Su Cheng walked into the Magic Guild with a complex mix of emotions.
The tower's interior space had been expanded by magical arrays, making it several times more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The main hall could easily accommodate over a thousand people.
"Arcane mages, please proceed to the second floor. Spiritual mages and esoteric mages, please head to the first basement level—"
In the center of the hall stood two statues of mages. One of them held a phonograph crystal, which played the same lines on an endless loop.
"Elemental mages, go straight. Those without a rank, turn left to take the test."
"Those with a rank, please turn right and head to the eastern zone."
Amidst the clamor of the crowd, the broadcast-like voice remained incredibly clear.
Walking into the eastern side of the hall, the path ahead suddenly changed, branching out into over a dozen stairways of varying heights.
Hundreds of escalators floated and crisscrossed in overlapping layers, stacking from the floor all the way to the domed ceiling. At first glance, it looked like a three-dimensional maze.
The entrances to the admissions offices of various academies were located on the platforms between the stairs, with all sorts of magical doors connecting to independent spaces.
On the ground floor, however, lay various public testing arrays, looking like a brilliant sea of colors from a distance.
There were ultimately far fewer mages than warriors. The space here was wide open, and after the incoming crowds were diverted several times, the surroundings gradually became quieter.
Su Cheng walked forward, found an unoccupied magical array, and pulled a few silver coins from her pocket. "I'd like to test my resonance level again."
These arrays were all set up by the Magic Guild, and the people guarding them were guild members.
A mage accepted the money, signaled for her to stand in the center of the array, and stood on the hexagram pattern on the outer ring himself, making several complex hand gestures.
The originally grayish-white magical array suddenly lit up. Brilliant flames of light darted across, igniting the entire array from the outside in.
Immediately after, a fierce gale surged from the ground.
Pale green wind spirits materialized in the air. Their ethereal forms were like smoke and mist, and amidst crisp, ringing laughter, they swirled around her in circles.
Within a radius of over a hundred meters, the guild staff, the students participating in the tests, and the admissions teachers from various academies all turned to look.
The young girl stood in the very center of the array, her hair blown upward and the hem of her coat fluttering loudly in the wind.
"Could it be a special grade?!"
"Is it really a special grade?"
This type of magical array gathered a massive amount of elemental spirits. When resonators of different levels stepped inside, the reactions they triggered were naturally different.
"...Wind affinity, special grade."
The administrator of the array announced in a loud, resonant voice.
The staff members all perked up.
They had been sitting there for half the day, and this was the very first special grade. Everyone couldn't help but feel intrigued, guessing which school she would choose to attend.
The spectating mages broke into heated discussions.
Many people revealed eyes full of envy.
There was a very small chance for elemental resonance attributes and levels to grow with age, but they generally became fixed by the age of sixteen or seventeen and would no longer change.
Unless external forces were used.
But the cost of that was exorbitantly high, and only a very small number of people could manage it.
Another half a minute passed.
The wind spirits dispersed, and the pale green light faded, immediately followed by a tide of crimson and silver-blue light.
The temperature in the surrounding air soared, accompanied by the crackling sound of electricity.
A crimson ring of fire burst forth in the air, spinning rapidly around the array like a slithering red snake, with countless sparks dancing and flashing.
Streaks of lightning wove through it, as fine strands of silver-blue light exploded and flickered, colliding and converging with the flames.
"Fire affinity, special grade. Lightning affinity, special grade."
An uproar of discussion erupted from the surroundings.
Clearly, the God of Contracts had fully kept his promise.
The crowd of spectating mages grew larger and larger. Many admissions teachers from various academies stood on the sidelines, itching to extend an invitation.
Because she possessed a special grade talent, these schools were all quite prestigious; any academy that was even slightly subpar wouldn't bother coming over.
They were all junior or intermediate mages, with a sparse few senior mages among them.
The insignias for these three ranks were similar, all featuring a gemstone-inlaid scepter with elemental patterns of different attributes at the base.
The three ranks corresponded to the shape of the gemstone at the head of the scepter: triangle, rhombus, and pentagon, representing third-tier, fourth-tier, and fifth-tier mages, respectively.
Su Cheng scanned the area and noticed that among the crowd, there was actually a Great Mage.
Her insignia was a staff inlaid with a hexagonal gemstone, and the elemental pattern was no longer placed beneath the staff, but rather depicted as a stream of water coiling around it.
On this sixth-tier mage's person, there were also two overlapping cross emblems, clearly the symbol of a certain academy.
Su Cheng's eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over. "Hello?"
"Hello," the Great Mage nodded at her with a smiling face. "Interested in coming to our school?"
The surrounding mages instantly became discouraged, displaying expressions of knowing they had lost.
