When Lynn's name was read aloud, along with "Superior Soul Talent, medium earth affinity, Mental Power 17," the entire hall fell silent.
What kind of monster was this?
The next moment, two powerful wills locked onto Lynn almost simultaneously.
"This child's soul is pure. He belongs in my Soul Department."
[Soulweaver] Marfa's ethereal, seductive voice rang out.
"Hmph. Such talent would be wasted on the petty path of souls. His soul and earth affinities are perfectly suited to my Titan Bone Project."
[Bone Emperor] Victor's voice sounded like two massive boulders grinding together, filled with unquestionable dominance.
The two chiefs were actually fighting over an apprentice in public!
Every apprentice looked at Lynn with envy and jealousy. To gain the favor of a chief, this boy's future was boundless!
Yet just as everyone thought Lynn would choose one of the two, he did something that left them all dumbfounded.
He first bowed deeply in Victor and Marfa's direction, his tone respectful yet firm.
"Thank you both for your favor. This student is deeply honored."
Then, under everyone's incredulous gazes, he turned and walked straight toward the neglected corner, stopping before Gregor, who was still bent over his calculations.
He bowed again, his clear voice echoing through the silent hall.
"Mentor Gregor, this student is deeply interested in your Myriad Phenomena philosophy and Death Metamorphosis theory. I believe that a broad foundation is the only path toward truth."
"This student, Lynn, wishes to study under you and is willing to contribute his modest strength to your research."
"Uproar—!"
The entire Skeleton Hall instantly erupted.
"Has he lost his mind?!"
"He actually rejected two chiefs and chose a... an old man who's practically useless?"
"Hand of Myriad Phenomena? That lunatic conducting suicide research?"
"Idiot! He's ruining his own future!"
"His talent is decent, but his brain isn't."
Even Gregor himself finally raised his head from the bone plate.
His eyes were cloudy, carrying the irritation of being disturbed and deep exhaustion. He sized Lynn up from head to toe, his brow tightly furrowed.
"Kid, don't think your talent means you can solve my problems. That thing will only waste your precious time."
"Besides, you're not the easygoing sort. You'll bring me a lot of unnecessary trouble. Go find Victor or Marfa. You're better suited there."
His rejection was expected.
Lynn did not retreat in the slightest. Meeting Gregor's gaze, he spoke with a steadiness and confidence far beyond his age.
"Knowledge has no boundaries. This student believes that early specialization may grant power quickly, but only a broad perspective can touch the truth of the world. As for your research..."
He paused slightly and lowered his voice so that only Gregor could hear.
"This student may... be able to offer some unusual perspectives to help you verify the feasibility of certain... ideas."
He did not explicitly reveal what made him different, but his mystery and confidence affected Gregor.
A faint glimmer flashed through Gregor's clouded eyes.
He stared fixedly at Lynn, as though trying to see through his disguise, but Lynn remained completely calm and stared right back.
The hall was so quiet that a pin could have been heard dropping. Everyone held their breath as they watched this bizarre scene.
After a long while, Gregor finally waved a hand as though he had exhausted all his strength.
He lowered his head again, returning his gaze to the bone plate, and muttered in a voice barely audible even to himself.
"Do whatever you want... Just don't cause me trouble."
So that meant... he had agreed?
Amid discussions and looks of "idiot," "unreasonable," and "there must be something wrong with this guy's head," Lynn calmly took his place behind Gregor.
Whether this path was right or wrong, once he had chosen it, he would not regret it.
He only needed to walk it with determination.
After all the apprentices had made their choices, they collectively received their "new student" enrollment supplies.
A gray-black wizard robe symbolizing an apprentice of Withered Bone Spire Academy, an identity Nameplate, a copied volume of the standard Basic Meditation Method, and ten contribution points—barely enough to cover one month of basic expenses.
These supplies were pitifully meager, nowhere near enough for cultivation. The Academy practically did not treat them as people.
This also forced the apprentices to rely on their mentors, paying some "price" in exchange for resources.
Nor did the Academy leave them entirely to fend for themselves. It regularly taught free public classes covering basic and general knowledge.
But there were regular assessments as well.
Like the other new apprentices, Lynn received notice of the Three Trials of Life and Death assessment.
(First Trial: Bone Plaza Trial — "Siege of the Corpse")
(Second Trial: Echoes of the Eternal Tomb — "Whispers of the Dead")
(Third Trial: Game of the Ghost Market — "Proof of the Blood Pact")
The first trial eliminated complete trash—those incapable of fighting.
The second trial eliminated the mentally weak—those unable to endure pressure.
The third trial eliminated fools who did not understand the way of survival—those unable to obtain resources.
Only apprentices who could pass all three trials could be considered to have preliminarily proven that they possessed the qualifications to struggle for survival in the dark jungle of Withered Bone Spire and perhaps go even further.
After all, the Academy did not wish to waste resources on trash. It was better to eliminate them early and turn them into "materials" for the benefit of others.
These could only be considered the most basic entrance assessments.
Three months later, at Bone Plaza, they would independently face a Living Corpse from the Forest of Ten Thousand Bones.
Killing or subduing it was the only choice.
Failure meant becoming part of it.
Normally speaking, this assessment was not difficult.
In a demiplane with such dense Negative Energy Particles, three months was completely enough time to succeed in meditation, condense a Mental Core, and step into the realm of a First-Class Apprentice.
But... they were not normal apprentices recruited once every five years. They were defective products who had "luckily" passed after the testing standards were lowered.
That sent the difficulty soaring.
Not only did they need to meditate successfully and condense a Mental Core, they also had to learn at least one spell to deal with a Living Corpse!
Without a mentor's help and the support of resources, they were basically doomed.
But... mentors could not possibly be so generous. They would always have to pay an appropriate "price."
The most terrifying part was that they had no idea whether that price concealed a trap or whether it would cost them their lives.
Time was tight, and their bodies did not permit hesitation.
If they failed to meditate successfully within three months, then even if the Living Corpse did not attack, the dense negative energy of the demiplane would completely erode them.
Lynn, however, felt no urgency at all.
Three months? Who were they looking down on?
Give me ten Living Corpses right now, and I'll show you what a "heaven-blessed prodigy" and an "overwhelming spellcaster" really are!
After officially joining the Academy, his mentor only told him where the laboratory was before directly abandoning him.
If Gregor had not hoped that Lynn could provide new ideas for his Death Blossom project, he would not have bothered with him at all.
Rather than immediately heading to the laboratory or his assigned dormitory, Lynn went straight to the Academy's core—the Bone Vault.
This was Withered Bone Spire Academy's library. He had a bold idea that needed testing.
The enormous library was built from the stacked skulls of countless giant beasts. Eerie green Soul Fire danced in their eye sockets, providing dim illumination.
Just as Lynn had expected, the ordinary books in the outer area of the library's first floor were completely open to the public.
There were records of common-language runes, the basic properties of Negative Energy Particles, illustrated guides to common magical materials, even a brief history of the continent, and more. None were restricted.
They were merely basic knowledge and common sense, with little real value.
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