1 Star of Magic (1/2)
Chapter 1: Star of Magic
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
At the north pole of the Metatrin Mainland, a massive sheet of ice upon the frozen sea had grown to a thickness greater than five miles. On top of this ice sheet was a town made entirely out of ice. In reality, this town was the well-functioning Mage Guild.
To have built a guild in such a freezing cold place must have been nothing short of arduous. The average temperature year round was below freezing – twenty degrees below freezing, to be exact. On sunny days, no signs of greenery could be seen. Even the most tenacious magical plants did not want to grow here.
The only exception was at the center of the Mage Guild. At the bottom of the magical tower was a huge statue. Surrounding the statue was a small garden.
This was a forbidden place within the Mage Guild. The statue was rumored to have been built in the likeness of the Lord of the Metatrin Mainland, Saleen. He was also the first ever dean of the Mage Guild. However, none of the students had ever seen him. Right from the initial establishment of the guild, this Dean had become a legendary figure.
The perimeter of the garden surrounding the statue was only a hundred meters wide. The temperature in the garden was above the freezing point, and because its surroundings were always foggy, only the face of the statue was visible. Within the garden, a little girl in her teens was watering the plants with a jade bottle. Hundreds of droplets sprinkled out evenly onto the soil as the water was poured out of the bottle. The barefooted girl, clad in a long skirt, stood out prominently in this icy landscape.
In the distance, whenever students walked past, someone would comment, ”How pitiful.”
A prerequisite for admission to the Mage Guild was that those who were grade-9 mages or higher had to continue their pursuits of the secrets of the world of magic. In the Metatrin Mainland, being a grade-9 mage did not mean much aside from signifying that one was a determined person who possessed strong perseverance.
The little girl's wordless movements attracted the pity of many mages, but none of them were aware of the impact it had on their own mental state.
Each time such a situation occurred, a hint of a smile would appear on the little girl's lips.
And afterwards, a beautiful young lady would appear to berate her. ”Myers, do your work properly!”
The girl, whose name was Myers, would bow her head pitifully and continue her work.
Myers was indeed quite pitiful like this, but nobody dared rebuke that young lady, for whoever did so would suffer bad luck. Being left naked and freezing in the icy parade square was considered the lightest punishment. Some people just disappeared into thin air, never to be seen again. Those people had been punished for their disrespect towards the young lady.
The young lady was a notorious devil within the guild. It was rumored that she had close ties to the Dean.
There was no shortage of courageous beings on the Metatrin Mainland. It was just that it was rumored that Myers contained a devil sealed in her body, and that the one to cast this spell had been a mythical beast hidden in the frozen sea.
The guild released numerous missions every year, and there was only one mission that none of the students had been able to accomplish: to expel this devil, which involved the killing of that beast and the collection of its blood to purify the little girl.
Ding… dong…
The melodious bell rang. The guild became lively as many mages from the lower grades rushed excitedly to Water Element Hall to join in the fun.
The grade-9 mages – the students of the lowest grade – behaved like chattering little girls. It was not surprising, for since the guild's establishment a few thousand years ago, a Star of Magic had appeared less than ten times. There had not been a single one in the last three hundred years.
A Star of Magic not only needed to possess a unique bloodline and the ability to inherit powerful magic, but also needed to have powerful abilities in control, be skilled in alchemy, and make equipment by themselves in order to accomplish twelve different guild missions. These criteria by themselves were only the beginning of the selection of a Star of Magic, and many students were able to meet them. The outstanding masters found by this process were subsequently enrolled into the Arctic Guild.
This time, the manner in which the magic bell rang was unique. It rang three times in succession, with thirteen tones each time. This meant that the newly emerged Star of Magic was a grade-13 student.
In the Arctic Guild, the regular grade-9 students could graduate upon completing grade-12. However, they had the option of not leaving the guild and advancing their education as seniors instead. The seniors were in grade-13 to grade-15, with grade-13 being the lowest.
That being said, the Star of Magic this time was a grade-13 senior. So far, the highest grade to complete all the Star of Magic missions, as well as the final selection, had been grade-15.
There were not many people in the hall, only about three hundred. The dean appeared in the middle of the platform.
Francis was a grade-16 mage. It was said that Francis' aptitude had been average, but since he had followed the first Dean Saleen and received meticulous guidance, he had made significant achievements today.
However, this had not hindered Francis from becoming the idol of the students. He had lived for thousands of years and had participated in many great battles to bring peace to the Golden Plains.