Allen and the other two followed the crowd to the new student reception desk.
The line stretched out of sight, a mix of countless intelligent races. There were so many species he had never seen before that for a moment, he felt like he was on an alien world.
A boy, only as tall as Allen's waist, was loudly complaining about his weapon being temporarily confiscated. Not far away, an apprentice with pitch-black skin—even his teeth were black—was looking around.
Allen even spotted beings in the crowd with black hair and black eyes, who resembled the Asians from his previous life.
Vera, trailing behind Allen, whispered, "Are... are they all new students? I thought only people like us could become Wizards." A hint of unease laced her voice.
Colin was faring even worse. He kept his head down, desperately trying not to look at the strange "classmates" around him, his hands clutching the hem of his robe.
"What matters for a Wizard is soul and talent, not race," Allen replied calmly, his attention focused more on observing the composition of the line.
'DSeek, record the external characteristics of all sapient humanoid lifeforms. Create preliminary classification files.'
[Task received. Performing visual scan and data entry. Preliminary identification complete: 17 different species.]
The wait was long, but for Allen, it was an excellent opportunity for observation.
He noticed that no matter how strange their appearance, almost every new student wore a similar mix of expressions: hope for the future, anxiety about the unknown, and an unconcealable hint of pride.
They were geniuses from their respective worlds, and now they were all gathered here, standing on the same starting line.
Finally, it was their turn.
The being behind the reception desk was not human, but a Mechanical Body made of brass and crystal. Its crystal orbs glowed with a soft blue light, and its movements were precise and efficient, with no wasted motion.
"Identification." The Mechanical Body's voice was a metallic, synthetic tone, devoid of any emotion.
Allen handed over the badge the Elder Wizard had given him.
A beam of light shot from the Mechanical Body's crystal orbs, scanning the badge.
"Allen Wesren. From the Gaia Plane. Recommended for special admission by the Gate of Truth. Authority confirmed." As it spoke, it retrieved a pile of items from a nearby compartment and pushed them toward Allen.
"Your Apprentice Robe, enchanted with a Constant Temperature Array. Your dorm key: Zone A-7, Room 304. Your textbooks, fourteen volumes in total. Your identification card; it holds your information and also functions as your campus pass and monetary account."
The Mechanical Body paused, then added, "The opening ceremony will be held this afternoon in the Grand Auditorium. Attendance is mandatory for all new students."
Allen took the heavy pile of items, nodded, and stepped aside. Vera and Colin quickly finished their registration as well and were now holding identical piles, their faces etched with bewilderment.
"Th-that's so many books," Vera said, struggling under the weight of a stack nearly as thick as her torso. "The dorms... Where is Zone B-5?"
Colin looked at his key. "I'm in Zone C-3. It seems pretty far from you two."
Allen pulled a piece of parchment printed with the academy map from his pile of supplies and glanced at it.
"We've all been assigned to different zones. Vera, your Zone B-5 isn't far from mine. Colin, your Zone C-3 is near the tall, red tower."
He handed them the map, pointing to a few locations on it.
"Let's all head to our dorms and get settled first. We'll meet at the entrance of the Central Library after the ceremony this afternoon. We can exchange information then."
His clear and simple plan gave the bewildered pair a much-needed sense of direction.
"Okay," Vera said, nodding emphatically.
"Mm," Colin murmured in assent.
The three of them went their separate ways, heading toward their respective dormitory zones.
On the way to Zone A-7, Allen got a glimpse of the academy's truer side.
Apprentices hurried past, many reciting under their breath from books or crystal tablets as they walked.
A few senior apprentices were gathered on the roadside, heatedly debating "the stability of inter-planar summoning." Stray sparks of Magic Power occasionally erupted in the air around them.
An apprentice on a Magic Carpet zipped past him, and the resulting gust of wind nearly scattered the books in his arms.
"Hey! Newbie, watch where you're going!" the apprentice yelled without looking back, vanishing around a corner in an instant.
Allen steadied himself and paid the comment no mind, simply making a mental note of this world's "traffic rules." 'The order here is built upon power; the weak must learn to step aside.'
