The resource distribution hall was bigger than all previous halls they saw. When they walked in, every corner of the hall was full of apprentices who only glanced at the newcomers briefly. Some of them let out several cold sneers when they saw who had come.
“Hey, Abelle. A loser like you is going to take these quests all the time? You don’t even dare to leave Brute Cavern. I guess you’ll be an Elementary Apprentice forever huh?” Someone in a black robe taunted.
“Hey, new guys, be careful. This woman Abelle is the biggest disappointment left behind by the apprentices during the last term. Better keep your distance. Maybe she’s contagious, ha!”
Many apprentices gave Abelle negative remarks along the way. Certain talents believed them too, such as Hookdick and his men, who then moved away from Abelle as if they were avoiding a “disease”.
Abelle only led their way toward the second floor without saying anything. She was now acting completely different from the talkative girl Angor saw on their way here. She walked in the front of the group, alone.
On the second floor, Abelle asked them to sit on the sofas while she walked to a desk to talk to another female apprentice there. A moment later, Abelle returned while carrying a silver disk.
She put the disk on the small table in the center and asked the talents to come.
“This is the receiver. Put your bone cards here,” said Abelle as she pointed to the edge of the disk where a round-shaped slot the same size as a bone card was located. She then said, “Put your card in here and you’ll see if you have received any posters.”
Then Abelle moved to one side of the sofa and signaled them to begin.
The talents looked at each other. No one moved.
Nausica shrugged, “Since you’re all being so… modest, I’ll go first then.”
Her words drew everyone’s attention. They did not want to do it first because they were afraid of receiving no poster at all, thus being humiliated. However, it would be better if someone already showed an example.
Nausica pushed her card into the slot. A second later, a faint light began to pulse from the center of the disk.
Then, two cards with different shapes and pictures on them appeared inside the disk.
“Oh, you’re lucky. Two tutors are interested in your profile. You’re free to choose one of them,” said Abelle. With a jealous expression, she explained, “We have too few talents for this term so the wizards are trying to get their share before it’s too late. Maybe every one of you will receive posters this time!”
Everyone brightened up. That would be wonderful!
Nausica picked up her cards and looked. Different totems were drawn on them. One card was a green, square one with round stripes and a name “Fantase Konaita” on it.
The other card was a black, diamond-shaped one. The picture of a crimson rose piercing the ground was printed on it, along with a name written in ornamental style: Flora.
“These should be the names of the tutors. But there’s nothing else on the posters. How should I choose?” Nausica thought to herself and looked at Abelle for help.
“Oh, introducing your tutors is also my job,” said Abelle as she took the cards from Nausica with a smile.
“Woah, ‘Grass Snail’ Fantase? This man hadn’t recruited any apprentices for more than ten years!” Abelle exclaimed when she saw the name. She added, “He’s a Bloodline Wizard who doesn’t show up much in Brute Cavern. But he’s strong! Before becoming a formal wizard, he fought in the Tower of Infinity in Floating Mech City and reached the 100th floor! If Mister Tree Spirit told you to choose Bloodline, then Fantase is your best choice!”
Abelle picked up the second card and immediately stared with her eyes wide opened when she saw the name on it.
“F—F—Flora the Blood Witch!!” Abelle’s voice was even louder this time, and many apprentices in the hall heard her. Also, their pupils all shrank in fear.
“Who is this? She’s stronger than Mister Fantase?” Nausica was puzzled at her reaction.
Abelle took a deep breath before speaking, “She’s one of the most renowned wizards in the southern region. It has nothing to do with her beautiful look, but… she was famous for her cruelty, bloodthirst, and brutal ways of slaughtering people. She had fought many battles which were written down in history. For example…”
Angor was also shocked at Abelle’s explanation. The playful woman in his memory possessed such terrible fame?
“As for the difference between her and Mister Fantase… I don’t know. I’m just a lowly apprentice…”
Nausica nodded. She had developed an admiration toward Flora. A woman made a name for herself which could scare everyone in the south… that sounded amazing!
