The first point had already been achieved; no matter how wild the imagination of the Black Knives, they would never suspect that Thorne would dare to infiltrate the enemy's headquarters. As for the last three points, judging from the observations just now, Raya Lucaria Academy was perfect. It was filled with mobile versions of 'Six Walnuts' everywhere. After waiting for a while, a small door on the other side of the room opened, and a sorcerer dressed as a professor walked in, followed by a group of apprentices without hoods, both male and female, carrying various delicacies.
In this place, apprentices were nothing more than servants. If they failed the assessment for a long time, they were simply called 'Waste Stones'. The aroma of the food and the female apprentices diluted the tense atmosphere somewhat; various laughter could be heard, and some were even getting handsy with the female apprentices on the spot. Having seen the world, these traveling sorcerers were no longer simple scholars. Thorne glanced sideways; the person next to him had lifted a robe, revealing a fair, slender thigh, and the female apprentice didn't resist, only showing an awkward smile.
Thorne, of course, didn't move. It wasn't that he was particularly noble, but there was a bald, burly man in front of him—how could he possibly bring himself to do that? But looking closely, why did he look so familiar?
"Ahem, you all go out first." Oritis really couldn't bear to watch anymore. He knocked on the table to dismiss the apprentices. Looking at the eccentrics filling the room, his blood pressure immediately rose. These sorcerers had overly complex backgrounds; some had even served as strategists for mountain bandits. How could they possibly care about the academy's rules?
But because their power was needed, he had to endure it. "Everyone must be tired, please eat while you listen to me." The professor waved his hand, and the sound of hoods being removed filled the air. Seeing those faces, some fierce and scarred, he twitched his mouth, forced himself to pull out his notes, and gathered his spirits. He first thanked the sorcerers for responding to the academy's summons, talked at length about how important this war was, and threw in some phrases like 'The advantage is with us' and 'Victory is close at hand'.
By the time his throat was smoking, one of the sorcerers who had been burying their face in food finally raised a hand. "Director, when are we going to raze Caria?" "After taking the manor, how will the treasures be distributed?" "We haven't received our subsidies for years; how is that going to be calculated?" Having already received several batches of sorcerers, Oritis, who hadn't even had time to study, answered them one by one. He had finally managed to cope, cursing Leon's terrible suggestion in his heart. Before Caria even attacked, the academy was going to be turned into a mess.
After answering the questions, he had an apprentice bring a bottle and clapped his hands to attract attention. "Ahem, according to the academy's arrangements, a lottery ceremony will be held to assign each of you a teacher. If you have any questions in the future, you can ask them."
"A teacher? I don't need one. Are those people who haven't even killed anyone qualified?"
"Yeah, except for the Haima Classroom, I don't respect anyone."
People immediately started clamoring, but this time Oritis did not back down. He said coldly, "There is no room for negotiation on this matter. Either accept it or leave."
Thorne, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, curled his lips. He thought to himself that if these eccentrics weren't separated, the academy would likely be broken from within.
The professor's authority still remained, and the sorcerers, who had finally returned to a comfortable life, no longer opposed him. Oritis nodded with satisfaction and reached into the bottle to draw lots. "Pock Durant, affiliated with the Two-Headed Conspectus, your teacher is Level 1 Lecturer Olivera."
"Donald Mapp, affiliated with the Olivinis Conspectus, your teacher is Level 2 Lecturer Traore."... As expected, there was no share for the Lazuli Conspectus. The so-called Lazuli Conspectus treated the stars and the moon as equals, naturally leaning towards the Carian Royal Family in their stance, and were now being crazily squeezed out.
Thorne continued to watch coldly as one reluctant lecturer after another led away their eccentric new students. After a few minutes, he finally heard 'his own' name. "Roland Heinberg."
The professor paused, looked at this rather honest-looking student, and nodded with satisfaction. "Affiliated with the Karolos Conspectus, your teacher is Junior Lecturer Sellen."
Who did you say?? Thorne, who had already stood up, froze on the spot. His expression changed upon hearing that name. Witch Sellen, why was she still in the academy?? "What's wrong? Why aren't you going to meet your teacher?" the professor urged.
With no time to think, he walked towards the side door. From afar, he saw a slender female sorceress wearing a witch's hood standing there. She was pinching the chin of the hood, examining this new student.
Thorne watched her silently, not knowing what to say, and then he heard a slightly mature voice. "You look quite honest. Just study hard as my first disciple. Let me make it clear, I am very strict."
After she finished speaking, she turned and walked away quite decisively. After a few steps, she looked back at Thorne, who was stunned in place. "What are you stunned for? Hurry up and follow me. We are starting formal lessons today." Beneath the hood, Thorne's expression was complex.
In fact, he had one question he wanted to ask: Teacher Sellen, you wouldn't turn me into a ball, would you!...
