Aptitude

Only then did Locke realize that besides them, there were many other Wizard Seedlings on the Wizard Ship's deck, numbering several dozen.

The Wizard Ship's deck was extremely spacious, so even with dozens of people standing on it, it did not feel crowded.

Almost every one of them possessed formidable Mental Power, and many had Mana far deeper than his own.

Locke steadied himself. Right—his Level 3 aptitude was considered decent wizard aptitude on Corfu Island, but aboard this Wizard Ship from the Southeastern Corner Region, it was utterly ordinary.

There had to be many Wizard Seedlings on this ship with Level 4 or Level 5 wizard aptitude, perhaps even Level 6 or Level 7.

One of the three wizards aboard the Wizard Ship held the files for Locke and the other two. After briefly flipping through them, he said, "I am the wizard mentor responsible for managing your lives aboard the ship. Until you are assigned to an Academy and disembark, you will follow my instructions."

"Now, I will test your Mana and inspect your spells."

"First, Locke Augustine. Use your spell to attack the Amethyst Matrix in my hand with all your strength."

"First, let me confirm this. Locke Augustine, you are sixteen years old, correct?"

Locke nodded. "Yes, Mentor."

He pinched a wildflower in his left hand and softly recited an incantation. The flower in his hand instantly withered.

Meanwhile, five branches of Mandrake emerged from beneath the coat covering Locke's right hand. Like the five fingers of a hand, they covered the Amethyst Matrix, causing ripples to spread across its surface.

Two numbers appeared within the Amethyst Matrix—[18, 0.2].

The wizard mentor in charge of the test announced, "Mental Power: 18. The power of Vine Hand: 0.2 rings."

"Two years of study. Wizard aptitude: Level 3. Primary compatible elemental particles: Wood Element. Secondary compatible elemental particles: Metal Element. All right, next."

Locke looked at the Amethyst Matrix. So this was the tool Headmaster Tungus had mentioned, used to test precise Mana values.

So his Mental Power was currently at 18.

According to Headmaster Tungus, the minimum Mental Power for a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice should be 10. His was currently 18, likely because he had learned two cantrips.

Next was Patti's test. Patti used Searing Sparks on the Amethyst Matrix.

As a wave of fire surged forth, the Amethyst Matrix within the flames displayed two numbers: [10, 0.1].

This meant Patti's Mana was 10, while the Searing Sparks she had just cast was only 0.1 rings.

Patti stepped aside, her expression somewhat unpleasant. Locke comforted her, "It's all right, Patti. I think your spell's power should be higher than 0.1 rings. It just hasn't reached the energy level of 0.2 rings yet."

A smile appeared on Patti's face. "I think so too."

"Thank you, Locke."

Next came Kode. Since he had not learned any spells, the wizard mentors merely had him place his palm on the Amethyst Matrix and use his Mana to strike the amethyst. In the end, a single number appeared within it: [7].

Kode's face went pale. He had always thought he was very close to being able to use his first spell, but the minimum Mental Power required to cast a cantrip was 10.

His Mental Power was currently only 7.

That meant he was actually still quite far from being able to use his first spell.

The wizard mentor said, "Kode, fifteen years old. Wizard aptitude: Level 1. Primary compatible element: Water Element. Secondary compatible element: Wind Element."

"The testing is complete."

"The rooms aboard the Wizard Ship are divided into seven categories, assigned according to wizard aptitude level. Wizard Seedlings with Level 1 aptitude may only live on the lowest level of the Wizard Ship. Wizard Seedlings with Level 3 aptitude or lower may only live beneath the deck."

"Only Wizard Seedlings with wizard aptitude above Level 4 may live in the rooms above the Wizard Ship's deck."

"I will explain this only once. You may now find rooms corresponding to your wizard aptitude and settle in."

"One more reminder: the Endless Mysterious Sea is extremely dangerous. Do not wander around without reason."

Locke looked at Patti and Kode in surprise. Because of Headmaster Tungus, he had originally planned to stay in nearby rooms with the two of them.

Who would have thought that on the Wizard Ship, the dormitories were separated by different wizard aptitude levels?

In other words, from the very moment they boarded, the class structure of the Wizarding World had already divided people into different categories, granting them different treatment.

Kode looked somewhat regretful. "Mentors, can't we stay together? We are friends, and we come from the same continent."

