The City of Machinery, Sixth Level was where many great factions gathered. It was also the official citizenship assessment center for the City of Machinery.
As a formal wizard, after expressing his intention to be a mechanical wizard apprentice on the fifth level, Lynn was led to the assessment point on the sixth level.
Since the sixth level was full of powerful individuals, Lynn deliberately compressed Yfgríd's "Vitality Echo" into a very thin and small form and covered it with his own "Void Tranquility" to avoid unnecessary trouble.
From an outsider's perspective, he would appear as nothing more than a first-level wizard, preventing anyone from mistaking him for a second-level one.
The citizenship assessment center was a grand hall, its walls covered in intricate mechanical runes, while the air was thick with the scent of metal.
At the center of the hall stood a heavy, tightly shut door, as if sealing off an entirely separate world.
Scattered around the hall were several long benches, where formal wizards sat in silence, seemingly waiting for something.
"Lynn, sir, please wait a moment… The assessment will officially begin at 10:30 AM… At 10:00 AM, someone will come to register the participating wizards."
Lynn nodded slightly he had already learned about the process beforehand.
After delivering his message, the mechanical wizard apprentice gave a respectful bow before turning and leaving.
Lynn then turned his gaze to the other wizards in the hall.
It was already 9:30 AM just an hour remained before the assessment began. As a result, the hall was fairly crowded with wizards.
"Nightmare Rift is, after all, a well-known faction. Whether black wizards or white wizards, the number of formal wizards coming and going here is significant… and many of them aspire to become citizens of the City of Machinery."
"However, obtaining citizenship here requires a certain level of knowledge in mechanics… So, even among formal wizards, the pass rate isn't particularly high."
After all, not everyone had Lynn's exceptional learning ability, capable of mastering anything with ease.
Lynn mused to himself. This citizenship assessment was easy to understand just like how immigrants were often required to know the local language.
Of course, if one failed the "language" requirement, they could still obtain citizenship through "wealth migration" by paying a large sum of money.
Similarly, in the City of Machinery, one could bypass the assessment through "wealth migration" as long as they were a second-level wizard, they could gain citizenship without taking the test.
Lynn sat quietly on the bench, closing his eyes to rest as his thoughts slowly drifted.
Time passed in silence. At exactly 10:00 AM, the heavy doors at the front let out a deep "clank," breaking the stillness of the hall.
As the doors opened, several figures slowly stepped out.
The wizards in the hall raised their heads, their gazes instinctively drawn toward the entrance.
The leading formal wizard wore an exoskeletal armor that completely concealed his face, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes visible.
From a distance, he resembled a towering steel giant, exuding an oppressive aura, as if he were a ruthless war machine.
"Those wishing to participate in the citizenship assessment, step forward to fill out the forms and pay the examination fee."
His voice was low and cold, like an echo reverberating from deep within steel.
As his words fell, the surrounding air seemed to tremble.
Lynn sensed waves of intense spiritual energy radiating from the wizard.
Though spiritual energy was typically invisible and formless, at that moment, every wizard and apprentice in the hall could distinctly perceive it.
This wizard's spiritual energy had reached a level of materialization an invisible yet palpable force radiating an overwhelming pressure.
"His spiritual energy has materialized to such an extent! He must be at the pinnacle of first-level wizards…"
Lynn was secretly astonished, his eyes narrowing slightly.
After this display of strength, the entire hall fell into silence.
In the wizarding world, power reigned supreme regardless of location. Even in the Nightmare Rift's City of Machinery, this truth remained unchanged.
The path of a wizard was diverse and complex. There were bloodline wizards, nature wizards, mechanical wizards, and more each with their own unique research fields and cultivation methods.
Yet despite the various paths, they all shared a common foundation of spiritual energy!
No matter what path one chose, all wizards ultimately needed to strengthen their spiritual energy.
Spiritual energy was not only the cornerstone of a wizard's cultivation but also the very essence of all wizardry.
Of course, some paths had additional requirements beyond spiritual energy.
