The Blazing Sun Wizard Tower's Certain Victory

The morning sunlight spilled over the bustling commercial street of Lion City, driving away the night's chill.

Before the White Cloud Eye Rune Shop, the crowd was already buzzing with noise.

On the spacious open ground outside the shop, two neat rows of long tables had been set up, covered with pristine white tablecloths.

Several huge red banners fluttered in the breeze, the most eye-catching of which bore bold golden lettering:

[Special thanks to Sko Carving Shop for their generous support of this competition. For carving knives, choose Sko Carving Knife! Sharp, precise, never dull!]

This kind of commercial sponsorship slogan made many passersby stop to take a look.

Regarding this rune competition, White Cloud Eye had already promoted it three days in advance at various apprentice gathering points throughout the city.

The competition had no harsh registration requirements—the only threshold was a minimum level of first-level apprentice, and only this year's new students were eligible.

As for the final prize, it made countless impoverished apprentices' eyes go red: a rune ring worth 3,000 Purple Gold Coins that could cast the Fireball Spell.

For bottom-tier apprentices still struggling to get by, this was nothing short of a fortune, and even more so a life-saving artifact.

At this moment, the apprentices gathered at the shop entrance had already split into two distinct groups.

On the left side, a group of people mostly wore robes bearing the emblem of Cain Wizard Tower.

Standing at the very front were two noble apprentices dressed in luxurious silk wizard robes.

One of them was a petite young girl with short, dark green hair and a pair of large round glasses that covered nearly half her face, giving her an introverted and shy impression.

She was the target Makley had specifically instructed Tylen to watch: Kathy Ralph Hoffman.

Though she always kept her head down, trying to lower her presence, her loose wizard robe still couldn't fully conceal the startling curves beneath—a contrast that only drew more attention.

Standing beside her was a tall, golden-haired youth named Locke Chen Sara.

He had a handsome face, and his pale golden pupils held a hint of arrogance.

The most striking feature was his slightly pointed ears, clearly indicating that elven blood flowed through his veins.

"Sara..."

Kathy's fingers nervously twisted the hem of her robe, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:

"I feel... the other side doesn't seem friendly."

Locke tilted his head slightly, letting out an "mm," his face carrying the confidence and reserve of a noble:

"Don't worry, Hoffman."

"Even though they outnumber us, we can't embarrass our teacher. These people from Blazing Sun Wizard Tower have been too arrogant lately. This is a good chance to teach them a lesson."

Kathy nodded, her large eyes behind the glasses flickering with nervous light.

On the right side stood the camp of Blazing Sun Wizard Tower.

Leading them were also two noble apprentices, a man and a woman.

The man was named Virgil—tall and lean, with short black hair, a sinister gaze, and a faint, mocking smile always tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The woman was named Joyce—slightly plump, wearing an exquisite red wizard robe, her face brimming with arrogance and confidence.

Behind them followed more than twenty commoner apprentices.

Though simply dressed, each of them had eyes full of aggression, and judging by the magical fluctuations radiating from them, they had generally reached first-level or even second-level.

In comparison, the Cain Tower apprentices were not only fewer in number but also noticeably weaker in presence.

Virgil crossed his arms, sweeping a contemptuous gaze over the opposite side, a teasing smile curling at his lips:

"Joyce, look."

"Those Cain apprentices really are just a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world."

"Look at them cowering—where's the wizard in that? They're like a bunch of lost slaves."

Joyce said haughtily:

"As if that dump could ever produce a decent wizard!"

"Do they really think no one sees through it? This so-called 'open competition' is just a way to gild those useless noble brats of theirs."

Though arrogant, they weren't foolish.

They knew full well the background of this "White Cloud Eye" rune shop and had guessed the motive behind the competition: Cain Tower desperately needed a win to save face and polish their noble apprentices' resumes.

But they still came with their people.

Because they had absolute confidence.

Even if the other side knew the questions in advance, even if they were fully prepared, all clever tricks were futile in the face of absolute strength.

What's more, they had prepared a "trump card" of their own to turn the tables.

If the other side really dared to pull something during the competition, they wouldn't hesitate to expose it publicly, making Cain Wizard Tower a huge laughingstock in front of the whole city.

Virgil stroked his chin, a glint of anticipation shining in his eyes:

"I really want to see the shock and confusion on their faces later..."

