"Next comes the second phase of this lesson.
You will have three Magic Hours to explore freely. When the light orb in midair turns golden, return here and gather.
Any items you obtain during your exploration will belong to you. But remember to keep them on your person; we'll use them in later lessons.
Lastly, watch out for hidden magical traps and dangerous underground creatures. I don't want to see any of you drop out!"
Nancy waved her hand, and Mana gathered under her will into a gentle whirlwind, sweeping away all the dust around the fountain.
Then, she sat by the cleaned poolside, took out a magic book with a gray-white cover, and began reading on her own.
Having received permission to explore freely, everyone scattered in all directions, heading toward different parts of the city ruins.
Among them, nearly half of the stronger Second and Third Rank Pamir students independently chose to head for the imposing building behind the fountain.
Anyone with eyes could tell that this building was likely something like the city's City Lord's Mansion.
The chances of finding something valuable there were the highest.
Indeed, the academy's previous ruin explorers might have thoroughly searched the place already, stripping it of every important item.
But valuable gains did not necessarily mean treasure. The decorative style, structural features, inscribed murals, deciphered mechanisms, and Ancient Magic Arrays here were equally precious knowledge to them.
After all, their main purpose was learning, not treasure hunting.
Anvis strolled leisurely through a ruined High Elf courtyard, seemingly casually observing the elven architecture around him.
Yet beneath the white gloves on his left hand, a gemstone-set Ring glimmered with faint spiritual light, connected to an invisible Arcane Eye in midair.
The surroundings possessed a strange vitality. Though the original vegetation had