Chapter 22
Two Years
Time flies, and two years have passed.
Two years, or more than seven hundred natural days on the Wizarding Continent, is enough time for many things to happen to the new students of the Blacksorta Wizarding Academy.
Green silently took the broom and carefully swept every corner of the library. This was a part-time job at the academy that Green had found through the Bloodsail Alliance, and he was paid two magic stones a month.
Don't underestimate this part-time job. Countless people were scrambling to get it back then, but in the end, Raffi helped Green snatch it through the Bloodsail Alliance.
With the stipend, four magic stones a month should theoretically be enough for a newcomer like Grimm, whose aptitude and intelligence are not bad, to grow into a magic apprentice during the academy's three-year protection period. However...
Was I wrong?
Green frowned, clearly in a bad mood.
In the past two years, Green has only learned one magic trick: the initial modification of the nose.
Originally, Green had already completed this sorcery six months after entering the academy. According to the normal path for newcomers, they should have been constantly meditating while seizing every opportunity to obtain magic stones and learn new sorcery. With Green's monthly income of four magic stones, this should have easily put him ahead of most newcomers.
but!
Green, however, did not want to simply follow the steps in the magic book to complete the sorcery. Instead, he pondered and studied the intricate principles and the true meaning behind it, thus wasting precious time.
For example, through two years of research on nose-hunting, Green has gained a vague understanding: why nose-hunting modification does not belong to bloodline witchcraft.
But what's the point?
Could this so-called knowledge make Green stronger so that he can pass the trial a year from now?
Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to leverage the endless world.
Is knowledge really that important?
Was I really wrong?
It's no wonder Green is getting more and more confused. It's all because the three-year protection period for new recruits is about to end. At that time, the academy's terrifying trial exam will begin, followed by a mandatory mission every two years.
Through the previous batch of wizard apprentices, Green knew that the so-called trial exam was actually a life-or-death ordeal for the academy to select qualified newcomers.
During the trial, the mortality rate for newcomers who did not master three spells to become wizard apprentices was over 90%, while even for wizard apprentices, the mortality rate was around 40%.
So cruel, the trials were also known as the Blood Millstone by the older generation of wizarding apprentices.
Once, "Nose Modification and Scent Atlas" represented all of Green's hopes for the wizarding world, his advantage over ordinary wizarding apprentices, but now...
"No! Ah..."
Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out from the library. Startled, Green quickly ran towards the source of the scream.
By this time, four or five people had gathered around, but they just stood there blankly, ignoring the person who was desperately rolling on the ground.
Green stepped forward, his pupils shrinking: "Lin Zi!"
The witch apprentice who was rolling around on the ground was named Lin Zi. She was one of the first batch of newcomers to become a witch apprentice and was quite famous.
Moreover, because of her beautiful appearance, she has many male wizard apprentices who secretly admire her.
However, this Linzi has one drawback: it refuses to cultivate symbiotic parasites.
This is easy to understand. After all, from the perspective of an ordinary person, having all sorts of worms crawling all over their body or even inside their body is absolutely a terrifying thing. In fact, Green used to be quite opposed to this.
The so-called symbiotic insects are the wizard's initial use of soul power, distributing their power to certain insects with special functions, and thus gaining some corresponding abilities.
While companion insects do have considerable defensive capabilities, their primary function is to increase a wizard's resistance to curses and illusions.
Looking at Lin Zi, who was wailing in pain, Green sighed. Another wizard apprentice was about to die painfully here.
Over the course of two years, Green had seen far too many people die under such a curse, which was one of the least likely ways for law enforcement to track down murders in the academy.
Green even harbored some malicious speculation about how Lin Zi died: whether countless flesh-eating worms crawled out of her body and gnawed her down to a skeleton, or whether her blood congealed and she suffocated to death.
Or perhaps he'll end up like that guy last time, his physiological functions completely depleted, turning him into a dried-up corpse?
The agonizing screams grew increasingly intense, and Green keenly detected a burning smell.
With her dark red skin, Lin Zi finally collapsed, her body visibly shrunken as if the bones that made her body had completely melted away, leaving her without any support.
