Versatile Mage Chapter 1 — Huge Changes to the World
“Mo Fan, six points!”
The entire classroom erupted in laughter the moment Deng Yongchuan, the Mathematics instructor, announced the score.
Heads turned in unison toward the back of the room, focusing on a dark-haired youth of modest height. This was Mo Fan, the student who had somehow managed to achieve a score in the single digits.
“Mo Fan, you ought to take a page out of Mu Bai’s book. Despite the difficulty of this examination, he earned a 96. How did you end up with such a pathetic grade? Try not to disgrace your own reputation,” Deng Yongchuan remarked with a heavy sigh.
The teacher couldn't help but wonder how such a problematic child ended up in his class. Mo Fan’s academic performance had been exceptional upon entering the school, yet it plummeted once he reached high school. Now, his tragic exam results were dragging down the entire class average.
“Teacher, he doesn't even live up to the name Mo Fan. Mo Fan… he isn't average at all! He’s far below that—he’s basically a dreg,” Mu Bai mocked loudly.
“Hahaha!”
“He really is!”
“Mu Bai is as sharp as ever; he can tear someone down without even using a curse word. Mo Fan definitely isn't average anymore—he’s officially become trash!”
The mocking laughter filled the room and only dissipated when Deng Yongchuan finally commenced his lecture.
……
“That Mu Bai makes me sick. He acts like he's a god just because he’s good-looking, has high marks, and plays instruments,” whispered Guan Gu, who sat beside Mo Fan.
“He’s nothing but a childish [censored],” Mo Fan replied with a look of contempt.
“Want to hit the volleyball court after school?”
“I can’t. I have things to take care of.”
“Are you visiting Old Man Ying again? You’re the only person brave enough to go to that thatched hut behind the mountains. By the way, I picked up some new Xuanhuan and Mohuan novels. Want to borrow one?”
“Just drop it in my bag. But seriously, you need to cut back on those books. You’re becoming addicted,” Mo Fan cautioned.
……
For any student, the most melodious sound is the bell signaling the end of the day. After enduring hours of tedious instruction, Mo Fan yawned, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed toward the mountain area.
The back of the mountain served as the academy’s rear exit, a path that was almost entirely abandoned.
Old Man Ying, whom Guan Gu had mentioned, served as the mountain guard. To maintain student safety—and to stop them from sneaking off to internet cafes—the school had tasked the old man with watching the back gate.
Old Man Ying had lived without family or friends. When he passed away, no one came forward with questions, so the school simply buried him without much ceremony.
Mo Fan had been quite close to the old man. Before his passing, the guard had left a few items for him. Recalling the old man’s kindness today, Mo Fan decided to pay a visit to the small cottage.
Old Man Ying used to boast about being the descendant of a legendary historical figure, claiming he owned a ring that was five thousand years old.
Mo Fan had seen the object; it was a dull, pitch-black ring that didn't look like a treasure at all. In fact, Mo Fan had once taken it to an appraiser, only to be kicked out of the shop. The owner had been offended that Mo Fan would try to pass off a copper ring—likely forged in a charcoal stove—as an "antique." From that day on, Mo Fan stopped taking the old man’s stories seriously.
Still, he wanted to collect the items left behind as a way to honor his memory.
Old Man Ying had been a carefree gatekeeper, indifferent to the concepts of life and death. Mo Fan hoped he had found peace. After all, death might not be the final destination; perhaps one could begin anew elsewhere?
“Would you believe me if I told you that alongside this world of science, there exists a parallel realm where Magic is practiced? In that world, you don’t study science; you study Magic…”
This was the sort of nonsense Old Man Ying used to spout. Because of those stories, Mo Fan liked to believe that the old man had simply moved on to a different plane to start a more extravagant life.
He easily located the ring inside a wooden box tucked beneath the bamboo bed.
As Mo Fan pried it open, a faint, strange aura seemed to drift from the box—it actually felt somewhat mysterious. However, as a sixteen-year-old, Mo Fan didn't truly believe in things like Cultivation techniques. He certainly didn't buy into the "recluse" trope where wearing a ring and practicing a secret art would allow him to save the galaxy.
The black ring appeared perfectly ordinary. Its only unique feature was a set of eight tiny holes on the inner band, something any jeweler could have made.
However, the moment he slipped it onto his finger, a bone-chilling cold washed over him. It was a bizarre sensation to shiver like that in the middle of a hot summer.
“Bizarre, my foot,” Mo Fan muttered, dismissing the thought.
