Elden Ring: The Shattering!

The evening sky drizzled over the Ruins above. Cuckoo soldiers were struggling to finish their tasks, pulling out the charred, twisted bodies and laying them aside... Yet, these burning eyes had long turned to coal, with no visible errors on their appearance.

Thops had been called over to inquire, as Kaelith had already started the conversation. The bald, muscular man pushed the madness on his head entirely, and as for why ten mad names suddenly appeared——

Would the great Sorcerer still deceive you!?

Regardless of whether they were mad or the Sorcerer momentarily indulging in slaughter, the Cuckoo legion had no right to ask anything. They dared only to gather information from Thops, this apprentice. Kaelith, on the other hand, sat quietly beside the Ruins, sipping tea and lost in thought.

He did not speak of continuous good fortune, nor was he particularly unlucky.

Just recently, he had formed an enmity with the Black Knives through Carian, entering the Raya Lucaria Academy only days ago, and now had formed a grudge with another hidden faction. Imagining an hour earlier, he had been happily enjoying roasted crab charcoal in the cafeteria, but now was contemplating the course of life beside the Ruins.

"I might have no choice but to do it. These Frenzied Flame followers clearly sacrificed themselves, but the subsequent influence is beyond guessing."

The small town had become so bustling that even if Raya Lucaria Academy tried to hide it, news of the Frenzied Flame spread throughout The Lands Between, eventually reaching the ears of the Two Fingers.

The demigod conflict was slow and inconclusive, but it shattered the foundation of the Golden Dynasty. It was one thing, but now the Frenzied Flame had emerged, so could the previously conquered demons and monsters rise again?

No one dared to bet. In such a state of hunger, the Demigods could be abandoned... Whoever could heal the Elden Ring and ascend to the throne, restoring order, would be enough—even those suspicious Tarnished!

"On the contrary, I've helped the Tarnished. Whether or not they return, it has nothing to do with me." Kaelith knew that Shabriri would continue to do what he did, and no one could stop him.

"My lord, you may leave." The sound of iron boots hitting the ground came from the tall knight standing beside him.

Kaelith placed the tea cup down, stood up, and dusted off the ash on his clothes. "Is everything thoroughly investigated?"

"It's confirmed to be a case of madness, and I've already reported the situation to the Academy. But there's something else I must ask of you."

The knight, rubbing his hands a little, spoke in a low voice: "Please don't reveal today's events to anyone."

Are you afraid that it will affect the tax collection?

Kaelith immediately understood the meaning— the small town wanted to maintain a daily cycle of death. Who the hell would dare to do business here? However, this also aligned with his own thoughts.

"No problem."

Still the same arrogant attitude unique to the Sorcerer, Kaelith turned and left. With the greed for gold and Shabriri's pre-arranged performance, it all silently faded into the background.

The petty drama had no effect on the bustling town. Kaelith and Thops walked down the road back to the Academy. The muscular, bald man occasionally glanced over quietly, clearly still deeply impressed by the life-or-death encounter earlier.

Reaction speed, physical condition, and control over magic were all exceptionally strong—was this the life of a traveling Sorcerer?

Thops dreamily glanced to the side, imagining a day when he could be just as formidable. However, Kaelith directly turned his head.

"Do you have a problem?"

Thops swallowed nervously. His tall and burly frame was actually somewhat introverted. Hesitating, he asked, "Senior, why couldn't you tell the truth earlier?"

"I don't know, it's just a feeling. Didn't you see that even those knights didn't want to make this a big deal?" Kaelith immediately waved it off.

"Why?"

"Making it a big deal would affect the economy of the small town. The Academy's income would drop, the budget would be insufficient. Do you think the Academy would reduce its expenses?"

Thops immediately fell silent, obviously understanding that this kind of useless, pointless talk would get him nowhere.

Kaelith saw his reaction and knew there was no need to continue discussing trivial matters. He understood that a true speaker must consider the perspective of the other party before speaking, and Thops wouldn't dare to speak the truth in such a situation.