A moment later, Lin Zi gradually turned to ashes from the inside out, but the clothes she was wearing were still perfectly laid out on the ground. It looked as if Lin Zi's body had been taken away by some inexplicable force, making the scene extremely eerie.
"A curse that causes spontaneous combustion of the body, a rather high-level curse..."
A wizard apprentice in front of Green muttered something to himself, then walked away nonchalantly. Over the years, he had seen too many newcomers killed by curses, and he was no longer surprised.
Generally speaking, the academy experiences the most "accidental" deaths during the first three years of a new student's life, up to the trial exams. Green felt a chill run down his spine, even though he had witnessed many such cursed deaths before, because Green did not know when he would end up like the other person.
Of course, there is one condition for being cursed: the wizard's physical information must have been stolen by someone else.
So-called bodily information could very well be a drop of blood, a fingernail, or even a strand of hair.
Legend has it that the most skilled curse masters can even indirectly obtain information about weaker bodies from objects that others have touched, and then cast curses accordingly.
At night, the Bloodsail Alliance holds a gathering.
The old ruling structure of the five spellcasters no longer exists; the Bloodsail Alliance is now governed by twelve elders.
Of the original five spellcasters, only the fireball spellcaster and the puppet spellcaster died in an accident and did not become alliance elders. The other three spellcasters all became alliance elders, and the other nine were later individuals who were exceptionally gifted and intelligent.
Raffi, Joclis, Yorkriana, Binghamson, and Green were still sitting together.
Although the five of them remained friends, Green felt a strange sadness.
Joris whispered, "Green, Raffi led us to some success in the Thorn Forest last week. It was dangerous, but almost everyone got seven magic stones. How about it, do you want to come this time?"
Green feigned indifference and said in a low voice, "Forget it, you know I'm of no use to you now. I won't help you, I'll only hold you back, and even..."
Green glanced at Yokliana: "Even now, your sister is much stronger than me."
Green knew that Yoklyana had learned three spells and become a wizard apprentice, and that all three spells were auxiliary spells that would greatly benefit Yoklyana.
The two of them together can even overpower some of the elder-level wizard apprentices in the alliance!
"Green, stop pushing yourself! This will create a vicious cycle. Do you really want to live a mediocre life forever?"
Raffi finally couldn't hold back any longer. Looking into Green's eyes, he spoke urgently, his voice filled with concern.
Because everyone knows that a year from now will be a brutal test, almost no one in the Bloodsail Alliance has any illusions and is seizing every opportunity to improve their strength.
"I……"
Green was hesitating when a voice interrupted him.
This is a male wizard apprentice with a thick beard named Amida. He is one of the twelve elders of the Bloodsail Alliance at this time, a loyal suitor of Raffi, and possesses extremely high magical talent.
Amida said, "Stop talking. When you think you're helping a friend, haven't you considered his pride? You seem generous, but how is that any different from charity?"
After saying that, Amiida turned to Green with a sincere smile and said, "It's okay. You are Rafi's friend, which means you are my friend, Amiida's friend. No matter how weak you are, neither I nor the league will abandon you."
"Yes, yes, Brother Green, if you ever have any difficulties, just call me anytime, and I... I will definitely do my best to help you."
"Yokriana said timidly."
Looking at everyone's sincerity, Green tried his best to maintain a "grateful" smile, as if only in this way could he show his happiness and gratitude for everything they had done for him.
However, Green felt a series of sharp pains in his heart, as if someone was constantly stabbing the most vulnerable part of his heart.
Yes, Zeng Jing's friends all looked down on her from the perspective of successful people and were willing to help her.
Even Amida, who once had no idea which corner of the Bloodsail League looked up to Green, now showed the generosity and magnanimity of a victor, understanding Green's feelings, empathizing with Green's pain, and taking care of Green's thoughts.
All of this deeply wounded Green's heart.
One of the twelve elders on the high platform loudly announced information about the alliance's internal affairs.
"Currently, our Bloodsail Alliance ranks fifth in overall ability among all apprentice organizations at the Blacksorta Wizarding Academy. The top four are all organizations passed down from the older generation of wizard apprentices. Therefore, I congratulate the Alliance on achieving such a remarkable result."
