Black Tower Wizard Academy

"At last, it's settled."

Richard wiped the sweat from his brow. This had been the most dangerous moment since he crossed over. If not for the Fireball Technique Staff, that ultimate weapon, ten of him would not have been enough for that madman to kill.

After searching through the forest, Richard gathered Saban's Arm Guard and Greatsword.

To Richard's surprise, the pair of Arm Guards were magical items—magical items capable of self-charging, at that. The Greatsword, meanwhile, was simply made of extraordinary material and was not itself a magical item.

Richard tried refining the Arm Guards with the Miracle Furnace, but the Miracle Furnace remained completely unresponsive.

"What exactly are the rules behind this refining technique? Baron Black Forest's Greatsword could be refined, and so could the Chimera Core, so why can't any of these magical items be refined?"

Richard had no answer for the moment, so he could only set the question aside and begin studying what the Arm Guards did.

Richard strapped the Arm Guards onto both arms. In an instant, a cool energy spread from his arms throughout his entire body. Under its effects, the wounds on his body began to stop bleeding and heal at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"No wonder that madman couldn't be blown to death by even a Lesser Fireball. So he had such a treasure on him."

Richard marveled at it, then suddenly felt something scraping inside the Arm Guards.

After taking them off, he discovered that a passage of writing had somehow appeared along their inner sides.

"What is this?"

Richard read through it once and found that it described a method of breathing. It felt strangely familiar to him; Baron Black Forest seemed to have known something similar back then.

"Forget it. I should leave first. Once I'm in the Academy, there'll be plenty of time to figure it out."

Richard shook his head, put the Arm Guards back onto his arms, and resumed his journey.

On the fourth day after the examination began, some of the more powerful apprentices had already started arriving at the gathering point.

Kevin Medici staggered out of the forest.

After four days of traveling and slaughter, this young nobleman—neither a knight nor an official Wizard Apprentice—was utterly exhausted.

Fighting, traveling, staying on guard, running for his life, and finally reaching the gathering point.

Having done all that, Kevin felt as though his entire being had been sublimated. He felt that no hardship in this world could possibly defeat him now.

"Griffith, we're here," Kevin called back.

Behind him, a burly blond man carrying a Greatsword was slowly making his way forward. He was Kevin's teammate, as well as the powerful backer who had allowed him to survive the Magic Beast's pursuit.

This man named Griffith had killed that demon-like Magic Beast all by himself.

"Mm."

Griffith nodded.

Griffith had not revealed his identity, but judging by his bearing and formidable strength, Kevin guessed that he was likely an ascetic from some monastery.

Upon entering the gathering point, Kevin collapsed onto the ground, his entire body relaxing at once.

The gathering point was a safe zone. Reaching it meant he was safe.

"Kevin?"

Kevin turned toward the voice and saw a lean figure carrying a Greatsword and holding a Staff emerge from among the apprentices.

"Richard!?"

Once he recognized the newcomer, Kevin was stunned. Compared with his own bedraggled state, Richard's clothes were somewhat tattered, but he was full of spirit. Beside Kevin, Richard hardly looked like someone who had just gone through a life-and-death examination.

"So it really is you."

Richard walked over to Kevin and smiled as he pulled him to his feet.

Kevin still owed him a Magic Stone.

"Looks like my decision was right. Recruiting you was the right choice. It's just a pity none of it ended up being useful." Kevin gave Richard a bitter smile.

The alliance he had painstakingly built had been turned into a joke by a single sentence from a wizard.

"As long as you're alive, that's what matters. Hurry up and register with the wizards. There's a Teleportation Array at the gathering point, activated once every hundred people. Including your friend, there are nearly a hundred people here already."

As he spoke, Richard narrowed his eyes at the burly man behind Kevin.

The blond giant had been staring at him ever since he appeared.

"Friend, why are you staring at me?"

Griffith gave Richard a slight bow. "It seems Saban died by your hand, sir."

"You know the owner of this sword?"

Richard looked into the burly man's eyes. This man was at least a knight, and judging from his aura, he had also constructed a magic power circulation. He was a warrior who cultivated both paths.

"Let me introduce him. This is Griffith, a genius knight from another continent."

Sensing that something was off, Kevin swiftly stepped between them.

"I knew him. In the Norton Empire, he was always trying to kill me." Griffith sighed. "His talent was quite good. What a pity."

Since it was not revenge, Richard said no more.

After Kevin and Griffith registered, the wizard gave the order to teleport.

"Prepare for teleportation. Apprentices who suffer from Teleportation Array dizziness, close your eyes.

Three, two, one—teleport!"

In an instant, light flashed across the gathering point, and the chaotic blocks of color unique to teleportation appeared before Richard's eyes once more.

