Departure

A high-ranking wizard in magnificent wizard robes, his hair and beard both white, floated above the teleportation array.

His voice spread across the entire venue through amplification runes, silencing all the apprentices.

"The trial is about to begin!" The high-ranking wizard's voice was solemn and imposing. "The location of this trial is a minor plane newly acquired by Thirteenth Noren Academy—codenamed the 'Gray Rock Plane'!"

"There is only one objective for the trial: collect the score tokens distributed by the Academy throughout the Gray Rock Plane. The tokens carry different point values depending on the danger level of the area where they are located. Your final rankings will be determined by the total points you possess upon your return."

"The Gray Rock Plane has yet to undergo extensive development or clearing. It contains a great number of native beasts and treacherous environmental hazards. This is a comprehensive test of what you have learned, as well as an assessment of your survival skills, judgment, and ability to work as a team."

"Besides collecting score tokens, you may also gather unique resources from the plane on your own. Once you return, you may choose to keep those resources or submit them to the Academy. The Academy will purchase them according to their value."

"For this trial, apprentices may carry any amount of apprentice-grade equipment and potions. Any official wizard-grade equipment must have been personally crafted or prepared by the apprentice themselves! Once cheating is discovered, your trial qualifications will be revoked immediately, and severe punishment will follow!"

There were no restrictions whatsoever on apprentice-grade equipment. It sounded somewhat unfair to poorer students, but none of the apprentices found it particularly surprising.

After all, to wizards, one's resources were part of one's strength.

As for apprentices making official wizard-grade equipment themselves... it sounded absurd, but the truly top-tier geniuses might really be capable of it.

For example, Benjamin's Rune Artifact.

"This trial uses a voluntary registration system," the high-ranking wizard said. "All apprentices participating in the trial must have reached the standard of a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice."

This rule filtered out some apprentices with poorer aptitude or insufficient diligence.

However, after nearly five years of study and meditation at the Academy, the apprentices of Noren Academy all had solid foundations. Aside from the few who truly could not break through, most had already reached the standard of a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice.

Benjamin noticed that while the high-ranking wizard spoke, many apprentices who appeared more mature were also standing in the line preparing to enter the teleportation array.

"Those people..."

Amy popped up beside him and followed Benjamin's gaze. "Them? They should be apprentices from the previous class."

Noren Academy recruited students once every five years, and apprentices usually remained for ten years, so there were generally two classes of apprentices at the Academy at the same time.

"For some reason, the Academy has also tacitly allowed these older students to participate in this trial," Victor said as he quietly walked over.

He looked Benjamin and Amy over, scrutinizing them for a moment. Whatever conclusion he reached, he ultimately shook his head.

"These older apprentices are under the pressure of soon heading to the battlefield. No one knows how many trump cards each of them has stockpiled. If you really run into them, surrendering decisively would be the wiser choice."

Benjamin and Amy exchanged a glance. Neither agreed nor disagreed with his suggestion.

In theory, there was no upper limit to the number of Wizardry Models a wizard could construct.

Even Wizard Apprentices could, disregarding spellcasting requirements and the problem of insufficient mental power, use a rather "heretical" method—directly purchasing Wizardry Models and constructing an unlimited number of them within their Spirit Seas.

However, constructing a Wizardry Model consumed a portion of mental power, permanently solidifying it within the Spirit Sea. And once a Wizardry Model collapsed, it would also inflict a considerable mental shock upon the Spirit Sea.

Simply put, every Wizardry Model constructed meant losing a point from one's maximum mental power.

Constructing too many Wizardry Models would inevitably affect the speed of cultivation.

But the older apprentices had reached Level 3 Wizard Apprentice long ago. As long as they had accumulated enough mental power to advance to Level 1 Wizard, any additional mental power they gained could be used to construct Wizardry Models.

Even if those older apprentices had used heretical methods to construct their Wizardry Models, their spells might not be as flexible to control, but their destructive power would definitely not be much weaker.

The older apprentices had five more years of accumulation than the newer ones. In terms of points, equipment, knowledge, and number of Wizardry Models, they were surely far ahead.

Everyone might be Level 3 Wizard Apprentices, but if they truly fought, the older apprentices would undoubtedly hold the advantage in combat strength.

Victor's words were unpleasant to hear, but they were the truth for many newer apprentices.

As they spoke, the high-ranking wizard above suddenly waved his hand, and a vast shower of starlike lights drifted down.

The lights fell precisely before every person. Benjamin reached out and lightly tapped the mote before him, and the starlight transformed into a ring that coiled around his finger.

Looking up, he saw that every mote had found its intended recipient with perfect precision, turning into rings upon contact.

"What exquisite Alchemy!"

Benjamin could not help exclaiming at the sight.

It was not only him. Amy and Victor, as apprentices of Alchemy Studies, also could not keep the astonishment from their faces.

Those motes of light were not raw materials of any kind. They were genuine pure energy. That one technique of converting energy and matter into one another was already leagues beyond the three of them.

What was more, Benjamin sensed an array formed from numerous runes within the ring, and the remaining energy from the mass-energy conversion had activated those arrays perfectly.

And there were so many people in the square right now...

Some things looked novel to outsiders, but to insiders, they were simply a dazzling display of skill.

"This is an emergency escape device. If you encounter danger, you may activate it with mental power and directly leave the plane. However, if you do so, your trial results will be void."

At those words, many people in the square had flickering looks in their eyes, as though they had thought of something.

"...Those are the rules of this trial. Good luck."

The high-ranking wizard finally finished speaking, and the teleportation array beside him slowly began to glow.

"All apprentices who have registered and passed the qualification verification, prepare to enter the teleportation array!"

The Wizard Apprentices began walking toward the teleportation array in an orderly fashion, and the atmosphere grew tense once more.

Benjamin nodded to Amy. "Go on. Be careful."

"You too! Don't push yourself!" Amy said solemnly, then followed the crowd toward the teleportation array.

Benjamin stood in the line, his heart as still as an ancient well.

He stepped into the center of the massive teleportation array, and blue light instantly enveloped him.

Violent spatial fluctuations swept over him, his body seeming to be torn apart and kneaded by an invisible giant hand.

An overwhelming sensation of weightlessness and dizziness surged through him. Before his eyes, only dazzling light and warped scenery remained.