Fanatics of the Magic Academy

Rose pressed the doorknob, walked out the door, and left Hope's house.

By this time, it was already getting slightly dark.

As Rose walked down the street, her eyes shone with a frighteningly bright azure light, as if they could pierce through the darkness.

"First of all, I know that Tiana is trapped underground."

"So, how do we rescue Tiana?"

"My thinking is too limited; my past 20 years of life have had a huge impact on my understanding."

"I should broaden my thinking and think about problems more directly, in a way that is more in line with the way magicians in this world do."

"Perhaps Kenneth saw that my thinking was out of step with the world and that's why he reminded me."

"According to Kenneth, how can a superhuman sorcerer rescue Tiana?"

"Indeed, the other side has a gun, can catch my spellcasting animation, and has early warning devices that I don't understand."

"So, what do I need to do?"

Rose didn't stop; he raised his right hand and began to chant:

"Flames! Gather! Compress the core! Spiral cycle! Absorb magic, stabilize, cycle count, critical perception!"

A spiral-shaped, orange-red fireball appeared in Rose's palm.

The fireball spun slowly in Rose's hand, and the spiral patterns on its surface seemed to come alive.

Correspondingly, Rose's focus level decreased by 18 points.

This is a second-circle fire magic spell called "Cyclic Fireball".

Rose continued singing as she walked:

"Absorb magic power, stabilize!"

As the four points of focus were depleted, magic surged forth and poured into the fireball, causing it to tremble violently.

A dazzling light burst forth from the center of the fireball, which began to exhibit an unstable state and rapidly expanded outward.

At this moment, with the effect of the [Stabilize] rune, the flowing spirals on the surface of the fireball began to rotate, and the fireball began to collapse inward.

Eventually, it collapsed into a shape that was a size larger than it initially appeared, and its color gradually changed from orange-red to crimson, with small sparks even appearing on its surface.

The [Cycle Counting] rune in my brain sent a message:

【once】.

Rose continued singing:

"Absorb magic power, stabilize!"

The four points of focus were consumed again and poured into the fireball, which then expanded and collapsed, becoming even larger.

The [Cycle Counting] rune in my brain sent a message:

[Second time].

Rose continued singing:

"Absorb magic power, stabilize!"

The four points of focus were then depleted, and by this time the fireball was as tall as the surrounding houses.

The [Cycle Counting] rune in my brain sent a message:

【three times】.

Rose continued walking; by now, she could vaguely see the gang's location.

Rose continued singing:

"Absorb magic power, stabilize!"

His four points of focus were exhausted again. By this time, the fireball had risen higher than the surrounding houses, hanging above Rose's head like a small sun.

In a dilapidated tent by the roadside, the stray dog ​​in the arms of a homeless man suddenly awoke with a start.

Its fur stood on end, and it let out a terrified howl at the sky.

That is the fear etched into the genes of a living organism when faced with a devastating threat.

The [Cycle Counting] rune in my brain sent a message:

[Four times].

Rose continued singing:

"Absorb magic power, stabilize!"

With four points of focused attention poured into it, the fireball now hung above the slums like a blazing sun.

The [Cycle Counting] rune in my brain sent a message:

[Five times].

Rose began to assess and predict that this was the limit; any larger, and the blast would injure Tiana underground.

At this moment, Rose was a full 500 meters away from the gang's stronghold, far exceeding the range of conventional firearms.

Rose chanted the final rune of [Cyclic Fireball]:

"Release them!"

The enormous fireball instantly broke free of its invisible restraints, dragging distorted air as it soared into the night sky, hovering precisely above the gang's stronghold.

It was like a blazing sun of judgment, slowly descending with a suffocating sense of oppression.

The instant it touched the ground, the extremely compressed flames lost their restraints and expanded rapidly with overwhelming force—

"boom--!"

The blinding flames engulfed everything, and the entire gang stronghold was instantly and completely obliterated amidst a deafening roar.

Rose looked expressionlessly at the hellish drawing he had created, chanting "Transform into Clouds" to let the wind swirl around her.

He then stepped into a sea of ​​fire, and the flames dodged Rose by the wind that surrounded him.

Rose walked through the sea of ​​fire as if it were an empty field.

He arrived at the door to the basement where Tiana was being held, kicked the door open, and went inside.

At this moment, Tiana was huddled in her basement room, too frightened to move by the loud noise outside.

Rose arrived at Tiana's cage and, with the blessing of [Transform into Cloud Form], kicked the cell door apart.

Tiana looked at the newcomer in horror, but her expression turned to surprise and delight upon recognizing Rose.

"Wow! Luo Xin! What brings you here!"

Then she stood up, took Rossai's hand, and looked at Rossai with some fear:

"Luo Xin, you'd better leave quickly, or you'll be arrested if those bad guys find out!"

Rose patted Tiana on the shoulder and said:

"There are no bad guys left, I'll take you out."

Rose turned to look at the basement, where, besides Tiana, many other people were imprisoned.

Rose thought for a moment and decided to let them out as well.

Firstly, saving one person is the same as saving a group of people.

Secondly, it can confuse the public.

With that thought in mind, Rose opened their cages and led them out of the basement.

Under the protection of [transforming into cloud form], they escaped the sea of ​​fire.

Rose addressed the rest:

"You may leave."

Those people quickly thanked Rose and then left.

Tiana looked at Rose with sparkling eyes and said admiringly:

"Wow! Luo Xin, you're amazing! How did you do that?! And did you create this sea of ​​fire too?!"

Rose managed a forced smile and ruffled Tiana's hair.

Rose was pondering where to place Tiana and whether to inform Hans about it.

Rose was caught in a dilemma and deep thought. Before he knew it, it was already completely light, and he noticed that there were many civilians and homeless people gathered in front of him.

