Chapter 1 Detection_1

Wizard World.

Stormy Sea, Quete Archipelago, Viscount Holliday's domain.

Outside the Castle Hall, normally inaccessible to the commoners, was now overcrowded.

Viscount Holliday had summoned all the boys in the domain who were at least twelve years old to this place. They lined up in several rows, waiting orderly to enter the hall for their Wizard Qualifications testing.

Before entering the castle, the boys had been informed that Wizard Qualifications were ranked from first to fifth, with first being the lowest and fifth the highest, and each rank subdivided into lower, intermediate, and upper levels.

To win a precious boat ticket to accompany the Wizard Sire to the main continent, one had to be assessed with at least the lower level of the third rank.

Once the testing was over, should one fail to meet the requirements, they were not to cry or create a fuss, or else Viscount Holliday would become very angry, and the consequences would be severe.

Link, of course, wouldn't let a scare tactic aimed at children intimidate him.

As a transmigrator, he possessed the standard boon, which was the source of his confidence.

Accompanying his soul transmigration was a Krypton Card Drawing System, which interfaced through a simple panel.

The contents of the panel were not fixed but changed according to his cognition.

[Link Grande

Qualification: Intermediate fourth rank

Card Packs: None

Cards Used: None

Draw Card Count: 1]

Previously, Link hadn't known the classification of the Wizard Qualifications, so the panel did not display "Wizard Qualifications" at all.

It was only after he became aware of the information that his Wizard Qualification appeared on the panel.

He didn't wait long before it was almost time to enter the hall.

"Whatever, let's draw the card, just to be on the safe side."

Link steeled his heart, no longer hoarding the money he had struggled to save over more than a year for this first draw opportunity, and called out to the System, roaring in his mind, "On God's Body!"

The System's draw card had no special effects; there was just a slight change on the plain panel.

[Link Grande

Qualification: Intermediate fourth rank

Card Pack: "Mind Closure Technique" Learning Card (a simple tap, speedy mastery)

Cards Used: None

Draw Card Count: 0]

"This…"

Link felt his last-minute efforts to seek Buddha's foot might have been in vain.

The "Mind Closure Technique" seemed to offer no help with the Wizard Qualification testing.

"Forget it, it was just for peace of mind."

Soon, Link stopped dwelling on this matter.

He promptly chose to use the "Mind Closure Technique" learning card.

After a slight shiver, a surge of information suddenly appeared in his mind, and in a brief moment, Link had mastered the "Mind Closure Technique."

The next second, he felt a change within himself.

He became more rational, better able to control his emotions and memory.

Before Link had time to savor the change, the Steward came to lead the boys into the hall in a quiet and orderly manner.

In the hall, seated at the topmost position, was a Wizard robed in a grey hooded cloak.

Viscount Holliday, who controlled the life and death of everyone in the entire domain, sat below and to the left of the Wizard, completely devoid of his usual pomp and circumstance.

Link was positioned in the middle of the third column from the left.

He turned his head to sneak a glance at the Wizard who had caused a stir in the entire domain upon his arrival, only to see a mass of shifting mist, unable to make out the Wizard's face.

After looking a few seconds longer, a stabbing pain arose in his eyes, and tears involuntarily flowed down.

Link quickly lowered his head to avoid eye contact.

"So this is what a wizard looks like? Truly extraordinary!"

Link felt excited.

Having transmigrated to this world for over a year, carefully masquerading as his original self, he had heard many times about the wizards who wielded mysterious and extraordinary powers and had seen first-hand the astonishing destructive power of the Knight System, said to be an accidental by-product of a wizard's experiment. This sparked an intense curiosity in Link about wizards.

Now, the opportunity to become a wizard lay before him, and Link wanted to seize it.

Knowing for sure that he would pass the test, Link of course wasn't going to risk his life foolishly; instead, he thought about keeping a low profile and staying calm.

So he dared not look at the wizard any longer and instead observed the wizard qualification testing ceremony that was about to take place.

In front of the wizard, on a square table, sat two crystal balls, one on the left and one on the right.

The crystal ball on the left appeared colorless and transparent, while the one on the right was a transparent black.

"Let's start."

Just as the waiting youths were sweating from the forehead and becoming as anxious as ants on a hot pan, Wizard Sire finally spoke.

The four youths standing behind the wizard exchanged glances.

After a moment, a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl stepped forward to the square table, her back to the wizard and facing the crowd.

Her voice was clear and composed as she said, "In a moment, like I am doing, you will place your hands on the two crystal balls, one on each. No matter what happens, do not let go until Wizard Sire Palo determines the results."

As she spoke, the girl demonstrated.

She placed her hands on the crystal balls, and soon enough, each crystal ball emitted a different glow.

The colorless, transparent crystal ball radiated a light dominated by green, with a smattering of blue and yellow colors.

The black, transparent crystal ball, on the other hand, emitted a dazzling white light.

"What are these tests measuring?"

Link watched, somewhat baffled, and was filled with questions.

At this moment, Wizard Palo spoke up, "Innate spiritual power 13, high affinity with the Wood Element, intermediate affinity with both the Water Element and the Earth Element, aggregate Wizard Qualifications ranking at the upper third rank."

The blond-haired, blue-eyed girl clearly already knew her qualifications and did not react much to the result. She curtseyed to Wizard Palo and returned to her original position.

Link pondered upon hearing this and a look of understanding crossed his face.

Obviously, the black, transparent crystal ball was testing innate spiritual power, while the colorless, transparent crystal ball was measuring Element Affinity.

However, he was unclear about the specific standards for the aggregate Wizard Qualifications ranking.

As Link was thinking, the first boy in the left row had already stepped forward to be tested.

He was a bit nervous and restrained, rubbing his hands vigorously against his clothes to wipe off the sweat from his palms, before carefully placing them on the crystal balls.

The colorless, transparent crystal ball emitted a faint yellow glow and an even dimmer black glow, while the black, transparent crystal ball released an almost invisible white glow.

"Unqualified, next."

Wizard Palo spoke with indifference.

The boy looked crestfallen, his lips quivered, and tears silently fell.

He was heartbroken that he could not seize the chance to change his destiny and cease to be a fisherman, but he dared not cry aloud or cause a scene.

The boy turned and left, dejected.

But the other youths in line behind him were excited, impatient for their turn, at least until they faced the same outcome.

Yet fate did not budge for one's personal desire.

"Unqualified, next."

"Unqualified, next."

"Unqualified, next."

An entire two rows, twenty people, not one received a "qualified" comment from Wizard Palo, nor did anyone come to know their own innate spiritual power score or their Element Affinity.

For Wizard Palo, those who were unqualified were not worth the effort of further words.

As one after another left, the atmosphere among the remaining youths awaiting their test was no longer as excited or expectant.

The air grew somber; many sighed from time to time.

The calm composure that Link had initially managed began to waver into nervousness.