Chapter 32: Preparing for the Archmage Examination

Four days passed in a flash, like a silver stallion made of time, never ceasing in its chase of the sun and the moon.

During these four days, Zhou Ke was not only busy absorbing D-grade magic crystals but also engaged in full-body training. Although he had arrogantly claimed he would burn the wings of the "Heavenly Proud Daughter," he had no intention of fighting an unprepared battle. Arrogance was one thing, but caution was quite another. This was what one might call despising the enemy strategically while respecting them tactically. Those who only managed the former were nothing more than brainless fools.

After enjoying his homemade "Poverty-Proof Mystery: Tomato and Egg Noodles," Zhou Ke followed the instructions provided by Old Lu and arrived at the school to gather before two o'clock in the afternoon. Across the road, he could see a bus parked at the school gate. A crowd of students stood nearby, most of them from other local high schools. Zhou Ke had heard from Old Lu that in Baiyue Province, where Guangcheng was located, about twenty thousand students had awakened their Truth, yet fewer than three thousand had applied for the Mage Examination—an average of only two or three per school.

Originally, given the hot-blooded nature of youth and the courage of a newborn calf that fears no tiger, the number of applicants should have been much higher. However, since the application required parental consent, and most parents were aware of the inherent dangers of the Mage Examination, the number of those who received permission was naturally small.

"Ke-zai! Over here, over here!"

Zhou Ke followed the voice and saw Li Hua waving at him incessantly. He walked over and glanced at Li Hua’s waist. "How is your injury?"

"Healed long ago. I am the Golden Kidney Warrior who loves drinking Kidney Treasure." Li Hua put one hand on his hip and used the other to run through his blonde hair with excessive flair.

"Nobody is going to get such an old meme," Zhou Ke replied, his eyes narrowing in skepticism.

"By the way, why haven't I been able to reach you these last few days? I asked you to go to the internet cafe and you always said you were busy. Are you hiding the fact that you’ve found another father figure elsewhere?" Li Hua teased like a petty, resentful spouse.

"If you disgust me any further, I’ll gouge out your kidneys for a barbecue."

Zhou Ke’s flat, matter-of-fact tone made it impossible not to believe he would actually do it. Having known him for many years, Li Hua dared not spout any more nonsense and immediately flashed a flattering smile. "Ahem, I was just concerned about my good desk-mate."

Zhou Ke saw no need to hide anything and tapped the biceps under his jacket. "I’ve been working out the last few days. My schedule was packed."

He wasn't lying. To acquire power efficiently, he had devised a detailed schedule. Morning fasting runs to burn body fat; two hours after lunch, upper-body strength training for arm, back, and abdominal muscles; dinner to replenish energy, followed by leg training; and finally, absorbing magic crystals before bed to improve his Aether levels. In fact, every item in this schedule could be broken down to the minute, but there was no need to dwell on that now.

At first, Zhou Ke suffered from full-body soreness due to the intensity of the exercise. After all, the essence of muscle growth is the destruction and reconstruction of muscle fibers, which is typically accompanied by tearing pain. Basically, wherever it hurts, that is where the muscle is growing. (Well, if it’s the lower regions hurting, I’d suggest not holding onto unrealistic fantasies and visiting a urology clinic as soon as possible.)

Of course, setting aside the unbearable pain, it was difficult for an ordinary person to adapt to such high-intensity training all at once. But a Mage’s constitution is different; the Aether circulating through the body automatically repairs physical wear and tear. Even if he were so exhausted before sleep that lifting a finger felt like a chore, as long as his Aether levels were sufficient, he would recover to a decent state by the next morning.

"You, a lazy dog, are actually working out?!" Li Hua’s expression was as exaggerated as if he had heard that a meteorite had struck the planet.

"I was just playing the part with you before. Actually, I’ve been secretly 'involutioning' every day, hehe," Zhou Ke said as if it were the absolute truth.

It certainly wasn't true; he was still a lazy dog. The reason he found the motivation was that one day, upon returning home, he had accidentally twisted the door handle off; while eating, he had accidentally crushed his bowl; and while using chopsticks, he had accidentally poked them straight through the plate and the table. Combined with his less-than-optimistic financial situation, he made up his mind to train so he could adapt as quickly as possible to the slaughterous power granted by Khorne.

Zhou Ke looked past Li Hua, where four people stood apart: Liu Xing, with his face full of disdain; Antonini, with malice in his eyes; Su Wumi, still rocking her "cool girl" style in pure black Martin boots; and... hmm?

