Chapter 32
Before the Trial
It's still the same square as it was three years ago.
However, Green has now discovered that, over the past three years, quite a few of this year's wizarding apprentices have died "accidentally."
"There are 1577 wizarding apprentices participating in the Blacksota Wizarding Academy's newcomer trials this year. In a moment, you will each receive a map of the trial grounds. The task of this trial is to survive in the trial grounds for one month and return safely; otherwise, you will have passed the trial!"
On the high platform, a wizard shouted in an encouraging tone, but deep in his voice was a strange excitement.
"That's so simple? Really?"
"What's going on? Why is this year's Bloody Grinding Mill rookie trial so easy?"
The many wizarding apprentices below the stage were discussing it animatedly, finding this simple trial for newcomers unbelievable.
On the other side, Raffi, Green, Joklis, Yorkriana, Binghamson, and Robin stood together.
Bingham frowned and said, "That doesn't make sense. I vaguely heard from previous wizarding apprentices that every ten or so classes of apprentices, there's a class with exceptionally high quality and a particularly large number of students. I thought it was our class, so the academy would arrange some unimaginably terrifying trials. But the goal of the trials is simply to survive?"
Robin pouted: "Hmph, they might just throw us into a place overrun by wizard-level monsters, then you'll see if you still think it's easy."
"Pah, pah, pah! You jinx! How could that be?"
Bingham quickly interrupted Robin, afraid that she had hit the nail on the head.
"That's unlikely."
Green shook his head and said with certainty, "If it were really that kind of place, it would be good if even one-tenth of the wizard apprentices from the academy returned alive, let alone those three..."
Green pointed to the three at the very front of the group of wizard apprentices: Yunli, Bibiliona, and Soram.
"Even those three can't guarantee they'll survive."
"The map has been sent over there," said Joklis. "We'll know once we take a look at it."
wow...
All the wizard apprentices who received the trial map were in an uproar, as if they had discovered something incredible.
As soon as Green touched the map, before he could even look at it, a chain of ink appeared on his forehead in a mysterious way, as if it were a time-travel technique. A black chain-shaped pattern then appeared on Green's forehead.
Frowning, Green ignored the pattern and looked directly at the map in his hand.
However, Green had only glanced at it a few times when he too gasped in shock, and a commotion erupted.
1. This trial will take place in a 300-kilometer-long and 300-kilometer-wide uninhabited area within the Thorn Forest. The area will be surrounded by a protective barrier. Participants are not allowed to leave the barrier within the specified time. Those who leave without permission will be warned by a wizard.
II. The participants in this trial are all the new wizarding apprentices from the wizarding academies in the twelve districts of the Seven Rings Holy Tower.
The wizarding academies are: Blacksota Wizarding Academy, Maze Wizarding Academy, Dark Realm Wizarding Academy, Bone Clock Tower Wizarding Academy, Hourglass Wizarding Academy, and Ivory Castle Wizarding Academy.
Third, the trial grounds have three secret realms that open at different times.
The secret realms will be opened for the first time on the day of the trial, with a total of one hundred locations, each containing high-level wizard apprentice-level magical artifacts.
The second opening of the secret realm will take ten days, with a total of ten locations, each containing powerful, consumable magical artifacts.
The third secret realm will open in twenty days, located in one place, containing precious potions and wizard notes that increase the mental strength of wizard apprentices.
Fourth, when you kill other wizard apprentices, the mark on your forehead will automatically absorb their mark.
After the trial ends, for each additional mark added, you will receive a reward of 500 magic stones from the academy.
No wonder Green was in uproar, even though the wizarding academy didn't actually force any wizarding apprentices to fight each other...
but!
Every condition on the map tells the wizard apprentice that only through constant fighting can they improve their strength, make themselves safer, and complete the trial more peacefully!
However, in theory, there are two ways to pass this trial.
The first way to pass is to hide for a month until the trial ends and you return to the academy, which involves a considerable amount of luck.
The second type of trial is to compete for treasures in the ever-opening secret realms, constantly increasing one's strength until reaching a point where one can hunt down others and others dare not provoke one.
"Five hundred magic stones! That'll drive many wizarding apprentices crazy!"
Green didn't need to hesitate at all.
With Green's strength, which relies on his powerful mental strength and the combination of a large number of precious magical artifacts, it would be difficult for any wizarding apprentice to pose a threat to him, unless they are like Yunli, Bibiliona, or Soram, who have rare talents and are trained by second-level wizards with great effort as soon as they enter the wizarding academy.
