Spring arrived once more.

  Other than marking the approach of his thirteenth year, Richard hadn't known this spring held any special significance.

  As architects of war, whether Construct Masters knew how to kill with their own hands didn't seem particularly crucial—at least, not at Richard's current stage.

  Yet, after his frequent late-night trips between Deepblue and the small tavern, when Richard picked up his assignments on magic circles, planar geometry, or other subjects again, he genuinely found a new understanding of things he'd once seen as static. They were no longer just collections of precise numbers, but interconnected elements influencing each other, their effects extending far beyond a single moment or place.

  Take the simplest example: setting up the same large-scale fire magic circle in desert terrain versus forest terrain yields the same initial energy output. But over the next three to five years, the increased concentration of fire elements in the desert might reroute underground water paths, causing nearby oases to shift several kilometers or even recede. In the forest, however, activating the circle would burn swathes of trees, changing local plant density and types. Yet, as wood ash enriched the soil, before wind-carried seeds could take root widely, the land would have time to recover, increasing its fertility.

  These long-term effects and inferences are useless for a single battle, but for prolonged wars spanning centuries, or even for the societal development of entire races behind them, their significance becomes immense.

  Richard felt as if he had truly fulfilled his earlier pretext, gaining a completely new appreciation for the profession of a Construct Master. But he couldn't quite believe this feeling himself. Perhaps it was mere coincidence, or maybe just a hallucination born from recent exhaustion. Rationally, the latter seemed more likely.

  One night, sleep eluded Richard for a long time. Every experience from his childhood surged into his mind, while the vast ocean of knowledge learned at Deepblue began to merge and connect. Questions that had once been hazy suddenly found answers. Inspiration flowed like a spring, his heart pounding like a galloping steed!

  Richard abruptly sat bolt upright, rushed to his magic laboratory, and laid out over a hundred different materials in quick succession. He spread out a high-quality magical beast hide, took out a magic pen with a specially crafted mithril tip, and began inscribing a magic circle onto the square hide.

  The night passed quietly. The steady glow of the magic lamps made time slip away unnoticed. After cycling through twenty-two different types of magic pens, ruining six of them, and using combinations of no less than two hundred magical materials, a complex magic circle finally took shape on the hide. The square hide had become incredibly hard, the magic circle upon it shimmering with flowing light. As soon as Richard channeled mana into it, the circle would automatically accelerate its operation, granting him the magical enhancement of lightness and speed.

  Staring at the hide, Richard could scarcely believe his eyes!

  The entire fruit of that dreamlike night was this single piece of hide. Ignoring the material quality and numerous minor flaws, this hide would have another name in the outside world:

  A Rune Construct!

  Though it was only the most basic type—Basic Agility—even the simplest Rune Construct was still a Rune Construct!

  While Richard had systematically studied the various theoretical disciplines underpinning Rune Constructs, he hadn't formally begun practical creation yet. Thus, the Basic Agility construct before him had countless areas for improvement; it was almost unusable. But it was undeniably a milestone! Like an Archmage reaching a certain mana threshold, after which learning specific spells becomes a minor detail.

  Holding the crude Rune Construct, the toil, contemplation, perseverance, and pain of the past year flooded his mind, leaving Richard overcome with complex emotions. Every drop of effort, refusing to waste a single minute, had finally converged into a river! The madness buried deep in his bloodline and the inescapable heartache also transformed into the driving force pushing him ever forward.

  Tracing it back to its roots, it was perhaps a case of gradual accumulation leading to a sudden breakthrough, like water naturally carving a channel.

  Overwhelmed by emotion, Richard allowed himself only three minutes of indulgence. He knew deep down that everything in Deepblue was built on shimmering illusions, a beautiful dream that could shatter at any moment. The exorbitant tuition, the massive material consumption, the mana recovery potions drunk daily like water, and this unsettlingly vast residential area—all were built upon the 'pleasure' of Her Highness Helen Su.

  To put it less pleasantly, Richard's life still depended on the whims of the Legendary Mage. Talent, before being converted into actual strength, was merely a painting on a wall, possessing only ornamental value.

