As Ice and Sara reached the center of the village, they found that a crowd had already gathered. Word had spread of their exploits in the forest, and many villagers were there to greet them and congratulate them.
Among the crowd, they saw the Village Elders, who nodded at them approvingly. Ice in particular was the center of attention, and his friends and family were all smiling and cheering for him.
The Elders approached them, their eyes fixed on Ice. "Congratulations on your apprentice level breakthrough," one of them said.
Ice couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and accomplishment. He had worked hard to reach this level, and it was gratifying to be recognized by the village leaders.
He bowed his head slightly, acknowledging their words. "Thank you, Elders," he said. "I am honored by your acknowledgment."
Ice remembered that his lucky breakthrough was as a result of the intense fight between him and the beast that push him into the first level.
The Elders smiled at him, clearly impressed. "We were watching your progress closely," one of them said. "And we were not disappointed. You have shown great skill and bravery, both in the forest and in training."
Ice felt a warmth spreading through his chest at their words. It was a sign of respect and recognition, and he knew it would go a long way in his future training.
Sara was also beaming, clearly proud of her friend. "Now that Ice is an apprentice level trainee," she said to the Elders, "he will be able to start learning more advanced techniques, right?"
The Elders nodded in agreement. "Yes," one of them said. "As an apprentice, Ice will now have access to more difficult training regimes, and will be able to learn more powerful techniques. This is a critical level in his development as a mage"
Before that As a reward for their heroic deeds and Ice's breakthrough to Apprentice Level, the Village Elders presented them both with their own personal training altars.
These were special structures that would help them build their skills and level up even further. As ice placed his core on his training altar, it began to glow brighter, signifying that he had reached Apprentice Level Stage Two.
Meanwhile, Sara's core had also begun to glow, signaling that she had reached Apprentice Level Stage One.