Passed the Assessment

Two balls of dark green acid shot out with precision, each striking a Phantom Wolf in the head.

The acid rapidly corroded them. The Phantom Wolves let out silent howls, their bodies twisting several times before dispersing into the air, leaving behind two points of faint light that merged into Luo Lin's identity plaque.

The 20% beginner proficiency in [Acid Spray] allowed him to hit stationary or slowly moving targets at close range with fairly good accuracy.

He continued forward.

The maze passages twisted and branched, with phantom monsters appearing from time to time—swift Shadow Cats and Stone-Skinned Monsters with somewhat higher defenses.

Luo Lin flexibly employed his three spells according to the monsters' traits.

Against fast enemies, he used the wider area of effect of [Acid Spray] to launch sweeping attacks.

Against single targets, he used more precise shots instead.

[Mage Hand] was responsible for interference, pushing away monsters that got close or collecting the points of light dropped by distant monsters.

[Weak Force-Field Armor] remained active at all times, blocking unavoidable scratches and impacts.

His combat style was efficient and calm, without any unnecessary movements, and his mana allocation was exceptionally sensible.

With the mental strength and mana reserves of a Third-Rank Apprentice, along with spells of no small proficiency, he advanced steadily through the maze as his score rose steadily.

During that time, he also encountered other apprentices who had met the standard.

These people were clearly far stronger than the apprentices outside, using all kinds of methods to clear out monsters.

Some used fire spells, some summoned earth elemental creatures, while others moved nimbly into close combat with enchanted weapons.

Seeing Luo Lin alone, using an apparently ordinary acid spell with impressive efficiency, the other apprentices all revealed slightly surprised expressions.

In a relatively spacious cave, Luo Lin encountered an apprentice using wind blade spells. The other apprentice was fighting three extremely swift Shadow Cats at once and seemed somewhat flustered.

One Shadow Cat broke through the wind blades' blockade and pounced at the apprentice.

Seeing this, Luo Lin instantly activated [Mage Hand]. An invisible force shoved the Shadow Cat sideways, causing its pounce to veer off course.

At the same time, a shot of acid followed up and dealt with the Shadow Cat.

The apprentice let out a breath of relief, looked at Luo Lin, and nodded in thanks before immediately focusing on the remaining two Shadow Cats.

Luo Lin did not linger and continued onward.

He had no intention of forming an alliance with anyone. Acting alone suited his habits better and also allowed him to conceal his trump cards more effectively.

The maze gradually became more difficult. Ghost-like monsters capable of firing weak mental attacks began to appear, along with swarms of small monsters.

Luo Lin's mental strength far surpassed that of an ordinary early-stage Third-Rank Apprentice, and with [Weak Force-Field Armor] reinforcing him, he handled them with relative ease.

He treated these battles as opportunities to train his spell coordination and mental resistance.

After an unknown amount of time, his identity plaque grew warm, informing him that the assessment was about to end.

Luo Lin crushed the plaque. A flash of white light passed, and he reappeared in the square.

Most of the apprentices who had met the standard had already emerged. Their auras churned violently, showing that they had gone through fierce battles.

Luo Lin was among the last to emerge, but his aura was relatively steady. He had merely consumed over half his mana. He was not especially conspicuous in the crowd, but he was by no means inferior to anyone.

The attendants began tallying the scores.

The rankings on the spell light screen kept scrolling, displaying only the scores of the seventeen who had met the standard.

At last, the rankings settled.

First Place: Kyle Silverglow (mid-stage Third-Rank Apprentice), Score: 2850

Second Place: Lina Sharp (early-stage Third-Rank Apprentice), Score: 2650

Third Place: Luo Lin (early-stage Third-Rank Apprentice), Score: 2480

Fourth Place:...

Luo Lin ranked third.

This was an excellent result. Considering that he had only recently advanced and his spells were not particularly powerful, he had mainly relied on precise control and sound tactics to gain an advantage.

Kyle Silverglow, ranked first, was a blond youth with a cold and arrogant expression. Obvious elemental fluctuations radiated from his body.

Lina Sharp, ranked second, was a petite girl with lively eyes. She seemed to specialize in concealment and surprise attacks.

The old wizard on the platform looked at the rankings and nodded.

"Seventeen people have met the standard in this assessment."

