Chapter 696 - 319: What Kind of Loser-Protagonist Script Is This
Ilder, born twenty-five years ago into an ordinary peasant family, didn’t even have a surname.
An ordinary home, ordinary parents, ordinary himself.
Well, actually, he wasn’t that ordinary.
After all, having the talent of a caster was quite rare and uncommon in the small town where Ilder lived.
Therefore, he was expected to do great things from a young age.
Parents, elders, and friends were happy for him, hoping he could become one of those legendary figures from stories, like those mage lords who were akin to gods.
𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Truly the hope of the whole village.
Unfortunately, Ilder didn’t appreciate this.
He resented his origins, despised his incompetent parents, and hated the unfairness of fate, feeling equally envious of everyone better than him.
With this twisted mindset, he left his hometown early, journeying alone to the Jade Empire to study, just barely managing to get into the Magick Wizard Academy, a place he had only heard about in stories.
He thought he would shine here, that the Magick Wizard Academy would be his launching pad, leaving a bold, colorful mark in his future career as a Near-God Powerhouse.
But... what you assume is only what you assume?
It was only after entering the Arcane Academy that Ilder was devastated to find out he was at the bottom of the pile.
The sense of superiority he had at home over ordinary people vanished completely.
In this place, he had nothing to show for himself.
Background, effort, talent—nothing could compare.
This twisted and swelled his jealousy even more.
Even worse, the severe interference caused by his mental issues impacted his already mediocre talent, making his progress in arcane studies and cultivation ever slower.
It was already his third year at the academy, yet he was still a first-year student.
This filled him with utter humiliation.
When the Divine Birthday Festival arrived, his gloomy, solitary, twisted self received no gifts from friends, only the All Living Beings Equal Bauhinia Flower from Mende, this Brother Fu of his.
A mage with high talent, good grades, popular, with a well-off family, and of noble birth.
In Ilder’s twisted eyes, this buff was completely stacked.
To him, Mende’s bauhinia was not a gift, but a complete insult!
In fury, he wished to smash the delicate sculpture to pieces.
But he held back due to his financial difficulties.
This made his inner self even more twisted, nearly driving him mad.
While forcing himself to meditate and cultivate with this madness, about to fall into the path of the demon, a strange black aura silently melded into Ilder’s body.
The bubbling magic power calmed instantly and began to grow rapidly at an unbelievable speed, with his cultivation speed soaring.
Looking at the changes within him, Ilder felt nothing amiss.
He was even elated!
It’s here!
Finally here!
His true talent was finally revealed, and he was about to rise and overturn at last!
After enduring humiliation for years, his own legend was about to begin!
He laughed uncontrollably in the dormitory, his laughter chilling and horrific.
The roommate in the neighboring dorm cursed, grumbling about being unlucky to have to room with this mentally unstable, crazy senior.
In Ilder’s mind, the black aura was unstable, flickering with two red glows.
After the Divine Birthday Festival, everything seemed to fall into place.
Mende brought Lu Wenwu a large number of copied imperial family books, preceding donation matters were gradually in progress, and Fifth Brother’s Recipe Book had officially started its promotion.
Aside from daily studies, Lu Wenwu spent most of his time soaking in the library, reading various random discussions, making those unaware think he was some bookworm type.
The professors who got along well with Lu Wenwu were very pleased with the Divine Birthday gifts he returned.
Especially Old Man Wood.
He received a special alloy that Lu Wenwu had procured from the Divine Continent’s military.
This new way of combining metals was unprecedented on the Gods Continent.
Creating material far superior to ordinary magic metals by proportioning ordinary metals—nothing could be a better gift for an Alchemy Master!
Wood was so absorbed that he didn’t make Lu Wenwu do chores for a whole month and even paused small group alchemy classes, confined to his laboratory for research.
What?
Asking where this metal came from?
Don’t ask, just say it’s ancestral!
The Ilder chosen by the mysterious black aura also began a great comeback.
He suddenly turned confident and brash, shedding his previous solitude and gloom.
According to students at the Arcane Academy, this senior who had been held back for years seemed to have "built up enough to break through."
Ilder first made great progress in his cultivation, then swiftly passed the mid-tier advancement assessments he’d been stuck on for years.
Afterward, he astonishingly applied for higher-tier advancement assessments and passed directly, even though no one believed he’d make it!
This undoubtedly astonished everyone.
Many who once dismissed him as hopeless now admitted he seemed unbelievable, almost like a different person.
Professors who thought he was beyond saving began to pay attention, reassessing his talent and casting abilities, considering including him in small group teachings.