Zhou Ke’s gaze lingered on a sporty girl. "I seem to remember her name is Tang Hongning. She’s a Mage, too."

Tang Hongning seemed to sense his probing gaze; she turned her head and flashed a cheerful peace sign.

"How sunny. We definitely won't get along," Zhou Ke noted listlessly, offering no further response.

Including him, a total of six students from Guangcheng No. 1 High School were participating in the Mage Examination, which was likely on the higher side for schools in Baiyue Province. Aside from the students, there were many parents accompanying them at the school gate, almost all repeating similar phrases to encourage their children. Zhou Ke did not have the luxury of such ear-numbing treatment, so he leaned against the wall chatting with Li Hua. The boy spent the entire time admiring the young mothers of his classmates, showing a distinct "Cao Cao-esque" tendency.

Zhou Ke had no such interest until he was nudged.

"Hey, Ke-zai, look over there."

"Hm?"

Zhou Ke followed the direction of Li Hua’s chin and saw an elderly woman with thinning hair and a face full of wrinkles. His expression became strange, and his assessment of Li Hua dropped to a level lower than a dog's. "You’re into this kind of thing?"

"Don't talk nonsense! I told you to look at the side!"

Zhou Ke shifted his eyes and finally saw the thin, frail Liu Xing. Oh, so the woman was Liu Xing’s mother.

"You must get a good grade this time. Your studies aren't exactly stellar; if you can't even pass a test, what was the point of us working so hard to put you through school!" Liu Xing’s father said impatiently, shaking his leg.

"Son, you must be careful. Don't accidentally hurt other students, and don't cause trouble. We’re poor; we can't afford the medical bills," his mother added, looking worried and anxious.

The father was harsh and demanding; the mother was wretched and sorrowful. There was no encouragement or positive atmosphere whatsoever.

"I know, Dad, Mom." Liu Xing nodded, his face dark. His head seemed to be perpetually weighed down by something immensely heavy.

Hearing their conversation, Zhou Ke roughly understood why Liu Xing had such a twisted personality—both conceited and insecure. Personality defects are often inseparable from one's family. Because he was not recognized at home, he struggled to gain admiration and attention elsewhere. Because he was constantly reminded that his family was inferior to others, he subconsciously felt he was born beneath them, and under that pressure, he dared not resist others. Parents, children—no one could be said to be at fault, yet it led to such suffering. That is how many things are in this world.

"What are you looking at!"

When his parents left, Liu Xing turned and spotted Zhou Ke, his embarrassed expression darkening further. His face turned red, and he couldn't help but lash out, "Looking won't do you any good! Your brain is useless in the Mage Examination! With your aptitude, you’d better go back and study your textbooks!"

"Sure," Zhou Ke shrugged nonchalantly. "I’ll go back to study, get into Zhongjing University, graduate, and apply for a clerical job at the Mage Association. Then, I’ll have nothing to do all day but check your Mage license."

"You!" Not skilled in verbal sparring, Liu Xing was momentarily speechless.

"Brother Liu, why bother with this low-level loser?" Antonini walked over, swaying his upper body, and gave Zhou Ke a few middle fingers as if he were rapping. "We are going to be noble Mages; we aren't even in the same social class as him."

"Hmph, true. I’ve been working hard to interpret the Truth these past few days. I’m already at the level of the sixth stage of Power of Reason!"

Zhou Ke and Li Hua looked at each other in silence, both indifferent. Li Hua, needless to say, had an aptitude of the seventh stage of Power of Reason; he had already far surpassed the sixth stage when he awakened his Truth. Zhou Ke had been absorbing D-grade magic crystals; although he hadn't fully absorbed them, he already possessed the Aether capacity of the seventh stage. In the same, if not shorter, amount of time, Liu Xing had climbed from the fifth to nearly the sixth stage, while he had jumped from a negligible first stage to the seventh.

"Louis is right. Magic crystals really are good stuff."

*Clang!*

At 2:30 sharp, the bus full of students drove onto the highway, crossed the bridge, and headed toward the outskirts in the north of the city. The Mage Examination was not a written test, so it was naturally not held at the school. After about an hour’s ride, the bus slowed down, and a massive building resembling an ancient Roman colosseum came into view. Unlike the simple, dull brick and stone, the structure seemed to be cast from silver, shining brilliantly under the sun, with a subtle energy membrane shimmering on its surface.