The ability to rapidly increase one's strength with such a massive amount of magic stones is itself a form of wizarding wisdom!
Of course, this only refers to the first twenty days after the secret realm opens.
If the wizard apprentice obtains those high-powered, consumable magical artifacts twenty days later, that's another story.
"This...this is driving us to our deaths!"
"Bin Johnson wailed."
Yocris let out a sinister laugh.
"Hehehehe, I've longed for a battle like this for ages, just like the fight on that ship back then. For the past three years, we've worked day and night to improve our strength, all for this moment of trial. The difference is, before, we were weak and could only rely on Laffey's protection, but now we..."
Everyone looked at Raffi, whose tight-fitting, slit robe revealed her long, fair legs. Although her chest was covered by the robe, it could not hide her fullness. Her eyes were fixed sharply on the map, exuding an aura that was unquestionable and inviolable.
After a moment's thought, Raffi calmly looked at everyone and said, "Based on my deduction, we were randomly teleported into the trial grounds. Of the six of us, Yorkriana, Binghamson, and..."
Raffi glanced at Green and continued, "And Green, the three of you don't have combat abilities in witchcraft. On the first day, try your best to protect yourselves and stay away from the secret realm. The other three of you should do your best to obtain the magical artifacts in the secret realm. Then, our team will reunite, firstly to prevent the chaos and killing later, and secondly to prepare for the competition after the secret realm opens for the second time."
"understood."
Everyone was used to Lafite's arrangements and didn't care.
Green said in a low voice, "Actually, I have made quite a few preparations and am confident that I can seize the magical artifact from the secret realm."
"you……"
Raffi glanced at Green, but in his heart he didn't think that Green, who had only become a wizard apprentice half a year ago, had any ability. However, considering Green's pride, he didn't say anything more.
Raffi said to everyone, "Well, the other thirteen elders of the Bloodsail Alliance just requested a meeting. After Soram joined and became an elder, they should be discussing the final secret realm. I'll be leaving for a bit."
However, after taking only two steps, Raffi paused, and amidst the stunned expressions of everyone, whose jaws nearly dropped to the ground, he suddenly turned around, quickly hugged Green, and passionately kissed him.
Being kissed in public, especially with his friends present, almost drove Green crazy with fear, his eyes wide open.
"Lafite!?"
Be careful.
Raffi handed Green an earring and left without looking back.
Only then did everyone come to their senses, surrounding Green with the expressions of wolves eyeing lambs, staring intently and howling.
"Wow! Green, explain yourself right now! What exactly happened? Did you and Raffi...?"
Binghamson was the first to jump out, his face beaming with excitement, much like the monkey's rear end that Green had once dissected.
Green quickly said, "No, no, nothing happened between me and Raffi."
"Nothing happened? That means everything happened! Haha, Green, stop trying to cover up your stupid explanations. As a man, I know what's going on!"
Bingham patted Green on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
Robin stomped hard on Bingham's foot, his face flushed, and said, "What do you know?"
"Ah! I was wrong, be gentle, be gentle, if you get injured you won't be able to run in the trial..."
Bingham wailed.
On the other side, after a long moment of astonishment, Yokris murmured, "Great, great! The Queen of Sharp Tongues finally has a man. This is truly a great blessing for the Bloodsail Alliance."
Yokliana's half-face, not covered by the mask, flushed slightly. At her age, girls yearn for love, and seeing this scene naturally made her hope for her own love as well.
Yorkriana walked up to Green, a charming smile playing on her lips, and whispered, "Brother Green, let me put on the earrings that Sister Raffi gave you."
At Yorkliana's irresistible request, Green nodded, allowing her to gently place the earring on her left ear, making it a pair with the Eternity Earring on her right.
"Brother Green, this earring is called Heart of the Vine. Back then, Sister Raffi used this earring to perform her vine magic on the ocean liner."
Yorkriana explained.
The Heart of the Vine?
Back then, some wizard apprentices on the ship secretly referred to Raffi as a vine-wielding sorcerer because of this earring!
Green gave a wry smile. In Raffi's eyes, he was still that little guy who needed her protection.
Although he wanted to show that he wasn't a weakling who needed protection, the warm feeling of being cared for gave Green a strange joy.
"Is this... what it feels like to be in love?"
About half an hourglass later, guided by a dozen wizards, one wizard apprentice after another stepped onto a giant scale.
As a large number of magic stones on the other side of the scale turned into inconspicuous gray stones, the wizard apprentices on this side also blurred and disappeared under a force that distorted space.
