The streets of Morsobla City were not wide, paved with massive black obsidian stones that had seen no sunlight for years. As a result, the ground was perpetually damp, exuding a musty odor. Towering on either side of the streets were grotesquely shaped buildings, most featuring pointed roofs, with walls carved with twisted runes and grotesque devilish faces, all showcasing the eerie and mysterious nature of dark magic.
Sene trudged along this familiar street, feeling the eyes of those around him—some curious, some envious, and others openly hostile. He was used to it by now; in this ruthless underworld, strength was the only language that mattered.
Nestled in the heart of Morsobla City was the Dark Magic Academy, a vast Gothic structure. The academy's front entrance featured two heavy iron doors intricately engraved with complex defensive runes. As Sene approached, he pressed his token against the door, and a ghostly green light flickered before the doors slowly creaked open.
Inside the academy, the scenery was in stark contrast to the dreary exterior. The spacious hall was illuminated by a massive magical chandelier that cast a soft glow, brightening the entire area. The walls were adorned with portraits of great dark sorcerers from ages past, their eyes seeming to scrutinize everyone who entered. The floor, made of polished white marble, reflected the images of those who walked upon it.
Sene did not linger; he headed straight for the teleportation array on the left side of the hall. The academy was enormous, and walking would take too long; the teleportation array was the swiftest means of transport. Standing in the center of the array, he whispered the incantation as the runes beneath his feet instantly glowed. A powerful force enveloped him, and in the next moment, he found himself outside his dormitory building.
His dorm room was a modest single on the third floor. Though small, it contained all the essentials: a simple wooden bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. The desk was cluttered with various magic tomes and experimental apparatus, while the shelf housed neatly arranged potions of different colors.
Sene placed the stargrass, magic crystal, and giant crocodile skull on his desk before collapsing onto his bed. He was exhausted—both physically and mentally depleted. The past two days of travel and the battle with the brackish water giant crocodile had drained nearly all his energy.
Time slipped away, and Sene was startled awake by a frantic knocking on his door. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he rose to open it. A tall, beautiful woman stood there, dressed in a black magic robe, her face etched with concern.
"Sene, you finally made it back!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "How are you? Were you hurt? I heard you fought the giant crocodile. Is it true?"
This woman was Lena, Sene's girlfriend and also an apprentice of dark magic. Her power was slightly weaker than Sene's, currently at the pinnacle of the junior apprentice level.
Sene smiled, patting Lena's hand reassuringly. "I'm fine, just a little tired. The battle was indeed perilous, but I managed to obtain the stargrass."
He gestured toward the three stargrass plants on his desk, saying, "Look, this is what I was after."
Lena's eyes sparkled with surprise upon seeing the stargrass, but concern quickly followed. "You put yourself in danger challenging a mid-level magical beast for these! Do you know Ilk, that bastard, has been looking for trouble with you? He heard you were injured and is planning to strike while you're weak!"
At the mention of Ilk, a glint of coldness flashed in Sene's eyes. Ilk was a mid-level apprentice at the academy, powerful and devious, bearing a long-standing grudge against Sene. Their conflict had begun over a magical mining vein, and Ilk had plotted against Sene multiple times. Sene, however, had been vigilant and avoided falling into his traps.
"Ilk, you say?" Sene scoffed, "He thinks that because I'm weak now, he can manipulate me? Just right, I have some scores to settle with him!"
Lena looked worried. "But your magical energy hasn't recovered yet! How can you confront him? Ilk is strong, and he has a few lackeys with him; we can't confront them head-on."
Sene walked to the desk and picked up the giant crocodile skull, a glint of intelligence in his eyes. "Don't worry; I won't confront him directly." He said, "This skull contains powerful water magic elements. I can set a trap using it. Ilk excels in fire magic, which is countered by water magic. As long as I set things up properly, he'll be in for a serious surprise."
Seeing Sene's confident demeanor eased Lena's worries. She knew that although he was young, his mind was sharp and clever, always able to find a way out of dire situations.
"What are you planning to do?" Lena asked curiously.
Sene smiled slightly and began to explain his plan. He intended to utilize the water magic elements from the giant crocodile skull to set up a water magic array in a deserted magical laboratory within the academy. Then he would intentionally leak the information that he was researching new magic there, luring Ilk into an ambush. Once Ilk entered the array's range, he would activate it to trap him using powerful water magic and then deal with him at his leisure.
Lena's eyes sparkled with excitement as she listened to Sene's plan. "This is brilliant!" she clapped her hands. "Ilk thinks he's so formidable; this time, let's show him your true power!"
Sene nodded. "There's no time to lose; we need to start preparing right away. First, we need to gather some materials needed for the magic array…"
The two of them got busy. Sene took charge of drawing the magic array and preparing the core materials, while Lena went to the academy's materials vault to gather other necessary supplies. Although the materials needed to be exchanged for magic crystals, Sene had received adequate rewards from Master Mosido for this task, ensuring he had enough magic crystals to cover the costs.
After several hours of preparation, all the materials were finally gathered. Sene headed to the abandoned magical laboratory located on the academy's back mountain. It had once been the experimental ground for a great dark sorcerer but had fallen into disuse after a failed experiment, rarely visited by anyone.
Ensuring the area was clear of onlookers, Sene began to set up the magic array. Following the schematic, he placed the giant crocodile skull at the center of the array and arranged the other materials around it. With every material he placed, he recited incantations, channeling his magical energy into them.
As the last item was set in place, the entire magic array glowed with a deep blue light. A powerful surge of water magic elements erupted from the crocodile skull, filling the laboratory with a potent aura. Feeling the array's might, Sene nodded in satisfaction.
"All done; the trap is set! Now we just wait for Ilk to take the bait," Sene declared.
Lena's excitement was palpable. "I'll spread the word right away so that Ilk knows you're here!"
Sene watched as Lena hurried away, a glint of steely determination in his eyes. Ilk, this time, there will be no escaping!