  History holds the famous saying: 'There's no such thing as a free lunch.' Lunch at a Legendary Mage's home would only be prohibitively expensive; how could it possibly be free? And from Naya's reaction, Richard also knew that the father he deeply resented, Gordon Akmond, was definitely a major figure—one whom people feared more than liked. With such a background, Helen Su's 'pleasure' could logically be inferred to stem partly from Richard's own efforts, and partly from the vast shadow cast by Gordon.

  Richard knew full well that everything he possessed now, including the money he intended to use to help Eileen through her difficulties, actually came from his father—the man who had once intrigued him, but whom he now refused to even think about. Yet he couldn't refuse it. To walk the path of magic without the support of immense wealth was simply impossible. Given his stubborn pride, he resolved to one day repay every coin taken from Gordon—doubled—so he could fulfill his mother's wish and then never see his father again. No, perhaps one day, father and son would meet on some planar battlefield, weapons drawn. The world was always full of incredibilities.

  What tormented Richard, however, was the rigorous logic instilled by his Magic Philosophy class, constantly reminding him: could he truly justify freely using Gordon's gold now, merely because he resolved to repay double in the future? Perhaps most people would find a comfortable answer, but Richard could not. Deep within him, the bloodline from both his parents instilled an instinctive pride, a pride that prevented him from deceiving himself, from being so shameless.

  Now, a turning point had appeared: the 'Basic Agility'.

  The thin hide meant Richard could soon create Rune Constructs meeting usable standards, and expanding from Basic Agility to other primary constructs wouldn't be difficult. The price of each standard Rune Construct, even a primary one, was high enough to shock Richard, despite being accustomed to Deepblue's prices. Therefore, Richard could earn money in the future by creating Rune Constructs and selling them to Deepblue. This income would be substantial, though still incomparable to Her Highness Helen Su's recent 'pleasure'. Richard certainly wasn't foolish enough to reject Helen Su's favor just because he could earn money, but the extra gold meant more materials, faster cultivation, and greater freedom.

  The word 'If...' had just surfaced in his mind when Richard forcefully suppressed it. But he already knew the unspoken thought: If he had been able to create Rune Constructs earlier, could he have saved Eileen?

  A young and naive question. Yet Richard's instincts had already provided the realistic, cruel answer. Nothing would have changed, because it had already happened, and time does not flow backward.

  And the more closely Richard observed the world of Deepblue, the deeper his understanding of its operating principles became, the clearer the second face behind the various masks he encountered, the more he vaguely perceived something behind the layers of illusion.

  Lost time was simple; this world was complex.

  Dawn broke.

  At the end of the Floe Bay, the sun leaped out from behind dense icebergs, rising slowly into the sky. The sudden bright sunlight streamed through the window, overpowering the magical glow of the 'Basic Agility' construct and making Richard's exhausted eyes sting slightly.

  Richard rubbed his sore eyes, carefully put away the Rune Construct, and hurried out of the residential area to find Archmage Phil, who taught him magic circles, to confirm his next study plan.

  Phil was worthy of the title 'Master,' not just because of his nineteenth-level mana, but more so for his profound knowledge, his many groundbreaking treatises on magic philosophy, and his fair and gentle character. Phil was currently Richard's instructor for magic circles and would, in the future, also be his mentor in Rune Constructs.

  Rune Constructs involved numerous disciplines and required extremely broad knowledge, yet the path itself was not fixed. A thousand years of research had only preliminarily divided them into seven levels from bottom to top, with the first four levels each having a varying number of standard constructs. One capable of inscribing primary Rune Constructs wasn't considered a formal Construct Master; only those who could create second-level constructs earned that recognition. 'Grand Construct Master' was the honorific for those capable of creating third and fourth-level constructs. Finally, any Construct Master who could create—or had ever created—a fifth-level Rune Construct would be granted the title of Saint Construct Master.

  As for sixth and seventh-level Rune Constructs, they existed more in speculation and imagination.

  It was still very early; few people were moving about in Deepblue. Richard, suppressing his wildly beating heart, hurried out of the teleportation circle and stood at the entrance to Helen Su's exclusive upper levels.