The Zone A-7 dormitory was a plain, unadorned high-rise made of black stone. Inside the first-floor administration office, an old man with thinning hair was slumped over a desk, fast asleep.
"Hello, I'm here to pick up my supplies," Allen said, knocking on the desk.
The old man raised his head impatiently, muttering, "New student? Key."
Allen handed him the key.
The old man glanced at the number on the key, then at Allen's face. "New, are you? Which organization's recommendation?"
"The Gate of Truth."
Hearing that name, the old man's attitude shifted noticeably. While he was still far from friendly, he at least sat up straight.
"Oh, one of the Grand Library's people. You're a lucky one." He took a ledger from a drawer and made a mark in it with a Feather Pen.
"According to the agreement, your tuition for the duration of your junior apprenticeship—five hundred Low-Level Magic Stones per year—is waived. Additionally, you'll receive an annual living stipend of two hundred Low-Level Magic Stones."
He took a black card from a cabinet, tapped it against Allen's identification card, and said:
"That's your first year's stipend. Spend it wisely. Don't think two hundred Magic Stones is a lot; it'll vanish after buying a couple of high-grade experiment components. Bedding and toiletries are in that room back there. Grab one set for yourself, and only one. Don't come bothering me unless it's important."
Allen picked up his identification card. There was no visible text or information on it, but it now held his starting capital in this world.
He offered his thanks, deposited the 15 Magic Stones he had gotten in exchange for his entire mortal fortune, and, after collecting his living supplies, headed to his room.
Room 304 wasn't large, but it was very tidy. It contained a bed, a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe.
Allen put his things down and walked to the window.
From here, he had a perfect view of a tall, white tower floating in the distance. Chains of pure light stretched from its base down into the clouds, a sight both mysterious and magnificent.
He didn't admire the view for long. Returning to his desk, he laid out the fourteen textbooks one by one.
*The Essence of Magic Power and Macro Theory*, *An Introduction to Planar Studies*, *A History of Magic*, *Magical Creatures*, *An Introduction to the Elements*... Each book was astonishingly thick.
He picked up the one on top: *The Essence of Magic Power and Macro Theory*. Flipping to the table of contents, he read the chapter titles: "Aether Theory," "Will-Interference Theory," "Entropy Reduction Theory," "Information Theory"...
These titles gave him a strange sense of familiarity.
This wasn't just Magic; this was physics and philosophy, explaining the fundamental laws of the universe.
"'Information Theory...'" he murmured to himself. 'If the essence of this universe is information, then Magic is the permission and code used to modify it. How similar this is to the computer science I knew in my past life.'
[DSeek: High-level theoretical framework detected. Cross-referencing with existing knowledge base... Found underlying logical similarities between 'Information Theory' and Earth's 'Simulation Hypothesis.' Requesting authorization to build a dedicated analytical model.]
'Authorized,' Allen thought.
He then picked up *An Introduction to Planar Studies*. The book's illustrations depicted diagrams of different planes—the Material Plane, the Elemental Planes, the Abyss—all floating on the tides of the Sea of Magical Power.
This was no longer just background lore from a game, but an actual, tangible cosmic map!
'Every plane could mean new rules, new resources, new civilizations.' At that moment, the strategy gamer in his soul was utterly ignited.
This knowledge was like a set of keys, ready to unlock countless doors to unknown marvels.
He devoured the pages, his mind absorbing the paradigm-shifting information with unprecedented efficiency.
He lost all track of time until a crisp bell chime broke his concentration. An emotionless, synthetic female voice echoed throughout the dormitory:
"Attention, all new students. The opening ceremony will begin in fifteen minutes in the Grand Auditorium. I repeat, attendance is mandatory for all new students. Unexcused absences will result in severe disciplinary action."
Only then did Allen realize the light outside was beginning to fade.
He stood up, stretched his stiff limbs, and changed into the brand-new Apprentice Robe.
The black robe was perfectly tailored, its chest embroidered with the silver-thread emblem of the Seven Towers Alliance.
He gave one last look at the pile of books on his desk—a symbol of his future studies—then straightened his robe and pushed the door open.
The corridor was already filled with the sound of countless footsteps. A sea of young, ambitious faces was converging into a single torrent, all heading toward the first assembly of their new lives as apprentices.