Apart from Bosch, Sain's other close friend who knew him inside out was Merry.
She was a little girl who arrived at Shadowy Territory three years after Sain and Bosch, and was only fourteen years old this year.
Despite her young age, Merry's luck and talent were enough to make Sain envious.
With an initial Mental Power of 13 points, she became a disciple of a formal Dark Magician in her third year at Dark Magic Academy, when she was just promoted to a low-level apprentice.
Sain's close relationship with Merry was rooted in the fact that he saved her life during a dissection experiment five years ago.
Thanks to Sain's moment of compassion and his persistence in speaking up for her, Merry was spared from being dissected by Master Colonso.
It was this experience that made Merry, who had just arrived at Shadowy Territory and had nowhere to go, completely recognize Sain as her big brother.
Even after she became the disciple of the formal Dark Magician, Master Dirth, Merry never severed her connection with Sain.
Instead, they occasionally discussed academics after public classes.
Master Dirth was a famous pharmacist, but unfortunately, he seldom appeared in public classes to share his knowledge.
Merry's good fortune allowed her to become his disciple, but he had been absent for the past six months, probably to conduct some experiments or formulate potions.
Merry and Bosch became Sain's close friends because Sain himself carefully maintained and operated this friendship.
In Dark Magic Academy, it was really hard to get by without any helpers.
Although Merry and Bosch were not very strong, the former had a formal Dark Magician as a mentor and had dabbled in pharmacology, while the latter had a wide network of contacts and business skills.
They could help each other out in many situations and live well in Dark Magic Academy. Everything was just for survival.
Sain was indeed very interested in the mysteries of magic and the truths that Dark Magicians held, but he knew that his primary goal was still to survive.
The location of the grade assessment was a spacious training ground behind the largest teaching building of Dark Magic Academy.
Many apprentices came here to practice a new magic. Sain still remembered that he created his first small flame here.
The grading criteria for the Dark Magic Academy's annual assessment was not very detailed, and the superior Dark Magicians clearly didn't have the energy to deal with such things.
Typically, there were rarely more than four official Dark Magicians who attended the annual assessment.
This year, however, there were only three, the same as the previous year.
In the vast training ground, more than five hundred apprentices intermittently walked in.
This is almost 80% of the total number of apprentices in the Mosobla City Dark Magic Academy.
The majority are entry-level and low-level apprentices, while there are around seventy intermediate-level apprentices and just over ten high-level apprentices.
This is by no means the total number of all apprentices in the Dark Magic Academy.
For example, Sain knows that his senior sister Faye has come to participate in this year's assessment, but his senior brother Zoro did not. Additionally, some apprentices cannot come due to various reasons.
The Dark Magic Academy has never required all apprentices to participate in the assessment.
After all, the assessment is a game for the strong, and the weak...may be eliminated in the usual life of the Dark Magic Academy.
The specific content of the assessment is actually a one-on-one fight on the arena.
As long as the apprentices from different levels are on the field, they can fight to their heart's content, with no regard for life or death. Of course, you can also choose to challenge someone from a higher level, and if you win, not only will you lock in the top three rankings, but there is also a high probability of gaining recognition from the official Dark Magicians in the venue.
In the circle of entry-level apprentices, the deciding factor for their ranking is either their ability to defeat or even kill their opponent without using magic, or their ability to successfully release a low-level magic spell.
Sain and Bosch searched the entire training ground, but they didn't see Merry, so Sain guessed that he probably wouldn't come this time.
"Are you going to participate in the ranking competition this time?" Bosch asked Sain in a low voice. By this time, Sain had already put on his Pale mask.
He nodded in response to Bosch's question and said, "My senior sister said that there may be some good prizes for the academy assessment this time, and I should try to compete for them."
Upon hearing this, Bosch also nodded in agreement.
From the information he obtained from other magic apprentices, Bosch knew that in addition to the Pale mask, Sain also had a very powerful Magic short wand, which was given to him by his mentor Mosido as a protective measure.
With that wand in hand, Sain even had the strength to break into the intermediate-level apprentice circle.
After the official start of the assessment, the three Dark Magicians who were seated on the highest viewing platform in the training ground were also in place.
Wow, there are quite a few promising talents this year," exclaimed one of the Dark Magicians.
He first glanced at the dozen or so senior apprentices, then turned his gaze to the intermediate apprentices, and finally took a quick look at the junior apprentices.
As for the numerous entry-level apprentices, this Dark Magician didn't even spare a glance.
It's worth mentioning that when he looked at the junior magic apprentices, he paused for half a second on Sain.
He knew Sain. Two months ago, Sain and Lena caused such a commotion on Black Street.
Among the two official Dark Magicians present at Black Street, one of them was him.
In Mosobla City, there are not too many Dark Magicians, but also not too few.
Almost every Dark Magician serves as a deity in the academy or has a corresponding responsibility.
From some perspectives, Mosobla City provides these Dark Magicians with a refuge to settle down, while the academy provides them with a place to communicate with each other.
As a return, these self-interested and unruly Dark Magicians must do something for the academy and Mosobla City.
For a big secret that the lower-level apprentices don't know about, the lord of Mosobla City is actually the mysterious and powerful headmaster of the Dark Magic Academy.
However, the headmaster almost never appears in front of the apprentices, and even the official Dark Magicians find it difficult to see him.
Currently, the normal operation of the Dark Magic Academy is maintained by three vice headmasters who have the authority to assign tasks to these Dark Magicians.
Dadalon, whom Sain had previously contacted, is one of them. He is also responsible for the most matters, including the Overseers of the Owl Academy.
The other two vice headmasters are equally low-profile.
Lilyanya's mentor, a senior apprentice, is the only female among the three vice headmasters.