Entering the Academy

When Lynn's name was read aloud, followed by "Superior Soul Talent, medium earth affinity, mental power 17," the entire hall fell silent.

What kind of monster was this?

The next instant, two powerful wills locked onto Lynn almost simultaneously.

"This child's soul is pure. He belongs in my Soul Department."

Soulweaver Marfa's ethereal yet 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 competing in public over a single apprentice!

All the apprentices looked at Lynn with envy and jealousy. To win the favor of a chief, this boy's future was boundless!

Yet just as everyone thought Lynn would choose between the two, he made a move that left them all dumbfounded.

First, he gave Victor and Marfa a deep bow, his tone respectful but resolute.

"Thank you for your favor, Chiefs. I am deeply honored."

Then, amid everyone's disbelieving stares, 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, I am deeply interested in your Myriad Phenomena philosophy and Death Metamorphosis theory. I believe that a broad foundation is the only path toward truth."

"I, Lynn, hope to study under you and am willing to contribute my meager strength to your research."

"What?!"

The entire Skeleton Hall instantly erupted into an uproar!

"Has he gone mad?!"

"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 throwing away his future!"

"His talent's decent, but there's something wrong with his head."

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 looked Lynn over from head to toe, his brow tightly furrowed.

"Kid, don't think good talent means you can solve my problems. That thing will only waste your precious time."

"Besides, you don't look like 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 well within expectations.

Lynn did not retreat in the slightest. Meeting Gregor's gaze, he spoke with a calmness and confidence far beyond his years.

"Knowledge has no boundaries. I believe early specialization may grant power quickly, but only a broad perspective can touch upon the world's true nature. As for your research..."

He paused slightly and lowered his voice so that only Gregor could hear.

"I may perhaps... offer some rather different perspectives to help you verify the feasibility of certain... ideas."

He did not spell out what made him different, but that air of mystery and confidence affected Gregor.

A faint glimmer flashed through Gregor's clouded eyes.

He stared fixedly at Lynn, as if trying to see through his disguise, but Lynn remained completely unfazed and stared right back.

The hall was so quiet that a needle drop could be heard. Everyone held their breath as they watched this strange scene.

After a long while, Gregor waved his hand as though all his strength had been drained away.

He lowered his head again, his gaze returning to the bone plate, and muttered in a voice almost too quiet even for himself to hear.

"Do as you please... just don't cause me trouble."

Did that count as... agreeing?

Amid whispers and looks of "idiot," "unreasonable," and "there must be something wrong with this guy's brain," Lynn calmly took his place behind Gregor.

Whether this path was right or wrong, once he had chosen it, he would not regret it.

All he needed to do was walk it resolutely.

After all the apprentices had made their choices, they 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 universal 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. It could only be said that the Academy did not treat them like people.

That forced the apprentices to attach themselves to mentors and pay a certain "price" in exchange for resources.

The Academy did not leave them entirely to fend for themselves, however. It would regularly offer free public classes teaching foundational and universal knowledge.

But there would also be regular assessments.

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 how to survive (those unable to obtain resources).

Only apprentices who passed all three trials could be considered to have initially proven that they possessed the qualifications to struggle for survival in the dark jungle of Withered Bone Spire—and perhaps go even farther.

After all, the Academy had no desire 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 examinations.

Three months later, at Bone Plaza, they would have to face a Living Corpse from the Forest of Ten Thousand Bones alone.

Killing it or subduing it were the only choices.

Failure meant becoming part of it.

Normally, this assessment would not be particularly difficult.

In a demiplane with such dense negative energy, three months was more than enough time to successfully meditate, condense a Mental Core, and step into the realm of a First-Class Apprentice.

But... they were not normal apprentices admitted once every five years. They were defective products who had "luckily" passed after the testing standards were lowered.

That caused the difficulty to skyrocket.

Not only did they need to meditate successfully and condense a Mental Core, they also had to learn at least one piece of Wizardry 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 that generous. They would always demand an appropriate "price."

The most terrifying part was that you had no idea whether that price concealed a trap or whether it would cost you your life.

Time was pressing, and their bodies did not allow them to hesitate.

If they failed to meditate successfully within three months, then even if the Living Corpses did not attack, the dense negative energy in the demiplane would completely erode them away.

Lynn, however, did not feel the slightest urgency.

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 "overpowered spellcaster" really look like!

After formally joining the Academy, his mentor merely told him where the laboratory was before tossing him aside.

If Gregor had not hoped Lynn could offer new ideas for his Death Blossom project, he would not have paid him any attention at all.

Rather than heading immediately to the laboratory or the dormitory assigned to him, Lynn went straight to the Academy's core—the Bone Vault.

This was the library of Withered Bone Spire Academy. He had a bold idea that needed testing.

The enormous library was built from the piled skulls of countless giant beasts. Ghostly green Soul Fire flickered in their eye sockets, providing dim illumination.

Just as Lynn had expected, ordinary books in the outer section of the library's first floor were completely open to everyone.

They contained knowledge of common-language runes, the basic properties of negative-energy particles, illustrated guides to common magical materials, even a brief history of the continent. There were no restrictions.

These were merely foundational knowledge and common sense, with little real value.