Arrival at Riley City (Part 1)

Yes, he had power now too. He was no longer the class leader who could only throw his weight around by relying on Kavi's fists, no longer the Carlson Family servant who had once stood beneath everyone else.

Matthew watched the flames dancing in his palm, a vicious gleam flickering in his eyes.

Li Ang Carlson... just you wait... Once we reach the Wizard Tower... once I possess greater power... I will kill you first, then every last person in the Carlson Family...

Kavi took Matthew's place and became the new "class leader" of the lower-tier reserve apprentices.

He became even fiercer and more tyrannical, seemingly determined to vent, twofold, the humiliation he had suffered from Li Ang and Matthew, along with the pressure of being unable to condense an Astral Star for so long, on everyone else.

The atmosphere in the lower tier grew even more oppressive, the pressure of condensing Astral Stars weighing on every heart like a boulder.

The days slipped quietly away amid meditation, the study of potionology, and spell practice.

At last, the horizon was no longer a monotonous blue.

The outline of an enormous city gradually emerged through the morning sea mist.

City walls built from massive white stones wound along the coastline for dozens of miles. Countless ships lay densely moored in the harbor, while at the very heart of the city stood a towering black giant tower that pierced the heavens.

Li Ang, Matthew, and Helena, the three formal apprentices, along with all the reserve apprentices, were summoned onto the deck.

Wizard Selenst stood at the bow, his black robes snapping in the salty sea breeze.

Behind him stood the wizard attendant, holding a parchment used for records.

The massive wizard ship slowly entered the bustling harbor and came to a stop at its designated berth.

The gangplank was lowered. Selenst turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd on deck, whose expressions varied greatly.

"The journey is over."

His voice was not loud, yet it reached every ear with perfect clarity. "Now, for the final confirmation."

The wizard attendant stepped forward. "All those who have successfully condensed their first Magic Starlet, step forward."

The crowd stirred. Aside from Li Ang, Matthew, Helena, and Ludik, who had condensed Astral Stars earlier, another nine reserve apprentices stepped out from the crowd.

Their faces bore traces of exhaustion, but even more relief and excitement at their success.

Nearly twenty people remained behind. Their faces were ashen, their eyes filled with unwillingness and despair.

Selenst's gaze swept across Li Ang and the dozen or so others, and he nodded slightly.

"You are qualified to enter the gates of the Riley City Wizard Tower and continue cultivating as reserve apprentices."

Then his gaze shifted to the overwhelming majority who had failed to condense Astral Stars, his tone utterly without emotion.

"Those who failed to condense an Astral Star have two choices."

The despairing crowd fell silent at once, holding their breath to listen.

"First," Selenst said, his voice like a sentence being pronounced, "purchase a ticket for the next returning ship at your own expense. Go back where you came from."

Suppressed sobs and pained groans rose from the crowd.

Go back? Return to those minor noble families that had emptied their coffers to send them aboard this ship, branded as failures?

What kind of cold stares and mockery awaited them? Their families' hopes would be shattered completely as well...

"Second," Selenst continued coldly, "stay, sign a contract, and become attendants of the Wizard Tower. You will be responsible for basic work within the tower, such as menial labor, clerical duties, and experimental assistance."

A faint glimmer of hope lit up in the crowd's eyes.

"As attendants, you will receive basic living provisions and have the chance to come into contact with peripheral knowledge of the wizarding world."

Selenst continued, "Every year, the Wizard Tower will conduct one review of attendant qualifications. If you successfully condense an Astral Star before the review, you may shed your attendant status and become a formal apprentice, starting over from the beginning."

He paused, his gray eyes sweeping over the crowd. "The choice is yours. You have a quarter of an hour to consider."

A deathly silence immediately descended over the deck. Only the sound of waves striking the hull and ragged breathing remained.

Should they return to inherit the family estate and become minor nobles in a barren land, with bleak futures ahead?

Or should they stay as servants, endure a life beneath others, and place their hopes in a faint and distant future?

Second by second, time passed.

In the end, five or six people, mostly those from relatively powerful families who believed they still had a way out if they returned, chose to leave with ashen faces.

The remaining dozen or so, Kavi among them, silently chose to stay. Their faces held humiliation and resentment, mingled with a sliver of humble expectation for the future.

They signed the wizard attendant contracts.

At that moment, their identities underwent a heaven-and-earth transformation. From "the gifted," upon whom great hopes had been placed, they had fallen into the ranks of the Wizard Tower's lowest servants.

At last, his gaze fell upon Li Ang, Matthew, and Helena.

"As for you three, you are already formal apprentices. After arriving at the tower, you may freely choose the school you wish to join and collect an apprentice's basic supplies."

After saying this, Wizard Selenst was the first to step onto the solid wooden pier.

Li Ang, Matthew, and Helena followed closely behind. After them came Ludik and the other nine reserve apprentices who had successfully condensed Astral Stars.

Last came Kavi and the other dozen or so newly made servants, their faces gray as ashes, led by the wizard attendant like prisoners being escorted away.

The moment they stepped onto the harbor planks, the clamor of the Riley City Port District engulfed them.

The air no longer carried only the monotonous stench of the sea. It was mixed with the aroma of food drifting from afar and the pungent scent of some kind of herb.

At that moment, dozens of dockworkers were busy at the pier.

They unloaded cargo from merchant ships arriving from all corners of the world, then handed it over to people dressed in wizard attendant uniforms for inspection and receipt.

When the wizard attendants saw Selenst, they all stopped working, bowed their heads, and eagerly greeted him.

"Ah, Lord Selenst, your holy radiance has made this humble place shine like a shabby cottage graced by a noble guest."

"My lord, your recruitment journey must have been arduous. Look at this newly arrived batch of white crystals—this humble one has not dared slack off and is strictly inspecting their purity according to the highest standards, ensuring every piece is worthy of your great magic array's needs."

"Oh, Lord Selenst, you look exceptionally well today. Before long, the seat of faction leader will surely be yours."

But Selenst turned a blind eye to all of it and strode straight ahead.

His wizard attendant, however, glowered at one of them with a dark face. "You dare speculate about Carter becoming the next faction leader? Are you not afraid of losing your head?"

Then he turned his gaze to the other two. "And don't think Lord Selenst doesn't know your little schemes. Let me tell you, this is useless."

"Do your work properly. Strive to catch the eye of another wizard lord and become their personal wizard attendant."

Ignoring Carter, whose face had gone white with fright, and the two embarrassed wizard attendants, he turned to the dozen or so people behind him.

"You will be the same. Work hard and strive to be noticed by a wizard lord, becoming their personal attendant, just like me."

"When a wizard lord is in a good mood, a casual word of guidance from them can surpass months of your own bitter toil."