Warrior Training System

"How should we respond, Tower Master? The cultists are clearly behind these monster attacks, and given the scale of their operations, I—and many others—are convinced they're aiming for a full-blown war," asked Master Asther Yuliresio, the Vice Tower Master of the Beacon of Knowledge. His gaze was fixed on the middle-aged, black-haired man who was meticulously drawing intricate magic circles on the wall.

The respect in the Grand Mage's voice made it clear that the man before him was his equal.

"Haven't you already sent that son-in-law of yours to deal with them?" the Tower Master replied without pausing his work. "I think he'll be enough of a response for now."

Asther chuckled, stepping closer to observe the array of magic circles forming before him. One after another, the Tower Master wove them together, merging smaller, intricate patterns into a larger, multicolored structure of overwhelming complexity.

"Yes… for now," Asther admitted before narrowing his eyes at the formation, trying to decipher its purpose. "But what if they truly go all out? What should we do then?"

The man didn't seem particularly concerned. With a nonchalant smile, he continued creating intricate magic circles with his hands and said casually, "Well then, you go and deal with them."

Asther, the father-in-law of the city's rising star, Julius Raseac, chuckled, a trace of pride flickering in his eyes. "I'm not saying I can't handle it," he said, folding his arms. "But they've been unusually active these past few years, and I'm certain they've got some nasty surprises in store. It would be wise to issue an emergency alert, seal the city, and halt the entry of new visitors. The territories around the Arcadian Forest have already taken precautions—we're the only ones still pretending nothing's wrong."

At those words, the man finally turned away from the magical construct he had been meticulously forming. His gaze met the old mage's, surprise flickering across his face before he spoke.

"Hey, we sent half our city guards, at least two dozen Sixth- and Fifth-Circle warriors, a Seventh-Circle, and just as many powerful mages. I wouldn't call that ignoring the problem." He exhaled as the massive magical construct behind him began to collapse, its intricate, glowing patterns unraveling into nothingness. "I understand your concern. I agree—the cult is preparing for war. But Magisteria is the Free City, and a free city should never close its doors. These cities were built for moments like this."

He paused briefly before continuing, his tone firm. "They were founded in times of war—to shelter those who had lost everything, those with no home left to return to. If we close our gates now, we betray that purpose."

Master Asther Yuliresio's expression darkened with frustration. This man was not just the Tower Master of the Beacon of Knowledge—he was the highest authority in the city. Even the ministers answered to him. And so did Yuliresio.

He was the Grand Mage, the Magic Engineer—the Architect of Modern Magic, Magnus Edrion. Yet, in Asther's eyes, he was being far too indifferent to the looming war. Trying to reason with the man—who, despite his youthful appearance, was older than him—Asther pressed, "But sir, what if some of these visitors are spies for the cult? We'd be fighting a war on two fronts."

Magnus's expression hardened slightly. "Like I said, I understand your concern, Asther, but shutting down the city isn't the solution." Seeing the frustration on the vice tower master's face, he let out a sigh and added, "Instead, station our best divine mages and those special warriors with heightened instincts for detecting dark energy—like some religious zealots—at every entrance. That should weed out most of the infiltrators."

It wasn't a foolproof plan, but for now, Asther gave a reluctant nod. "I'll inform the commander," he said before hesitating. "And what about the ones already inside the city…?"

The Architect of Modern Magic looked mildly annoyed as Asther kept bringing up one problem after another. "Just round up anyone even remotely suspicious, throw them in prison, and run a background check. If you can't verify them, cast them out of the city," Magnus said, waving a hand dismissively. "Have the law enforcement department handle it. I recall there was a mage there who's obsessed with cult activity—put him in charge of it."

"Astroval Killian?" Asther asked.

Magnus nodded, his expression turning serious. "Yeah, him. His family was slaughtered by that psychopath of a mage—the Butcher. Ever since, he's been obsessed with hunting them down. He came to me personally, asking to stay here because he believed that lunatic was hiding somewhere in the city. Fearing he might be right, I allowed him to investigate."

He let out another weary sigh. "It's a shame, really. He had the talent to become someone like you or me. If he hadn't spent his life chasing revenge, he could have been another legend…"

"Yeah, he would have..." Asther agreed, knowing Killian's potential. He was on the same level as his daughter and her friend Katherine—both of whom spent day and night researching ways to reach the next stage of power. Yet, instead of striving for growth, Killian was consumed by vengeance, throwing away his talent in pursuit of his enemy.

Though, calling it a waste wasn't entirely fair. If something had happened to his own daughter, Asther doubted he would have been any different. Killian's entire family had been slaughtered—by none other than one of the most heinous killers of this age, the Artistic Butcher.

Thinking about them, Asther recalled a young man Katherine had brought to the city a few months ago. He had helped the boy join the law enforcement department, alongside his son-in-law. Taking a sip of his tea, he muttered aloud, "I wonder what he's been up to…"

Magnus, who had returned to constructing his intricate magical formation, glanced over and asked, "Who?"

Realizing he had spoken his thoughts out loud, Asther shook his head. "Oh, no one… just a boy."

Magnus smirked. "I doubt he'd come to your mind if he were just 'a boy.'"

Asther chuckled, conceding the point. "Well, there's not much special about him… except that he's a bastard of the Ven Dyke family and recently became a Circle Warrior at fifteen."

Magnus let out a laugh. "Oh, the old hag must be absolutely thrilled to have another genius musclehead in the family."

Asther grinned. "Well, that's if she even knows. And more than just thrilled—because the kid also inherited their family's signature Killing Domain."

Once again, the Tower Master looked surprised and asked, "Really?"

Asther nodded, and just like before, the massive magical construct Magnus had been working on shattered into fading arcs of light.

"Well, what a damn waste," Magnus muttered, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. Then, instead of returning to his work, he leaned back with an amused grin. "You know, old man, you really should start paying more attention to what's happening in this city. It seems like every other week, some new talent is popping up out of nowhere."

He let out a short chuckle. "A bastard from Ven Dyke inheriting the Killing Domain? That alone is bound to cause a stir. Then there's your daughter and her friend, Katherine—already making names for themselves. And let's not forget the influx of talented young warriors rising from the academies and universities lately. Feels like something is brewing in the air."

Magnus tapped his finger against the table, his grin widening. "Maybe it's fate, maybe just coincidence, but either way, this city is teeming with future legends. Makes me wonder what kind of storm is coming next."