Section 2: The Hope of Standing Out

Born into a family of small merchants, lacking social status and substantial economic strength—what else could he do

Yin Hun City implements a strict elite education system. In the words of the Lord of Yin Hun City: "We need, and only need, elites." The wizarding school enrolls students every year, and there is no specific limit on the number of places; essentially, anyone who pays the tuition can enter. The program lasts for five years, with approximately one hundred new students admitted each year. However, the critical issue is that only ten students are allowed to graduate each year, resulting in an elimination rate of about ninety percent.

But this is very difficult

But what about the expensive tuition fees at the wizarding school

Damn the City of Shadows. Jon lay in bed, frowning.

Revenge is imperative, but since the Felin Demon Vine was able to suddenly annihilate the powerful Nais Empire, its strength is undoubtedly extraordinary. At this moment, all the floating cities have fallen, and the great wizards have suffered heavy casualties. The City of Shadows is unable to withstand the Felin Demon Vine alone and can only retreat into the Shadow Realm to temporarily avoid its might

But Jon knew that his parents would never do such a thing unless they were out of their minds. Although if Jon could truly become a wizard, the whole family could naturally escape their merchant status and ascend to the upper class of the City of Shadows—yet the elimination rate was a staggering ninety percent

Those who can become heroes are always the powerful individuals, or great wizards, or mighty swordsmen, or even some chosen ones of the gods

It seems that the aspiration to stand out is a distant hope

To become a prominent hero, one must possess great strength. Although the fantasy world does not entirely adhere to the law of the jungle, the weak will never become the protagonists. In Jon's memory, there is no fantasy novel in which a person without the strength to even tie up a chicken can become a hero in the fantasy world

Jon never considered becoming a priest, so the path of a clergyman is not worth considering

In the City of Shadows, both the wizarding school and the temple are well-equipped with books and illustrations. The wizarding school does not discriminate based on background and admits students widely; however, the tuition fees are exceedingly high. The temple, on the other hand, does not charge tuition, but it does consider one's lineage, and commoners are not qualified to serve as priests in the worship of the deities.

Yinhun City is a city with semi-militarized management, characterized by a strict hierarchy. In this city, the ruling class primarily consists of wizards and priests, while there are no paladins or druids, nor could there ever be. There are some warriors, rogues, and bards, but their status is also low.

My seventh birthday is approaching, and I have been in this world for seven years.

In the Shadow Realm, there were originally no humans; the City of Souls is a settlement of immigrants from outside.

Jon cannot complain about his parents; he can only resentfully think: "Since I have been brought here, why couldn't I have been reborn into the family of some king or lord? Instead, I have to be the son of a petty merchant—this would be bearable, but I am stuck in the city of the damned."

The cutting surface of the mountain peak is approximately 50 square miles, while the urban area of Shadow City is about 30 square miles. The remaining 20 square miles consist of farmland, kilns, and mines, as well as forests. Although there is no sun in the Shadow Realm, under the influence of magic, the trees grow very quickly, each one thick and sturdy, towering into the sky

This is absolutely terrible

Everything passes so quietly, as Jon strives for his dream of strength, or more precisely, his dream of becoming a wizard. However, while this is said, in reality, in a closed, semi-militarized, eerie city, what can a child from a small merchant family, not yet seven years old—despite being mentally more than twenty—actually do? In truth, he can do nothing.

Then, what the residents of the City of Shadows see are the broken walls and ruins of an empire that has been destroyed in an instant

Once a failure occurs, it results in a total loss of investment; the Mhetushucomcom Wizarding School will not refund the tuition fees

If it were in the material realm, Qiong En could still consider leaving the City of Shadows to try his luck elsewhere, perhaps encountering some reclusive old wizard who might take him as a disciple. However, this is in the Shadow Realm; if he dared to step outside the City of Shadows for even ten miles, he would be beyond the city's protection and could be torn to pieces at any moment by the monsters lurking in the shadows.

Look at the tools in your hands, examine the pockets on your shoulders. Is it truly the case that your attire, your entire life, is destined to be spent forever as a small merchant in the City of Shadows, living out your days in this manner

He struggled to recall the online novels he had read in the past and found his situation to be unprecedentedly dire

At least thirty copper coins can be sold," she said, "just enough to buy you a birthday gift

***

The best way out, naturally, is to become a wizard

The wizards of Shadow City conducted divination, and the conclusion drawn was that a fierce monster known as the Felin Demon Sunflower had destroyed the Naisar Empire

Since they are from a family of small merchants, they naturally cannot always enjoy the luxury of having everything handed to them. The saying goes that the children of the poor grow up early; by the time Jon turned five, he was already required to accompany his sister Sansa every day to gather magical materials with their father

Could he really sneak into a wizard's house in the middle of the night with a fruit knife, holding it to the wizard's neck and forcing him to teach magic? Firstly, Jon had little confidence in his stealth and climbing skills, and even less in his ability to deceive. Although he knew that travelers usually came with a protagonist template, what if he were an exception?

In the Jon family, generations have been small merchants running a shop for magical materials. They have accumulated some savings, though Jon is naturally unaware of the exact amount. However, if all of it were to be taken out, it might indeed be possible to send him to wizarding school.

A careless remark suddenly cast a shadow over Qiong En's heart, and he was immediately enveloped by a deep sense of dejection. Due to retaining memories from his previous life, he had never truly regarded this life’s "birthday" as significant, nor had he given it much thought; if it weren't for Shan Jia bringing it up, he wouldn't have even remembered it.

