Owl organizes an annual competition to determine rankings and resource distribution among its members. Higher rankings result in greater allocation of resources.
Members are not required to participate in the annual competition. Even if a member chooses not to participate, they will not face warnings or expulsion from the organization. Ultimately, their worthiness to remain in the organization is determined solely by the trials.
Gilgamel had never taken part in the yearly competition, so his ranking on the first floor was always at rock bottom.
As a Potioneer, he did not attach much importance to ranking and resource distribution.
The demand for potion is always high, so whenever Gilgamel needed points, he just created and submitted them to the relevant department in the organization.
Moreover, instead of being concerned about rankings and rewards, he was more preoccupied with his own progress, considering he was significantly lagging behind others.
It's clear that Gilgamel is feeling anxious about his level. Considering that those around him have already reached levels 8 and 9 while he's only at level 7, it's understandable. However, achieving a higher level is not something that can be rushed.
Training requires consistent effort. Although potions can aid, they should only be used occasionally to avoid harm to the body. Therefore, progress must be gradual.
As Gilgamel thought about it, he immediately stood up and lost interest in watching Farad and Magnus fight. He decided to leave and called out, "Let's go, Dodo!"
Dodo's ears twitched as it woke up and followed Gilgamel.
Gilgamel didn't leave the Magic Arena immediately; he still had business to attend to. Exiting the spectator seating area, he headed straight to the infirmary.
The infirmary room was spacious and contained many neatly arranged beds, along with various treatment instruments. The room was also filled with the soothing scent of herbs.
The organization always has plenty of passionate members. Some purely want to fight, others want to test their progress, and some want to settle their grudges. As a result, the infirmary is never empty since there are always matches in the Magic Arena.
"Oh, Gil, thank goodness you've arrived!"
Upon seeing Gilgamel, a middle-aged woman wearing a white robe immediately smiled with relief.
"Madam Illeas, your infirmary is still as popular as Mai's food stall," Gilgamel said with a smile.
Madam Illeas glared at him and said, "Please don't compare my sacred place with a food stall. Also, I don't need this kind of popularity. Hurry up, come, and help!"
Gilgamel laughed and came over.
The head of the Health Department on the first floor changed every year, typically held by members of the upper floors. This year, Madam Elleas held the position.
She is a member of the third floor and a Third Circle Wizard.
She typically spent most of her time in the infirmary, treating it as her office. Therefore, injured members could only go here if they needed treatment.
Gilgamel visited the infirmary almost every day, so it was no surprise that he and Madam Ellieas got along so well.
Gilgamel approached a male patient sitting sideways on the bed.
The man had a large, muscular body and was wearing a tight, sleeveless black t-shirt instead of the organization's official robe.
Gilgamel knows this guy well as he was a frequent visitor to the infirmary.
Because many people called him Black Bear, Gilgamel also started subconsciously calling him that.
"Hiss... That jerk really burned me good this time!"
Gilgamel could hear Black Bear hissing as he touched the burns on his skin with a pained expression.
"Looks like you still know what pain feels like. I thought you were immune to it."
"Hmph, this is nothing!" Black Bear harrumphed as he stared at the newcomer.
"Tsk, tsundere as always," Gilgamel said teasingly.
A bulging vein appeared on Black Bear's forehead as he snapped, "What do you want?"
"What?" Gilgamel raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm here to treat you. Look at how badly you've ended up!"
Black Bear growled like an angry dog, as if he didn't want to be treated by someone like him.
Ignoring Black Bear's attitude, Gilgamel said, "Lie down; I'll heal you in a minute."
Reluctantly, Black Bear lay down on the bed.
Suddenly, a chill feeling touched his skin as he saw a large blob of water covering his entire body, except for his head.
He didn't feel strange about this sensation as it wasn't the first time Gilgamel had treated him. Although he disliked Gilgamel, he had to admit that this person was very skilled in healing magic.
"Be thankful! I not only healed your burn wounds but also some other wounds on several parts of your body," Gilgamel said.
Black Bear was pissed and said, "I didn't ask you to!"
"Should I treat another damaged part of yours as well?"
"Which part?"
Gilgamel pointed his finger at his head and said, "Your brain."
"..."
Black Bear looked at Gilgamel, and Gilgamel looked back at Black Bear with an innocent smile on his face.
@!@#$%^&
Madam Elleas, who was tending to her patient, suddenly heard a loud crash from behind the curtain where Gilgamel was attending to Black Bear. She tilted her head and wondered what it was.
***
DING DONG!
The sound of the Grand Bell reverberated throughout the castle, signalling the arrival of lunch.
Even though it was always nighttime in Owl, the organization had its own way of signalling mealtime.
As soon as the Grand Bell rang, the members immediately stopped their activities and headed straight to the Cafeteria.
It didn't take long for the Cafeteria to be filled with members.
The Cafeteria was a spacious hall with ten long tables where the first-floor members sat during meal times. At the front were the staff tables, which were much grander in setup. The kitchen, where the chef cooked, was located on the right side and was visible to the members.
The hall's ceiling is adorned with magical lights resembling the night sky.
The food provided by Owl for its members was always rich and varied, including fruit juice, meat pies, tripe, stew, fried sausages, roast beef, chicken, shepherd's pie, Cornish pasties, lamb chops, soup, steak, pudding, jelly, and marshmallows...
The wizards under the Fifth Circle Wizard were still considered ordinary humans, as they needed to eat and drink to replenish their energy for daily activities. However, what set them apart was their enormous appetite. As a result, the chefs in Owl always cooked a lot.
When the members were busy eating, someone suddenly initiated a conversation.
"Hey, have you heard the latest news?"
"What kind of news?"
"What else? Of course, news about the First Trial!"
The moment the phrase "First Trial" was uttered, everyone abruptly stopped eating as if someone had pressed the pause button. They all immediately perked up their ears as if they were ready to listen.
The phrase "First Trial" was like a death call for them. It was the event that determined their fate in Owl. As a result, any information about the trial was extremely important to them. None of them wanted to miss it.
The young man who initiated the conversation was astonished. He looked around and realized that everyone else was eager to hear the rumour from his mouth.
He quickly swallowed the bread, then said: "I heard that we need a team for this trial."
His words were direct and straightforward.
"Does this mean we need a team to pass this trial?"
"That's all I know. I don't know the details."
"I suppose so... well, at least we know we need to form a team early. Or is this news purposely spread by the staff in charge so that we won't be unprepared on the day of the event?"
"Woaa... I like that hypothesis!"
"How many members do you think we need in a team?"
"I think it's five..."
"Why is that?"
"Because the staff in the Aurium always advise us to make a five-person team whenever we go on a group mission."
"That's reasonable..."
The wizarding community is filled with intelligent individuals. To become a skilled wizard, one must acquire extensive knowledge, memorize complex magic spells, and strategize to harness additional magical power.
Furthermore, after spending five years in the organization, they gained valuable experience through various challenging missions that required them to think deeply.
As a result, the members of the Cafeteria were able to quickly analyze the content of the First Trial based on just a few clues.
"Oops! I don't have time for a big meal. I need to invite some strong members to join my team!"
One of the listeners suddenly shouted, stood up, and immediately ran from the Cafeteria.
"Me too!"
"Hey, count me in!"
For a moment, the members rushed out of the Cafeteria as if they were escaping an earthquake.
Just like that, news of the team formation for the First Trial spread rapidly like wildfire. Not even a day passed before almost all the members on the first floor had heard about it.
Meanwhile, the person who first broke the news had already arrived in front of a building with a sign that read "Gil's Appraisal Room" on it.