Chapter 1 Run It Back
The people in the High Sanctum of Archmagi? A bunch of fools.
That was Linda Barber’s final verdict on the world, reached in the instant before she died.
Apparently, death did nothing to change her mind.
Not this time either.
Linda stood at the edge of the Glacial Overlook for two full days. Ice crept into her bones. The wind screamed like a living thing, clawing at her cloak and skin. Only then did the truth finally settle in.
She was alive. Again.
Her old life had ended during the Immortal Demon War, swift and merciless. Her teacher stood before her, flanked by six seniors she had once trusted with her life.
Seven enchanted blades rose together, sealing her heart channels. The final strike pierced straight through her chest.
She died by the hand of the man she had revered above all others.
Just before the killing blow fell, they spoke to her. Calm. Cold. Almost relieved. The greatest regret of their lives, they said, was ever having known her.
Linda had entered the Sanctum at five years old.
Was taken in by a Archmage at six.
Awakened her mana veins at eight.
Forged her arcane foundation at twelve.
Condensed her Primal Core at fifteen.
There was no one within Azure Spire who did not know her name.
Linda was the most gifted prodigy the High Sanctum of Archmagi had produced in generations. The pride of the Azure Spire. The youngest among them, cherished, praised, protected, treated like something fragile and precious.
Then Marietta Barber arrived. Smaller. Younger. All bright eyes and soft smiles, like the world had already chosen her. And just like that, everything shifted.
Linda was no longer the youngest. No longer special. She became just another name in the ranks.
From that moment on, her power stagnated as if her fate itself had been shackled. No matter how hard she trained, she could not advance.
Marietta, on the other hand, soared.
In barely a year, she surpassed everyone’s expectations. Her talent eclipsed Linda’s entirely. At fifteen, she awakened her Gilded Core, becoming only the second mage in the Sanctum’s history to reach that realm so young.
The Archmage Coleman Ferrell’s affection followed her without hesitation. The seniors’ eyes lingered on her every move. Praise, protection, attention, all of it slipped from Linda’s grasp and gathered around Marietta instead.
Linda was left behind. Powerless. Ignored. Slowly erased. Admiration curdled into bitterness. Pride twisted into something sharp and ugly. Envy rotted until it became hatred.
And in a moment of reckless fury, Linda shattered Marietta’s Gilded Core with her own hands.
That single act ended everything. She was expelled from the Sanctum. With nowhere else to go, she fell into the Demon Realm, surviving on blood, shadow, and sheer spite.
And in the end, the ones who had raised her were the ones who hunted her down and put her to death.
And then, she woke up. Back to the third day since she had been sent back to this place.
The third day since she had “accidentally” shattered Marietta’s Gilded Core and, as punishment, had her own Gilded Core torn out, then was left to stand at Glacial Overlook.
Her Core was gone. And the cold wind of the Overlook had already begun to invade her bones.
In her previous life, this bitter wind had been the thing that shattered her foundation, stripping her of everything she was.
With nothing left, she had been forced to turn to the cultivation of inscribed magic, struggling to survive on the scraps that remained.
She hadn’t had many people who genuinely cared for her. And those few who did? She’d given them her all—devoted every ounce of loyalty to her fellows in Azure Spire.
In the end, they gave her nothing but death. Her body obliterated. Her soul, too, scattered to the winds.
‘Fine. If that’s how it’s going to be, then I’ll take it all back,’ Linda thought, her heart hardening.
Linda stopped standing and sat down instead. She lowered her head and looked at her hands.
Without her Gilded Core, the power still clinging to her was leaking away, slow but relentless. In just three days, she’d gone from Foundation Realm to Mana-Stoking Phase.
At this rate, it would take less than three months before everything she was would fade into nothing.
‘Why wait? Why let them take it all from me in bits and pieces when I can do it myself?’ she thought.
She raised her hand, a swift motion tracing the air as she carved out a Severing Sigil.
The winds here were savage, their razor-sharp gusts slicing through skin, carving into flesh, leaving brutal, blood-slick wounds in their wake.
But this time, Linda didn’t let the storm run wild. She gathered it tightly.
She pulled the winds inward, forcing them to tear through her limbs and into her belly.
The student standing watch flinched, his eyes widening in shock as he shouted, “What the hell are you doing?!”
Linda met his gaze, her lips curling into a twisted smile. “What do you think? I’m crippling myself. What else?”
Before he could react, the winds tore into her, icy blades slicing into her belly.
In an instant, they pierced through her body like a thousand knives, blood spilling out, staining the pure white snow beneath her a deep crimson.
But her expression was far from pain. It was a sickening, euphoric grin, twisted with release.
“Everything you gave me,” she murmured softly, almost lovingly, “I’m giving it all back to you.”
‘No debts. No more ties. It is all over,’ she thought, her heart cold and resolute.
“Someone, help her!” A panicked scream pierced the air, but Linda didn’t even flinch.