"Our Bloodsail Alliance now has 217 official members, of whom 205 have officially become wizard apprentices, and 17 have been recognized by great wizards and become their personal disciples. We congratulate these wizard apprentices who have been recognized by great wizards, and we also encourage the newcomers who are still in the 'enlightenment' stage. We hope everyone will work together to make the organization flourish!"
Amida smiled and waved to the people around him who were congratulating him. He was one of the seventeen wizard apprentices in the Alliance who had been recognized by the wizards.
Green, however, kept his head down, quietly observing everything around him.
Occasionally, acquaintances would encourage Green, saying things like they believed he would definitely become a wizard apprentice. Each time, Green felt a pang of heartache, yet he had to keep smiling and facing it.
Green kept asking himself, "Am I really wrong?"
After the rally ended, on the way home, with only Binghamson and Greene on the other side, Binghamson remained silent for a long time.
"Pah! Who does Amida think he is? He dares to say Raffi is your friend, that he's your friend, as if we should be sucking up to him. He even says he won't abandon you, and the Alliance won't abandon you either. Does he think he represents the Alliance?"
Binghamson roared angrily.
"You were there when the five spellcasters founded the Bloodsail Alliance, one of its original members. He's at best a second-generation member. And now he dares to say such things to you as a veteran of the alliance? Bah..."
Finally, Bingham, who had been silent all along, suddenly erupted.
"That bastard thinks Laffey and you are just ordinary friends? He has no idea how you saved Laffey when the sea monster attacked, nor does he know the feelings between Laffey and you. Laffey loves you deep down, which is nothing compared to his months of courtship..."
Green looked up, staring blankly at his friend, the friend whom Green had complained about countless times for being too long-winded.
But at that moment, Green's eyes welled up with tears: "Thank you, Binghamson, I need some peace and quiet."
Green turned away, trying to hide his vulnerability.
Binghamson didn't say much, patted Green on the shoulder, and left.
Green walked silently by himself, reminiscing about everything that had happened in the past two years.
From the moment I arrived at the Blacksorta Wizarding Academy, to the moment I thought I had discovered some great secret and devoted myself to studying so-called "knowledge," to now, I have fallen so low.
Unbeknownst to him, Green arrived at the tunnel entrance of the Black Mountain Range. In that quiet, deserted, and secluded corner, a weathered and dilapidated stone tablet stood silently, unmoved by the erosion and passage of time, and indifferent to whether anyone would discover it. It simply stood there quietly.
Green raised his head and looked at the boulder that had changed his attitude towards life. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he silently read it again.
"Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to move the endless world."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
At this moment, Green suddenly felt his own naivety and ignorance. The ancient wizard's bold words, which had already reached such a peak, were meant to inspire successful people, yet he had been bewitched, worshipping, admiring, and recklessly pursuing them, even resorting to such a foolish act of gambling with his life.
If I had studied one spell after another like those wizard apprentices, regardless of the nonsense or underlying principles, I would probably be a wizard apprentice or even an elder of the alliance by now.
The ancient wizard who uttered those bold words must have been a powerful being standing at the top of the world, but what am I compared to him?
How could someone so ignorantly try to imitate the ancient sages and become another great wizard?
Seemingly in despair, Green wanted to leave silently, but as he took one last look at the boulder, he seemed to realize something and suddenly his body trembled.
"Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to leverage the endless world... Leverage the endless world, but who will give me endless knowledge as leverage? Knowledge is hard to come by..."
In that instant, Green felt that his once seemingly ambitious words were actually filled with deep helplessness, as if the ancient wizard was secretly resenting his inability to acquire more knowledge. The path to acquiring knowledge is always full of countless thorns, obstacles, and difficulties, even making people feel desperate, powerless, and wanting to give up.
A sense of sorrow began to permeate Green's will, as if he were sensing the pain of that great wizard.
Standing quietly, without moving.
After an unknown amount of time, Green suddenly raised his head and strode towards his cabin.
At this moment, Green seemed to be reborn. An unwavering belief was born in Green: he must stick to the path and truth he had chosen, otherwise what difference would he be from an ordinary person who just drifted with the tide?
This is a path of relentless pursuit of knowledge and truth.
Even if this path is filled with despair and death, endless loneliness and countless hardships, Green would never be willing to forever follow in the footsteps of others.
