Female Wizard

Chapter 30: Female Wizard

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu turned and glanced at Antinoa beside him.

She still looked utterly mysterious beneath her hooded cloak, showing no objection whatsoever.

Zhao Xu felt that something was off about the elderly wizard, but he did not hesitate for long before stepping forward.

At this moment, all the Mage Apprentices below the stage sat obediently, their eyes constantly sweeping over him, the first person to take the plunge.

Even the most unruly players had either deleted their accounts and left after two weeks of Arthur's wizard training, or remained. Those who could endure had never lacked patience.

Still, quite a few players could not help muttering that Arthur was supposed to have no paid advantages, with everything depending solely on individual ability.

Why did Zhao Xu, who looked so unremarkable and showed not the slightest edge, receive special treatment and get to go onstage without saying a word?

The native apprentices of Arthur, meanwhile, secretly analyzed the background of the young man before them.

Two weeks ago, many wizard apprentices from noble families had received word that a group of adventurers from another world called Earth would project themselves into Arthur.

Even without leaving the Floating City, they had their own private channels of information.

Not to mention that over the past ten days or so, they had personally witnessed how these beings calling themselves players could complete wizard training at an astonishing pace, achieving in a short time what had taken them years, even decades, of effort.

Under the scrutiny of countless gazes, Zhao Xu blushed a little as well. He finally understood what Harry Potter must have felt facing the Sorting Hat.

At last, Zhao Xu slowly walked onto the stage.

His gaze immediately settled on the thing known as the "Arcane Throne."

The stage floor was uneven. The stone platform had not been covered by carpet, and hollowed-out runic carvings everywhere bore the marks of time.

In Mystra, countless novice Wizards had endured long hardships just like him before completing their studies, stepping onto this stage, and beginning the adventure of their lives.

When Zhao Xu reached the throne, he realized that it was already covered in dense scratches.

Who knew what level of spell bombardment it had endured?

Suddenly, disbelief flashed through his eyes.

This throne, whose back alone stood two people tall, was actually made entirely of Mithral.

Zhao Xu's mind immediately began calculating. Mithral cost more than 1,000 GP per pound, and this throne had to weigh over a ton.

Wouldn't that make it worth more than two million gold coins?

It might even be worth twice that.

His chance to get rich was right here.

Zhao Xu smiled. He had finally broadened his horizons and laid hands on an item worth millions of gold coins.

Like Antinoa's +12 legendary Intelligence Headband, it remained hidden beneath the hood of her cloak, just as unseen as her face.

"Stop foolishly calculating what that thing is worth. Sit down already. Later, I still have to take you see how Wizards fight."

Zhao Xu's entire body suddenly went numb as Antinoa's voice appeared directly in his mind.

His composure was fairly good, and he did not turn to look at Antinoa.

Although he had never done this before, Zhao Xu focused his attention on the halo on his Character Card panel. Then, as if he had gone mad, he muttered to himself inwardly, "Mentor, can you hear my voice?"

"Of course. This is a fifth-level Mind Link. Naturally, it works both ways."

Reassured, Zhao Xu turned around and sat directly upon the Arcane Throne.

His eyes met those of the new Wizards below the stage, and he had the illusion of looking down upon his own subjects.

Feeling the faint chill of metal beneath him, Zhao Xu reached out and touched one of the throne's armrests.

"This was the throne of Ernest, the Archmage Throne of ancient times. We later dug it up and used it as a medium for the awakening ritual. With its power, the ritual's success rate can be raised to over eighty percent."

"Mentor, you mean the awakening success rate isn't one hundred percent?"

"Have you ever seen anything with a one hundred percent success rate?"

Hearing that, Zhao Xu could not help cursing the secondhand information in his heart.

Back in his Previous Life, when everyone bragged and chatted in Arthur, no one had ever mentioned this.

If it was not guaranteed, wasn't that a scam?

Why had there been no discussion of it on the forums these past few days?

Before Zhao Xu could think any further, however—

A pillar of light poured down from above his head, seven-colored glassy radiance warmly illuminating his entire body.

The flowing light scattered across the ground like water, spreading along the paths of the inscriptions.

Everyone below the stage could not help opening their mouths and staring blankly at the scene.

Even the aged wizard's hand trembled slightly.

He kept trying to recall whether anyone over the past century had ever displayed such an anomaly.

Zhao Xu noticed none of this. The scene before him abruptly transformed into an enormous circular library, with countless books piled layer upon layer all the way to the heavens.

Before those mountains of books stood a female Wizard. Her wine-red outer robe of golden brocade looked indescribably harmonious upon her.

She seemed to bathe within the river of time itself, both the beginning and the end.

For the first time in his life, Zhao Xu felt that perfection without flaw must look like this.

The woman slowly walked up to him, as though she intended to bend down and serve at his side.

Zhao Xu suddenly squeezed his eyes shut.

He remembered that he was here to undergo a ritual that could fail.

Did wizard awakening also involve seductive demons from beyond the world? No, it should be succubi from the Abyss.

Fearing that this was some kind of test, Zhao Xu could only keep his eyes tightly shut while continually reciting inwardly the incantation for the First-level Spell "Protection from Evil," which he had copied down over the past few days.

At the same time, he kept muttering, "Don't kiss me, don't kiss me."

Though he did not have a Spell Slot and could not cast a real spell, he could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive.

Zhao Xu had taken part in the Demon Sealing War against the Abyss and the Hells. He knew that succubi could transform into beautiful, delicate young women in distress and deceive men through pitiful appearances.

One of his comrades had been lured in by a succubus. His level had been drained from level 5 all the way to zero, and his body had rotted away.

"How interesting. I will wait for you in the future."

The voice was as ethereal as a hymn.

Zhao Xu remained unmoved. Slowly, he felt the chill beneath his buttocks again.

"Open your eyes. Your ritual is complete."

Just as Zhao Xu was about to obey, his entire body suddenly shuddered, and he cursed himself for being an idiot.

Antinoa had clearly been communicating with him mentally just moments ago. How could her voice have become a face-to-face one?

This succubus-like projection was indeed powerful, to imitate even Antinoa's voice so perfectly.

However, Zhao Xu did not mock it aloud.

He continued guarding his heart, instilling himself with all kinds of unwavering convictions.

"I give up on you, you idiot."

This time, Antinoa's voice appeared directly in his mind.

Right afterward, Zhao Xu felt his hand being grasped, the warmth of a palm against his skin.

A familiar sensation of teleportation filled his mind, and he immediately chose to accept it.

Only after the sluggish sensation of teleportation faded did Zhao Xu slowly open his eyes.

Beyond his line of sight stretched an endless horizon.

"Obelisk Tower."

"This is the highest point of this Floating City."

As Antinoa spoke, she stepped in front of him.

"Before we go fight, tell me what you just saw."