Once again, Thunder left everyone's jaws on the floor—advancing into the Top Eight as a mere magic apprentice. This was unprecedented in the history of Faeir Magic and Martial Academy.
Thunder was a dark horse. A *shockingly* dark horse. And everyone wanted a piece of him.
Sure, everyone knew he couldn't cast spells—but they also knew he could dodge like a maniac.
And yet, *no one* expected him to dodge his way straight into the finals. Among the Top Eight, the Lightning Magic class once again claimed three spots, Fire took two, and the remaining three were divided among Ice, Earth, and Wind.
The Water and Wood classes were completely shut out—a devastating blow.
As soon as the match ended, Sisi dragged Thunder straight to the classroom. To his surprise, Instructor Maria and Eric were already waiting there.
"What's going on?" Thunder asked, unnerved as all three sets of eyes locked onto him.
"Just what *kind* of magic apprentice *are* you?" Maria murmured, studying him with an unreadable expression. Was it really just luck? She had watched the entire match closely—every time Thunder dodged, it *seemed* like pure chance. But Maria wasn't fooled.
No one's luck was *that* good.
"Instructor, I brought him. What now?" Sisi asked, eyeing Thunder skeptically.
Maria's piercing gaze pinned Thunder in place. "Thunder, be honest with me. Have you trained in combat before?"
"A little. My family had a skilled guard," Thunder lied, conveniently blaming Carlos.
That explained it. Maria nodded. "Your combat skills are impressive—enough to handle most students here. But have you thought about the future?"
"The future?"
"As a mage with immense magical power—"
"*Magic apprentice*," Sisi corrected. There was a *huge* difference.
Maria flicked Sisi's forehead, silencing her. "But you can't cast a single spell. Have you considered what that means?"
Thunder played dumb and shook his head.
"Mages typically have weak physiques because we spend most of our time meditating to accumulate mana. I admit, your combat skills rival even the academy's warriors. But this is just an academy. Out in the real world, against truly powerful enemies, those skills alone won't be enough."
*I have scrolls. I have Celestial Master's Agile Steps.* Thunder kept his mouth shut.
"I've been thinking about your situation," Maria continued. "There's only one path forward for you."
"What?"
"Magic scroll inscription! Use your vast mana reserves to craft scrolls. The stronger your mana, the higher-tier scrolls you can produce!"
For some reason, even though Thunder had expected this, hearing it from Maria still stirred something in him.
She had really put thought into this.
"I've done research. The **Scrollmaster**—a profession lost for centuries. If you're willing, Thunder, this could be your calling."
"Scrollmaster?" Sisi and Eric exchanged confused glances. "I've heard of scroll merchants…"
"Instructor, *we* can inscribe scrolls too," Sisi protested. "Every mage is technically a scrollmaker. How could it be a 'lost' profession?"
"It's not the same. Sisi, what's your success rate when inscribing scrolls?"
"Uh… five percent?" Sisi's face flushed with embarrassment. That number was downright tragic.
"Eric?"
"Ten percent! Hah!" Eric grinned triumphantly. For someone as impatient as Sisi, scrollmaking was a nightmare.
"Those rates are abysmal. Even *my* highest success rate is only fifteen percent. And the higher the scroll's tier, the more likely it is to fail. But a true Scrollmaster has at least a *fifty percent* success rate. They don't cast spells—they *fight* with scrolls. Could you do that?"
Sisi and Eric shook their heads.
"Do people like that even exist?" Sisi muttered.
*Try one hundred percent, kid.* Thunder smirked. Amateurs.
Fifty percent was a terrifying number. Even though inscribing scrolls consumed far more mana than casting spells, who *wouldn't* want a few life-saving scrolls in their pocket?
But scrollmaking was an exacting art. Even the most powerful mages could fail a hundred times before producing a single usable scroll.
That was the difference between talent and mediocrity.
"Thunder, the upcoming matches will be against the academy's strongest," Maria said seriously. "I don't know how confident you are in your combat skills, but today isn't about the tournament. It's about your future. I want you to learn scroll inscription. I've prepared the materials."
She walked to the side and retrieved a small bundle. Thunder's eyes widened—blank scrolls, an inscription pen, and a vial of faint blue liquid.
"The library had a few books on scrollmaking, but they've gone missing," Maria added, placing the items before him. "These are blank scrolls. This vial contains the blood of a Tier 3 Lightning Beast—perfect for inscribing **Falling Lightning Strike** and **Palms of Thunder**."
Blank scrolls cost a gold coin each. Maria must have spent a fortune.
"Actually…" Thunder's chest tightened as he looked at the woman who had gone out of her way to help him. Overcome with emotion, he blurted out, "I've *already* been learning scroll inscription."
With that, he reached into his desk and pulled out a bag—containing the three missing books from the library.
**What secrets do these books hold—and how will Thunder's scrollmaking change the game?**