Finally, Charlie received the news that his upgrade to a golden badge had been approved. The moment he got the message, he rushed to the badge replacement office.
An elderly man, a mere starlight mage, was in charge of replacing Charlie's badge. Perhaps due to his old age, he was a bit chatty.
"The academy receives many applications for apprentice badge upgrades every year, but very few are approved. Do you know why?"
Charlie was momentarily taken aback by the question and shook his head.
"On one hand, the fairness and accuracy of talent assessments are ensured; the system of the Arcane Circle is very just. The talent assessment system has been in operation for nearly a century and is quite advanced. Of course, there has been some criticism recently, but I won't comment on that. On the other hand, resources are limited. Once you acquire a golden badge, make sure to understand the rights it entails and how to utilize them well. Also, think about what you can bring to the academy with these resources. Greater power comes with greater responsibility."
That made some sense.
Charlie nodded earnestly and handed over his apprentice badge.
The old man took the black iron badge and walked over to a device, using a key to activate it before inserting Charlie's badge into a slot.
This was the apprentice badge distribution device. Charlie's badge was being recycled, and the magical information stored within it would be destroyed. The new badge would inherit the existing information; the entire process was closed off, with the teacher only able to open the permissions but not control the operational details.
Magical energy shimmered, and the steel pipes trembled slightly. Moments later, with a pop, a badge was ejected from the slot.
The old man casually picked it up and leaned in for a closer look, stunned.
A withered hand pinched a brilliant golden badge, the contrast was striking. The badge displayed an arcane symbol and was slightly larger than the ordinary steel badge, exquisitely crafted.
The old man's gaze toward Charlie was a mix of curiosity and bewilderment as he exclaimed, "I've served the academy for nearly half a century and have seen golden badges upgraded to crystal badges and even consecutive level-ups, but I've never seen an apprentice transition directly from a black iron badge to a golden badge."
Charlie replied, puzzled, "What's so rare about that? Isn't it harder to upgrade from golden to crystal?"
The old man shook his head, "No! Upgrading from golden to crystal means the academy acknowledges this person's potential, but there are discrepancies in the weight of the evaluation. However, jumping from black iron to golden showcases a flaw in the talent assessment system, and you are the proof of that. This is an extremely rare situation."
Charlie shrugged, "Alright then!"
"Child, cherish this!" The old man handed the badge back to Charlie.
Charlie solemnly accepted the badge, unable to contain his excitement. The Arcane Circle was a colossal entity with its unique operating rules. Even those with backgrounds had to follow its regulations. Therefore, facing the historically lowest talent assessment result made Charlie feel powerless. But today, he had finally used his hard work to enter the core layer of the Arcane Circle, escaping the fate of being cannon fodder.
Charlie began checking the badge's attributes. As he poured a bit of mental energy into it, he immediately received feedback and was taken aback by what he saw.
"Arcane Circle Golden Apprentice BadgeExquisite GradeEquipment Level: 30Magic Pool: 600Magic Recovery: +3/minuteAdditional Inscription: 'Clarity', 'Intermediate Teleportation Rune'Equipment Skill: 'Short-range Point Teleportation', activate this skill within a 10-kilometer radius of the Arcane Circle to teleport to the teleportation hall; preparation time for teleportation: 1.5 seconds; usable times: 1 time.Usage Tip: Teleportation consumes a large amount of energy. After use, please recharge at the teleportation hall. This is a paid service and costs 200 points.Child, we recognize your potential. Please continue to work hard and don't let the academy down—Master Rune Badge Luka Ben."
Charlie hadn't expected that the high-level apprentice badge would actually be a piece of equipment, and a high-quality one at that. With an equipment level of 30, it was the second-best piece of gear Charlie owned. Aside from its attributes, it was far more useful than the Surge Ring, serving as a lifeline for apprentices.
Though the recharge cost of 200 points was steep, it was well worth it compared to the value of life. No wonder Ferdinand was so bothered about Charlie having killed 17 golden badge apprentices.
Charlie later learned that each cohort of golden badges and higher accounted for only 20% of the total apprentices. This year's freshman class had around 500 students, selected from elite candidates across the continent, with fewer than 100 being high-tier apprentices.
Charlie carefully pinned the badge to his chest, silently affirming to himself that from this day on, he was also among the elite.
He greeted the old man and turned to head to the points market.
With 2178 points, Charlie's current points balance was wealthier than many second-year seniors.
As he walked, he began to ponder.
Regarding meditation, he had already mastered an advanced meditation technique that was four to five times more efficient than his peers, so he didn't need to invest in that for now.
