"Hahaha, that was quite a fight."
"If you hadn't been taken as a disciple by Felina, I would have definitely accepted you."
After the grade assessment concluded, Master Andis, who was in charge of distributing the academy's rewards, ignored the three award winners and approached Lina with a soft chuckle.
The most spectacular battle of this assessment was undoubtedly the clash between Lina and the infamous Mike, known as the "Death Hand." The dazzling display of magical elements was secondary; what truly caught the attention of a seasoned dark sorcerer like Andis was the underlying lethal intent and the fearless battle styles exhibited by both combatants.
Indeed, this was the kind of fight that dark magic apprentices ought to have!
Not long ago, the scene brought Andis back to five hundred years ago when he had just been a humble apprentice struggling in the dark realms. Memories of his weak early days hardly contained any pleasant recollections. Yet it was precisely these experiences that remained etched in his mind, serving as a reminder and motivation to continuously strive for greater strength.
"This piece of black magic copper is a personal reward from me to you. Work hard; I look forward to seeing you create more surprises in the future." After tossing a palm-sized block of black metal to Lina, Andis took off into the sky, not once glancing at the three advanced apprentices who had received awards.
Lina and Mike had both sustained serious injuries in their battle, leaving them out of the top three placings. The final three award winners were Sain's senior sister, Phyr, the advanced apprentice Sira, and Liliana. While Phyr demonstrated respectable strength, her success was largely due to the numerous magical artifacts at her disposal. On the other hand, Liliana was merely lucky, having picked up the scraps left by others. She had caught a glimpse of the fierce matchup between Lina and Mike and recognized that those two were not to be underestimated—notably Lina, who, despite her recent promotion to advanced apprentice, fought with remarkable decisiveness and mastery over advanced magic—she was undoubtedly a prodigy.
Sira, the other advanced apprentice, was the only one who truly earned a reward through sheer strength, his capabilities matching those of Mike the "Death Hand." Given Lina's outstanding performance, it was understandable that Master Andis had not spared him a single glance.
"Whoooo!" came the sound of a call from Sain's direction.
Standing before him was a half-human-sized owl. Sain had a special bond with this owl; this was their third encounter. The owl had even been the first to intervene during Lina and Mike's near-fatal confrontation, using its wings to create a barrier of wind that briefly separated the two combatants. Ultimately, it was only through mutual restraint and Sain's urgent pleas to Lina that they withdrew to a safer distance.
"This is my token of gratitude for your timely assistance, including that time in the dungeon…" Sain respectfully addressed the owl, pulling out ten pieces of black gold from his pocket.
The owl inspector blinked at the offered black gold but remained still. Suddenly, a memory struck Sain: while researching magical beasts in a public library, he had once read that beasts generally preferred to consume energy crystals or thrive in areas rich with elemental energy.
In light of this realization, he quickly took out the only elemental crystal he had on him—a low-tier earth-type crystal that was half-depleted, a spoil he had obtained from the deceased Ilke.
As expected, when Sain produced the earth crystal, the owl finally stirred. Its slightly elongated beak darted forward in a blur, and in an instant, the crystal vanished from Sain's hand, replaced by the sounds of crunching.
This owl appeared to be a wind-type magical creature, evident from the magic it had wielded and its exceptional speed. The low-tier energy crystal, even half-consumed, was merely a light snack for the owl inspector.
Nevertheless, it was a noteworthy gesture; very few apprentices remembered to honor the academy's inspectors in this way. Orders from the vice-principal and even the principal had kept these competent inspectors within the confines of Mosbra City, making it unlikely for them to venture out in search of magical cores.
"Apprentice, I shall remember you."
"My name is Qi. If you need anything, you can find me in the treetops east of the White Crow Forest, hoohoo!" With that, the owl spread its wings and took off from the training grounds.
The White Crow Forest wasn't far from the apprentice dorms, and Sain recalled that the eastern side was devoid of any buildings, featuring only towering walls and dense white crow trees.
After watching the owl depart, Sain turned to approach Lina. Master Andis had already left, and Phyr had also departed early, leaving only Lina and the plump Boas in front of him.
"Ah, did I come too late?"
"Sain, you look badly hurt! I have potions!" As Sain reached Lina, a small girl with green hair suddenly sprinted over from the side, rushing to his side.
This green-haired girl was none other than Meili, one of the two low-tier apprentices in the Dark Magic Academy with whom Sain felt he could share his heart.
Sain had thought she would miss the grade assessment this time, but it seemed she had arrived just as the results were announced. Meili was two years younger than Sain and seemed even smaller than Lina, perhaps due to her slower development. Unlike the scheming atmosphere common among the apprentices of the Dark Magic Academy, Meili appeared to be a pure girl untouched by the darkness around her.
Had it not been for her extraordinary luck in securing a formal dark sorcerer as her mentor early on, Sain often wondered if she could have survived the environment of the academy.
As she arrived at the training ground, Meili immediately noticed the scrapes and bruises on Sain's arms, underarms, and thighs.
Though Sain had come out victorious in his battles against two solid low-tier apprentices, he had inevitably sustained some minor injuries. Compared to the deathly aura that now surrounded Lina, these injuries were trivial and would heal naturally with rest in a month or so.
What really required potions and other recovery methods was Lina. The dark energy from Mike the "Death Hand" had left her looking quite unwell. She urgently needed to take detoxification and purification potions; although these were expensive, as an advanced apprentice, Lina should be able to manage them.
If worst came to worst, she could always return to her mentor, Master Felina; as difficult as she might be to deal with, Sain doubted Felina would turn a blind eye.
Sain's polite refusal, along with Lina's cold presence, startled Meili, who was barely 1.5 meters tall, causing her to take a step back.
Meili had always felt a sense of fear towards Sain's roommate. Although Lina had never actively targeted Meili, in Sain's memory, she had never shown her any friendliness either.
Previously, Sain thought this was merely the arrogance and cold demeanor of a powerful apprentice towards a lesser one. However, he now sensed something else in the air.
Despite her fear, Meili had a kind heart. Trembling slightly, she pulled out a small transparent vial from her red cloth pouch.
This was a low-tier detoxification potion that Meili had brewed herself. Though it wouldn't completely eliminate the deadly poison in Lina, it was at least a step towards alleviating her suffering.
Meili's gesture of kindness managed to thaw the icy atmosphere lingering around Lina slightly.