The Morning Star Assessment was a system introduced by the Starlight Academy thirty years ago.
All Level 2 Apprentice Wizards under the age of 30 were eligible to apply. Those who passed would become Morning Star trainees, receiving a monthly stipend and, more importantly, becoming a true disciple of a wizard mentor.
A true disciple!
Since the introduction of this system, Morning Star trainees had become synonymous with genius.
Over the past thirty years, more than three-quarters of those who advanced to Level 3 Apprentice Wizards were Morning Star trainees.
This fact alone underscored the immense value of being a Morning Star trainee.
After hearing Krye's suggestion, Hailin didn't hesitate to reply, "Grandfather, I plan to build up more experience before applying for the Morning Star Assessment. With my current abilities, I don't think I have a high chance of passing."
"That's reasonable. After all, you're only sixteen. There's plenty of time," Krye replied with an unchanged smile.
He was reminded of Xieman, who had also become a Level 2 Apprentice Wizard at sixteen or seventeen.
Xieman was rumored to be constructing a Talent Crystal Model and was almost certain to become a full-fledged wizard.
Hailin's talent wasn't inferior to Xieman's, and with the royal family's resources backing him, his potential achievements might even surpass Xieman's!
"These days, you should also consider which mentor you'd like to choose in the future. I can make arrangements for you in advance," Krye said warmly.
The pairing of Morning Star trainees and wizard mentors was a mutual selection process.
After each assessment, mentors could extend invitations to trainees they found suitable.
If a trainee received offers from multiple mentors, they could choose their preferred one.
However, if no mentor expressed interest in a trainee, the academy council would assign one by default.
This scenario was rare, though. Wizards often needed disciples as research assistants or to handle miscellaneous tasks. It was far better to pick a Morning Star trainee than an average student.
Thus, it was highly unlikely for a mentor to reject a Morning Star trainee.
Conversely, trainees also benefited from their mentors' guidance, making the relationship mutually advantageous.
After considering this, Hailin hesitated briefly before asking, "Grandfather, is it possible for me to apprentice under Great-Uncle Sunan?"
Krye froze for a moment, then hesitated before shaking his head.
"Sunan has been incredibly busy in recent years. He hasn't truly taken on any disciples since Xieman and the other two. I can ask him for you, but don't get your hopes up."
Hailin's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Thank you, Grandfather!"
---
Longlin, Starlight Wizard Tower.
Tagana strode confidently through the corridor. Along the way, many apprentice wizards paused to greet her warmly.
Tagana responded with a faint nod, her expression as cold as ever.
The apprentices didn't seem to mind; they were clearly accustomed to her demeanor.
Once she was out of earshot, one of them whispered to a companion, "Wasn't that the dark elf apprentice everyone talks about?"
"Who else could it be?"
"Why are you all so deferential to her? Isn't she just a dark elf apprentice wizard? Is it because she's rare?"
"You really don't know anything, do you? Tagana wasn't just admitted to the academy at Lord Sunan's personal recommendation; she's also a disciple of Lady Rose. With those two identities, who would dare underestimate her?"
"Lady Rose took a dark elf as her disciple? Why?"
"Don't belittle her because she's a dark elf. Tagana is said to be even more talented than Senior Xieman and Senior Koray. She entered the academy later than them but is already a Level 3 Apprentice Wizard. Rumor has it she's working on her final star ring."
"No way! A dark elf training with our human meditation techniques is that strong?"
"Why do you think Lord Sunan personally admitted her? Do you think he'd vouch for just any dark elf?"
Unaware of the gossip behind her, Tagana continued walking briskly until she reached the door at the corridor's end. Stopping, she raised her hand and knocked lightly.
"Come in."
A familiar, melodious voice sounded from inside.
Tagana pushed the door open.
The room was minimalist in design, containing only a desk, a chair, and two bookshelves.
Artir was reviewing documents. When he heard the door open, he looked up, his face breaking into a smile.
"You're here, Jana."
"Jana" was Artir's personal nickname for Tagana, claiming it was simpler and more intimate.
Aside from her mentor, Lady Rose, only Artir addressed her this way.
A faint smile appeared on Tagana's otherwise cold face as she approached the desk, placing a stack of documents in front of Artir.
"These are reports on apprentice wizards captured for crimes over the past year—twelve in total. They've all been detained. What should we do with them?"
"As usual, send them to the second detention base. Let them work in the workshops to atone for their crimes. The first minor-grade magic stone mine is about to mature, and Lord Xingyun asked me to prepare a batch of clay golems in advance. They can handle that."
As Artir spoke, he picked up the documents and penned his approval on them.
Watching her friend work so efficiently, Tagana couldn't help but feel impressed.
Being the assistant to the Star Alliance's leader was truly a transformative experience. Over the decades, Artir's gentle demeanor had been complemented by a new air of competence and authority.
Setting down his quill, Artir sighed.
"I don't know what's going on, but the number of apprentice wizards emerging from every corner has skyrocketed in recent years. Not only has the number of criminals increased, but the Star Alliance has also recruited significantly more apprentices."
Tagana seemed to recall something and said, "The flower sprites at the plantation mentioned that magical plants have been growing better in recent years. Do you think there's a connection?"
Artir pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"I'm not sure. But it's not something we need to worry about. Let's just focus on doing our jobs."
"By the way, didn't you say earlier that you wanted dragon blood to strengthen your magical pet?"
With a flick of his wrist, a small vial filled with blood appeared in Artir's palm.
