Versatile Mage Chapter 4 — Awakening of the Magic Elements

The awakening ceremony was being conducted across twenty separate classes simultaneously.

Positioned as number 48, Mo Fan was slated to be the final student to undergo the ritual.

At the head of the group stood Xue Musheng, their Homeroom Teacher and Magic Advisor. The awakening was a public event, held before a large crowd. As each student's name was called, they would step forward to the Magic Advisor and place their hands upon the Awakening Stone.

“Hey, backdoor student, are you going to fail the awakening? I’ve heard rumors that some useless people actually fail. A piece of trash like you shouldn't be permitted to waste the energy of such a pricey Awakening Stone,” sneered Zhao Kunsan, an old classmate of Mo Fan, from a nearby line.

Zhao Kunsan acted as the lackey for Mu Bai. Due to his social status, Mu Bai avoided bullying Mo Fan directly, preferring to use Zhao Kunsan as his primary tool for harassment.

The possibility of failure was real, and it weighed heavily on Mo Fan’s mind. Strictly speaking, he was a traveler from another world. If his physical constitution differed from the inhabitants of this plane, it would be a disastrous irony.

“Brother Mo Fan, just pay no mind to that idiot. Once you awaken the Fire element and show him up, he’ll understand what it means to ‘look down on people from a dog’s eyes,’” said Zhang Hou, who had been assigned to the same class as Mo Fan.

Mo Fan remained silent. On any other day, he would have fired back a barrage of insults at Zhao Kunsan, but today he lacked the motivation. Part of it was genuine anxiety, while the other part was the strange behavior of the black pendant hanging from his neck, which was vibrating uncontrollably.

This black pendant was a legacy from Old Man Ying, the gatekeeper who had helped him get into middle school. Mo Fan suspected this very item was responsible for the world’s sudden transformation. He had been wearing it the day he fell asleep on the mountain behind the school when everything changed.

Since this morning, the fractured pendant had been acting as if it were possessed, trembling so violently that it caused his own hand to shake rhythmically.

Damn it! Why won't you stop shaking? You’re just a piece of jewelry, so start acting like one!

“Mu Bai!” Xue Musheng, the homeroom teacher, called out.

“Oh, that’s Mu Bai. He’s really handsome, and his grades are at the top of the class.”

“Yeah, I noticed him this morning; he’s a favorite. I wonder what element he’ll get? Surely it won't be something useless like Water or Light?”

As Mu Bai stood up, he could hear the girls in his class whispering about him. His presence even drew admiring glances from students in other classes.

Mu Bai maintained a mask of indifference, though his eyes betrayed the satisfaction he felt being the center of attention. He approached the front with a confident yet humble smile and stopped before the teacher.

“Mu Bai, you belong to the Mu Family, famous for their Ice element, correct?” Xue Musheng asked with a faint smile.

“That is correct.”

“Excellent. Awakening the ice element will give you a significant advantage. Just remember that talent isn't everything; hard work is still required.”

Mu Bai nodded, though he secretly disagreed. Talent might not be everything, but without it and the backing of family resources, one was destined to remain at the bottom of society forever.

With the teacher's nod, Mu Bai slowly extended his hands toward the hovering Awakening Stone.

A large, star-shaped compass appeared on the stone's surface, accompanied by a distinct palm print. Though he appeared calm, Mu Bai’s heart raced as his hands made contact with the stone...

Given his lineage, the probability of inheriting the Ice Element was high. However, there was always a margin for error. If he ended up with Water or Light, the Mu Family would likely withdraw their support. They wouldn't squander their wealth on resources for an incompatible attribute.

His left hand touched the cold surface...

The Awakening Stone suddenly flared with a celestial light. This glow transformed into streaks of star marks, resembling mystical veins as they crawled onto Mu Bai’s hand.

Since this was the first time any of them had witnessed an awakening, the students stood on their toes to get a better view of Mu Bai.

Mu Bai stood perfectly still, appearing as though he had entered a state of sudden enlightenment. Then, he slowly tilted his head back...

“Creak, creak, creak~~~~”

A sudden wave of frigid air swirled around the Awakening Stone.

The frost grew more intense, gradually coating the surface of the stone in a visible layer of ice!

“Ice Element! It’s really the Ice Element!!!”

A student in the back began to shout, followed by the excited squeals of several girls.

Hearing the commotion, Mu Bai opened his eyes, filled with triumph!

It was indeed the Ice Element! This would secure his place within the Mu Family. His rise to power was now inevitable. Crushing someone like the low-life Mo Fan would be as easy as stepping on an ant... No, that wasn't right. Now that he was an official disciple of the Mu Family, there was no reason to even acknowledge a beggar like that.

He needed to set his sights higher. Perhaps he would even have the chance to practice Cultivation alongside Mu Ningxue!

“Very well done. That is a remarkably pure Ice Element. I expect an Ice Element Star Dust is currently forming in your Spiritual World. Work hard to make it flourish!” the teacher remarked, his eyes gleaming with approval.

The fact that he could freeze the Awakening Stone during the ritual proved his Ice Element was stronger than average. He was a highly gifted Ice Element apprentice with a bright future ahead of him!

“Next, Qiu Yueying!”

A girl with a confident stride stepped forward at the teacher's call.

“Good, the Earth Element. Your stardust shows great potential. Your hard work is paying off!”

“Next, Xu Qinglin!”

“Also the Ice Element.”

Mo Fan watched closely from a distance. He noticed that while Xu Qinglin also awakened Ice, it only produced a faint misty frost. It wasn't powerful enough to actually freeze the stone.

It was clear that despite having the same element, Xu Qinglin’s innate talent and potential for Cultivation were far below Mu Bai’s.

“Next, Lu Xiaobing.”

“Hmm, the Water Element!”

“No! Oh my god, how could I get the Water Element? I was supposed to be Fire!” Lu Xiaobing cried out in shock. His voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone within a hundred meters.

“Don’t lose heart. Regardless of your element, reaching the Intermediate-level Mage rank will bring you great respect.”

With no other choice, Lu Xiaobing slumped back to his seat, dejected.

In reality, the initial awakening was critical. A Fire Element provided immediate combat strength for a Primary-level Magician, making the path of future Cultivation much smoother.

The primary skill for the Water Element was ‘Water Shield,’ which offered less protection than the Earth Element. Unless one became highly skilled, its utility was limited, at least among those at the Primary-rank.