Two years, or more than seven hundred natural days on the Wizarding Continent, is enough time for many things to happen to the new students of the Blacksorta Wizarding Academy.
Green silently took the broom and carefully swept every corner of the library. This was a part-time job at the academy that Green had found through the Bloodsail Alliance, and he was paid two magic stones a month.
Don't underestimate this part-time job. Countless people were scrambling to get it back then, but in the end, Raffi helped Green snatch it through the Bloodsail Alliance.
With the stipend, four magic stones a month should theoretically be enough for a newcomer like Grimm, whose aptitude and intelligence are not bad, to grow into a magic apprentice during the academy's three-year protection period. However...
Was I wrong?
Green frowned, clearly in a bad mood.
In the past two years, Green has only learned one magic trick: the initial modification of the nose.
Originally, Green had already completed this sorcery six months after entering the academy. According to the normal path for newcomers, they should have been constantly meditating while seizing every opportunity to obtain magic stones and learn new sorcery. With Green's monthly income of four magic stones, this should have easily put him ahead of most newcomers.
but!
Green, however, did not want to simply follow the steps in the magic book to complete the sorcery. Instead, he pondered and studied the intricate principles and the true meaning behind it, thus wasting precious time.
For example, through two years of research on nose-hunting, Green has gained a vague understanding: why nose-hunting modification does not belong to bloodline witchcraft.
But what's the point?
Could this so-called knowledge make Green stronger so that he can pass the trial a year from now?
Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to leverage the endless world.
Is knowledge really that important?
Was I really wrong?
It's no wonder Green is getting more and more confused. It's all because the three-year protection period for new recruits is about to end. At that time, the academy's terrifying trial exam will begin, followed by a mandatory mission every two years.
Through the previous batch of wizard apprentices, Green knew that the so-called trial exam was actually a life-or-death ordeal for the academy to select qualified newcomers.
During the trial, the mortality rate for newcomers who did not master three spells to become wizard apprentices was over 90%, while even for wizard apprentices, the mortality rate was around 40%.
So cruel, the trials were also known as the Blood Millstone by the older generation of wizarding apprentices.
Once, "Nose Modification and Scent Atlas" represented all of Green's hopes for the wizarding world, his advantage over ordinary wizarding apprentices, but now...
"No! Ah..."
Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out from the library. Startled, Green quickly ran towards the source of the scream.
By this time, four or five people had gathered around, but they just stood there blankly, ignoring the person who was desperately rolling on the ground.
Green stepped forward, his pupils shrinking: "Lin Zi!"
The witch apprentice who was rolling around on the ground was named Lin Zi. She was one of the first batch of newcomers to become a witch apprentice and was quite famous.
Moreover, because of her beautiful appearance, she has many male wizard apprentices who secretly admire her.
However, this Linzi has one drawback: it refuses to cultivate symbiotic parasites.
This is easy to understand. After all, from the perspective of an ordinary person, having all sorts of worms crawling all over their body or even inside their body is absolutely a terrifying thing. In fact, Green used to be quite opposed to this.
The so-called symbiotic insects are the wizard's initial use of soul power, distributing their power to certain insects with special functions, and thus gaining some corresponding abilities.
While companion insects do have considerable defensive capabilities, their primary function is to increase a wizard's resistance to curses and illusions.
Looking at Lin Zi, who was wailing in pain, Green sighed. Another wizard apprentice was about to die painfully here.
Over the course of two years, Green had seen far too many people die under such a curse, which was one of the least likely ways for law enforcement to track down murders in the academy.
Green even harbored some malicious speculation about how Lin Zi died: whether countless flesh-eating worms crawled out of her body and gnawed her down to a skeleton, or whether her blood congealed and she suffocated to death.
Or perhaps he'll end up like that guy last time, his physiological functions completely depleted, turning him into a dried-up corpse?
The agonizing screams grew increasingly intense, and Green keenly detected a burning smell.
With her dark red skin, Lin Zi finally collapsed, her body visibly shrunken as if the bones that made her body had completely melted away, leaving her without any support.
A moment later, Lin Zi gradually turned to ashes from the inside out, but the clothes she was wearing were still perfectly laid out on the ground. It looked as if Lin Zi's body had been taken away by some inexplicable force, making the scene extremely eerie.