With the help of Master Nahl, he had access to free materials for studying advanced magic, and he could consult the master if he had questions. Therefore, he saved on course expenses in this area.
As for equipment, Charlie had recently acquired several impressive items, significantly boosting his personal combat power. Though 2000 points was a lot—many apprentices wouldn't earn that much in a year—it was nothing compared to truly valuable legendary gear, making the demand for equipment the lowest priority.
What was left for purchase were various courses and enhancements for physical attributes. Given Charlie's self-assessment and the awakening of his Earth and Thunder bloodline, investing in physical and bloodline attributes was a top priority.
Charlie quietly made his choice.
Entering the points market, Charlie had the device read his apprentice badge. While checking his points, he discovered another value of the golden badge: an additional description in the badge's information section:
"For most items in the trading system, the golden badge enjoys a 20% discount. For some course-related products, discounts can be as high as 30%. Additionally, certain public courses at the academy can be attended for free by golden badge apprentices."
This represented the academy's greatest inequity; conversely, it was a fair manifestation of the harsh competitive rules.
No wonder Master Nahl repeatedly urged Charlie to make purchases after acquiring the golden badge. Clearly, he could enjoy significant discount benefits.
Charlie skillfully opened the item browsing window, setting a maximum limit of 2000 points and filtering out equipment and courses. A lengthy list appeared before him, and Charlie's eyes were immediately drawn to one of the entries.
"Essence of Hydra's Blood: Extracted from a living heart, this arterial blood is rich in nutrients. It takes twenty drops of heart blood to yield one drop of essence. It enhances physical attributes, fortifies the foundation, nourishes the bloodline, and stimulates hidden bloodlines. 200 points/drop, sold in quantities of two."
Seeing this listing, Charlie couldn't help but marvel. This person was truly a wealthy individual. Teacher Anthony found it wasteful to use Hydra's blood for potion making, but this seller was directly selling the essence. Unfortunately, this item did not accept any form of discount.
Having experienced its utility, Charlie didn't hesitate and directly bought two drops; 800 points easily disappeared, leaving him with nearly half of his points gone.
Then, Charlie continued browsing the list:
"Poison Sac of the Spotted Bellied Spider: A highly toxic substance; even the chief priest is helpless against its toxins. 60 points/each."
"Heart of an Adult Kodo Beast: The most powerful part of the Plateau Guardian, possessing earth affinity. A medium-grade material for physical enhancement potions. 180 points/each."
"Gullet of a Thunderwind Serpent: The source of lightning for the wind serpent; no recipes are currently associated, but you might glean insights into the mysteries of lightning. 200 points/each."
What kind of creature is a Thunderwind Serpent?
Seeing this description raised some questions in Charlie's mind. Through the seller information section, he discovered that this was a listing from a third-year apprentice. Likely relying on the points platform for consignment, he probably didn't understand its uses and just instinctively felt it might be useful. The 200 points was a trial price; those uninterested wouldn't spend that amount, while genuinely interested buyers would snatch it up without hesitation.
Thinking of his lightning bloodline, Charlie decided to buy it. But just as he was about to make the purchase, the message flashed briefly, showing "Sold Out" and automatically disappearing from the sales list.
"D*mn!" Charlie slammed his fist on the stone slab in frustration, feeling annoyed that he missed it by a moment.
Just as he was lamenting, a platform transaction operator approached with a sturdy sealing box.
"Hello, student! I'm the platform transaction clerk. Here's the item you purchased; please verify it."
Charlie slowly opened the sealing box, and a rush of cold air greeted him. Amid the swirling white mist, four blood droplets the size of fingers were contained in a delicate, smooth ceramic vessel, faintly emitting an amber glow, solid yet unbroken.
"Everything is fine, thank you!" Charlie closed the sealing box. Although he had never seen the essence of Hydra's blood before, he trusted the integrity of the points platform.
At that moment, a voice interrupted Charlie's thoughts.
"You bought the essence of blood? When did you become so wealthy?" A shadow fell into Charlie's view.
It was a familiar face—Prince Weining.
"Not wealthy at all; I'm almost out of points," Charlie replied, placing the sealing box on a nearby table with a smile.
"Wow! Master Nahl really came through for you. You're quite lucky!" Weining's gaze fell on the badge on Charlie's chest, and a hint of gloom flickered in his eyes.
"Yeah! Luck is on my side."
Weining sighed and said, "How about a trade? Those four drops of blood essence—sell them to me! I'll give you an extra 50 points for each drop. You'd make 200 points without any hassle. There's no easier deal than this!"
Charlie responded decisively, "I'm not selling!"
Not to mention the essence was useful to him; even if it weren't, he wouldn't give Weining a bargain.