Chapter 2897: Thorn Society

From the situation Xia Duo can currently understand, most Spellcasters are looking forward to the emergence of the Public Computing Resource Pool, and this includes people within Netheril.

Some people even pulled strings to inquire about the situation at the Tower of Time, or even approached Xia Duo himself, and the questions they care about most can be roughly divided into two parts—

One is whether the Spirit Thought Network, dominated by Elf Mages, has any beneficial effects for Netherese Mages, and the other part is more concerned with whether such a Public Computing Resource Pool can also be established within Netheril.

Xia Duo has not replied to any of them for the time being; he did not expect that just a casual mention, catching the trend of the Demon Descendant's probing, would cause undercurrents not only among the Elves but also within Netheril.

But while others don't know, he himself knows, right? The Spirit Thought Network is not the bigger the better, nor is it without risks.

What he is most worried about now is that some people will impatiently launch large-scale Public Computing Resource Pool projects and connect a large number of Mages without any Protection; if something goes wrong, he will also have to bear part of the responsibility.

It is not that Xia Duo is afraid of taking responsibility—responsibility itself also implies power—but he still does not want to bear the accountability caused by risks that could clearly have been avoided.

A large-scale public resource pool is itself a very good project, very worthy of investment, and the sooner it is built and utilized the better, but the risks within are what many people ignore; risk management must be done well.

……

Next, Xia Duo continued to pay attention to external voices, while also squeezing out some energy to review the technical points of the Ruier Network, generally regarding the part on risk management.

In recent decades, due to various reasons, the Thorn Society has had slight membership attrition; not a few projects with great potential have been stranded due to personnel shortages, and that in turn has led to further loss of members.

It is not yet at the end of the road, so what is the point of using lies to boost morale? Once the time comes and the lies are punctured, won't it just scatter like clouds, even faster than not lying?

There are only two channels for legal Mage Apprentices: one is that Mages above the Zisanjibie can register with the Council of Elders to become Inheritor Mages, who have the qualification to recruit Apprentices, but the quota is very limited.

"Of course it is true. Although it is not now, and not all societies have such qualifications, that day is already very close. Moreover, our Thorn Society possesses such qualifications, so we must make corresponding preparations in advance."

Therefore, after hearing the Elder mention this secret, the first reaction of most members was disbelief, but as the last remnants of a declining society, they found it hard to believe that the Elder would deceive them about such a thing.

Unless they think very highly of a Commoner, no Zisanjibie Mage will easily use their own inheritance quota.

The other is the Tartat Academy of Swordsmanship; although it is named a Sword Academy, the academy offers orthodox Magic courses, and as long as you pay, you can become a Mage Apprentice.

The Thorn Society is a society established early on in Evereska, but a long history does not mean it has always been prosperous; on the contrary, because it carries too much historical baggage, its pace of progress has become heavier.

But for an ancient, declining society whose glory is no more, this is different; the appearance of new blood might bring brand-new development opportunities, allowing the declining society to be glorious once again.

It is to first go to the Magic Academy, try one's best to perform well in the process of learning spells, and then wait for some Mage who does not exclude Commoners and possesses inheritance qualifications to take a liking to you and accept you as an Apprentice—that is the only path to take.

And at this moment, if this Thorn Society Elder is not lying, once Evereska opens up Apprentice recruitment qualifications and allows societies to independently recruit Mage Apprentices, it means the breaking of the monopoly.

……

That is to say, a Commoner Elf living in Evereska who wants to learn Magic—not Magic in the sense of individual spells, but a systematic inheritance including Principles and Spells—has almost only one path—

He felt that the Northland Alliance high-level officials would soon want to talk to him, so he made some preparations in advance to avoid being unable to respond and missing this opportunity when the time came.

In addition to the previous path, Commoners have one more path of Magic advancement through society apprenticeships.

As for Commoner Elves, they can only go to places called Magic Academies, which are actually technician academies, to learn some limited spells, and after completing their studies, they go directly into various workshops to become Magic Technicians.

As for the possibility of discovering Magic scrolls in the wild and then learning alone to become a Mage, it cannot be said that there is none, but it is negligible, almost only appearing in legends.

At this time, in the meeting room of the Thorn Society, the only five Elders and a dozen or so ordinary members who have held on until now gathered together to hold a meeting to decide the future fate of the society.

An Elder first gave the remaining members some encouragement according to custom, and then said, "I have received reliable news from an ally that Evereska is about to change its past Mage Apprentice recruitment policy and allow societies to independently recruit Mage Apprentices. You should all know what that means!"

"Everyone, although our Thorn Society has declined, we still maintain many ancient alliances. This kind of foundation is also the confidence for our resurgence."

Today's Thorn Society is no longer the glory of the past, and it can't even maintain basic operations; the society's headquarters at Cloudtop Tower, the Laboratory—which one doesn't cost money?

He is a student of Elder Kustuo, cultivated from an Apprentice to the present, and has deep feelings for the Thorn Society. At the same time, because he is from a Commoner background, he is also very concerned about the advancement path of Commoners.

The latter channel seems to have no threshold, but the Tartat Academy of Swordsmanship itself is not a place ordinary Elves can go to; it is essentially a Noble academy.

For a Commoner society that is not short of members or does not need to absorb more members, this path has no essential difference from having it or not.

"Teacher Kustuo, is this true? Does the Council really allow societies to independently recruit Mage Apprentices?" A young Elf exchanged glances with his companion, then asked proactively.

The so-called Noble, the most basic requirement is to have Magic inheritance qualifications.

Regarding the student's doubts, Kustuo expressed understanding. It is indeed difficult for ordinary Elves to have a path of advancement, but the era has begun to change, and he said firmly:

As the creator of the Ruier Network, Xia Duo knows that the risks are real, but ordinary Mages, especially those ordinary Mages who are eager to seek progress and breakthroughs, only have expectations for the Ruier Network.

In the past, Evereska, like other Elf nations, allowed societies to recruit Mage members, but firmly forbade societies from privately recruiting Mage Apprentices.

Noble children go there to learn skills and make friends with their own kind, and by the way obtain Magic inheritance—it really is just by the way; the family itself already has Magic inheritance qualifications, although limited to their own family, but compared to Commoners, that is much better.