Surprise! The Supposed Talent Show Was Actually–?! - Chapter 4 - Kill

After years of exile, Marcus is coming back home. A powerful mage with few equals, Marcus lives in a world full of monsters and powerful adepts, many of which have bad histories with him. But he has not come back to pursue vengeance or start a fight. All Marcus wants to do is reconnect with old friends, build himself a house, and maybe train a successor or two.Alas, the world didn’t stop just because Marcus went into exile, and not everyone is content to let go of old grievances. Strange things are happening in the world at large, too, hinting at a looming disaster of unknown nature. Still, where there is a will, there is a way.If nothing else, Marcus has a lot of magical power to throw at problems.+++Zenith of Sorcery is set in its own original setting and isn’t related to Mother of Learning… beyond being written by the same person, of course. This is a more classical fantasy story than my previous one, with a lower level of technology and stuff like elves and dwarves, but it has a lot of worldbuilding effort put into it and its own complex magical system. The story has significant xianxia influences, but isn’t meant to be a xianxia story.For those of you not familiar with my previous work, I write relatively slowly. I intend to publish chapters at the rate of one chapter every three or four weeks, subject to further delays as life intervenes.

I’ve possessed the mid-boss who tortures the protagonist and receives true education.Am I crazy? How dare I do such a thing to the person who is supposed to be the protagonist?I even planned to treat all the protagonist’s friends hospitably…“Everyone, wait for me! I will definitely become stronger and come to save you!”Oh. Running away.

On the Continent of Heavenly Pulse, martial arts is revered, and the strong reign supreme. Young Master Chen Shaofeng used to live a carefree life, but an engagement forced him onto an unconventional path. With the Mountain and Sea Diagram, he obtains a heritage that shocks the world, builds a dominant path, treads on the Heavenly Pulse, breaks the heavens and earth, and achieves the peak as a War-god.

After waking up in a world of magic, knighthood, and alchemy, Carlotta finds herself with an unexpected gift: an intelligence system that feeds her daily updates, secrets, rumors, and even hidden dangers unfolding around her.Yesterday’s intel was especially eventful.Mrs. Thea Ashfield, an eccentric alchemist, tossed away an old tool called the Rose Thorn late last night, left forgotten in a trash bin just south of the academy.Meanwhile, a new restaurant at No. 56 Fame Street is quickly becoming the talk of the town, fresh ingredients, great prices, and a steak that people are already calling legendary.Not all food fared as well though: most of the caramel bread in the academy cafeteria turned out to be leftovers from days ago. (Still edible, just… don’t expect miracles.)Teacher Estelle Marlowe pulled an all-nighter preparing the upcoming magic exam. Rumor has it the questions are no joke this time.Then came the serious alerts. One warned of a wanted criminal hiding in the Fame District, with a bounty of thirty thousand Orrae on their head.The other was more personal, Headmistress Viviana Richards’s lost dog was about to be shipped off by dog traders through the port.Thanks to Carlotta’s timely tip-off, the headmistress was able to rescue her beloved pet just in time.######Some Tags: Female Protagonist, Card Magic, System, Daily Intelligence, Genius Main Character, Focused Main Character, Academy, Intelligent Main Character####There's no plans for romance for now. In my outline I don't plan to add romance for main character but will see how it will develop