A sharp voice echoed through the dirigible's cabin, snapping the weary acolytes out of their stupor.
"We have arrived at the Abyssal Bone Moor! Attention to all acolytes of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy! Please bring your belongings and leave the dirigible in an orderly fashion!"
Leylin, who had spent the past month confined in a cramped space, swiftly packed his belongings. "A.I. Chip, scan the area and record the passage," he commanded silently before stepping out onto solid ground for the first time in weeks.
Outside, Dorotte, the eerie black-robed skeleton, stood at the forefront, his staff gleaming with a green jewel embedded at the tip. "Jayden, Kaliweir, take attendance!" he ordered.
Jayden and Kaliweir nodded, moving among the group, noting down names. Leylin's gaze flickered to Kaliweir. The once-arrogant youth had grown noticeably subdued after his humiliating defeat at Jayden's hands. He kept mostly to himself, his expression darker than before. In stark contrast, Jayden brimmed with energy, bolstered by the rumor that Dorotte had accepted him as a personal apprentice. Such apprentices held superior status, with access to advanced knowledge, an advantage that set them apart from ordinary acolytes.
A dozen or so figures disembarked the dirigible, stepping onto the bleak, lifeless landscape of Abyssal Bone Moor. Leylin surveyed the desolation. The land bore scars of darkness, withered vegetation, and twisted remnants of paths once walked. A wooden signpost, riddled with holes, stood at a crossroads, its lettering scrawled in ominous black ink.
"The land of shadows and death—Bone Abyssal Moor."
The words themselves seemed to distort, sending a shiver down his spine.
Dorotte stretched his skeletal limbs, the sound of creaking bones filling the air. "Hehe… follow me!" he said, his voice laced with amusement.
Then, with a sinister chuckle, he warned, "Pay heed! Although our academy's acolytes perform scheduled cleansings, this area is still infested with polluted and evil beings. Stray from the path, and your corpse will be the next thing we find."
His words sent an uneasy murmur through the group. Their pace quickened, fear of wandering too far evident on their faces.
The group continued forward, cautiously navigating the barren terrain.
Suddenly, Leylin's A.I. Chip flickered to life.
[Beep! Unidentified creature detected. Estimated Strength: 3-4, Agility: 4-5, Vitality: 5. Assessment: Extremely dangerous.]
A holographic projection appeared before him, displaying a blue-horned creature lurking in the distance.
"A.I. Chip, scan it's movement path."
[Task initializing…]
Leylin analyzed the creature with narrowed eyes. 'Stronger than an ordinary knight… Only a veteran knight or a Level 2 acolyte could take it down. Engaging it now would be suicidal.' He slowly unclenched his fists, deciding against rash action.
Dorotte's green flames flickered in his sockets as he glanced at Leylin, noticing his hesitation. "It seems like our little acolytes are finally realizing the dangers of this place," he mused.
The journey continued. The barren expanse gradually gave way to twisted black trees, their skeletal branches casting eerie shadows. The deeper they ventured into the forest, the dimmer the sunlight grew, enveloped by a thick white mist that clung to the air like an ominous veil. A damp chill settled over them.
Then, a piercing alarm from the A.I. Chip rang in Leylin's mind.
[Warning! High-energy being detected! 2 meters ahead! Position: In the air!]
Leylin froze.
A sharp "Kak!" echoed as a shadow swooped down. A black raven with blood-red eyes dived toward a nearby female acolyte, talons outstretched.
Before Leylin could react, a greenish liquid shot through the air, striking the raven mid-flight. It let out a shrill cry as it crashed onto the ground, writhing in pain as white smoke hissed from its corroded flesh. Moments later, its body disintegrated, leaving nothing but a scorched imprint in the earth.
The female acolyte trembled, then broke into sobs.
Leylin watched in silence. 'If I had been the one to kill it, I might have broken through to the Knight realm after devouring it but..… No matter. There will be plenty of creatures in this forest.'
Dorotte shook his head, sighing. "These red-eyed ravens keep multiplying. I'll have to assign more cleansing missions when we return." He turned, addressing the group sharply. "What are you all standing around for? Move!"
The acolytes hesitated for only a moment before pressing on. The crying girl wiped her tears, gritting her teeth as she followed.
