Crossbridge Academy covered a vast area. Even though it had fallen into decline, it still looked quite grand from a distance.
Daniel moved slowly. He couldn't help but feel helpless with this body that had never been properly trained. It was as slow as a pregnant snail.
A small figure was pacing at the academy gate. Upon seeing Daniel, she immediately rushed over.
"Father, you're hurt!" The girl, about twelve or thirteen years old and bearing a striking resemblance to Daniel, said. "Let me help you get treated."
"I'm fine." As Daniel was supported by the girl, a sudden, indescribable feeling surged from his heart.
That deep emotion, that overwhelming love that made him want to cry, caused Daniel to tremble.
What was this?
This warm sensation... what was it?
A silent sigh lingered in the wind.
My Rose, my daughter, my life, my everything.
Daniel frowned. He knew the original owner's soul had already perished, but he didn't expect to feel such intense fatherly love upon seeing his daughter.
"Are you really okay, Father?" Rose's big eyes were filled with worry. "You look so tired."
This concern made Owen, who had been alone for billions of years, feel a bit uncomfortable.
But it wasn't a bad feeling.
The murderous intent and desire for destruction in his heart subsided slightly.
"I'm fine." Daniel patted her head. "My daughter Rose, from now on, I will protect you."
"Father, I will also train hard. I want to protect you too!" Rose said seriously.
Daniel smiled slightly.
She was a good child.
The academy grounds were nearly deserted. Daniel noticed that, apart from a few students, he hadn't seen a single teacher since entering.
Rose's expression also carried a hint of sadness.
"What happened while I was away?" Daniel suddenly asked.
"N-nothing happened..." Rose forced a smile, trying to guide Daniel back to rest.
"Rose." Daniel looked into her eyes. "You can trust me. Whatever the problem is, I can solve it."
Today, her father seemed different.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hide it from you," Rose said cautiously. "It just happened so suddenly. After you left the academy, all the teachers resigned."
"As expected," Daniel nodded. People are fickle.
Some of the teachers must have heard rumors, assuming that Daniel would never return.
"Aren't you angry, Father?" Rose asked in surprise. "You worked so hard before, trying your best to keep every teacher."
"My mindset has changed," Daniel said, looking at the empty campus. "This is now my academy. I will rebuild it, and the first step is to clear out the disloyal and useless trash."
Daniel was eager to reorganize the academy.
Learning was painful.
He had suffered for billions of years.
Now, it was time for the students to experience the pain of learning too.
The thought of students weeping as they studied brought Daniel a strange sense of joy.
The few students passing by greeted Daniel respectfully. Even though Daniel's strength was weak, it didn't affect the respect and affection the students had for him.
Their magic academy was more akin to an orphanage.
The previous headmaster, Daniel's father, was an archmage from the southern continent. After arriving in Riverside City, he dedicated himself to spreading magic education, founding the academy.
A significant portion of the students were orphans with nowhere to go. The academy not only provided them with an education but also a means of survival.
When the archmage was still alive, the academy could attract decent instructors. But after his death, the academy's influence and appeal waned.
It was no surprise that the teachers had collectively resigned today.
Coupled with the recent assassination attempt, it was clear that someone wanted the academy to disappear.
"Father, I support your decision," Rose said, seeing Daniel's determined expression, finding courage rising in her own heart. "But what about the upcoming classes?"
"Let everyone rest for a few days," Daniel had already formulated a plan. "I will find new teachers immediately."
He wanted to take further action, but his body was too exhausted. He could only return to his room to rest.
He dug out the original owner's stash of recovery potions.
Daniel downed one in a single gulp.
As he felt his strength return, he began to contemplate his next move.
"It's obvious who sent the assassin—the other two families," Daniel thought. "House Lunastone and House Windwhisper."
"The Mistriver Realm is about to open. With our academy out of the way, there will be fewer competitors for the treasures within."
Daniel wasn't worried.
Although his body was weak, he possessed something extremely valuable in this world—mana stones.
The billions of years he spent trapped in the Void Library, with the help of the system, allowed Daniel to fully immerse himself in the endless ocean of knowledge.
Countless magic, languages, and technologies had been completely assimilated.
He could wield this knowledge as easily as moving his own limbs.
But aside from this invaluable knowledge, the system had also rewarded him with mana stones for every book he finished and mastered in the Void Library.
For the old Daniel, trapped in a chaotic space, mana stones held no real significance.
But now, things were different.
Mana stones were the universal currency in the magical world, with real importance.
The mana stored within them could be used by mages to ascend tiers or directly cast spells.
The value of a mana stone was also directly related to its purity.
"I haven't really paid attention before. How many mana stones do I have now..."
Daniel closed his eyes, and his current resource reserves appeared before him:
"999999..."
"Knowledge is wealth." Daniel was quite satisfied. "Study hard, and you can have everything."
This was a truly astronomical figure.
If what Daniel held were a trillion tons of paper currency, it would be as good as holding a trillion tons of—worthless paper.
Paper, in itself, has no value.
Flooding the world with a trillion tons of paper currency wouldn't boost the economy. It would only stall development or even cause collapse, ruining countless lives.
That would be a disaster!
But mana stones were different.
Mana stones themselves were mana!
Their currency aspect was the least valuable of their properties.
The ability to provide mages with mana that was difficult to extract naturally was what made these stones truly precious.
No one could ever have too many mana stones.
Daniel opened his right hand.
A soft sound, like the gentle flow of water, filled the air. Pure mana stones didn't fall one by one—they poured out in torrents from his palm!
"What a beautiful sound," Daniel enjoyed it. Once the floor was piled with mana stones, he snapped his fingers.
The mana stones instantly vanished, returning to the system's storage.
And that was the slowest way to retrieve them.
If Daniel so desired, with just a thought, he could fill an entire building with mana stones in an instant!
Yet despite the enormous piles, his account balance—those nine towering digits—didn't decrease at all.
Infinite mana stones meant infinite mana.
And with infinite mana, combined with Daniel's boundless knowledge, he could change the entire world.
"A mage's greatest challenges in tier ascension are talent and wealth.
"Daniel himself lacks talent, but he has no shortage of wealth.
"In the face of my mind and knowledge, talent is irrelevant!"
After sorting through the original owner's memories, he knew that in this world, all humans were descendants of great deities.
Everyone had inherited a fraction of divine bloodline, which accounted for the differences in talent among individuals.
The higher the concentration of divine blood, the greater the talent, making it easier to inscribe magic patterns and faster to release mana.
The old methods of inscribing magic patterns, passed down through generations, were useless to Daniel.
But so what?
"Who cares about so-called bloodline talent?" Daniel scoffed. "The knowledge in my head will carve out a new path."
"From now on, bloodline talent will no longer be an obstacle in my ascension!"