Chapter 19: I'll tell you a secret after this

"Where are you? Who is speaking?" Leylin received a shock.

"Calm down, Leylin. And stop ...Watch your steps. It's disrespectful to step on the dead."

"Hehehe How did you know that was my hand?" The voice travelling from beneath where Leylin's feet should have been if Seely didn't stopped him, which made him jump in fright.

Only then did he realise that his shoes would have been where withered palm was lying if not for Seely. Leylin backed away a little.

"That was your palm? umm.. Sir? I didn't know. I just thought stepping on things when we were in somebody else's property would be disrespectful, no to mention that looked like a dead hand."

"Oh?...Thank you. I'd like to keep it that way."

Leylin then realised that the ground inside the tent was uneven and there were many dried bones littered about, and earlier he almost had unsuspectingly stepped on some.

As Seely gestured to Leylin to moved backwards, the few dried bones of hands and legs began to assemble into a skeletal figure.

Taking a closer look, there was a faint layer of skin on top of this skeleton which had covered the bones and on the skull where the eyes were, two green light flickered faintly, which was extremely terrifying.

"Hello Sir! " Seely started first but was still feeling uneasy looking at the undead literally rising from his slumber.

"I'm sorry if I almost stepped on you, Sir!" Leylin gulped and apologized.

In the original timeline, Leylin carelessly stepped on some of this Professor's bones. We'll in the first place, why is this professor even lying there. Are you trying to scare everyone that comes here? Seely is kinda pissed off with this undead but of course he wouldn't show it on the outside.

"No matter!" The white bony teeth clacked and produced a human voice: "Let me introduce myself, I am a professor of the Shadow and Dark elements. You can call me Dorotte!"

"My most respected Sir Dorotte, hello!" Leylin bowed once again.

"This lowly one humbly greets the great Professor Dorothy." Seely added.

"You two coming here, does that mean you wish to enter the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy?" The bony white Dorotte conjured a black robe from nowhere and concealed its body within it, which soothed Leylin's nerves a little.

"Before that, we wish to see the rules set by the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy!"

"Alright!" Dorotte took out two dusty sheet of sheepskin paper from behind and handed it over to Leylin and Seely.

According to the ancient agreement, after choosing our Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, you are receiving the right to partake in the basic lessons of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, a set of elementary meditation techniques, 5 years of residence, lodging, and food free of charge. We also allow you to use magic crystals as remuneration, to exchange for knowledge from the professors..."

Dorotte spoke nonstop while Leylin read rapidly and compared with the information constantly presented by the A.I. Chip. Seely pretended to read since the chapter already informed him of this.

Leylin discovered that what Dorotte said was the exact same as the information on the sheepskin paper. In terms of basic hospitality, it was pretty similar amongst the various academies.

The feedback from the A.I. Chip also indicated that although it could not successfully scan the person in front of him, Dorotte had unintentionally released a fluctuating radiation which implied that Dorotte's strength was above the 3 white robes of the travelling party and this startled Leylin.

"I have understood the basic terms now, may I know what kind of payment is needed to enter the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy?"

"Thirteen magic crystals or an item identical in value!" Dorotte said.

"I will use this item to exchange!" Leylin made up his mind and withdrew the Magus ring hung around his neck.

"You seem to have an interesting toy!" The green flame in Dorotte's eyes flashed.

The bony white hand took the ring and placed it in its palm, and then took out an item similar to a magnifying glass and inspected it.

"Mn...It is indeed rather interesting, I haven't seen these patterns in a long time!"

"A low-grade magic artifact! It looks like it was created in our Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and there is a carved inscription of a hastening spell formation, but it is broken. It's worth fifteen magic crystals!"

"Now! Newbie, are you willing to mortgage this ring for your school fees? Once you have decided, sign the ancient contract of our Abyssal Bone Forest Academy!" Dorotte said, with an accentuated tone.

"I accept!" Leylin's resolute voice sounded.

"Good! I hereby declare that the contract is formed!" Dorotte said, "Hand over your form to me!"

After receiving Leylin's form, Dorotte laughed, "Shadow and Dark element affinity, no wonder you chose our academy. In this Death Beach, we are the most outstanding!"

"Since you forked out a greater amount than the fees required, I hereby announce that you have been accepted and won't need an entry test! Take this card! Go back and rest. Tomorrow we will proceed with our journey back to the school!"

Dorotte took out something that resembled a metal card. Leylin received it and saw that a number '9' was written on it.

"How about you? Will you pay?"

"Here! We're brothers so I also have an artifact."