For example, bloodline wizards needed powerful bloodlines to unlock their full potential…
A formal wizard represented the first breakthrough in the wizarding hierarchy. It signified that a human cultivator had surpassed the limits of their physical body and stepped onto the path of longevity.
At the moment of their breakthrough, a wizard's spiritual domain would undergo significant expansion and growth, greatly enhancing the breadth and depth of their spiritual energy.
The cultivation of a first-level wizard involved three key stages:
The Initial Expansion – Filling the entire spiritual domain with spiritual energy, like an ocean surging and flooding every corner.
Compression and Refinement – Condensing and expanding spiritual energy repeatedly to increase its density, ensuring that every inch of the domain is saturated.
At this stage, a wizard undergoes cycles of compression and extreme endurance tests, gradually progressing toward the materialization of their spiritual energy.
Full Materialization – Transforming spiritual energy from an invisible force into a tangible entity.
This process occurs in three phases: gasification, liquefaction, and crystallization, corresponding to first-level, second-level, and third-level wizards, respectively.
A first-level wizard's ultimate goal was to reach the gasification stage of spiritual energy. This was also a critical turning point in their cultivation.
When a formal wizard could manifest wisps of tangible spiritual energy, it meant they had completed the first two stages of cultivation.
Once their entire spiritual energy had transformed into a gaseous state, they could attempt a breakthrough to the second level.
The armored wizard before them was undoubtedly an elite among first-level wizards.
In contrast, Lynn had only recently advanced to a first-level wizard and was still in the early phase of spiritual energy expansion. It would take at least half a month to a month to stabilize his domain fully.
Only after achieving that stability could he enter the first proper stage completely saturating his spiritual domain with energy.
If a fight were to break out, even with Yfgríd's second permanent wizardry imprint, Lynn would not be a match for that formal wizard at best, he could hold out a little longer before being defeated.
At this moment, the people who had arrived were all here to take the citizenship assessment in hopes of joining the Mechanical City.
If they could successfully pass the test, they would become "one of their own" and stand on equal footing with the city's mechanical wizards in the future.
Because of this, the mechanical wizard merely released a faint aura to suppress the atmosphere in the room but did not take an overly harsh attitude.
After all, the purpose of the assessment was to give the wizards a chance to showcase their abilities, rather than burden them with excessive pressure.
One by one, the official wizards stepped forward to register and casually handed over the exam fee of one hundred magic stones.
Lynn glanced at the registration list and found that the information recorded was extremely brief so minimal that it could be considered rather lenient.
In stark contrast, many wizard organizations, particularly those from the domains of white wizards and black wizards, often required applicants to fill out detailed personal information, submit their soul aura, and even pay additional costs.
The more powerful the organization, the harsher the requirements.
Yet, despite being a major force itself, the Mechanical City imposed almost no such cumbersome requirements. The assessment process appeared remarkably relaxed, aligning with its philosophy of "absolute neutrality."
Once the registration was complete, Lynn and the other wizards were led toward a massive doorway, stepping into an even more spacious hall.
As they walked along a long corridor, the walls on either side were adorned with various paintings and portraits of wizards who had made outstanding contributions to the field of mechanics.
Each painting was accompanied by a brief description, showcasing the remarkable achievements of these wizards in mechanical studies.
This scene reminded Lynn of the hallways from his previous life, where the walls had been lined with portraits of scholars and scientists, along with their accolades.
After a while, the group arrived at a smaller hall filled with an array of workbenches.
Each workstation had a different exam challenge, requiring examinees to complete their tasks within a set time limit.
Since no two people had the same test, it was nearly impossible to copy answers from others.
As each wizard found their designated spot, the mechanical wizard overseeing the test spoke in a calm voice:
"You have ten minutes to think. After ten minutes, the test will begin automatically. Of course, if you already have an idea, you may start right away."
As soon as the words fell, many wizards immediately fell into deep thought, analyzing the problems before them. A tense atmosphere filled the air.
However, at that moment, a faint glow flickered, followed by a soft ticking sound, like the movement of clock hands.
