"Now that everyone has their belongings, the minions will send you to your respective professor's laboratories." Said the middle-aged man as he snapped his fingers while leaving the room.
Suddenly, from nowhere, Daron felt a tug on his robe. Looking over, he noticed that a tiny floating black ball with hands was holding onto his robe.
He immediately took a step back in fright. This creature… he did not sense it, neither did Sirious until it had reached right next to him.
[Correction. It was formed right next to you, that is why no one sensed it.]
'Oh. Then these must be the minions the instructor was talking about.'
[Affirmative Master]
'You know, I have realised that sometimes you refer to me as Master, while other times you talk to me as if I'm some child compared to you.'
[Master… you are a child]
Daron was immediately silenced as he glanced down at his body, which looked as though it was of a 14-year-old child. Without any further communication with Sirious, he bid everyone else farewell and left.
Following the minion through several corridors, halls and rooms, he finally arrived outside a door in the area designated for laboratories. However, this was in a rather secluded part of the area, with no one around. Compared to the bustling part of the area he had passed in order to get to this place, the location he was at, could only be considered deserted.
The minion let go of Daron and used its tiny hand to knock on the door before vanishing completely, right in front of Daron's disbelieving eyes.
'Magic is truly incredible' he could only sigh in admiration at the power of magic.
"Come in" A slightly aged voice came out from inside the laboratory followed by the clicking of the lock on the door. Hesitating only for a brief instant, Daron pushed open the door and walked in, instantly assaulted by a thick stench of ingredients. It was unlike the one at the Alchemy Union or from where he bought herbs. A sweet and spicy aroma which both cooled down his mind and heated up his body invaded his senses.
However, just as he was recovering from the intense smell, hints of poisonous fumes also entangled into his mind, as a wave of dizziness and nausea threatened to knock him out. However, thanks to his rather well-built physique and Internal Energy, he quickly neutralised the poison that had entered his body and blocked more from entering.
'Thankfully, this was just some lingering fumes from poison, and not the real deal.' Lamented in his heart, his apprehension towards this seemingly frail and old man returned back to one that he had towards the other instructors.
The old man in question, Professor Luke, was holding a test tube in one hand and using the other hand to generate a flame that was slowly heating up the viscous liquid inside the tube as his keen eyes observed every reaction.
He did not react to Daron, and simply continued with his experiment, but after a few seconds, he shook his head and sighed before placing the test tube down into its holder.
Taking a moment to collect himself, he turned towards Daron and asked.
"I am Luke. You can call me professor or mentor. I heard the details from the minion already. So, Daron, are you willing to be my apprentice?"
In all essence, the term apprentice was derived from this relation between teacher and student between the strong and the weak. Unlike Internal Energy, Magic required the accumulation of knowledge as well as Mana. Therefore, a teacher who was at least Rank 1 Mage was a necessity if you hoped to ever advance to becoming a Rank 1 mage.
"I am willing" Daron said concisely.
"Good then! From this moment forwards, you are my apprentice. Let's get on with the contract then"
"Contract?"
"Of course. This is something all students must go through, not just in the Dark Forest Academy, but in all academies and organisations."
"Oh"
"Repeat after me."
After the old man said that, he extended his hand to the ground, causing it to shift. However, that seemingly did not affect a single item on the various tables in the laboratory, as though the ground was water moving around rocks which were the tables.