Hordam Academy of Magic: Hordam Academy of Magic, #1

By Devon Hopper

The story unfolds as the young Ron's experience in a magical fantasy world. Ron travels through time and space to become a low-level wizard apprentice at the Hordam School of Magic. While living in the tree house area, he faces many challenges, such as difficult training, lack of resources, and frequent dangers. As news of the invasion of the dark wizards arrives, the situation becomes increasingly tense, and he works hard to improve his strength and participate in the battle. In a conflict with the dark wizards, he unexpectedly breaks through and masters powerful magic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Devon Hopper
• Release date: Apr 15, 2025
• ISBN: 9798230936930

Book preview

Chapter 1: Wizard

On the green grass slope, a figure jumped out of the forest.

It started out as a jog, then gradually turned into a brisk walk, and finally into a slow walk like a stroll.

After walking for a while and about to reach the lake at the bottom of the grass slope, he finally stopped.

Hoo—Hoo—

I'm so tired after just running a few steps. My body is too weak...

Ronan stood by the lake, breathing heavily, complaining and taking off his shoes.

He tied the laces of his two taken-off deerskin boots together and hung them around his neck. He then rolled up the hem and sleeves of his troublesome robe, and then stepped carefully into the water in front of him one step at a time.

When the icy cold lake water covered his ankles and slowly wrapped around his calves, Ronan scooped up some water and splashed it on his face. He immediately felt so comfortable that his whole body relaxed.

At this moment, on the rippling water, the figure of a young man was swaying.

Chestnut hair, thick eyebrows, high nose...

His facial features are not bad, but his eyes are lifeless, his skin is dull, his face is swollen, and he has two particularly obvious dark circles under his eyes, giving him a feeling of being bloated, decadent, and almost vulgar.

This is...I usually reward myself too much...

Pah—

Ronan slapped the water to break up the reflection in front of him, then slowly turned and walked towards the shore.

There was a lush green walnut tree on the bank of the lake, with wild grass growing beside it. Ronan lay down under the walnut tree, resting his head on his hands, thinking about something as he looked at a few black goats grazing leisurely on the hillside in the distance.

Counting it up, this is already the third day since he traveled through time.

The body he traveled through was originally named Ronan, Ronan Damien, and he was the son of an earl in a kingdom.

Because he was accidentally detected to have the potential to become a wizard, his family sent him thousands of miles away to study in this place where wizards gather.

Unfortunately, this guy's aptitude is not good, and he doesn't work hard enough. After half a year, he is still wandering around the wizard's door, and his life is miserable.

If Ronan hadn't possessed her soul, and if nothing unexpected happened, in a few months, the original body would have been forced to pack up and leave...

Thinking of this, Ronan couldn't help but feel a deep sense of resentment in his heart.

It would have been fine if he could have traveled through time half a year later, as his original self would have already returned to his own earldom by then.

After taking over the magpie's nest, he can still happily experience the life of a noble young master, riding horses, drinking tea, and playing poker with his personal maid every day.

I was born at the wrong time...

Ronan sighed, stood up, and put on his shoes.

Today was the day he officially tried to leave the house after his time travel. He planned to cross the hill in front of him and go to the front of the forest to take a look and explore the small map nearby.

But just after taking two steps forward, several black goats that were grazing on the hillside in the distance suddenly ran away in all directions as if frightened.

The next second, two small figures appeared in Ronan's field of vision.

One in front and one behind, they chased each other very quickly, with dazzling bursts of light in the middle.

Fuck!

Ronan's pupils contracted and his expression suddenly became nervous.

Without any hesitation, he immediately changed direction 180 degrees, turned around and ran away.

Some fragmented memories flashed through my mind quickly.

Hoddam is the gathering place for wizards, and the Hoddam Wizard Academy is located in the center.

The entire academy is protected by a huge rune array. It is peaceful and harmonious, and is a paradise for spiritual practice and residence.

Outside are large and small markets and living areas built upon the academy. Although they are outside the protection of the rune array, they are usually managed by wizards from the academy and the order is relatively stable.

The place where Ronan is now is the wilderness where the town and the forest meet. It is already out of the safe zone. No one is in charge, and naturally there are no rules.

Normally, wizards would choose this area to fight, kill, seek revenge, and steal treasures.

