Ethan raised his left hand, his gaze falling upon the pale gray ring on his middle finger.
His mental power delved into the ring, and a hazy gray space materialized in his consciousness.
The space was shockingly large, with a total volume of exactly one hundred cubic meters.
Inside, crates of alchemy materials, dozens of bottles of finished potions, hundreds of magic stones, and various miscellaneous items were all neatly stacked and categorized.
One hundred cubic meters.
To think, when he first bought this ring, the internal space was a measly one cubic meter.
It would have been full after stuffing in a few pieces of Wizardry Tools and some magic stones.
And now?
He could pack whatever he wanted, and there would still be plenty of empty space left.
All of this was thanks to the Spirit-Focusing Potion and Ignis Paste.
A single bottle of Spirit-Focusing Potion cost three magic stones in materials and sold for six, doubling the profit.
Over the past year, the number of magic stones Ethan had accumulated reached a figure that would make an ordinary apprentice gape in shock.
Twenty-three thousand.
At this amount, let alone his classmates who were still desperately doing missions for a few dozen magic stones, even some struggling Second-Tier Wizards might not be able to produce so much cash on short notice.
"Tsk, alchemy really is a gold mine."
Ethan stood up and stretched his limbs.
Given his current strength—ten cantrips and twenty mental runes—he would have no problem fighting a Third-Tier Wizard Apprentice head-on.
But honestly, if I have a cheat and don't use it, wouldn't I be an idiot?
How should he use it?
By getting some Life Energy, of course.
Naturally, before setting out, he had to apply a bit of a disguise.
Ethan pulled out his original one-cubic-meter ring from his robe and swapped it with the large ring on his hand.
"Hehe, much better."
The Logistics Hall was as bustling as ever.
From a distance, he could hear the clamor pouring out of the main doors, sounding like a massive crowded market.
As soon as Ethan stepped over the threshold, his gaze swept around, and his eyebrows shot up.
The line in front of the mission window was at least three times longer than usual.
The mission information scrolling across the massive black stone slab on the wall was also much denser than before, with urgent missions marked in red text making up nearly half the list.
Ethan walked to a mission query pillar and pressed his identity plaque into the slot.
When the light screen popped up, he first scanned the mission categories.
Extermination.
He clicked it open.
【Investigate Stranglehold Marsh】 Reward: 25 magic stones per person. Requirement: 3–5 people.
【Hunt Traitor Niles】 Reward: 80 magic stones. Requirement: 5–8 people.
...
Before Ethan could finish scanning, a shadow loomed over him from the side.
He instinctively took a half-step to the side, and from the corner of his eye, he saw a Spirit Bone Guard already standing less than a meter behind him.
"Ethan Leo," the Spirit Bone Guard spoke. "Dean Blood Fury is looking for you."
Ethan's brow twitched slightly.
Blood Fury?
The Second-Tier Wizard?
"Me?" He pointed at himself, making sure he hadn't misheard.
"Yes."
The Spirit Bone Guard offered no further explanation. Its bony hand fished out a thumb-sized transparent crystal from its waist.
Pale silver patterns flowed across the crystal's surface, and fine points of light could be seen slowly rotating inside, exactly like the activation mechanism of a teleportation array.
Before Ethan could react, the Spirit Bone Guard crushed the crystal.
Crack.
Crystal shards slipped from the bony fingers, transforming into countless tiny specks of light in mid-air. These specks rapidly expanded and swirled, enveloping both Ethan and the Spirit Bone Guard.
A sensation of weightlessness rose from the soles of his feet as his surroundings began to warp. The counters, windows, and passing figures of the Logistics Hall all stretched, blurred, and spun in his vision, finally turning into a blinding white light.
The moment the white light dissipated, he felt solid ground beneath his feet.
Ethan steadied himself and quickly scanned the room.
It was a small room, roughly fifty or sixty square meters. The four walls were made of deep gray stone with surfaces as smooth as mirrors, where he could faintly see his own reflection. There were no lamps overhead; light seeped out from within the walls—a cold white glow that left the space without a single shadow.
Directly facing the door was a wide stone desk, and behind it sat a man.
Blood Fury.
He was currently leaning back in his chair, holding a cup of steaming liquid.
The thick eyebrows on his square face were slightly furrowed, and his crimson eyes stared at the cup in his hand as if he were pondering some profound life problem.
Hearing the movement, he lifted his eyelids and swept his gaze over Ethan.
"You're here."
Ethan stood straight, placed his right hand over his chest, and bowed slightly.
"Dean, you were looking for me?"
"Mm." Blood Fury set down his cup and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk with his fingers interlaced. "I have a task for you to handle."
Ethan blinked, startled.
"Me?" He pointed at himself. "But I've been enrolled for less than a year."
"Doesn't matter."
Blood Fury's answer was blunt and decisive, not even giving Ethan a chance to continue as he spoke over him.
"We need someone to enter a secret realm, and you're it."
Ethan opened his mouth, the gears in his head nearly grinding to a halt.
Huh?
"Huh?"
Blood Fury completely ignored his shocked expression, simply leaning back with his arms crossed. His crimson eyes fixed on Ethan, as if sizing up a tool that seemed decent enough for the job.
"That secret realm is filled with corrupted beasts and magical beasts. We're looking to see which academy's apprentice can gather the most materials within a month, and whose has the highest value. This is of great importance. Each academy only sends one apprentice, and their study time cannot exceed five years."
He paused, his lips curling into a slight arc.
"You happen to fit the criteria."
Ethan fell silent for a moment.
"Dean, may I ask... is combat allowed in that secret realm?"
The moment Ethan's question left his mouth, Blood Fury laughed.
A flash of satisfaction flickered in his crimson eyes.
"It is, but not for the first nine days."
Ethan paused.
"No fighting for the first nine days?"
"That secret realm has rules. The first nine days are the gathering period. All apprentices who enter can only gather materials and kill beasts; they cannot attack each other. Whoever strikes first will be directly ejected by the secret realm's rules."
He paused again, his smile widening slightly.
"Of course, if you want to be eliminated early, I won't stop you."
Ethan shook his head, his expression becoming serious.
"And after the ninth day?"
"Anything goes," Blood Fury answered succinctly. "The secret realm won't care, and neither will the academy. Whether you choose to kill or not is up to you, as long as you can bring the materials out alive."
Only gathering and no fighting for the first nine days.
That meant all the apprentices who entered would spend those nine days frantically looting materials, and no one would waste time looking for trouble.
But once the ninth day passed...
Heh, then it wouldn't be a gathering competition anymore.
"Dean, who is White Bird Academy sending?"
Blood Fury lifted his eyelids to look at him, his gaze carrying a hint of approval, as if saying, 'You're quick on the uptake.'
"A Second-Tier Wizard Apprentice. He has condensed twenty runes, is an earth-element specialist, and is proficient in seven cantrips."
Rate on N.U.