The test had only just been handed out who could have already started?!
Not only were the examinees surprised, but even the mechanical wizard acting as the proctor raised his gaze, only to see a handsome young man in a white robe already working with various tools at his station.
"Such skilled hands… His thought process is so fast. That means he has a solid foundation…"
The mechanical wizard assessed the situation, then casually gestured for an apprentice to hand over the young man's registration form.
"Lynn Cole…"
Glancing at the name, his eyes moved toward the structure already taking shape on Lynn's desk.
"This appears to be a test related to the third-generation Falcon Armor's fist module. Judging by his proficiency, he'll likely succeed."
Thinking this, the mechanical wizard allowed a slight smile to appear on his lips.
…
While Lynn was undergoing the citizenship assessment, an unusual tension was brewing in the Mechanical City.
A piece of urgent news was quietly circulating among the city's upper echelons, sparking a massive wave of unrest.
Inside a large workshop filled with half-finished mechanical constructs, an array of precious materials and resources was meticulously arranged at the central workbench.
Although the citizens of the Mechanical City could use a virtual world to construct mechanical creations for training and research, the virtual world was still an imperfect tool in the eyes of the true high-level wizards.
While it could provide various data and materials, its ongoing development meant that relying on it for refining advanced techniques was not entirely reliable.
Many mechanical wizards especially those with power and influence still preferred using real materials for research to ensure precision and quality.
At the workbench, a man in his thirties with an ordinary face but dark, brooding eyes was deftly handling the materials.
His fingers moved nimbly among the intricate instruments and mechanical parts, as though he were the absolute master of this mechanical domain.
However, at that moment, a sudden message arrived through his Citizen's Token.
"This… This is a major upheaval…"
His eyes flashed, and a cold smile curled at his lips.
Casually operating the Citizen's Token, he swiftly sent out a response.
Then, he removed his lab coat, revealing an elegant yet comfortable outfit beneath, and walked out of the laboratory.
As he passed through the corridor, two mechanical golems stood on high alert, monitoring their surroundings. He ignored them and headed straight down to the lounge.
Before long, a voluptuous female apprentice in a short skirt approached, pouring him a glass of wine.
Her eyes carried a hint of charm, but just as she was about to leave, the man casually reached out, pulling her into his embrace. His hand slipped under her clothing with practiced ease.
A faint blush immediately spread across her face, her breath growing shallow. A flicker of resistance flashed in her eyes, but amidst it, there was also an unspoken sense of indulgence, her expression turning flush with excitement.
However, before things could escalate further, hurried footsteps suddenly interrupted the moment.
A tall and burly man strode in with urgency. Seeing the scene before him, his face stiffened slightly, but he quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to linger, and spoke in an anxious tone:
"Lord Marco, you summoned me?"
Marco this man was none other than the second disciple of the Warhammer Master and a high-ranking figure within the Mechanical City.
"From this moment on, the Mechanical City is under lockdown. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Everyone is being conscripted… I'm giving you clearance to head to the fifth floor immediately. Go to my damned junior disciple and conscript Lynn. A few days from now, send him straight to the battlefield, and have someone get rid of him there."
His tone was cold and filled with contempt. "That fool Darwin has been in the Mechanical City for three months now. Aside from that woman named Martha, the only person he's close to is this Lynn, a non-citizen."
He sneered. "I'd like to see how a mere mortal plans to challenge me."
A glint of murderous intent flashed in Marco's eyes. His grudge against Darwin was a deadlock an irreconcilable feud.
Thus, anyone associated with Darwin was his enemy.
Martha, as a citizen, was difficult to deal with, but Lynn was not. Especially in such a critical moment.
With the city under lockdown and everyone forcibly conscripted, it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of Darwin's ally.
"Understood, Lord Marco!"
The burly man was shaken not by the order to kill Lynn, but by the lockdown and mandatory conscription of all personnel.
Because if Lord Marco was right, then in just a few days, the entire Mechanical City would enter a state of war…
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