Full-Time Mage

Chapter 1: The World Has Changed

Outside Shuilan Middle School, a light rain drizzled down. The school gate was packed with parents holding umbrellas, their rain-dampened faces full of expectation. Today was a huge day for their children’s advancement—whether they could get into Tianlan Magic High School, and consequently, a good university in the future, all depended on their performance today!

You heard that right.

Magic High School!

In this society, magic reigns supreme!

All children must receive nine years of compulsory magic education. After studying the basic theories of magic and practical life skills for nine years, they all face an exam similar to the high school entrance exam. Only those who pass can enter magic high school and become true mages!

Osmanthus flowers, beaten down by the rain, fell onto the straight paths within the school grounds. After the bell rang, students swarmed out, either walking alone or searching for their friends, discussing the contents of today’s exam.

“Hey, Mubai, the seven elements of elemental magic—ice, fire, earth, water, wind, light, and lightning—did you guys figure out that question?” asked a pale-faced boy wearing a small bow tie.

“Perfectly answered!” said Mubai, who was practically a male god in terms of build, height, and looks.

“Truly worthy of our top student, solving such a difficult mixed-element problem… huh, isn’t that Mo Fan, who only scored 6 points on the mock exam?” said Zhao Kunsan, whose face was covered in pimples. The male god Mubai immediately glanced disdainfully at the solitary boy holding an umbrella. “This guy’s gonna end up just like his old man, a broken-down pickup truck procurement officer.”

“Doesn’t that make him your Mu family’s servant then? Hahaha!” These three spoke brazenly, completely unafraid of the boy named Mo Fan overhearing them.

After finishing their mockery, the three swaggered off, clearly confident they would pass the magic high school exam.

Holding a black Wong Fei-hung umbrella, Mo Fan walked out of the school gate on his own.

Glancing back at the campus he was about to leave, Mo Fan summed up his feelings in two words: What a rip-off!

How could it not be a rip-off?

Mofan didn’t originally belong to this world. He was a genius student who fundamentally disdained ordinary exams, often leaving them blank. Being considered a slacker by classmates and teachers was normal, like a college student having no reason to waste over an hour sitting there just for a little red flower sticker.

Originally, Mo Fan planned to take the high school entrance exam a bit more seriously, casually snagging first or second place in the whole school, trashing idiots like Mubai on his way to the best high school in the city. But then, an accident happened.

He, a top student, took a nap on the hill behind the school and damn it, suddenly ended up in this world!

Magic!!

His classmates, teachers, dad, and little sister were all the same, but damn it, the whole world had changed.

His world, which revered science, had transformed into one where magic reigned supreme, all while he slept.

What the hell were physics, chemistry, and math? Now they were Black Magic, White Magic, and Interdimensional Magic!

What the hell were academic departments? Now they were Fire Department, Ice Department, Big Lightning Department!

Fine, change if you want. Mo Fan wasn’t actually against magic; in fact, knowing it truly existed made him totally spooked. But it had to happen right before his big exam!

Leaving him completely clueless about magic knowledge!

And so, from a genius planning to play the pig to eat the tiger, he instantly became a real slacker, enduring endless ridicule and scorn!

The only silver lining: those nine years of compulsory magic taught only miscellaneous theoretical stuff, mostly things related to magic and daily life. Real magic wouldn’t be touched until high school.

Becoming a true mage required a crucial step: “Magic Awakening”!

The Magic Awakening would happen during the high school opening ceremony, witnessed by all the school leaders and teachers. At that time, even if you hadn’t studied the previous theories, you still had a chance to awaken your own element!

Mo Fan genuinely liked magic. For him, this was undoubtedly a perfect fantasy rebirth.

He too wanted to become a supreme mage who could dance with fire and summon lightning atop the domes of skyscrapers, maybe even contribute a little to saving the world.

But this exam… let’s just say, through his tireless efforts right before the test, he finally reached the level of being able to understand the questions. As for whether the answers were correct… heh, as long as he was happy.

“Mo Fan, Mo Fan…” A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion raised his hand high towards Mo Fan in the crowd.