Originally intending to gather strength before seeking revenge, an unexpected event occurred. This time, the City of Shadows moved into the Shadow Realm, yet it encountered some obstacles. No matter how the wizards cast their spells, they could no longer return to the Material Realm.

Before the catastrophe occurred, the lord of the City of Shadows conducted a massive magical experiment. He broke the barriers between planes and moved the City of Shadows from the material realm to the Shadow Realm. After a period of observation, he then moved the City of Shadows back to the material realm

The snake wanted to escape, but it was struck hard on the head by Jon, clearly sustaining severe injuries and moving slowly. It was caught up with and killed by the brother and sister. Sansa happily put the snake into her pocket

These are all very cheap and common materials, with extremely thin profit margins, making it difficult to earn much money. Therefore, they often seek ways to find more valuable materials, such as live crickets or spiders. Today, Jon's keen eyes caught sight of a shadow ring snake in the grass. This type of snake is a specialty of the Shadow Realm; although it looks frightening, it is non-venomous. The snake's tongue and skin can be used as relatively high-grade spellcasting materials, which are considered quite valuable.

But where is the opportunity

As much as one may wish to reminisce, life must continue. Due to the retention of memories from a past life, Qiong En initially found it difficult to adapt to his new identity. However, after seven years, he has at least become accustomed to his current environment, to this home, to seeing his father, mother, and beautiful sister every day, as well as the mute old man next door and his hairless dog.

He is unwilling to accept his situation; he must find an opportunity, an opportunity to stand out, and hold on tightly, never letting go

Those who cannot graduate will all be sent back, unable to obtain the status of a wizard, and will still have to honestly live as commoners, rendering their tuition fees paid in vain

Thus, the current Shadow Soul City is essentially an island within the Shadow Realm. Apart from the residents of Shadow Soul City, there are no other humans in the Shadow Realm, nor are there elves, dwarves, or the like, only an endless array of shadow monsters

Subsequently, a catastrophe occurred, leading to the sudden demise of the entire Nais Empire, with nearly all the floating cities crashing down—except for the City of Shadows.

Yinhun City is a floating city. The method of constructing the floating city involves powerful wizards using a spell to slice an entire mountain peak, flipping it upside down with the tip facing downward, and keeping it suspended in the air. A city is then built on the cut surface. Therefore, Yinhun City is essentially constructed on top of a mountain peak that can float and fly, turned upside down.

Jon did not want to stake his life on this gamble

Therefore, he needs to become strong

The Jon family has a small plot of land outside the city, where they cultivate many plants used as materials for spellcasting, such as shadow orchids, saffron, licorice, and peas. Collecting these plants and processing them into magical materials is the daily work of Jon and Sansa. Initially, their father accompanied them, but as they became familiar with the task, the siblings took over while their father and mother stayed at home to manage the shop

The material realm, or the primary material plane, is what is commonly referred to as the mortal world, where humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and others reside. In contrast, the Shadow Realm belongs to the outer planes, akin to the bottomless abyss inhabited by demons and the nine layers of hell where devils dwell, sharing a similar nature.

Jon picked up a stone and stealthily approached, striking the snake's head with force. The shadow ring snake recoiled and struck Jon's face, catching him off guard and nearly causing him to fall backward. Shanja rushed over, used a stick to pry the snake away, and supported Jon.

Being strong is not an easy task. Simply running a shop selling books and illustrations will not lead to strength; one must learn, undergo training, take risks, and choose a career path. After seven years of careful observation, listening, and analysis, Jon has gained considerable understanding of the world he inhabits. There are many adventurous professions in this world: warriors, wizards, paladins, priests, druids, bards, and so on. It may sound like you can do whatever you want, with everything at your disposal, but that is far from the truth.

Yinhun City is a very peculiar city. Firstly, it is a floating city—capable of flying in the air. Secondly, it is a militarized city with a very strict hierarchy. Lastly, and most importantly, it does not exist in the material realm; it exists in the shadow realm.

Because it is an isolated island, everything in the City of Shadows is self-produced, self-sold, and self-sufficient. The entire city is managed in a semi-militarized manner, and essential living materials are distributed through a rationing system. The items available for sale in stores are generally not of significant value. Moreover, the clientele of each store is relatively stable. Take the Jon family as an example; there are only so many wizards in the entire city, and the required spell materials are limited. Price increases are not permitted, and there is no way to expand the market, so the profits earned are merely sufficient for basic sustenance, making it impossible to become wealthy. The clientele of each store is relatively stable. Take the Jon family as an example; there are only so many wizards in the entire city, and the required spell materials are limited. Price increases are not permitted, and there is no way to expand the market, so the profits earned are merely sufficient for basic sustenance, making it impossible to become wealthy.

This is also why many commoners, despite knowing that as long as their children can become wizards, they can escape their low social status and enter the ranks of the "upper class," very few are willing to spend their years of savings to send their children to wizarding schools. The risk is simply too great

It is said that over two thousand years ago, there existed a powerful Nethereal Empire in the material realm, renowned for its brilliant magical civilization. The wizards created countless magical wonders, one of which was the floating city in the sky, known as the Sky City, with the City of Shadows being one of them. At that time, the city was called "The Land of Shadows"

Everything is due to his current presence in the City of Shadows