“Okay!”
Me and Teacher Xiu arrived at the main street. Because it’s the magic kingdom’s capital, magic products are being sold everywhere. We entered a magic goods store. Wow. Inside there are all kinds of magic products. There’s magic gowns, some low level magic crystals, magic staffs and there’s also some magical beast eggs. Every mage has a magical beast but one’s own magical beast needs to be incubated by themselves. All the magical beast eggs here have a seal on them. Blood is required to act as a medium to incubate them. When a magical beast hatches, it will attach the most importance to the first person it sees. In this kind of ordinary store, there are only a few lower level magical beast eggs since high level magical beast eggs are every expensive. High level magical beast eggs are too expensive for even the wealthy; in order to get a high level egg, luck is required.
“Zhang Gong, see if there’s any that you like. Teacher will buy it for you as a present.”
“Okay! Thank you teacher.” With no trace of politeness I jumped up. Finally, I picked a pearl white magical beast egg and a magic staff embed with a white crystal.
“Your son really knows how to choose. Of the magic staffs we have here, that one is the best. The magical beast egg is a first rank magical beast, I’ll give it as a present to you. The magic staff is fifty gold coins.” (That pearl white magical beast egg is of the light element. Of course nobody wants it.)
“That expensive?” Teacher Xiu scowled, however he promised me. To be a worthy teacher, he naturally bought it reluctantly.
Back at the inn, Teacher Xiu helped me appraise the magic staff. The magic staff is able to increase magic attack power. Indeed, it’s a pretty good staff. The pearl white magical beast egg is very ordinary, merely a rank one magical beast.
“You’ve accepted the gift. Three days from now you must put in great effort during the exam! Don’t disappoint teacher.”
This staff continuously accompanied me for a very long period of time. Until I received….
Also, the magical beast incubated from the egg became my most important partner.
Perhaps it was destined. The magical beast the Child of Light obtained had a very important effect on the events leading to his rise to the rank of Grand Magister.
(The Child of Light will soon begin his intermediate magic academy life. What will his magical beast be?)
13
Volume 2: Chapter 2 – Entrance Examination
First thing in the morning, Teacher Xiu woke me up with lessons. He made me repeat some details regarding the exam. Then he brought me to the Royal Intermediate Magic Academy.
“Teacher Xiu, why are are we here so early. There’s still a long time before the exam.” I said as I yawned. In these last two days I’ve nearly been bothered to death. Everyday Teacher Xiu would explain all of the exam’s rules, exam details and so on. Just from all his talk my head has grown bigger. Originally I wanted to hatch my magical beast egg and take a look at what it is. However, Teacher Xiu wouldn’t permit it, saying that before the exam I need to have ample amounts of vigor and physical strength. He’s even more nervous about the exam than me.
“First, look at the situation. Zhang Gong ah. As long as you act in accordance to teacher’s method, then the exam should be finished without any problems.”
“Yes, I know.”
An hour of waiting is as long as a year as far as I am concerned. (Due to Teacher Xiu’s endless nagging.)
“Okay, you can go in now. Zhang Gong, do your best!” Teacher Xiu gave me a thumbs up.
“OK.” I gave him a thumbs up too.
Entered the academy. Wow. It’s worthy of being counted as the number one academy. It’s very unique. There’s a big practice ground that has an area of 15 000 square meters. Ah, there’s also a lot of people. Teacher Xiu told me that this year there is roughly 10 000 students taking the exam. In the end, only 200 students will be qualified. Ah, only 1 in 50 will be admitted. At this time there was a magic broadcast (Through a magic crystal, sound can be amplified and spread): “All the students who came to take the test, according to your registration number line up from east to west. For every 600 numbers, make one line. Follow these instructions in an orderly manner. Go line up in according to your registration number and prepare for the first exam.
My registration is 1503, so I’m in the third line. I went to the third line and lined up accordingly. Looking around, I see that all the examinees are wearing gorgeous magic robes. In comparison my plain clothes aren’t flashy at all, so all the surrounding examinees look at me with a gaze of superiority. Some even spit in disdain and say ‘even a commoner dares to take the exam’.
Hmph! What’s wrong with commoners? Are commoners not people? So what if your family has a bit of power.
“Examinees, quiet down. The first exam will now begin. All the examinees from each line, according to your registration number, go up to your line’s proctor one at a time to begin the exam.” There was another broadcast.
Altogether there are twenty lines and for each line there are two proctors. One is responsible for directing the student on the exam, the other is responsible for recording the grades. The first exam is actually very simple. The teacher just needs to use a magic crystal to measure one’s magic achievements and see if it meets the requirements. The whole entrance exam has four parts. Two hundred students will be admitted according to their overall score.
As I waited, I was very bored. Ah, why’s it so slow?
One hour later.
“Number 1503, come up.” At last, it’s my turn.
I arrived in front of the teacher. “Hello teacher. I am examinee 1503.” Teacher Xiu taught me that I must be courteous in order to leave a good impression on the teacher. Maybe it’ll score me a few bonus points.
“You can start the test now!” The proctor nodded at my smile.
I began condensing magic power and placed my right hand on top of the magic crystal. From my forehead, light element rapidly gathered then flowed through my right hand and into the magic crystal. The magic crystal began emitting a faint white light. As I released more and more magic power, the white light also grows more and more dazzling.
“That’s good enough student.”
“Thank you teacher.” I stopped releasing magic power.
“Your magic power is strong. You’re learning light magic? Learn well. Once you reach the rank of advanced mage, light magic is very powerful. Go recover in the rest area while you wait for the next exam.”
“Yes.”
I feel pretty good about this exam; there shouldn’t be any problems with it. I look at the examinees in front of me. Not a single one of them could release as much magic power as me. Hehe. I proudly smiled.
The next exam tests magic perception. The testing method is also very simple, one just needs to fire off their most powerful spell within a magic barrier. Exam in the afternoon. We’re not permitted to leave during midday, but the academy supplies lunch for us. After eating, I slip away to go to take a stroll and wander around the academy grounds. This place sure is big! Apart from the main field, there are also many smaller practice grounds. The academy also has many buildings. The campus grounds are very elegant. Everywhere there is green grass like a cushion, inviting you to sleep on. Furthermore, there are many groves, rock gardens, fountains and so on. Indeed, it’s pretty good. I see that coming here to study wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.