Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Apprentice War (Part 1)
Orey Macintosh was an outstanding apprentice at the Keeper Wizard Academy. Over the past decade, he had easily defeated numerous opponents with his exceptional abilities as an Enchanter Wizard, earning the final reward of the decade-long exam and the nickname "Conqueror."
Yet Orey remained unfazed.
As an apprentice from a wizarding family, the idea of apprentices competing in tournaments barely intrigued him.
He craved battles that drew blood, for only such conflicts could truly showcase his strength.
Recently, the academy finally revealed the details of the exchange competition, and the rules of the apprentice war immediately piqued his interest.
In this war, there were no guardian wizards; all the apprentices fought with real weapons.
These rules ignited Orey's bloodlust—this was the battle he had been longing for!
...
The scent of earth greeted Orey as he entered the battlefield.
He surveyed his surroundings, finding himself in a dense forest. Not far from him hovered a massive crystal in the air.
This must be the resource point mentioned in the academy's rules.
"The magic concentration here is so high, at least double that of the wizarding world."
A voice came from behind Orey, prompting him to turn and see a black-haired man observing him.
"Bartola, I didn't expect you here."
Orey raised an eyebrow. The black-haired man was his old rival from the academy, Bartola, known as the Mechanic for his expertise in Alchemy.
"Don't be so unfriendly; we're all allies in this war," Bartola grinned slyly, like a black fox.
"Let's hope so," Orey replied coolly, then shouted to the surrounding apprentices, "I am Orey Macintosh, apprentices from Keeper Wizard Academy, gather here!"
As a top performer in the decade-long exams, Orey held a high reputation among the wizard apprentices.
In wartime, it was natural for the weak to seek the protection of the strong.
"Fifteen hundred apprentices," Orey counted the numbers, noting that nearly the entire resource point was filled with apprentices from Keeper Academy.
"One resource point with fifteen hundred apprentices, three points with forty-five hundred. That's about the same as our academy's total number of participants in the war.
It seems the other two zones are likely the same, each with around forty-five hundred."
"The number of apprentices is quite astonishing, Orey," Bartola commented as he approached Orey. "With this many apprentices, the magic stones we get every month wouldn't even average out to one per person."
"Then we'll take the black wizards' resource points," Orey replied without hesitation.
"Oh, it seems our Conqueror has a plan," Bartola chuckled.
Orey shot him a cold glance. "While the war has just begun and everyone still has plenty of magic stones, we should seize as many resource points from the black wizard apprentices as possible.
If we can crush them quickly, great. If not, we should at least weaken them as much as possible."
Bartola nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good strategy. With your influence, our academy's apprentices will surely follow you. If we gain an early advantage, the rest of the war will be much easier."
"And what about you?" Orey asked, staring at Bartola. "Bartola the Mechanic, will you follow me?"
Bartola hesitated for a moment.
"Not me. Offense isn't my strong suit; I'll stay behind and cheer for you. Leave me three hundred people, and I'll fix some things."
"Do you think I'll fail?" Orey raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly harsh.
Bartola smiled, a glint of cunning in his eyes.
"Better safe than sorry."
...
On the other side of the battlefield, the black wizard apprentices began their own planning.
As a legendary apprentice of Black Tower Wizard Academy, Richard naturally assumed a leadership role after briefly demonstrating his strength.
Unfortunately, among this group of apprentices, Richard couldn't find Ellie.
"Random assignments are such a headache," Richard muttered, rubbing his forehead before focusing on a bald apprentice not far away.
The bald apprentice wore a red robe and held a staff as tall as himself, its head radiating a notable magic aura, clearly not an ordinary item.
"Eugene, what's your plan?"
Eugene was a formal apprentice of Master Aron at Black Tower Wizard Academy, specializing in Enchantment. He was also among the twenty who entered the secret realm in the last bloody exam.
"I... I don't have any ideas."
Eugene rubbed his bald head, feigning shyness.
In his view, competing for leadership at the start was foolish.
White wizard apprentices outnumbered black wizard apprentices nearly three and a half to one. With everyone still holding plenty of magic stones, even a fool knew the white wizard apprentices would rush in for a fierce attack.
Taking command now would mean bearing the brunt of pressure and a significant risk of failure.
Eugene fancied himself a smart man; only a fool would vie for leadership with Richard at this point.
Seeing Eugene's reluctance to lead, Richard smirked inwardly, understanding his intentions.
The leadership role at the start was indeed a hot potato...
While the initial phase carried risks, the rewards were equally substantial.
"Since you have no ideas, I'll shamelessly take on the role of commander," Richard smiled at the apprentices, appointing himself leader.
If a leader could demonstrate competence and achieve results early on, their leadership position in the war would be secure.
War is no game; in life-and-death situations, people prefer to trust a proven leader.
None of the apprentices opposed Richard's self-appointment. His strength as a senior wizard apprentice placed him firmly at the top of the pyramid among them.
"Since there are no objections, I'll lay down some rules."
Using levitation, Richard rose into the air, ensuring all apprentices could see him.
"This is war, and on the battlefield, orders must be followed. I won't send you on suicide missions, but war naturally involves danger. I expect my orders to be executed, not refused.
I hate being refused!"
With that, Richard unleashed his senior wizard apprentice aura.
"The academy's rules don't forbid us from fighting each other. If anyone breaks the rules, hmph!"
Richard snorted, his meaning clear.
After waiting a moment and seeing no opposition, Richard returned to the ground.
Honestly, Richard hoped someone would challenge him so he could assert his authority.
But the apprentices of Black Tower Wizard Academy were smart; none would challenge Richard now.
Afterward, Richard issued no immediate orders, instead releasing Foggy to scout the white wizard apprentices' movements.
Through Foggy's eyes, Richard easily spotted a group of white wizard apprentices heading their way.
"Attacking right away, huh? Not giving us any room to breathe."
Richard sighed, issuing his first command.
"Prepare for defense! The white wizard apprentices are coming!"
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