Getting Through by Deception

"Next."

A voice came from the front of the line. The boy ahead of Thor shot him one last glare before turning around.

Thor merely cast a cold glance at the boy's back, memorizing his appearance before shifting his attention forward.

The crowd moved ahead for a while, and Thor could finally see the people at the front.

Two people sat at a table with several items laid out on its surface, though they were too far away to make out clearly.

After a while, only five or six people remained ahead of Thor. At some point, another three or four had joined the line behind him.

They were probably like him—former servants here to make up the numbers.

"...This child's Magic Power aptitude is poor, and his Mental Power is even worse. Both are unacceptable. He has no value at all. How was he selected?"

At that moment, one of the young men conducting the assessment suddenly shouted in rebuke.

Thor hurriedly looked over and happened to see a chubby boy smiling with narrowed eyes as he handed something to the complaining young man.

"My aptitude is average. Please be lenient, Wizard Lord."

That was an outright bribe!

Yet the young man, who was clearly only a Wizard Apprentice, accepted the item and still sneered. "One Magic Crystal? So this is how you've muddled through all this way? Do you really think Wizards can be bought and ordered around with money?"

The chubby boy's ever-reliable tactic had failed, and the smile on his face immediately froze.

"That isn't what I meant, sir."

He wanted to explain further, but the young man suddenly flicked something with his thumb.

Thor could not see clearly from his angle. It seemed to strike the chubby boy's face, or perhaps fly into his mouth.

Then Thor witnessed a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The chubby boy froze, then melted like a candle into a puddle of liquid. Within that liquid, the boy's features and limbs could still be faintly seen.

The man beside the young Wizard Apprentice clicked his tongue.

"You made such a mess. Disgusting. Wouldn't it have been better to just throw him in as a servant?"

Thor's heart sank.

He was a servant too!

At that moment, the Hardcover Book, which had been silent for several days, suddenly flew before Thor's eyes and opened with a flutter.

[Shuoyue Calendar, Year 314, May 25,

You finally infiltrated the Apprentices' ranks.

But you forgot how you became a servant. Could someone who failed the Magic Power aptitude test suddenly develop Wizard potential after a few years?

Ridiculous. How ridiculous.

You laughed yourself to death.]

Just as I thought!

Thor stiffly followed the line forward again, hearing several uneasy whispers arise behind him as well.

If he took the test like this, he likely would not pass either.

Judging from the Hardcover Book's contents, his identity would most likely be exposed, and then he would die laughing.

Thor lowered his head and glanced at his left hand, hidden in the shadow of his sleeve.

The Bone Left Hand that could intimidate servants, even ordinary Butlers, certainly could not intimidate a Wizard Apprentice.

Should he invoke Kongsha?

The moment Thor thought of that, lines of text appeared in the Hardcover Book once more.

[Because you failed the Magic Power test, your servant identity was exposed. Sid interrupted the test and tried to take your life while he had the chance.

At the critical moment, you invoked Kongsha. Sid fell silent and spared you.

After completing the other two tests, you successfully became a low-level Wizard Apprentice. That very night, you fortunately turned into a pile of bones.

At least then your left hand was no longer so conspicuous.]

Thor froze.

Even invoking Kongsha would not work?

Fear crawled into Thor's heart again.

What could he do to pass the test?

Even if Thor gave up now, only death awaited him.

He did not need the Hardcover Book to tell him that.

Each step he took with the line felt like he was drawing closer to the Abyss... He was about to fall in!

"Think, hurry and think. There has to be another way."

Thor stared fixedly at the tabletop drawing ever closer. The testing instruments were placed there.

He carefully observed the testing process.

Those being tested were required to undergo the tests one by one, from left to right.

The first item on the left was a black Crystal Ball, used to test Magic Power aptitude.

One had to pick up the Crystal Ball and press it to the center of the forehead. The more transparent the Crystal Ball became, the higher one's Magic Power aptitude was.

The item in the middle was a wooden doll, exquisitely carved in the form of a little girl. However, its eye sockets were hollow and pitch-black inside.

The test subject would stare into the little girl's eyes, and the doll would begin to move. The greater its movements, the better the subject's Mental Power aptitude.

The paint-dipped brush appeared to test elemental affinity.

A circle would be drawn on a sheet of white paper, and the paint would automatically change color. The young Wizard Apprentice would then announce two elements, which the other man would record.

Thor nervously watched two people undergo the tests—there were few who had bought their way through like the chubby boy—and both passed.

However, Thor noticed that both of them turned deathly pale and looked utterly drained after the tests.

After finishing the third test, they staggered to the side. One of them looked as though he was about to faint.

Maybe...

Though he was not entirely certain, he had already come up with a new plan, and the Hardcover Book had not appeared to contradict it... Thor strengthened his resolve.

He no longer had the right to retreat. He could only brave this gate of death.

Fewer and fewer people remained ahead of Thor.

Finally, it was his turn.

The young man lounging lazily in his chair let out a cold laugh the moment he saw Thor's face.

He knows me?

Thor's heart skipped a beat, but he put on a frightened expression.

"Begin." The young Wizard Apprentice drawled, pointing at the black Crystal Ball on the left.

Thor obediently extended his hand and picked up... the brush used to test elemental affinity.

Before the young Wizard could speak, Thor gripped the brush tightly in his right hand and quickly drew a trembling circle on the white paper.

The freshly drawn circle was black.

Thor set down the brush and held his breath as he waited.

The young Wizard Apprentice did not look pleased, but he narrowed his eyes and ultimately said nothing.

The black circle slowly changed, several colors appearing within it. The longest stretch was no more than the length of a little finger, and it was still black.

The rest was truly red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, gold, and white—every color appearing at once.

"Heh." The young Wizard Apprentice snorted with laughter. "You're quite greedy, aren't you?"

Thor could tell he was mocking him, so he merely lowered his head in feigned fear.

"Dark Element. As for the rest... I can't even find a second-most prominent element. Nick, just write down whatever you want."

The other man, Nick, nodded and wrote, "Dark Element, Light Element."

The young Wizard Apprentice—Thor could now confirm that he was Sid, the one mentioned in the Hardcover Book—laughed loudly. "Two opposing elements? You really did write down whatever you wanted."

Nick said nothing.

Thor waited until Sid had finished laughing before reaching for the wooden doll used to test Mental Power.

He lowered his head and stared into the doll's hollow eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye, he also watched for any change in the doll's movements.

"Save me, save me, save me..."

A string of whispers sounded beside Thor's ear. They came rapidly and softly, making one unconsciously want to listen.

But the more carefully he listened, the more chaotic the voices became, and their contents gradually changed.

"Save me, save me... Kill me... Kill me... Save me..."

Thor grew dizzy from listening.

"Alright, you can stop now."

Sid's low voice sounded beside his ear.

But Thor did not stop. He allowed his entire mind to sink into those voices.

"That's enough. Do you want to die?"

Thor jolted in alarm and abruptly raised his head. He first glanced at the wooden doll—the doll had raised both hands—then looked toward Sid, who had somehow stood up and was glaring furiously at him.

Then, before Sid could say another word, Thor rolled his eyes back and fainted.