Transmigration: Step Into The World of Books And Become The Strongest!-Chapter 53: One of the Most Powerful Mages in the World, Rudolf

Chapter 53: One of the Most Powerful Mages in the World, Rudolf

In this world, magic is no stranger. On the contrary, it has become an integral part of daily life.

To nurture young talents from the three kingdoms, the most prestigious and powerful academy was founded—the Celestial Academy.

Although its primary purpose was to train the gifted youths of the three kingdoms, that didn’t mean the Celestial Academy was under their control. Quite the opposite—it stood as an independent force.

The academy upheld a strict rule to stay out of inter-kingdom politics, with only one goal: to raise great mages who would become the pillars of this world.

But as the old saying goes, "A rule holds for the first hundred years and begins to fade in the next."

Officially, the Celestial Academy forbade any political involvement. But in reality, some of its teachers had begun cooperating with nobles from the three kingdoms.

This was the true face of corruption—something that seemed impossible to eliminate as long as humanity existed.

Arthur stood still, his eyes fixed on Catrine and Rudolf as they approached Nathan, who sat upon the throne.

’Rudolf, huh? That man still looks so young, even though he’s been alive for centuries,’ he whispered with a faint smile.

As he had explained before, mages in this world were divided into five levels—level one being the lowest and level five the highest.

A level one mage was considered a beginner, capable only of casting basic spells.

Yet despite being at the bottom, they were still regarded as powerful by ordinary people who couldn’t use magic at all.

Level two and three mages possessed greater abilities.

They could wield mid-level magic and had solid control over the mana within their bodies.

Level four mages, however, stood on a different level entirely.

Those who reached this stage were often seen as the ones who stood at the peak of the world. Their mastery of magic was unquestionable.

They could unleash high-level spells—powerful enough to obliterate a large city in an instant.

Nathan, now seated on the throne, was a level four light mage. His immense power was the foundation of his authority.

And then there were the level five mages—the highest tier, whose existence bordered on legend. They rarely appeared in public.

It was said that a level five mage could annihilate an entire kingdom with a single strike. That’s why they were considered untouchable.

Coincidentally, Rudolf—the handsome man walking beside Catrine—was one of the three level five mages within the Celestial Academy.

He was known by the title "Mysterious Sage," a name that, though grand and peculiar, perfectly reflected his enigmatic presence.

No one could ever guess what he was thinking—and that uncertainty was what made him so feared.

While Arthur remained lost in thought, Catrine and Rudolf had already come to a stop—just a meter from the steps leading up to the throne.

"Good morning, Your Majesty Nathan," they greeted in unison, showing respect, though they did not bow their heads.

As envoys of the Celestial Academy, their status was highly distinguished—especially with Rudolf present, a level five mage.

How could someone of his caliber bow to a level four mage like Nathan?

Though Nathan held the title of king, in Rudolf’s eyes, that alone wasn’t enough to earn a bow.

Still, Nathan wasn’t offended. He simply smiled and gave a slight nod.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Catrine and Sage Rudolf. I hope our welcome hasn’t disappointed you."

Rudolf chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Not at all, Your Majesty. On the contrary, we find it rather lavish."

Then, with a faint smile, he let his gaze wander across the throne room, studying each person present.

That simple glance was enough to change the atmosphere. Though his expression remained relaxed, a subtle pressure seemed to pierce into everyone’s soul.

Arthur felt it too, though he quickly regained his composure.

’Mental pressure, huh? As expected of a level five mage,’ he muttered, nodding slowly in appreciation.

Mental Pressure was one of the rare forms of magic that only Rudolf had mastered.

It didn’t harm the body—instead, it struck directly at the soul.

Unlike physical injuries, wounds to the soul were almost impossible to heal.

That’s because only a few types of magic could even touch the realm of the soul.

That alone was enough to show how terrifying Rudolf’s mental pressure magic truly was.

Fortunately, he hadn’t used his full strength. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Had he done so, everyone in the room—including Arthur himself—would’ve been left as soulless, empty husks.

"Oh?" Rudolf raised an eyebrow, surprised that Arthur could resist his mental pressure so easily. "Interesting..."

"What are you doing, Mister Rudolf? Are you trying to cause trouble?"

A cold, angry voice came from his left—Catrine.

The mysterious, composed look on Rudolf’s face vanished. He gave an awkward smile.

"Ahem! My apologies, little Catrine. I just wanted to test the strength of the prospective students who’ll be joining our academy," he said frankly, letting out a sigh that sounded almost regretful. "But it seems... most of them don’t meet the qualifications."

Catrine rolled her eyes. She knew Rudolf far too well to believe that excuse.

If his real goal had been to test the students, there was no reason for him to use mental pressure on everyone in the room.

"Don’t cause trouble and embarrass me," she said coldly, giving a warning.

Rudolf immediately put on a sorrowful expression, as though helpless.

"Alright, alright... I’m sorry, little Catrine. But please, don’t be too harsh with me, okay? My heart might just break."

Catrine sighed deeply and chose to ignore his playful remark.

"Please forgive our rudeness, Your Majesty Nathan. I hope we haven’t caused any offense," Catrine said, giving a slight bow of her head.

Nathan smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing to worry about, Miss Catrine."

He had clearly seen through Rudolf’s actions, but naturally, he didn’t dare to reprimand him.

Rudolf was a level five mage—one who stood at the pinnacle of this world.

Reprimanding him? That would be like seeking an enemy that couldn’t be defeated. And was it worth it? Definitely not.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Catrine straightened and adopted a more serious expression.

"In that case, shall we begin the test now?"