  The entrance consisted of two colossal bronze doors that never closed, day or night, flanked by a magic puppet on each side. One puppet fixed its ruby-like single eye on Richard, emitting a dark red beam of light. Under the light, the badge on the collar of Richard's magic robe instantly lit up. The puppet immediately returned to its original position, the light in its eye extinguishing.

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  The entire upper section of Deepblue was the Legendary Mage's exclusive domain. However, the lowest few levels of this exclusive zone were allocated to the most senior Archmages as residential areas, reflecting Her Highness Helen Su's generosity, trust, and favor. Their living quarters and magic laboratories were all located here. Thus, the vast five-level area housed only seventeen Archmages. Master Phil was one of them.

  When Richard was granted entry into Master Phil's private area, the Archmage had just finished his morning meditation.

  Phil wore a simple magic robe, yet every gesture emanated a dense elemental aura. This powerful elemental affinity made the mana concentration around Phil far exceed that of ordinary space. As Phil's student, merely standing nearby and listening would provide slow but lasting benefits to one's own mana accumulation. However, Master Phil only released this elemental aura right after meditation or in the presence of his most important students.

  Seeing Richard, a flicker of subtle appreciation crossed Phil's eyes. He gestured towards a nearby chair for Richard to sit, then picked up a bottle of mana recovery potion and took a few sips.

  Richard didn't sit. Instead, he took out the hide bearing the 'Basic Agility' construct, handed it over, and said, "Master, this is something I created last night on a sudden inspiration. I'd like your guidance."

  Just looking at the dense, intricate patterns revealed the magic circle's exceptional quality. Phil smiled rarely, took the hide, and was about to praise Richard when his expression suddenly changed drastically! After a few more glances, Phil's body began to tremble uncontrollably. He shot to his feet, but so abruptly that his sleeve knocked over the half-finished bottle of potent mana recovery potion. The exquisite crystal vial, along with the half-bottle of potion worth over 2000 gold coins, slid off the table and shattered on the floor with a sharp crack.

  The normally frugal Phil paid no heed to the potion. When he looked back at Richard, his eyes blazed with dazzling magical light, and surging elements roiled violently, almost whipping up an elemental storm within the room!

  He asked sternly, "You said you made this last night? Do you know what it is?"

  The chaotic elemental storm made it almost difficult for Richard to breathe. He stood his ground with difficulty, answering calmly, "A primary attribute enhancement Rune Construct: Basic Agility. It's barely completed, I'd say."

  Only then did Phil realize his loss of composure. He slowly reined in the overflowing elemental energy, sat back down, and carefully examined the hide in his hands for a long while before saying slowly, "'Barely completed'? Heh! Indeed. As a Rune Construct, it barely qualifies. But someone capable of making a 'barely qualified' Rune Construct before the age of thirteen... you can count them on one hand throughout the entire continent's history! Richard, I believe you wouldn't lie, but this doesn't make sense. Your studies haven't reached the stage of synthesis yet. However, beyond the irrational, there must be some other factor that allowed you to have this sudden epiphany, to integrate all the separate magic systems on your own. If you don't mind, would you share your unusual experiences from this recent period with me? I believe it will be helpful for your future growth."

  Master Phil was a man worthy of respect; Richard sensed no negative emotions from him. Moreover, the world of magic was so complex and fraught with unknown dangers that having a wise guide was more important than anything.

  So, Richard summarized everything he had done outside of his magic courses over the past year, omitting only the parts related to Eileen. In his understanding, the intimacy between them had merely hastened his maturity but was surely unrelated to magic. Beyond that, he concealed nothing, not even his studies with Naya.

  Hearing this, Phil's eyebrows twitched. He instinctively started to rise but forced himself back into the chair. He raised a hand, signaling Richard to stop, then leaned back, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling.

  After a moment, Master Phil spoke, "So it was him. I didn't expect the Calamity Blade of old to have come to Deepblue. His name is Naya now, is it? That's his original name, one he almost never used. What he taught you must be one reason you broke through the barriers between disciplines. Killing, like creation, is a study that encompasses all fields."