"Hehehe. This is also worth a little higher than that ring. You'll have the same treatment as your brother. Take this card and give me your form.

Oh... Both of you brothers have the same Shadow and Darkness affinity! Now go back and rest too."

"It is over just like this? Don't we have to sign a contract or- ?" Leylin asked casually.

'Leylin,.watch your words.' Seely immediately said.

"Ha ha ha...Never once was there someone who dared to deceive a Magus!" Dorotte sniggered, and it gave Leylin the chills.

"Then we will leave first, Sir!" Leylin bowed, took Seely with him and walked out of the tent. They went to the area behind the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy tent.

Behind the recruitment area of these academies, there were rows of wooden huts erected, and in the middle, youths of both genders were walking in and out of them. They seemed to be there as the temporary residence for acolytes.

"Hey! Nice to meet you, are you new here?"

Creak!

The wooden door that was numbered '6' opened and an acolyte with red hair and blue eyes walked out from it and greeted Leylin.

"Hi! I am Leylin! and this is my brother Seely" Leylin smiled.

"Ha ha! I am Beirut. As for my family background, it isn't very important since it cannot be used on another continent!" Beirut seemed to be very amiable.

"Come! Let me introduce the both of you!" Beirut headed towards the various fan-shaped huts, "Fellows! We have a new companion!"

Several acolytes streamed out from the wooden doors and gathered together. Leylin counted a total of seven or eight people.

"Good afternoon! I am Kaliweir of the Lance Empire, a fourth-grade acolyte!" A boy who seemed to have an air of leadership did a self-introduction.

"You seem to be pretty late!" Kaliweir said.

"We met with some troubles along the way, in the Great Plains of Death!" Leylin said ambiguously, not wanting to say much.

"The Great Plains of Death? It is indeed very dangerous!" Kaliweir looked at the acolytes behind him, "Let me introduce them!"

"This is Beirut, whom you have met earlier!"

"This is Hancock, a third-grade acolyte!" A largely built Caucasian guy scratched his head in embarrassment, looking simple and honest.

Hancock... isn't there a movie about that on earth? Seely stayed quiet first and observed.

"This is Raynor, a fourth-grade acolyte!" He was a small boy with a skinny build, but there was a tinge of pride in his eyes.

"This is Guricha, a second-grade acolyte! And over there are Nyssa and Dodoria, both first-grade acolytes!" Although Kaliweir had restrained himself, Leylin could still detect signs of disdain in his words.

First-grade acolyte, second-grade acolyte, they could basically only be an acolyte their whole lives so one couldn't blame him for shunning them.

"How...How are you!" Guricha forced a smile and greeting. As for Nyssa and Dodolier, they were both little girls, and some baby fat were still on their cheeks. At this point, they glanced downwards.

Nyssa... Nyssa.. Why did that sound familiar? Is she an important character or something? A traitor? An enemy of Leylin? We'll for now let's try to be close just in case anything bad happens.

"Who is that?" Leylin pursed his lips.

Beside their small circle was a boy dressed in black, his face pale. Standing at the side, he did not seem to fit in with the rest and looked rather arrogant.

"He! He is Jayden! Our genius of this semester, a fifth-grade acolyte! Becoming a Magus is only a matter of time! Kaliweir's expression turned sour, and he seemed to have some bitterness in his words.

"Woah...a fifth-grade acolyte. He has a 90 percent chance of becoming a Magus! No wonder he is so arrogant!" Leylin thought, inhaling a breath of cold air, and couldn't help but to give Jayden a few more glances.

"Hmph!" As if noticing the crowd looking at him, Jayden silently harrumphed and entered his own wooden hut. This wooden hut obviously had a larger surface area, and the adornments were more exquisite.

There was only two words Seely could describe Jayde. Hmp... An arrogant bastard.

"As a fifth-grade acolyte, his treatment will be the best Who knows, there might be some professors looking to take him under their wings early!"

Kaliweir face soured even more.

Leylin realised that this group of acolytes was split into a few cliques. The third-grade acolytes and fourth-grade acolytes were superior to the lower grade acolytes but rather inferior to Jayden, the fifth-grade acolyte.

As for the lowest grade acolytes like Guricha, they all stuck together pitifully and formed a clique. And then there was Jayden, who was segregated away from these two groups.

"Hello, everyone! I am Leylin, and my aptitude is...third grade!" Leylin said.

"Hey, The name's Seely. Fourth Grade." Seely smiled a little to them and look at Nyssa. Nyssa blushed a little but lowered her head when she realized Seely was a 4th grade.

Seely then added, "If any if you wishes to hard Leylin, you talk to me first, okay~? I'll be sure to make you understand who you're messing with."

