Quality Apprentice Wizard Robe

The Academy at night seemed even livelier than during the day. On the way to the dormitories alone, Richard saw seven or eight apprentices flying through the air.

"Does the Wizard Academy have classes at night too?" Richard wondered.

When they arrived before the Tower, two door knockers were set into its heavy doors, with a metal Lion Head above them.

Richard lightly lifted the door knocker.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Recruiting new students again?"

The metal Lion Head above the door suddenly spoke.

"Ah, the statue talked!" Ellie cried out.

The Lion Head paid no attention to Ellie's reaction.

"Little ones, take out your Crystal Balls."

Richard and Ellie did as instructed, taking out fist-sized Crystal Balls from the bags the Owl had handed out.

This Crystal Ball was far superior in quality to the ones used in the examination. Its entire surface was smooth and translucent, without the slightest impurity.

When the Lion Head saw them take out their Crystal Balls, a red beam shot from its eyes into the spheres. After confirming their identities, the doors beneath it opened with a rumble.

"Apprentice Richard, Apprentice Ellie, welcome to Living Tower 012."

Upon entering the Tower, they found the first floor empty, seemingly a hall. A thick layer of dust had settled on the ground, clearly indicating that no one had entered this Tower for a long time.

They went upstairs along the staircase. The second floor was completely different from the first: a corridor running across the level divided it into two sections.

Richard chose a sunny room, while Ellie, as they had agreed, moved into the room next to his.

"Good night."

"Good night, Richard."

The room was not small, around thirty square meters, with an independent washroom and every kind of furniture. Richard cleaned the room, and after making sure the furniture was free of worms, he took off everything he was carrying.

Richard hung his Greatsword on the wall, then neatly arranged the Chimera Heart and his various magical tools on the table. Finally, he took out everything the Owl had given him. Aside from the Crystal Ball, the bag contained a black robe, a book of Academy regulations, a Novice Meditation Method, and ten Magic Stones.

As Richard held the robe in his hands, the Miracle Furnace—which had been silent for a long time—suddenly trembled.

"Hm? This robe can actually be used as material?"

Richard turned the robe over in surprise. Its fabric resembled silk, and faint magical fluctuations flowed from it.

Richard examined it with his spiritual power, and a message instantly entered his mind.

[Lucky apprentice, you have obtained a Quality Apprentice Wizard Robe personally crafted by Alchemy Master Gerald. This Wizard Robe is engraved with the three spells Force Field Protection, Aura Concealment, and Purge Filth. It also possesses a self-charging circuit, making it the perfect choice for Low-level apprentices facing vendettas and hidden attacks.]

Richard's eye twitched twice. This Alchemy Master named Gerald seemed somewhat improper.

But the message he had left gave Richard a clue. This Wizard Robe seemed to be "quality," and perhaps the Miracle Furnace's standard for materials was "quality" magical tools.

Though he had such a guess, Richard only had this single example and had no way to confirm it. Still, being able to extract something from it was undoubtedly a good thing.

[Material: Apprentice Wizard Robe]

[Extractable Skill: Spell Engraving (Incomplete)]

[Extraction Cost: 15 Spiritual Power]

[Extractable Information: Force Field Protection Spell Model, Aura Concealment Spell Model, Purge Filth Spell Model]

[Extraction Cost: 5 Spiritual Power]

The information conveyed by the Miracle Furnace shook Richard to his core. He had not expected a single Wizard Robe to yield both skill and information.

"A Spell Engraving skill alone costs fifteen spiritual power, while the three spell models only cost five. Those three spells are probably all Zero-Ring Spells."

Richard looked at the Wizard Robe, hesitating over whether to extract from it. Those three Zero-Ring Spells would not be much help to him, while the cost of extracting the skill would likely make him pass out on the spot.

"There's still some time before the entrance examination ends. There's nothing much to do during this period anyway."

After considering it for a moment, Richard ultimately chose to extract the skill.

His vision went dark in that familiar way, and Richard immediately fainted.

When he woke again, it was already noon the next day.

"I was out for that long?"

Richard looked at the blinding sunlight beyond the window by his bed and slowly rose.

