Over the next few days, the trainees wandered around the abandoned city in twos and threes.
Although the place is somewhat abandoned, the remaining buildings are still magnificent. Among the earthen-yellow houses, they stand like giants. There is a broken Flying Rotating Radiant Star, a beautiful human figure missing half its body, a fragmented sun pieced together with Flying Bird, Phantom-Winged Purple Dragon with outstretched eerie wings, and a huge circular painting hall. The mottled murals inside still depict the former glory of this place.
During the tour, many students gradually came into contact with the past history. Some, like Sylutia, curiously bought some scrolls. Although they were not powerful or important spells, some of the ideas and runes in them were unheard of in the outside world.
"So, in a sense, most of the legacy of the Star-Gazer School has actually been absorbed by the various schools of thought today," Xavier said casually to his companion, looking at the book in his hand.
The "Fifteenth-ranked Sky-Peering School " inherited their ability to observe celestial phenomena and study star trails. The Origin Hourglass incorporated some research on " Primal Beast Aspect," and our school also absorbed some secret techniques related to " Alien Star."
"The harmful parts have all been removed, and what we can access now has already been screened." His companion, head resting on his hand, walked down the street.
"However, during my few days here, I've heard some rumors that some small schools of thought entrenched around Blanur are still secretly preserving some of the secret techniques of the ' Star-Gazer School.'"
"How about we go take a look?" someone suggested.
"Going is fine, but what about the Chief—" The group looked at the girl walking not far ahead, and hesitated.
Unexpectedly, Sylutia stopped and turned around.
"Let's go take a look, but we must stay together and not wander off." As the head teacher, she also had a responsibility to ensure that no unexpected situations arose when the teacher was not around.
"Great!" the group cheered.
In these past few days, they have learned a lot about the records of the Star-Gazer School " and are also very curious about what those forbidden secret techniques or advancement methods are like.
The group of about ten people stopped, first examining the map to pinpoint the locations of the smaller schools of thought, then removing and storing the badges of the Thetis Academy before setting off together.
Since it was a vacation, most people weren't wearing school uniforms, but rather casual clothes of different styles. Once they took off their badges, it was hard to tell where they came from. This feeling of secretly doing something naughty behind the teacher's back was particularly interesting to some of them, and they even discussed whether they should get some new identity along the way.
"Let's say we're a small school of thought from somewhere else, here for exchange and learning. I've even thought of a name: the Griffin School!" one of them excitedly suggested.
" Griffin?" Sylutia couldn't help but cover her forehead. This sounded like they were coming for her, and there was probably going to be a demonstration of Griffin magic later.
She had never actually seen a real lion; the badge on her chest was made by Professor Knox. It just so happened that she had quite a few Griffin- related items, such as the Key she had recently acquired.
Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a better name at the moment, and considering that she might not even need such a name, she let them come up with one.
As you gradually leave the central area of Blanur, the outer areas and suburbs are places not currently under the control of the Mage Alliance. There are various small sect strongholds of all sizes here, where they exchange things and information, and occasionally fight and fight for resources.
In the past Mage Alliance had cracked down on this group of illegal individuals in the surrounding area, and as a result, they would move to the outer desert. After the crackdown, they would slowly move back to the vicinity of Blanur. After this happened several times, the Mage Alliance officials got tired of it and stopped dealing with them.
After all, these people haven't committed any heinous crimes. Even if they were caught, they could only be imprisoned. You can't just say that members of small schools of thought aren't human and kill them all, can you?
The further you go, the more desolate the streets become; or rather, this is the true abandoned city. Many houses along the road are empty, filled with sand and the bones of unknown creatures.
After leaving the bustling center area, the number of passersby becomes sparse, and even those who are there mostly have unfriendly faces and are very cautious of strangers who approach.
"They're probably afraid of being double-crossed. There's no official jurisdiction from the Mage Alliance here, so if someone dies, it'll be hard to find out who it was," someone discussed.