Rose frowned. He decided it was better to avoid trouble, since his concentration was already running out.

He noticed that Tiana looked tired; after all, she had been arrested and forced into a life of fear after recovering from a serious illness.

Rose decided to settle Tiana down first before telling her about Hans, as he was a little worried that the young girl wouldn't be able to handle it.

As Rossai was thinking this, he prepared to leave. Before leaving, he glanced at the center of the crowd, and his feet seemed to be rooted to the spot.

A huge pyre stood in the center of the crowd, with many young fanatics bound to it.

There were quite a few of the fanatics on there that Rose had seen before.

Take, for example, the boy who believed in the stars. He was tied to the stake, his beautiful but empty, numb pupils staring blankly at the crowd below.

In addition, there were followers of angels, followers of beasts, and so on, who had bound dozens of fanatical followers with physical mutations.

Rose stood there, stunned, her mind blank.

At this moment, the host standing above picked up a torch and shouted:

"Truth reigns supreme, may reason forever accompany you!"

"Ladies and gentlemen! What you see today are not ordinary believers, but a group of monsters whose minds have been blinded by ignorance and who have been bewitched by evil gods!"

"Their bodies have been mutated, their souls have been marked, their wings will grow, their scales will spread."

As long as they exist, they are a stain on the rationality of this world!

May the flames burn away ignorance!

Then, the officiant threw torches into the stake, and orange flames climbed up the stake, licking at the people tied to it.

The crowd below erupted in cheers:

"Well done!"

"Truth reigns supreme! Believers must die!"

The fire burned ever brighter, and the boy who believed in the stars stared blankly at the reveling crowd below.

Tears streamed down his face, but they were not tears of sadness, grief, or pain.

He had long since lost the ability to shed tears due to emotions after being subjected to long-term humiliation, personality destruction, and manipulation.

The tears are simply due to the thick smoke from the flames acting on the eyes, triggering the eye's protective mechanism.

Rose looked at the burned [fanatics], most of whom, like Rose, had been trained as [fanatics] from childhood.

Or they may be lured into becoming fanatics, and those who cultivate and deceive them are the same people who burn and exterminate them.

Rose watched this scene, biting her lip tightly.

How could this be?

But in reality, isn't that how it is?

Rose had read the book *A History of the Suppression of Believers*, and he knew that...

The world has been like this for over 3000 years.

Some people were abducted to "observation points," transformed into fanatics, and treated as commodities for entertainment.

They were squeezed dry of their last bit of value, then tied to the stake and burned to ashes amidst cheers.

This is how the world has always been, and everyone, including Rose, is used to it.

But is it right just because it has always been this way and is a habit...?

The world has been like this for 3000 years.

Some people, like Kenneth, sell their blood, conduct human experiments, take on forty years of student loans, and then sixty years of mortgage payments when they are young.

He worked diligently his whole life, only to be forced to retire, demoted, driven to his death by soaring drug prices, and ultimately crushed by society just after paying off his loan.

He died alone in a tent in the slums, with only a pendant left behind.

But is it right just because it's always been this way, this is how we're used to it...?

The world has been like this for 3000 years.

Some people, like Hans, just wanted to save their daughter. They borrowed money from loan sharks, worked thirteen hours a day, and their legs hurt so much they wanted to amputate them.

They relied on enhancers to stay afloat, but when all else failed, they sought out cheap drugs.

Then she was strapped to the operating table, tortured to the point of mental breakdown, and kept saying "I'm sorry" in her delirium.

But is it right just because it's always been this way, this is how we're used to it...?

The world has been like this for 3000 years.

Some people get sick, but hospital appointments are booked three months in advance, and the emergency room has ridiculously high entry requirements, so they can only tough it out with painkillers.

If you can't survive, you go bankrupt; if you go bankrupt, you end up on the streets, going from ordinary people to homeless.

From homeless people to experimental subjects on the operating table, or to unclaimed corpses under bridges.

But just because it's always been this way, and it's become a habit, does that mean it's right?!

The world has been like this for 3000 years.

Some people, like Mason, see through everything, recognize their place, and choose not to climb the ladder, not to get married, not to save money, and not to get sick.

Just read books, just stay rational, just survive for thirty years in the slums—

Because he knew that if he wanted to live a normal life,

What awaits him are the knives of gangsters, the debts of loan sharks, and the needles of enhancers.

But just because it has always been this way, and it's a habit, does that mean it's right?

No, that's not how it should be!

Tiana watched as the flames grew stronger and stronger, and the crowd became increasingly frenzied.

She felt a sense of fear and dread, and she shrank closer to Rose's arms. For some reason, as she watched those people being burned, she felt like crying.

"Clatter"

Just then, Tiana felt warm liquid fall onto her head.

Tiana subconsciously thought:

"Did Luo Xin cry too? Yes, despite how reliable and rational Luo Xin usually is..."

But he's about the same age as me, and if I'm scared, Luo Xin will probably be scared too.

Tiana held back her tears, looked up, and tried to comfort Rose.

"Clatter"

Another drop of warm liquid fell right onto Tiana's forehead.

Only then did Tiana realize that what she saw was not tears, but blood.

I see,

Rose bit her lip hard, blood flowing from her lips and finally dripping down her chin.

His eyes were bloodshot and golden, and he spoke in a voice only he could hear:

"The world shouldn't be like this."

The familiar panel sound came to mind:

You have fulfilled the second condition for advancing to the Shining Ancient Dragon Follower level:

Find your own path as a follower of the Ancient Dragons.

[You have met all the requirements to advance to the Shining Ancient Dragon Follower level!]

[You have received a Shining-level Divine Prayer from an Ancient Dragon Follower!]