However, Green has now discovered that, over the past three years, quite a few of this year's wizarding apprentices have died "accidentally."
"There are 1577 wizarding apprentices participating in the Blacksota Wizarding Academy's newcomer trials this year. In a moment, you will each receive a map of the trial grounds. The task of this trial is to survive in the trial grounds for one month and return safely; otherwise, you will have passed the trial!"
On the high platform, a wizard shouted in an encouraging tone, but deep in his voice was a strange excitement.
"That's so simple? Really?"
"What's going on? Why is this year's Bloody Grinding Mill rookie trial so easy?"
The many wizarding apprentices below the stage were discussing it animatedly, finding this simple trial for newcomers unbelievable.
On the other side, Raffi, Green, Joklis, Yorkriana, Binghamson, and Robin stood together.
Bingham frowned and said, "That doesn't make sense. I vaguely heard from previous wizarding apprentices that every ten or so classes of apprentices, there's a class with exceptionally high quality and a particularly large number of students. I thought it was our class, so the academy would arrange some unimaginably terrifying trials. But the goal of the trials is simply to survive?"
Robin pouted: "Hmph, they might just throw us into a place overrun by wizard-level monsters, then you'll see if you still think it's easy."
"Pah, pah, pah! You jinx! How could that be?"
Bingham quickly interrupted Robin, afraid that she had hit the nail on the head.
"That's unlikely."
Green shook his head and said with certainty, "If it were really that kind of place, it would be good if even one-tenth of the wizard apprentices from the academy returned alive, let alone those three..."
Green pointed to the three at the very front of the group of wizard apprentices: Yunli, Bibiliona, and Soram.
"Even those three can't guarantee they'll survive."
"The map has been sent over there," said Joklis. "We'll know once we take a look at it."
wow...
All the wizard apprentices who received the trial map were in an uproar, as if they had discovered something incredible.
As soon as Green touched the map, before he could even look at it, a chain of ink appeared on his forehead in a mysterious way, as if it were a time-travel technique. A black chain-shaped pattern then appeared on Green's forehead.
Frowning, Green ignored the pattern and looked directly at the map in his hand.
However, Green had only glanced at it a few times when he too gasped in shock, and a commotion erupted.
1. This trial will take place in a 300-kilometer-long and 300-kilometer-wide uninhabited area within the Thorn Forest. The area will be surrounded by a protective barrier. Participants are not allowed to leave the barrier within the specified time. Those who leave without permission will be warned by a wizard.
II. The participants in this trial are all the new wizarding apprentices from the wizarding academies in the twelve districts of the Seven Rings Holy Tower.
The wizarding academies are: Blacksota Wizarding Academy, Maze Wizarding Academy, Dark Realm Wizarding Academy, Bone Clock Tower Wizarding Academy, Hourglass Wizarding Academy, and Ivory Castle Wizarding Academy.
Third, the trial grounds have three secret realms that open at different times.
The secret realms will be opened for the first time on the day of the trial, with a total of one hundred locations, each containing high-level wizard apprentice-level magical artifacts.
The second opening of the secret realm will take ten days, with a total of ten locations, each containing powerful, consumable magical artifacts.
The third secret realm will open in twenty days, located in one place, containing precious potions and wizard notes that increase the mental strength of wizard apprentices.
Fourth, when you kill other wizard apprentices, the mark on your forehead will automatically absorb their mark.
After the trial ends, for each additional mark added, you will receive a reward of 500 magic stones from the academy.
No wonder Green was in uproar, even though the wizarding academy didn't actually force any wizarding apprentices to fight each other...
but!
Every condition on the map tells the wizard apprentice that only through constant fighting can they improve their strength, make themselves safer, and complete the trial more peacefully!
However, in theory, there are two ways to pass this trial.
The first way to pass is to hide for a month until the trial ends and you return to the academy, which involves a considerable amount of luck.
The second type of trial is to compete for treasures in the ever-opening secret realms, constantly increasing one's strength until reaching a point where one can hunt down others and others dare not provoke one.
"Five hundred magic stones! That'll drive many wizarding apprentices crazy!"
Green didn't need to hesitate at all.
With Green's strength, which relies on his powerful mental strength and the combination of a large number of precious magical artifacts, it would be difficult for any wizarding apprentice to pose a threat to him, unless they are like Yunli, Bibiliona, or Soram, who have rare talents and are trained by second-level wizards with great effort as soon as they enter the wizarding academy.