"Overall evaluation: Kyle Silverglow, Lina Sharp, and Luo Lin have performed exceptionally well."

"Luo Lin, your advancement speed is astonishing, your foundation is solid, and your performance in actual combat has been steady."

The old wizard looked at Luo Lin. His tone was calm, yet it carried a trace of approval.

"As one of the outstanding performers in this assessment, you may receive the following rewards:

First, all previous knowledge debts will be waived.

Second, you will be awarded 2,000 contribution points.

Third, you will receive one opportunity to enter the Low-Level Spell Vault and select one zero-ring spell."

The generous rewards drew envious looks from the other apprentices who had met the standard, especially the debt waiver and the 2,000 contribution points.

Luo Lin remained calm. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Wizard."

He knew this was only the beginning. The academy would only value those who had proven their worth and potential.

The assessment officially ended.

The apprentices who had failed looked ashen as they were led away by the attendants. Heavy debts or unknown fates awaited them.

The seventeen who had passed let out sighs of relief and sized one another up. They knew these people would likely become the academy's future backbone—and potential rivals.

Luo Lin ignored those gazes. He walked straight to Wizard Eric and bowed again. "Thank you, Wizard, for your previous guidance and gift."

Wizard Avic gave a slight nod. "This is the result of your own efforts."

"Keep it up."

With that, he turned and left.

Luo Lin understood that Wizard Eric had recognized his potential, but he would still have to walk the road ahead on his own.

He first went to the Administrative Tower to complete the formalities. The knowledge debt on his identity plaque was cleared, and 2,000 contribution points were added. Together with his previous savings, his total contribution points reached nearly 5,000.

Next, he arrived at the academy's Low-Level Spell Vault.

The zero-ring spells stored here were more plentiful and rarer than those in the library.

The guardian of the spell vault was an old wizard resting with his eyes closed. After verifying Luo Lin's eligibility, he allowed him inside.

Luo Lin browsed the spell shelves.

There were offensive spells like [Electric Arc] and [Flame Arrow]...

Defensive spells like [Deflection Field] and [Lesser Elemental Shield]...

Support spells like [Lightness Spell] and [Conceal Presence]...

As well as spells with special functions, such as [Detection Spell], [Literacy], and more.

He weighed his options carefully.

For offense, he had [Acid Spray], which was sufficient for the time being.

For defense, he had [Weak Force-Field Armor].

For support, [Mage Hand] was highly versatile.

What he needed more was a spell that could compensate for his weaknesses or provide a unique ability.

In the end, his gaze settled on a spell called [Literacy].

This spell could help its user decipher most basic enchanted scripts, runes, and simple contract clauses. It would be immensely useful for studying deeper knowledge, interpreting ancient texts, and even avoiding losses in contracts.

It perfectly suited his needs.

Without hesitation, he chose the spell model crystal for [Literacy].

Carrying the spell crystal and his generous rewards, Luo Lin returned to his stone house.

The turmoil of the assessment had already passed. His third-place result had brought him into the academy's upper ranks' field of view, but it had not attracted excessive attention.

With Kyle and Lina ahead of him, he clearly understood that Third-Rank Apprentice was merely a new starting point. The road to becoming a formal wizard was far longer and more difficult.

However, in the days after the assessment ended, Luo Lin's pace of life did not relax. Instead, with his broadened horizons, it became even busier and more fulfilling.

He clearly recognized that Third-Rank Apprentice was only a threshold. The true path toward becoming a formal wizard had only now officially begun.

He first spent several days focusing on studying and constructing the newly acquired spell, [Literacy].

This spell model was somewhat similar to [Mage Hand], but it focused more on the fine weaving of mental strength and the analysis of information flow rather than energy manipulation.

With the advantage of [Efficient Scholar], Luo Lin successfully constructed a stable model in his sea of consciousness after failing more than a dozen times.

He tried using the spell on a basic botanical guide borrowed from the library and written in Ancient Helwen.

When the spell entered the model and his gaze fell upon those twisted characters, a wonderful sensation arose.

Those characters seemed to come alive, and the meanings they represented naturally flowed into his mind. Though he could not instantly understand every deeper allusion and technical term, the basic meanings of the words and the general sense of the sentences were clear.

[Spell: Literacy (Not Yet Initiated)]