The two fell silent as they entered the main gates of the Academy. Just then, Kaelith suddenly asked, "What was that magic you used earlier?"

He was certain that he wasn't mistaken. The green magic waves, like ripples in water, seemed to push the Frenzied Flame aside. After confirming the identity of the bald man, he actually knew what it was.

"A small trick, you absolutely shouldn't tell anyone else about it." Thops looked very anxious.

"Very confidential? If you're trying to protect intellectual property, you don't have to tell me."

"No, it's just that it doesn't really matter. It's a common trick, but it hasn't formed a system." The man scratched his head, even though there wasn't a single strand of hair on it.

This apprentice was clearly exceptionally talented, yet far too self-conscious.

Kaelith patted his shoulder repeatedly, laughing heartily. "Keep your spirits up! I think you have a lot of potential. You might even become a great Sorcerer one day!"

"Really, really?" Thops turned his head in surprise, only to see Kaelith removing his head cover, his face serious.

"Absolutely true. I've met many people since leaving the Academy, and I've never heard of anyone who could unlock a new development in the Magic system."

"It may just be a trivial thing. Even a Glintstone Pebble can't necessarily stop it."

"Everything starts with difficulty. Here's the deal: I'll help you complete this together. In some sense, you might even become my teacher."

Thops waved his hands repeatedly. He didn't dare to accept it. This person was a senior, a genius female mage student, and even more so, a ruthless figure who had killed more than ten people without batting an eye.

And he, well, was just a useless stone.

"Don't joke around, I'll never be a teacher." Kaelith took his hand and said firmly, "Starting tomorrow, I'll introduce you to the theoretical aspects of Magic and help you complete the Thops Barrier."

Thops froze right there. With Kaelith's status, how could he refuse? He didn't even realize how trivial his own abilities were... Not to mention, he didn't know how many years it would take to perfect the theory as a servant of his own.

The Thops Barrier…

He repeatedly chewed over the words: A Sorcerer could become a scientist... No matter how much effort Kaelith put in, the intellectual property belonged to him.

This truly was a blessing falling from the sky. Erdtree, after so many years of doing good, finally, he was rewarded.

The muscular man's eyes were moist as he tightly grasped Kaelith's hand, as if holding onto a life-saving straw, nodding seriously.

"I'll listen to you, senior!"

Resolved.

Kaelith walked lightly down the third-floor corridor, his mood immediately improving. No one understood Thops' value better than he did. His theories were enough to open a sixth Magic classroom. By a stroke of luck, this rough jade was now in his hands.

"Once the final product is completed, I could shoot all Magic and Prayer out in one go. Without careful consideration... If it leaks out, it's hard to guarantee the Academy won't take dark measures. If that happens, I can run away, but Thops will be in trouble."

He knew the world was cruel. Great inventions that touched others' interests were often discarded at the beginning. Thops had many ideas, but he was just a low-level Magic apprentice.

"At least I have the power and knowledge of a true Sorcerer. I could really accelerate the development speed, and then I'd be able to secure a deadly blow."

Kaelith stopped, seeing that the door in front had opened. The female mage was leaning against the doorframe, holding the Glintstone mask by its chin, clearly having waited for a long time.

"Apprentice, I only gave you half a day off. Why are you out here causing trouble?" Sellen's tone carried a kind of pleasant, shiver-inducing joy.

"I want to know why too." Kaelith raised his hands in mock exhaustion. "Today's been really tiring. Can I go rest?"

"Obviously not. You still have seventeen more magic control exercises to complete, and five Glintstone advancement theory papers to read. You also need to help me finish that damn topic of classifying 4-6."

"Stop, stop, stop." Kaelith rubbed his head, thinking to himself that tonight, sleep would be impossible. He wouldn't be able to change Sellen's mind. He could only stroke his hair in resignation.

"What else? Go ahead, say it all."

Sellen stood upright, lightly patted her stomach, and turned to walk into the room.

"I'm also hungry, so hurry up and go cook."