The road to Azure Breeze Magic Academy grew crowded by the hour. Most were young people with packs slung over their shoulders, their faces alight with longing for magic as they chatted in small groups about the upcoming entrance assessment. Lynn blended into the crowd, hunching under the wide brim of his hat and warily scanning his surroundings—he feared running into Gray's men, or worse, Holy Light Council inspectors.
After a day and a half of walking, a stone gate wreathed in cyan vines finally came into view. Carved above it were the ancient characters for "Azure Breeze Magic Academy," with faint wind-element ripples flowing between the strokes—clearly reinforced by magic. Two academy guards in cyan robes stood on either side, short staves tucked at their waists, their sharp eyes sweeping over every young applicant to weed out impostors.
Lynn joined the line, silently reviewing his magic theory knowledge. Back in the workshop, while sorting scrolls, he'd secretly memorized countless basics: elemental counterrelations, fundamental Holy Light runes, even obscure facts about magic item repairs. All of it now formed his confidence for the exam.
"Next. Name, origin, do you have a recommendation letter?" The guard's voice pulled Lynn from his thoughts.
"Lynn, from Fallen Dust Town. No recommendation." Lynn kept his head down and handed over the Fake Element Crystal in his arms.
The guard placed the crystal on a stone plate etched with a magic circle. The plate glowed faintly orange, and the gauge beside it settled in the "Barely Qualified" zone. The guard frowned, returned the crystal, and said, "Low fire-element affinity, but just enough to qualify. Go on in—the written exam is at the eastern trial grounds."
Lynn exhaled in relief, took the crystal, and hurried inside. The academy was far larger than he'd imagined: bluestone paths lined with glowing cyan trees, the air thick with wind-element energy. Occasionally, students in cyan robes flew past on brooms, drawing gasps from the applicants below.
Following the signs, Lynn soon found the eastern trial grounds—a vast open square with dozens of wooden platforms in the center. Each platform held a desk and a quill, with an academy tutor standing by to proctor. The square was packed; Lynn found an empty spot in the corner and set down his pack. Before he could settle, a familiar sneer cut through the air.
"Oh, if it isn't the 'zero-affinity' handyman from Fallen Dust Town! What are you doing here? Did you come to clean the exam hall for us real apprentices?"
Lynn snapped his head up. Gray, in a brand-new gray robe, loomed over him, flanked by two young men in noble attire—by their clothes and demeanor, clearly aristocratic子弟 also here for the assessment.
At Gray's words, the other examinees turned, curious eyes locking onto Lynn. Whispers broke out, sneers flickered across faces, and their gazes pricked like needles.
Lynn clenched his fists, ashen energy stirring faintly in his body—then he forced it down. This was Azure Breeze's trial ground, surrounded by academy tutors; he couldn't fight here. He stared coldly at Gray: "I'm here for the entrance exam. It's none of your business. Stay out of my way, or—"
"Or what?" Gray cut him off, grinning triumphantly. "You think you got lucky escaping the wasteland, so you can act tough here? Let me tell you, I have Mage Colin's recommendation. As long as I pass the written exam, I'm in. Even if you pass the written test, you'll fail the practical. A good-for-nothing who can't even cast Light Spell wants to be a magic apprentice? Ridiculous!"
With that, Gray ignored Lynn, swaggering to a platform up front with the two nobles. He even glanced back, making a鬼脸 at Lynn.
Lynn took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down—now wasn't the time to bicker with Gray. The written exam was everything. He picked up the quill, his eyes falling on the exam paper before him.
The questions were harder than expected. There were basic elemental counterrelation questions, a few obscure ones on ancient magic rune interpretation, and even an essay question: "The Impact of Imbalanced Magic Energy Cycles on the Environment"—a topic that faintly echoed the "ancient civilization energy crisis" he'd gleaned from the Forbidden Codex.
Lynn didn't hesitate. His quill flew across the parchment. Basic theory was child's play; the knowledge he'd secretly memorized in the workshop was crystal clear in his mind. The ancient rune questions, though obscure, were illuminated by the black patterns on the Forbidden Codex—he could vaguely grasp the energy logic behind the runes. For the essay, drawing on his understanding of Ashen Magic, he wrote: "Imbalanced energy cycles lead to magic depletion. Only by embracing diversity and utilizing all energy types wisely can the crisis be solved." His wording was simple, but his insights were unique.
An hour later, the exam ended. Tutors began collecting papers. Lynn set down his quill and rubbed his sore wrist. Just then, the tutor collecting papers paused at his desk, picked up his exam, and read it carefully—his brows furrowed, then smoothed, surprise and doubt flickering in his eyes.
"Your name is Lynn?" The tutor looked at him. "Did you answer all these questions yourself? Especially the last essay—your perspective is quite unusual."
