Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. On the Eloria Plane, Noren No. 147 Wizard Academy finally welcomed its historic opening day.
The Academy's grand gates, forged from enchanted metal and stardust, towered into the clouds, radiating an aura of knowledge and power.
Benjamin, along with several other wizards temporarily assigned to maintain order, hovered silently above the gates.
Below, a group of children had arrived from every direction and were lining up to enter the Academy.
Their faces were filled with anticipation and wonder. They were the first seeds of hope for the Eloria Plane.
Yet, gazing at the exceedingly sparse queue, Benjamin could not help shaking his head inwardly and sighing softly.
"Too few..."
He made a rough estimate. The total number of apprentices who had come to register was likely fewer than three hundred.
Compared to the grand scenes he had witnessed on Noren Plane 13, where thousands of apprentices rushed in to enroll every time, this was far too desolate.
Still, it was only natural.
The humans of the Eloria Plane had accepted the guidance of Wizard Civilization and undergone aptitude modification for only a few centuries. Their foundations remained shallow.
To reach the explosive emergence of talent seen in mature planes would likely require several more millennia of continuous accumulation and evolution.
After all the new students had been guided to their designated areas for aptitude rechecks and registration, Benjamin slowly descended onto the broad Blackstone Plaza at the center of the Academy.
By then, recruitment platforms for the various wizard schools had already been erected around the plaza. Colorful banners and emblems representing different schools swayed gently in the breeze.
Benjamin swept his gaze over them and found that the number of schools here was nowhere near as comprehensive as on Noren