  Richard hesitated before asking, "Then... can I continue learning from him?"

  Master Phil pondered for a moment, then said, "For now, it should be acceptable. Calamity Blade—no, Naya now—was once a figure of renown throughout the dark world. His mastery of killing approaches an art form; teaching you for a few years should pose no problem. But I want to know, why did you suddenly have the urge to learn the art of killing?"

  "Because to create more powerful Construct Knights, one must know how to kill more effectively."

  Richard's answer made Phil study him deeply. Then the old Archmage shook his head and said, "That's not your real reason. I can see the answer in your eyes. Never mind, it's not my place to interfere. I just want to tell you, this is Deepblue, Her Highness's domain. If you encounter any unpleasantness, you can always come to me, or appeal directly to Her Highness. Deepblue is a world of mages; the hands of secular power cannot reach here. If the conflict you face involves too much of the outside world, then my advice is to inform your father. The power of the Akmond family makes many hesitate, and Marquis Gordon has recently begun preparations to establish a foothold in Faust, the City of Legends. Being able to gain a footing in Faust itself represents sufficient comprehensive strength and power at the apex of the secular world."

  Richard's gaze shifted away. After a long moment, he said, "I do not wish to rely on Marquis Gordon's power."

  Years of wisdom allowed Phil to catch the small secret revealed by Richard's choice of address, but he wasn't surprised. People associated with the Akmond name always had 'personality.' Of course, looking across the continent, there were quite a few similar families, such as Saint Peter, Wismar, Agares, Solomon, Julius, and so on.

  Phil nodded and said thoughtfully, "Actually, I have one last question: wisdom. The art of killing transcends domains, guiding you to see cross-disciplinary possibilities. But fully integrating the forty-six foundational subjects involved in Rune Constructs requires more than just genius; it demands long-term diligence and true wisdom—wisdom, not mere cleverness. And you, Richard, among those in Deepblue, your wisdom isn't among the most outstanding. I originally thought you wouldn't be able to construct your own Rune Construct system until you were fifteen, yet you achieved it just past twelve. It's still highly irrational..."

  However, Phil also knew this was a question without an answer. The present fact was that Richard had indeed taken the crucial first step for all Construct Masters. That was the reality. It existed, therefore it was valid, regardless of whether the reasons were sufficient. Phil, well-versed in magical philosophy, knew clearly that phenomena must have underlying causes. If one couldn't find them, it wasn't because they didn't exist, but simply because one couldn't see them. Norland held too many secrets, and the universe composed of countless planes could never be fully explored. Therefore, even the idea of some bored god suddenly instilling the entire knowledge of Construct Masters into young Richard wasn't entirely absurd.

  In fact, the historical Saint Peter who created the 'Celestial Armaments' revealed before his death that most of his inspiration actually came from divine revelation.

  Phil stood up, carefully put away the 'Basic Agility' construct, and said to Richard, "Alright, let's not waste more time on minor issues. Whatever the reason, your breakthrough owes much to luck. And luck has always been a crucial part of strength, increasingly so as one progresses."

  Pausing for a moment, Master Phil added meaningfully, "Richard, perhaps you don't yet realize just how lucky you are. But this is something of an open secret, not needing special confidentiality, and it's time you were told. Her Highness Helen Su has a habit: in each field of magic, she ultimately retains only one student to officially continue her legacy. For Construct Masters, the most dazzling pearl on the magic crown, this is even more true."

  "So?" Richard suddenly understood why he had sensed hostility from Stevenson and Minnie. And why Randolph, who seemingly had no connection to him, would resort to a deadly scheme against him.

  "As far as I know, Stevenson, at least, aspires to become a Construct Master, and his will is firm. But you have now stepped ahead of him, and decisively so. That's why I told you earlier how to handle irresolvable conflicts should they arise in the future. Also, you must be mindful of your own safety."

  Richard understood the implication in Master Phil's words, yet still found it somewhat hard to believe. "But this is Deepblue."

  Master Phil smiled. "Even the strongest rules are only meant to restrain rational people."

