Translator: AnubisTL
The sheer concentration of wizards gathered here, even if they were all just apprentices, caused the surrounding elemental energy to become extremely active due to the natural dispersion of their mental power.
This heightened elemental power, in turn, activated the various spell artifacts carried by the apprentices.
Wizard's robes of all kinds—from the simple apprentice robes to the ornate academy leader robes—suddenly burst into a dazzling display of vibrant colors.
The magical tools carried by the apprentices were equally diverse: some wore rune-inscribed staves at their waists, others held glowing alchemical creations, while still others carried uniquely shaped spell artifacts or energy backpacks on their backs.
Wizard apprentices were, after all, still young people. Jieming noticed that in this charged atmosphere, many couldn't resist secretly comparing themselves to others.
Many subtly displayed their "signature skills," sizing each other up and silently assessing their rivals' strengths.
Jieming's gaze swept across the diverse faces in the square.
Some apprentices were flushed with excitement, their eyes burning with anticipation for future glory.
Others wore solemn expressions, their lips pressed tightly together, clearly nervous about the upcoming tests.
The other apprentices, their gazes sharp as knives, scrutinized and challenged everyone around them.
Coming from different academies, their competition had already begun.
Suddenly, an invisible force suppressed the rising clamor, reducing it to hushed whispers.
The air seemed to freeze, and all eyes converged in a single direction.
The Noren Workshop's final assessment had gathered the elite forces from over a hundred Noren Academies under its command.
Among these academies, only thirteen super-geniuses with tenth-tier Talent Grades were truly considered the future of wizard civilization.
Normally, the strength of one's innate talent depended on both heredity and luck.
Even Noren Academies with lower rankings could recruit one or two geniuses with eighth or ninth-tier Talent Grades each year.
However, geniuses with tenth-tier Talent Grades had only ever emerged from the top ten ranked academies.
The probability of a tenth-tier genius appearing was simply too low!
Even though the planes of the top ten academies had been modified over centuries to ensure every citizen possessed the innate talent for meditation, they still couldn't guarantee recruiting a tenth-tier genius every year.
Unlike the other Noren Academies with higher serial numbers, the top ten academies admitted a new cohort of students every year.
Even so, these thirteen tenth-tier geniuses represented the entirety of their harvest from the past decade.
These students from the top ten Noren Academies were the darlings of the heavens, the beneficiaries of unlimited workshop resources, and the true focus of this assessment.
Now, these dazzling figures began to make their entrances one by one, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
First to appear was a towering figure, as massive as a moving boulder, his broad shoulders nearly blocking the passage.
Slung diagonally across his back was a colossal axe, its blade as thick as a door panel and etched with crude runes, radiating a heavy metallic aura.
This man's appearance was less that of a wizard and more like a barbarian who had wandered out of some savage wilderness.
His presence was as imposing as a mountain, exuding a steady, oppressive energy that seemed to make the ground tremble with each step.
His eyes burned with absolute confidence in his own power and contempt for the weak.
Information about these individuals had already been widely circulated among the apprentices through various channels, making it easy for the crowd to identify the newcomer.
As Jieming watched him, the corresponding data flashed through his mind: "David Colmar from Noren Academy No. 1."
"Truly a prodigy..." Jieming murmured inwardly. "David's physique rivals that of some high-tier earth-element magical beasts. For a wizard who doesn't specialize in physical augmentation, his physical strength is astonishing. I can't even imagine what he'd be like after casting a spell."
As David scanned the surrounding apprentices, his eyes flashed with a barely perceptible disdain. His lips twitched slightly, emitting a low hum that, though wordless, seemed to convey his contempt.
David made no attempt to conceal his power. To Jieming's senses, the man's qi surged like a massive, roaring furnace. Even without relying on mental power, his innate talent allowed him to manipulate earth element particles with the same proficiency as a third-tier wizard apprentice.
In other words, David could crush ordinary third-tier wizard apprentices without even needing spells, relying solely on his raw physical might.
Most importantly, despite his barbaric appearance, David was a genuine wizard. Anyone who underestimated him as a mere brute would meet a gruesome end.
Meanwhile, hidden beneath David's imposing presence, another genius from Noren Academy No. 1 quietly slipped into the crowd—Seraphina Nightshade.
She remained cloaked in a deep violet hooded robe, her slender figure almost imperceptible.
Her presence was barely discernible, as if she had merged with the surrounding shadows. Each movement was silent and fluid, like a phantom drifting through the air.
It wasn't until she deliberately revealed herself that the surrounding apprentices realized another person had been among them all along.
Seraphina, who had been strolling leisurely through the crowd, paused briefly before casually turning in another direction.
Jieming frowned, observing Seraphina's apparent indifference. Just moments ago, he had sensed her gaze linger on him for an instant.
"Seraphina Nightshade," he mused, "master of dark magic, illusion magic, and stealth. Skilled in mental infiltration and precise assassination."
"Her concealment and mental infiltration abilities are even more impressive than I initially anticipated. Even a first-tier official wizard might struggle to match her. And her power feels... strange. Every ripple of her energy seems to merge seamlessly with the void, unlike the subtle suggestions of soul magic. Could this be some kind of innate talent? How intriguing..."
Jieming couldn't resist glancing at Seraphina again.
From that brief glance she had given him earlier, he knew she possessed more than just exceptional stealth. She must also have some other means of sensing danger.
Three more beams of light descended from the teleportation formation, drawing the attention of everyone present away from the two figures already there.
At the forefront stood a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and holding a thick, ancient tome. Beneath his refined and approachable demeanor lay an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Jieming lowered his head, recalling the man's profile.
Kaelen Vania, the genius of Noren Academy No. 2.
This man's appearance differed sharply from the previous two, making him the most wizard-like among them.
(End of the Chapter)