Chapter 86

The male apprentice collected the fragments and handed Luo En a note:

"'Magic Circuit Optimization' is in the 7th classroom on the east side of the third floor at 1:00 PM; 'Spiritual Stability Techniques' is in the 3rd classroom on the north side of the fifth floor at 3:00 PM. Don't be late."

"By the way, almost forgot to tell you." The duty officer added:

"As a newly promoted primary apprentice, you have the privilege of choosing any basic course to study for free once. However, this opportunity only comes once, so I suggest you choose carefully."

Luo En's eyes lit up; this was an unexpected gain. He immediately decided to save this free quota for a more expensive course in the future.

After taking the note and thanking the other party, he was about to leave.

"Wait a minute, apprentice Luo En." The duty officer reminded him with some hesitation:

"Since you are on the 'Observation List', the school will pay more attention to you. I hope you can... perform well."

Luo En nodded, with a bit more consideration in his heart.

This kind of attention is both an opportunity and means more pressure and gaze.

Leaving the teaching area, he decided to go to the cafeteria to eat something first to save energy for the afternoon courses.

Just after sitting down with his tray, Luo En noticed that not far away, several young people in primary apprentice gray robes were talking in low voices.

Judging from their exhausted expressions and the stains on their robes, they should have just returned from some kind of field mission.

One of the thin, tall guys noticed Luo En, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly waved: "Hey, Ra Er Fu! Long time no see!"

Luo En recognized that this was Ka Er, who was in the same batch as him when he enrolled, a probationary apprentice from a merchant family who was lucky enough to pass the final elimination period.

"Ka Er, long time no see. Did you just return from a mission?"

"Yeah, collecting magic crystal flowers in the edge forest for three whole days."

Ka Er rubbed his eyes exhaustedly, but there was a trace of pride on his face: "The reward is pretty good, fifteen magic stone fragments."

The short, fat apprentice next to him interjected:

"That's because Ka Er knows 'Breeze Spell' and can drive away those poisonous insects. If it weren't for him, we might not have even come back alive."

Ka Er waved his hand, his gaze turning to Luo En:

"Don't talk about this. I heard you are an apprentice at Lady Ailan's place? You are really lucky to be able to work in such a place!"

"It is indeed a bit lucky." Luo En said modestly, "Lady Ailan has a deep understanding of potion-making, and I have learned a lot."

"I really envy you." Ka Er gave a bitter smile:

"People like us have no special talent and can only continue to struggle in the towers. You know, for primary apprentices with average aptitude like us, it takes at least eight to ten years to advance to the intermediate level."

Another short, fat apprentice also leaned over:

"By the way, I heard that the old woman Lady Ailan doesn't take apprentices easily."

He said with a hint of jealousy: "She is very picky about assistants. She has changed more than a dozen of them, and none of them could satisfy her."

Ka Er gave his companion a hard elbow and turned to Luo En:

"Don't listen to him, he's just jealous. Seriously, Luo En, since you have such a stable job, you don't need to take those dangerous commissions at all. Primary apprentices like us without a foundation can only rely on these missions to barely make a living."

Luo En saw the envy in Ka Er's eyes.

In the Black Fog Jungle, where the gap between upper and lower classes is extremely wide, the life of a primary apprentice is indeed difficult.

Although they passed the elimination of the probationary period, they are still at the bottom of the school, almost seeing no hope of advancement.

"What are your plans recently?" Luo En asked.

Ka Er's face darkened: "Take the next collection mission and go to the 'Screaming Swamp' in the edge area to collect a plant called 'Crying Vine'. The reward is good, thirty magic stone fragments, but..."

"But that place is too dangerous." The short, fat apprentice took the conversation, his voice full of fear:

"Last month, five primary apprentices went there to perform similar missions, and only one came back, and he lost an arm."

"But we have no choice." Ka Er sighed:

"Do you know, Luo En? Primary apprentices like us are not considered internal members of the school at all. Only by advancing to an intermediate apprentice can we obtain the official recognition of the school. By then, we can be qualified to participate in duty and obtain a stable income of magic stones."

"Indeed." Luo En nodded, recalling the situation Andre had mentioned:

"I heard that in mortal kingdoms, they can even be treated with courtesy by the king and conferred as landed nobles."

Intermediate apprentices not only have greatly increased spiritual power and magic power, but their spell power can also be increased several times.

"That's right." Ka Er's eyes flashed with longing, his voice low and urgent, his body leaning forward involuntarily:

"My father once saw with his own eyes an intermediate apprentice cast a spell, and in a few moments, more than a dozen soldiers were turned into ashes."

He gestured the explosion, his face reflecting the imagined flames:

"Even a formal Knight who is known as an enemy of a thousand on the battlefield can only barely contend with an intermediate apprentice."

The short, fat apprentice sighed deeply, his shoulders drooping, his eyes looking blankly at the patterns on the table:

"The school doesn't value primary apprentices like us at all. To them, we have almost no value."

He clenched his fists and let go: "So we can only live in those low and crowded towers, and the days are even worse than the probationary period."

Ka Er shook his head with a bitter smile:

"Actually, we are already very lucky."

He waved his fist and made an exaggerated gesture:

"Outside, there are countless wandering apprentices and alien extraordinary people who want to squeeze in. The Black Fog School is the top extraordinary gathering place in this region."

His gaze turned to an intermediate apprentice in the distance with a sapphire badge on his chest.

That person was chatting and laughing with several companions, his temperament completely different from the numbness and exhaustion of these primary apprentices.

"I don't plan to spend too long here." Ka Er suddenly lowered his voice and said:

"If there is no hope of advancement in another two years, I am ready to leave the Black Fog Jungle and try my luck."

Luo En looked at him in surprise: "Leave? Where to?"

"I heard that the 'Emerald Tower' in the far east of the Black Fog Jungle has recently begun to expand and is recruiting apprentices from outside."

Ka Er's eyes flashed with determination: "Although its reputation in the wizarding world is far inferior to the Black Fog School, and there are only two or three formal wizards, it is said that the advancement system there is not so harsh."

"But... it's dangerous to leave the Black Fog Jungle." Luo En reminded.

"Staying is just as dangerous." Ka Er gave a bitter smile: "At least leaving has a glimmer of hope, instead of slowly rotting here."

Listening to their conversation, Luo En sighed in his heart.

If it weren't for the existence of the golden finger, he might be like these apprentices now.

Struggling at the bottom of the school, seeing no hope... even he, who had difficulty passing the probationary period, would be in an even worse situation now.

"I have to go, I have a class in the afternoon." He said goodbye to the two apprentices in a hurry, "I wish you a smooth commission."

Ka Er managed to show a smile:

"Thank you, keep in touch. To be honest, Luo En, we all envy you for being able to work stably at Lady Ailan's place. That is an opportunity that most primary apprentices find hard to reach in a lifetime."

(End of chapter)