Chapter 253 – Vedrasha (Three)

Though brief, Vedrasha’s wartime career was perilous enough—not because the battlefields he faced were particularly dangerous, but because veteran mages who had survived countless battles immediately recognized his rookie nature. To give this fellow a chance to survive, or at least avoid dragging others down, the mage corps he was assigned to actually placed him in a battlefield support role.

However, Vedrasha was, after all, a Master-Level Caster at the time, and he carried himself with an air of “I’m reliable” (through his silent demeanor). Thus, he was logically appointed as a squad leader.

What the corps commander likely never anticipated was that while Vedrasha was indeed a Master-Level Caster, he was also a Master-Level hothead. If there were such a profession as “hothead,” Vedrasha’s level in it would far surpass his mage level, likely teetering on the brink of Legendary status.

Regardless, the immature, hotheaded Vedrasha stepped onto the battlefield full of anticipation—yes, full of anticipation.

Remember his childhood dream? He once wanted to become a warrior.

In the face of combat, some people cower, some are brave, some are brave then cower, and some cower then become brave. Vedrasha belonged to the type who was brave from start to finish.

Before reaching the battlefield, it wasn’t an issue. But once there, witnessing the bloodshed of magical warfare, the corpses strewn across the land, the countless fireballs igniting the sky, and the dazzling arcs of magic tearing apart towering war golems, Vedrasha—who was supposed to be safely positioned behind the golems providing support—immediately ignited with fervor. Ignoring his vice-captain’s advice, he resolutely led his squad to take on an assault role, closely following three other assault teams deep into enemy territory.

Yes, that’s how immature Vedrasha was during his hotheaded phase. What more could you expect from a bookworm mage who had spent his entire childhood buried in books within a Laboratory?

The outcome of the assault was predictable. It proved that Vedrasha was no genius of war. Having never experienced a single battle in his life, he was severely wounded and rescued, while his squad—which was never intended for combat—was swiftly wiped out.

After the war, Vedrasha avoided court-martial by stubbornly insisting he had acted due to “dire circumstances and having his back against the wall.” However, he was transferred to a logistics department stationed in the “City of Distant Skies,” and no one ever suggested sending him to the battlefield again.

This incident made Vedrasha clearly realize for the first time that he was no genius, and that wishful thinking wouldn’t make things happen. Many things were far more difficult and complex than he had imagined. He lost his chance to continue fighting but gained significant maturity.

Life in the logistics department was monotonous. Vedrasha’s annual military duty involved brewing a few potions, and beyond that, he spent his time in relentless study.Abstinent Vedrasha remained as disciplined as in his laboratory—avoiding alcohol and women entirely. He did take on several apprentices, but Vedrasha was no good teacher. Disinterested in instruction, the apprentices he mentored were merely mediocre, and they later collectively met their end during a combat mission, never to return.

Thus, Vedrasha remained in the logistics department for over a thousand years, eventually reaching the peak of Level 19 Master-Level.

A millennium tempered the brash Vedrasha, maturing him considerably—though much of this growth came from observing his resource-scheming apprentices. Still, it counted as maturity. Only then did Vedrasha truly begin immersing himself in magic, rather than treating it as a mere pastime to numb himself.

Yet even at Master-Level peak, Vedrasha harbored no grand ambitions. He never believed he could achieve anything noteworthy in his lifetime, let alone advance to Legendary rank and become an exalted Grand Arcanist. His most frequent wish was for higher bonuses to buy a few more spellbooks.

Had nothing changed, Vedrasha would have likely followed the path of countless logistics-academy mages: brewing potions daily, futilely gathering resources for Legendary advancement, inching along his already-dimmed Legendary path until death, never glimpsing the threshold of Legendary. In his final centuries, he’d have taken on a few moderately talented apprentices to pass down minor spells he invented, finally expiring on a velvet bed.

Vedrasha himself accepted this fate. As a mage lacking confidence, he had no interest in altering his course. This passive existence persisted until one frigid winter day, when a pivotal figure entered and transformed Vedrasha’s life.

He was a genuine Legendary Caster—”Distant Skyfire”—Hasan Banga!

This powerful Legendary Expert had retreated from the battlefield gravely wounded. A divine curse prevented him from engaging in intense combat, leaving him with little time to live. Cures existed, but those precious resources were reserved for “more valuable” casters. Unless Hasan could procure an unattainable sum for exchange, he could only await death in sorrow. After all, he was merely an average Legendary—in the Netheril era, Legendary Experts were abundant, his presence or absence inconsequential.

The ruthlessness of Netherese Civilization was undeniable. Strictly speaking, unity never truly existed in Netheril beyond a few genuinely “civilization-loving” individuals. Most united desperately against the gods solely because deities sought their annihilation. Netherese Civilization was no charity, and the Netheril era embodied the principle of equivalent exchange most thoroughly.

Resigned to his fate, “Distant Skyfire” Hasan returned to his Floating City. Disheartened, he sought only to find a few worthy disciples to impart knowledge, ensuring he wouldn’t depart without leaving some legacy.When the ruler of the City of Distant Skies—the Legendary Expert Mage Hassan—publicly announced his recruitment of apprentices, many mages who considered themselves talented eagerly participated in this grand event. Vedrasha also attended, though not because he actually wanted to become an apprentice, but simply to avoid appearing too unambitious or out of place.

The Master-Level experts in the City of Distant Skies weren’t particularly talented, but this was hardly surprising. After all, the City of Distant Skies was purely a logistical Floating City. In this era of war, skilled and ambitious spellcasters all went to the Battlefield to fight for resources—who would willingly stay in a rear-line city to retire?

In the end, a disappointed Hassan could only pick the best among mediocrity, reluctantly accepting three apprentices. Vedrasha, being one of the slightly less mediocre spellcasters, was thus selected.

And so, without even realizing it, Vedrasha inadvertently defeated thousands of competitors to become the legacy apprentice of a Legendary Expert.

Just like that, Vedrasha’s legendary path began in the most muddled way.

(End of Chapter)