The ability to rapidly increase one's strength with such a massive amount of magic stones is itself a form of wizarding wisdom!
Of course, this only refers to the first twenty days after the secret realm opens.
If the wizard apprentice obtains those high-powered, consumable magical artifacts twenty days later, that's another story.
"This...this is driving us to our deaths!"
"Bin Johnson wailed."
Yocris let out a sinister laugh.
"Hehehehe, I've longed for a battle like this for ages, just like the fight on that ship back then. For the past three years, we've worked day and night to improve our strength, all for this moment of trial. The difference is, before, we were weak and could only rely on Laffey's protection, but now we..."
Everyone looked at Raffi, whose tight-fitting, slit robe revealed her long, fair legs. Although her chest was covered by the robe, it could not hide her fullness. Her eyes were fixed sharply on the map, exuding an aura that was unquestionable and inviolable.
After a moment's thought, Raffi calmly looked at everyone and said, "Based on my deduction, we were randomly teleported into the trial grounds. Of the six of us, Yorkriana, Binghamson, and..."
Raffi glanced at Green and continued, "And Green, the three of you don't have combat abilities in witchcraft. On the first day, try your best to protect yourselves and stay away from the secret realm. The other three of you should do your best to obtain the magical artifacts in the secret realm. Then, our team will reunite, firstly to prevent the chaos and killing later, and secondly to prepare for the competition after the secret realm opens for the second time."
"understood."
Everyone was used to Lafite's arrangements and didn't care.
Green said in a low voice, "Actually, I have made quite a few preparations and am confident that I can seize the magical artifact from the secret realm."
"you……"
Raffi glanced at Green, but in his heart he didn't think that Green, who had only become a wizard apprentice half a year ago, had any ability. However, considering Green's pride, he didn't say anything more.
Raffi said to everyone, "Well, the other thirteen elders of the Bloodsail Alliance just requested a meeting. After Soram joined and became an elder, they should be discussing the final secret realm. I'll be leaving for a bit."
However, after taking only two steps, Raffi paused, and amidst the stunned expressions of everyone, whose jaws nearly dropped to the ground, he suddenly turned around, quickly hugged Green, and passionately kissed him.
Being kissed in public, especially with his friends present, almost drove Green crazy with fear, his eyes wide open.
"Lafite!?"
Be careful.
Raffi handed Green an earring and left without looking back.
Only then did everyone come to their senses, surrounding Green with the expressions of wolves eyeing lambs, staring intently and howling.
"Wow! Green, explain yourself right now! What exactly happened? Did you and Raffi...?"
Binghamson was the first to jump out, his face beaming with excitement, much like the monkey's rear end that Green had once dissected.
Green quickly said, "No, no, nothing happened between me and Raffi."
"Nothing happened? That means everything happened! Haha, Green, stop trying to cover up your stupid explanations. As a man, I know what's going on!"
Bingham patted Green on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
Robin stomped hard on Bingham's foot, his face flushed, and said, "What do you know?"
"Ah! I was wrong, be gentle, be gentle, if you get injured you won't be able to run in the trial..."
Bingham wailed.
On the other side, after a long moment of astonishment, Yokris murmured, "Great, great! The Queen of Sharp Tongues finally has a man. This is truly a great blessing for the Bloodsail Alliance."
Yokliana's half-face, not covered by the mask, flushed slightly. At her age, girls yearn for love, and seeing this scene naturally made her hope for her own love as well.
Yorkriana walked up to Green, a charming smile playing on her lips, and whispered, "Brother Green, let me put on the earrings that Sister Raffi gave you."
At Yorkliana's irresistible request, Green nodded, allowing her to gently place the earring on her left ear, making it a pair with the Eternity Earring on her right.
"Brother Green, this earring is called Heart of the Vine. Back then, Sister Raffi used this earring to perform her vine magic on the ocean liner."
Yorkriana explained.
The Heart of the Vine?
Back then, some wizard apprentices on the ship secretly referred to Raffi as a vine-wielding sorcerer because of this earring!
Green gave a wry smile. In Raffi's eyes, he was still that little guy who needed her protection.
Although he wanted to show that he wasn't a weakling who needed protection, the warm feeling of being cared for gave Green a strange joy.
"Is this... what it feels like to be in love?"
About half an hourglass later, guided by a dozen wizards, one wizard apprentice after another stepped onto a giant scale.
As a large number of magic stones on the other side of the scale turned into inconspicuous gray stones, the wizard apprentices on this side also blurred and disappeared under a force that distorted space.