Chapter 47: Joint Invitation

The teaching session on scroll usage soon came to an end, and Xia Duo stayed behind to continue using this free Spell Practice Room; he had too many spells he wanted to practice, but he realized that once the list of Apprentices was finalized, he would have to make some trade-offs.

Once he left the Mage Tower, he would no longer have such a good environment for practice.

Considering the various situations he might encounter in the future, Xia Duo chose 【Mage Hand】 and 【Ghost Sound】; of course, before that, 【Sending】 also needed more practice.

He had only successfully cast it once the day before yesterday and was not yet very proficient, but compared to 【Mage Hand】 and 【Ghost Sound】, it wouldn't require much time.

Realizing that time was tight, Xia Duo did not return to his dormitory to study spell theory or research new spells after dinner, but instead rented a Spell Practice Room.

Pay-to-win practice.

Sure enough, before the production increase plan for the next morning was even completed, the Tower Spirit sent a notification—all Official Apprentices were to pack their combat gear and gather at the First Floor Hall.

Rubbing his sore arms and thighs, Xia Duo had no choice but to follow the crowd toward the Elevator.

"Xia Duo! Xia Duo!"

Dien popped out from somewhere, his fiery red hair making Xia Duo feel dizzy; after putting a little distance between them, Xia Duo asked:

"What is it?"

"I've heard some news about the Orc Tide. It's good news, want to hear it?"

"Speak!"

Dien blinked mysteriously, leaned in closer again, and whispered: "I heard a big shot is coming this time, so we don't have to participate in the frontal battle at all; we only need to search for scattered Orcs in the forest."

"Really?"

Xia Duo was very skeptical about the accuracy of this news; Dien had only become an Official Apprentice in the last few days, what channels could he possibly have to know such things?

"Where did you hear this news?" Xia Duo asked again.

"From Mr. Aideliqi!"

"Aideliqi?"

"Yeah!"

Xia Duo felt a bit dazed, thinking of that Aideliqi who spent all year renting the Transcription Room in the Library, an Apprentice in name but a Merchant Apprentice in reality; Xia Duo had always just thought of him as an Apprentice with peculiar hobbies.

He didn't expect such news to come from him.

But even so, it wasn't enough to convince Xia Duo, "There's a big shot, we aren't participating in the frontal battle, so what?"

"So, we could join forces to clear out the Orcs together!"

Dien's words made Xia Duo want to laugh; he was starting to discuss future plans based entirely on a piece of news of unknown authenticity, but agreeing for now wouldn't hurt.

"Fine, but there's one more problem: how will you convince the others in the squad to listen to your decisions?"

"..."

Dien suddenly looked at Xia Duo with a very strange expression, and Xia Duo was confused, "What's wrong, did I say something wrong?"

"Of course you did, we are Mages! Aside from the actual fighting, they should listen to us on other issues!"

Looking at the confident expression on Dien's face, Xia Duo understood where he had been wrong; the instructor's aggressive performance in the tactics class over the past two days had made him think that Apprentices were only joining the Army to serve as human magic-casting devices.

In fact, it should be viewed the other way around: the status of Mages, and even Apprentices, was so high that the instructor was worried the Apprentices would give wrong orders, so he intentionally acted aggressively to fight for more say.

Then, what the instructor said about no one saving those who fell behind must also be fake, just a way to keep the Apprentices from dragging them down too much.

Thinking of this, Xia Duo's mood instantly improved.

"Dien, who else have you contacted?"

"That—" Dien's words were hesitant, and Xia Duo understood as soon as he saw it; he had only contacted him, and it was even possible that everyone else had rejected him.

Having just become an Official Apprentice, he really didn't have much status; even Xia Duo had only spoken to a limited number of Official Apprentices so far, and the only ones he was slightly closer to were Sami and Dewan, his fellow workers in the Arcane Garden.

Thinking about it, it really was a bit pathetic.

"I agree to join forces, but it depends on the specific situation." Xia Duo finally agreed.

"Great!"

Dien was immediately overjoyed, "Xia Duo, let's exchange 【Arcane Mark】."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Xia Duo felt a bit awkward; he hadn't learned 【Arcane Mark】 yet, and Dien realized it when he saw Xia Duo's expression, "Almost forgot you just joined the Mage Tower, hehe, but it doesn't matter, I don't know it either anyway."

"..."

If he could, Xia Duo really wanted to punch him.

Later, Xia Duo also understood why Dien said that; it turned out he had been rejected by too many people and was a bit desperate.

When Official Apprentices became familiar with each other or had a joint mission, they usually exchanged 【Arcane Mark】 so they could contact each other via 【Sending】 within a certain distance.

Dien had only just learned 【Mending】 and become an Official Apprentice, so he only knew two or three spells, but 【Sending】 and 【Arcane Mark】 were not among them.

How could other Official Apprentices be willing to join forces with him!

This also made Xia Duo curse internally, but he didn't go back on his word since he had already agreed, and he himself was "missing a leg" as well.

"You go back and pack your things first, I need to buy some things."

"Alright, let's contact each other when we get to the Military Camp; I'll go ask around again to see who else is willing to join forces with us."

When he said "us," Dien deliberately emphasized his tone; Xia Duo understood what he meant, nodded, then parted ways with him, returned to his dormitory to get money, and then came to the Elevator again.

Public Level.

Emerging from the Elevator, the Material Requisition Office No. 6 was right next to it.

By the time Xia Duo arrived, quite a few people were already there, perhaps like Xia Duo, their plans had been disrupted by this sudden assembly.

The Official Mage at the Requisition Office this time was not Mage He Sai, whom Xia Duo knew, but a gloomy-faced guy who was currently ordering an Ordinary Apprentice to fetch goods from the shelves.

"The 【Fireball】 scroll is two shelves up, you idiot, where are you looking!"

The Apprentice trembled as he searched for a long while before finally finding the rolled-up 【Fireball】 scroll, and said to the Official Apprentice who had come to purchase it, "4, 400 Gold Coins."

The buyer readily handed over two pieces of items that looked like Parchment, and the sales Apprentice hesitated as he held the two papers and looked at the gloomy-faced Mage, "Master Mage, this—"

"Idiot, bring it here."

After saying this, he snatched the two sheets of paper, inspected them for a moment, and said, "Give the item to him!"

The sales Apprentice finally felt relieved, handed the 【Fireball】 Scroll to the buyer, and then the buyer left amidst the envious gazes of the crowd.

"What a fool!"

The scolding from the grim-faced Mage was so harsh that even Xia Duo, who was waiting in line behind, heard it clearly, yet no one present could say anything against an Official Mage.