Someone who was still unwilling to give up couldn't help but shout, "That's the Cross Star Academy! Only special grades can even take their entrance exam, and if you fail, you still won't get in!"
"Yeah, yeah! You have a special grade talent. You can enter our school directly, and we even offer scholarships!"
The Cross Star Academy was one of the oldest institutions in the Silver Moon Empire. Over thousands of years, it had cultivated countless top-tier powerhouses, many of whom had left their mark on history.
It was the dream academy for countless mages and the highly coveted sanctuary for countless warriors.
In terms of faculty, environmental resources, and historical prestige, it had reached the pinnacle of the empire. The other top-tier academies were, at best, only on par with it.
Moreover, because its talent requirements for new students were so astronomically high, the Cross Star Academy had the smallest student population among the several top-tier academies in the Silver Moon Empire.
"Their requirements are numerous and strict. Even bribing them with money is useless!"
"Even if you are royalty, as long as you don't meet their standards, you still won't get in..."
"Yes," Su Cheng said to the Great Mage, ignoring the other voices. "I wonder if I have the qualifications to register for your exam?"
The latter nodded. "Come with me first."
She then led her up the nearest staircase. After winding through a few floors, a water mirror-like entrance materialized in the void, with ripples spreading across its surface.
They walked inside, one after the other.
The bustling admissions hall transformed into a spacious and luxurious lounge.
Vermilion curved sofas surrounded a round table, upon which sat a carved magic crystal candelabra. Several mages sat at the table sorting through scrolls, all wearing the same cross emblem on their clothes.
"Hm?" Someone looked up in surprise. "Another special grade?"
Before the words could settle, a group of mages emerged from an inner conference room, flanking a blond young man walking in the center.
The boy was remarkably handsome and dressed in exquisite clothing. His demeanor was quite arrogant, with his chin held high. Upon catching sight of Su Cheng, a hint of wariness flashed in his eyes.
"She's also a special grade?" The blond boy's expression shifted slightly as he looked at the mages. "Didn't you say earlier that there was only one spot left in the Element Department of the Academy of Mysteries?"
"Yes," a mage nodded. "According to the rules, if she also passes the admissions exam, the two of you will have to duel."
The Cross Star Academy had three branch academies. The Academy of Mysteries was the academy for mages, and the Element Department was naturally the department that cultivated elemental mages.
"Of course, it will be a friendly spar stopping at first touch. The winner will enter the Element Department of the Academy of Mysteries to study, and the loser can enter the Academy of Blades."
The magician continued, "There are still spots available over there."
A look of disgust appeared on the blonde boy's face.
The gaze he directed at Su Cheng was also full of hostility.
The entrance exam wasn't exactly simple, but as long as one was a special-grade resonator, their innate talent was laid bare. Unless they were exceptionally clumsy or had terrible comprehension, they would generally pass.
He didn't think the girl in front of him could be that stupid, so a battle between them was inevitable.
It was ridiculous.
As a dual-element special-grade resonator, he would be fought over at any academy. Yet now, he actually had to compete with these lowly commoners!
The Academy of Blades!
That was an academy for magic warriors, which made dual cultivation of magic and martial arts mandatory!
He wanted to become a student of the Cross Star Academy precisely to study those ancient and mysterious magics. Why should he waste his precious youth cultivating battle aura?!
Furthermore, a person's energy is limited. Those who tried to balance both often ended up achieving nothing on either side. There were far too many examples of this.
"You people!" The blonde boy gritted his teeth. "This rule of yours is far too stupid!"
It was well known that the Cross Star Academy gathered top experts, and its students always performed exceptionally well in various trials and leagues.
However, because their student population was too small, and many competitions didn't allow one person to register for multiple events, the school's overall rankings were only average.
No wonder!
With such harsh requirements, if it were any other school that managed to recruit a student like him, they would be setting off fireworks in celebration. Yet this group of people actually wanted them to duel!
Even if the quota was full, what would it matter if they enrolled one more?
"Wait," Su Cheng raised her hand. "I didn't expect it to be this troublesome. It looks like it will take some time, so I'd like to apply to go home and rest first before returning for the exam."
This recruitment would last for several days. The Cross Star Academy had high standards for magicians and wouldn't even consider anyone below special-grade, so very few people could actually take the exam.
Unlike the recruitment team of the Academy of Valor, who were running around in circles over at the Warrior's Guild.
The mages of the Academy of Mysteries here were quite leisurely and not in a hurry, so they immediately agreed upon hearing her request.
The blonde boy's face darkened, his eyes full of hostility as he looked at Su Cheng. "Do you know who I am, you lowly commoner?! If you know what's good for you, you should—"
Su Cheng tilted her head. "Who are you?"
He sneered. "My mother is Count Gauler—"
Su Cheng suppressed the urge to let the corners of her mouth rise.