Raya Lucaria Academy was akin to a clock tower, with sorcerers in their hoods constantly moving. However, to see it as merely a university would be a grave mistake.
Puppet soldiers.
Thorne walked down the wide corridor. Sunlight streamed in from the side, illuminating the hidden figures above. Puppets, clad in light armor and wielding sharp blades, were concealed in the shadows of the ceiling. Once activated, they became efficient killing weapons.
"Where are you going? This way!" Sellen opened a small door and beckoned Thorne. Seeing him turn, she didn't wait but strode inside. "It's a bit messy in here. Find a place to sit. Water's over there. Go get yourself some."
Thorne followed and froze. This was more than "a bit messy." The ten-square-meter room was overflowing with books and experimental equipment. Long glintstone crystals lay scattered on the floor.
On a square table, the books were stacked higher than a person. Several dusty wine bottles sat on a shelf behind it. He eyed the wine, then moved the books off a long bench, finally finding a place to sit.
"Teacher Sellen, do you ever tidy up?"
"Hehe, a sorcerer's time is precious. But since you are here, you can tidy up if it bothers you later." The witch waved her hand casually, clearly unconcerned with the academy's standards. She treated Thorne as a student, not a soldier under supervision.
Sellen pulled a chair from behind the table, knocking the books off with a clatter. She sat, crossed her legs, and revealed her fair calves beneath the sorcerer's robe.
"Let's begin the lesson. First, we need to assess your foundation so I can adjust the syllabus."
"So soon?"
"See, you've forgotten what I just said." Sellen extended a slender finger, her tone becoming serious. "Time is precious, and countless mysteries await our exploration. Come, take this test paper first. I have a machine that can test your magic intensity."
Thorne didn't expect that after two whole worlds, he would h...
Magic originated from the starry sky. It was inspired by the ancient Astrologers from the stars. The first sorcerers were neighbors with giants on the snowy mountains, and later migrated to Liurnia. But now the stars have been bound, and stargazing has long become a thing of the past. The starry sky brought Glintstone, which derived Glintstone Sorcery. This was the origin of everything. After thousands of years of research, a rigorous system was gradually formed. "Please take a look." Thorne checked it and handed in the paper.
Seeing Sellen sitting on the stool with her head drooping and no reaction, he simply knocked on the desktop. "Ah? You're done?"
The napping sorcery lecturer raised her head instantly. "You fell asleep?"
"Hmm, as a sorcerer, one must reasonably utilize every minute. Bring it here for me to see." Sellen didn't feel ashamed. She stretched, revealing graceful curves beneath her wide robe. Taking a pen to correct the paper, she said casually: "Go to the kitchen and make me a cup of tea. Remember to add more Herba leaves; there is milk on the shelf, you can add it in."
She really knew how to order people around. Thorne got up unwillingly, ran to the kitchen on the other side of the room, and scratched his head at the shelf. How would he know how to make milk tea in The Lands Between? He simply threw all those leaves in, heated the milk with an alcohol stove, and after brewing it, a strange smell emerged. Why did it smell a bit like stinky socks? Thorne walked back carrying the cup with a look of disgust. Just as he turned around, his steps paused slightly. The witch's hood was placed to the side.
A woman with black shoulder-length hair and deep blue eyes was earnestly grading the test paper. The light from the Glintstone desk lamp shone on her face, and her skin was as white as snow. Sellen's movements were very agile; she graded it in a flash. When she looked up, she happened to see Thorne looking at her while holding the teacup. She was not shy, nor was she angry. She just stood up and snatched the teacup, admonishing: "The physical body is most useless to a sorcerer; being obsessed with this won't get you far. Hmm, but the tea is brewed very well, I forgive you."
Thorne didn't speak.
The first half of the sentence showed that Sellen didn't care about many things, but the second half—
Are you serious? Thorne had, after all, experienced Miriam's guidance, so the test paper was written quite well. Sellen corrected some detailed errors and then took him to test his magic level. After finishing everything and returning to the messy room, she bit the quill and pondered:
"The aptitude is okay; you should have the level of a formal apprentice. But you haven't studied hard these years; your magic control is a mess. The sigil appears and you immediately want to use it."
Thorne nodded. Magic can be charged, which requires precise control. Since he wasn't good at this, he mostly prioritized 'speed'. "You still have a lot to learn."
Sellen raised her staff, the sigil appeared but remained uncast. Then, a magic pebble the size of a fist flew out, much more refined than Thorne's, shaped like a triangular arrowhead. Sellen waved it gently, and it immediately flew towards Thorne's head. Truth be told, he almost dodged with Bloodhound's Step, but fortunately, he endured it.