"A curse that causes spontaneous combustion of the body, a rather high-level curse..."
A wizard apprentice in front of Green muttered something to himself, then walked away nonchalantly. Over the years, he had seen too many newcomers killed by curses, and he was no longer surprised.
Generally speaking, the academy experiences the most "accidental" deaths during the first three years of a new student's life, up to the trial exams. Green felt a chill run down his spine, even though he had witnessed many such cursed deaths before, because Green did not know when he would end up like the other person.
Of course, there is one condition for being cursed: the wizard's physical information must have been stolen by someone else.
So-called bodily information could very well be a drop of blood, a fingernail, or even a strand of hair.
Legend has it that the most skilled curse masters can even indirectly obtain information about weaker bodies from objects that others have touched, and then cast curses accordingly.
At night, the Bloodsail Alliance holds a gathering.
The old ruling structure of the five spellcasters no longer exists; the Bloodsail Alliance is now governed by twelve elders.
Of the original five spellcasters, only the fireball spellcaster and the puppet spellcaster died in an accident and did not become alliance elders. The other three spellcasters all became alliance elders, and the other nine were later individuals who were exceptionally gifted and intelligent.
Raffi, Joclis, Yorkriana, Binghamson, and Green were still sitting together.
Although the five of them remained friends, Green felt a strange sadness.
Joris whispered, "Green, Raffi led us to some success in the Thorn Forest last week. It was dangerous, but almost everyone got seven magic stones. How about it, do you want to come this time?"
Green feigned indifference and said in a low voice, "Forget it, you know I'm of no use to you now. I won't help you, I'll only hold you back, and even..."
Green glanced at Yokliana: "Even now, your sister is much stronger than me."
Green knew that Yoklyana had learned three spells and become a wizard apprentice, and that all three spells were auxiliary spells that would greatly benefit Yoklyana.
The two of them together can even overpower some of the elder-level wizard apprentices in the alliance!
"Green, stop pushing yourself! This will create a vicious cycle. Do you really want to live a mediocre life forever?"
Raffi finally couldn't hold back any longer. Looking into Green's eyes, he spoke urgently, his voice filled with concern.
Because everyone knows that a year from now will be a brutal test, almost no one in the Bloodsail Alliance has any illusions and is seizing every opportunity to improve their strength.
"I……"
Green was hesitating when a voice interrupted him.
This is a male wizard apprentice with a thick beard named Amida. He is one of the twelve elders of the Bloodsail Alliance at this time, a loyal suitor of Raffi, and possesses extremely high magical talent.
Amida said, "Stop talking. When you think you're helping a friend, haven't you considered his pride? You seem generous, but how is that any different from charity?"
After saying that, Amiida turned to Green with a sincere smile and said, "It's okay. You are Rafi's friend, which means you are my friend, Amiida's friend. No matter how weak you are, neither I nor the league will abandon you."
"Yes, yes, Brother Green, if you ever have any difficulties, just call me anytime, and I... I will definitely do my best to help you."
"Yokriana said timidly."
Looking at everyone's sincerity, Green tried his best to maintain a "grateful" smile, as if only in this way could he show his happiness and gratitude for everything they had done for him.
However, Green felt a series of sharp pains in his heart, as if someone was constantly stabbing the most vulnerable part of his heart.
Yes, Zeng Jing's friends all looked down on her from the perspective of successful people and were willing to help her.
Even Amida, who once had no idea which corner of the Bloodsail League looked up to Green, now showed the generosity and magnanimity of a victor, understanding Green's feelings, empathizing with Green's pain, and taking care of Green's thoughts.
All of this deeply wounded Green's heart.
One of the twelve elders on the high platform loudly announced information about the alliance's internal affairs.
"Currently, our Bloodsail Alliance ranks fifth in overall ability among all apprentice organizations at the Blacksorta Wizarding Academy. The top four are all organizations passed down from the older generation of wizard apprentices. Therefore, I congratulate the Alliance on achieving such a remarkable result."
