Forcing a Smile

"Half the preparations for entering the divine kingdom are complete. Next, I need to convince my mentor."

Lohr knew very well that because the talent he had displayed was too outstanding, Agular, who valued him highly, would never easily allow him to enter the divine kingdom.

The essence of the apprentice divine kingdom trial was to nurture a new generation of wizard apprentices and prepare for the Abyss campaign a hundred years later. Killing was therefore not prohibited, and casualties were perfectly normal.

Of course, the rewards were also extremely generous.

For example, Murphy Continent had prepared three spatial rings, all placed within the Dark God's divine kingdom for the apprentices to compete over.

These things were not cheap. Even the smallest ten-cubic-meter spatial equipment cost fifty thousand contribution points, something Lohr simply could not afford.

When he had first seen the price of spatial rings on the light screen, he had been completely dumbfounded.

Only later had he realized that there were currently no Space Wizards at all. Those spatial items had all been seized from gods.

Besides that, there were Divine Power Crystals that could improve mental strength, as well as special potions that could raise one's meditation talent level.

"With the Small Magma Eruption Spell, I'm sure my mentor won't stop me."

Lohr picked up the metal communication sphere and rubbed it for a moment before deciding to contact Agular now. The sooner it was settled, the sooner he could rest easy.

He injected his mental strength into the communication sphere and waited for a response.

"Lohr, is that you? What is it?" Agular's gentle voice came from the communication sphere.

"Mentor, I want to participate in the Divine Kingdom Exploration Tournament." Lohr did not beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly.

After half a year, he and Agular had become quite familiar with each other. Whenever he contacted him now, Agular no longer even asked about his cultivation progress.

"Do you know what kind of people are participating in the first Divine Kingdom Exploration Tournament?" Agular asked calmly.

He was not surprised by Lohr's choice. As long as an apprentice was qualified to learn of this news, there was not a single one who would not be tempted.

But temptation was useless. Without sufficient strength, entering meant courting death.

Lohr was only a Second-Level Apprentice now. Agular certainly would not agree to let him throw his life away.

"I know. There are many Third-Level Apprentices inside, and some have even mastered apprentice spells comparable to First-Circle spells."

Lohr laid his cards on the table. "Actually, I've also mastered a spell comparable to a First-Circle spell."

The moment he said that, the other end fell silent for a second. Then Agular's voice came again.

"Open the door. I'm outside."

Lohr: "..."

That was fast.

He hurriedly put down the communication sphere and welcomed the somewhat strange-looking Agular into the laboratory.

"Show me." Agular pointed toward the spell testing ground.

"Yes."

Lohr nodded, activated the protective barrier around the spell testing ground, then stomped his foot toward it.

Rumble—

A crimson torrent of magma roughly ten meters in diameter erupted from the center of the spell testing ground, carrying terrifying heat.

Feeling the power of the magma, Agular's breathing suddenly hitched, and even his heartbeat skipped faster.

Lohr had not lied to him. It truly was a spell comparable to a First-Circle spell.

Moreover, it was an entirely new fusion spell of the Fire-Earth School.

"No, you're only a Second-Level Apprentice. Your mental strength shouldn't be enough to cast a spell of this level."

After being dazed for a moment, Agular quickly came back to his senses. His brow suddenly furrowed. "You didn't take mental-strength potions, did you? With Fifth-Level Meditation Talent, you shouldn't be in such a hurry."

He had long told Lohr that mental-strength potions had side effects.

Logically speaking, this kid should not have been so foolish.

"Mentor, I didn't take any mental-strength potions." Lohr shook his head. "I fused this spell from two 0.7-Circle spells, so the consumption isn't that high."

"Huh?!"

Agular's pupils instantly widened. He could no longer maintain his previous calm expression. Staring intently at Lohr, he enunciated each word.

"You're saying this spell was fused from two 0.7-Circle spells?"

"Yeah." Lohr forcibly suppressed the smile at the corners of his mouth and nodded with a deliberately innocent look.

"Mentor, even if other schools have some apprentice-level fusion spells, mine should be able to rival theirs, right? So about entering the divine kingdom..."

"Wait a moment. Let me think."

Agular took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart. He rubbed his brow, looking deeply conflicted.

He was not conflicted over whether to let Lohr enter the divine kingdom. He was conflicted over how to persuade him not to go.

Mutual killing was permitted inside the divine kingdom. What if Lohr died there?

Their entire Murphy Continent Earth-Fire School had only this one precious treasure.

He had already created such absurd fusion spells as an apprentice. What would happen in the future?

"Lohr, what is your purpose in going inside?" Only after a full minute did Agular speak again.

He had already decided that if Lohr needed Divine Power Crystals or a potion to raise his meditation talent to Sixth-Level, he would gather some from Gulei and give them directly to Lohr.

As for more than that, it was not that he was unwilling to give it. He simply could not afford it.

"I want to get some Divine Power Crystals and special potions. If possible, it would be best to get a piece of spatial equipment too," Lohr said honestly.

Agular's mouth twitched. "Spatial equipment won't be easy to obtain. There are only three in total, and wizard apprentices across the entire continent are watching them. You're only a Second-Level Apprentice now. It'll be hard for you to compete with them."

"My mentor is right." Lohr nodded and replied earnestly, "Then I'll strive to obtain a special potion that can raise my meditation talent to Seventh-Level."

In reality, once he entered the divine kingdom, he could instantly raise his mental strength above eighty points, then max out the Small Magma Eruption Spell.

Claiming he had an eighty percent chance of seizing spatial equipment would definitely be an exaggeration, but fifty percent was still possible.

"Fine." Agular sighed. "I can lend you some Divine Power Crystals first. Raise your mental strength to thirty points before you enter."

He could not give Lohr what he wanted, but Lohr indeed had a chance to seize enough potions in the divine kingdom to raise his meditation talent to Seventh-Level.

With that being the case, he truly had no reason to stop Lohr anymore.

As for issuing a mandatory order...

After half a year of buildup, Lohr's steady rate of spell improvement had spread his reputation even to those earth-element Third-Circle Archwizards. Agular truly could not go too far.

"Uh..." Lohr thought about it and could only nod. "Then thank you, Mentor."

He really wanted to refuse. Divine Power Crystals were extremely expensive, far more costly than using charge points to improve himself.

Using Divine Power Crystals to directly raise his mental strength would be nothing but a loss.

But he could not find a reason to refuse, nor could he hide it.

The unique aura of Divine Power Crystals could penetrate the laboratory, so he could only accept them and absorb them.

"Wait here. I'll go get you some Divine Power Crystals." After saying that, Agular walked out of the laboratory and cast the Earthvein Traversal Spell, vanishing on the spot.

Not long afterward, he reappeared outside the laboratory carrying five black crystals, each about one centimeter in diameter.

Terrifying auras radiated from the five crystals. Even from far away, Lohr felt a shiver of dread.

"Take them." Agular entered the laboratory and handed the five crystals to Lohr. "Fifty grams of Divine Power Crystals. That's enough to raise your mental strength above forty-five. Remember to pay me back after you come out."

If Lohr were not going to the divine kingdom, Agular could give them to him for free. But since he insisted on going, he had to repay them.

"Yes, Mentor." Lohr accepted the Divine Power Crystals with a forced smile.