Saul’s first public class was none other than the study of wizardly scripts.
The class was not taught by a True Wizard, nor even by a Third Rank Apprentice.
It was taught by a plain-looking Second Rank Apprentice with no distinguishing features.
His attention was clearly not on teaching. It was obvious he was only here to earn magic credits.
He spoke quickly and didn’t allow anyone to ask questions.
After the third time raising her hand without being acknowledged, Keli puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
“All right, now at this point, does anyone feel dizzy, even nauseous?” The Second Rank Apprentice teaching the class finally raised his head and asked the group a question.
Seven or eight students in the large classroom raised their hands. They were clearly all newcomers.
“Heh,” the Apprentice sneered, “With mental strength like this, I really don’t know how you even passed the entry test.”
He slammed shut the thick book on the lectern with a loud snap, straightened up, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.“Noah Script. The most commonly used and most fundamental language among wizard texts. If you cannot even look at these characters for more than an hour, then I suggest you give up on advancing to the Second Rank altogether.”
Those who had raised their hands sheepishly pulled them back under their desks, faces flushing red. Some were clearly dissatisfied, but none dared to protest openly.
The Second Rank Apprentice tapped his knuckles on the cover of the book with a steady rhythm.
“This is too basic. There’s really nothing to explain. When you go back and study on your own, only those who can look at the book for at least half an hour without getting dizzy can be considered barely passable. Of course, the longer, the better, but don’t push yourselves too hard. I’d rather not see half of you drop dead so soon.”
Why was this guy suddenly acting all kind and giving out advice?
Saul was sure he had another motive.
Sure enough, the next thing the Second Rank Apprentice said was, “If you’re really that stupid and need to ask me questions, make sure you bring magic crystals or credits in exchange.”
His gaze landed on Keli, who had tried raising her hand multiple times, and he lifted an eyebrow at her.
“Though I doubt any of you have money right now. Just a bunch of pale mushrooms.”
With a cold snort, he picked up his book, tilted his chin high, and swaggered out the front doors of the classroom.
“Pale mushrooms?” Keli turned to Saul, confused. “What does that mean?”
Saul’s fragmented memories had no answer for that.
But a First Rank Apprentice sitting in the back, clearly not a newcomer, stood up while packing away his books and replied to Keli, “Pale mushrooms. The weakest. The least valuable. Hehe, also the tastiest.”
The classroom emptied out with a loud shuffle, leaving behind only the batch of new apprentices.
Doze, who had tried to curry favor with Keli yesterday, hurried over. His friend, Rocky followed timidly behind him.
Doze tugged on Keli’s sleeve and said, “Keli, why are you still hanging out with him?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Doze had seen with his own eyes how Saul had dealt with Duke yesterday. He didn’t even dare meet Saul’s gaze.
“There’s a Second Rank upperclassman targeting him. You don’t want to get dragged into it.”
He didn’t dare speak about Saul allegedly cheating in the entry test while Saul was right there. He figured he’d tell Keli privately later and try to convince her to stay away from Saul, maybe even move out from next door to avoid being implicated.
“You think others will treat us kindly?” Keli snapped, “Hehe. Pale mushrooms.”
With her books clutched in her arms, she turned on her heel and walked off, mimicking the Second Rank Apprentice’s disdainful posture perfectly.
Now that Keli was no longer shielding him, Doze quickly took a few steps back and stared at Saul warily.
Saul lowered his head, picked up his books and papers from the desk, and walked straight past Doze without so much as a glance.
After Saul left, Doze turned back angrily and said to Rocky, “Did you see that? He ignored me.”
Rocky frowned. “We really should stay away from him.”
–
The second public class began half an hour later. It was a meditation class.
Following the instructions in the apprentice handbook, Saul brought the newly issued crystal ball and made his way to another large classroom.
This classroom was fan-shaped, with higher edges and lower corners. Thick cushions were spread across the floor, and many people were already seated.
Saul even spotted a few Second Rank Apprentices among them.
He found a gap to sit in and left space beside him for Keli.
But as soon as he sat down, the new apprentice on his left quietly picked up their crystal ball and moved away.
“So childish,” Saul thought, rolling his eyes inwardly. He was not some twelve-year-old kid. Petty exclusion like this did not affect him.
Just before the class began, Keli, with her braided hair swinging, plopped down beside Saul with a soft thud.
Without a word, Saul slid the book that had been pressed against the cushion on his right into his bag.
“I asked about the price,” Keli told him. “They’re robbers.”
“You have magic crystals?”
New apprentices still did not have credits.
“Used pocket money to trade for one.”
Class time soon arrived and then passed, but the instructor still had not shown up.
New students began whispering. The older apprentices simply sat quietly with their heads lowered.
Saul opened his meditation manual. Every few pages, it contained strange, chaotic illustrations.
Staring at one of these illustrations for just a few moments was enough to make his head spin and his eyes blur. It was even more uncomfortable than reading the Noah Script.
Saul carefully avoided the pictures and focused only on the text.
But the writing was obscure, with many unfamiliar words he could not recognize at all.
Just like when he first saw this book yesterday, Saul furrowed his brow.
At last, footsteps sounded again. Saul looked up and saw a tall blonde beauty walking in, holding the leash of a creature that looked like a mix between a lizard and a crocodile.
She walked straight to the corner at the front of the classroom, unhooked the leash, and stood with hands on her hips.
“Newcomers, put your crystal balls to the side for now and listen. Those who’ve already studied begin meditating.”
The older students around them all opened their books and held their crystal balls in their palms, eyes half-closed.
“So this is meditation?” Saul thought.
The blonde woman began to speak again, “I’m Monica. I specialize in lightning magic. If you’re attending my class this afternoon, remember not to bring any metal items.”
Saul had not yet realized what that warning meant when suddenly a streak of blue lightning flashed across Monica’s face.
The arc of lightning disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, but it left a charred black scar running from her left cheek down to her neck.
Monica raised her hand and tore off the blackened skin in one clean strip, revealing raw red tissue underneath.
There was no blood, but the twitching muscles were deeply unsettling.
Especially when such a grotesque injury appeared on the face of a beautiful woman. The sheer contrast made many new students lower their heads, unable to look.
Saul gritted his teeth and stared at Monica. He had already seen Kongsha’s horrifying half-skull. This was something he could still handle.
Crunch crunch crunch…
The lizard-like creature on the floor began eating the piece of scorched skin Monica had tossed aside.
It really was crispy.
Saul and Keli both fell silent at once.
These wizards were each more bizarre than the last. Even the ones who looked normal on the outside were not quite right on the inside.
Saul looked down at his own hand, at the pale fingertips showing through his sleeve.
If one day he became a wizard, would he also become a human who looked like a monster?
Kongsha’s face, the melting fat boy, the disgusting and terrifying Mentor Gudo, and now Monica, who occasionally peeled off a layer of beauty like a snake sheds its skin…
Could it be that turning into a monster was the price one had to pay to become a wizard?
(End of Chapter)