Assessment

After receiving Oak's guidance, Taylor arrived early the next morning at a three-story Wizard tower covered in all manner of patterns, with two Construct Puppets standing guard at its entrance.

Other Wizard apprentices participating in Wizard Krite's apprentice selection were also present, all of them proficient in puppetology, elemental puppetology, and some Construct Puppet knowledge.

"Are you here to take Wizard Krite's assessment too?"

"Of course. Wizard Krite is a master of puppetology."

"I wonder which lucky person among all these people will become Wizard Krite's apprentice."

Hearing the voices of the Wizard apprentices around him as they waited for the assessment to begin, even the normally calm and steady Taylor could not help growing nervous.

"Don't be nervous. With our intelligence, no matter what questions that Wizard Krite asks, the two of us can help you think them through."

Kano's voice rang out in Taylor's mind. In his view, three consciousnesses thinking through a problem together would always be far more effective than one person racking his brain alone.

"Thinking about problems is such a hassle. How terrifying, Kano. Didn't you think I was already dead?~~~~"

Bobby's teasing voice echoed through his mind.

"The problem is that you aren't dead yet. I think a lazy bum like you would be better off dead."

Kano snorted coldly and stopped paying attention to Bobby, who was acting so shamelessly beside him.

"The three of us are one, after all. If that Wizard Krite raises any questions later, you two need to put more thought into them as well. I think the three of us can pass this test."

Taylor did not want to miss this opportunity, so he hurriedly reminded the two alternate personalities in his mind.

"Don't worry. I definitely won't hold you back."

"I think I'll need some time off afterward~~~~~~~~"

After hearing them, Taylor nodded and continued waiting in line. Before long, four puppets dressed as butlers emerged from inside, leading one apprentice after another into the Wizard tower for their assessments.

Taylor noticed that the four butler-like puppets bore no traces of spell runes on their exteriors, nor any energy patterns. They must have used internal enchantments, and the technique was so sophisticated that the puppets leaked no magical fluctuations at all while operating.

If not for their puppet-like appearances, no one would have imagined that these four servants, dressed as butlers and moving with such natural grace, were actually puppets.

"Just this display from Wizard Krite is enough to show how profound his knowledge of puppetology is. His expertise in spell runes probably leaves me far behind as well."

From these few butler puppets alone, Taylor could already glimpse a trace of Wizard Krite's unfathomable foundation.

"He truly is extraordinary. Taylor, you must seize this opportunity tightly. If you can have a teacher like this during your apprenticeship, even if he teaches you nothing directly, merely watching some of his experiments and research will benefit you immensely."

Kano's tone was filled with seriousness. He had already realized that this was an immense opportunity. If Taylor could ride this Wizard's coattails, his future path as a Wizard would surely become smoother.

He had even begun to think that if Taylor was not selected, then for the sake of Taylor's future, the lucky person who was selected would have to die—and not by Taylor's hand. It would need careful planning.

Even if they could not kill that lucky person, they would need to seize his weakness and control his soul. Whatever he learned, he would have to come back and tell Taylor about it!

"Ho ho ho, every one of these puppets is as strong as a monster..."

Bobby still spoke with the same frivolous attitude, but there was a little more seriousness in his tone.

Before the Wizard tower, apprentices came and went. Some wore miserable expressions, while others beamed with pride. The line of apprentices slowly moved forward, and Taylor, who had been farther back in the queue, finally reached his turn to enter the Wizard tower.

The moment Taylor stepped into the Wizard tower, he suddenly appeared in an empty room. There was only a table, a chair, five sheets of paper emitting magical fluctuations, and two butler puppets standing nearby.

Was that a Spatial Wave? Wizard Krite was skilled in spatial magic too?

The technique, like spatial teleportation or shifting forms, startled Taylor. Even Kano and Bobby in his mind fell silent, quietly observing everything through Taylor's eyes.

One butler puppet led Taylor to the table, while the other pulled out the chair and invited him to sit. Once Taylor sat down, the two butler puppets spoke in unison:

"Honored apprentice, Wizard Krite has left five questions for you. Based on your own level of knowledge, you may answer one, two, three, or all five questions. According to your answers, the great Wizard Krite will determine whether you are suited to become his apprentice."

After speaking, the two butler puppets stood before and behind Taylor. It seemed that aside from guiding him, their other role was to supervise the examination.

An exam...

Taylor quickly skimmed through the five questions, and before long, he had formed his own thoughts about them.

The first question: Write about your understanding of elemental puppets and Construct Puppets, as well as the runes you use most often.

The second question: Based on your knowledge of energy patterns, write down energy pattern designs you have mastered that differ from those found in the library.

The third question: If one wished to design a fire elemental puppet while preserving its elemental body formed from elements, what spell runes should be enchanted onto its core to ensure both flexibility and offensive power?

The fourth question: How could several assemblable resonant elemental puppets be created? Draw the elemental connections and resonance between them.

The fifth question: Based on your current knowledge, explain as thoroughly as possible how Construct Puppets could be simplified to create Construct Puppets that were simpler, cheaper, and easier to manufacture.

It seemed that Wizard Krite truly placed great importance on research into puppets and constructs. His purpose in recruiting apprentices was also to assist with his puppet and Construct Puppet research.

Looking at the five sheets of paper radiating magical fluctuations, Taylor swiftly wrote down his name, then began answering from the first question.

"I think we can use the 'Flowing' rune, the 'Burst' rune..."

"This is such a hassle. I think we can use what we learned in the Zombie Plane. Let's bring out a little knowledge of magical machinery and magical power conduits."

Within his mind, Kano and Bobby continued communicating with Taylor from different perspectives, trying to produce the most perfect answers.