Chapter 3

"Now, follow me into the campgrounds, and choose an academy. Remember, you may examine various academies, but once you commit, there's no turning back. Anyone who breaches the contract will face public execution at the camp's gate," Crow warned, sending shivers down the acolytes' spines.

"Haha! Crow! You're late today!" a jovial voice interrupted. A rotund figure in a white robe emerged from the camp, addressing the newcomers. "No need to terrify these adorable newbies."

"Circumstances delayed us," Crow explained.

...

After the less-than-warm welcome at the Death Beach, a fellow named Jevon guided Ron and about 40 other acolytes to the heart of the camp.

Ron refrained from any suspicious actions, aware that his A.I. Chip's scanning capabilities were hindered. He had already extracted as much useful information as he could from the novel but realized that firsthand experience was invaluable for fully understanding the situation.

He filled out the required form with meticulous care and prepared for the aptitude test.

With a determined expression, Ron handed over the form at the white tent. An elderly woman with silver hair and a crystal ball awaited him.

"Hello," Ron greeted, presenting his form without prompting.

"Leylin, is it? Place your hands on the crystal ball," the witch instructed. Ron complied, feeling an unusual sensation on his fingertips.

Unlike the novel, Ron didn't experience a severe headache but only mild discomfort, likely due to his increased soul strength.

As his headache began, the crystal ball emitted a faint glow. However, Ron chose to remove his hands before any suspicions could arise.

"Very good, hold on," the witch ordered, her attention focused on the crystal ball. It brightened.

"No more," Ron decided, releasing the crystal.

"Okay. You're at this level," the witch acknowledged, noting Ron's results on the form. "We categorize acolytes' aptitude into five grades. You're in the fourth grade, which is quite high."

With a ring and a strange mark on the form, the witch concluded Ron's examination.

As he left the tent, Ron remained perplexed by his sudden boost in aptitude, suspecting it might be linked to the mysterious energy. His aptitude now exceeded that of the novel's Leylin, raising questions about how this had transpired.

Heading to the next tent, an old man stroked his chin, preparing to test Ron's elemental affinity.

Upon gazing into a liquid metal-filled stone basin, Ron feared having an elemental affinity different from the novel's Leylin. He knew it would disrupt his plans, particularly considering his synchronization with the Warlock Inheritance and his lack of access to Feng Meng's memories in this life.

The old man prompted Ron to describe what he saw.

"I see shadows and a black whirlpool with red spots near the outer edge," Ron reported. "And there are green specks of light in the surroundings."

"Is there a lot of green?"

"Not a significant amount," Ron replied.

His uncertainty peaked as the old man seemed to possess insight into Ron's future.

"Your test is finished. You have the highest affinity with Dark and Shadow elements, followed by Fire, and a minor affinity with the Plant element," the old man revealed, finalizing the results.

Ron left the tent, sunlight casting a bewildering glow upon him. He pondered the inexplicable series of advantages granted to him: an A.I. Chip, a mysterious Devour ability, fourth-grade aptitude, and elemental affinities identical to the original Leylin.

Ron walked in a daze, approached by George. He decided to shelve his questions, focusing instead on gaining power.

"Hey, Leylin! Did you complete your aptitude test?" George inquired.

"Yeah," Ron nodded.

George boasted of his fourth-grade aptitude, inviting Ron to join the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower. Ron declined, preferring to explore further.

As Ron wandered the camp, he memorized the names of various academies, like the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, Mercifura Academy, and Wetland Gardens.

Finally, he reached his destination: "The Abyssal Bone Forest Academy welcomes you!" The sight of red letters oozing blood deterred many acolytes, but Ron entered the eerie tent made of white bones.

Inside, a chilling aura saturated the air, and the voice of an eerie entity greeted him.

"He he he...After a long wait, one has arrived!"

Ron advanced cautiously, communicating with Dorotte to sell his broken artifact. He left the tent and encountered other students, who, aware of his fourth-grade aptitude, tried to befriend him. Ron maintained a polite distance, not needing their assistance.

As George and others departed one by one on ships the next morning, Ron was left to his own devices. He partook in the evening feast but remained mostly isolated, focusing on the task at hand.

The next morning, he gazed at the ocean, contemplating the immense challenges that lay ahead. He delved into his subconsciousness to retrieve his body statistics.

[Leylin Farlier. Strength: 2.2, Agility: 2.4, Vitality: 2.7, Status: Healthy]

Thanks to the mysterious energy, he had broken the bottleneck and reached Preparatory Knights status. Although he had surpassed the strength of newly minted Preparatory Knights, he recognized the perils of this magus world. Determined to ascend to the pinnacle of power and survey the world from above, Ron knew he could not be content with weakness.