A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him, but he had a shift later that night. He decided to straighten out the bamboo mat and take a nap in the cottage first. He had to be at the 24-hour supermarket by 10 PM to work as a clerk until 6 in the morning.
……
Being profoundly tired, he drifted off almost instantly.
A sliver of crimson light from the setting sun pierced through the mountain ridges, painting the forest and the small cottage in a bloody hue.
In the gathering shadows, it looked as though a massive door was slowly swinging shut. The fading light was being pulled into the darkness. As the sun sank fully beneath the horizon and twilight took hold, a strange, colorful mist began to envelop the mountainside.
From a distance, the area looked as if it were dissolving into a void. Under the blood-red sun, the scenery near the water became blurred, like a flickering mirage!
Inside the cottage, the youth continued to snore, unaware that the ring on his hand was emitting a high-pitched hum. It seemed to be responding to the mirage, reacting to a call from another world.
“Bum~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
As the ring vibrated, the very fabric of space began to tremble!
Shui Nan Middle School sat atop Nanshan, the highest point in Xia City.
Below, the city was a sea of lights. Streets, storefronts, and skyscrapers glowed with brilliance. Elderly citizens walked after their meals, women danced in the plazas, children played in the alleys, and couples enjoyed the park…
The night brought no fear to these people; they were simply enjoying their leisure time after work and school. Yet, if anyone had looked closely at the southern side of the mountain where the middle school stood, they would have seen the campus being swallowed by a murky, distorted layer.
The space, once as calm as a still pond, was suddenly pierced by a silent but violent Spatial Tunnel that spiraled like a devouring maw!
On one side lay a peaceful, glowing metropolis!
On the other, half a mountain was being consumed by a black vortex!
The northern city’s summer evening had turned into a scene of impossible wonder!
Space-time itself had shifted, triggered by a phenomenon that defied all scientific explanation.
The epicenter of this Spatial Tunnel was the thatched cottage tucked behind the mountain.
Suddenly, the massive whirlpool dispersed and vanished into nothingness. It was as if the event had never occurred.
The boy sleeping soundly inside had no inkling that the world had changed around him, or that he had crossed over into a parallel reality.
……
……
A sudden mountain rain had fallen, cooling the oppressive summer heat with a sharp chill.
The morning air felt exceptionally fresh. Near the school gates, the scent of hot meat buns and golden, fried youtiao wafted through the air, making everyone’s mouth water.
“Seventh Uncle, let me get some soymilk and youtiao.” A disheveled youth sat on a stool and called out to the old vendor.
“Coming right up.” The old man served the soymilk quickly, filling the cup to the brim with a wide grin. “Mo Fan, the Magic exams are right around the corner. You need to work hard and get into the University of Magicians to bring some honor to our Clan.”
Mo Fan stared blankly at Seventh Uncle. He figured he must have misheard the old man, so he simply nodded and started eating.
His head felt heavy from sleeping too long; he felt as though he had dreamed of a journey lasting centuries. Waking up felt like starting a new life; he was disoriented, unsure of the time or even his surroundings.
Mo Fan was halfway through his youtiao when he felt a presence beside him. A man in his thirties, partially bald and smelling of tobacco, sat down.
“Mo Fan, having some breakfast?” the man asked with a smile.
“Morning, Superintendent Hu,” Mo Fan replied quickly with a polite grin.
This was the well-known Superintendent Hu, a man who consistently wore ill-fitting suits and had a very shiny forehead.
“I forgot my watch, what’s the time?” Hu asked, flashing his yellowed teeth.
Mo Fan checked his old Nokia. “Fifteen minutes until the bell.”
“Darn, I’m running late. My Magic Theory PPT isn't finished—no time for food…” As Hu stood up abruptly, Mo Fan nearly tipped over.
“Boss, never mind the soymilk… The office is too far to walk—forget it—I’ll just use a bit of Magic,” Hu muttered to himself.
Mo Fan was confused, feeling as though the Superintendent was speaking gibberish.
Before he could process it, the canopy of the breakfast stall began to flutter violently. It felt as though a burst of compressed air had suddenly exploded from within the shop.
A sharp wind whipped Mo Fan’s hair and tugged at his clothes.
“Wind Trail, Fast Stride!”
As Superintendent Hu whispered the words, his loose suit began to billow strangely, as if a gale were trapped inside the fabric.
His tie snapped in the wind and his trousers shook. There was no reason for such a powerful gust on a still morning, yet it seemed to center entirely on Superintendent Hu.