"Yes, Master, I did." Lynn nodded.
The tutor said no more, only gave Lynn a deep look before walking away with the papers. Lynn felt a flicker of anxiety—would his answers satisfy the tutors? And would Gray stir up trouble behind his back?
The written exam results were posted quickly. That afternoon, the names and scores of examinees lit up on a huge stone stele in the center of the trial grounds. Lynn pushed through the crowd, scanning the stele rapidly—his name blazed at the very top, followed by a bright red "Full Marks!"
A gasp rippled through the crowd: "Full marks? Someone actually got full marks?"
"That's Lynn? I just saw Gray mock him for being a good-for-nothing!"
"How impressive! He even got the ancient rune questions right. Where did he come from?"
Lynn was surprised too—he hadn't expected a perfect score, especially not for the essay. Then Gray's voice erupted, loud with disbelief: "Impossible! This is impossible! A good-for-nothing who can't even sense magic got full marks? He must have cheated! Master, I report him for cheating!"
Gray rushed to the tutor in charge of scorekeeping, pointing at Lynn's name on the stele. "I know him! He's a handyman from the Fallen Dust Town magic workshop—born with zero magic affinity! He doesn't even understand basic magic theory. How could he get full marks? He must have stolen someone else's answers!"
The crowd murmured. Some agreed with Gray, thinking a "handyman" couldn't score full marks; others thought Gray was jealous, picking a fight for no reason.
The scorekeeping tutor frowned, looking at Lynn in the crowd. "Lynn, do you have anything to say?"
Lynn stepped forward, his gaze steady on Gray. "I didn't cheat. I can explain my reasoning for every question. If you don't believe me, we can confront each other now."
"Confrontation it is!" Gray snapped. "Tell me—how did you answer the third question on elemental counterrelations? And the seventh question on ancient runes—you said you understood it, so explain the energy flow of the runes!"
Lynn didn't hesitate. He laid out the logic of the third question clearly: fire counters wind, wind counters earth, earth counters water, water counters fire—adding the detail that "under special circumstances, elemental energies can transform into one another." For the seventh question, drawing on the pattern characteristics of the Forbidden Codex, he explained the runes' complete energy flow, from accumulation to release, even pointing out two common mistakes in rune inscriptions.
His answer was clear, detailed, and more comprehensive than the standard answers Gray had memorized. The scorekeeping tutor nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "Enough, Gray. Lynn's answer is completely correct—even deeper than the standard version. His full marks are well-deserved."
Gray's face turned scarlet, but he had no rebuttal—Lynn's answer was airtight.
Just then, a middle-aged tutor in a dark blue robe approached. He was Barton, the chief proctor for Azure Breeze's practical exam. Barton glanced at Lynn's name on the stele, then at the Fake Element Crystal in Lynn's hand, and frowned. "Full marks in the written exam are indeed rare, but your magic affinity is only 'barely qualified,' and your energy fluctuations are muddled. How do you plan to pass the practical exam?"
Lynn's heart stirred—this was the crux. He tightened his grip on the Fake Element Crystal and said, "Master, though my affinity is low, my understanding of magic energy is deeper than others. I'm confident I can pass the practical."
Barton nodded noncommittally, his gaze sharp as he studied Lynn. "Very well. I'll give you a chance. Tomorrow, if you can cast magic that meets the standard in the practical exam, the academy will admit you specially. But if you can't—even with full marks in the written exam—you won't be enrolled."
"Thank you, Master!" Lynn hurried to thank him.
Gray stood aside, his face dark with fury. He'd never expected Lynn to get a special shot at the practical exam with a perfect written score, let alone that Tutor Barton would personally give him the chance. He ground his teeth, plotting silently: "The practical exam is casting wind-element magic. Lynn can't do that! Tomorrow, I'll make everyone see—he's just a good-for-nothing who only knows how to memorize!"
Lynn paid no attention to Gray's scheming. He knew the practical exam tomorrow would be the real test. He needed to mimic wind-element magic with Ashen Magic in front of everyone—without exposing his secret.
That night, Lynn found a secluded grove and began practicing. He channeled his ashen energy, adjusting its fluctuation to match the unique flow frequency of wind-element energy, as taught by the Forbidden Codex's "Ashen Disguise." Soon, a wisp of pale cyan airflow gathered at his fingertip—thinner than real wind-element energy, but convincing enough to fool the eye.
Lynn exhaled in relief, a faint smile tugging at his lips. If he performed normally tomorrow, passing the practical exam would be no problem. But he also knew Gray wouldn't give up easily—there would likely be new trouble waiting for him at the exam.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, falling on Lynn. He clutched the Forbidden Codex in his arms, his eyes firm. The ticket to Azure Breeze Magic Academy was within reach, and no matter what obstacles came, he would seize this chance.