Chapter 3: Propaganda and Concealment

"All apprentices who have completed and passed the talent assessment, proceed immediately to the Central Square! The selection of your major specialization is about to begin!"

The cold broadcast voice repeated incessantly within the great hall, urging the crowd to move.

Jie Ming had just descended from the testing area and hadn't yet had time to organize his thoughts when he was jostled by a surge of people flowing toward the exit on the other side of the hall.

He could feel the anxiety and bewilderment permeating the apprentices around him.

Before they could fully digest the emotions brought by the assessment results, they were being rushed like ducks forced onto a perch toward the next fate-determining stage.

The hall's exit led directly to the massive central square of the academy; the moment Jie Ming surged out with the crowd, the sight before him made him unable to suppress a gasp of astonishment.

This square was unimaginably vast, resembling a miniature city. The ground, paved with a material emitting a faint black glow, stretched to the very limit of vision, reflecting the light cast down from above.

Yet what truly captured every gaze were the huge sorcery projections hovering in the sky above the square, scenes that sent adrenaline soaring.

Wizards fought on alien battlefields where flesh and blood flew everywhere; powerful spells fell like meteors, each attack accompanied by heart-shaking sound effects and visual spectacles.

Fierce otherworldly creatures, collapsing ancient ruins, and colossal magical constructs traversing the starry void—all were displayed in the most direct and visually impactful manner possible.

Below the images, lines of huge runic text flashed with dazzling brilliance:

[Glory lies ahead!]

[Limitless wealth!]

[A path to rapid advancement!]

[Join the Combat Division and achieve legend!]

Shortly after, a gigantic wizard phantom condensed from the light and shadow in midair; his expression was stern and cold, his voice echoing over the square from some distant starry expanse, utterly devoid of emotion:

"Welcome to Nuolun Academy. The academy will provide you with the most supreme transcendent knowledge, helping you ignite the fire of the spirit and construct the Ring of Truth."

"But power does not come without cost! According to the principle of equivalent exchange, every apprentice must sign a contract with the academy; upon reaching a certain strength or completing a certain duration of study, you must travel to other planes connected via the Star Orbit Network to expand territory for the Federation and for the academy!"

The wizard phantom's gaze swept coldly over the densely packed crowd below, his voice maintaining no inflection:

"Now, you must make a choice between two major specializations—the [Combat Division], representing power and conquest, and the [Logistics Division], representing creation and support!"

"You will have one day to choose your major specialization; seize this sole opportunity, for once chosen, it cannot be changed!"

With that, the wizard phantom dissipated.

Immediately afterward, a massive magical light screen rose in the center of the square, clearly dividing the plaza like a barrier.

Above the light screen bore huge identifiers: [Combat Division] and [Logistics Division].

Below, various smaller light screens marked specific sub-specialties; for the Combat Division, these included schools such as [Soul School], [Evocation School], and [Summoning School].

On the other side were [Alchemy], [Potionology], [Enchantment], [Construct Studies]...

In the areas closest to the apprentices stood several academy instructors or senior-year apprentices, vigorously conducting their final sales pitches.

"Choose the Combat Division! The shortest contract term! The most generous resource allocation! The front lines are the finest whetstone and the fastest springboard to becoming a High Wizard!" a middle-aged male wizard, his face brimming with excitement, shouted loudly in the Combat Division area, his voice carrying a power that stirred the hearts of listeners.

"The academy will provide you with the most elite spell models and the most powerful magitech equipment! There is also the chance to obtain inheritances from ancient ruins and seize wealth and glory belonging to you across countless planes!"

This scene made Jie Ming feel somewhat dazed: "What kind of recruitment fair is this?... Where the hell has this dragged me? Have I returned to my home country?"

Beyond these strikingly familiar elements, at the very front of the Combat Division area, a group of imposing wizards stood upon a temporary stage constructed of magic.

They wore uniform standard-issue robes and bore badges indicating at least the rank of First-Rank Official Wizard; moreover, First-Rank Wizards were few, the vast majority being Second-Rank Wizards, with even several Third-Rank Wizards among them!

According to the academy's propaganda, these wizards were alumni from the previous cohort who had participated in military service, "returning wizards" temporarily withdrawn from the front lines to guide the new students.

Some stood with upright posture, others chatted casually; their eyes carried the sharpness and confidence forged on the battlefield, and their bodies emanated a powerful aura.

"Look! That is Instructor Mars, a Third-Rank Wizard! He just returned from a mission in the Crimson Flame Plane; rumor has it he slew several powerful Fire Elemental Lords!" an apprentice nearby whispered in discussion, his eyes filled with longing and awe.

