Before long, Richard and the young man, along with the rest of the group, followed the Female Wizard called Peggy and two other Male Wizards into a spacious courtyard.
The courtyard was over a hundred meters long and wide. More than a dozen water-filled vats stood in the center, their purpose unknown.
The group watched curiously. Then Peggy reached into her sleeve and took out a gray Crystal Ball. Holding it before the nearest Wizard Apprentice, she said succinctly, "Touch it."
The Wizard Apprentice glanced at the Crystal Ball, realizing it was a tool for testing wizard level, and asked, "Do I need to inject mana into it?"
"No," Peggy said. "Just touch it."
"Oh." The Wizard Apprentice nodded and carefully placed a hand on it, looking as though he feared damaging the Crystal Ball.
The instant his hand touched its surface, the Crystal Ball lit up rapidly, and a pale red glow flashed within.
"Wizard, what does that mean?" the Wizard Apprentice asked quietly.
"Qualified," Peggy said. Without further explanation, she withdrew the Crystal Ball and held it out to the person beside him. "Next."
Having seen what happened to the first person, the neighboring Wizard Apprentice did not hesitate. He quickly touched it, and an even brighter red glow immediately flashed inside the Crystal Ball.
"Qualified," Peggy said again, taking back the Crystal Ball and passing it to the third person, then the fourth...
In this manner, the test proceeded swiftly.
In the end, two ordinary people disguised as Wizard Apprentices in hopes of trying their luck were directly thrown out by the waiting Male Wizards. Another person who possessed the strength of a Level 1 Wizard but had deliberately disguised himself as a Wizard Apprentice was politely escorted out of the courtyard by a Male Wizard.
Richard