After coming out of the bath, Aegon changed into his casual clothes. Then, he stared at his reflection in the mirror for a bit longer, wondering just how much he had changed in a single year.

His face no longer held the boyish charm of the past, it was now replaced by a sharp, youthful energy that made him look mature yet vibrant. Even his height had crossed six feet, making him one of the taller boys of his batch.

His jet-black hair now reached his shoulders, so he tied it neatly behind and smiled. His defined jawline, slightly pale skin, and golden swirling eyes made him an eye candy among students.

'Eye candy... can't they find a better name?'

That title had been given by the girls, none of whom ever dared to approach him for some reason, though Aegon had his own guesses.

'Once the Academy is done, I can go around the world, adventuring in this magical realm,' Aegon thought, his heart fluttering with excitement. But he quickly remembered his promise to his Opa.

'Whatever. I need to focus on developing this first. It's still in its infant stages.'

With that, he returned to the living room where Kai awaited him. As always, the room was simple, illuminated with calm lighting and filled with a faint, fragrant aroma that brought peace to the mind.

"Come!" Kai said as he prepared the tea and passed one cup to him. "So, what did you achieve, my good man?"

"You don't need to pretend, Kai. I'm sure you already guessed it," Aegon smiled and took out the red metal box.

Kai stared deeply at the box before muttering, disbelief heavy in his voice, "I really didn't want to believe you actually did it."

Aegon's smile widened.

He knew Kai wasn't shocked about the replication of the Mana Stone but rather about how fast he had achieved it.

It had taken him only a year to go from nothing to a Rank 3 RuneMaster and to create a brand-new Rune Formation. It was a ridiculous achievement that no one in history had ever attained.

Kai knew that if word of this got out, it would shake the entire Empire once again. Even the most talented geniuses took a year to reach Rank 1, and yet here he was achieving Rank 3 in just a single year.

Fortunately, Kai had already been subjected to Aegon's nonsensical growth rate along with his unshakable stubbornness to improve, so he was mentally prepared for something like this.

He already knew Aegon would succeed, just not this soon.

Aegon leaned back and chuckled, "I really wanted it, after all."

"You speak of it so casually, good man," Kai shook his head helplessly before placing his hand gently on the metal box.

A few seconds later, he pulled his hand back and said, "Impressive, Aegon. You graduate from my class with this. I have nothing else left to teach you."

"What are you saying, Kai?" Aegon scoffed. "I still have so much more to learn."

But even he knew Kai was serious this time. The fact that his teacher wasn't using his usual speaking style said it all.

"The path is for you to tread from now on," Kai said, a proud smile gracing his calm and composed features. "Remember what I told you during our first meeting, I only teach the fundamentals. You've already mastered them."

"Don't make me emotional on such a happy day, man," Aegon sighed, slumping against the table. "So, what do you think of this?"

"It's a great invention, but a wasteful one nonetheless," Kai said honestly. "It isn't worth it in its current form."

"I know, that's why I already made plans for it," Aegon said with a faint smile. "Tell me, what would happen if I made them available to the mundane people? At a much cheaper rate since they'll be recyclable?"

"For that, you'll have to—"

"Exactly!" Aegon laughed before Kai could finish. "I'll add the Essence Gathering Rune Formation too. That way, it'll constantly recharge itself without any additional costs."

"Have you thought about the consequences?" Kai asked, his tone turning serious.

"Kind of. That's why I've already made a few plans, but I'll need to discuss them with someone else first," Aegon replied, glancing at his teacher. "Thanks a lot, Kai. Without you, this would have been impossible, and I can't even begin to explain what this means to me."

"I merely did what a teacher must do," Kai said, tapping the table lightly. "Come to think of it, a graduation like this deserves a gift."

"What are you giving me?" Aegon sat up straight in excitement. "A book from the lower floors?"

"No, those are forbidden," Kai said with a small chuckle before taking out a needle that looked no different than a pen. He slid it across the table to Aegon.

"What is this?" Aegon asked curiously, inspecting the sleek object.

"Just as Mages have their wands, RuneMasters have their Kalams," Kai explained. "It'll help you make Rune Formations more easily and with less energy consumption."

"Damnation! I really needed this," Aegon exclaimed, staring at the needle in admiration. "The consumption rate was so high despite my perfect control!"

"I'm glad you like it," Kai smiled warmly. "Whenever you use it, you'll remember that I'm proud of you as your teacher. You're my best student, Aegon."

"Hehe, are you trying to embarrass me now?" Aegon chuckled softly before thinking to himself, 'Sign-in.'

[Ding! Signing in at the Lotus Palace!]

[Ding! High-Grade Kalam: Needle of Time acquired!]

[Ding! 10x Rewards Bonus Applied!]

[Ding! Weaver's Hand Acquired!]

'Huh!? What is that?' Aegon wondered, but before he could ask the system for its description, his communication stone began ringing.

Taking it out in annoyance, he answered, "Who dares to disturb this young master?"

[Your Grandpa!]

"I don't have a grandpa!" he retorted immediately.

[Oh!? Did that old bag of bones finally die? Haha!]

"You can stop your celebration, old man," Aegon scoffed. "My Opa is very much alive and well."

[Ah! That's unfortunate then. Really unfortunate.]

"Just tell me why you called?" Aegon asked with an exhausted sigh.

[Did you finally lose it in excitement? You're the one who called me, brat.]

"Nah uh! I didn't call you," Aegon denied with a straight face. "Clearly, you called me. I even have a witness here."

[Witness my ass! Stop playing games or I'll leave!]

"Wait! Did you seriously come to the Academy?" Aegon asked, dumbfounded.

Didn't they just talk a few minutes ago? Didn't this old man say it would take some time? Also, how in the world did he cross thousands of kilometers in just a few minutes?

'Teleportation?' Aegon shook his head, then said, "Where are you? I'm coming to you."

[Come to the Dean's office.]

"Why in blue hell does everything always happen there?" he mumbled in confusion.

[What did you just say?]

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