Tang Yue's Invitation

Even without entering Meditation, Mo Fan's Star Nebula remained in a constant state of growth — and the pace was far from slow.

He had no frame of reference yet for exactly how much of a boost the Loach Pendant was providing, but that was a problem for another time.

What mattered was that over these two-odd months of doing nothing but training in earnest, he still wasn't certain whether he'd manage a Release within six months — the way he had tackled Basic-Level magic back when he first started.

"Alright. I've been at this for nearly a month — time to see just how far I can push!"

Mo Fan steeled himself and prepared to stretch his Control to its absolute limit, linking every Star Mote in sequence.

Through the Star Traces, he had grown thoroughly familiar with the paths and methods by which each Star Mote connected to the next. Now the only question was how many he could hold in Control at once.

The first seven needed no thought at all. They were the seven Star Motes that formed Basic-Level magic, and Mo Fan strung them into a complete Star Trail with practiced, effortless ease.

Control extended. He began coaxing the other fast-drifting Star Motes to obey.

The eighth was cooperative enough. Mo Fan had invested considerable time negotiating with it, and after extensive friendly discussion between the two parties, it had capitulated during his very first week in the resettlement compound.

The ninth was a different matter — stubborn, unyielding, and not particularly open to persuasion. It had taken a combination of threats and incentives before it finally yielded, and even now, the slightest lapse in concentration could cause it to slip loose.

That slipping was what Mages called a *break*: a Star Mote escaping Control mid-sequence due to outside interference or a failure of focus. It worked exactly the same as at the Basic Level — the moment a single connection snapped, the entire Star Trail toppled like a row of dominoes, and everything had to start from scratch.

"Good, good — now for the tenth!"

With the ninth secured, he moved immediately to the tenth, which presented a considerably steeper challenge.

The first nine Star Motes all ran along a single Star Trail — the spine of the entire Star Chart. Mo Fan had to keep that nine-mote trail intact and unbroken while simultaneously branching off to forge a second Star Trail alongside it.

Completing one Star Trail might not be so difficult. But maintaining an existing trail while seizing Control of additional Star Motes multiplied the difficulty many times over. It was an exacting test of a Mage's concentration.

*Come on. Come on.*

He was shouting it in his head, not daring to let his focus slip even slightly.

He remembered it clearly: when he broke through to Intermediate Level, his mind had endured wave after wave of crushing pain. He had bitten down and pushed through every one of them.

The truth was, if you couldn't weather that mental onslaught, your mental strength simply wasn't capable of commanding all forty-nine Star Motes. There was no shortcut.

Mo Fan had lost count of how many times he had failed right here, at the tenth Star Mote, over the course of these sessions…

"There it is — that's the spirit!"

The violet Star Mote gradually settled, growing obedient at last, until it held perfectly still in its designated position under his Control.

One Star Trail, and one newly fixed Star Mote.

For Mo Fan, that was already a great leap forward. He had at least grasped the fundamental logic of an Intermediate-Level Star Chart.

Many Intermediate-Level Mages spent years grinding at this very problem. More than a few had reached Intermediate Level early in their careers, only to find their hair going grey before they ever managed to Release Intermediate-Level magic.

The Star Chart was incomparably more demanding than the Star Trail. Without sufficient willpower — without developing your own instincts for Control — you could easily spend a lifetime stuck right here.

By any measure, Mo Fan's progress was going remarkably well.

That same morning, Mo Fan headed out as usual to find a deserted stretch of ground and run through his existing spells.

Since reaching Intermediate Level, his speed casting Basic-Level magic had increased noticeably.

At this point, both Lightning Seal and Fire Burst took him roughly 1.5 seconds to Release. Truly skilled Mages, he'd heard, could fire off Basic-Level spells almost on instinct — a flick of the wrist and it was done, effortless and instant.

Mo Fan knew that level demanded relentless practice. 1.5 seconds was still a touch slow; a Demon-Beast thirty meters away could be on top of you in about a second. That left no margin for error.

He finished the session and felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

Unknown number. He answered with mild suspicion.

"Hello — Mo Fan?" A voice came through almost immediately: mature, warm, and smooth — the kind of voice that felt pleasant just to listen to.

"Teacher Tang Yue." Mo Fan's mood lifted at once. "It's so good to hear your voice again."

Since the disaster broke out, everyone had been swallowed up in their own struggle to survive. He hadn't seen his beloved teacher since the chaos began. Come to think of it, if she hadn't given him those Star Chart Books, he would have left his life behind in Bo City.

"You've hidden yourself quite well," she said, laughing. "I had to ask Zhankong before I could find out you were in Shanghai's resettlement district."

"After everything that happened, all I want is a quiet place to train."

"Of all places, why come to Magic City? The waters here run deep, you know. Clans like the Mu are considered *minor* families in Shanghai. With your habit of attracting trouble, you'd do well not to cross paths with one of the major dynasties."

"I might as well be living off the grid out here," Mo Fan said with a rueful smile. "The resettlement district is in the middle of nowhere. Even if I wanted to find trouble, there's nothing around to find it in."

*The resettlement district...* He sighed quietly. Some things weren't even worth putting into words.

"I'm on assignment at a town in northern Hangzhou at the moment. If you're not too busy, come out and pay me a visit — I'll make some introductions while you're here."

"On assignment?" Mo Fan's curiosity sharpened. "Teacher Tang Yue, just who exactly are you? Can't you give your student even the tiniest hint?"

He'd been wondering for a while. Star Chart Books were the kind of thing money alone couldn't buy — yet she had handed him four without batting an eye. She was clearly far more than a simple high school teacher.

"I'll explain when you arrive. So — are you coming or not?"

"Coming. Absolutely."

"You've reached Intermediate Level by now, haven't you?"

"Uh... you know about that?"

Mo Fan hadn't told a soul. The more others knew about your real capabilities, the more vulnerable you became.

"As it happens, we need a Lightning Mage."

"Ah — my Star Chart isn't mastered yet."

"No matter. I'll provide you with Lightning Element Star Chart Books."

"...Do you run a shop? You hand these things out like you're selling vegetables at a market. I heard they're under lock and key of some faction — not supposed to circulate at all. Tang Yue, don't tell me you're actually from *that* faction?"

"Why all the questions? Complete this job and you'll be well compensated."

"Will there be an Awakening Stone?"

"An Awakening Stone... fine. Pull off this job, and I'll take you to the Magic Association for your Awakening."

Mo Fan winced.

*Pull off this job??*

*Miss, you are a schoolteacher. Do watch your language.*