This year, Eve turned fifteen.
With Ash's support and guidance, she had successfully reached the Second Circle. While that level of cultivation was considered low for someone her age, her rate of progress was anything but ordinary. After all, Eve had only begun training two years ago.
Part of that was due to Ash's resources and guidance, but the result still spoke for itself. Even among talented students, such progress would have been considered impressive.
Of course, Eve herself wasn't particularly satisfied. Having spent years around Ash, her sense of what counted as "fast" progress had become severely distorted.
Compared to him, she felt weak.
Compared to normal people, however, her growth was nothing short of remarkable.
Over the past few years, Eve had changed considerably. The energetic and somewhat reckless girl Ash had first met was gone. Back then, she often acted before thinking and rarely held back what was on her mind. Now, she was far calmer and more composed. Years of training had strengthened not only her body and mana, but also her mentality.
She had also become disciplined. Whether it was training, studying, or carrying out tasks Ash gave her, she rarely complained and almost never slacked off. Some might have called it obedience, while others would have called it loyalty.
To Eve, however, it was simply natural.
Ash had changed her life. Without him, she would never have had the opportunity to cultivate, let alone become a mage. As a result, she trusted his judgment more than anyone else's.
One afternoon, after finishing training, Ash suddenly spoke.
"Eve, join the army. You'll grow faster there."
Eve blinked.
"The army?"
Ash nodded. "You're fifteen now. You're old enough to enlist."
The army was one of the most respected organizations in the kingdom. Officially, its purpose was simple: protect the kingdom's borders, suppress dangerous beasts, and maintain stability throughout the realm. Because of that reputation, many academy graduates chose to join after finishing their studies.
Of course, graduates weren't the only ones accepted.
Commoners and those who had never attended the academy could also enlist, though they first had to pass an entrance examination. The contents of the test changed every year, making it difficult to prepare for through dishonest means.
At least, that was the public explanation.
In reality, the army served another purpose.
Most citizens never learned of it. Even many soldiers remained unaware throughout their entire careers. Only after proving themselves would a person gradually discover that the army's true role extended far beyond protecting villages and hunting beasts.
Ash knew this because of information he had obtained from the system.
For someone like Eve, joining the army would provide far more opportunities than remaining by his side and training in relative safety.
"The experience you'll gain there is worth more than years of ordinary training," he said.
Eve lowered her gaze as she considered his words.
She wasn't particularly interested in becoming a soldier, nor did she know much about the army beyond what everyone else knew.
But if Ash believed it would help her become stronger, then it was worth trying.
After a moment, she nodded.
"I understand."
The test was still a week later. During that time, Eve trained intensively under Ash's guidance to prepare for the entrance examination.
On the day before her departure, Ash called her over.
"Eve, if you fail the test, come back."
"Yes."
"But if you pass, follow their instructions from that point onward. There'll be no need to report back to me."
Eve paused briefly before nodding.
"Understood."
Ash gave a small nod. "Good. Then focus on the test."
"I will."
The examination came and went.
True to his instructions, Eve never contacted him afterward.
Ash wasn't concerned. If she had failed, she would have returned by now. Her silence could only mean one thing: she had passed.
Satisfied with that conclusion, he continued his life at the academy.
As the months passed, Ash continued expanding his influence through his newly acquired skill, [Blood Bond]. At the same time, he maintained his usual routine of training, studying, and completing missions.
His advancement through the academy remained astonishingly fast. Year after year, he passed every acceleration exam placed before him, steadily climbing through the academy's ranks.
Eventually, he reached the ninth year.
There, however, his streak finally came to an end. The final acceleration exam proved too difficult, and for the first time, Ash failed to advance.
Even so, his accomplishments were already beyond anything the academy had seen before.
Three years later, Ash graduated at the age of eleven as a Fourth Circle mage.
The news spread throughout the academy and beyond. Never in recorded history had someone graduated at such a young age, let alone reached the Fourth Circle before entering their teenage years.
Even his family was stunned when they heard the news.
To others, it seemed as though Ash was a once-in-a-millennium genius.
Ash himself knew better.
While his own effort had certainly played a role, he would never have reached such heights without the System. The resources, opportunities, and guidance it provided had accelerated his growth far beyond what would have otherwise been possible.
Without it, he might still have been talented.
But he certainly would not have become the eleven-year-old Fourth Circle mage who had just made history.