Seven o'clock in the evening.
The sky was still dim, as though the sun of this world had yet to learn how to clock in and out on time.
More than four hundred second-year students participating in this trial set out from every corner of the Training Ground and eventually gathered in a newly leveled small square.
Zheng Qing spotted Matthew Karen, whose face was bluish-white. After only a few days apart, he seemed even thinner, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. There was also Nicholas. This time, he finally stood bravely beside Liu Feifei in full view of everyone, openly draping an arm around her shoulders. Zheng Qing noticed several cracks in the ruby on his ring.
Farther away, Lin Guo was waving vigorously at them from among Alpha Academy's ranks. Several white-robed witches stood beside him, whispering among themselves. Not far from the young wizard, Andrew, the little wolf cub from Quebec, stood with his arms folded, gloomily sizing up his surroundings. Several hunters from the Ouroboros Hunting Team surrounded him. Perhaps noticing Zheng Qing's gaze, the short, fat wizard glanced at him, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and forced out a somewhat friendly smile.
Zheng Qing gave a slight nod, then expressionlessly withdrew his gaze.
Small, gently swelling hills surrounded the square. Old Man Vernal stood atop one of them, along with dozens of Gray Robed School Workers and an equal number of black-robed supervisors, quietly watching the young wizards.
Having not seen one another for so long, these young people had far too much to say—from their adventures over the past few days, to the points on their nameplates, to how someone had mastered a powerful spell and destroyed a small hill with a single strike; and which wizard had