"Our Bloodsail Alliance now has 217 official members, of whom 205 have officially become wizard apprentices, and 17 have been recognized by great wizards and become their personal disciples. We congratulate these wizard apprentices who have been recognized by great wizards, and we also encourage the newcomers who are still in the 'enlightenment' stage. We hope everyone will work together to make the organization flourish!"
Amida smiled and waved to the people around him who were congratulating him. He was one of the seventeen wizard apprentices in the Alliance who had been recognized by the wizards.
Green, however, kept his head down, quietly observing everything around him.
Occasionally, acquaintances would encourage Green, saying things like they believed he would definitely become a wizard apprentice. Each time, Green felt a pang of heartache, yet he had to keep smiling and facing it.
Green kept asking himself, "Am I really wrong?"
After the rally ended, on the way home, with only Binghamson and Greene on the other side, Binghamson remained silent for a long time.
"Pah! Who does Amida think he is? He dares to say Raffi is your friend, that he's your friend, as if we should be sucking up to him. He even says he won't abandon you, and the Alliance won't abandon you either. Does he think he represents the Alliance?"
Binghamson roared angrily.
"You were there when the five spellcasters founded the Bloodsail Alliance, one of its original members. He's at best a second-generation member. And now he dares to say such things to you as a veteran of the alliance? Bah..."
Finally, Bingham, who had been silent all along, suddenly erupted.
"That bastard thinks Laffey and you are just ordinary friends? He has no idea how you saved Laffey when the sea monster attacked, nor does he know the feelings between Laffey and you. Laffey loves you deep down, which is nothing compared to his months of courtship..."
Green looked up, staring blankly at his friend, the friend whom Green had complained about countless times for being too long-winded.
But at that moment, Green's eyes welled up with tears: "Thank you, Binghamson, I need some peace and quiet."
Green turned away, trying to hide his vulnerability.
Binghamson didn't say much, patted Green on the shoulder, and left.
Green walked silently by himself, reminiscing about everything that had happened in the past two years.
From the moment I arrived at the Blacksorta Wizarding Academy, to the moment I thought I had discovered some great secret and devoted myself to studying so-called "knowledge," to now, I have fallen so low.
Unbeknownst to him, Green arrived at the tunnel entrance of the Black Mountain Range. In that quiet, deserted, and secluded corner, a weathered and dilapidated stone tablet stood silently, unmoved by the erosion and passage of time, and indifferent to whether anyone would discover it. It simply stood there quietly.
Green raised his head and looked at the boulder that had changed his attitude towards life. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he silently read it again.
"Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to move the endless world."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
At this moment, Green suddenly felt his own naivety and ignorance. The ancient wizard's bold words, which had already reached such a peak, were meant to inspire successful people, yet he had been bewitched, worshipping, admiring, and recklessly pursuing them, even resorting to such a foolish act of gambling with his life.
If I had studied one spell after another like those wizard apprentices, regardless of the nonsense or underlying principles, I would probably be a wizard apprentice or even an elder of the alliance by now.
The ancient wizard who uttered those bold words must have been a powerful being standing at the top of the world, but what am I compared to him?
How could someone so ignorantly try to imitate the ancient sages and become another great wizard?
Seemingly in despair, Green wanted to leave silently, but as he took one last look at the boulder, he seemed to realize something and suddenly his body trembled.
"Give me endless knowledge, and I will use myself as a fulcrum to leverage the endless world... Leverage the endless world, but who will give me endless knowledge as leverage? Knowledge is hard to come by..."
In that instant, Green felt that his once seemingly ambitious words were actually filled with deep helplessness, as if the ancient wizard was secretly resenting his inability to acquire more knowledge. The path to acquiring knowledge is always full of countless thorns, obstacles, and difficulties, even making people feel desperate, powerless, and wanting to give up.
A sense of sorrow began to permeate Green's will, as if he were sensing the pain of that great wizard.
Standing quietly, without moving.
After an unknown amount of time, Green suddenly raised his head and strode towards his cabin.
At this moment, Green seemed to be reborn. An unwavering belief was born in Green: he must stick to the path and truth he had chosen, otherwise what difference would he be from an ordinary person who just drifted with the tide?
This is a path of relentless pursuit of knowledge and truth.
Even if this path is filled with despair and death, endless loneliness and countless hardships, Green would never be willing to forever follow in the footsteps of others.