Three Factions

Li Ang looked up, and the sight beyond the carriage window instantly shook him to the core.

A giant tower, pitch-black from top to bottom as though built from the purest black crystal, stood majestically before him like a colossal pillar holding up heaven and earth.

Countless immense, profound runes and magic formations were engraved across its walls, faintly flowing with an eerie blue radiance.

This was the heart of Riley City, the Wizard Tower—the symbol of wizardly power and status.

Li Ang instinctively wanted to see whether he could bind the enormous tower, but the information that appeared before him disappointed him somewhat.

[Riley Wizard Tower: Lv0]

[Status: Bindable]

[Binding Cost: 200 Mental Power]

Seeing that he currently had only 10 points of Mental Power, Li Ang helplessly gave up on the idea.

The carriage finally stopped beneath the Wizard Tower, before a towering arched entrance large enough for several carriages to enter side by side.

Two rows of guards stood before the gate, clad in full golden plate armor and wielding golden rune halberds, their faces hidden behind ferocious helmets.

They stood as motionless as cold statues, with only the crimson capes behind them snapping loudly in the wind.

The apprentice candidates had been frightened senseless. They were merely a group of provincial young nobles who had never seen the world—when had they ever seen such a majestic tower, or such mighty guards?

Even Matthew, who had always been incomparably arrogant, could no longer maintain the dignity of the former class leader. He stared blankly at the scene before him.

The apprentices did not dare make a sound, afraid that they might disturb the guards and be skewered to death. Yet in Li Ang's eyes, these guards were an entirely different sight.

[Golden Guard: Lv0]

[Status: Bindable]

[Binding Cost: 20 Mental Power]

Even these guards were wizard facilities? As expected of a Wizard Tower.

Selenst was the first to step down from his exclusive beast-drawn carriage. When Li Ang and the others saw this, they hurriedly followed. Selenst ignored the apprentice candidates and walked straight toward the enormous archway.

As he approached, the faint rune-light flowing over the arch flashed, and then a smaller door, tall enough for two people, opened beside the grand entrance.

Led by Selenst, the group entered through the side door. The instant they stepped inside, the heat and noise of the outside world were completely shut out.

The first thing that appeared before them was a vast circular hall capable of holding a thousand people. What surprised them even more was that the hall had no dome, allowing them to see the sky directly.

Yet the sky overhead resembled a clear night sky. Specks of starlight flickered, dimming and brightening as they slowly drifted, forming an enormous and profound star map.

At last, an apprentice could not hold back any longer. "That's not right. Wasn't it daytime when we came in? Why is it night here?"

Selenst continued leading them onward as though he had not heard, but he did not rebuke the apprentice candidate either.

Seeing this, the other apprentice candidates also gathered their courage and began discussing it.

"This probably isn't a real starry sky. It's some kind of wizard facility." The one who said this was Ludik, the bespectacled youth.

His remark drew a wave of astonishment from the apprentice candidates, and it seemed to have provoked Matthew's fragile nerves.

He wanted to angrily berate Ludik for talking nonsense, but he feared disturbing Selenst. He could only glare fiercely at Ludik and warn him in a lowered voice.

"Ludik, if you dare spout nonsense again, watch your tongue."

Frightened by Matthew's threat, Ludik did not dare say another word and retreated to the back of the crowd.

However, the sight before him made Li Ang think more highly of Ludik. After all, Li Ang had only known it was a wizard facility because of the system.

[Eternal Star Map: Lv0]

[Status: Bindable]

[Binding Cost: 50 Mental Power]

Soft light from an unknown source illuminated the entire hall. The floor was paved with smooth, mirror-like dark-black stone, reflecting the flowing river of stars overhead.

At the center of the hall stood an enormous, lifelike statue carved from black stone.

It depicted a wizard with indistinct features, holding a wand and wearing a robe of stars. The statue's pedestal bore his name: Legendary Wizard Riley Serta.

Li Ang had heard tales of this man. He was the master of this Wizard Tower, a legendary wizard known to every household.

At that moment, one side of the hall was bustling with people, forming a sharp contrast with the solemn surroundings.

Three long tables stood side by side there. Behind each table sat a wizard wearing either blue or black robes, while stacks of parchment were piled atop the tables.

Above the tables floated enormous three-dimensional emblems formed from pure light.

The crowd before the first table was the largest. Apprentices formed a long queue, their faces filled with excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. The emblem overhead was a vortex constantly shifting through different colors—the Elemental School.

Selenst's gaze swept over that area, and he nodded to the black-robed wizard seated behind the table. The wizard returned the gesture with a nod.

The second table was far quieter, with only a handful of people waiting in line. Its emblem was a crystal cauldron entwined with emerald vines—the Potion School.

The female wizard behind the table wore blue robes and had a composed temperament. She was leisurely flipping through the parchments before her.

The third table was the most mysterious. More people were queued there than at the Potion School, though still not many. Its emblem was a black curtain studded with countless brilliant stars—the Astrology School.

The wizard behind that table also wore blue robes. Her eyes were closed as her fingers lightly traced a floating starlight compass before her, while she murmured something under her breath.

Selenst stopped and turned around. His cold gaze swept across the newly arrived apprentices behind him, who had been left somewhat dazed by the grandeur of the hall and the scene before them.

"This is the starting point you have chosen."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every ear, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Elements, potions, astrology—the three great schools. The direction of your future efforts and the path ahead of you will be determined at this moment."

His gaze became almost tangible as it slowly passed over Li Ang, Matthew, and Helena, the three official apprentices.

"The Elemental School studies the mysteries of the elements and commands the power of destruction. It is the hall of combat wizardry, as well as the Wizard Tower's strongest force against the outside world."

His tone was calm, but when he mentioned "strongest force," an almost imperceptible pride flashed through his eyes. "Of course, competition is also the fiercest. Only those with outstanding talent can rise above the rest."

His gaze then shifted toward the quiet table of the Potion School.

"The Potion School focuses on concocting potions. Their effects vary widely: they can heal wounds and illnesses, strengthen the body, and even extend one's lifespan. Naturally, they can also congeal one's blood and vitality, disrupt one's mind, or even poison a legendary wizard to death."

"If you wish to master this path, patience and meticulousness are the most important qualities."