The Cornflower Witch

Ten days later, at Oriole Valley.

On the tall boundary stone wall, a figure of modest stature stood at the forefront, looking down at the second-year apprentices below. She wore a short black cloak, its collar and hem rustling loudly in the wind, with a few strands of purple occasionally flashing through her flowing black hair. Her expression was serious and solemn.

From the fluttering black sleeve, a wrist holding a small staff extended outward. As the wrist rose, a sky-obscuring gale brewed above, and thick, heavy clouds slowly pressed down, casting an invisible pressure on the apprentices below.

Despite her petite frame, this senior apprentice sister exuded an oppressive aura no weaker than the Chief Norez they had once seen.

"Congratulations," she said, her gray eyes half-closed, strands of hair swaying in the wind and occasionally covering her face.

"You have passed the initial adaptation phase." Her voice was cold but clearly reached the ears of every apprentice.

"Now, you are about to begin real combat. Everyone must act alone and must not team up with other apprentices." Her words sparked discussion among the second-year students below, but she showed no intention of waiting and continued speaking.

"Here, you will learn to abandon any reliance on others, to rely entirely on your own skills to seek victory and survival, and to bear the consequences of every choice you make."

"The prestigious name of Tetis College is not a safe haven for your future comfort—it is a glory you must prove with your strength."

"The Alliance promotes over ten thousand Official Mages each year, but fewer than a hundred of them are qualified to step through the gates of Tetis College. If you are content with merely being better than ordinary people, you will only disappoint."

"Every official member of Tetis College must have the strength to face a hundred enemies alone before they can stand here with a clear conscience."

"For the next month, each of you must slay one hundred monsters of Third Tier or above to pass the assessment. I will give you no hints. Exhaust every ounce of your potential to find a way, then achieve your goal."

"Now, begin." With those words, her small staff swung down, and a fierce gale suddenly converged from all directions.

The violent airflow lashed like a whip, tearing at the muscles of the apprentices below, then swept them up, carried into a massive tornado thousands of meters high that sucked them into the sky.

Screams and shouts rang out in the air. Many apprentices struggled, trying to control their bodies mid-flight, but these attempts were shattered by the nearly body-rending currents. Soon, the apprentices were carried by the tornado into the misty clouds nearly ten thousand meters high.

Freezing moisture, carried by the air currents, struck their faces and bodies, forming frost. Some of the weaker apprentices lost consciousness, and then the chaotic winds scattered them in all directions, turning them into tiny, barely visible black dots that fell into the barbaric mountains below.

Several minutes later, when everyone had disappeared, this senior apprentice sister finally lowered her wrist, and the wind-blown cloak and hair slowly came to a halt.

Professor Vekos slowly climbed the steps of the city wall, glanced at the layers of clouds on the distant horizon, then turned his gaze to the figure standing on the wall.

"Noya, you're still so strict with these juniors." At this address, she respectfully bowed, then looked up.

"Mentor, this is also what you taught me. If I don't make them realize the brutality of combat now, how can they adopt the right attitude?"

"Heh, indeed." Vekos sighed, walked to the edge of the wall, ran his fingers over the rough stones, and looked at the back of his hand, withered like tree bark.

"My time is running out. The old fogies of our generation are all facing the decay brought by age, and the Mage Alliance has also developed to a certain limit."

"What I mean by 'limit' is that the part that rots and decays internally has slowly caught up with the part that grows and improves."

"We are stronger now than at any point in history—you could say we're at our peak—but I'm afraid this is also a height we'll struggle to maintain in the future."

"Looking back at the history of the Eighth Epoch and the Ninth Epoch, many factions and organizations have attempted to assault the position of Hours, and they've made various attempts."

"Consider the 'Duskfall Sect' on the Third Continent, the 'Silver Radiance Church' on the Fourth Continent, the 'Moth Dream Council' on the Fifth Continent—some ultimately failed, others barely succeeded halfway."

"Since the covenant was established, the position of Hours has barely changed. Everyone has silently maintained the existing order. Breaking this situation now faces pressure and difficulty several times greater than in the Eighth Epoch."

"If we cannot elevate one of the Hours during this most advantageous period, we may never have another chance."

"While we advance, the other factions and alliances haven't stopped either. The Hidden Grove Alliance has already decided to imitate us, implementing reforms and establishing a new system. Although I can foresee the immense internal resistance and doubt they will face, their boldness is rare."

"The Harp Flower Union has already invited delegations from the Second Continent and the Fifth Continent to discuss building a powerful fleet that can cross the cloudsea, integrating the resources of three continents. If they succeed, the Harp Flower Union will achieve tremendous growth—not only in strength but also in the ability to mobilize forces from other continents through agreements. If that happens, even we won't be able to suppress them."

"The Blood Clan north of the Ice Sea has also been undergoing many changes recently. That new Blood Queen is awakening all the ancient Blood Clans. No one knows how she controls these proud ancient Blood Clans, and no one can guess her next move. If they loosen their restrictions and sweep southward in full force, developing more Blood Clan descendants, we must prevent the rise of a second Blood Dynasty."

"Laying foundation stones to build a tower requires nearly a hundred years of unremitting effort, but destroying it might take just one night."

"The Alliance spent hundreds of years—time, energy, and heartblood—to steadily climb toward strength. My teacher, my teacher's teacher, and I myself have devoted nearly ninety percent of our lives to this great undertaking and path. You could say this is everything I have, and it is also my pride." He turned his head to look at the girl not far beside him.

"I will not let this heartblood be wasted, nor will I allow it to fall into the abyss. If war comes inevitably, I will not hesitate to pay with my life to clear all obstacles in its path."

"This great undertaking is worth it."

After speaking, he let out a long sigh, looked at his student, and his gaze softened.

"You are still very young, no need to be like me."

"Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel gratified—gratified that you are better than I was back then, gratified that successors continue to step onto this path."

"Mentor..." Noya turned her gaze to this elderly professor, her expression complex.

"Don't worry, I'll do well."