Seely showed a little hostility. His face expression and his words doesn't match at all.

"Stop that brother. I'm sorry he's just overprotective towards me."

" That is understandable. Welcome!" Kaliweir revealed a smile on his face, while Guricha and the two girls seemed to have their self-esteem lower as they greeted him and returned back into their huts

[Chapter 16 is now available!]

"Don't bother with them, their highest potential will only be that of a third-grade acolyte!"

Raynor said with disdain.

"Yeah! That's right, to acolytes, aptitudes are more important!" Leylin agreed.

"Attitude is also important. While we are still acolytes, we need to be careful to not offend anyone. You never know when a weak person can kill you in an instant after he grow up." Seely added.

"That is true. Wise words indeed." Kaliweir agreed but ended the topic there.

Although this group of youths was pretty silent during the forming of their cliques, Leylin naturally did the thing that would benefit him the most but he never thought that his brother would disagree subtly although he also agrees on what his brother said.

Amongst the acolytes, Jayden had the capability to be independent, but Leylin did not have such a good aptitude, so he could only join a group. Also, by comparing, naturally it was the group with Kaliweir's as the head with a better future.

"Haha...Welcome! Welcome! With your participation, our group is now more robust, there will definitely be a day where I will make that person regret!"

Kaliweir said while clenching his teeth. Afterwards, a few of them arranged to meet after dinner, and they went back to their respective huts.

"Beirut, what did you mean earlier when you said it was a different continent?" Leylin looked for the most amiable, Beirut, and asked him as he was concerned about what Beirut had said earlier.

"Oh... This, you know! Actually, the continent we're on is rather small. To the outside world, it is known as the Chernobyl Islands!"

"Island?" Leylin gaped. According to his journey in the past half a year, he could almost be certain that this continent was as huge as the Eurasian continent he was in from the previous world. But it was only an island here?

"Oh! Sorry! Geography is my weak subject, and it has often made my home tutor shudder in rage!" Leylin explained.

"I remember your tutor begging to leave our home because you were such a nuisance! Hahahaha"

"Hahaha" Leylin felt helpless. That never happened but Seely told it in front of this people.

'Seely, why would you lie about that?'

'Brother, to be honest, I don't want you to hang out with those guys. First, you don't need them. I'll tell you a secret after this.'

'Okay.'

Truth be told, the Farlier family is only a noble family, and its heritage was pretty short. It couldn't be compared to the nobles of those huge families, so not knowing was not a rare thing.

"Ha ha!" Hearing Leylin speak and Seely supporting it, Beirut laughed jovially, "Me too! I have made 5 etiquette tutors leave in rage! In the end, my father offered a monthly salary, but still no one wanted to teach me. This was something my father had specially told me right before I left!"

"Let us continue on the previous topic, we are in the Chernobyl Islands, and the outside world has coined another name for it: The Barren Islands!"

"Barren?" Leylin was a little skeptical, "There are still quite a few people here and plenty of kingdoms, could it be that it is referring to the lack of certain resources?"

"That's right! In the Chernobyl Islands, due to the environment here, or some external factors, the land here is unable to produce any of the materials a Magus needs. Apart from the earnest acolytes and Magi in seclusion, there are absolutely no other traces of Magi here on this continent!"

"So that is the case!" Leylin nodded his head, and although there were myths of Magi back in his homeland, only the founder of the Farlier family has seen a Magus. From this, one can see the rarity of Magi.

"And so, we need to go to the other side of the seas before we can truly find a continent! I heard that not only are there various kinds of resources that Magi need, but there are countless traces of secrets and remnants of experimental labs. On the whole, the continent has various academies and organisations that trade and exchange the information of magic!"

"On that continent, Magi are not a legend! Although they are still uncommon, even a regular human may be able to see one! Only there can we advance in the progress of our acolyte abilities!" Beirut's eyes gave off obvious signs of yearning.

"So that is the case! What is the name of that continent then?" Leylin asked.

"I don't know!" Beirut shook his head, "That continent is too huge! There was never a unified name for it. As for us, we're going to the south of the continent, and it is known as the narrow coastal regions of the south! Just the south coastal regions alone is several times bigger than the Chernobyl Islands that we're on!

"Siii!" Leylin sucked in a breath of cold air.

"So huge?"

"This world is indeed very vast. The higher one stands, the further one can see! This is a phrase from a bard that I like very much." Beirut concluded.

"Thank you for your explanation! I think I need some time to digest the information!" Leylin bade his farewells.

'Seely, follow me into my hut. You can tell me there.'