She reached out, letting the ice and snow fall into her open palm.
And in that moment, she was free.
Everyone believed Linda had finally lost her mind.
Once, she had been the brightest star the High Sanctum of Archmagi had ever known. Then she shattered her junior’s Gilded Core and, without hesitation, destroyed her own cultivation in the aftermath.
She stripped herself of everything. She was crazy.
*****
At the foot of the mountain, a lone log cabin crouched in the fog. Inside, the air felt suffocating. Matthew Soto’s voice finally broke the silence, sharp with barely contained anger.
“Were you out of your damn mind?” he snapped. “I told you already. Three months. I was going to talk to Professor Ferrell and get you released. So what is this supposed to be? Some kind of stunt to make everyone feel like crap?”
“Do you even realize what people are saying? They’re talking all over the place about how Azure Spire has been mistreating you.
“They’re spreading rumors that it’s all Marietta’s fault, that she ruined everything for you. Is that what you wanted? You happy now?”
‘Happy?’ Linda almost laughed.
Actually, yes. She really was.
Three months later, it would not have mattered. By the time they let her out, she would have been finished anyway. This way, at least, she chose how it ended.
A cold, breathy chuckle slipped out. “Hah.”
Matthew’s temper flared instantly. “What’s so funny?”
Linda opened her eyes slowly, her gaze flat and distant. “I’m laughing at you.”
The man standing in front of her wore the same calm, polished expression she had known for years. Her senior. Someone she had once respected. Someone she had admired, even in her previous life.
But she did not miss the chill behind his eyes. He was not worried about her. He was irritated.
Irritated that she had caused trouble. Irritated that this mess reflected badly on Marietta.
Linda would never forget that day. After Marietta’s Gilded Core was destroyed, she had begged him to believe her. She had explained herself again and again.
But he had never believed her. Instead, he pushed her away, his voice colder than iron. “I’m extremely disappointed in you.”
The next time they met, his blade went straight through her heart.
Who needs a senior like that? Good riddance,’ Linda thought, her heart turning cold.
Matthew frowned, irritation sharpening his features. “What’s with that look?”
Linda met his eyes without flinching. “You’re judging me, so I’m returning the favor. If you think I look insane, then that’s exactly what you’re seeing.”
Something twisted in Matthew’s chest. Rumors had been circulating nonstop. People whispered that Linda had gone mad.
Now, staring into her eyes, so detached and unreadable, doubt crept in despite himself. ‘Has she really lost it?’ he wondered.
The hesitation lasted only a heartbeat. His expression hardened. Power surged through his palm, and suddenly his hand was around her throat, fingers tightening with lethal precision.
His voice dropped, icy and absolute. “Whatever you are, get out of Linda’s body.”
“Get out,” he repeated.
Linda did not resist. She did not move.
Matthew’s eyes flickered between fury and suspicion. Then, without another word, he raised his other hand and slammed his palm against the crown of her head. “Mind-Flaying Probe,” he shouted.
The technique was infamous. A brutal spell that ignored consent entirely, forcing its way into the target’s soul.
If mishandled, it could destroy a person’s sanity beyond repair.
And Linda was already barely holding together. The instant the spell took hold, pain tore through her mind.
It felt like her skull was splitting open, like her consciousness was being ripped apart thread by thread. Her soul screamed.
She tried to scream too, but nothing came out.
Blood poured from her mouth, thick and relentless, staining the floor beneath her.
Time stretched unbearably. When it finally ended, Matthew stood motionless, staring at her in shock. “It’s really her soul,” he whispered.
No possession. No impostor. It was Linda.
Her chest and lips were soaked in blood, yet she was smiling. “It’s me,” she said quietly. “Matthew. I’m Linda. I never changed.”
Only then did Matthew realize his hand was still around her neck. He recoiled as if burned. But it was too late.
Dark bruises were already blooming across her throat, and the blood spilling from her lips refused to stop. Panic finally broke through his composure.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else. I didn’t know…”
Linda did not respond. She had no strength left.
Destroying her own Core had already shattered her body. That final blow had nearly crushed what little life remained. She clenched her teeth, refusing to collapse in front of him.
She had no idea how fragile she looked. She was like a porcelain doll on the verge of falling apart.
Matthew saw it. And real fear finally set in. “I’ll give you my power,” he said urgently. “You’re my junior. I’ll transfer my essence to you. Don’t be scared. Just hold on, okay?”
He pressed his hands against her, channeling energy desperately.
Linda tried to speak. Only a hoarse sound escaped.
“What did you say?” Matthew asked, his voice tight.
A faint, mocking smile curved her lips. “I’m not your junior anymore,” she whispered. “Your real junior is… outside.”
Something clicked. Matthew stiffened and turned toward the door. A girl in blue stood there, tears pooled in her eyes. Matthew froze. “Marietta?”