As the two sides faced off, Tylen finished hitching his carriage and straightened his washed-out robe.

His gaze swept across the scene like a hawk, taking in the personnel arrangements, positions, and emotional states of both parties in an instant.

Finally, his eyes settled on Kathy, whose demeanor was introverted but whose figure was quite striking.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"Hey? You're here to compete too?"

Tylen turned his head.

A sturdy young man with a simple, honest face was staring at him in surprise.

It was Ike from Thousand Mountain City, the corpse-collecting apprentice who had fought him over a body earlier and later offered to buy him a meal.

Tylen smiled, his expression composed, and said:

"Just happened to be in town collecting corpses, passed by and saw the commotion, so I came to take a look."

Ike nodded, then looked up at the competition grounds ahead, a flicker of longing and determination in his eyes:

"Since there's a chance, I want to give it a try too."

"This is a rare opportunity to prove myself."

"Even if I don't get the reward, just showing my face and saying a few words in front of those two noble brats is a win for someone like me."

With that, he turned to Tylen, puffed out his chest, and put on an air of big-brother responsibility:

"You can stick with me later."

"Us commoner apprentices, our skills and knowledge can't compare to those noble lords, so we have to huddle together for warmth."

"I know some basic Runic Studies. If there's something you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

Tylen looked at this warm-hearted fellow and mused inwardly.

This kid clearly wanted to recruit a lackey to expand his connections and influence.

Tylen played along and said, "Sure! Then thanks a lot, Brother Ike!"

"With you looking out for me, I feel much more at ease."

Ike patted Tylen on the shoulder with satisfaction, wearing an expression that said, "I've got your back."

Just as the two were talking, the door of the rune shop slowly opened.

The slightly plump, shrewd-looking shop owner, Steampunk, walked out with a beaming smile.

He cleared his throat and announced in a booming voice:

"Welcome, everyone, to today's competition."

"Now, I declare the rules of this contest!"

Steampunk pointed to a pile of stark white bones laid out on the table behind him:

"You have one hour to use the 'Sko Carving Knife' provided by this shop to carve a complete runic structure onto a bone."

"Requirement: You must be able to successfully activate it with Mental Power, allowing the runic structure to function normally and produce a magical effect."

"Whoever finishes fastest with the most stable effect takes first place!"

At these words, everyone froze.

Carving runes on bones?

Over at the Blazing Sun Wizard Tower, Virgil and Joyce exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

"That's it?"

"So simple and straightforward?"

The simplicity of the rules exceeded their expectations.

"Is there a trick in the bones? Or the carving knife? Or the subject itself?"

Virgil's mind raced with thoughts.

Meanwhile, Kathy and Locke's eyes were also full of deliberation.

From their slightly furrowed brows, it was clear they hadn't received any advance information on the specific test either.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Tylen took it all in.

His brain worked at full speed, rapidly analyzing the situation.

"The people from Blazing Sun Wizard Tower are clearly prepared."

"At this critical moment, any hint of cheating in the competition would be seized upon by the other side, blown out of proportion, and used to attack Cain Tower's credibility."

"From Kathy and Locke's reactions, they really didn't get any advance info."

"That means..."

A hint of a playful curve tugged at Tylen's lips.

"These two noble brats are nothing more than bait for this operation."

"Their main task is to draw the enemy's fire, making the Blazing Sun Tower believe this is just an ordinary gilding competition."

"And the real trump card is me."

"The reason I wasn't told the specific exam content in advance wasn't just to prevent cheating from being discovered—it was also an ultimate test of my ability and adaptability."

Thinking this over, Tylen's estimation of Makley rose another notch.

"It seems my teacher, though usually appearing weak and uncontentious, still has some strategy and decisiveness when it counts."

"He's thorough enough in his work, not arrogant just because he's a full-fledged wizard, and he didn't put all his eggs in one basket."

Over these past days, while Makley had been testing Tylen, Tylen had also been sizing up this teacher.

If this teacher were nothing but a useless second-generation heir coasting on his family's legacy, Tylen wouldn't hesitate to find an opportunity to switch allegiances.

After all, the Cain Tower was a ship taking on water—if you wanted to climb, choosing your side was crucial.

Following a captain destined to sink would only drag yourself into the Abyss.

But looking at it now...

Though Makley's temperament leaned toward being aloof from worldly strife, in matters of scheming and execution, he truly possessed no small measure of skill.