"Those traveling alone are at least second-tier Mage apprentices; other First Order individuals only dare to appear here in groups of several."
"We've been out here for quite a while, how come we haven't seen any of those strongholds yet?" someone complained quietly.
Hearing the discussion, Sylutia lightly leaped into the air, surveyed the scene from above, and then landed.
"Go that way, I see a lot of people gathered there," the girl pointed in a direction.
The group then headed in that direction, and sure enough, the number of pedestrians on the road increased after a short while. They eventually arrived at the outside of a simple market, where several third-tier Mage stood on the surrounding high points, seemingly monitoring the area to prevent theft and robbery.
"This is the territory of the Invocation School. Each person needs to pay 5 gold coins to enter the trading area," explained the Mage apprentice guarding the market entrance.
"Five gold coins per person?" They could certainly afford that, but they weren't going to be ripped off.
"Of course, this is one of the few safe markets in Blanur. If you want to save money, go to the black market where there are no guarantees. If you get scammed or robbed, don't blame anyone else."
"Well----"
After discussing it for a while, the group decided to pay to go in and take a look. After all, they were already there, and 5 gold coins was indeed not much for students of the Thetis Academy.
After receiving the money, the other party quickly counted the number of people and then let them pass. Sylutia and the other students walked in curiously.
There are many Mage selling goods here, most of whom are members of small local sects, and much of what they sell is of dubious origin.
"That 'Torment Miasma ' scroll should be a mid-level secret technique from the Potion School,' yet it's being sold here." The Potion School is ranked twenty-third in the Alliance. Although not high up, it's still a legitimate large-scale Mage school, and mid-level secret techniques are not taught to outsiders.
"Shh—this isn't exactly a legal place, it's too formal for you to say that," a student whispered a reminder.
"And that scimitar not far away, engraved with lightning runes, is clearly the standard-issue sword of a member of the Lightning School.' The version they sell to the public doesn't look like this."
"They're all from shady sources. I think it's best not to buy them, otherwise it'll be hard to explain when the teacher asks."
Although they came across some items that interested them, the students rarely bought anything. After all, they were students of the Thetis Academy, and they cared a lot about their status and had their own pride.
"This seems quite interesting; it must be a secret technique from some small school of thought." Sylutia walked through the market, hearing her classmates talking behind her.
She turned her gaze and saw scrolls and descriptions displayed on a stall not far away.
[ War Dog Transformation ] ( Beast Fang - Blood Law ): Can activate the bloodline power of canine creatures, comprehensively enhancing their combat power to the First Order level, and causing them to grow bone spikes and sharp fangs.
Although the effect is only at the First Order, the secret technique of Composite Aspect can only be developed by a creator who is at least at the Fifth Order. Moreover, the requirements for this secret technique are not high. After learning it, you only need to prepare enough potions to train War Dog on a large scale. It is very suitable for enhancing the combat power of the army.
For some reason, Sylutia thought of the Hellhound Baron " Kachis," who seemed to possess similar secret techniques, and whose army was often assisted by various War Dog.
The girl then turned her gaze to the scroll.
[ Rock Fist ] ( Spiral Fish ); Temporarily Petrification the fist, increasing attack and defense.
This secret technique seems good at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it has quite a few problems. After Petrification, it becomes too heavy and inflexible, unlike the [ Killing Fist ] ( Blood Law ) that Sylutia had seen before. It is probably a secret technique from a small school of thought.
Afterwards, the group wandered around, some buying miscellaneous artifacts from the ruins, such as [ Clay Tablet ] ( Secret Speech ), [ Dried Earthen Jar ] ( Dead Ember ), and [ Polished Yellow Sand ] ( Dead Ember ), while others purchased materials produced nearby, such as [ Sand Scorpion Carapace ] ( Insect Moth ) and [ Thorn Fruit Ball ] ( Emerald Nectar ).