Mo Fan looked at the familiar face, a bit surprised. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

“Here to pick you up. Since you’re done with exams, you’ve graduated. I found you a job running errands in the next district over. Uncle Guangfeng will show you the ropes. After a few years of experience, you can do it yourself. If you’re lucky, you might make four or five thousand a month. It’s good to start working early.” Mo Jiaxing said with a beaming smile.

The world had changed, but Dad was still Dad. Mo Fan could feel that unchanging warmth that nothing could alter.

Mo Fan had already discussed the errand-running job with his dad. Originally planning to give his old man a pleasant surprise, Mo Fan could only bitterly accept the reality that he was indeed a slacker.

But the problem was, he wasn’t willing to accept it now.

In this society, cars, phones, computers, and refrigerators all existed. Technological products hadn’t disappeared just because magic took over. If you couldn’t become a mage, you’d just become a worker producing these things.

Crap, what difference was there from his old world? I want to learn magic!!

According to this world’s theory that other things wouldn’t change, his own talent should also be the same.

As long as he worked harder in high school, caught up on what he missed, he could still become a top student… no, a magic overlord!

“Dad, I want to keep studying.” Mo Fan said after a long silence, finally telling his father what was in his heart.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t like studying magic?” Mo Jiaxing raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

“Uh…” Mo Fan felt a bit awkward. He didn’t know if his dad would believe him if he told the truth. Sigh, what a headache.

Mo Jiaxing looked at his son, who was about to turn sixteen, and a simple, honest smile returned to his face. “It’s okay, Dad won’t blame you for not studying magic properly. Everyone has their own calling.”

“No, I really want to learn now.”

“Can you pass the exam?” Mo Jiaxing asked.

“No.” Mo Fan answered very firmly.

“Well then, it’s settled. Don’t worry. Although the ancients often said: ‘All pursuits are lowly, only magic is noble,’ there’s also the saying ‘excellence can be found in any trade’…” Mo Jiaxing continued.

Mo Fan listened, unconsciously smacking his lips.

Nowadays, Mo Fan had to automatically translate a lot of information, but the process often left him speechless. For instance, Mo Fan remembered the history teacher once telling the class: “The founding emperor of light magic was ‘Edison’.” At that moment, Mo Fan felt like a billion grass-mud-horses galloping through his heart!

Dad Mo Jiaxing patted Mo Fan’s shoulder, comforting him. Suddenly, Mo Jiaxing noticed his son remained silent, his expression seeming off.

No one knows a son like his father. Mo Jiaxing slowly faded his smile, his voice lowering. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I want that chance to awaken. I know it’s too late to regret now, but I really want to study hard, to become a mage.” Mo Fan said sincerely.

All he needed was a chance!

Mo Jiaxing was silent for a moment.

Mo Fan didn’t speak either.

“You really want to learn?” Mo Jiaxing confirmed again.

“Really.” Mo Fan nodded without hesitation.

At first, Mo Fan thought he was dreaming, that the world was playing a joke on him. But the facts proved the world had really changed. This wasn’t a dream!

“Alright then, I’ll think of something.” Mo Jiaxing didn’t say more.

“Dad, I found a summer temporary job at Tianlan Magic High School, working in the library. I start the day after tomorrow.” Mo Fan said.

Since he’d decided to learn magic, Mo Fan had to give it 120%.

Whether he could get into magic high school and get that chance to become a mage depended on his dad. His own lack of knowledge was something he had to make up for himself. So, knowing he had zero hope of passing the magic high school exam, Mo Fan had found this job in advance.

The job paid almost nothing, just room and board. But for Mo Fan, it was incredibly important. In the library, he could find so much he needed to cram.

Luckily, he was genuinely a genius. In a short time, he’d already finished the first and second-grade curriculum. Crap, saying that made him feel like an i***t!

Nearby, seeing his son so determined, Dad Mo Jiaxing was also moved.

If his son was set on magic, what was there not to be happy about? After all, in this society, only mages had real status. Running errands for a lifetime, even if you had a house and car, couldn’t compare to the value and respect a graduate from a magic school commanded.

“Let’s go home first. Leave this to Dad!” Mo Jiaxing nodded, saying no more.