Chapter 24: Eve of the Assessment

Chapter 24: The Eve of the Trial

Huff!

A small fireball shot toward a dummy target.

Boom!

The fireball struck, exploding on impact—wood splinters flew as the mannequin shattered into dust.

The force was astonishing!

Since mastering the Basic Meditation Technique, his magical power had surged, amplifying the strength of his spells.

Even the defensive power of his Invisible Armor had grown significantly.

During cultivation, the retention rate of magical elements had risen from forty to sixty percent—an unmistakable leap in efficiency.

Li Wei turned and left the spell training grounds, walking toward the outer gates of the Mage Tower.

He intended to treat himself—to celebrate.

"Less than twenty days until the apprentice trial. This time, first place is assured."

The reward for ranking first: a vial of magic potion. Li Wei would not let it slip from his grasp.

By now, everyone in the Mage Tower knew of his genius. Hiding his strength no longer served any purpose.

Better to cement the reputation—secure more resources, claim greater privileges.

He entered McLaughlin’s Tavern, nestled at the border between Lower and Upper Districts.

"One roasted chicken, a small salad, and a cup of hot milk tea," he ordered smoothly, then took his seat in the corner, waiting.

He had dined here many times before.

McLaughlin’s offered cheap, hearty, delicious food.

It was a common haunt for adventurers and professionals—eating, drinking, laughing away their worries.

Rumor had it the owner was a retired bard.

Soon, the server placed his meal before him.

As Li Wei ate, he listened—quietly—to the murmurs around the room.

"Grain prices have gone up again—nearly five times what they were last winter."

"Sigh… I pray this winter ends soon. Otherwise, who knows how many will starve?"

"This year has been brutal. Orcs prowling outside the city—supply caravans raided over and over. Only because the Lord opened the granaries did we avoid famine."

"Expensive or not, at least there's still food."

"The Lord truly has a kind heart. Even with grain prices soaring, he still gives out free porridge in the Lower District."

...

Li Wei chewed his chicken in silence, sipping hot milk tea, occasionally taking bites of salad to cut the grease.

Sometimes, knowing too much is a curse.

To the common folk of Mapleleaf City, the Lord was a saint—a benevolent savior.

But Li Wei saw through it all—the Lord was profiting from disaster.

Caravans being raided? All an act.

How could the Lord’s estate keep importing grain without ever catching the culprits?

Blaming orcs was convenient.

Not long ago, a large-scale orc purge had taken place—everyone knew orcs were near the city.

Perfect scapegoats.

And yet, another question lingered—one that even the clever might notice:

How large was the Lord’s granary, really?

Could it possibly hold enough grain to feed an entire city, indefinitely?

Those sharp enough to see this truth kept silent—wisdom meant survival.

In such a world, where the wise protected themselves, the common people remained blind, singing praises to their "kind-hearted Lord."

The Lord played his cards masterfully.

On one hand, he amassed wealth during the grain crisis.

On the other, he won hearts by distributing charity porridge.

Now, even if someone dared expose the truth, few would believe them.

Yet one thing still puzzled Li Wei.

Why would neutral powers like the Warrior Guild or Adventurer’s Association involve themselves?

For them, such affairs brought neither benefit nor direct harm—only unnecessary entanglement.

So why lend the Lord their support?

Unless something deeper was at play.

After finishing his meal, Li Wei paid.

"That will be 95 copper coins," said the server.

Li Wei set down a silver coin and rose to leave.

"Thank you, sir. Please come again!" the server called with a bright smile.

Prices soared everywhere—everything climbing skyward.

On his way back to the Mage Tower, Li Wei passed the boundary between districts.

There, servants of the Lord’s estate were handing out bowls of porridge.

The line stretched from the gate of the Upper District all the way to the city entrance.

A sea of bodies filled the streets—crowded, restless.

Even city guards had arrived to maintain order.

Li Wei glanced once, then turned and walked on.

The grain crisis barely touched the Mage Tower.

In the days that followed, he cultivated daily, practiced spells, drained his mind completely—then retreated to his room to read.

Books on the abilities and hierarchies of various professions.

Preparing—for battles ahead.

On the tenth day, his supply of potions ran out.

His cultivation slowed to a crawl.

After careful thought, he sought out Guze.

"Master Guze, I wish to purchase a vial of basic potion."

This time, Guze did not dissuade him.

"Within the Mage Tower, a basic potion costs five contributions. One contribution equals one gold coin."

Li Wei took out five gold coins and passed them to Gu Ze.

Gu Ze showed a look of surprise, not expecting Li Wei to be so wealthy.

He had intended to lend Li Wei five contributions instead.

Accepting the coins, Gu Ze did not ask where they came from.

"Come find me again tomorrow."

The next day, Li Wei received a vial of basic magical potion from Gu Ze.

Slightly different from the one given by Leina, this one was pale green in color.

The effect, however, was roughly the same.

Pouring three drops into his mouth, Li Wei quickly sealed the bottle to prevent evaporation.

Before, unaware of the potion’s value, he had used it rather freely.

Now knowing that a single bottle cost five gold coins, each training session brought a pang of reluctance.

After two days, adjusting according to his cultivation pace, Li Wei reduced usage to two drops per day,

devoting more time to practicing spells.

In the blink of an eye, winter neared its end.

February 28th.

Snow had ceased falling five days prior.

Each day, the snowpack thinned further—today, bare ground finally emerged.

Li Wei stood in an open field, the surrounding snow visibly diminished, white layers melting away.

He raised his right index finger, focusing his mind on casting.

Three seconds—then a spark flared at his fingertip, swelling into a fireball.

Aiming at the empty ground, he mimed pulling a trigger.

"Boom!"

The fireball shot forward, struck the earth, and exploded violently.

When the flames faded, a crater nearly half a meter deep scarred the ground.

Compared to the feeble fireballs of the beginning, the spell's power had vastly improved.

Li Wei looked down. Meltwater traced patterns across the damp soil, forming several lines of text:

[Basic Meditation Method (Great Completion)] 663/4000

[Minor Fireball Spell (Zero-tier Mastery)] 1623/2000

[Invisible Armor Spell (Zero-tier Mastery)] 212/2000

After over half a month of effort, the casting time for Minor Fireball had dropped from five seconds to three.

"Tomorrow is the apprentice trial. I hope everything goes well!"

Congratulations to "1210yang's reader" for becoming a patron of this book!

(End of Chapter)