The flickering glow of the screen was the only light in the room as Cillian hovered over the eShop icon. He had been tracking Nine Parchments since its announcement, drawn to its promise of chaotic, elemental spellcasting. The game was finally live, but it was the NSP Update —the version containing the crucial day-one stability patches and character balances—that he was truly waiting to download.

They pushed through the Tundra, collecting hats and staves, their spellbooks growing heavy with power. Each new parchment found was a gamble—a leap toward ultimate power or a step closer to blowing themselves up. By the time they reached the first major boss, the sun was beginning to rise.

Cillian looked at his Switch, the battery warning finally flashing red. They hadn't found all nine parchments yet, but the journey through the version had turned a quiet Tuesday into a legendary magical riot.

As the progress bar crept forward, Cillian imagined the Astral Academy. In this world, a group of dropout wizards—the "failed" students who couldn't wait years to master the arcane—had set off on a reckless quest to find the lost Nine Parchments. They weren't heroes by choice; they were opportunists with wands.

He chose , a wizard whose fashion sense was as questionable as his fire-breathing spells. The world of Frozenbyte’s creation was lush and vibrant, a painterly landscape that popped on the Switch’s handheld screen. But the beauty was deceptive. Within minutes, Cillian was swarmed by ice-breathing monsters.

"Fire!" he muttered, rotating the right stick to aim a searing beam of flame.