strokinit Chapter 3 The Oak Crown Horror Circus
Chapter 3 The Oak Crown Horror Circus
Before long, the airship arrived at the square where the statue of Ulysses stood.
Here, apprentices from several other cities also gathered.
After paying their respects to the statue of Ulysses in a simple ceremony, the entire group set off towards the border region that Ross had mentioned.
"You have one year to become novice apprentices. The sooner you master meditation within this period, the more resources and opportunities you will be able to access."
On the airship, Lauter's gaze swept over the group of freshmen.
This time, he unexpectedly recruited an apprentice with second-class qualifications. According to the rules, he would receive an extra reward, so he didn't mind giving him a few pointers.
"Under the glory of Lord Ulysses, you may learn witchcraft, but you should also understand that the Tower does not nurture useless people!"
"If you fail the assessment a year from now, you'd better pray you don't become experimental subjects..."
After he finished speaking, the cabin fell into a deathly silence.
Su En glanced around and saw that the teenagers who had been excitedly chatting just moments before were now all pale-faced.
"Of course, most people can pass the test as long as they study hard and meditate diligently."
Lauter seemed quite pleased with the reprimand and intimidation, a slight smile playing on his lips, before turning and disappearing into the lounge.
His departure made the atmosphere in the cabin more relaxed.
The freshmen gathered together, exchanged ideas, made friends, and small circles were formed unconsciously.
With her exceptional talent, Selena is destined to become a full-fledged wizard.
This was said by the wizard Lautel himself.
With his certification, Ross and his group became the most eye-catching group on the airship.
They also naturally received priority during meals.
Unbeknownst to many, Rose has already subtly become the leader.
Of course, it was also because he had an older brother who was a wizard apprentice and possessed a lot of inside information.
"In the borderlands, the Tower is just one of seven wizarding organizations. There are also the Twisted Treeline, the Pale Witches' Guild, the Shadow Isles... However, my brother says the Tower is the best choice."
Ross slowly cut his steak, and the information he inadvertently revealed captivated everyone's attention.
"The tower has seven wizard towers under it, each representing a different school of witchcraft and magic, and each researching different kinds of witchcraft."
He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Among them, the Raven's Nest Wizard Tower is even guarded by a Star Wizard who rules the Black Raven constellation."
Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, Ross felt a sense of satisfaction and continued to explain.
"The path to becoming a wizard begins with a novice apprenticeship and continues until one is promoted to a full-fledged wizard, at which point one can be called a true wizard."
"It is said that there are three levels of formal wizards. Lord Ulysses is currently a Level One Wizard. Above the formal wizards are the Star Wizards who govern the twelve constellations, and even the eternally shining Moon Wizards... Great beings cannot be addressed by their names!"
As he got more excited, Ross couldn't help but place one hand on his chest and pray fervently, "Praise be to the silver moon!"
The others were influenced and followed suit, which pleased Ross greatly.
But when he glanced over unintentionally, he noticed that one member was sitting there blankly, not joining them.
Sure enough, it's that annoying guy again.
Ross's smile faded slightly, and he added casually, "But you'd better not dream of joining the Raven's Nest."
After saying that, he focused on enjoying the food in front of him.
"Which wizard towers are worth choosing?" someone asked impatiently.
Ross didn't reply, but instead looked at Suen: "Ian, what do you think?"
Suen raised her eyes.
Compliance test?
But Ross's methods seemed somewhat naive to him.
"Of course I don't understand you as well as you do." Su En smiled. "I hope you'll continue to guide me in the future."
In Ross's eyes, Sun's answer meant he was giving in.
Selena, standing to the side, gazed at Ross with sparkling eyes, her admiration and affection evident in them.
Ross turned his head and saw Selena's appearance, immediately changing to a deep, affectionate look, a hint of understanding and control flashing in his eyes.
"Selena, would you like to join the Crimson Tower with me and become Lord Ulysses's student?"
Selena was already mesmerized by Rose's brilliance, her eyes filled with longing, and she subconsciously nodded in agreement.
After a long flight, the airship finally arrived at its destination.
Upon landing, the sudden change in environment caused many apprentices to feel unwell, experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath, and it took them a while to recover.
