Hearing Anzeâs question, Angela bowed respectfully and replied.
âYes, my uncle was once a Second Rank apprentice here. He returned to his hometown when he was 30, and it was my uncle who told me about some unwritten rules in the tower.â
Upon hearing that Angelaâs background was only that of a Second Rank apprentice, Anze immediately lost interest in probing further.
âAlthough youâre being a bit clever, a qualification is a qualification,â Anze said, raising his hand to point at the name tag on Angelaâs chest.
The name tag flickered briefly before returning to its normal state, with no visible changes.
Angela still maintained a humble expression, bowing respectfully once more to thank Anze.
However, as she turned to leave the door, Saul noticed her mouth twitching in a suppressed manner.
âNextâŠâ
Anzeâs gaze shifted to Saul and Keli.
Angela sat on the far left of the classroom, and Saul was seated to Keliâs left. By normal order, Saul should be next.
But Anze skipped over Saul and called Keli first.
âGirl, come here.â
Keli clenched her fists tightly under the table, then suddenly released them.
With steady steps, she walked up to Anze and, without further introduction, immediately performed three spells.
All three were Gold attribute, Zero Tier spells.
One was an attack spell, another a defense spell, and the third one was an enchantment spell.
âYouâre Keli, the one following Gudo?â Anze surprisingly knew her name.
âYes, Master Anze,â Keli responded.
âHe did pick up a good apprentice, but unfortunately, I havenât dealt much with Gold attribute spells,â Anze said, offering a subtle compliment.
He acknowledged Keliâs performance and nodded at her name tag before letting her leave.
Now, only Saul and Anze remained in the classroom.
âDo I still need to call you?â Anze asked.
Just call me âDad,â Saul thought to himself, trying to ease the nervous tension inside.
After all, unlike Keli, who had been a victim of the mutual aid society, Saul had just killed three of their new members.
If Anze truly was the boss behind the mutual aid society, would he seize the opportunity to deal with him?
Even if Anze didnât go so far as to kill him because of the towerâs rules, a teacher could still easily make things difficult for an apprentice.
Saul quickly walked up to Anze, preparing to finish the process just like Keli had.
But Anze raised his hand to stop him.
âExtend your left hand, let me see.â
It wasnât surprising that a teacher would notice something unusual about Saulâs left hand.
Saul raised his left hand, which had been concealed until only the tips of his fingers were visible, up to his chest.
Anze glanced at it briefly and nodded.
âYour mind is sharp, youâre brave, and you have good luck. No wonder you were able to kill Sid.â
Was this what he was after?
Saul, together with Kongsha and Byron, had set up a trap for Sid, turning him into a new guest for the morgue.
Knowing he couldnât keep this hidden, Saul decided to admit it and defend himself.
âMaster, I acted in self-defense and was forced to kill him.â
Anze, hearing this, smiled lazily.
âSelf-defense?â He absentmindedly traced circles on the table with his finger. âDonât worry, I wonât care whether it was self-defense or not. Sid wasnât my apprentice. If anyone should be worried, itâs you, not me. You should be worried about Rum. Heâs Sidâs master. Once he sobers up, he might make you go see him.â
âMentor Rum?â
Rum was also one of the five instructors, specializing in Water attribute magic.
âCould you help explain it to him, Mentor? I really had no choice,â Saul asked politely, although he had already figured out that Anze was the type to avoid trouble, or at least appear that way.
UnexpectedlyâŠ
âSure,â Anze smiled lightly and waved his finger at Saul. âIf you become my apprentice, I can help you resolve this issue.â
Could Saul even change his instructor in the tower?
But no matter what reason he gave to change instructors, it would be hard to avoid offending his current master.
Besides, instead of switching masters, he could just go directly to Master Kaz to resolve the trouble.
âThank you, Master Anze, but my current instructor treats me well. I canât bear to leave him,â Saul responded cautiously, making sure not to offend Anze.
âTreat you well? He hasnât told you that youâre surrounded by vengeful spirits?â
Vengeful spirits?
Saul immediately raised his eyes, shocked.
âDonât look at me. You should go find Master Rum. Heâs best at dealing with vengeful spirits⊠if he still has the time to help you,â Anze said, leaning back with his eyes half-closed and his hands crossed over his stomach, tapping quickly.
âYou donât want to switch to me? Fine⊠Testing is finally over. What a hassle.â
âUhâŠâ Saul reminded Anze, âMaster, I havenât cast my spells yet.â
âCast what? Youâve already killed a Second Rank. What more do you need to show?â
âBut Master Anze, you havenât marked my name tag yetâŠâ Saul hesitated, unsure how to describe the action.
A mark, perhaps?
Anze didnât move but closed his eyes and spoke, âSaul, do you know why we conduct frequent tests here in the tower?â
Saul had no idea.
âThe structure of the Wizard Tower is such that it will try to extract the maximum potential from everyone. If one day you realize youâve been given more responsibility, donât be too happy. Youâve simply been placed in a position that suits your current abilities.â
Anze stopped speaking, almost as if he were asleep.
Saul knew this meant it was time for him to leave the classroom.
But Anze still hadnât marked any of the name tags. Was he deliberately making it difficult for him, or was he just annoyed that Saul wouldnât switch to being his apprentice?
Saul bowed to Anzeâs closed eyes and left the room.
As he pushed open the classroom door, Saul was startled by what he saw.
The hallway outside was packed with over twenty people.
Even Lokai stood at the front of the crowd.
When Lokai saw Saul come out, he wasnât surprised at all. In fact, he cheered loudly, âCome on, letâs all congratulate the top performer of this test.â
With that, he led the applause.
Keli immediately joined in.
But aside from Keli, no one else in the hallway clapped.
The apprentices stared at Saul, some in disbelief, others with cold indifference, and some with faces full of fear.
Lokai and Keliâs applause continued, creating an awkward symphony in the hallway.
Gradually, Angela started clapping, followed by the uneasy Doze, then the fifth, sixthâŠ
Finally, everyone in the hallway began to clap, and the atmosphere slowly became strange but energetic.
âThatâs right, thatâs right~â Lokai clapped while nodding happily, âWe should help each other, as we all entered the tower together, hee hee hee.â
The applause lasted for about three minutes.
Lokai finally raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down. âAlso, as a reward for first place, you can go to the garden and pick a companion flower to cultivate.â
âAh, so the first place has a reward,â Saul thought to himself, feeling a little happier than the earlier applause.
A garden? Companion flowers?
When he was a servant, he was always threatened by the housekeeper that if he didnât do his work well, heâd be dragged off to be used as fertilizer for the flowers.
Now, he was going to see flowers nourished by that fertilizer?
He had a bad feeling about it.
At that moment, Lokai suddenly leaned in, bending down with an excited look as he gazed at Saul.
âI donât even know your name yet. You havenât joined the Mutual Aid Society, have you? How about joining now?â
âAlthough youâre first among this group of apprentices, there are many seniors and upperclassmen in the Mutual Aid Society who are much more powerful than you~â
(End of Chapter)
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