The Fall and the Awakening

Six Years Later: The Distance Between Them

Time was not kind to Leywin.

After his legendary victory against Min Hee in the tournament, he became the pride of his family—for a short while. But as years passed, reality set in.

While Min Hee soared through the ranks, becoming the youngest 5th-circle magician, Leywin struggled. His control was still superior, but his magical power barely grew.

At age 16, he was only a 2nd-circle magician—the same level as common students. A disgrace. A disappointment.

His family no longer saw him as a prodigy. His grandfather, Elvin, sighed whenever he saw him. The elders whispered that his victory against Min Hee was a fluke.

But what hurt him the most…

Min Hee had abandoned him.

At first, when he struggled at the 1st-circle for two years, she had sent letters, encouraging him to push forward.

But as time passed, her letters stopped coming.

When he reached out, she never responded.

When he saw her in the academy halls, she walked past him as if he were a stranger.

She was no longer the same Min Hee who had smiled at him and called him her greatest rival.

She was now a legend, and he was a failure.

And so, Leywin drifted into isolation.

He was bullied. Mocked. Laughed at.

Until the day he met Nichole.

Nichole: The Second Ranker

Nichole was Leywin's cousin, but they had never met before high school. His parents had lived far from the family until recently. Upon their return, Nichole entered the academy, quickly becoming the 2nd-ranked student after Min Hee.

One day, Leywin was surrounded by a group of bullies—students who enjoyed tormenting the "fallen genius."

"Why don't you just drop out?" one sneered. "Your talent's wasted here."

Just as Leywin was about to fight back, a voice interrupted.

"You idiots should know better than to pick on a Phoenix."

Nichole stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp.

The bullies hesitated. Though Nichole was only a 4th-circle magician, his skill was terrifying. They knew they couldn't beat him.

Leywin smirked as the bullies retreated.

"You didn't have to do that."

Nichole laughed. "You're my cousin. It'd be a shame to see you get your ass kicked."

And so, Nichole and Leywin became friends.

For the first time in years, Leywin had someone to rely on.

A Cafeteria Encounter: Min Hee Returns

One afternoon, Nichole and Leywin were eating in the academy cafeteria when Leywin's gaze drifted toward a certain table.

There she was.

Min Hee.

She sat with her elite circle of friends, her presence as dazzling as ever. Students around her whispered in admiration.

Nichole noticed Leywin staring.

"Oh? Look at you, staring so hard. You gonna bore a hole through her or something?"

Leywin quickly looked away, but it was too late.

Min Hee had heard them.

She stood, walking towards their table.

Nichole paled. "Shit."

Min Hee stopped before them, arms crossed. Her once-warm eyes were now sharp, calculating.

"You've got guts to joke around using my name, Nichole."**

Nichole stiffened. Even though he was strong, Min Hee was on another level.

Leywin sighed. "He was just joking. No need to be so serious."

Min Hee turned to Leywin, and her scornful expression cut deeper than any spell.

"A loser like you—stuck at 2nd-circle for four years—dares to look me in the eyes?"

Nichole clenched his fists. "Just because you're strong doesn't make you a better person."

Min Hee's expression darkened. Mana crackled around her.

She was about to attack Nichole.

But Leywin stood up.

"If you want to fight, do it in the arena. I'll defeat you in the last term exam."

A cold laugh escaped Min Hee's lips.

"Be ready to lose your limbs."

And she left.

Nichole turned to Leywin, horrified. "Are you insane?! She's a 5th-circle magician! There's no one under 20 who can even compete with her!"

Leywin only smiled. "Don't worry. I'll prove it to you."

The Awakening: A New Path

What gave Leywin such confidence?

Because a month ago, he had finally found a way to break past his limits.

For years, he had struggled to increase his magic power, but then, he realized:

Mana is infinite in the world.

Instead of storing it inside himself, what if he could shape magic using the mana in his surroundings?

The problem was, magic formulas were fixed. Magicians memorized spell structures and cast them instantly. If someone altered a formula, the spell would explode, harming the caster.

But Leywin was different.

With his photographic memory, he could manipulate spell structures with perfect precision.

For five years, he researched.

For three years, he developed a solution.

Instead of using fundamental shapes for spell formulas, he created his own system based on Vectors.

Traditional shapes couldn't withstand the sheer volume of mana in the world.

But Vectors could.

With this, he could cast a 1st-circle spell with the strength of a peak 3rd-circle magician.

And if he mastered it completely… he could rival even a 5th-circle magician.

But Min Hee was no ordinary 5th-circle magician. She could even fight against 6th-circle magicians.

Still, this was his best chance.

He had to win.

Not just to prove himself…

But to show Min Hee that she was wrong to abandon him.

To be continued...