During his initial training, Li Wei conceptualizes mana as loose sand and spiritual power as the water that binds it, realizing that stable spellcasting requires immense mental fortitude. After weeks of grinding his meditation to the proficient level, Li Wei finally casts his first successful Small Fireball, launching a fist-sized sphere of flame that melts a wide patch of snow outside the dorms. This display of raw power catches the attention of Reina, a sixteen-year-old Knight prodigy from the noble Golden Shield Clan who possesses the Absolute Defense trait. During a lavish banquet at Golden Shield Manor, Reina challenges Li Wei to a spar, eager to test her defense against a caster. Li Wei reluctantly agrees, unleashing a Small Fireball that explodes against her round shield. Though Reina emerges unscathed due to her golden fighting spirit, the impact cracks her shield, proving the destructive force of his magic. Impressed, Reina honors her wager by sneaking out a rare, forbidden magic book from her master. Li Wei uses his spiritual power to memorize the entire Magic Model for the Invisible Armor spell in a single reading, bypassing the usual hundred-gold-coin learning cost. The spell provides him with a form-fitting defense that lasts for days without collapsing, acting as a magic shield that absorbs kinetic impacts, such as when he slams his fist onto his wooden desk without feeling any pain. However, this sudden acquisition of defensive power is quickly overshadowed by a dark rumor: a grain escort team has mysteriously vanished into thin air on the snowy roads outside the city, leaving behind only empty carriages.

When Reina runs off into the dangerous Maple Forest to search for her missing friend Susan, Li Wei realizes the warm magic book she left in his hands is a ticking time bomb. Reluctantly, he tracks her footprints into the snow, arriving just in time to find her besieged by two savage Beastmen. Sneaking behind a tree, Li Wei unleashes a perfectly timed Small Fireball, blowing off one Beastman's arm and sending the other fleeing in terror. Reina reveals that the missing guard team did not leave footprints in the snow, a detail that allows Li Wei to deduce they willingly hid inside the very carriages the Mages escorted back to the city. Before they can dig deeper, Orn Kote, the legendary Tier Four Great Knight, emerges from the shadows. Orn reveals he has been tracking them all along and coldly warns Li Wei that clever people do not live very long. He demands that Li Wei return the magic book once memorized and keep his mouth shut about the conspiracy. Returning to the city, Reina sends her attendant to deliver a bottle of pale red Basic Level Magic Potion as payment for his silence and help. This potion accelerates his cultivation to three times its normal speed, allowing him to push his Basic Meditation Method to the Great Success level. This breakthrough expands his elemental perception, allowing him to sense a kaleidoscope of colors in the air, including wind, light, and ice elements. He begins using Wind Crystal Stones purchased from the Treasure Basin Commerce Association to further diversify his mana pool, preparing for the harsh realities of magical combat. Yet, the chilling words of the Great Knight linger, reminding him that Maple City is a nest of conspiracies where he must grow stronger to survive, especially with the upcoming apprentice examinations approaching.

The annual apprentice assessment is interrupted when Allen, a Tier Three Mage from Extreme Night City, arrives to challenge the Maple City Mage Tower. Allen's apprentice, Lair, is a Ring Mage who utilizes the Magic Net to bypass spell construction, casting spells in a mere five seconds. Lair systematically defeats every Maple City apprentice, including the top-ranked Doug, leaving Mage Aier on the brink of total humiliation and facing a ten-percent reduction in tower resources. To protect his own future benefits, Li Wei steps into the combat barrier. Lair mockingly unleashes a barrage of fireballs, expecting an instant victory. However, Li Wei's Master Level Invisible Armor absorbs four consecutive explosive blasts, shocking the entire audience. Seizing his opening, Li Wei fires his own amplified fireballs, shattering Lair's shield and knocking him out of the arena. When the dust settles, Li Wei tests his mana strength on the magic stele, registering an astounding score of 222. This score officially elevates him to the rank of Apprentice Mage, granting him access to the tower's restricted library and the coveted Crystal Meditation Method. To prepare for the coming conflict, Li Wei uses his newly acquired contribution points to purchase a basic level magic potion from Gu Ze, continuing his relentless grind. He realizes that traditional mages are far superior to ring mages in the long run because they retain the ability to deconstruct and create magic models, earning them the historical title of Mage-Gods. Armed with this knowledge, he refuses to rely on the Magic Net, choosing instead to master the fundamental principles of spellcasting. But as the war horns blow and the city prepares for a massive clash against the beastman legion, Li Wei finds himself assigned to a combat squad, thrusting him into a deadly theater of war.

As war breaks out, Li Wei is deployed to the front lines at Cold Sand City. To rapidly increase his combat power, he risks using the forbidden Great Dream Traveling Skill, entering the surreal River of Dreams to hunt Nightmares and harvest their cores. During a desperate battle within a collapsing dreamscape, Li Wei slays a Tier Two Pig-headed Nightmare, triggering a monumental breakthrough. He experiences a rare Dual Awakening, obtaining the Fire Elemental Body trait, which doubles his fire magic power and halves his casting time, alongside the Mana Control trait, which drastically enhances his spiritual command over his spells. This dual awakening allows him to mold fireballs into complex shapes, like a small firebird that can be charged to ten times its normal capacity, pushing his tier zero spells to the absolute limit of destruction. By absorbing the memory fragments of fallen Mages in his dreams, he masterfully reconstructs the Object Control Skill, allowing him to levitate heavy objects and fly at high speeds. He also acquires a Magic Net Codex, allowing him to cast advanced spells like the Tier One Fireball Skill without raising suspicion about his rapid progress. During his dream excursions, he encounters Lilia, an assassin with a dark past who harbors a split personality named Lilith, and helps her navigate the dangerous schemes of the city's elite. He also enters the Second Dream World, standing on the shallow waters of the River of Dreams beneath a sky of one hundred and eight multicolored stars, where he interacts with Sleepwalkers of the Wandering God Association. By trading resources and absorbing soul crystals, he extends his spiritual perception to fourteen meters, ensuring he is always one step ahead of his enemies. As the dust of the beastman war settles and the true depth of the City Lord's profit-driven betrayal is revealed, Li Wei stands prepared to face whatever dangers emerge from the shadows.