“Sssssh~~~~”
A flash of blue light appeared. Mo Fan caught a glimpse of shimmering starlight swirling around the Superintendent’s body.
“Student Mo Fan, I’m heading out. Study hard!” Hu turned and gave one last yellow-toothed grin.
Before Mo Fan could blink, there was a loud "swoosh!"
The portly, bald Superintendent—suit and all—shot toward the school school like a projectile, riding a trail of swirling dust!
His speed was incredible. The other students looked like statues as Hu blurred past them, leaving a massive cloud of dust in his wake.
One second, the man’s face was right there; the next, he had vanished into the school grounds.
The phrase “Study hard!” still echoed in Mo Fan’s ears, but the man was long gone. Mo Fan stopped chewing, and the remaining half of his youtiao slipped from his fingers and hit the ground.
Superintendent Hu… are you a secret master of the Ripple Tiny Steps technique?
……
“This is a dream. It has to be an illusion,” Mo Fan muttered, rubbing his eyes vigorously.
He blamed it on his lack of sleep. Maybe his brain was malfunctioning from exhaustion; how else could he explain seeing something so ridiculous?
He decided to finish up and head to class for more rest. A bald Superintendent using legendary footwork? It was too much.
Upon reaching the classroom, he immediately slumped over his desk to try and sleep off the hallucinations.
From the desk in front of him, he heard two students whispering. “Only a month to go. What if I don’t make it into a decent high school?”
“You’re smart, though. I bet you’ll get into Tian Lan Magic High School.”
“No way, you’re the genius. Your theory grades are amazing; you can identify almost any Magical Beast and explain its weaknesses.”
Mo Fan frowned. This was the second time he’d heard people talking about Magic.
What was happening? Was he still hallucinating?
He didn't do drugs or smoke—this made no sense!
He decided to ignore it and fall back into a deep sleep. Years of being a student had given him the ability to pass out on a desk in seconds.
“Class, open your books. We are continuing our study of the requirements for Magic Release. Remember what we discussed? To perform Primary rank magic, you must first connect the stars within your Magic Stardust. This creates a Star Path, allowing you to channel the power of Magic. I’ve repeated this theory many times, and it is the most vital part of your examination,” the teacher, Su Qingzhi, said in a steady tone.
Normally, the teacher’s voice would lull Mo Fan to sleep. But the words "Magic Release" and "Star" snapped him wide awake.
“Mo Fan, pay attention. You have less than a month left, and you’re still slacking off!” Su Qingzhi barked, noticing Mo Fan’s movement.
The rest of the class turned around to snicker. Mocking the class failure was a favorite pastime for many.
“Open your textbook,” Su Qingzhi commanded.
Mo Fan sighed and opened the book on his desk.
“What the hell is this??” Mo Fan blurted out.
The math formulas and diagrams he expected were gone. In their place was something called a “Star Path” that made no sense to him. There were illustrations of stars connected by lines, looking exactly like a [censored] Magic Formation!
Mo Fan tried to stay calm, but a realization began to dawn on him.
When the teacher looked away, Mo Fan kicked Guan Gu’s chair under the table. “Are you playing a prank? Where did you hide my math book? Give it back.”
“Dude, what are you talking about?” Guan Gu looked genuinely confused.
“Look at this garbage. Just give me my real book.” Mo Fan pointed at the strange symbols and incantations in the text.
“Mo Fan, this is the Magic textbook for this class. What is 'Math'? Have you been staying up all night reading those Science fiction novels again? You told me I was the one obsessed with books, but look at you,” Guan Gu replied.
Mo Fan’s jaw nearly hit the desk.
What was going on?
“Stop messing with me,” Mo Fan hissed. He couldn't believe Guan Gu was such a good actor.
“Man, those novels have really rotted your brain. We live in a world of Magic. How could something as weird as 'Math' exist? If it did, I wouldn't be stuck here studying boring things like Magic Theory, Elemental Systems, and Magical Beasts every day. I’d much rather study Mathematics or Literature,” Guan Gu said with total sincerity.
Mo Fan stared at him. Guan Gu didn't seem to be lying. He looked like he truly believed every word of that nonsense.
My friend has lost his mind, Mo Fan thought. And now he’s trying to take me down with him!
Studying Magic Theory and Elemental Systems was "boring"?
Unbelievable!
“If you don’t believe me, just listen to the lecture,” Guan Gu said, turning back to the front.