In addition to Fatty Bos, Sain had another close friend named Mery. She was a little girl who had arrived in the Shadowy Lands three years after Sain and Bos, making her only fourteen this year. Despite her young age, Mery's luck and talent were enough to make Sain envious. With an impressive initial mental power score of 13, she was accepted as a disciple by an official dark wizard just as she advanced to low-level apprentice in her third year at the Black Magic Academy.
Sain's close relationship with Mery stemmed from an incident five years ago during a dissection class, where he saved her life. Thanks to his compassionate intervention and a few courageous words, Mery narrowly escaped being dissected by Master Kossoron. That experience endeared Sain to Mery, who had arrived in the Shadowy Lands alone and helpless, leading her to see him as a big brother.
Even after becoming a disciple of the renowned potion master, Master Dirth, Mery maintained her friendship with Sain, and they would occasionally discuss academic topics after their public classes. Unfortunately, Master Dirth rarely appeared to share knowledge in public lectures, perhaps spending most of her recent time conducting experiments or potion brews.
Mery's connection with Sain and Bos wasn't solely due to these past experiences; Sain made a concerted effort to nurture and maintain these friendships. There weren't many allies in the Black Magic Academy, and it was tough to survive alone. Though Mery and Bos lacked powerful abilities, Mery had an official dark wizard as her mentor and was knowledgeable in potion making, while Bos possessed a wide network and business acumen. Together, they provided mutual support to navigate life at the academy, as everything was ultimately for the sake of survival.
Sain indeed harbored a deep interest in the mysteries of magic and the truths held by dark wizards. However, he knew his foremost objective was to stay alive.
The annual assessment took place in the training ground behind the academy's largest building, where many apprentices practiced when learning new spells. Sain remembered that the very first flame he conjured was right there. The Black Magic Academy's annual assessment lacked detailed regulations; the esteemed dark wizards clearly did not have the energy to organize such matter.
Each year, only a handful of official dark wizards attended the assessment, and this year was no different than last, with only three in attendance. Over five hundred magical apprentices began arriving in the spacious training ground, nearly eighty percent of the total apprentice population at the Mosobla City Black Magic Academy. The majority were entry-level and low-level apprentices, with only about seventy intermediate apprentices and slightly over a dozen high-level apprentices present.
This did not represent the entirety of the Black Magic Academy's apprentices, as Sain knew that Senior Sister Faye was there for the assessment, but his Senior Brother Zoro was absent. Furthermore, some apprentices would inevitably miss the event for various reasons, as the academy had never rigidly required all apprentices to participate.
After all, the assessment was a game for the strong; the weak…might be weeded out in the normal life of the Black Magic Academy.
The assessment consisted of arena battles and one-on-one duels. Apprentices from different ranks could fight without constraints, regardless of life or death. They also had the option to challenge those of higher ranks, and if they won, not only would they secure a rank in the top three, but they would also likely gain the recognition of several official dark wizards present.
Entry-level apprentices, who lacked sufficient knowledge of magic and had low mental and magical power, might not even be able to cast a single spell. Therefore, their rankings were primarily determined by their ability to defeat or even kill opponents without relying on magic or by successfully casting a low-level spell.
As Sain and Bos walked through the entire training ground, they did not spot Mery, and Sain suspected she wasn't coming this time.
"Are you going for a rank this time?" Bos asked quietly.
Now wearing his pale mask, Sain nodded in response. "Senior Sister said there might be some decent rewards for this assessment, so I should try to compete."
Hearing this, Bos nodded in agreement. Through other magic apprentices, Bos learned that Sain possessed not only this mask but also a formidable magical short staff given to him for protection by his mentor, Mosido. With that staff in hand, Sain even had the strength to venture into the intermediate apprentice circles.
Once the annual assessment began, the three dark wizards seated in the highest viewing stands of the training ground took their places.
"There are quite a few promising candidates this year," one of the dark wizards remarked, glancing first at the group of over a dozen high-level apprentices, then at the intermediate ones, and finally giving a cursory look at the low-level apprentices. He didn't even bother to glance at the significantly larger number of entry-level apprentices.
Notably, when looking at the low-level apprentices, his gaze lingered for half a second on Sain. He recognized Sain, having witnessed the ruckus he and Lina caused in the Abyssal Street two months prior; one of the official dark wizards present at that scene was him.
In Mosobla City, the number of dark wizards was neither overwhelming nor scarce; nearly every dark wizard held a position at the academy or had relevant responsibilities. In some ways, the city provided a safe haven for these dark wizards, while the academy served as a platform for their interactions.
In return, these self-serving and untamed dark wizards, akin to scattered sand, were expected to contribute something to the academy and Mosobla City.
A great secret unbeknownst to the lower apprentices was that the lord of Mosobla City was, in fact, the mysterious and powerful headmaster of the Black Magic Academy. However, the headmaster rarely appeared in front of apprentices, and even official dark wizards found it challenging to see him.
Currently, the normal operations of the Black Magic Academy were maintained by three vice-deans. Darlong, whom Sain had previously encountered, was one of them and the most involved in day-to-day affairs. The owl academy supervisors were also under his jurisdiction. The other two vice-deans were equally discreet, and the mentor of high-level apprentice Liliana was the only female among them.