Choosing Sorcery

Every newly arrived apprentice was entitled to choose one lesser sorcery and some corresponding knowledge. This was preferential treatment from the White Tower Alliance for its new members.

All newly arrived children were collectively known as Menial Apprentices until they became Level 1 Wizard Apprentices by solidifying a lesser sorcery model within their Mental Space.

However, sorcery and knowledge were not given away for free. Menial Apprentices naturally had to do the work expected of menial apprentices.

Early that morning, Taylor was awakened by the cloth doll head hanging from his room's doorknob. After getting dressed and washing up, he stared at the doll head swaying from the handle, its tongue sticking out, with countless words piling up in his heart that he did not know how to say.

It really wasn't scientific, but it was very wizard-like...

The Menial Apprentices and Level 1 Wizard Apprentices who had previously assigned them rooms had already explained the White Tower Alliance's rules and the benefits granted to newcomers. They had even spent two days guiding them through the procedures, showing them the places apprentices could visit, and explaining and answering everything that needed to be said.

Children in a world with supernatural power were indeed different. After two days, they had learned nearly everything they needed to learn and understood everything they needed to understand. Their minds were unbelievably sharp. They truly deserved to be called seedlings chosen by wizards.

That morning, they were to head to the Apprentice Library to receive lesser sorcery and knowledge. They would familiarize themselves with the environment at noon and in the afternoon, then begin fulfilling their duties as Menial Apprentices the next day.

The duties of Menial Apprentices consisted of odd jobs such as sweeping floors and wiping tables. Their knowledge was insufficient to handle more delicate tasks. In truth, there were too few Menial Apprentices, and much of their work was done by puppets, slave races, and the like. The White Tower Alliance did this only to let Menial Apprentices earn knowledge through their own efforts and learn what equivalent exchange meant.

These duties would disappear once they became Level 1 Wizard Apprentices. Level 1 Wizard Apprentices would also possess higher status and greater power, choosing paid assignments to build up their foundations and knowledge.

The White Tower Alliance provided benefits and paths for advancement, while apprentices completed their work or tasks. That was equivalent exchange.

By the time Taylor arrived at the Apprentice Knowledge Library prepared specifically for wizard apprentices, many chattering newcomers like himself had already gathered there. Under the guidance of senior apprentices and Level 1 Wizard Apprentices, they stood in neat columns.

The little children formed three lines and shuffled forward bit by bit. At the front of the three queues, a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice held two crystal balls and introduced the newcomers to sorcery models.

Once the explanation was complete, the Menial Apprentices began choosing their lesser sorceries. The crystal ball on the left recorded sorcery models of various forms and could imprint their images into an apprentice's Mental Space to make construction easier.

Formal Level 1 Sorcery was not something wizard apprentices could access.

The crystal ball on the right contained a catalog of related knowledge. The newly arrived Menial Apprentices would choose two subjects they wanted from it, and the relevant books would be retrieved directly from the library behind them for the apprentices to borrow and read.

The number of companions ahead of him grew smaller and smaller. Before long, the newly arrived Menial Apprentices had received the sorcery models and portions of knowledge they wanted.

There were no disputes, arguments, provocations, or attempts to stir up trouble. Every Menial Apprentice who could come here was no fool. Although they had their own "ideals" and "pursuits," they all understood that this was not their home, and no one would tolerate them acting willfully here.

Within the White Tower Alliance, the Apprentice Enforcement Team composed of Level 3 Wizard Apprentices, along with the Six-Eyed Owls found everywhere in streets, alleys, corridors, and hidden passages, would not tolerate them acting recklessly and violating the rules established by the White Wizards.

Thus, after obediently collecting their knowledge and models, the newly arrived Menial Apprentices returned to their rooms. Some chose to travel in groups to familiarize themselves with the places within the White Tower Alliance that Menial Apprentices were permitted to visit.

Taylor chose the Lesser Fireball Model. The knowledge he selected was Flame Shaping and the relationship between spirit and magic power.

He did not understand the specific situation here, nor did he know much about the apprentices, so he decided to choose a sorcery model that looked relatively lethal.

The first piece of knowledge was meant to help him better master the Lesser Fireball Model. The second was a crucial foundation on the path of wizardry, concerning the relationship between his own spiritual power and magic power.

Taylor held five books in his arms. Two contained the knowledge he had selected; one was the meditation method distributed by the White Tower Alliance; one introduced the White Tower Alliance and its rules; and one covered the basic knowledge of wizards.