He saw the magic pebble suddenly turn in front of him, then circled his body a few times and disappeared. "What exquisite magic control. Deserving of being one of the rare geniuses in the academy's history." Thorne recovered from his shock and immediately applauded. In fact, he had seen similar exquisite control, just like Ranni that day, where Glintstone shards covered a hundred square meters, yet Thorne, who was in the center, didn't even lose a hair. "There's no need to flatter me. From tomorrow morning, we will start controlling from the most basic 'Starlight.' Sigh, I really don't know what your teacher was doing before."
Sellen stood up from the table and put the hood back on. "You will sleep in that chair from now on. You are not allowed to enter the inner room without my permission."
There was a lounge in this room, right behind Sellen's desk. Could she already be secretly researching Primeval Sorcery? Thorne was a bit curious, so he nodded: "Understood."
"Very good." Sellen snapped her fingers and added, "The first lesson ends here. Now you are my assistant. Those annoying, boorish professors always waste my time with boring topics."
"Okay, then what do I do?" Thorne had no objections; he also wanted to research magic in depth. "Let me think… Oh, the first step, help me return the borrowed equipment to the equipment room on the third floor." Sellen pointed to the strange machine in the corner, at least as big as a bookcase.
"Me alone??"
"Otherwise? I saw you were quite sturdy just now; moving this little bit of stuff shouldn't be a problem." Sellen waved her hand and left, leaving Thorne in a disheveled state in the room. This, this is using me as manual labor!… Early morning, the town in front of the academy.
Noisy sounds came from the street, and the small shop felt quiet and comfortable. Thorne picked up the cup and took a small sip, feeling a bitterness like coffee. It had been almost half a month since he snuck back into the academy, but Thorne was surprisingly honest. He followed Sellen to learn magic every day and didn't cause any trouble at all; instead, he had a tendency to become a test-taker. Facts proved that with the same level of magic power, the strength of magic control varied greatly.
The simplest Starlight spell, for example, allowed Sellen to adjust its brightness or even throw it as a flashbang. The knowledge contained within was profound. "There's no rush. I can spin some story about Nokron appearing in an ancient text; Ranni can't check it anyway. It's actually good to calm down and sort things out."
Thorne set down his cup and thought, gazing at the Erdtree outside the window. The Raya Lucaria Academy's library was ten times larger than Caria Manor's.
Thanks to the preferential treatment given to recalled sorcerers, he could borrow most of the ancient books. Coupled with the strong academic atmosphere, he could also settle down and do some research. With the help of memories from his previous life, he gradually formed a train of thought. "The Erdtree descended from the sky. Powerful heroes, under the command of the first Elden Lord Godfrey, fought east and west, becoming the dominant power in The Lands Between, establishing a brilliant Golden Age, and spreading the golden order to every corner."
"However, prosperity leads to decline. No matter how unbreakable a dynasty seems, it will be destroyed by civil strife. The Night of the Black Knives caused a flaw in the golden order, and then Queen Marika shattered the Elden Ring, completely destroying the foundation of the Erdtree. Her offspring, those demigods, began to kill each other, all for the sake of obtaining the fragments of the Elden Ring, which is now in its final stage." Thorne tapped the thick-skinned book next to him, confirming the timeline.
In short, The Lands Between originally had indigenous people, and then many colonists arrived from the starry sky, with the Erdtree lineage ultimately prevailing. But nothing lasts forever; a brilliant dynasty will eventually perish, and The Shattering was like stepping on the gas pedal. Putting aside the magical trappings, this was just another version of the Warring States period, only without the old turtle Tokugawa, and without the great Qin that inherited the legacy of six generations.
The demigods fought until they were exhausted, and in the end, it all benefited the returning Tarnished. "So the question is, even if the dynasty changes, what caused The Lands Between to become such a doomsday scene years later?" Thorne pondered, and seeing someone walking over from the corner of his eye, he closed the book. A young girl wearing an apron placed a plate on the table and whispered, "Mr. Roland, your charcoal-grilled crab meat." "Thank you." Golden grease slid down the tender crab meat.
Thorne picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, feeling it melt in his mouth, narrowing his eyes comfortably. Seeing that the girl next to him hadn't left, he asked:
"Tina, is there anything else?"
Because he came to eat every day, he had become familiar with this waitress. The latter was tall, with slightly curly brown hair, and looked quite good, just a bit introverted.
"Uh, Mr. Roland, are you reading a history book?" The girl pointed a bit nervously, and there were some gilded characters on the cover—Golden Age. "You can read?"
"Yes, there was an old priest in the village before who taught me some."
The village girl seemed to have found a common topic, rubbing the hem of her skirt while asking shyly: "Mr. Roland, are you also a devout believer in the golden order?"
The Erdtree not only established a dynasty, but its church also penetrated every corner, and it could be said that there were churches everywhere.
I only believe in the blade in my hand. Thorne answered in his heart, but smiled and nodded: "My ancestors also came out of Leyndell, so of course I am a believer."
When he said this, he felt a gaze coming from somewhere in the restaurant. He looked keenly, but saw nothing.