“Is Lady Flora a Bloodline Wizard too?” Nausica asked.
“No. Lady Flora is an Occultist, but I don’t know which branch exactly,” Abelle answered.
Nausica frowned. Her test suggested Bloodline, and she hoped to receive teaching from a Bloodline Wizard. Still, as a woman, she also wished Flora to be her tutor… It was a hard choice.
However, Nausica was never someone to be hesitant over such matters. She quickly went over it in her mind before she discarded unnecessary wishes and decided who to choose.
Nausica put Flora’s card back to the disk and left the table with Fantase’s card.
…
With Nausica taking the lead, the remaining talents all placed their bone cards on the disk one by one.
Maybe Abelle’s words were true and that there were too few new recruits. Every bone card brought posters.
“This is Mister Wallace, an authoritative academism wizard…”
“This is Lady Fiery Charm, an Elementalist!”
Abelle explained their tutors one by one. Fosah also received a poster from ‘Grass Snail’ Fantase. Sailum accepted a poster from ‘Philosopher of Night’ Kaylar, which surprised both Abelle and the apprentices who were watching them, again.
Abelle only gave them a brief introduction about Kaylar. The reaction from the onlookers proved that Kaylar was not an ordinary figure.
Next, Hookdick inserted his bone card.
A square card which shone with golden light appeared in the disk.
“This is—a golden poster!” Abelle and all the apprentices around them yelled out.
“Which wizard?! Someone took in a personal pupil!”
“Bah! The strongest one during my term turned into a wizard even though he started as an average new talent. It was all because he received one of these!”
“Isn’t this thing an invitation to become a formal wizard?!”
They all heard the whispers. The talents did not know what a golden poster was, but at least they could deduce from the apprentices’ conversation that this poster was really valuable. They all looked at Hookdick with jealous looks. Even Sailum, who usually acted calm, revealed some emotion as he said, “Gods must be blind. Why give the poster to such an asshole?”
Their admiration greatly satisfied Hookdick’s self-ego. The man puffed up his chest and took the golden poster in a proud manner. Then he looked down at Angor and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Angor sneered and remained plain. Before Hookdick could say something sarcastic, someone interrupted him by asking a question.
“What is a golden poster? Why are you all so… surprised?”
Hookdick also wanted to know it, so he paid attention to the question instead of taunting Angor.
Without waiting for Abelle’s explanation, one of the apprentices around them spoke first, “The other professor posters you took cannot guarantee a place under the tutor. You’re only their apprentices. The wizard might teach you something when he or she feels happy, but most time you’re only lackeys who do their chores. See your bone cards? The tutor name is blank.
“But a golden poster is only given by someone who decides to take a pupil for real. In other words, you’re the wizard’s real student. He will train you as best as he can. That’s why we call this thing ‘an invitation to a formal wizard’ because a wizard will make sure you become one! Also, this is when the tutor name on your bone card will show his name.”
They all took out their bone cards to check.
Just as he said, there was nothing written under “tutor name” even though they had already received their professor posters.
As those people discussed and compared their cards, Angor sat away silently and looked at his card.
[Tutor: Sunders]
Seeing how everyone looked so disappointed, Angor quickly put away his card.
“Mine is blank too,” said Sailum as he approached him. He then asked in frustration, “Hey what about yours, Angor?”
“Oh… It’s in my pocket. We’re all the same anyway. Hehehe…”
Sailum looked unconvinced. Angor quickly pointed at Hookdick, “I wonder which wizard wanted a personal student. Look, he’s showing us the name.”
Hookdick checked his card, kept everyone hanging for a bit, and slowly said, “Nissa Bella.”
“Nissa Bella?”
“Who is that? Never heard of it.”
People discussed among each other.
“A new wizard maybe?”
“I don’t think so. There are only a few who are about to break through their bottleneck and I don’t see this name among them.”
Abelle walked to Hookdick and looked at his card.
Then she covered her mouth and chuckled, “Ahaha—ouch, my stomach… It’s not Nissa Bella. This is Mister Ness!”
“Mister Ness?”
