NABC Chapter 1 Emerald Forest - Ian
Chapter 1 Emerald Forest - Ian
Emerald Forest!
early morning!
Sunlight streamed into the square of the Horton School of Wizardry, as the school welcomed a new batch of apprentices.
There were about thirty or forty people in the square, most of them dressed in linen and wool clothing.
In front of them stood a man dressed in a black wizard's robe.
The man's deep eyes swept around as he quickly checked the list.
"Ian Green".
"arrive!"
A boy in the crowd shouted instinctively.
All I could see was him dressed in linen clothes, with black hair and black eyes, and he seemed a little dazed.
"Where have I been thrown? Is this still in China?"
Ian appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.
One second I was a fresh graduate, a newbie, and the next I was here.
Look around.
A wide stone-paved road runs through the square, with Gothic stone towers interspersed among the stone houses on both sides.
They weren't the only ones in the square. Men and women in black robes could be seen walking by. Ian could see scales peeking out from their sleeves, crystal bottles hanging from their waists, and even their appearances were mostly unusual, with blond hair and blue eyes.
Just then, a sound came from nearby.
Ian looked in the direction of the sound.
At the edge of the square, a young man dressed in a black robe held a thin wooden stick in his hand.
In front of him, a woman was kneeling on the ground, kowtowing desperately, as if begging.
But the young man's eyes were cold and stern. He quickly recited a phrase that sounded like an incantation, and a dark green, viscous sphere flew toward the woman. With a fleeting, mournful wail, the woman was covered in a puddle of green liquid amidst a hissing, corrosive sound.
Seeing the woman die, the young man turned and left as if nothing had happened.
Dark green water sphere.
A bizarre and cruel death.
Scenes depicting a shattered worldview.
Ian's eyes widened as more memories flooded his mind.
A serf from the kingdom, whose wizarding talent was detected, was taken to the Emerald Forest, to the Horton School of Wizardry...
"wizard!"
Ian finally had a general understanding of his situation.
What lies before us is no longer Earth, but a transcendent world, a world controlled by wizards.
As for what a wizard is?
"To grasp the truth and wield the extraordinary through spiritual power is to be a wizard."
"Welcome to the Horton School of Wizardry. I am your instructor, Victor, a second-class wizarding apprentice."
Ahead, the voice of the black-robed wizard came, a smile playing on his lips, seemingly quite satisfied with what had just happened.
Wei's words did not dispel the panic among the crowd, but they did arouse a glimmer of hope!
Can they also master that kind of power?
The terrifying yet powerful force known as the Wizard?
But regardless of the black-clad wizard's smile or what just happened...
All of this seems to indicate that it's not that simple!
"Next, we'll go to the teaching area."
After counting the number of people, Victor led everyone away from the square and headed to the teaching area.
Along the way, Ian observed his surroundings.
Some suspected slaves were killed outright by those dressed in wizard robes; wizards stained with blood rushed back from outside; and some wizards rode terrifying beasts three meters tall...
Accompanied by fear and anticipation.
The group arrived at the teaching area.
Enter a large classroom.
Ian randomly chose a seat and sat down.
Victor looked at the crowd from the front and said:
"Everyone's time is running out. Next, we will proceed directly to teach the meditation method. Each person will receive a copy."
He took out thin booklets and, with a wave of his hand, sent them flying directly to each person.
Witnessing this extraordinary scene once again filled everyone with a sense of wonder.
Time is running out?
Ian pondered Victor's words with a sense of bewilderment.
He wasn't the only one who sensed something was wrong; some people directly asked the question:
"What does it mean when the adults say there's not much time left?"
"Just a reminder, call me instructor."
Victor responded with a smile, without beating around the bush.
"The school of thought gives you the opportunity to achieve extraordinary things, but of course, there is a price to pay."
"Over the next three months, you will learn the Wizard Meditation Method. If you succeed, you will advance to the level of apprentice and be able to join a school to gain more learning opportunities."
An equivalent exchange, if it fails, will result in becoming a slave to the school of thought, serving it for life.
Hiss!
Everyone leaned back and gasped.
slave?
Recalling the arbitrary killing just now, there was no doubt that it must have been a slave.
There are no human rights whatsoever; wizards can kill at will.
"Three months!"
Ian took a deep breath, his gaze becoming serious.
He wanted to attain transcendence but didn't want to become a slave, so there was only one way.
Become a wizard's apprentice.
He looked down at the thin booklet in front of him and quickly flipped through it.
There isn't much content.
It describes how to sense spiritual power, absorb elements, and ultimately condense an abstract rune.
At the end of the content, three spells that resembled witchcraft were also included: ignition, glimmer, and water congealing.
Victor then began his presentation.
"The booklet contains basic meditation techniques, but it's only a part of them. Once you condense your first extraordinary rune, you're considered a first-class wizard apprentice."
The next three are magic tricks, not quite at the level of witchcraft. Those interested can take a look, but I don't recommend spending time on them. Next, I will teach the meditation method.
Victor gave a brief introduction to the booklet and then began teaching the meditation method.
Soon, the time it takes for an hourglass to pass was up, and the explanation was finished.
"From now on, you can try to understand it yourselves; don't come to me with questions."
After saying that, Victor sat down on a chair to the side and closed his eyes to rest.
Everyone was taken aback, but no one dared to disturb them.
The classroom was large, with a large empty area at the back covered with blankets.
Ian randomly chose a piece and, following the instructions of the meditation method, tried to make a strange movement.
It looks like a gecko with its limbs twisted, trying to maintain its balance.
Ian tried to sit up straight, close his eyes, and took his first step as an apprentice.
I can feel my own spiritual power.
Got nothing.
A dozen minutes later, Ian opened his eyes, his brows furrowed.
He felt absolutely nothing.
He wasn't the only one who didn't seem to feel anything; many people in the classroom had their eyes open, while only a few remained in that strange posture.
Looking at them, one could almost sense a strange fluctuation.
"Dude, stop staring. To first grasp a talent for mental power, you need at least a third-tier star wizard talent. What tier are you?"
A voice came from the side, and Ian looked to the side.
At that moment, a blond young man looked at him.
"talent?"
Ian blinked, and another memory surfaced in his mind.
Inside an ancient castle, he placed his hand on a crystal ball.
"Five-star talent".
A wizard announced this, and then took him away.
Mental talent is what wizards use to judge an apprentice's potential, and it is divided into six levels, from first to sixth.
The fifth grade is only slightly better than the worst sixth grade.
"I know some information. Most third-magnitude stars are fine, most fourth-magnitude stars are fine, occasionally fifth-magnitude stars are fine, and sixth-magnitude stars can basically be given up."
The blond youth continued.
Ian frowned.
As far as he knew, this group seemed to have sixth-rank star talent.
Aren't sixth-magnitude stars destined to become slaves?
He is a fifth-magnitude star, and his situation is not optimistic either.
We need to hurry.
Without further ado, Ian once again immersed himself in the sensations of mental energy.
There was darkness in front of him.
I couldn't sense it with my mental energy, but a pale blue light screen appeared.
Name: Ian Green
Age: 12
[Strength: Mortal]
[Talent: 98 (5th Rank)]
[Skill: Basic Meditation (Beginner)]