Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Morningstar Mage—Blaise

After leaving Nick Fury’s office, Natasha hesitated briefly before using her points to contact Fina. Now was not the time to worry about whether it was worth the cost—she needed to clarify things quickly and see if they could salvage the situation before it spiraled out of control.

After listening to Natasha, Fina’s good mood from her progress with the spell model vanished entirely. Her concerns differed somewhat from Natasha’s. Perhaps it was the arrogance of being a professional, but she still didn’t believe that those agents could pose any real threat to her. What worried her was that if there truly were evil spirits or demons in Elm Town, sending those people there would be like delivering them straight into the enemy’s hands.

It was as if, in a game, you kept feeding the opposing boss more and more resources—what began as an even match would soon turn into a landslide defeat.

No, I must get there quickly!

Fina began packing her things, determined to act alone this time. She had no intention of bringing Natasha along—it would be far too dangerous for her. As a professional, she believed it was her duty to protect non-professionals, a principle instilled in her through her upbringing.

Besides, Fina harbored little resentment toward Natasha. In her view, when seeking someone’s assistance, and if neither party intended harm, it was unreasonable and unfair to assign blame when things went awry. That wasn’t right.

Before leaving a fixed portal at the Supreme Sorcerers’ outpost, Fina hesitated, then sent a magical network communication to her teacher, asking for help. Still, she knew her teacher’s own circumstances were far from favorable, so she didn’t expect much—ultimately, she would have to rely on herself.

This message, sent through the magical network established by the Ancient One, reached Yang Qiu directly. He sighed—at least this one was sensible enough to seek help from her elders when faced with something she might not be able to handle, instead of stubbornly risking her life. She was still worth saving. Had Fina kept silent and gone to Elm Town alone, Yang Qiu would have considered giving up on her.

In the mental universe of Yang Qiu, a planet on the sixth script’s track began to accelerate its orbit—a mirrored counterpart of the seventh script. As the script had yet to fully develop, the planet remained somewhat ethereal.

With a continuous investment of mental energy, a human figure began to slowly take shape in front of Yang Qiu. He settled himself, the concentration of magical energy around him rising steadily. With the power of his pocket watch, he constructed a massive Hall of Clocks.

Ten minutes later, Fina’s teacher opened his eyes before Yang Qiu, then lowered his head slightly. His tousled, fluffy hair slid from his crown with the movement, revealing an ugly burn. The right side of the mage’s body was covered in harsh scars, and two fingers were missing from his right hand.

“Mage Kieran, you requested my presence,” Blaze said softly. His voice carried a distinct note of exhaustion.

“Blaze, how have you found things lately?” Yang Qiu asked quietly.

Blaze fell silent. He thought back over his recent experiences, feeling a surge of indignation. He was a dignified Morningstar Mage, yet recently had been forced to do repetitive work like an ordinary laborer in the alchemy workshop—a humiliation to his status.

But whenever his temper threatened to flare, Blaze quickly calmed himself. Who else was there to blame? Only himself. Attempting a highly dangerous spell experiment in his own mage tower without proper preparation, things went wrong. The destruction of the tower was bad enough, but the surrounding city also suffered serious consequences.

Fortunately, other professionals nearby had intervened in time, so no lives were lost. Still, Blaze had caused enormous economic and resource losses to the city. He was held responsible, and the Clocktower Mages’ Guild also prosecuted him for his dangerous and unauthorized actions.

Under multiple sanctions, all his assets were seized, though they weren't enough to cover the losses—most of his wealth had vanished along with the mage tower. To compensate the victims and the town, Blaze had been assigned to a high-level alchemical factory for punitive labor. Given his status as an archmage and Morningstar Mage, the advanced potions he produced were exceedingly valuable. It was estimated that five to ten years of work would suffice to repay all the damages.

Seeing Blaze remain silent, Yang Qiu rose from his chair. “The Clocktower Council has submitted a motion to strip you of your Morningstar Mage title. Are you aware of this?”

Blaze remained quiet. The Morningstar title was akin to honors such as distinguished researcher or academician in the real world—a recognition of his years of tireless work refining and perfecting various fire spells, as well as the honor he earned after creating several advanced new spell models.

“Rest assured, I have not approved their request.”

At this, Blaze finally reacted and raised his head.

“This was not solely your fault. I have read your spell experiment report; your new experimental spell was inspired by various nuclear reactions in the Surface World. However, the council’s evaluation of its risk and level was grossly inaccurate. Labeling a super-dangerous experiment as merely one needing ‘enhanced precautions’ is laughable. On this point, they are undeniably culpable.

“And since this accident resulted only in property loss, with no casualties, if such a thing were enough to strip a mage of his honors, then all mages might as well conduct their experiments off-planet in the future.”

“Mage Kieran, if there’s nothing else, I must return to work,” Blaze said suddenly. He felt his punishment was fair—five or ten years was nothing when he had more than a century of natural life remaining.

“Don’t be hasty. Read this message first,” Yang Qiu said, forwarding Fina’s communication to Blaze.

After reading it, Blaze frowned. He had been the first in the magical world to take an interest in nuclear weapons, and belonged to the group well-versed in the Surface World. In his view, Fina’s actions were utterly reckless.

“Fina is one of the first professionals in the plan to interact with ordinary people, and she is your apprentice. I want you to go there—but unless absolutely necessary, do not intervene. Young people need to learn through experience.”

Blaze nodded, bowed, and prepared to leave.

“During your punishment, two Silvermoon Mages and ten Morningstar Mages jointly petitioned on your behalf, arguing that stripping you of your title was excessive. Among them was even your former mentor, whom you once called timid and rigid. So, rein in your temper in the future,” Yang Qiu added.

Blaze paused for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching, then stepped directly into the teleportation array.