The Path to Ascension

The Magic Kingdom The Magic Kingdom was the largest nation on the Continent of Verna, located in the western region. Though it wasn’t as wealthy as the Prosperity Kingdom, nor did it possess the Dragon Knights of the Divine Beast Kingdom or the Snow Wolf Cavalry of the Icebound Kingdom—let alone using harsh weather as a natural defense like the Icebound Kingdom—it was still universally recognized as the greatest nation on the continent. The reason? It had the largest number of mages. While other nations had mages too, the combined total of all their mages still did not match the number in the Magic Kingdom. On the western edge of the Magic Kingdom's territory was a small city called Whitecloud City. It was the smallest city in the entire kingdom and a rather unique one. What made the city special was that there wasn’t a single noble in sight—no one in extravagant clothing riding in ornate carriages. The people walking its streets wore simple garments, some even patched up in places. All signs pointed to the residents being common folk. Almost every citizen of the Magic Kingdom could tell you where the name "Whitecloud City" came from, but none more clearly than the locals themselves. During the first three days of the kingdom’s founding, citizens were caught up in joyous celebration. The king decreed that every year, from July 12 to July 14, these days would mark the annual Founding Festival. It was during that time that people noticed a peculiar sight: countless white clouds floated above a certain city and didn’t dissipate for days. Interestingly, these clouds appeared just as the celebrations began and slowly disappeared as they ended. In honor of this phenomenon, the king named the city Whitecloud. This year was no different—it was the anniversary of the kingdom’s founding. Families gathered in Whitecloud’s modest town square to celebrate. The king would send entertainers and, more importantly, mages to perform. For commoners, witnessing magic was a rare and extraordinary privilege. Magic was considered a noble pursuit, far out of reach for ordinary people. But on this one day each year, they could see real mages in action. Several boys and girls, no older than their early teens, pushed their way through the crowd. “So many people,” Vincent muttered. He was the son of the town’s only tavern owner, whose father also happened to be the city’s sole brewer. After brewing the liquor, his father sold it at his own tavern. People loved the drinks—delicious and affordable—so nearly everyone in Whitecloud drank what he made. Vincent was among the children weaving through the crowd. The adults, seeing them struggle through, kindly made space for them. That was how they reached the front. There, a mage was performing: fireballs burst into the air, and at times, he levitated above the ground. Vincent was awestruck. Cheers erupted at every feat of magic. Vincent was so amazed that he didn’t even notice what came next. Eventually, the festivities came to an end. But Vincent remained full of excitement. “One day, I’m going to become a mage,” he told his friends as they walked home. That comment sparked a round of laughter. “Hahaha! That’s hilarious,” mocked a boy about his age named Gary. He was the unofficial leader of their group—mainly because he was the best fighter. Gary was well known in Whitecloud, thanks to his father being a high-ranking swordsman. Gary had been learning combat from him since he was little, making him one of the strongest boys his age. “Come on, Vincent,” Gary sneered. “My dad says commoners like us could never become mages. And let’s be real—even if one of us could, it definitely wouldn’t be you.” Angered by the mockery, Vincent lunged at Gary. Gary didn’t back down, and soon they were rolling on the ground. The other children stood around watching, even cheering—though not for Vincent. Unsurprisingly, Gary quickly defeated Vincent. “You can’t even beat me in a fight, and you think you’ll become a mage? Better stick to brewing beer with your dad,” Gary scoffed. “I’m going to be a warrior, maybe even a general. And you? You’ll spend your whole life stuck in Whitecloud running a pathetic little tavern.” The others laughed and echoed his words. “Just wait. One day, I’ll become a real mage and show you all!” Vincent shouted, bruised and bloodied, but full of defiance. “We’ll be waiting,” Gary said before walking off with the others, leaving Vincent alone. When Vincent returned home, he told his father he had fallen by accident. But his father knew from one glance that he’d been in a fight. From that day on, Vincent couldn’t let go of the idea of becoming a mage. His father was firmly against it, and every time he ran into the other kids, they would mock him again—asking how his magic training was going. Each time, Vincent couldn’t take it and would end up fighting, always coming home beaten. His father, though disapproving, couldn’t help but feel pity for him. Yet he knew the harsh truth: there was no way Vincent could become a mage. From the founding of the Magic Kingdom, magic had always been the domain of the nobility. Commoners had no access to it—let alone any knowledge of how to study it. Technically, there was no law forbidding them, but it was an unspoken rule across the Continent of Verna that magic was a noble profession. Only those born into certain families could learn it. To become a mage, one needed two things: magical talent and a skilled teacher—or to attend a magic academy. Both options required a fortune that ordinary folk simply didn’t have. Though Vincent’s father earned a decent living running his tavern, his customers were all commoners, and the profit margins were slim. But money was only part of the issue. The bigger problem was that not everyone had the ability to learn magic. Only those with a certain innate magical potential—called "magical power"—could do so. If someone’s magical power fell below a certain threshold, they were forever barred from practicing magic. It was said that only one in ten thousand people had the necessary magical potential. And almost all of those came from families with a history of mages, due to the hereditary nature of magical aptitude. Nobles had the connections and resources to ensure their children were tested and trained at a young age. In contrast, the average commoner didn’t even know how magic worked. Over time, no commoners became mages—none at all. So when a boy from a tavern in a small city claimed he wanted to become a mage, it sounded like nothing more than a joke. Even if he went to the Mage Guild for a test, it was almost guaranteed that he would fail. Yet, from that day forward, Vincent kept saying he would become a mage, and the other children never stopped mocking him. After that first beating, he never played with them again. Instead, he spent his free time sitting on the steps alone, daydreaming about magic. Four years passed this way. Vincent’s father could do nothing but sigh at his son’s obsession. One day, a customer offered a suggestion: “If he’s so obsessed with magic, why not take him to Lars City for a magical aptitude test? Who knows—maybe he really could become the first commoner mage.” Vincent’s father considered the idea. If Vincent somehow passed, he would make history as the first commoner to become a mage. If not, at least the boy could give up his impossible dream for good. ------------------------------------- About this book：  This book is a new one, and the author is naturally a beginner as well. When I first conceived this book, it took me a few months to finalize the outline, plot development, locations, character names, and a series of other details. During this time, I wrote a lot and revised even more, including the protagonist’s growth. Initially, I planned for him to be a noble, but after revisions, I felt that a commoner was a better choice. I’m not a master, so naturally, there have been some bumps along the way. But since everyone enjoys and supports the book, I’ll make sure to write each chapter to the best of my ability. I’ll humbly accept every reader’s, mentor’s, and editor’s feedback and make revisions accordingly. I aim to present the best version of this book to everyone.