NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Chapter 9
After over ten days since the plains direwolves' attack, the traveling party faced increasing dangers as they ventured deeper into the plains.
Students soon realized that the direwolves were merely at the bottom of the food chain, with many more vicious predators above them. They encountered large animal colonies, flocks of massive black birds, and enormous sabre-tooth tiger-like monsters as tall as mountains, whose mere presence was suffocating.
Fortunately, the white-robed Magi took action as casualties reached their limit. They set up magical defensive arrays on the carriages and personally repelled attacking beasts, reducing further losses. The most perilous moment came when they faced the mountain-sized monster. However, the creature, possessing some intelligence, chose to retreat after a brief standoff, sparing the group from disaster.
After a long journey finally today, they have reached their destination. Leylin looked out of the speeding carriage, greeted by a moist breeze carrying a salty scent.
The wounds on his face have healed by now and all the direwolf blood was also used.
As Leylin had suspected before, after regular use the blood's efficacy decreased subsequently, even still he has made great progress in ten days.
Using one mouthful of direwolf blood Leylin gained twice the result for half the work, and he could practice every 8 hours too unlike the usual 24, but despite that he used the blood very conservatively only finishing the bottle two days ago.
He made sure to solidify his progress and consolidated his strength properly instead using all the blood in an instant, that way he maximized the benefits of direwolf blood while minimizing the side effects.
His strength has increased a lot in last ten days, Although Leylin is still not close to reaching Knight realm but he can easily defeat his former self.
But now without direwolf blood his progress would be slowed down, but he doesn't care much because his real path is Magi.
Even still Leylin has decided to also practice Knight's path because he is pretty talented as a Knights. Even with the help of direwolf blood as a reagent Leylin growth in Knight path is outstanding.
As the group advanced, the green plains gave way to an endless blue sea and strong coastal winds.
Ahead, temporary tents set up by various Magus academies came into view. Here, the apprentices could freely choose an academy, undergoing a more precise aptitude test.
At last, they had arrived at the Death Beach.
Near the sea, a large camp resembling a small town came into view. Numerous tents of various shapes and sizes stood together, surrounded by dozens of carriages similar to Leylin's.
The camp was filled with hundreds of students around thirteen to fourteen years old, their faces brimming with curiosity. Some emerged from the tents, displaying a variety of expressions as they took in their surroundings.
"Alright! Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the intermediate stop of our travelling destination, the Death Beach! You will all decide on your future academy here, and then return back to your respective academies with your teachers to practice magic!"
The horse carriage halted, and three white robes came out and gathered the acolytes, then the leader Crow began speaking.
"Now, follow me into the campgrounds, and choose an academy. Remember, you may check on all the various academies, but once you have signed a contract to join one, you must not renege! Anyone who disobeys will be hung to death at the gate of the camp!"
Crow's frosty words made the acolytes hearts turn cold, Leylin glanced around observing everything.
"Haha! Crow! You guys are pretty late today!" A voice sounded, and a fatty walked out from the camp grounds. He too was wearing a white robe, and he greeted: "Don't scare these adorable newbies!"
"There were some difficulties along the way!" Crow explained.
"Alright! Newbies! Now follow me into the camp!" Fatty spoke with Crow and the others for a while more, then turned his head and shouted to Leylin and the rest.
"You guys can call me Jevon, of the beautiful Ennea Ivory Ring Tower. Trust me, if you are to choose an academy, the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower is definitely your best choice!" Jevon said as he brought the acolytes into the camp.
Once they entered, various sounds travelled into their ears, as if a mortal market place.
The surroundings were bustling with activity, mostly due to student just like them. Some of them had gathered in a circle, while there were others who were entering or exiting the tents.
Jevon brought Leylin's group, a total of 40 odd people, into the middle of the camp grounds.
Here, was a large tent of pure white colour, and there were still strange flower patterns on the outside of it. They seemed like both ornaments, and yet resembled writing as well.
