Chapter 374: Third-level Wizard Apprentice
"Good morning, little ones."
"Good morning, Professor Grace."
As Grace-Eva and others approached, out of politeness, Jia Na and the other second-year students stood up and greeted Grace-Eva.
"The assessment is about to begin. Please take your seats and remember to maintain proper decorum."
Hearing Grace-Eva's words, the senior Apprentices from White Coral Academy who came for the assessment found seats and sat down.
Among them were Solo-Flame, whom Jia Na had just seen at the dormitory entrance, as well as several of Jia Na's other acquaintances: Hugh-Stone, Luo - Yinhu, and Gavin-Tuer.
"Senior Gawen, didn't you already leave Turin?"
Looking at the young woman not far away, who wore thick glasses, had a slight gap in her teeth, and appeared quite gentle, Jia Na asked her through a sound transmission, a little excitedly.
"Things didn't work out well outside, so I came back. And when I returned, it happened to be just in time for the preliminary assessment of the Turin Wizard Gathering Place, so I came to join the fun."
Hearing her reply, a genuine smile couldn't help but appear on Jia Na's face.
Gavin-Tuer, a Third-level Wizard Apprentice with a B-rank Curse Wizard Talent, had a good relationship with Jia Na because she often worked part-time at the library, and Jia Na frequently borrowed books there.
Last year, Gavin-Tuer, having failed to pass the White Tower Trial, ultimately chose to graduate from White Coral Academy and go to other Wizard Gathering Places to seek opportunities to join more powerful Wizard organizations.
Since then, Jia Na and Gavin-Tuer's contact had pretty much ceased. However, what Jia Na hadn't expected was to encounter her again this year at the preliminary assessment point for the White Tower Trial.
"Jia Na, what are you smiling about?"
Seeing the sudden smile on Jia Na's face, Vivian, who was sitting closest to her, looked at her with a slight puzzlement and quietly asked.
"Nothing, I just saw an old friend, and I'm a little surprised."
"Old friend?"
Following Jia Na's gaze, Vivian only saw an unremarkable female Apprentice wearing glasses, and Jia Na had never mentioned this person to her before.
"So few people from White Coral Academy are participating in the preliminary assessment this year. I just counted, and there are less than fifty people."
Looking at the Third-level Wizard Apprentices who had already taken their seats around them, Vivian couldn't help but quietly transmit her thoughts to Jia Na. Hearing Vivian's words, Jia Na nodded.
There were a total of forty-eight Third-level Wizard Apprentices from White Coral Academy participating in this preliminary assessment. Among them, six were second-year Apprentices. If the second-year Apprentices and old Apprentices like Solo-Flame, who had already graduated last year, were excluded,
there were less than forty pure third-year Apprentices.
If Jia Na remembered correctly, there should have been over a hundred third-year students in this cohort of White Coral Academy, but as graduation approached, fewer than half had actually broken through to become Third-level Wizard Apprentices—
"Without external assistance, thirty points of mental power might be a threshold that many Wizard Apprentices can never cross in their entire lives, especially for those 'white-collar' Apprentices who have no resources or power to rely on. This is even more true."
Jia Na said this silently in her heart.
Among these fifty-plus people who broke through to Third-level Wizard Apprentice, the vast majority were Apprentices from Wizard families.
Even if there were 'white-collar' Apprentices, they had already signed loyalty contracts with Wizard families early on and were provided with resources.
Just like Andre-Green from Jia Na's cohort, he was also able to break through to Third-level Wizard Apprentice early in his second year and become a genius Apprentice second only to Jia Na among the 'white-collar' Apprentices of the same cohort, all because he signed a short-term loyalty contract with the Blazing Flame Family and received resource provisions.
Thinking of this, Jia Na's peripheral vision couldn't help but fall on Andre-Green, who was sitting in the same row as her.
After two years of tempering, Andre-Green's temperament had long since matured from its initial greenness. Especially the five-centimeter-long twisted scar near his brow bone, it added a touch of coldness to Andre-Green's demeanor.
"If I didn't have the System, I might eventually be unable to avoid the fate of signing a loyalty contract with a Wizard family."
Starting with a B-rank Wizard Talent, without resource provisions, Jia Na could only spend a large amount of time completing academy tasks to accumulate academic credits, just like other Apprentices.
Therefore, in this situation, accepting investment from a Wizard family was indeed a good compromise.
"Whoosh—"
Just as Jia Na was slightly distracted, a sudden loud noise from outside the barrier once again interrupted her thoughts.
"People from other academies are here!"
As Malo-Haige said, after the loud noise, the Black Bone Forest Apprentices led by Losia-Haige, and the Mist Tower Apprentices led by Elder Bai Ya, all appeared in the Fighting Training Field of White Coral Academy.
"It's exactly eight o'clock, so punctual."
Looking at the Apprentices from other academies who had taken their seats in their designated areas, Vivian, sitting next to Jia Na, couldn't help but complain to Jia Na through a sound transmission.
"The reason they only arrived at this time is very likely because our academy's teleportation array only activated at eight o'clock..."
Whoosh— Before Jia Na could finish speaking, the barrier trembled again. And this time, those who entered the barrier were several other Wizards from White Coral Academy, led by Anthony-Black Sparrow.
"Good morning, both of you. I didn't expect that Black Bone Forest and Mist Tower would only have the two of you leading the teams this time."
"It's just a preliminary assessment, there's no need for so many people."
Looking at Anthony-Black Sparrow entering the barrier, the youthful Elder Bai Ya remained as expressionless as ever, merely nodding slightly.
On the other side, Losia-Haige casually replied and then turned her gaze to the large Silver Mirror in the center of the Fighting Training Field.
"Besides, this assessment is being watched by the White Tower Wizards, so there's no need to be overly cautious."
"You're right."
Unlike the other Wizards who had already taken their seats, Anthony-Black Sparrow, upon entering the Fighting Training Field, walked directly to the large Silver Mirror in the center of the field, facing everyone.
"Since everyone has arrived, let's officially begin."
With that, Anthony-Black Sparrow took out a hexagonal magic stone in front of everyone.
Seeing this, Losia-Haige and Elder Bai Ya, who were sitting on the side, also took out their hexagonal magic stones and quickly threw them towards Anthony-Black Sparrow—