*That must be materialized Aether,* Zhou Ke thought.

Soon, the bus stopped at the entrance, and the students were urged by the driver to get off and walk in.

"Wow, is this our examination site? So grand!"

"I heard this is where the Guild’s Mages usually train."

"Why does it feel so ancient? I don't see any modern facilities. I thought it would be one of those high-tech steel bases."

The students, all visiting such a place for the first time, looked around with curiosity and excitement. Zhou Ke was no exception. His brain worked actively, entering a "photographic memory" mode, striving to record every detail of this towering, magnificent structure so he could include it in the fairy tales he would write later.

After walking several steps through a dim, arched corridor, the space ahead suddenly opened up. In a daze, they had reached the center of the colosseum. The roar of the crowd was deafening, and a dense mass of people surged before their eyes. Zhou Ke stepped onto the yellowish fine sand and looked up at the heights. Hovering directly above them were virtual screens—a modern style that felt completely out of place in this ancient setting.

"The final batch of examinees has arrived at the site!" The virtual screens broadcasted in a loud, clear voice, and at the same time, the iron gate through which Zhou Ke had just walked slammed shut.

"It’s just an exam, no need to treat it like a trip to the execution ground," Li Hua complained softly, startled.

"Now, we invite the three chief examiners to explain the rules of the examination."

In the center of everyone's attention, three impeccably dressed figures made a grand appearance in the supreme seats at the very top. Of the three, Zhou Ke only recognized one. That man wore a gray suit, with a few strands of hair hanging down like insect antennae—it was Whale-Eye, who had come to Guangcheng No. 1 High School a week ago to test their Truth. Representing the Mage Association, he sat firmly in the central seat of honor, carrying considerable weight.

"First, let us give a warm welcome to the chief examiner, Whale-Eye, the head of the Mage Association for Baiyue Province!"

Without needing to be told, the hundred or so proctors standing near the special seating area broke into thunderous applause. Whale-Eye stood up without a smile, nodded, and sat back down.

"The second chief examiner is Liu Xishu, the branch president of the 'Xiangrui Guild.' We thank the Xiangrui Guild for providing the human resources support for this examination!"

This time, the person on the left stood up. He was a frail-looking man in round-rimmed glasses, exuding a scholarly air and looking much younger than Whale-Eye.

"Xiangrui Guild." Zhou Ke had heard the name. This was not strange; it was like how someone who had never been abroad knew Elon Musk, someone who never played basketball knew Yao Ming, and someone who never paid attention to art knew Van Gogh. With the popularity of the internet, once the fame of something exceeds a certain limit, it inevitably enters the public eye.

The Xiangrui Guild was a prime example among Mage guilds. It was the largest guild in Central Province, with nearly one hundred thousand members and branches spread across the country. But that wasn't all. To understand the fundamental reason for the Xiangrui Guild’s fame, one had to mention one person—the guild president, Xiang Qilin.

Legend has it that over fifty years ago, Central Province was invaded by a Mage organization formed by a coalition of over a dozen small countries. The then-President Xiang, guarding the country, fought a thousand enemies single-handedly. This battle, with its vast disparity in numbers, eventually ended in silence alongside the night, under the stunned gaze of the whole world. Nearly a thousand elites bled on the battlefield, none surviving, all buried beyond the national border. Beyond the border, the grass was stained black and red, the treetops were white bones, and the hills were piled with minced flesh. Yet, the border marker inside the country remained as clean as new, without a speck of dust.

No one knew what happened that night. No one could know what happened that night. No one dared to know what happened that night. They only heard that golden rain had fallen from the sky over the Central Province border. It was after that "Battle of the Golden Rain," which shocked the entire planet, that President Xiang became the first Mage to be ranked at the "Moon-Reflecting" level.

Oh right, I forgot to explain: Mage levels are divided into six tiers, from low to high: Spark, Candle-Wick, Flame-Ring, Firework, Stardust, and Moon-Reflecting. This was why Mages placed such importance on aptitude. It’s like playing a game; if you start at the first stage of Power of Reason, you’re level one, but someone at the ninth stage is level nine. Level one fighting level nine—how are you supposed to win? Not to mention, their experience bar grows faster than yours. By the time you reach level six, they might have already jumped to eighteen.

All this information was browsed by Zhou Ke from the official website of the Mage Association; it was public knowledge and not a secret.