After walking out of the academic affairs building, Pei Ze immediately found a place to change into an Apprentice Robe and pin on his Apprentice Badge.
It was just a simple gray robe, but after he put it on, he felt completely renewed.
He looked less green and immature, and possessed a deeper, more solemn air, appearing increasingly steady and composed.
Looking at his own vibrant reflection in the mirror, the corners of Pei Ze's mouth curled up slightly.
'Starting today, I'm a Wizard Apprentice too!'
After admiring himself for a while, Pei Ze took out the small booklet and began to flip through it carefully.
After advancing to a First-level Wizard Apprentice, students no longer had a fixed curriculum. All courses were completely flexible, allowing students to freely choose which classes they wanted to attend.
Moreover, all courses were free of charge.
This was especially important for students from commoner backgrounds.
It was said that during the Dark Age tens of thousands of years ago, due to the scarcity of Wizards, Wizard Apprentices had to spend Magic Stones to purchase courses in order to be taught by their instructors.
Many Wizard Apprentices from less affluent families had to expend a great deal of energy earning Magic Stones, even risking their lives to battle ferocious beasts.
In that era of fierce competition, the amount of effort, energy, and time a Wizard Apprentice had to invest to become a Wizard was unimaginable to people today!
Even in the early days of the Age of Wizards, the practice of paying for courses remained unchanged.
It wasn't until later, when the number of Wizards grew exponentially and the teaching faculty became more than sufficient, that the system of free courses gradually became widespread.
Unfortunately, the free courses were of little use to Pei Ze.
With the Eye of Omniscience, he could acquire knowledge far more easily and quickly than anyone else.
In this regard, perhaps not even Official Wizards could compare to him.
If he weren't trying to avoid drawing too much attention, he could have skipped classes entirely.
As he continued reading, Pei Ze raised an eyebrow.
Aside from the free courses, everything else—such as Magic Models and various herbal ingredients—had to be purchased, and they weren't cheap.
For example, a single Spirit Storage Grass Leaf, which could enhance the effects of Meditation, sold for as much as 5 Gold Coins.
The model for "Mage's Hand," a low-level Zero-Circle Magic, cost a staggering 20 Gold Coins!
To put that in perspective, an ordinary worker in the Outer City earned only 30 to 50 Silver Coins a month, while a skilled craftsman might make around 80.
A worker would have to save every penny for over half a year just to afford a single Spirit Storage Grass Leaf.
'Ordinary people couldn't afford this at all!'
"No wonder they say Wizards are money-sucking black holes."
Pei Ze frowned deeply.
He only had a little over thirty Gold Coins, the last of the savings he had brought with him from the Inner City.
This amount was enough to cover daily living expenses, but it was a drop in the bucket for a Wizard's training. It wasn't even enough to buy two Magic Models.
But as he read on, his frown gradually eased.
For students short on funds, the academy provided an alternative: completing tasks to earn contribution points, which could then be exchanged for various resources.
This was undoubtedly good news for Pei Ze.
'Looks like I'll have to find a task to do.'
'But before that, I should go collect my free Magic Model!'
Putting away the booklet, Pei Ze hurried off to the logistics department.
Within the academy, the areas for ordinary students and Wizard Apprentices were separate.
The latter could freely enter the former's territory, but the reverse was not permitted.
A faint mist marked the boundary between the two zones. Through it, one could only vaguely make out the silhouettes of the buildings on the other side.
The thin veil of mist separated the world of ordinary people from that of the Wizards.
'If I didn't have the Eye of Omniscience, I'd most likely be on the other side of this divide.'
Pei Ze was self-aware. Without the Eye of Omniscience to analyze the Will Rune, he most likely would have ended up transferring to the Knight Academy. The best he could have hoped for in this life would have been to become a Knight, never even touching the world of Wizards.
Just as he was lost in these reflections, Pei Ze suddenly felt a gaze upon him. He turned his head and met a pair of crimson eyes.
A stone lion was crouched on the ground about ten meters away, staring at him unblinkingly.
Even while crouched, its shoulders were level with a grown man's chest, giving it an incredibly oppressive presence.
Pei Ze glanced around and realized that another stone lion was posted every hundred meters or so within the mist. They were clearly guards assigned to watch this place.
'Puppets!'
Pei Ze's eyes lit up.
The four major auxiliary professions for Wizards: Puppet Creation, potions, scrolls, and enchanting.