Sylutia has her eye on a book called < The Obsidian Grimoire > (Tier 3). This book details the material properties of obsidian and how to transform other rocks into obsidian through Alchemy.
"Price: 800 gold coins. I unearthed this from an ancient ruin, Aspect Power from an era before 'Gold Steam ' existed, a legacy of the time when alchemy was Alchemy."
"It's too expensive. Whether the secret techniques recorded inside are still usable is another matter." Sylutia thought for a moment; the book would normally cost around 200 gold coins.
After some haggling, she finally managed to get it for 500 gold coins.
After finishing their visit to the market, the group left and continued to wander around according to the map.
Half an hour later, they found an abandoned library, went inside and took a look around. Although there were no books left, the few remaining murals and bookshelves were still quite rewarding.
The group then decided to rest for a while. Sylutia also went to the library's rooftop with a few others. The view was expansive, and they sat in the shadow of the wall, overlooking the abandoned land. Some leaned against the wall and took a nap, some chatted, and some browsed through the things they had just bought.
Time passed leisurely until the sounds of chasing and fighting came from the alleyway not far below, drawing their attention.
The sun was baking the ground, and Rogers ran frantically through the alleyways, cursing behind him, reminding him of being chased by the village barber when he was a child.
He had flirted with the barber's daughter, Alisa, who was also his favorite girl when he was a child. The father felt that his daughter should not be harmed by him, so he wanted to beat him up. He chased him for an entire afternoon until Alisa's knees gave way and she collapsed in Aunt Geli's chicken coop.
He stood in the scorching sunlight and mocked the barber, who swore he would never marry his daughter to someone like him.
As expected, Alisa wouldn't marry him because he decided to leave the village to become a respected Mage.
Unfortunately, just like being chased by the barber, some people felt that he shouldn't have the idea of becoming a formal Mage. After discovering that he was saving money to go to the big city to seek a proper path to advancement, his longtime companions betrayed him. They took away what he had secretly accumulated and exchanged it for "Rock Core School " advancement resources.
"Just choose this advancement, otherwise we'll miss you going to the big city alone." His companions tossed him the Stone Core.
As one of the smaller schools of thought, the Rock Core School allows individuals to implant a rock heart within their bodies, gaining various abilities. Upon reaching the fourth rank, they can even transform into rock giants, possessing powerful physiques and combat strength.
But this was a far cry from becoming a respectable Mage. After feigning acceptance, he took advantage of his companions' drunkenness one day, beat them up, and then stole their money.
Unfortunately, they were still caught up with.
Rogers looked at the high wall at the end of the alley, leaped up with all his might, gripped the loose clods of mud tightly with his fingers, and then slowly climbed up, trying to escape to the other side of the wall.
"You can't escape, Rogers."
Several familiar voices came from behind, and then one of them jumped up, grabbed Rogers ' leg, and pulled him down hard. The two who followed also helped, pulling Rogers down.
Dry dust fell from the top of the wall, blinding Rogers. After struggling in vain, he was pulled down and fell to the ground. He kicked and broke free from one of the men's arms, preparing to try to climb over the high wall again. But a heavy hammer blow from behind made his vision go black, and he fell straight down.
"Hey, did we kill him?" The group looked at Rogers lying on the ground, dark red blood seeping from the back of his head.
"This guy took our money, so what if he dies?"
"That's true, but we've been together for several years after all." The other person crouched down, checking if Rogers was still breathing.
The scorching hot stones on the ground made Rogers feel like half his face was burning, and the choking dust got into his nose, making him cough uncontrollably.
Seeing that the guy reacted, the three of them were relieved, but in the blink of an eye, a surge of anger rose again. They pulled Rogers up, pinned him against the wall, and punched him in the face and chin repeatedly.
"You ungrateful wretch! We even went to great lengths to get you a Stone Core, otherwise those guys from the Alliance would have swindled your money long ago."