"This is blood from Lord Hidden Dragon. I got it from Lady Amy not long ago. It's yours."
He tossed the vial to Tagana.
The dark elf instinctively caught it, her face lighting up with joy.
Her magical pet, a Storm Dragon Beast, was at a critical stage in its progression toward a Four-Ring Legendary creature. She had planned to exchange for a vial of dragon blood to boost its chances of success.
Among the many types of dragon blood available for exchange, those derived from Lord Hidden Dragon were the most precious.
As Lord Sunan's magical pet, Hidden Dragon's combat prowess surpassed even the academy's deans.
It was said that Vice Dean Farkado had recently dueled Hidden Dragon and lost without suspense.
According to Lady Rose, Hidden Dragon's true strength had reached the level of a First-Stage Liquefied Wizard.
In the entire Star Alliance, only Lord Sunan could surpass it.
Consequently, Hidden Dragon's blood was unimaginably valuable, its exchange price astronomical.
Tagana hadn't expected Artir to procure a vial of it for her!
"Thank you!"
Not one for unnecessary formalities, Tagana accepted the vial immediately, mentally noting this favor.
Eager to enhance her magical pet, Tagana left after a brief chat.
Artir finished organizing his documents and left his room as well, teleporting to the eleventh floor.
Finding that Lord Xingyun was absent, she asked the water sprite cleaning the area and learned he was in the Star Eye Control Room.
Artir, having participated in the Star Eye project, was deeply familiar with its workings.
The monitoring network's core location was also the absolute center of the entire system, enabling it to maximize its coverage across the continent, including the Underground World and the Rainbow Sea.
Given its critical importance, Lord Xingyun stationed a small magical construct army there, supported by over ten advanced puppet masters and secret automatons. Together, they formed a near-impenetrable defense.
Although the core wasn't housed inside the wizard tower, the tower still contained a replica core of the Star Eye. This allowed real-time monitoring of the entire network's status.
As Artir approached the control room, a voice from within preempted her knock.
"Come in."
Artir pushed the door open and stepped inside. Spotting a figure standing next to a massive, eye-shaped crystal sphere, she bowed slightly.
"Lord Xingyun."
Lize turned away from the crystal sphere and glanced at Artir, her voice calm.
"What is it?"
"My Lord, these are important documents from the past two months that require your review."
As the assistant to the Star Alliance's leader, Artir had the authority to handle less critical matters. However, significant issues still required Lize's direct attention.
"Leave them on the table. I'll review them later."
Artir obeyed, placing the documents on the desk. She noticed that Lize had already turned her attention back to the crystal sphere. Without disturbing her further, Artir bowed again and made her way to the door.
Just as she reached it, Lize's voice sounded from behind her.
"Summon Carolina and the Red Widow."
"Yes, my Lord."
Without questioning, Artir bowed again and left the control room.
It wasn't long before Carolina and the Red Widow arrived at the control room.
"My Lord, what are your orders?"
The two women bowed respectfully.
Over the years, Lize's decisive leadership had won them over, quelling any ambitions they might have had to vie for power.
More importantly, they had learned of a secret agreement between Sunan and Lize: Sunan had promised to help Lize reconstruct her body and restore her wizard powers.
Knowing this, the two women abandoned all thoughts of rivalry. They understood they could never match a wizard, let alone one who possessed knowledge surpassing even the deans of Starlight Academy.
Since then, they had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to executing Lize's commands.
"Bring me a detailed collection record of all Star Alliance resource points from the past three years. Also, organize a new exploration team to search for resource points across the continent."
Carolina and the Red Widow exchanged a surprised glance.
The first command was understandable, but the second puzzled them.
Carolina hesitated before speaking. "My Lord, twenty years ago, we conducted a massive exploration of the entire continent, investing significant manpower and resources. All resource points were thoroughly cataloged. Isn't twenty years too short a gap to conduct another?
"Resource points that meet the Star Alliance's standards, especially natural ones, generally take centuries to form—sometimes even millennia, particularly metal veins. A mere twenty years likely hasn't brought much change."
"Don't worry," Lize said, her tone calm. "Just do as I've instructed."
Seeing that Lize's mind was made up, Carolina and the Red Widow suppressed their doubts and complied.
Once the two left to carry out her orders, Lize's gaze returned to the crystal sphere, a gleam of insight flashing in her eyes.
The Star Eye network had two primary functions:
1. Sensing energy particle fluctuations.
2. One-way communication with individuals carrying specific mediums, enabling long-distance interactions.
Both functions were derived from the Star Core's inherent abilities, enhanced and adapted for practical use.
The energy fluctuation sensing ability not only allowed the network to track and lock onto specific energy signatures but also to measure and record the concentration of energy particles across the Starlight Continent.
From Lize's observations, the energy particle density had been steadily increasing across the continent over the past thirty years. While the growth rate was modest—around 10%—it was a highly significant signal.
Her decision to launch a new resource point exploration was to verify this trend.
If the continent's energy density had indeed risen, it would likely result in an increase in resource points, as well as higher yields from existing ones.
A 10% increase might seem small, but applied across the entire Starlight Continent, it represented a monumental change.
It could also mean that the continent's planar barriers were repairing themselves at an accelerated rate.
If this trend continued, the barriers could fully restore within 200 to 500 years.
At that point, the unsealed Starlight Continent would face drastic chan
ges, such as invasions from external entities or connections to other planes.
To prepare for such a scenario, they needed to act now.
"I must inform Sunan about this."
After a moment of contemplation, Lize turned and left the control room.
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