I am the Archmage

My head hurts so much. I rubbed the big bump on top of my head, grimacing in pain. Could there possibly be anyone more unlucky than me? Struck by lightning while walking down the street—on a perfectly sunny day, no less. What terrible luck. I looked down at my clothes. Thankfully, the brand-name outfit I worked a whole month to buy wasn’t damaged. That would’ve been a huge loss. After checking myself over, I turned my attention to my surroundings. My God, where am I? I was struck by lightning in front of my house, yet now I’m in the middle of a vast, endless wasteland. This has to be a dream. That’s the only explanation. Otherwise, how could I get struck by lightning and come out completely unharmed? Yes, this is definitely a dream. While muttering to myself, a deafening explosion suddenly shook the ground and scared the life out of me. “Damn it! Who dares interrupt my sweet dream? Don’t they know I’m the number one bad boy at Tongtian High School?” Suddenly, two figures appeared out of nowhere right in front of me, giving me yet another fright. Huh? Two old geezers? Their clothes looked odd, their beards were long, and their expressions even weirder—clearly rattled by my exceptional cursing skills. Haha, serves you right! Who told you to mess with me, the number one bad boy? The old man with the longer beard spoke first, his tone stern. “You brat, how did you end up in our barrier? Speak up!” Barrier? What the heck is that? I looked at them with pity in my eyes. Clearly, these two had some screws loose—probably suffering from dementia. I’m a respectful person who cares deeply for the elderly, so I decided to let it slide. The red-bearded old man suddenly shouted, “You brat! What nonsense are you thinking? Who are you calling senile?” What? How did he know? Before I could figure it out, pain shot through my head as if someone had hit me. My vision went black, and just before I passed out, I vaguely heard one of the old men mutter, “This kid is strange. Let’s take him back for research.” Today has truly been the worst. Even in my dreams, I can’t catch a break. As consciousness slipped away, I thought bitterly to myself. At the time, I had no idea my fate was about to change forever. When I finally regained consciousness, my head still throbbed slightly. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the dim light around me. The air smelled of damp stone and something faintly metallic. I slowly sat up, realizing I was no longer in the barren wasteland. Instead, I was in some sort of cave or dungeon. The walls were lined with glowing runes, pulsating with an eerie light. “What the hell…” I muttered, still groggy. Before I could gather my thoughts, the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. The two old men from before appeared, their strange outfits and long beards unmistakable. This time, however, they were joined by a third person—a middle-aged man wearing a robe that shimmered like it was made of liquid silver. The long-bearded old man spoke again, his voice filled with authority. “You, boy, who are you, and how did you enter our sacred barrier? Speak truthfully, or face the consequences.” I blinked at him, still trying to process everything. Sacred barrier? What were they even talking about? And why did they look so serious? “Hey, hey, calm down,” I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. One moment I was walking home, and the next thing I know, I’m here. Maybe it’s you guys who should explain what’s going on!” The red-bearded old man snorted. “Liar! Do you take us for fools? Ordinary humans cannot pass through our barrier, let alone survive a direct hit from lightning.” “Wait, wait, wait,” I interrupted, pointing at him. “Are you saying that lightning wasn’t normal? Are you guys behind this?” The silver-robed man, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was calm but carried an unsettling weight. “It appears he truly doesn’t know. This complicates things.” The long-bearded old man frowned. “Could he be one of them?” The red-bearded one growled. “Impossible! Look at him. He’s nothing but a foolish child.” “Excuse me? Foolish child?” I snapped, jumping to my feet. “I’ll have you know I’m the number one bad boy at Tongtian High School. You should show some respect!” The three of them exchanged puzzled glances before the silver-robed man stepped closer. “Enough. Let’s not waste time arguing. If he truly is ignorant of his situation, we need to confirm his origins.” “Confirm my origins?” I repeated, crossing my arms. “And how do you plan to do that?” The long-bearded old man smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough, boy. You’re coming with us.” Before I could protest, the red-bearded old man raised his hand, and a glowing chain shot out from his palm, wrapping tightly around me. “Hey! What’s the big idea? Let me go!” I shouted, struggling against the chains, but they were unyielding. The silver-robed man waved his hand, and a portal of swirling blue light appeared in the air. Without another word, the three of them dragged me through it. On the other side, I found myself in a grand hall filled with towering bookshelves, strange artifacts, and glowing crystals. The air buzzed with energy, and the floor beneath me was etched with intricate magical symbols. The long-bearded old man gestured toward a pedestal in the center of the room. “Place him there. Let the artifact determine his true nature.” “Artifact? What artifact?” I demanded, still struggling against the chains. The red-bearded old man sneered. “You’ll find out soon enough, brat.” They forced me onto the pedestal, and a crystal sphere above me began to glow. The light intensified, filling the room with an almost blinding brilliance. Suddenly, the sphere shattered, sending shards flying in every direction. The energy in the room surged wildly, and the three men stared at me in shock. “This… this is impossible!” the long-bearded old man exclaimed. “What? What’s impossible?” I asked, genuinely confused. The silver-robed man stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. “You’re not just an ordinary human, are you? There’s something… unique about you.” “Unique? Me? Nah, you’ve got the wrong guy,” I said, shaking my head. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they might be right. Something about this whole situation felt… off. And for the first time, I began to wonder if this was more than just a strange dream. My life had been turned upside down, and there was no going back.