When his vision returned to normal, he saw a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

"This is..." Richard murmured.

Before him stood a colossal tower that could only be described as magnificent. Its height stretched beyond sight, as though it connected heaven and earth and reached all the way to the dwelling place of gods. Countless lifelike reliefs covered the giant tower, as if souls had been sealed within them. Along its edges stood gargoyles, baring their fangs and claws with ferocious expressions, as though they might come alive the next second.

"This is the Central Black Tower. It was originally the Dean's Wizard Tower, and only wizards were permitted to enter. Later, when the Academy was established, the Dean opened its first fifty floors as teaching areas for the Academy."

Richard turned toward the voice. It came from an Owl twice its normal size.

The Owl spoke human language, and one of its claws gripped a large sack.

"Little ones, I am an Academy Watcher, and also your guide. Normally, I am responsible for monitoring whether you obey the Academy rules." With that, the Owl tossed the sack onto the ground. The large sack was filled with smaller sacks.

"Now take your things and follow me. I'll show you around the Academy."

The structure of the Black Tower Wizard Academy was simple. Aside from the Central Black Tower, where classes were held, it was divided into only three areas: the Experimental District, the Living District, and the Commercial District.

The Experimental District was where wizards and Wizard Apprentices conducted dangerous experiments, and it was the largest of the three districts. The Commercial District sold experimental materials, spellcasting materials, and magical items. Besides the shops opened by Academy wizards, the Wizard Merchant Guild from outside the Academy and Wizard Apprentices within the Academy also had shops there.

The common currency in the Commercial District was Academy Coin issued by the Academy, though Magic Stones were also accepted. The value of Academy Coin was pegged to Magic Stones: one Magic Stone could be exchanged for one hundred Academy Coin.

Finally came the Living District, which provided for the apprentices' daily needs of food, clothing, shelter, and travel. Tailor shops, Restaurants, and even carriage houses could all be found there. Black Towers were scattered throughout the Living District like stars across the sky. Every Wizard Apprentice could have a room of their own, with no rent required.

Richard followed the Owl around for an entire day before finally touring the whole Academy. Near the end, he spotted Ellie among the newly arrived apprentices.

"Hey! Richard! You passed after all!"

Ellie looked somewhat bedraggled. Much of her originally beautiful blond hair had been burned away by flames, and there was a charred scar on her forehead. Her clothes were badly torn as well, though Richard was not much better off in that regard.

Walking through the forest, having one's clothes torn by branches and thorns was perfectly normal.

"I was luckier than you. I got here a little earlier."

Though they had been apart for only a few days, seeing an acquaintance in this unfamiliar Academy still made him happy.

As the sky gradually darkened, dandelion-like plants sprouted from the ground along the Academy roads. The dandelions gave off a bright yet gentle glow, illuminating the paths like streetlamps.

"Nightglow Dandelions. Spoils from a plane conquered by the Dean. They're used as the Academy's streetlamps."

As Richard walked, he introduced Ellie to the Academy's general layout. Ellie's group had arrived just at Twilight, and the Owl believed they needed rest. After handing out their things, it left on its own.

"So beautiful."

Ellie gazed at the dandelions, her eyes filled with delight and dreamy wonder. The Academy's scenery left her a little overwhelmed.

Was this really the Academy where people had to kill each other in the entrance examination? Shouldn't it be filled with crosses, with remains strewn across the ground? Shouldn't students sit on coffins during class while every teacher looked as hideous as a demon?

"But remember not to touch them. If these things are provoked, they'll use their seeds as weapons. The seeds explode with power no less than a low-grade Fireball Technique."

Richard's words instantly shattered Ellie's fantasy.

Richard pointed at a Tower in the distance. "That's the Living District. New apprentices have their own exclusive Towers, so you don't have to worry about finding a room."

The Academy had a dedicated newcomer area as a buffer. Once newcomers had spent three years in the Academy, they would move out of that area and find new accommodations.

Richard walked toward the Tower, only to suddenly feel someone tug at the corner of his clothes.

"Oh, then... then let's be neighbors from now on."

Ellie held onto Richard's sleeve, her hair falling over the side of her face and hiding her expression.

"Be neighbors?" Richard did not pay much attention to Ellie's reaction. A girl's thoughts were like summer clouds and rain—ever-changing and impossible to predict.

"Sure. The Academy doesn't deliberately separate men and women."

"Really? That's great!"

Ellie abruptly looked up, a trace of surprise in her eyes.

"Let's go." Richard pointed toward the Tower in the distance. "That's the one advantage of arriving early—no one has snatched up the rooms yet. It's already so late. Let's find a room that looks decent and settle in first."