This day, Ivan hurried to the Kadan ruins academy’s territory. The Kadan ruins were located in the central southern tide region of the Moon Pincer Peninsula and belonged to an academy of the Half Moon Alliance.
The location of the Kadan ruins was extremely special, as it was built on the ruins of the first Sorcerers Academy, the Alva Academy, although it only occupied a part of the ruins. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire
Ivan wasn’t here to explore the ruins but to meet someone—Solomon. Solomon had sent word earlier, saying that there was confirmation about recommending him to join the Five Leaves Spear and asked him to come over as soon as possible.
On a cluttered mountainside with buildings, Ivan met Solomon, whom he had not seen for many days.
“Sorcerer Solomon.”
“Sorcerer Ivan, you’ve come quite quickly.”
“One has to be proactive when benefits are involved.”
“Haha, follow me. I’ll introduce you to my superior, Chairman Narnya. He’s a Level 3 Sorcerer, just one step away from being a Level 4 Arcane Arts Sorcerer.”
Hearing his words, Ivan’s heart involuntarily tightened. It was just the arrangement of an examination task, but he hadn’t expected such a significant figure to be involved.
In the Moon Pincer Peninsula, a Level 2 Sorcerer could sweep across the entire region, so a Level 3 Sorcerer was certainly an incredibly important person.
At this moment, Chairman Narnya wasn’t with Solomon but at the heart of the Alva ruins, where the energy particles were more chaotic. On their way, the two carefully avoided high-energy chaos zones.
“Our members in the Five Leaves Spear are ranked from low to high: First Leaf, Second Leaf, Third Leaf. The First and Second Leaf members are peripheral members, and Third Leafs are official members, like myself. Above the Third Leaf are the Fourth Leaf Chairmen, and above them are the Fifth Leaf Councilors.”
“If you pass this examination, you will also become a Third Leaf official member in the future, with a status equal to mine.”
“In fact, the Five Leaves Spear is a relatively loose organization, and there is no substantial subordination between Third and Fourth Leaf members. Most of the time, Third Leaf members can refuse tasks handed down by Fourth Leaf Chairmen.”
On the way, Solomon shared many details about the Five Leaves Spear with Ivan.
If his words were accurate, it wasn’t difficult for Ivan to guess that within the Five Leaves Spear organization, the Fifth Leaf Councilor could very likely be a Level 4 Arcane Arts Sorcerer.
For the sorcerer profession, Level 4 was a significant transformation and was incomparable to Level 1, 2, or 3 Sorcerers, with just the life span limit alone exceeding a thousand years.
In the entire Danaila World, Level 4 Sorcerers were dominant presences.
“Chairman, Ivan Marichardon has arrived.”
As they neared the mountaintop, Solomon brought Ivan to a halt.
Ivan could sense the dangerous aura ahead. This was a place affected by the chaotic elements and forces due to ferocious battles between high-level beings, resulting in a disturbance that lingered for years and formed an eerie land different from the normal regions under the influence of the chaotic power radiation over the years.
As soon as the words fell, a majestic purple raven appeared before the two in the blink of an eye and then transformed into an elegant white-haired scholar. His presence was terrifying.
“I have seen Chairman Narnya.”
As Narnya scrutinized Ivan, the two hastily paid their respects.
This clearly wasn’t the true form of the other party, but the pressure he exerted was real, and nobody dared to take it lightly.
“Solomon, is this the one you recommended?”
“Yes, he’s the one who crafted the Multi-changing Star Spike within three months.”
After briefly inquiring a few questions, Narnya took out a palm-sized cubic box from nowhere, presented it to Ivan, and instructed:
“You have one hour to unlock it and retrieve the item inside.”
“Understood.”
Ivan took the metal box and indicated his acknowledgement, then went to one side and sat down cross-legged.
This was a sort of ‘mechanical box’, but instead of locks, it used an array of runes and rune bundles to seal the box. Only by deciphering the exterior runes could one obtain the item inside.
Such boxes are typically used to seal and preserve certain dangerous items. He had only read about them in texts and had never come into contact with an actual one.
After sitting down, he began to work on the runes and rune bundles as if no one else was present.
During the first half-hour, his pace left much to be desired.
Chairman Narnya glanced meaningfully at Solomon, who just gave back a smile. He had confidence in the person he vouched for. Someone who could craft the magicalized item Multi-changing Star Spike couldn’t possibly be stumped by a mere ‘sealing box’.
In the second half-hour, Ivan clearly picked up the pace, continually speeding up.
“Chairman Narnya, it is open.”
Only in the last few minutes did he manage to fully unlock the box and handed it over.
At last, no slip-ups!
Ivan breathed a sigh of relief to himself. It seemed urgent to find a way to learn Advanced Enchantment Skill soon, for without systematic knowledge, it was all too easy to overlook something.
Narnya didn’t take it but gestured for him to open it and see for himself.
Following the instruction, Ivan opened the box and found a red, heart-shaped item that looked like a red crystal from the outside. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a solid object but a fantastic item that existed in a state between solid and ethereal.
“This is a high-level puppet’s heart, considered a fantastic item. Its purpose is to turn other creatures into puppets,” Solomon offered an explanation from the side.
Upon hearing this, Ivan’s heart skipped a beat, and he almost threw the thing in his hands away.
What was this supposed to mean?
He looked at Chairman Narnya, puzzled.
“The previous task was just a personal test of mine. This puppet’s heart is what you’ll need for your actual membership trial. In the Mongna Ant Land Cottage, there is an Ant Beings’ secret vault, and inside that vault is an Ant Beast with a King-class bloodline, currently at a Level 3 creature status.
Your task is quite simple: first, locate the Ant Beings’ secret vault. Then find the sealed King Blood Ant Beast and control it with this puppet’s heart. Once you do that, the trial will be complete,” Narnya explained as he handed Ivan a scroll detailing the trial, consistent with his explanation.
Ant Beings’ secret vault?
Ivan had never heard of such a thing before, and he noticed there was a time limit on the scroll—a period of three years starting from today.
“Sorcerer Ivan, you needn’t worry that the King Blood Ant Beast doesn’t exist. Remember what I told you? The ‘Five Leaves’ of the Five Leaves Spear signify the Prophet’s Power. The information in the task cannot be wrong,” Solomon added, thinking Ivan was concerned about the accuracy of the information.
“Alright, I’ll do my best to complete this task,” Ivan nodded. The invitation to the Five Leaves Spear was an excellent opportunity he wouldn’t dream of forsaking.
He resealed the puppet’s heart within the box and then earnestly stowed it away, including the official trial scroll.
“Sorcerer Ivan, could you tell us why at the beginning, your pace in unlocking the box was so slow and even clumsy, but later you were able to speed up with ease? Is there any particular reason for this?” asked Narnya.
“To be honest, due to the academy’s rules, I haven’t systematically studied Advanced Enchantment Knowledge.” Thinking that this person might soon become his direct superior, Ivan didn’t hide his current predicament.