"The admissions offices for the seven wizard towers are located on the docks. Each person can choose one to join and sign a contract."
After giving his instructions, the wizard Lautel hurried into the city, having completed his mission.
The new students from all directions were divided into several lines and walked onto the dock one by one.
Suen stood in the crowd, carefully observing her surroundings.
Freshmen with outstanding mental talent are obviously more popular, and different wizard towers have different requirements.
There are specific requirements regarding element affinity, age, and even height.
After walking around, Suen found that out of the seven wizard towers, he only met the requirements of three of them: the Oak Crown, the White Sun Forge, and the Crimson Tower.
Finally, he stopped in front of a tent in the corner.
A wreath-shaped emblem hangs on the tent, with the words "Crown of Oak" written below.
The person in charge of recruitment was a kind-looking young apprentice. Seeing Suen stop, he took the initiative to recruit him: "The Crown of Oaks possesses the most orthodox lineage of elementalism and is also the largest potion supplier in Mordor City. By joining us, you will not only gain access to meditation techniques but also have the opportunity to learn about potion-making."
Just then, a commotion arose from the side.
Suen turned her head and saw a group of freshmen surrounding another tent, scrambling to fill out registration forms.
"If you're also willing to act as a growing medium, with roots covered in potions, you can go and take a look there."
The young apprentice followed his gaze and said enticingly, "After all, Moonlight Garden not only provides free witchcraft models, but also free potions every month."
Suen's pupils contracted slightly. Was this the unspoken rule Ross had mentioned?
Every benefit comes at a price.
According to him, Moonlight Garden is a wizarding tower for the study of botany, and although it is nominally the best-paid and has the most apprentices.
But of those who survive to the assessment period, less than one in ten will survive.
"That one is also good."
The young apprentice raised his chin and pointed to another lively tent not far away.
"The Horror Circus prioritizes appearance when recruiting apprentices. You're not bad-looking, so you can give it a try."
Su En followed his gaze and indeed, the boys and girls queuing in front of the tent were all outstanding in appearance and extraordinary in temperament.
The young apprentice's tone remained calm. "If I'm lucky, I might see you on stage at the Theater of Mourning in three months. Of course, as a puppet."
He spoke casually, but the faces of the people queuing behind Suen had turned deathly pale.
Someone mustered their courage and asked, "Then... the Crown of Oak...?"
The young apprentice smiled. "Don't worry, aside from the free meditation method, there are no other benefits at Oak Crown. At Oak Crown, you must demonstrate your value, such as working five days a week for the Wizard Tower, no more than eight hours a day."
"A 5-day, 8-hour work week?"
Suen nodded slightly. Compared to the other wizard towers, the conditions offered by the Oak Crown seemed much more favorable.
At the very least, he found a job here in the border region that he couldn't even find in his previous life.
Su En looked around and saw that in front of the lively tents, the new students were still signing contracts in high spirits.
The tower does not seem to restrict the wizard tower's behavior, or rather, it is tacitly permitted.
Wizards follow the principle of equivalent exchange, a maxim inscribed on the port city walls that hints at the true rules of the border region.
Every gift comes at a price; it's just a matter of how much you pay.
"I hope I'm still alive before the hourglass restarts."
Suen took a deep breath and signed her name on the paper.
"It's a wise choice to take a more complete test."
The young apprentice put away the contract and pointed to the mental strength matrix testing device on the table.
"Place your hands on it and focus your attention on the crystal ball."
Suen followed the instructions and relaxed.
"Elemental affinity: Fire 5.3 / Water 2.1 / Earth 0.6 / Wind 4.3."
"Mental Strength Talent: Level 4, Intermediate, Current Strength: 1.12".
......
"Bloodline concentration: 0.8, extraordinary factor content <0.1, not included in the file."
"Spiritual activity level... 3.0?!"
Welch's rapidly writing pen suddenly stopped, and he looked up at Suen in disbelief.
"A spiritual activity level of 3.0 is close to my level, which is perfect for learning alchemy... but it's a pity."
He suddenly fell silent and quietly crossed out his signature in the recommendation section.