  Richard lowered his head in thought, then nodded, seemingly understanding yet not fully grasping.

  By now, the old Archmage had gathered his things, and the students he had summoned had arrived. He said to Richard, "Come with me now, lucky young Richard. I will show you the miracle-creating power of a Construct Master. I believe after seeing it, you will have a deeper understanding of the world of Construct Masters, beyond just the half-true anecdotes and autobiographies."

  An hour later, Richard and Phil were seated in a magic testing ground outside Deepblue. It was a massive open-air arena, capable of testing the power of large-scale magic, even Legendary spells. Ordinarily, it also served as a bestiary arena for evaluating newly discovered magical beasts or newly created summoned creatures.

  Under Richard's gaze, a bad-tempered Ironclad Horse was released into the arena. The Ironclad Horse was a magical beast native to the vicinity of Deepblue, much larger than an ordinary warhorse. Its back was covered in scales as hard as steel, and it possessed an extremely violent temper, making domestication impossible. Its powerful iron-shod hooves could crush the skull of a polar ice bear, and its running speed and jumping height rivaled those of a Mars Deer, leaving it with few natural predators. The most valuable part of the Ironclad Horse was its scales—stronger than any known metal yet light as feathers, easily enchantable without complex processing.

  To prevent captured ferocious magical beasts from suddenly rampaging, entry into the arena was via a long, narrow, dark passage. As the Ironclad Horse entered the testing ground, the sudden open space made it pause momentarily. This was a huge field, a kilometer across, filled with various types of terrain. The lingering dense magical aura from numerous previous tests and the old bloodstains of countless magical beasts immediately put the Ironclad Horse on high alert.

  During the horse's brief pause, Richard saw immediately that a whole section of scales had been removed from its chest, and his 'Basic Agility' construct was embedded squarely there. This wasn't simple insertion, of course. The hide had been specially cut and treated, and implanting it in the correct location on the beast required delicate handling. As the Ironclad Horse's breathing grew heavier, the Rune Construct embedded in its chest began to glow—a sign that it was absorbing the horse's mana and activating.

  Stimulated by the thick scent of blood, the Ironclad Horse suddenly flew into a complete rage! It reared up, let out a long neigh, then landed on all fours and began to charge like thunder! Judging by its path, it intended to leap over two sets of log barriers consecutively and then smash through the arena fence to regain its freedom.

  The instant the Ironclad Horse launched itself into the air, the Rune Construct flared with dazzling light! The horse unleashed astonishing potential, leaping exceptionally high and far. It soared far over the first barrier and crashed directly into the second! That single leap covered nearly half again the distance a normal Ironclad Horse could manage!

  Wood splinters flew everywhere. The heavy log pile was sent scattering by the impact. One log, half a meter in diameter, took the brunt of the force and nearly snapped in half! The Ironclad Horse was clearly dazed by the collision, spinning around, momentarily disoriented, and began to run wildly in random directions.

  The 'Basic Agility' construct pulsed continuously with light, and the Ironclad Horse's speed increased relentlessly, clearly exceeding its own ability to control. It either overshot its mark, misjudged takeoff distances and slammed directly into barriers, or leaped so high and far that it lost balance mid-air and crashed headlong to the ground.

  Heavy impact sounds echoed constantly from the arena. Splintered wood, mud, ice chunks, and gravel flew everywhere. The horse's massive body blurred into a black phantom, hurtling back and forth at unbelievable speed, smashing the deliberately placed obstacles with its sheer mass. Its sturdy body, immense weight, and excessive speed turned the Ironclad Horse itself into a terrifying weapon. The force of its impacts alone was staggering.

  Watching the Ironclad Horse streak back and forth across the arena like lightning, young Richard was utterly dumbfounded. He was familiar with common magical beasts like the Ironclad Horse, but he had never imagined one could reach such speeds, nor had he witnessed the terrifying combat potential unleashed by this acceleration. It was like a completely new species!

  This was the power of a Construct Master?

  Young Richard suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He felt like an infant who had grabbed an iron sword, thinking it a toy, only to discover upon swinging it that the sword possessed the power to destroy the world he saw before him!