"And that young one over there, an Official Wizard who only recently advanced to Second-Rank! I heard he completed his contract mission after merely five years of combat, then continued to hone himself on the battlefield."

"...Tsk, aren't we all apprentices who just took the assessment today? Why do you guys know so much?!" Jie Ming couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Of course, he also understood that genuine country bumpkins like himself were the minority; many talented apprentices were nobles by birth, and in this world, nobles seemed to all be wizards.

Through constant exposure, it was only natural for these apprentices to know certain matters of the wizarding world.

Jie Ming walked up to a propaganda area for the [Puppet School] within the Combat Division; the light screen before him clearly listed the contract conditions for this school:

After an apprentice joins the Puppet School, they have ten years for study; once ten years of study are completed or they reach the strength of a First-Rank Official Wizard, they must be dispatched to the battlefield.

During this period, all foundational and advanced knowledge related to the Puppet School is freely accessible, and there is a monthly resource supply equivalent to 100 points of credit.

The contractor must serve on the battlefield for a full seven years or acquire Second-Rank merit before their military service can end...

Jie Ming walked through the Combat Division's propaganda areas, scanning them one by one; the conditions for the other Combat schools were largely similar.

The requirements for study duration and strength remained unchanged, and knowledge related to each school was also freely accessible.

The differences lay roughly in the value of the monthly resource supply and the duration of military service.

Basically, each month provided a resource supply worth between 100 and 150 points of credit, while military service terms ranged from five to fifteen years.

Having spent a considerable amount of time reading from beginning to end, Jie Ming turned to look at the other side.

In stark contrast to the bustling noise of the Combat Division, the flow of people in the Logistics Division area was relatively sparse.

The instructors here basically had no intention of promoting; even when someone asked questions, they would merely point impatiently at the light screens.

Jie Ming roughly examined the contract conditions they presented and immediately understood the reason for the Logistics Division's desolation.

The maximum study duration remained unchanged, but beyond that, everything else had changed.

All Logistics schools provided only the most foundational knowledge; subsequent advanced knowledge had to be exchanged for credits, and the monthly provision consisted merely of basic resources worth a meager 10 points.

And furthermore... a term of military service so long it was startling—thirty years!

The conditions proposed by all Logistics schools were as if carved from the same mold; apart from some differences in names, everything else was identical.

"Are you kidding me, a thirty-year contract term?" an apprentice complained in a low voice, "That's far too long; the shortest in the Combat Division is only five years!"

Stimulated by such obvious disparities in benefits and the intuitive "success stories," longing for power and glory flashed across many faces, and they began surging rapidly toward the Combat Division area.

Those apprentices with high talent became the primary targets for the Combat Division instructors to recruit.

Jie Ming's Grade Six talent also made him a target of attention for the Combat Division instructors; the gazes of several instructors were already sweeping toward him, subtly yet deliberately.

Yet amidst this frenzied torrent, Jie Ming appeared utterly out of place.

Having experienced an information explosion in his previous life, Jie Ming was not deceived by those dazzling magical images and glamorous "successful ones"; the constant tension of potentially becoming a test subject kept him observant, and he quickly noticed some strange things.

"A total of ninety-seven wizards returned from the Combat Department... Strange, why is it that specific number?" Jie Ming frowned tightly.

These wizards who had just returned from the battlefield possessed a quite unique aura; moreover, the returning wizards of the Combat Department were currently gathered on the stage, being promoted by the Combat Department instructors like exhibits.

Although the Logistics Department on the other side lacked such conspicuous promotion, their returning wizards were also mostly gathered in one place, and whenever they looked toward the stage of the Combat Department's returning wizards, a hint of mockery would occasionally flash in their eyes.

Jie Ming suspected that these returning wizards must have accepted a task similar to cooperating with publicity, which was why they were all gathered together.

Then the question arose: why were there only ninety-seven people?

Since it was "cooperating with publicity," why wasn't the number rounded off to a whole figure, for example... one hundred?

This was a wizard academy, renowned for its rigor and pursuit of knowledge; theoretically, it should not allow such a "failure to reach a round number" situation to occur on such a public occasion.

"Two possibilities. In the wizard world, due to some special wizard rule or numerical symbolism, ninety-seven is indeed a 'whole number'. Or second..."

Thinking of a certain possibility, Jie Ming's expression turned somewhat grim: "...they lacked the ability to gather a full hundred."

What did it mean to lack the ability?

Of course, it meant... everyone else had died!

These ninety-seven individuals were most likely the sole survivors of that batch sent to the battlefield, having undergone layers of screening and countless slaughters!