Ronan had only heard of it before, but he didn't expect to actually run into him today.

Before running into the forest, Ronan hurriedly looked back, and happened to see one of the two figures on the hillside in the distance slowly falling to the ground...

His heart tightened and he dared not look anymore. He just buried his head in the hood of his robe and ran forward following his memory, trying to stay as far away from the struggle in front of him as possible.

You can't say Ronan is timid.

The main reason is that he is just a small first-level wizard apprentice now, which is the lowest level in the wizarding world.

Moreover, up to now, he has not learned even a single zero-level spell. If he were to fight with others, he would be a lamb to be slaughtered.

If you don't have the strength and encounter a big boss who starts to kill you, why don't you run away? Why stay where you are and wait to be killed by the aftermath?

Ronan passed by bushes, earth slopes, mud puddles... and turned around in the quiet forest until he stopped in front of a tall and dense oak tree.

The oak tree is covered with dense old vines, and between the branches surrounded by vines, there is a small gray wooden house.

This is Ronan’s home.

The wooden house is built on the tree to protect against wild animals in the forest, and the protective ability of the wooden house itself is almost non-existent.

But when he saw his own little house, Ronan felt a little safe.

The tree house was about seven or eight meters above the ground. Without even taking a breath, Ronan grabbed a vine hanging from the tree and climbed up with a grunt.

When he arrived at the tree house, he fumbled out a brass key from under his neck.

Crack, Bang!.

Open the door quickly, slide in, and then close the door hard.

The cabin was hot and humid, and there was a faint smell of mold in the air.

Even though there was a window, the light in the house was still dim because of the leaves and vines outside.

In the dark and quiet little house, Ronan leaned against the wooden door, breathing heavily, his heart beating like a drum.

His mind was racing. What if the wizard on the hill came looking for him to kill him after killing everyone? Should he run away? Where to go? Is it too late? ...

Ronan kept thinking wildly until his heartbeat gradually calmed down. He let out a breath, groped his way to the table in the middle of the room, grabbed the kettle on the table, and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water.

Shh——

The flint was struck, sparks flew, and a candle was lit.

The dim candlelight quietly reflected Ronan's melancholy and gloomy face.

Nothing happened at the moment, and it was estimated that no one would come to kill him, but the recent crisis experience still made him uneasy.

There was absolutely no warning, and it happened right beside him unexpectedly!

I was lucky enough to avoid it this time, but what about next time? And the time after that?

Similar things are not uncommon in the wild. Every killer wizard has a different personality. If you encounter an erratic and murderous wizard...

Ronan's expression changed, and suddenly he seemed to have made up his mind.

Move! Move to the city tomorrow!

But after he rummaged through all his possessions and counted them, he had no choice but to give up the idea.

In fact, the original body left behind a lot of treasures, after all, he was born into a noble family, but the currency circulating in the wizarding world is magic stones, and worldly gold and gems have no value here at all.

All the magic stones on Ronan's body could not even add up to one piece, and if he wanted to live in the town's residential area, the deposit for renting a house would require a low-level magic stone.

As for the college area?

The monthly accommodation fee for the student dormitories there starts at one magic stone.

Unless I choose to sell the things I brought from the academy.

Ronan was in a depressed mood.

Selling the inheritance means completely abandoning his identity as a wizard and giving up this path. So what's the point of him staying here? He might as well just buy a boat ticket and go back home.

Forget it, just hold on for a while.

Although the tree house area is dangerous, there are many people living there. Try to be careful, go out less and have less contact with people... The danger may not fall on me...

Ronan could only comfort himself in this way.

After a frantic run, with his emotions going up and down, and with the cabin being dark and stuffy, Ronan's tense nerves relaxed and he suddenly felt sleepy.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

——————

Chapter 2 Meditation

When he woke up from his sleep, he rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, only to find that the sun was about to set outside.

Ronan's first reaction was to cook quickly, otherwise it would be too uncomfortable to cook by lighting candles after dark.

Besides, he was really hungry at the moment.

After washing his hands with water from the water tank, Ronan took out the food left by his predecessor - a mixture of quinoa, corn, black beans and various other grains that he could not identify.

This thing would probably be worth only a few copper coins outside, but in the wizarding land of Hoddam, one pound of magic stone would cost one grain.