If he wasn't mistaken, these stone lions were a type of Puppet Creation.
'Unfortunately, learning any of the four auxiliary professions requires a great deal of Spiritual Power. I can't even think about it until I become a Second-level Wizard Apprentice.'
Pei Ze felt a pang of envy. If he could master any one of those four auxiliary professions, earning money would no longer be a problem.
Shaking his head, he cast aside the ambitious thought and strode into the mist.
A nearby stone lion glanced at the Apprentice Badge on his chest, then turned its head and went back to its slumber.
After passing through the mist, the view opened up before him, and the clamor of a crowd suddenly filled his ears.
Pei Ze focused his gaze and found himself in a bustling square. People were coming and going, all of them young men and women dressed in gray Apprentice Robes.
Those who could become Wizard Apprentices generally had stronger physiques than ordinary people (a normal adult male's physique attribute is 1). As a result, everyone he saw was, without exception, brimming with energy and spirit.
It was a scene where every single person seemed exceptional, like a dragon among mortals.
The same couldn't necessarily be said for Official Wizards, however.
There were plenty of Wizards who had twisted themselves into something neither human nor ghost due to experimental accidents.
Rumor had it that the dean of High Tower Academy was a skeleton—the kind without a single scrap of flesh on its bones.
Every year, uninformed freshmen who encountered the dean on one of his nightly strolls would be scared witless, thinking they had run into one of the Undead.
After crossing the square and searching for a bit, it wasn't long before Pei Ze arrived at a large building with a sign that read "Logistics Department."
He walked straight into the first office. Inside, an old man with salt-and-pepper hair was bent over a desk, scribbling on some documents. "Hello," Pei Ze said, "I'm here to collect a Magic Model."
Hearing his voice, the old man looked up and sized Pei Ze up for a moment. His gaze then fell on the Apprentice Badge on Pei Ze's chest, and a glint seemed to flash in his eyes before vanishing.
"You're Pei Ze, correct?"
The old man nodded slightly and crooked a finger. With a soft RUSTLE, a sheet of paper, about A4 size, lifted from the desk and floated toward Pei Ze.
"This is a list of the Magic Models. Choose one."
Pei Ze thanked him, took the list, and began to look it over carefully.
First-level Wizard Apprentices could only learn Zero-Circle Magic, and the list contained over twenty of them in total, which was consistent with what he already knew.
Pei Ze had already decided which Magic he would learn first. After looking for just a moment, he said, "I'll choose Mage's Hand."
As its name implied, Mage's Hand created an invisible, ghostly hand that could change in size and extend or retract at will. It could be used to attack enemies or to manipulate objects for simple tasks. It was highly practical and versatile, making it the most suitable Magic for a First-level Wizard Apprentice.
Over ninety-nine percent of First-level Wizard Apprentices chose Mage's Hand as their first Magic.
"Are you sure you want this one?" the old man asked, as a matter of routine.
"I'm sure," Pei Ze said.
The old man nodded and crooked his finger again. A book immediately flew off a shelf in the corner of the office and floated toward Pei Ze.
Pei Ze caught the book, then took out the Gold Coins Zhou Han had given him. He offered them to the old man and said, "I'd like to select another Magic Model."
The old man was slightly taken aback. He took the Gold Coins, glanced at one, and lightly tapped its surface with his index finger. A silver light abruptly appeared, quickly forming a name: Zhou Han.
"A Secret Technique Mark," Pei Ze recognized the Zero-Circle Magic.
This Magic allowed one to use special methods and energy fluctuations to inscribe a personal symbol or mark on any object without damaging it, even on metal or stone.
"It is indeed Zhou Han's mark. You may select another Magic Model, free of charge."
The old man gave Pei Ze a long, hard look.
The instructors at the academy were all Official Wizards, and the vast majority of Wizards were extremely pragmatic beings. They believed in the principle of equivalent exchange and would rarely help a student for nothing in return.
'This student only just became a Wizard Apprentice, so he's obviously not from a Wizard Clan, and his talent can't be that great. I wonder how he earned Zhou Han's favor, enough for him to use his instructor's privilege to help.'
Despite his curiosity, the old man didn't press the matter and simply gestured for Pei Ze to make his next selection.
This time, Pei Ze chose the Dizziness Technique.
After receiving the books, Pei Ze spent another 30 Gold Coins on six Spirit Storage Grass Leaves before leaving the office and heading straight for the library.
He couldn't wait to start learning Magic!