to it. His ranking would certainly go up, and there were very appealing rewards for climbing the list. On the other hand, Calabari wanted his help. If Sen agreed, he’d be helping someone he really didn’t like.

“I’d have conditions you would need to meet if I agreed.”

Professor Calabari looked taken aback. “Cond…conditions?” he stammered.

“My school ranking might benefit from this, sure, but I have plenty of time to get that up. If I’m going to help, I’ll have to dedicate time to preparing for it. I’ll want to be compensated for that.”

Calabari’s brows wrinkled. “What exactly are you asking for?”

Sen didn’t crack a smile, but he certainly owed himself one later. “Well, first, I’d like reserved time in the faculty spell-crafting room. Two hours per week.”

“That…I can’t allow that. Those facilities are for staff. You can’t be in there unsupervised. You could get hurt, you understand that, right?”

He just didn’t want to pay, and Sen saw right through it. “I’m already aware that similar arrangements have happened in the past. If you want me to win, I need time to work on my spells. The student-spell crafting space isn’t available to first-years, and it wouldn’t work for me, anyway. Back home I had access to something more…advanced.” The truth was, the student spell-crafting room was far from private, and he couldn’t afford to work on advanced techniques with others around. The faculty room would also have greater protections in place, so he wouldn’t risk his spells wreaking havoc on the school or something.

The professor frowned. “Hm, alright, but it would have to be after-hours. As late as ten or eleven. You’d be missing out on sleep.”

Sen nodded. “I was just thinking I’ve been getting too much sleep lately.”

“Well, now that’s settled—”

Sen held a hand up, cutting Calabari off. “I also want a variety of magic essence spheres. Low, mid, and high-grades. As much as you can spare. If I’m going to make the most of my time in the faculty room, those are important.” He had plenty of low-grade spheres already. But mid and high grade spheres were harder to come by while at the academy.

Calabari didn’t bother negotiating this time. Getting spheres wouldn’t be as much of a problem as Sen’s first request. Professor Calabari would certainly have a budget for it, and Sen was fairly certain all the student competitors would get some, anyway. He was just ensuring he’d get all he needed while he could.

“Alright, is that all then?” Calabari sounded exasperated.

Sen smiled. “Actually, there’s just one more thing.”

And Calabari’s face after Sen made his last request was almost a reward in and of itself.

/c/KaneDrake