Mage Adam

This time, more apprentices from the Mordo Academy joined the Trials of War than when Adam was there.

Among Adam's friends, Eliott, Crystal, Ophelia, and Korver got the chance to compete. This increase was partly due to the Mordo Tower's growing power and the recent discovery of many new planes in the Mage World.

The results of the wars had a big impact, with a surge of ether energy helping talented individuals grow stronger, allowing even those with average skills to reach their limits.

Because of this, many apprentices from other towers were also participating, making this Trials of War much bigger than Adam's last one.

Eliott had never intended to become a dangerous battlemage. He wanted a peaceful life as a mage, staying in the tower, researching when necessary, and enjoying his long life during his free time.

"But then I realized I couldn't just sit back," Eliott told Adam in a tavern in Meyer City. "Not long after you left, Frank became a mage and went to the Seventh Tower. I thought, even if I can't match you, I shouldn't fall behind Frank, so I started working hard. I got lucky and made breakthroughs in poison research, reaching my limit in the past few years."

"Why didn't you just advance?" Adam asked, curious.

Eliott sighed, "Because of you!"

"Huh?"

"Because of you. You don't know how famous you are at the Mordo Academy. We saw you grow into a mage and were inspired. The younger ones after you heard your stories and grew thanks to your research. You've become a role model for all apprentices. As your friend, I can't lag too far behind. I thought after the Trials of War, I'd be closer," he glared at Adam with a hint of envy, "but you're already a level-four mage? That's insane!"

Adam didn't know how to respond, so he switched topics. "How's the trial? Do you feel confident?"

Eliott replied confidently, "No problem at all. I won't be like you, facing all the anti-mages and apprentices alone. I just need to stick with the War Alliance; I can get through easily."

"The War Alliance," Adam thought, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia, like an adult watching children play.

Eliott nodded. "Yes, that's it. I know you didn't join back then. But not everyone can be like you. For us, it's best to stick together. Crystal and Ophelia are also in the alliance. By the way, your influence on them was huge. They still remember you."

Suddenly, a figure appeared next to Eliott, grinning mischievously. "I sensed something was off with those two. Master, they definitely have feelings for you... Why don't you just go for it?"

Adam looked at Garfield without responding.

Garfield would be the processor for the new communication device he was developing.

Experimenting directly with Titan's Flame could lead to issues with the Titan lords, but using Garfield meant no such worries. Adam felt fine torture his soul slave---and a devil at that, so he decided to let Garfield enjoy himself for now.

Eliott warmly hugged Garfield and said, "Is this your new body? It looks great!"

Garfield proudly declared, "No, this is just a temporary avatar! I'm now a level-four Commander of the Titans! I could kill you with a finger!"

Eliott, happy for him, smirked, "Your ability to get into trouble is still strong."

Suddenly, Garfield looked alarmed. "Who could kill me... except Master Adam?" He glanced at Adam with a grin. "Right, Master?"

Adam ignored him, not wanting to comment on Crystal and Ophelia. Love wasn't on his mind; he figured Crystal saw him as a role model, and Ophelia was just competitive.

"When does the trial start? Is it still on Ceylon Island?" Adam asked.

"I heard it's in three months. There are more apprentices this time, so the Tower needs time to prepare," Eliott replied, his expression serious. "Ceylon Island's ecosystem is completely wrecked; it's beyond saving."

Garfield boasted, "I played a big part! I was the virus carrier!"

"Right," Eliott agreed, then turned to Adam. "This time, the Tower will combine several islands with caged anti-mages to raise the trial's difficulty. I heard they'll even release transcendent beings from other planes."

...

After a pleasant afternoon, the three parted ways.

Adam returned to his lab to create new avatars and upgrade the old ones, crucial for writing the operating system.

For Adam's communication device, the Original Flames were the body, while the operating system served as the soul. The system didn't need true intelligence, but it had to process tasks efficiently and assist mages effectively.

Mainstream operating systems on Earth weren't suitable for powerful mages. Adam's was designed for supercomputers and was overly complex. Overall, none were a good fit.

He needed to integrate various systems and develop one that worked seamlessly with the Original Flames and new users.

The biggest challenge was converting programming languages to rune languages, a tedious task requiring significant computation---perfect for the avatars to handle.

As Adam considered the components of the operating system, he reflected on how an OS acts as an interface between users and computers, managing hardware, software, and data. It controls program execution, improves human-computer interaction, and maximizes resource efficiency while supporting software development.