Just as she thought.
In the original novel, this blonde boy was actually an unruly and vicious Earl's daughter.
Lin Yun wasn't a magician; he relied on the old man in his bracelet to cheat his way through the Cross Star's assessment.
The Earl's daughter refused to duel him, believing it was beneath her status.
So she sent people to kill the male lead. Lin Yun only survived by pure dumb luck, but because of his severe injuries, he missed the duel and was forced to go to the Academy of Blades.
Later on, Lin Yun raped the Earl's daughter as revenge.
Su Cheng: "...Well, Young Master Earl, please don't look at me like that."
The blonde boy: "?"
Su Cheng showed a hint of fear. "Your expression makes it look like you wish I would just die right here."
The blonde boy's eyes flickered, and he quickly let out a sneer. "If you're scared, then give up now!"
Su Cheng hastily shook her head. "But I only want to study magic too. Let's just compete fairly. I just want to confirm something with you—"
She paused slightly. "Before our battle begins, neither of us will do anything to ruin the fairness of the duel, right?"
"Hah," the boy sneered again. "I certainly wouldn't do that. If you're trying to imply something, I'll take it as you trampling on the honor of the Gauler family."
"Alright," Su Cheng said seriously. "Then it's a deal. Hmm, let me think... How about: whatever harm the oathbreaker intends to inflict shall rebound upon themselves?"
The blonde boy looked at her as if she were a lunatic.
They were no longer children; who would still believe in oaths?
Born into a noble family, he had seen plenty of this sort of thing. To people like them, even contracts written in black and white could be broken, let alone a mere verbal promise.
But the surrounding magicians were all looking at him.
If he didn't agree, it would seem as though he really harbored such intentions.
"Hmph," the young Earl crossed his arms. "That's only natural."
After saying that, he walked away in a huff.
Su Cheng let out a long sigh of relief. "That's wonderful."
She said softly.
Then she bid farewell to the remaining magicians, thanked the Grand Magus who had brought her here, and walked out while saying she would see them tonight.
At the same time, the blonde boy walked out of the Magic Guild with a dark expression.
The servants who had been waiting outside immediately swarmed up to him.
"Young Master? Did things go smoothly?"
"Smoothly?" The boy gritted his teeth. "It'll be smooth once she's dead!"
He had traveled from the central empire, and among his entourage were two fourth-tier warriors. Killing a low-tier mage would be more than easy.
Judging by that person's posture and manners, she likely came from an ordinary family without even a title, possessing a bit of money at best.
As for that agreement?
So what if he went back on his word?
The blonde boy pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Go kill someone for me. She was just—"
The lead servant was listening intently when the young Earl's voice suddenly stopped, and he violently coughed up a huge mouthful of blood.
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, his face turned deathly pale. He suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his agonizingly painful chest as he gasped rapidly for breath.
It was as if invisible chains had pierced his heart, or an iron net was tightly binding that mass of flesh and blood. Every heartbeat was accompanied by an intense, throbbing pain.
His vision blurred, and he could only see a hazy golden light filling the air.
A figure as tall as a mountain emerged within the sea of light.
That body was composed of countless scrolls of paper. Materials like papyrus, bamboo slips, crystals, and leather shimmered with flowing light, strung together by millions of golden threads.
Its head was a scale, its neck the central pillar, with two trays suspended from the ends of the crossbeam.
In the two trays sat two beating hearts.
The heart on the left was trembling violently, with spreading golden threads of light seeping from its blood vessels.
The boy's body stiffened, his throat feeling as if it were being choked. He wanted to speak but couldn't utter a single word.
The left side of his chest bulged and collapsed grotesquely. It looked as if countless earthworms were squirming beneath his skin, every blood vessel bulging out.
With a crisp sound like cracking porcelain, his ribs snapped from top to bottom, piercing through his skin like sharp spears. Shattered myocardial tissue mixed with pus and blood splattered out like dark red mud.
Torn pieces of his lungs were also ripped from his chest cavity, dangling weakly in the air like two wads of wet, tattered rags.
The pervasive stench of blood overpowered the burnt scent of burning paper, as blood and bone fragments sprayed into the air.
The corpse tumbled down the steps.
The surroundings instantly descended into chaos. Screams and curses rose one after another, and the crowded masses scattered like an exploding pot.
The blood-drenched servants looked up in bewilderment.
Unable to see the phantom manifestation of the deity, they threw themselves down in terror, trying to save their master, but could only grab hold of a mangled half-corpse.
Su Cheng was just walking out the main doors of the Magic Guild.
She stood in the shadows of the porch, looking at the chaotic scene at the bottom of the steps, and slowly took off her hat.
Then, she bowed in reverence to the manifestation of the deity within the golden light.