A low-level magic stone can be split into one hundred magic stone particles, which means that one magic stone can only buy a mere one hundred kilograms of this coarse grain.

I have to say that the prices in Wizarding Land are ridiculously high.

Ronan scooped two spoonfuls of grains into the small pot, then added some water.

While the rice was cooking, I made myself a bowl of soup with the wild mushrooms I had picked up in the forest and a few pine pigeon eggs.

Multi-grain rice paired with mushroom egg drop soup makes a simple dinner.

When people are really hungry, they don’t care about the texture or taste, as long as they can fill their stomach.

By the time Ronan had eaten and drunk his fill, he slowly walked out of the tree house with a full belly. It was already completely dark outside.

The night sky above my head turned into a deep dark blue, but the surrounding forests gradually began to glow with tiny stars, not seeming dim.

A large number of small creatures resembling fireflies flew out from the ground, in groups, like dandelions blown by the wind, dyeing the quiet night into a fairy tale dreamlike beauty.

pity....

Bang!

Ronan slapped his arm hard, killing a mosquito.

There are so many mosquitoes in this damn place at night.

The robe he was wearing could not protect him from mosquito bites. Ronan had only stood at the door for a short while when his head was covered with bites.

He hurried back to the cabin with a grin on his face.

After a moment, he came out again.

Ronan appeared again, sprinkled a large amount of insect repellent powder on his robe, and held a small net bag and a translucent white gauze bag in his hand.

Ronan climbed on the branches of the old oak tree and used a net bag to catch the fluorescent lights dancing in the night.

This small firefly-like creature is actually not difficult to catch. After a short while, the gauze bag in Ronan's hand was stuffed full.

Forty... there are forty now... that should be enough.

Ronan was hesitating whether to continue, when suddenly, he heard the rustling sounds of people walking and talking not far away.

Ronan suddenly became alert and subconsciously wanted to hide back in the tree house.

Unfortunately, I was still a step too slow.

Two figures, one tall and one short, emerged from the woods.

In the dim light of the moon and fireflies, you can see a man and a woman in long robes, walking side by side, talking and talking, as if they were taking an evening stroll.

Ronan's body was frozen on the tree branch, holding the net bag and the gauze bag in his hands without daring to move, sweat on his forehead, his brain spinning rapidly...

Fortunately, the other party just glanced at him lightly, then looked away, and disappeared into the woods in the blink of an eye.

call—

After the two figures completely disappeared, Ronan breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense muscles slowly relaxed.

Then I felt extremely depressed.

I'm almost like a frightened bird...

It's because I'm too weak.

Ronan sighed and no longer had the energy to catch bugs. He quickly returned to the tree house with his things.

.......

Blow out the candles in the house and hang the gauze bag filled with fireflies on the beams of the roof, and a simple light bulb is ready.

Unfortunately, it's only valid for one night.

When daybreak comes, all the bugs in the bag will die.

Ronan stared at the homemade gauze bag for a while, and saw the bright yellow glow of fireflies softly covering the entire cabin like water. Both the lighting effect and the aesthetics were far superior to candles. He withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and sat down at the oak round table in front of him.

At this time, the table was already full of books, all left behind by the previous incarnation.

Ronan mainly read four of them:

Basic Meditation

Zero-Level Spell Collection

Runes: Collection of Ten Commonly Used Zero-Level Runes

Basics of Potions

These four books are his most valuable possessions now.

My predecessor had spent almost all of the magic stones he brought from home to buy these four books from the Hoddam Wizard Academy.

These four books represent knowledge and inheritance, and are also the key to opening the door to wizards.

A large number of wizards gathered in the Hoddam Wizarding Land are students of the Hoddam Wizarding Academy.

The admissions standards of the Hoddam Wizard Academy are not very strict. Basically, as long as you have money to pay the tuition, you will be admitted.

And in the college, further studies, course selection, lectures, meals, accommodation... everything costs money.

Once you have used up all your magic stones, it will invite you out as easily as you came in.

Therefore, there are many students from the Hoddam Wizarding Academy, but only a few students can be truly recognized by the Hoddam Academy. Once you have this honor, it becomes synonymous with power and genius.

This doesn't feel like school, it feels more like a business...