"It's moving.' Others haven't noticed yet but Leylin stared at the tent curiously.
With every passing minute and second, the patterns on the tent seemed lifelike, constantly twisting itself.
"Alright, listen up, everyone! Before we move forward, there are a couple of things we need to get done. First, you'll all be filling out a form—this is important, so take it seriously. After that, each of you will take an aptitude test. This will help determine your strengths, so give it your best effort. Once that's finished, you'll have free time to yourselves. Use it wisely. And finally, the most important part—you will have the freedom to choose your own academy. This decision is entirely yours to make, so think carefully about where you want to go. That's all for now. Stay sharp." Jevon explained.
"Because you guys have come a day late, you only have a day's worth of time left, and in this span of period, you must choose an academy where you will practice magic in, if not you will have to wait until next year!" Jevon was still speaking loudly ahead of them.
"Now, all of you line up and take the form from me one by one, and then enter for the test!"
Jevon sat behind a white table, and took out a stack of forms and placed them down.
The line moved forward quickly, and very soon it was Leylin's turn.
"Fill in your particulars in this form, and then enter the tent and follow the instructions of the person inside!"
The form required minimal information, only a name, age and location born, as well as a few others.
Picking up the goose feather pen on the table, Leylin filled in the form very quickly and entered the tent.
"Come over!" An ancient voice sounded.
It was very spacious inside the tent, and there was only a white-haired old lady sitting on a black chair and a crystal ball which rested on a table.
'A spell like Undetectable Extension Charm.' Leylin looked around walking towards the witch.
"Bring the form here!" Clearly, this witch was not having any of it, and her voice was still frosty cold.
"Leylin huh? Place your hands on the crystal ball!"
Leylin followed the witch's instructions, placing both hands firmly on the crystal ball.
The moment his fingertips touched the smooth surface, a biting cold seeped into his bones, sending a strange, numbing sensation through his arms. The crystal vibrated beneath his touch, an unnatural pulse that seemed to reach deep inside him.
Then—pain.
A searing agony exploded in his skull, as if unseen hands were forcefully prying open his mind. A cold, glass-like rod twisted within, stirring his very thoughts. His breath hitched. His muscles tensed.
The crystal ball before him trembled violently, then—light.
A glow, faint at first, then rapidly intensifying. The once-dim sphere now shone with an eerie radiance, brighter and brighter.
The witch's eyes widened,"Ou… this is—! Keep holding on!"
Leylin fingers dug into the smooth crystal, his knuckles turning white. The pain swelled to unbearable heights, a splitting force threatening to tear his mind apart. Every nerve screamed for relief but he kept holding on.
After a while with a sharp gasp, his grip faltered. Sweat dripped from his brow as the light dimmed, and the crystal returned to a dull transparency.
A small period of silence followed, the witch didn't speak immediately. She simply stared at him with satisfaction.
Then, slowly, she exhaled and reached for her feathered quill. With deliberate strokes, she recorded something on the parchment before her.
"You…" she murmured, almost to herself. "A fifth-grade talent."
Around them, the other apprentices waiting in line turned, eyes filled with jealousy and disbelief.
"Fifth grade?" someone whispered. "That's… the highest possible talent…"
"A genius…" another muttered in awe.
The witch composure remained the same, though her attitude changed slightly as she reached for a peculiar ring on her finger. Twisting it, she marked Leylin parchment with an intricate sigil.
"We have categorised the aptitude of the acolytes into five grades, with the first grade as the worst and the fifth grade as the best. You," she said, her voice steady, "are in the highest category."
She peered at him, her previous indifference replaced by something more calculated. "It seems fate has great plans for you."
Voldemort took the parchment from her hand. He met her gaze, his expression unreadable.
"Fate?" He scoffed internally. No. This is simply the natural order.
"My examination here is over, you go on behind me! Next!"
Leylin nodded, lifting the tent's curtain and stepping into the next phase of his journey.