A ball of white light bounced up and down above the Miracle Furnace. Richard absorbed it, and in an instant, he seemed to become a wizard. Magic power flowed through his hands like threads, working with materials he could not identify as he inscribed spells upon a Wizard Robe.

"Whew!"

Richard abruptly came back to himself, then stared blankly at his hands.

A deep blue gleam of magic flickered at his fingertips. Then the magic turned into a thread that continuously extended from Richard's fingers, forming a line of words in the air.

This is a wizard's skill?

Richard drew the magic back. This skill seemed to have opened the door to a New World for him. He had never imagined that magic could be wielded like a part of his own body, as naturally as moving an arm.

"It's incredible. And this is only an incomplete skill. How amazing would the complete version be?"

In that instant, Richard felt the terror of wizards. This was merely part of one skill among all the skills a wizard possessed. If it were everything a wizard knew, Richard could not even imagine what kind of genius such a wizard would be.

Could he become a wizard like them?

Richard did not dare dwell on it any longer. After washing up, he opened the Academy regulations.

His experience from the entrance examination had taught him that any book the Academy gave you definitely had its purpose.

After reading through the regulations from beginning to end, Richard's expression shifted from the relief of having escaped death to solemn gravity.

The Academy's rules were not harsh. They could even be called lenient. Many of them actually sought to prevent conflicts between apprentices.

This stood in stark contrast to its entrance examination.

But every gift had its price secretly marked.

Although the Academy prevented apprentices from clashing in their daily lives, during the Decennial Apprentice Assessment, apprentices would once again undergo a deathly examination like the entrance test.

If an apprentice wanted to survive until the Graduation Assessment, they had to go through at least two Bloody Exams.

And if an apprentice survived until the Graduation Assessment, they faced two choices. One was to participate in the equally bloody Graduation Assessment and fight for the qualification to become a wizard. The other was to graduate directly. After paying off thirty years of tuition, the apprentice could leave on their own.

Yes, the Wizard Academy actually charged tuition.

The tuition was extremely expensive. If one did not become a wizard, even an Advanced Wizard Apprentice would have to work for the Academy for at least a hundred years to pay it off.

"Did the head of this Wizard Academy study in Northern Myanmar?"

Richard's expression was grim. The ease he had felt earlier had completely vanished.

The contents of the regulations left him feeling as though thorns were pressed against his back, as though he sat on needles, as though a fishbone were lodged in his throat.

Richard could not understand what exactly this Wizard Academy was cultivating.

Killing machines?

After putting down the regulations, Richard went downstairs to chat up the Lion Head and ask about certain matters concerning the Academy.

As a part of the Academy, the Lion Head knew many of its rules inside and out, and it gave Richard plenty of constructive advice.

For instance, the Academy Library was open to all apprentices, and many books could be borrowed for free. Academy Watchers liked nuts and gemstones, and if one built a good relationship with them, minor violations could escape punishment. A Magic Stone with residual magic power could also be exchanged for Academy Coins, though haggling was necessary, and so on...

These things might have seemed insignificant, but if Richard had needed to explore them himself, he had no idea how much time it would have taken.

"Thank you for your guidance. I'll go to the Commercial District shortly and buy some Alchemy Ointment to apply to you."

Richard gave the Lion Head a slight bow, then turned and headed toward the Commercial District.

The Lion Head's body was made of metal. Although the wizard who made it had treated it against rust, years of wind and rain had still caused parts of its body to corrode. This was extremely uncomfortable for the Lion Head.

Yet a little rust-removing Alchemy Ointment could easily ease that pain.

Alchemy Ointment was not expensive. Richard exchanged twenty-five Academy Coins for a large bottle of rust-removing ointment. On his way back, he also bought several sets of clothes and a few pairs of leather shoes.

After applying the ointment to the Lion Head, Richard returned to his room, took a bath, drank a bottle of Nutrient Potion, and changed into new clothes before preparing to head for the Library.

Wizards pursued knowledge and respected knowledge, so the Academy Library had become the most sacred place in the Academy.

The Librarian could ask any apprentice who borrowed books to leave on the grounds of disrespecting knowledge, and a good outfit would undoubtedly reduce a great deal of trouble.

Richard now had far too many questions that needed answers.