The Mages Association (2)

Joining the Mages Association was free, and registered members received a monthly stipend based on their rank. Equipment and spellbooks, however, had to be paid for. Green had learned all this from Doctor Wilkins. It was common knowledge, but useful to him.

Green had little money saved. His wages as an apprentice butler were meager, so he had borrowed twenty Gold Pounds from Vincent. Once registered, he planned to buy a Magic Staff that could speed up his spellcasting.

The Mages Association stood beside City Hall, a round Tower of white marble more than twenty stories tall.

By the time Green arrived by carriage, it was already afternoon. The first-floor hall was nearly empty. Two young receptionists were chatting, and both looked a little surprised to see him. There were few mages to begin with, and most people finished their business in the morning. Visitors rarely came in the afternoon. Still, the two hurried over, bowed, and asked how they could help.

Green stated his purpose and produced the letter of recommendation Doctor Wilkins had written.

Doctor Wilkins was a veteran member of the Landon City Mages Association, with wide connections and considerable standing. His letter would spare Green a great deal of tedious procedure.

Sure enough, the receptionists grew more respectful when they saw the signature. They ushered Green inside, had him fill out a thick stack of forms, then took them upstairs for a round of stamps. A full hour later, they finally handed him a small blue booklet.

Green then spent thirteen Gold Pounds on a Magic Staff at the association.

Made of laurel wood, the staff was a little over half a meter long and weighed two jin and seven liang. Intricate Runes covered its length. It could increase casting speed slightly and store one defensive spell below the third circle.

The staff's performance was barely satisfactory to Green. He did not know a single defensive spell, so its storage function was useless to him. He bought it because it was cheap and could speed up his casting—with the low price being the main reason. At thirteen Gold Pounds, it was nearly the cheapest Magic Staff in the entire association.

At last came the combat-strength test Green had been looking forward to.

After registering as a mage, anyone could take the combat-strength test voluntarily.

Since arriving in this world and becoming a Novice Necromancer Apprentice, Green had learned two spells: Soul Summoning and Bone Spikes. Normally, learning and mastering four first-circle spells was enough to advance to Intermediate Magic Apprentice. Green could not possibly qualify as an Intermediate Apprentice, but the Graveyard made his circumstances unusual. The Skeleton Soldiers it produced looked far more formidable than those summoned by ordinary Soul Summoning. How well they would fight, though, he did not know. That made him eager for the test.

The entire fifth floor of the Mages Association was a testing ground. Magic simulated a variety of combat scenarios that could be triggered at random.

Green followed the receptionist and listened to her careful explanation. Once he understood the rules and signed the liability waiver, he stepped through the entrance.

"Combat-strength test. Act One, Scenario Three: wilderness forest terrain. Combat rank: Junior Apprentice..."

As Green entered, a flat, uninflected voice sounded beside his ear. Light and shadow shifted before his eyes. The surroundings dimmed, wind moaned, and waves of cold struck his face. After another two steps, trees appeared around him. He was standing in a dense forest on a winter night.

An enormous Magic Array. It can create a simulated scene this vast and lifelike. Magic really does hold endless possibilities. Even with all the technological advances on Earth before I came here, nothing in the twenty-first century could produce an effect like this. Green marveled inwardly, but stayed alert. Tightening his grip on the Magic Staff, he cast Soul Summoning without hesitation and called a Skeleton Soldier from the Graveyard to stand in front of him.

For a Necromancer, the standard response to trouble was to summon a minion first and ask questions later.

With the tall Skeleton Soldier shielding him, Green felt a little more at ease. Beyond it lay darkness, broken only by the faint outline of distant hills. An eerie wind gusted past his ears. Though he knew the testing ground had simulated it all, a chill still crept up from the depths of his heart.

The forest was dense, and the night left him little visibility. Everywhere he looked was black. Only the entrance behind him was marked by a glowing indicator light.

Green raised his staff. A white beam shone from the gem set in its tip, lighting the ground ahead like a flashlight and carving a fan-shaped patch out of the darkness.

The Light Spell came built into every Magic Staff as standard.

Green moved forward with his staff raised. Ahead of him, the Skeleton Soldier kept watch with sword and shield in hand.

After a dozen meters, the trees thinned. Green heard a faint rustling to his front left, as though something were moving through the grass.

He stopped at once and looked that way, holding his staff across his body, ready to cast Bone Spikes.

Green's only combat experience came from playing games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Honor of Kings before arriving in this world. Prepared or not, facing a real fight made his heart hammer. He held his breath, every nerve taut. But he could not keep that up for long. About half a minute later, just as he let out a little air, a dark shape suddenly lunged from the other side.

Damn it—a feint!

Green cursed inwardly. Forgetting all dignity befitting a mage, he dropped into a clumsy roll and dodged the attack. He whipped his staff around and cast Bone Spikes. Bang, bang, bang, bang! A string of rock spikes over a meter long shot from the ground where he had stood a moment before.

The spikes struck the dark shape. It gave a low, muffled growl and faltered, revealing a creature covered in green skin, with sharp fangs and claws.

Green had never seen such a monster. It looked somewhat like a Troll from World of Warcraft, but he knew it was no Troll. It was a puppet the Mages Association had used to simulate one.

At the same moment, metal rang against metal to his front left. His Skeleton Soldier had met another green-skinned monster in close combat. The Skeleton Soldier moved with startling agility and fought on instinct. As the enemy pounced, it caught the attack on its round shield and slashed in the same motion, severing the arm the monster had reached out with at the shoulder. It followed with a kick that sent the creature flying, then pursued it with another sword stroke aimed at its neck.

It's so strong!

Even Green was startled by the Skeleton Soldier's ferocity. Its fighting ability far exceeded his expectations, nearly matching that of a Junior Apprentice Knight.

Green's confidence surged. He had worried that the Skeleton Soldiers from the Graveyard were silver-tipped spears made of soft pewter—all show and no substance. Clearly, he had worried for nothing. This Skeleton Soldier was almost too strong. Seeing how the fight was going, he did not rush to summon a second. It was only a test; there was no need to go all out and flaunt every card in his hand.

Green hurried aside and mentally ordered the Skeleton Soldier to attack the other green-skinned monster.

The Skeleton Soldier charged behind its shield and slammed into the monster like a galloping horse. Thud! Its Short Sword darted from beneath the round shield like a venomous snake, piercing straight through the creature's lower belly. With another bang, a cloud of white smoke burst out. The slain monster became a beast-shaped puppet made of wood and sheet iron.

The fight had lasted less than a minute.

Green was quite satisfied with the result. The Skeleton Soldiers produced by the Graveyard were formidable fighters.

The Mages Association's combat-strength test was no child's game. For a Junior Apprentice Knight or Junior Apprentice, lasting five minutes against two puppets counted as a pass; ten minutes was excellent. In the past decade or so, only twice had anyone done what Green had: turn the tables and kill them outright.

With the battle over, the forest vanished, revealing a circular arena more than twenty meters across.

The receptionist who had accompanied Green stood openmouthed by the entrance he had used. When she noticed him looking at her, she finally came to her senses and hurried over, her manner even more respectful than before.