The basic knowledge of wizards was like a complete collection of foundational knowledge. It included arithmetic, basic experimental knowledge, precautions, tricks, basic technical terms, and more. It was written in plain language, with illustrations and vivid examples, making it well suited for young apprentices.

In addition, every so often, other apprentices would teach the newly arrived Menial Apprentices, imparting enough fundamental knowledge for them to develop basic abilities in independent study and experimental inquiry.

In Taylor's view, apprentices like them possessed spiritual power far beyond that of ordinary people, and their ability to comprehend and learn was likewise incomparable. They were essentially a group of super-enhanced gifted-class children in a world of supernatural power.

Ordinary children were still playing at the age of nine or ten, while they were already being taught runes, conducting experiments, and learning elemental knowledge.

After returning to his room, Taylor began reading the meditation method. Meditation methods were the foundation through which wizards increased their spiritual power. Every meditation method had been continuously refined by wizards into a form most suitable for humans.

The meditation methods of all wizards were more or less the same. Aside from the influence of aptitude, their meditation was nearly identical in speed, quality, and compatibility. Wizards believed that although the spiritual power produced through meditation was the foundation of a wizard's strength, it was still less important than knowledge and truth.

This was also meant to increase the overall strength of Wizard Civilization.

Therefore, among wizards, meditation methods were actually easier to obtain than knowledge. Essentially, meditation methods throughout Wizard Civilization did not differ much from one another.

As for the spiritual power increased through wizard meditation, it was the foundation of a wizard's strength and the advancement of their own life level. Through powerful spiritual power, wizards absorbed elemental power from the outside world, then mixed it with spiritual power to form their own unique magic power and cast all manner of strange, powerful sorceries.

Moreover, only with powerful spiritual power could wizards devote more attention to analysis, dissection, experimentation, and the study of knowledge. The knowledge every wizard learned throughout their life was vast and complicated. Without powerful spiritual power, wizards would be unable to organize the knowledge in their minds and would descend into confusion.

In short, spiritual power was the foundation of a wizard, while knowledge was a wizard's eternal pursuit, because knowledge represented a wizard's strength and status.

Thus, Taylor's most urgent task was to immediately comprehend the meditation method, open his Mental Space, gather spiritual power, and first learn this sorcery model. An introduction was only an introduction; he did not understand the broader environment here. Only after gaining the power to protect himself could he learn more knowledge.

The meditation method currently in Taylor's hands was the White Tower Meditation Method, named after the White Tower Alliance. It was a method for developing spiritual power and continuously making it stronger.

After putting down the meditation method in his hand, Taylor, having already memorized its contents and key points, silently began operating the White Tower Meditation Method he had committed to memory.

Atop a tower of blended blue and white, Wizard Mendes, who was responsible for receiving newly arrived apprentices, was exchanging knowledge with Wizard Krite, the tower's owner.

Mendes's understanding of muscle fiber coordination and the application of sorcerous power at the cellular level, combined with Krite's expertise in puppet constructs, left both of them deeply satisfied.

"Krite, your understanding of puppet and construct structure, operation, and energy-frequency output truly amazes me. I feel that my Voodoo Puppet may have the potential for further improvement."

Mendes set down the cup in his hand. It contained tree sap specially used to increase the purity of a wizard's spiritual power.

"Ha ha ha ha, Mendes, your understanding of bodily structure and the cellular level is equally astounding. I have a feeling that my Flesh-Sewn Puppet will improve as well."

Krite, who looked younger than Wizard Mendes, also set his cup aside. He was the youngest White Wizard in the White Tower Alliance.

After they finished exchanging knowledge, Wizard Mendes had originally intended to bid Wizard Krite farewell with a smile. But he suddenly remembered something. It seemed that this fellow student of his did not yet have any apprentices, so he could not help speaking.

"Krite, I remember you still don't have any apprentices under you, do you? According to the Alliance's rules, you must choose your own apprentices after becoming a Level 1 Wizard. I recently came across an interesting little fellow."

Krite had become a Level 1 Wizard this year. According to the White Tower Alliance's regulations, Level 1 Wizards were required to have their own apprentices. On one hand, this was to make these fresh bloodlines stronger; on the other, it was to let wizards pass down their knowledge and truth as much as possible, preventing them from fading away.

Krite frowned and waved his hand, summoning two puppets dressed as butlers to tidy the place. Then he rose to his feet.

"An interesting little fellow? Then I'd like to take a look."

But that would have to wait a while. He could look then; there was still plenty of time.

Krite thought so.