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 topete. This increase was partly due to the Mordo Tower''s growing power and the recent discovery of many new nes 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''sst one.


    Eliott had never intended to be 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 be a role model for all apprentices. As your friend, I can''tg too far behind. I thought after the Trials of War, I''d be closer," he red 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 y.


    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 newmunication device he was developing.


    Experimenting directly with Titan''s me could lead to issues with the Titan lords, but using Garfield meant no such worries. Adam felt fine torture his soul ve---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 dered, "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 rmed. "Who could kill me... except Master Adam?" He nced at Adam with a grin. "Right, Master?"


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


    "When does the trial start? Is it still on Ceylon Ind?" 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 Ind''s ecosystem ispletely wrecked; it''s beyond saving."


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


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


    ...


    After a pleasant afternoon, the three parted ways.


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


    For Adam''smunication device, the Original mes 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 supeputers and was overlyplex. Overall, none were a good fit.


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


    The biggest challenge was converting programmingnguages to runenguages, a tedious task requiring significantputation---perfect for the avatars to handle.


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