Ronan muttered a few words, then casually opened the black-covered book Basic Meditation in front of him.

Mental power is the foundation and core of the wizard's power system, and meditation is the main way to enhance mental power. Its importance is self-evident.

Ronan has tried meditation several times in the past two days, but none of them was successful. Every time he felt like he was just a little bit off.

He seemed to have not absorbed any of the experience and insights in this area from his previous life, so he could only start from scratch as if he were a complete novice.

..Empty your mind, put aside all distractions, and focus on one thing...

Ronan read the steps described in the book.

After reading, I closed the book, closed my eyes, and went over it silently several times in my mind, relaxing my mind at the same time.

When Ronan felt that he was almost done, he stood up, drank some water, washed his hands, and then washed his face.

Then he took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on his small bed.

In fact, there is no specific requirement for the body posture of wizards when meditating, they can lie down or lie prone.

But Ronan tried it, and it was easy to fall asleep that way.

When I went to bed, a corner of the thin blanket under my body was accidentally torn open, revealing a line of small words.

The soul is the destination of immortality.

Ronan read it out softly, his expression slightly strange.

This sentence is the opening of Basic Meditation and is a famous aphorism widely circulated in the wizarding world.

Its meaning is to warn everyone who embarks on the path of a wizard that spiritual power is the focus of practice, and pursuing the immortality of the soul is the true immortality.

But now it has been carved on the bed board to serve as a warning to himself.

It is obvious that it was not engraved by the predecessor, because the handwriting looks quite old.

Maybe it was the previous owner of this cabin, or the previous owner before that.

Ronan's mind began to associate the same thing with the same cabin, the same dim light, and the same bed long ago.

A boy about his age sat in the same position, alone, meditating silently, dreaming of one day being able to walk out of the tree house area and into the academy...

After thinking about this, Ronan inexplicably felt a sense of courage and motivation.

He gained inexplicable encouragement and strength from the unexpected handwriting. The sequelae of being frightened twice in the day and night gradually subsided, and his mind was completely calmed down...

——————

Chapter 3 Panel

A spot of white light appeared in the pitch-black void.

The white light rotates slowly.

If you draw the trajectory of its rotation, it should be a continuous circle that keeps expanding outward.

It's like a plate of mosquito coils that keeps growing.

During this process, sporadic, colorful points of light emerged from the edge of nothingness and merged into the rotating trajectory of the white light.

Circle, circle, circle...

After who knows how many laps, Ronan opened his eyes.

At this moment, Ronan felt particularly energetic, as if he had had a good sleep and woke up feeling refreshed, his brain was particularly clear, and his thoughts were working abnormally fast.

Successful?

Ronan's lips moved slightly, with an expression of uncontrollable joy on his face.

It was indeed a success.

He had already sensed what was described in the Basic Meditation Technique. It seemed as if there was a lively and transparent airflow in his brain. It was difficult to describe, but it really existed.

That is what is called mental power.

Being able to sense the existence of mental power proved that Ronan’s first meditation was successful and he had officially entered the stage of meditation.

Thanks.

Ronan was in a good mood. He reached out and stroked the small words Soul on the bed, muttering softly.

The success of this meditation was indispensable to the line of small words under his hand. Ronan planned to find something to clean the dust and dirt accumulated in the indentations of the words tomorrow, and then look at it every day to alert and encourage himself.

Thinking of this, Ronan, who was about to get out of bed and pour a glass of water to moisten his throat, suddenly felt something flash quickly in front of his eyes.

It was like a bug suddenly got into my eye.

He blinked hard, trying to squeeze the thing out, but the light in the corner of his eyes suddenly twisted a few times, and then a light blue light curtain jumped out.

【Name: Ronan Damien】

Age: 16

Talent: No attribute affinity

Strength: First-level wizard apprentice (86%)

Skill: Basic Meditation (Beginner 1/100)

Well...

Ronan was completely stunned.

He wondered if he was dazzled and rubbed his eyes hard, but the light screen in front of him did not move at all.

As a thought flashed through his mind, the light curtain disappeared immediately.

When the thought came back, the light curtain appeared again.

After repeating this several times, I realized that it was my own thoughts that were controlling me.

Is this... the character panel in the game?!

Is it the cheat code that comes with the time travel, or is the game world I am in now