"Cough—cough." Rogers, his face bruised and swollen, looked down and spat out a mouthful of blood, glancing at the few familiar faces before him.
"I want to be Mage, not some stone golem." His lips were purplish-black.
"Are you looking down on us? The Rock Core School used to be a legitimate Mage, no worse than those guys in the Alliance now."
Faced with this questioning, Rogers felt powerless to speak. How come he only realized today how difficult it was to communicate with this group of people?
"I mean, I have my own choices, and I don't look down on anyone."
"Heh, you little liar, you think you're so great, huh?" With that, another slap landed, making Rogers' ears ring, and he lowered his head.
"Thinking he's so smart and powerful that he can become a high -Mage monk in a bustling place and live a life that others envy?"
"You're dreaming. If you were truly talented, you wouldn't have ended up here in Blanur. You'd be just like us here. Stop thinking such unrealistic things."
"You're almost thirty, haven't participated in any training programs in the Three Great Districts, and don't have a recommendation from a fourth-level or higher Mage. Do you really think you can still become Mage through the normal path? Dream on!"
"I have the utmost contempt for those guys who have unrealistic ambitions. They think they're so smart and have such lofty ideals, while everyone else is nothing."
A barrage of curses and reprimands came from in front of him, but Rogers paid no attention; he only felt that his tinnitus might never get better.
It's a real shame he won't be able to eavesdrop on lectures anymore. He'd heard before that some Academy teachers would occasionally give open lectures, and any Mage apprentice could attend.
Blood mixed with sweat dripped from his forehead, his vision blurred as he watched small black dots appear on the ground.
This is bad. If he can't even see, he'll be completely useless.
Ignoring the incessant chatter around him, he slowly tried to raise his head.
The sun in the distance was still blazing, baking one until dizzy in the afternoon heat without any clouds to shield them. His gaze slowly shifted downwards, avoiding the dazzling halo of the sun, and the outline of the abandoned library came into view in the distance.
As the pupils slowly adjusted their focus, the sweat-blurred vision cleared again, and a figure standing on the rooftop came into view.
The afternoon sun was bright, and the strands of hair that fluttered in the wind were somewhat transparent. The hem of her skirt, which swept to one side, outlined her slender waist. From the swaying sleeves, her snow-white wrists held the spine of a book, and the pages trembled in the wind as her fingertips gently pressed them.
Even though he couldn't see the girl's face clearly, her tranquil and scholarly demeanor struck a corner of his mind, instantly igniting a surge of power within him.
Yes, that's the feeling, that's the mood. It's so wonderful, so peaceful and serene, even more so than a summer afternoon nap in the shade of a tree. The reason he wanted to become Mage was to escape the dusty countryside and pursue a sense of leisure and freedom.
Instead of getting beaten black and blue and becoming some kind of giant stone statue.
Rogers shook off his noisy companion and fled to the side. As he ran, he grabbed the piece of wood that had knocked him unconscious in the corner of the wall. As he swung it, layers of yellow light gathered and enhanced the wood. Then he swung it out fiercely, knocking the man who was chasing him bloody from the head.
"You actually dared to fight back!" The remaining two companions cursed angrily and chased after them again. They opened their palms and, with the help of a special secret technique, two pebbles condensed in the air and then flew out.
Yellowed stone meteors streaked across the alley; one struck the wall and shattered, while another hit Rogers in the back, jolting him to the ground once more.
Two more men caught up and climbed onto his back, raining down punches on him. Despite the pain in his head and back, Rogers ' fingers dug into the ground, trying to escape from the group.
On the distant rooftop, the fingers holding the book moved, and the pages, which had been open, snapped shut with a snap. Hearing the noise, the students turned their heads and looked at the girl who was brushing her hair back.
"Should we make a move, Chief?" The group had witnessed what had just happened and were eager to try.
"Just one person is enough." She was worried that if all of them went, they might be too ruthless and cause someone to die.
No problem~