“‘Deadman’s Redemption’ Ness Byron?!”
Abelle nodded, “Yup, that Occult Soul Manipulator!”
“So, Mister Ness took him in. Who the hell was Nissa Bella anyway? Hey you, lucky guy. Don’t tell me you can’t read?” The jealous apprentices began to show some contempt at Hookdick.
Hookdick looked like someone nearing his thirties and he still did not know how to read? He would not achieve much even if a wizard was his mentor.
Hookdick’s face switched colors. He was the chieftain of a small tribe on Ferran Land. The tribe was not as primitive as it sounded. At least people in high classes all knew how to use the universal language. However, Hookdick was an exception. This man loved sexual enjoyments and maiming people, and he spent most of life among women and blood instead of studying the universal tongue. This was why he tended to read only half of the letters he saw.
He messed up Ness’ name because of this.
“He couldn’t even recognize his own teacher’s name. My my…” Someone shook his head and regarded Hookdick as a joke.
Hookdick spoke in a cold tone, “I can take my time to learn the language, but there’s only one golden poster and I have it! I don’t care if you’re famous scholars or what, but you won’t have one of these. Laugh at me if you will!”
With that, Hookdick sat on a corner and revealed a hateful expression to anyone who laughed at him. The first being Abelle.
Abelle sensed the terrible hatred as well. As someone who received a golden poster, Hookdick would soon surpass herself. She definitely did not wish to become the enemy of someone who had a bright future.
However, she was unsure of how to amend her mistake. She only smiled embarrassingly and returned to one side of the room.
“Anyone left?” Abelle asked.
Two people stood up at the same time. Angor and Balba.
Balba looked at Angor and sat back down, “You can go first.”
“Balba looks violent but he’s quite gentle,” Sailum whispered into Angor’s ear.
Angor nodded toward Balba and approached the silver disk.
“Hmph!”
Before Angor placed his bone card, a disdainful sneer came from the side. Angor looked at the direction. He saw Hookdick scorning at him while moving his golden poster up and down with obvious hostility and the intention to show off.
Angor simply returned a mild smile and inserted his bone card into the disk.
Light pulsed.
… And nothing. The disk remained empty.
The onlooking apprentices were not surprised by it, but the other talents were quite shocked. Angor had been always close to a wizard. He even joined Brute Cavern without going through the deathmatches, so they all believed Angor had a really powerful talent. But… no professor accepted him?
“Baaahhahahaha! No one wanted you! Ah—hahaha!” Hookdick laughed out maniacally and taunted in a malevolent tone. He added, “Just you wait. Suppose there are no wizards to kill you, I will!”
Hookdick never tried to do anything to Angor openly because he was afraid of Angor’s “supporter from behind”. Now that he realized Angor did not even have a tutor, Hookdick finally released his rage which he had been suppressing in these days. He would have dealt with Angor right here, right now, if not for the people around them.
Nausica and Sailum looked at each other. Nausica looked really puzzled while Sailum seemed worried about Angor.
Unlike the other talents, Nausica clearly knew that the Phantom Servants on the cloud whale behaved very politely toward Angor, and the witch talked and joked with the boy a lot. Someone who was treated by others like that did not have a tutor? Really?
Hookdick was still laughing to his heart’s content when the disk suddenly shined again.
When everyone looked, a middle-aged man with a handsome look appeared in the light.
“Angor, once you get to your residence, I’ll order my alchemy familiar to find you. Remember to bring my coin on you. The coin is my professor poster,” said the man in a low, hoarse voice.
Angor was startled by the sudden appearance of his professor but he got over it soon and nodded in acknowledgment.
Sunders nodded back and disappeared in the light.
When the disk returned to its calm state, everyone was still speechless.
The talents did not know who that was, but all the apprentices did.
“That was…!” An apprentice swallowed and pointed to the disk with a trembling finger.
“You—you’re his—his—student?” Abelle stared at Angor in fear.
Angor knew he could not hide it anymore. He nodded and showed them his bone card.
[Tutor: Sunders]