Chapter Seventy-Seven: Stein’s Past (Part One)

After drinking, Mr. Martin completely opened up, and Andy learned from him how the nickname “the Three Wastes of Grimm” had come about, along with some old stories about Stein.

Back in their student days at Grimm Academy, Stein had been the only apprentice in the inner court with third-tier spiritual aptitude. He had two like-minded friends: Brandon, who was obsessed with the study of witch arrays, and Mr. Martin himself. Because Stein’s spiritual aptitude was poor, his meditation efficiency was low, and his progress slow. Brandon, single-mindedly devoted to witch arrays, almost neglected improving his spiritual power, so his advancement was slow as well. Martin, on the other hand, was deeply invested in analyzing and studying the foundations of witchcraft, convinced that a thorough grasp of the basics would make learning spells and understanding meditation methods much more effective later on. Thus, he too was in no hurry to increase his spiritual power.

After one or two academy assessments where the three consistently ranked at the bottom, the label “the Three Wastes of Grimm” began to spread among the three academies at Grimm. However, this nickname eventually faded away, replaced by a new one: “the Three Heroes of Grimm.”

Stein was the first to make a breakthrough, discovering by chance that he had a remarkable talent for alchemy. He made connections with a wealthy sponsor named Charles, and with this backing, Stein was able to craft a large number of precious potions. As his alchemical skills grew, he not only met his own training needs but also sold potions, earning a fortune in magic stones and resources. Eventually, Stein himself became affluent, and his cultivation soared to the peak of Senior Apprentice Witch.

Despite his success, Stein did not forget his friends. With his support, Brandon finally made a major breakthrough in his array research, even recreating the long-lost teleportation array. As a result, he attracted the attention of the academy’s leadership and was personally appointed as the Witch Array instructor for the Mixed Faculty by the dean.

Compared to the other two, Martin’s achievements seemed less eye-catching, yet he was the first among them to break through the Soul Mirage and ascend to the rank of Bronze Witch. He did so without the abundance of resources Stein had, or the direct guidance from academy leaders that Brandon enjoyed. Quietly and without fanfare, Martin advanced from Intermediate Apprentice to Senior Apprentice, and then to Bronze Witch, as if bottlenecks simply did not exist for him.

It’s worth noting that when Martin broke through, Stein had long been stuck at the peak of Senior Apprentice. Martin’s promotion to Bronze Witch was as swift as that of a prodigy with first-class spiritual talent—if not more so. Even these so-called prodigies might not find the Soul Mirage so easy to overcome.

At this point, Martin, formerly the least conspicuous of the “Three Wastes of Grimm,” began to draw attention. The students of Grimm Academy were surprised to find that all three of the former “Wastes” had achieved remarkable success in their respective fields. Thus, “the Three Wastes” naturally became “the Three Heroes of Grimm.”

By the time they were called “the Three Heroes,” Martin had already not seen Stein for quite a while. Stein had found a girlfriend, a girl named Flora Oriana, and their relationship blossomed quickly, becoming inseparable. The three friends had shared an apartment since their enrollment, and even after Stein and Brandon found success, none of them proposed moving out. But this time, Stein was the one to leave, moving in with his girlfriend. As close friends, Brandon and Martin completely understood—every man has a period in life when such things are all-consuming. On the night Stein moved out, the three drank together until they were drunk, agreeing that although they would no longer live together, their friendship would endure. They made a pact: should any of them face hardship, a single word would summon the others, no matter how far away.

Afterward, life was calm for a while. Martin saw Stein once or twice more, each time with a radiant, high-spirited air. Not long after Martin’s breakthrough to Bronze Witch, he passed the graduation assessment and stayed on as an assistant instructor.

Then one day, he and Brandon received news: something had happened to Stein.

It turned out Stein had forced his way into the Bronze Witch rank, failing to pass through the Soul Mirage, which resulted in severe damage to his spiritual power. Though his life was not in danger, the path to becoming a Bronze Witch seemed nearly closed to him. To make matters worse, his relationship fell apart; at his lowest point, his girlfriend left him for a renowned professor at the academy.

When Martin and Brandon found Stein, he was like a different person.

Yet Stein’s heartbreak, sorrow, disappointment, and despair lasted only three days. He soon pulled himself together, though Martin keenly sensed a touch of madness in him—a subtle, almost imperceptible change.

Stein calmly analyzed his situation with Brandon and Martin. He admitted that hearing about Martin’s promotion had thrown his mindset off balance, leading to reckless haste and the resulting failure and injury. Nevertheless, he had researched ways to heal spiritual injuries and found that a potion called Nobis-Elixir had a miraculous effect. There were even precedents of witches who had failed their advancement but, after using the Nobis-Elixir to repair their spiritual power, succeeded in their second attempt.

Stein devoted himself to mastering the Nobis-Elixir’s creation. Brandon and Martin, now accomplished in their own right, gave him every possible resource and assistance.

At last, one day, Stein succeeded. He took the potion and restored his spiritual power. Yet, by Martin’s professional judgment, even though his spiritual power was healed, it was far weaker than before the injury. This meant Stein would find the Soul Mirage even harder to overcome.

After Martin voiced these concerns, Stein revealed his own plan. He had somehow acquired a Castellon Flame Emblem—the key to entering the Castellon Secret Realm. Though Martin knew little about this realm, he had heard that it greatly aided those whose spiritual power had reached the threshold for Bronze Witch, helping them break through the Soul Mirage.

Indeed, Stein entered the secret realm and, upon emerging, had advanced to Bronze Witch.