Abyss Demon of All Realms (TL)

After much deliberation and selection,

Under Charles' envious gaze, Saya—whose innate talent surpassed his and whose other qualities far exceeded his—was chosen by a mentor.

It seemed Saya would receive considerable attention.

Though his face paled when his mentor's magic pet eyed him with a "I'm hungry" look.

He clearly saw the giant bat drooling at him.

With his mindset already shifting slightly, Saya forced a proud smile and waved at Charles to maintain appearances, exuding confidence.

Yet inwardly, he prayed: 'Please let me be a student, not feed...'

Charles, ignored by most mentors, watched with envy: 'He looks so happy—must've gotten a great mentor.'

The house, though wooden in structure, was built atop a colossal, unnamed plant.

Its seamless design made it seem as though the dwelling had grown naturally from the plant, with little trace of human craftsmanship.

Clutching his token, Charles gulped as he stared at the massive wooden house before him.

He knew that, barring any surprises, the person inside would become his mentor—a thought that made him nervous.

He had no idea whether his mentor would like him, nor did he feel confident.

After all, he was rather unremarkable and couldn't think of any reason someone would value him.

Summoning his courage, he lightly pressed the doorbell.

Before long, a vine slithered down from the roof, coiling around Charles like a snake.

The sensation made his scalp tingle, as if he might get bitten.

After observing him, a hoarse, aged voice emerged from the vine: "New apprentice?"

Realizing the vine could speak, Charles quickly replied, "Yes, I'm Charles. I just arrived at the academy today."

Seeing the vine bob up and down, he thought uncertainly: 'Is that... a nod?'

Faintly, he thought he heard indistinct muttering from the vine: "Wasn't it supposed to be one a year? What's today's date again... Has time flown by that fast? Must be aftereffects from that explosion rattling my brain—no wonder I keep feeling like time's speeding up. A whole year's gone by in a blink..."

A sinking feeling settled in Charles' chest: 'This mentor seems... off.'

After rambling to itself, the voice refocused on Charles: "You look scrawny and unhealthy—must be poor home cooking. Reminds me of my youth, back when I first visited a brothel—"

'???'

Hearing his mentor's disjointed words, Charles confirmed his suspicion—this mentor was definitely not normal.

He suddenly doubted whether his apprenticeship would go smoothly.

'Is the academy sure this guy can teach?'

In a daze, Charles envisioned his future self, gray-haired and still clad in apprentice robes: 'Might be stuck as an apprentice for life...'

Such worries weren't his alone to bear.

At this moment, looking at the middle-aged male mentor before her—dressed in women's clothing on his left side and men's clothing on his right, ignoring her as he applied lipstick—Saya couldn't help but feel uneasy about her future. 'This guy isn't quite right... Will I really be able to graduate under him?'

In a certain laboratory, a five or six-year-old boy watched as a gaunt, nearly bald old man with a crazed expression approached him, syringe in hand. Swallowing hard, the boy attempted to talk his way out of the predicament: "Mentor, I think we can take our time with the experiments... There's no need to rush..."

The old man's withered face twisted into a ghostly grin as he rasped, "Heh heh heh... Don't be afraid. Sacrificing for experiments is a process every great Wizard must undergo. I'm just helping you get a head start..."

Sniffling slightly and sucking his snot back in, the boy forced a weak smile. "That really won't be necessary. I think I'm still too young for this..."

"Humph!"

With a casual wave of his hand, the old man lifted the boy by his collar and declared firmly, "You don't have the right to refuse!"

Then, under the boy's despairing gaze, he injected the murky gray-black liquid into his body.

On just the first day, battered by the harsh reality, most Wizard Apprentices began questioning their futures...

Three years later, the twentieth year since Olthagia arrived in this world.

In the Silent Heart Academy, Olthagia sat leisurely on a plush chair, dressed in a red suit-like outfit, legs crossed as he addressed the young male Wizard before him, who appeared to be around thirty. "I quite like the Animation spell you invented. I'd like to purchase its knowledge."

Noticing Olthagia's casual demeanor, the young Wizard frowned slightly. He felt that his reputation as a renowned genius Wizard wasn't being respected. Considering his own strength—only at the peak of the first tier—he decided to let it slide for now.

However, even so, purchasing his Wizardry shouldn't be done so flippantly. Proud and arrogant, he spoke up, "That spell has only recently been developed, so I'm not prepared to sell it yet. If you truly need it, please wait a while longer—until I've fully perfected it."

Unfazed by his evasion, Olthagia replied calmly, "No matter. Even if it's not fully researched, I only need its general framework."

Seeing Olthagia's unrelenting determination, the Wizard frowned deeper before finally saying, "...Let me be blunt. I have no intention of selling that spell right now. So please, leave."

Faced with this direct refusal, Olthagia finally gave the man a proper look. Taking in the undisguised pride on his face, Olthagia couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You don't seem to understand your position."

Before the man could process his words, Olthagia casually raised a hand and flicked his fingers.

Snap!

With a crisp and unmistakable slap, the other person's body was instantly sent flying into the air by an unstoppable force, spinning ten full rotations before landing.

When he hit the ground, his feet remained exactly where they had been standing before, the footprints perfectly aligned without the slightest deviation.

Watching the dazed figure involuntarily drop to his knees, Olthagia sat in his chair, looking down at him with calm indifference. "I'll give you one more chance to phrase your words properly," he said coolly. "Answer my previous question again."

Swallowing the blood in his mouth, the young Wizard sensed a life-or-death crisis in Olthagia's gaze.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he forced an ingratiating smile onto his swollen face. "I must not have made myself clear earlier. I truly have no intention of selling this Wizardry—how could I ever dare to take your money? I was planning to give it to you directly, as a small token of my respect."

Olthagia nodded in satisfaction. "Good."