Tiny runes rose from the surface of the parchment, rotating slowly in the air and weaving into a complex pattern that made one's head spin.
In the center of the pattern, a phantom of a giant eye faintly emerged.
The eye was closed.
Yet, even as a mere phantom, it caused Ethan's heart to tighten suddenly.
It was a pressure that originated from the depths of his soul, as if that eye only needed to open and offer a single glance to turn him into ash.
Beyond that, he felt a flicker of concern regarding his own identity.
After all, he was a transmigrator; who knew if this thing could see through him?
The eye opened.
Its pupil was pure gold, with no white and no iris—only a mass of gold slowly swirling within the socket.
Its gaze fell upon Ethan.
In that instant, Ethan felt as though he had been completely seen through.
From his body to his soul, from his past to the present, every cell, every thread of consciousness, and every stray thought lay exposed under the gaze of that golden pupil.
He subconsciously tensed his body, his right hand clenching slightly into a fist.
After three breaths, the eye closed.
An ethereal voice echoed within the tent. It seemed to come from a vast distance yet rang directly within the depths of his soul. It was impossible to discern gender or age; there was only a sense of otherworldly majesty and hollow resonance:
"Soul fluctuation stable, spectrum pure and unadulterated, essence mark clear, origin anchor firm. No abnormal contamination, no signs of reincarnation, no world beacons, no mental imprints, no divine influence, no abyss erosion, no void mutation, no curse entanglement, no demonic infestation, no possession residue, no memory tampering, no contract binding, no karmic entanglement, no law branding, no bloodline shackles, no faith anchors, no restrictive seals, no extraterrestrial gaze, no fate deviation. Evaluation: Passed."
As the words fell, the phantom of the giant eye began to slowly dissipate. Starting from the edges, it dissolved into fine points of light that merged into the air.
After a few breaths, the phantom vanished completely.
The silver runes on the surface of the parchment dimmed at the same time, returning to their original appearance.
Simultaneously, the crystal in Holden's hand underwent a transformation.
The transparent texture of the crystal's surface grew cloudy, its color shifting from colorless to milky white, then to a bone-like pale yellow. Its shape also changed, twisting and shrinking from a regular polyhedron until it finally solidified into a bone plaque the size of a thumb.
The plaque was an irregular rectangle, its surface smooth and warm, with faint, intricate lines flowing across it.
Holden let out a long breath, his tensed shoulders visibly relaxing.
Behind him, Max and Fay also relaxed at the same time.
"Alright, you passed." Holden turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Ethan. "Congratulations. From now on, you are officially an Apprentice Reserve of the Blood Bone Tower Academy."
As he spoke, he tossed the bone plaque to Ethan.
Ethan reached out and caught it.
"This is your identity plaque," Holden explained. "Activate it with a drop of blood. From now on, everything in the academy—eating, lodging, attending classes, taking missions, and trading items—depends on this. If you lose it, it costs fifty magic stones to replace, and you'll have to wait three months for the audit. During that time, you won't be able to go anywhere."
Ethan nodded and tucked the bone plaque into his tunic.
Holden looked Ethan up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment.
There was a hint of scrutiny, a touch of curiosity, and something else indefinable in that look.
"Those hundred-plus people... all dead?"
"Yes." Ethan nodded, his face devoid of any extra expression.
"How did they die?"
"I killed them."
The tent fell silent once more.
Max blinked, the hand tossing the crystal coin freezing mid-air. The lazy expression on Fay's face stiffened for an instant, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.
Holden, however, remained unfazed. He merely raised an eyebrow and scanned Ethan once more.
"Do you have a Wizardry Tool?"
"What is a Wizardry Tool?"
"Uh, I guess that's a no."
"Great Knight?"
"Yes."
"How old?"
"Sixteen."
Holden was silent for two seconds before nodding.
"Fine then. No wonder."
He didn't ask anything else, simply turning toward the tent entrance. "Let's go. I'll take you to the freshman area. If you have any questions, ask them now. After today, I won't have time to deal with you."
Holden walked at the front, his pace neither fast nor slow.
"You should be the last batch for this term. Those from the other empires have already arrived," Holden said without looking back, a hint of relief in his voice. "If you were two days later, I was planning to ask the Lord Guard if everyone from the Thorn Empire had died on the road."
Ethan walked beside him and raised an eyebrow. "Senior, are there many people this year?"
"Yeah, about seven thousand or so," Holden replied casually.
Ethan's gaze narrowed slightly.
Seven thousand.
"Many?" Holden scoffed, pointing toward the massive architectural complex in the distance. "Blood Bone Tower governs twenty-six empires plus several independent landmasses, with a total population of nearly ten billion. Do you think seven thousand freshmen a year is a lot? Do you know how many people get stuck at the Chaotic Labyrinth stage? How many can't even pass the first round of testing?"
He withdrew his hand and continued walking. "Furthermore, out of these seven thousand, it'll be a miracle if even half survive the next ten years. Being a wizard apprentice isn't that easy."
Ethan didn't respond.
He could tell that Holden wasn't trying to intimidate him; he was simply stating facts.
The two crossed the stone grounds and stepped onto a wide, black stone path.
Bone pillars several meters high stood at intervals along both sides of the path. Eerie green flames burned atop the pillars, casting flickering light and shadow on the road ahead.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, a massive archway appeared ahead.
The archway was thirty meters high and wide enough for ten carriages to pass through side-by-side.
The frame was constructed from countless bones of varying thickness. Some were white as jade, some had a pale gold sheen, and others were covered in fine runes.
Above the lintel, three giant blood-red characters were twisted into bizarre shapes.
Ethan stared at the three characters for two seconds, feeling as if the strokes were living things, slowly writhing in his vision.
"Don't look for too long," Holden's voice rang out. "The Dean carved those himself. Looking at them for too long will drain your spirit."
Ethan withdrew his gaze and nodded.
Right then,
The void in the center of the archway suddenly distorted.
The air seemed to be squeezed and torn by an invisible force, letting out faint crackling sounds. A massive silhouette solidified rapidly within the distortion. In the blink of an eye, a bat head five meters tall appeared out of thin air, hovering in the center of the archway and completely blocking the path.
The head was pitch black with a leathery texture, its surface covered in fine wrinkles and dark red veins. Its ears were long and pointed, with eerie scarlet interiors. Its eyes were as large as basins, with pupils that were vertical golden lines, currently staring fixedly at the two people outside the gate.
"Halt. State your identity."
An invisible pressure emanated from the giant mouth, and the surrounding air seemed to thicken.
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