At that moment, the three wizard mentors aboard the Wizard Ship did not even bother responding to Locke's group. They simply turned and left.

The three wizard mentors continued muttering among themselves.

One wizard mentor whispered to the mentor who had taken the lead earlier, "Jarvis, wasn't the spell that first child used just now Vine Hand, the spell you specialize in?"

"But why was he using Mandrake vines? Haven't those vines long since been replaced by Tifro Rootvine because they were outdated?"

"There should be supporting advanced spells after Vine Hand, but he used Mandrake vines. He will probably have to discard it and start learning again later."

Jarvis glanced at him but said nothing.

The third wizard mentor aboard the ship sneered. "Wizard Seedlings from backwater places are all like this. Their spells have been outdated for decades. He seems to be from Corfu Island, right...?"

"I heard that in that place's mortal world, even wizards have become something out of legend."

"Their Seven Gods Faith was probably spread there by certain Formal Wizards from the Southeastern Corner Region."

"The souls of mortals who believe in the Seven Gods Faith fabricated by those Formal Wizards will be marked. After death, their souls will fly directly into the Soul Prisons created by those Formal Wizards and become experimental materials."

"That is what powerful Formal Wizards are like. Will I ever have a chance to become a Formal Wizard in this lifetime?"

Jarvis looked at him with contempt in his eyes. "Dali, you talk too much. With your Level 4 wizard aptitude, do you think you have a chance to become a Formal Wizard in this lifetime?"

"Getting this far was not easy for you."

"Do not be too greedy."

"You!" Dali glared at Jarvis furiously. But when he remembered that Jarvis was a First-Class Wizard Apprentice in the Botany branch of the Life Magic School at Four Seasons Garden—and that his Mana was said to be very close to that of a Formal Wizard, his magical attainments extremely high, and his wizard aptitude as high as Level 6—

Dali forcibly suppressed his anger, afraid that in a moment of foolishness, he would make an enemy of a First-Class Wizard Apprentice like Jarvis, someone who would certainly become a Formal Wizard in the future.

On the other side, Locke overheard the conversation between the wizard mentors and learned that Vine Hand in the Southeastern Corner Region had now switched to Magic Vine seeds.

But it did not matter. Locke calmed himself and looked out over the world atop the Wizard Ship's deck, a sight that could only be called spectacular.

One step at a time.

In the future, he could find a way to replace it with higher-grade Magic Vine. Besides, he might not even need to replace it.

After all, he had the Horadric Cube. He could use synthesis to forcibly raise the quality of the Mandrake vines.

Locke and the others bid each other farewell on the Wizard Ship's deck, then headed toward rooms on different levels according to their wizard aptitude ranks.

Kode could only descend the stairs from the deck, pass through dark passageways, and make his way to the very bottom, where he would live in a dark, damp room.

Patti, meanwhile, lived on the second-lowest level.

Although Locke could not live above the deck, his aptitude was Level 3, so he could stay in the rooms on the level closest to the deck.

Though this level was also beneath the Wizard Ship's deck, the windows on either side of the rooms let in some sunlight. It was also less damp, with far less mold.

At that time, more than half the rooms on the level directly beneath the deck were still empty. Locke casually chose one and moved in.

The room was oval in shape, as though he were living inside a wine barrel.

Perhaps this was to save space, or perhaps it was to accommodate the structure of the ship's hull.

There was a glass window in the wooden wall on the left side of the room, through which he could see the turbulent sea and gray skies outside the cabin.

The wooden bed was placed atop a ring of wooden barrels, but the quilt, mattress, and pillow were all very clean.

They were made of clean, soft fabric, and the quilt and pillow seemed to be stuffed with cotton and goose down.

It was unexpectedly comfortable to sleep on.

Locke had only just sat on the bed, intending to rest for a while. The Wizard Ship still had many islands to visit to pick up Wizard Seedlings, and it would be a long time before they disembarked.

So he could rest here for a while longer.

But not long after sitting down, he heard an argument in the corridor outside.

"Why can't I, a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, live on this level? I am already a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, and my Mental Power is as high as 14, far above the threshold for Third-Class Wizard Apprentices."

"Most of the people in the lowest cabin are basically ordinary people. I am different from them. I want to live on this level!"