Letters

Kenna had offered his help a while back, yet he had never mentioned a reward.

Ian had his suspicions. After weighing the matter in his heart, he decided to make a tentative approach; primarily because Kenna's character was beyond reproach.

His main concern was observing Kenna's teammates, as he had never dealt with them before.

Ian vaguely sensed that in his presence, Kenna was no longer as casual as before, carefully minding his words and actions to avoid causing any offense.

After talking for a while, the two agreed on a time to meet formally with the rest of Kenna's team in a few days.

When he returned home, the sky was already dark, and Ian leaned back in his chair, lost in silence.

As a Knight with a resolute personality, Kenna's drastic change in attitude over such a short time left Ian feeling deeply emotional. Scenes flashed through his mind:

The neighbors, desperately searching for resources everywhere just to earn the magic stones for tuition...

The exhausted figures of low-level apprentices on the streets of Nightfall Town...

The pitifully low commissions posted on the bulletin boards...

The expensive potions inside the counters of the magic apothecary...

It seems I have absolutely no understanding of the true situation for low-level apprentices.

Even after spending nearly two years in the High Tower, he was essentially still a child living in a honey pot!

His aptitude was not bad, he had never suffered, he had never lacked magic stones, and he had never gone into the Wilderness Forest to hunt Magic Beasts...

The memories of the original owner had severely skewed Ian's perception of this world!

That night, he refined a potion as usual and began his meditation.

[Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method proficiency +1]

[Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method proficiency +1]

Less than two hours later, he opened his eyes to a pitch-black bedroom.

He was not surprised that the proficiency gain had dropped.

The difficulty of meditation had leveled up, and with the same potion, the concentration effect was naturally weaker.

It was like a small horse pulling a heavy cart; how could it possibly run fast?

As he continued to improve, along with his increased drug tolerance, the proficiency gain would continue to diminish.

Although his maximum meditation time had increased by an hour after his breakthrough, he dared not practice for too long due to the issue of magical erosion.

Promoting to an Advanced Apprentice required outlining 27 Will runes.

His aptitude was not excellent, so to promote quickly, he needed to increase his meditation proficiency in addition to using potions.

Otherwise, it would be very difficult to break through within ten years.

It looks like it's time to start on the next formula.

Additionally, he needed to purchase a Magical Thermostatic Box to store the large quantities of potions he refined to exchange for magic stones.

However, the item was expensive, costing a full 80 magic stones. He now had a clearer concept of the purchasing power of a single magic stone.

After his breakthrough today, he planned to rest early. Tomorrow, the magic stones from home would arrive at the post station right on schedule.

Ian dug a thick stack of family letters out from the corner of his bed.

Leaning against the headboard, he read them carefully and discovered they were all written personally by his father, Latour.

"To my dear Ian, all is well at home, do not worry. The magic stones have been sent as scheduled. Now, regarding your studies..."

Ian read from beginning to end, then sat on the bed in long, heavy silence.

The next morning, Ian rose early.

After getting himself ready, he headed straight for Nightfall Town.

With his current strength, he no longer feared Simon coming to find him.

No incidents occurred along the way, which surprised Ian slightly.

Could it be that Simon really gave up after being driven off by Kenna last time?

But he immediately dismissed that thought. It seemed the other party was going to play dirty this time!

Outside Nightfall Town, Ian arrived at the post station and saw four or five red carriages parked to the side.

These were the "buses" to the central High Tower, running several times a day, with a fare of 50 magic stone fragments per trip.

The carriages were huge, similar to the medium-sized buses from his past life, capable of carrying over twenty passengers.

The frame was made of refined steel, while the rest was thick oak, coated with a layer of bright red paint.

Nearby, a dozen docile Camel Beasts were grazing.

Their bodies were covered in cyan scales, and they looked similar to rhinoceroses, only much larger and more ferocious.

Beside the carriages, a burly man sat on a chair, resting.

Ian recognized him; this was the coachman, and his aura was incredibly formidable.

Ian's purpose this time was not just to pick up his package, but to go to the Academy High Tower to report his breakthrough.

Every time an apprentice promoted, they were entitled to learn one corresponding tier of witchcraft for free, something he had been looking forward to for a long time.

After collecting his package, he took out the letter to read.

The content was much the same as before, and this time, 20 magic stones had been sent.

His hometown was an almost magic-less region; he had no idea what price his family had paid to obtain these stones.

At the edge of the post station, Ian began to write a reply, mimicking the tone of the original owner.

"To my beloved father, the magic stones have been received. Your son's studies are now bearing fruit... I hope this letter carries my distant longing and blessings. May you and mother be in good health. Also, there is no need to collect any more magic stones; all is well here, do not worry!"

He handed the letter to the courier and turned to walk into the post station.

"Hello, I need to go to the High Tower. Here is the fare." Ian handed over 50 fragments.

"Wait over there, we aren't full yet." The burly man took the magic stones, gave a cold reply, and continued to doze off.

Ian didn't mind; this man belonged to the High Tower's direct staff, and it was normal for him to look down on low-level apprentices.

Half an hour passed, and only seven or eight more passengers had arrived. The man stood up, hitched two Camel Beasts to the front of the carriage.

With a loud crack, he whipped the air, signaling everyone to board.

Ian followed the others into the carriage and chose a window seat.

The seats in the carriage were separated by wooden boards, so passengers couldn't see the person next to them.

Ian was quite satisfied with this design; it reduced friction between passengers.

As the carriage started, Ian watched the trees by the road receding, the speed not particularly fast.

Nightfall Town was seven or eight miles from the High Tower, but the road conditions were poor. He had taken this ride before, and it only took half an hour.

The carriage passed through another town on the way, where a few more people boarded, but the carriage was still not full.

Most Wizard Apprentices chose to walk to the High Tower.

They were not wealthy in magic stones and felt the fare was too expensive.

The High Tower Academy spanned a fifty-mile radius, with dozens of gathering points scattered like stars across the sky.

The number of low and mid-level apprentices was likely in the tens of thousands, but they also had the fastest attrition rate.

The closer they got to the High Tower, the more pedestrians appeared on the road, and figures in red robes could be seen from time to time.

Ian did not know how many Advanced Wizard Apprentices were in the Shadowmoon Tower.

Upon breaking through to an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, one could live up to 150 years.

In the current High Tower, some were apprentices from decades ago who had stayed behind.

These Advanced Apprentices were the strongest tentacles through which the High Tower exerted control over the outside world.

Whether launching wars or fighting for resources, the Advanced Apprentices were the vanguard.

The low and mid-level apprentices didn't even have the qualifications to step onto the battlefield.

As for those Formal Wizards, or existences above that.

They usually only needed to sit in the rear, deterring equivalent enemy forces while enjoying the lion's share of resources.