Dungeon Pass

That night, the guild arranged vehicles to transport the temporary team members who had taken part in the operation and chosen to stay, along with some of the wounded who needed further treatment or rest, back to the Iron Cross Guild headquarters in the Inner Ring District in batches.

Standing before the imposing, stately building once more, Su Ran felt entirely different.

Before, he had been an anxious applicant. Now, he was a prospective member.

They were taken to a spacious reception hall, where they completed temporary registration as prospective members and received new identification cards.

The cards were more official than the temporary badges and granted access to some internal areas. They were also assigned temporary dormitory accommodation, one room per person, with conditions far better than those at the previous ad hoc party camp.

Once they had settled in, all the newly accepted prospective members were summoned to a small conference room, where a mid-level guild official explained what came next.

"First, welcome once again to everyone who has chosen the Iron Cross."

The official was a capable middle-aged woman. Her tone was calm, but her explanation was clear and orderly. "Your one-month probation period officially begins now.

"During probation, besides abiding by the guild's basic rules and attending assigned basic training and public courses, your most important task

"is to prove your abilities, your value, and your contribution to the guild by completing the various missions it issues."

"As an initial benefit and test, the guild will issue each of you a dungeon pass based on your registered class, level, and preliminary assessment.

"Your first independent task is to use the pass to enter the designated dungeon within the allotted time, usually three days, successfully clear it, and bring back specific materials obtained inside or complete a specific objective."

She motioned for her assistant to begin handing out the passes. They were specially made metal cards engraved with information such as the dungeon's name, entry level, and objective requirements, and bound to their recipients' identities.

Su Ran took his pass.

[Dungeon Pass: Blackstone Tower (Trial)]

Entry level: Lv.4–Lv.6

Objective: pass the combat and spell tests within the tower and collect at least three different fragments of ancient magical knowledge or arcane experiment records.

Note: Blackstone Tower is the ruins of an ancient mage tower, equipped with various automated defenses and trial mechanisms. This is not a dungeon focused solely on killing monsters; it emphasizes challengers' overall abilities and wisdom.

Time limit: 72 hours.

[Blackstone Tower (Trial)].

Su Ran looked at the information on the pass, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

Sure enough, the Iron Cross Guild's assessment of the Mage class was not a simple, brute-force exercise in killing and gathering. It leaned more toward testing the ability to acquire knowledge, use spells, and solve problems. That suited the class's characteristics well.

Combat and spell tests... ancient magical knowledge... arcane experiment records...

This was more interesting and challenging than simply mining or killing monsters.

Su Ran glanced at Alina's pass beside him. Hers was [Windwhisper Forest (Normal)], and she needed to obtain feathers from a certain wind-element bird.

Karl's was [Frost Cave (Normal)], with ice crystals as the objective. Xiaoguang's was [Abandoned Church (Easy)], where he needed to collect purified holy water.

Rex had not yet recovered from his serious injuries, so he had not been assigned a task for the time being. He would have to make it up once he recovered.

"During the mission, the guild will not provide party assistance. You must complete it independently or find other prospective members to cooperate with yourselves.

"This is a preliminary test of your personal abilities, resource acquisition, and interpersonal skills."

The official continued, "Once you have completed the task, bring your proof and the objective items back to the guild for handover. You will then receive official certification as prospective members and unlock the ability to accumulate contribution points and exchange them for benefits.

"Failure, or failing to finish within the time limit, will count as failing the assessment."

"Now, you have one day to prepare. The mission timer will officially start at this time tomorrow. Dismissed."

Everyone left the conference room and began discussing and preparing for their respective tasks.

Leaning on a crutch, Rex said to the team members who gathered around him, "The doctor said I'll have to stay in bed for at least another two days before I can barely move around. I won't make it in time for this mission. Be careful, all of you."

Back in his temporary dorm room, Su Ran did not rest immediately. He shut the door and activated the room's basic soundproofing barrier.

He quickly searched his Personal Terminal for public information on [Blackstone Tower]. There was little to find; after all, it was a trial dungeon provided internally by the guild. Combining what he found with his own judgment, he began to prepare.

Besides his usual combat equipment—the Mithril Staff, Mycelial Robe, and various accessories—and consumables such as potions and scrolls, Su Ran paid particular attention to checking the status of [Knowledge Insight Lv.3].

This skill would be crucial when exploring and deciphering his surroundings.

Su Ran considered the types of spell tests he might encounter: precision in energy manipulation, speed in constructing spell models, responding to spells of different attributes, or breaking preset spell traps.

For the combat test, he might face elemental puppets, arcane constructs, or other automated defense units commonly found in mage towers.

Early the next morning, Su Ran set out in high spirits for the entrance to [Blackstone Tower (Trial)] in the Wilderness dungeon.

It was a spire standing alone on the wasteland, built entirely of a kind of black stone that reflected no light. About thirty meters tall, it had no windows, only a tightly shut metal gate covered in intricate runes.

The tower emitted a still, ancient arcane fluctuation that seemed utterly out of place in its surroundings.

Su Ran verified his pass, and the runes on the metal gate lit up one after another. The gate then slid silently inward, revealing a profound darkness within.

He tightened his grip on his staff. The force field of [Mage Armor] flowed silently around him as he stepped inside.

The gate closed behind him, shutting out the light from outside.

The tower's first floor was a circular hall, its walls embedded with faintly glowing crystals that provided dim illumination.

Three lifelike stone golems stood in the center of the hall, their eyes flashing red. When Su Ran stepped into the hall, all three turned their heads toward him at once.

[Blackstone Guardian Golem Lv.5]

An automated defense unit of an ancient mage tower. Its physical defense is extremely high, and it has strong resistance to low-tier spells. Weak points: joint connections. Its energy core is usually located in its chest or back.

There was no unnecessary dialogue or warning. The three golems advanced on Su Ran with heavy steps, arranged in a triangle.

"Has the combat test started?" Su Ran's gaze sharpened.

He did not rush to attack. Instead, he quickly surveyed the hall.

Besides the golems, there were rune markings arranged in patterns on the floor and walls, and faint traces of energy flowing across the ceiling.

[Knowledge Insight] triggered passively: the runes on the floor appeared to form a simple energy-gathering and interference array, which might affect spell effectiveness or replenish the golems' energy.

The flow of energy on the ceiling... led to an inconspicuous recess at the back of the hall, possibly a mechanism or the entrance to the next floor.