"Magic Stone?"
Link took notice of this bit of news and committed it to memory.
But never mind the wizards' currency, Magic Stones; he hadn't even touched a single gold coin used on the island.
After racking his brains for over a year, he had only managed to scrounge up a little over 10 silver coins, meeting the Krypton Gold Draw Card System's minimum recharge condition of at least 1 gold coin or 10 silver coins.
After that, to exchange more Krypton Gold for drawing chances, he'd need 10 gold coins or 100 silver coins.
"Making money!"
Link sighed, realizing that no matter which world one is in, making money was a must.
"Who has Magic Stones?" Jimmy suddenly asked.
Chris and Christina, the siblings, both shook their heads while Link candidly spread his hands wide.
Jasmine hesitated for a moment before whispering, "My family gave me two."
Wow, a wealthy lady.
Link felt amused by this thought, but didn't have any other designs.
As long as one is willing to struggle, there would be gold coins, and there would be Magic Stones.
However, at this point, the conversation seemed to have reached its natural conclusion.
Having just had a sumptuous lunch, all five were feeling sleepy and tacitly stopped chatting, each reclining in their seats and closing their eyes for a nap.
It was only then that Link got to delve into the "Mind Closure Technique" he had drawn.
The "Mind Closure Technique," from the Harry Potter World, is a magical art that seals the mind against external mental infiltrations and magical invasions.
The basic level of the "Mind Closure Technique" involved clearing the mind of memories and emotions, making one as blank as a wooden person to resist "Legilimency."
In other words, Link's rudimentary "Mind Closure Technique" allowed him to clear his mind of distractions at will, achieving a state of pure and undistracted focus.
A more advanced form of the "Mind Closure Technique" would allow for the erasure, disguise, or fabrication of specific memories and emotions.
To Link, this was another kind of "resize as one wished," but in a different sense.
Link believed the "Mind Closure Technique" would play a significant role in the future.
With this thought, Link slowly drifted off to sleep.
However, he hadn't been asleep for long when the levitating vehicle came to a halt.
They had arrived at Katosi Harbor.
Wizard Palo emerged from the front compartment, stepping out first, followed by the five new Wizard Apprentices in single file.
The harbor was bustling with ships continuously coming and going, and people swarmed everywhere.
Yet, strangely no one seemed to notice a levitating vehicle that had stopped close by, nor the people disembarking from it, as if they were completely invisible.
"Invisibility? Or a Muggle-Repelling Charm?" Link wondered idly.
Wizard Palo gestured with his hand to the rear.
The levitating vehicle shrank rapidly to the size of a palm and flew into Wizard Palo's hand.
"This..."
Link was stupefied by Wizard Palo's move.
Resize as one wished? A magical artifact?
So cool, I want one too!
Link gaped, clearly showing that he was not well-traveled.
Jimmy, Chris, Christina, and Jasmine seemed much more accustomed to this sight, having apparently witnessed it before.
"All aboard."
Wizard Palo, always succinct, moved swiftly through the crowd that parted for him automatically.
His destination was clear—the Full Metal Ship occupying the harbor's largest berth, the White Sail.
Link had only just noticed the full metal ship in the harbor, sticking out among the wooden sailboats like a crane amongst chickens.
From the start of his participation in the Wizard Qualifications test, his repeatedly shocked heart was shocked once again.
This wasn't just a simple matter of a ship; it represented that the industrial level of the main continent he was about to visit far surpassed that of the Quete Archipelago and far exceeded Link's expectations.
Was it not agreed that the social environment and development process of the Wizard World paralleled that of the Western Middle Ages? Except for the commendable fact that great power belongs to oneself, all other aspects were supposed to be quite backward, right?
The Quete Archipelago conformed to this setting, but...
A full metal ship for long voyages—such ships were not even common in Link's previous life, with its fairly advanced science and technology, and very few countries could manufacture them independently.
"I am the frog in the well after all, gazing at the sky from the bottom of a well!"
Link reflected in time, realizing that he must set aside prejudices and preconceived notions and to integrate into the Wizard World with a humble attitude. Only by doing so could he avoid future errors of hubris like the proverbial frog in the well.
While contemplating this, Link followed Wizard Palo to the vicinity of the White Sail Ship.
There was a gangplank protruding from the bow of the White Sail Ship connecting it to the dock.
Wizard Palo led Link and the other four people up the gangplank and onto the ship.
At the top of the gangplank was a small gate, unmanned.
Wizard Palo reached into his pocket with his right hand, took out a flat rectangle, and pressed it against the slightly raised square plate in the center of the small gate.
"Welcome back, esteemed Wizard Palo."
The plate first lit up with a glowing blue light, scanned the rectangle in Wizard Palo's hand, and then emitted a mechanical, neutral voice, "Five unregistered individuals detected behind you. Shall they be registered as your entourage?"
"No."
Wizard Palo replied, "Register them as 'New Blood.'"
"Understood, registered as 'New Blood.' Please collect your temporary passes."
As the voice from the plate fell, a tray extended from above it, holding five metal pieces the size of mahjong tiles.
Wizard Palo removed the flat rectangle from the plate, picked up the five metal pieces from the tray.
The tray immediately retracted.
The small gate also opened automatically.
"Take care not to lose this, it's very troublesome to replace."
Wizard Palo casually flicked the metal pieces backward, and miraculously distributed one to each of the five people, hovering steadily at the position of each person's chest.
Link hurriedly caught it and looked at it.
One side of the metal piece was imprinted with the words "Temporary Pass," and the other side bore the ship's cabin level and room number.
"My task here is complete."
Wizard Palo entered the door, paused for a moment, and uncharacteristically said a few more words, "Find your own rooms using the numbers; there will be some materials inside. Look at them, think about them, and reflect on them."
After saying that, Wizard Palo quickly stepped into the ship's cabin and was soon out of sight.
This...
Link and the others exchanged looks.
For Link and the others, the Wizard Qualifications test and the journey to the main continent were matters of utmost importance; yet for Wizard Palo, it was a task devoid of any technical content and just a waste of time.
No wonder Wizard Palo always had a cold and perfunctory demeanor, with such a tight schedule.
"Self-reliance it is, gentlemen."
Raising the metal piece in his hand, Link optimistically said.
Then, he took the lead in entering through the small door, ready to find room number 3-016 on the third deck.
Upon passing through the door, Link immediately sensed a difference.
There seemed to be a special substance in the air inside the ship, or rather, the concentration of this special substance was much higher than outside.
After just a few breaths, Link felt his body become much lighter and his mind much more active.
The difference was like that between the air in a highly polluted factory and the natural oxygen-rich air of a large forest.
Link also discovered another reason why Wizard Palo was unwilling to stay longer in the Quete Archipelago.