A Crown of Shadows and Starlight

"Sigh..." A disappointed sigh echoed as a delicate-looking girl stood there, her expression blank and lifeless. Failed again! This was already the 360th failure. No matter how strong-willed Meilin was, at this moment, she was completely engulfed by frustration and despair. Was she truly worthless? Meilin clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh, drawing tiny streaks of blood. Yet, she seemed completely numb to the pain. Meilin was thirteen years old. Three years ago, a mentor from the Shuiyun Academy had brought her into the institution. At the time, her magical aptitude was rated at level five, making her one of the most promising students among the apprentices. Three years had passed. Many of the boys and girls who entered the academy with her had already become official apprentices. Some exceptionally gifted ones had even advanced to the second-tier apprentice level. Yet, she remained stuck, unable to take that crucial step forward. Her progress was painfully slow, not because she lacked effort—quite the opposite. Meilin’s dedication was unparalleled. While others practiced a meditation technique once, she would practice it multiple times. To strengthen her body for the rigorous training, she even spent two magic stones to seek guidance from the academy’s knight guards, learning swordsmanship and physical training methods. She had tried everything, yet the results were pitiful, leaving her far behind her peers. This constant failure weighed heavily on her heart. There were three levels of official wizard apprentices: first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier. To become an official apprentice, one needed sufficient talent. Wizard aptitude was divided into five levels, with level five being the highest. With the right meditation technique, these individuals could become official apprentices in just a few days. While they wouldn’t immediately become full-fledged wizards, their training speed was the fastest under the same conditions. On the other hand, level-one aptitude was the worst—being able to become an official apprentice was already considered a great achievement. Advancing further? That would take a miracle. Becoming a wizard was a challenging path, but there was a general progression: • Level-five aptitude could advance to an official apprentice within days. • Level-four aptitude required about two to three weeks. • Level-three aptitude needed around a month. • Level-two aptitude took at least six months. • Level-one aptitude could take years, even indefinitely. The apprentice ranking was determined by meditation progress. Meditation techniques were exclusive to wizards and varied by rank. Apprentices could only practice basic meditation techniques, which were currently the most refined form available. Even among basic techniques, there were varying levels of quality, categorized into six ranks: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Dream. Carving eight willpower runes within one’s mindscape was the requirement to reach the first-tier apprentice level. A second-tier apprentice needed to carve at least fourteen. As for the third-tier, additional conditions were required. Willpower runes were intricate cubic patterns, and if not stabilized, they would gradually dissipate, reverting back to their original state. In battle, if an apprentice’s runes were shattered, their foundation would be shaken, causing them to lose their rank—or even become permanently crippled. When new students entered the academy, they would select a meditation technique that resonated with them. When Meilin chose a crystal ball that responded fervently to her mental probe, the teachers’ faces showed astonishment. At the time, she thought it was admiration, encouragement—but now, she understood the truth. Meilin had an exceptional understanding of willpower runes, but constructing them was incredibly difficult. Stabilizing them took an even longer time. Over three years, she had only managed to carve seven willpower runes. She seemed to be just one step away from success. However, each rune had to be carefully etched without disturbing the previous ones. A single mistake could undo everything. It had taken her nearly a year to carve her seventh rune—how long would it take for the eighth? The most terrifying part was the academy’s rule: If an apprentice failed to reach the first-tier within four years, they would be reduced to a servant, their fate no longer their own. Now, Meilin had only four months left. Many apprentices, eyeing her beauty, had already made suggestive advances toward her. If she had the choice, she would have picked a different meditation technique, any other technique but this one. However, there was no turning back now—it was far too late. Letting out another sigh, Meilin felt some of her frustration dissipate. She once again sat cross-legged, performed an inner vision technique, and resumed carving the eighth rune in her mindscape. Inner vision was not magic but a technique for utilizing mental strength. It allowed apprentices to observe their own bodies and carve willpower runes within their mindscape. In the void-like space of her mind, seven glowing golden runes floated quietly. Unbeknownst to Meilin, she was practicing a gold-tier meditation technique—something far beyond Shuiyun Academy’s capabilities. It shouldn’t have existed there at all. The academy’s higher-ups had no knowledge of it, and Meilin was even more unaware. Thankfully, she did not understand its significance and had never spoken about it. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. After carefully checking that her seven runes remained stable, Meilin resumed carving the eighth. In the dimly lit room, the girl sat cross-legged, motionless as if asleep. No one knew how much time had passed, but soon, faint specks of light flickered around her, merging into her body before disappearing. More and more of these light specks appeared. A fine layer of sweat formed on her forehead, and fatigue gradually crept into her delicate features. Meilin’s eyelids trembled slightly before she finally opened her eyes. “So tired… Meditation primarily strengthens mental power, but it also enhances the body. Training for too long really wears me out. But this time…” She smiled bitterly. “Still a failure.” Meditation consumed a tremendous amount of energy. If one pushed beyond their limits, they could end up permanently crippled. Meilin stood up, stretched her body slightly, then removed her outer robe and lay down on the bed, soon slipping into a deep sleep. Before long, the room was filled with the soft, steady sound of her breathing.