Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Networking Event (Please Follow)
“An Apprentice Exchange Meeting?” Richard accepted the invitation.
“Exactly, it’s a gathering for us official apprentices to get to know each other,” Eric explained, and then added, “This time, almost all the official apprentices will attend.”
After exchanging a few more polite remarks, Eric, who had completed his task, stood up to take his leave, as he still had many more apprentices to invite, not just Richard.
After he left, Richard asked, “Brother, what’s the story with this Senior Eric? He seems very powerful.”
“Powerful is right; he is the apprentice of the Deputy Dean Eric,” Chax replied. “By the way, brother, do you have a date for tonight?” Chax suddenly winked at Richard, “If not, I can introduce you to a couple.”
“Guaranteed to make your evening enjoyable.”
“No thank you, brother,” Richard laughed, shaking his head as he declined Chax’s kind offer, “I have a date.”
“A date?” Chax was surprised, his usually reserved disciple actually had a date, but he immediately leaned in, curiosity written all over his face, “You actually have a date? I thought you had long embraced the truth wholeheartedly and only had knowledge on your mind?
Tell your brother, which school’s apprentice? Who is the master?”
“Plastic Energy and Curse dual schools; she’s a disciple of Master Susanna,” Richard didn’t hide anything, after all, they were brothers, and they would spend a lot more days together; it was something he couldn’t keep hidden if he wanted to.
“Oh! Impressive, brother!” Chax gave Richard an enthusiastic thumbs up, “Master Susanna hasn’t taken on any apprentices in years, and this session she took one, and you managed to win her over!”
Richard just smiled, saying nothing.
“Since you have a date, then I won’t try to matchmake for you,” Chax said, his smile fading as he became serious, “But before we go, I need to make things clear to you.”
“The Exchange Meeting is just for fun, don’t take all the boasting and flattery seriously, and don’t waste too much time on so-called relationships. As long as you are strong, you don’t need to maintain relationships; they will come seeking you.
Just like today; you just stocked a batch of Concentration Potions at Sister’s shop yesterday, and today Eric personally came waiting for your return. If you hadn’t achieved anything, Eric would have just left an invitation for me to pass to you, instead of personally waiting here for you.”
Chax spoke with a grave tone, apparently having suffered in this regard in the past.
“Yes, brother, I understand,” Richard responded seriously.
“Good to know, then get ready to go back,” Chax stood up, patted Richard, “Brother, I’m looking forward to seeing you dazzle everyone tonight, captivating the crowd.”
That evening, on the seventy-second floor of the Central Black Tower.
Richard, arm-in-arm with Ali and holding the invitation, walked up to the entrance of the meeting venue.
That night, Richard was dressed in a sharp black suit, a badge pinned on his chest, and his shoes were polished to a shine. Beside him, Ali wore a black long dress, her slim neck adorned with a sapphire necklace.
“This should be it.” Richard, looking at the two humanoid mechanical guards at the door, thought to himself that Eric’s arrangements were grand, even the mechanical puppets were humanoid.
Ordinary wizards couldn’t afford humanoid mechanical puppets.
Richard took out the invitation from his pocket and handed it to the guard, who swallowed the invitation. Immediately, a sound of gears grinding came from its body.
“Identity confirmed, Master Jolod’s official apprentice Richard, welcome to the Exchange Meeting,” the guard bowed slightly towards Richard.
Ali, following suit, handed her own invitation to the guard.
“Identity confirmed, Master Susanna’s official apprentice Ali, welcome to the Exchange Meeting.”
As they entered the hall, the entire hall was resplendent, contrasting starkly with the dark, gloomy style of the Central Black Tower.
Apprentices, having arrived early, gathered in groups of three to five, casually chatting while holding drinks.
Most of the official apprentices were Wizard Descendants, and unless they were like Richard and Ali, who had special talents, most apprentices had to wait until after the first bloody test to potentially be taken as official disciples by a Wizard.
Richard glanced around the hall, noting several apprentices in the corners who appeared powerful at first glance.
“These must be the people who were taken as official apprentices after the bloody test,” Richard thought to himself.
As a wild apprentice taken from the common folk, Richard naturally did not recognize those Wizard Descendants. Taking advantage of the time before the exchange meeting started, he found a quiet corner with Ali and sat down.
He felt it was better to remain inconspicuous in this exchange meeting, where hidden dragons and crouching tigers abounded.
As the time drew near, more and more apprentices filled the hall. Most of these people knew each other, and their relationships were both good and bad. Gathering together, friction was inevitable.
An apprentice as sturdy as a gorilla suddenly barked at the apprentice standing in front of him. Judging by his Magic Fluctuations, he had already reached the level of an Intermediate Apprentice.
“Kahman, you scum, you’re still alive!”
As he roared, the apprentice’s Magic Wand swung down toward the apprentice in front of him like thunder.
The wand in the apprentice’s hand, rather than a typical wand, was more like a long bone staff. Generally, crystal balls are placed at the top of wands, but this wand was covered with a layer of metal spikes engraved with runes.
At that moment, the runes on the spikes were flashing with the brilliance of magic power.
“Ha ha ha, Lake, you fool, still as stupid as ever.”
The struck apprentice cackled, neither defending himself nor dodging, just quietly watching as the wand fell.
“Lake, I remember telling you not to be impulsive in today’s exchange meeting,” a figure appeared in front of Lake, catching the thunderous wand with one hand, unmoved no matter how hard Lake tried.
“Have you forgotten?”
A strong wave of magic power emanated from the figure, causing Lake’s body to tremble involuntarily.
His instincts continuously warned him that resisting… would lead to death!
“Sorry, sorry, sorry… Eric senior. I didn’t mean to, please forgive my foolishness!”
Lake bowed deeply to Eric, his shaking voice completely different from before.
Eric gave Lake a cold glance and casually tossed the wand aside.
“You’re lucky, I’m in a good mood today.”
With that, Eric took a wine glass to the center of the hall and tapped it with a silver spoon.
The sound in the hall quieted instantly, and all the apprentices turned their attention to the organizer of the meeting.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m delighted that you could attend the Apprentice Exchange Meeting I’ve organized,” Eric said with a smile, bowing slightly to everyone, “All of you here are official apprentices of the various masters in the Black Tower, the future pillars of the Academy.
The purpose of this meeting is to encourage everyone to interact and foster relationships. So, I hope that you can control your emotions and not disgrace the Masters you represent.
Remember, calm and restraint are among a Wizard’s primary traits.”
Having said that, Eric raised his wine glass, gestured to everyone, and drank it in one go.
“Now, the Apprentice Exchange Meeting officially begins!”