After another hour of trekking, the trees thinned, revealing the heart of the Abyssal Bone Forest.
Before them lay a vast graveyard.
Tombstones of black and white marble sprawled across the land, stretching far into the distance. The cemetery, though grand, had long been abandoned—its graves overrun by wild vines and weeds. Black ravens perched atop the headstones, their eerie caws echoing like the whispers of the dead.
Dorotte let out a sinister laugh.
"Welcome to your new home of shadow and death—Abyssal Bone Forest!"
Leylin grimaced as he gazed at the graveyard beneath which the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was hidden.
"At least something is useful about having an academy here." He inhaled deeply, his body naturally absorbing the rich dark energy permeating the area.
"A.I. Chip, analyze the environment."
[Beep! Increase in Shadow and Dark energy particles detected. They resonate with Host's consciousness.]
Leylin nodded. This is exactly why the academy was built here—this place was a paradise for dark-element Magi. Dark wizards live in such depressing areas because it has more natural negative energy making it an excellent base for them and increase the overall power of their spells. Well of course if a strong magus attacks, they are done for regardless.
Dorotte led them to the largest tombstone in the graveyard, a massive structure resembling a black castle. Two eerie stone statues flanked the entrance—one a two-headed spiked dog, the other a winged earthworm with razor-sharp fangs.
As Dorotte approached, the earthworm statue rasped, "Password!"
Dorotte scoffed. "Jumal, don't you recognize me?"
The statues cackled. "Rules are rules, Dorotte! Or do you wish to entertain us?"
Dorotte rolled his eyes before muttering, "I hate smelly bones."
The statues burst into laughter as the entrance opened. The acolytes behind him struggled to contain their amusement, but one unfortunate soul, Rousey, failed.
Dorotte's eye sockets flared with green flames. Snap!
Rousey collapsed, screaming. "Don't come near me!" His face twisted in horror, though nothing visible touched him.
Leylin observed quietly. Magi mock one another as equals, but acolytes must know their place.
Two of Dorotte's servants, clearly Grand Knights, easily restrained Rousey before the group descended the spiraling stone staircase into the depths. Blue flames flickered to life, illuminating the vast underground halls.
The academy was immense—far larger than the graveyard above. It was like an underground kingdom.
Dorotte led them through the corridors, explaining. "The academy was founded in the Gregorian Year 324. Here, proper Magi can claim an empty grave for their own passage."
They arrived at the administration area, marked by ancient symbols in the Byron language. "You'll learn to read this later," Dorotte assured.
A steel door creaked open, revealing an old man with a white beard and sharp eyes. Books, parchment, and crystal balls cluttered the shelves behind him.
"You're late."
Dorotte waved a hand. "Wandering giant storm sprite. Dirigible got damaged."
The old man's gaze swept over the acolytes, pausing on Jayden. "A good find."
Dorotte smirked. "Already made him my personal apprentice. Get the paperwork done."
Jayden, a fifth-grade acolyte, accepted without hesitation.
With that settled, the old man turned to the rest. "Now for your professor selection."
There were two options: let his pet, a massive black python named Spotty, choose randomly, or pay a magic crystal to select a professor.
The acolytes hesitated. Beirut muttered, "I only have one magic crystal left. My family sacrificed a thousand troops for just two…"
Leylin patted his pockets, stroking the magic crystals he extorted from Ourin.
The selection process began. "First up, Raynor! Choose!"
Unfortunately Raynor had no magic crystal hence he was give a mentor randomly, it was Mentor Gafrin.
The old man tossed a black sack to Raynor and snapped his fingers. A floating black orb appeared.
"Follow the shadow slave. It'll take you to your mentor."
Raynor sighed and left.
"Next! Rousey!"
The acolyte, still pale from Dorotte's earlier punishment, stepped forward.
"Oh? A nightmare hex! You'll suffer for a month!" The old man cackled.
"C-Can you remove it?" Rousey stammered.
"Of course! One hundred magic crystals!"
Rousey grimaced and handed over a single magic crystal instead. "I'll pick my own mentor."
The old man handed him a thick compendium and flipped an hourglass. "One magic crystal, one turn of the glass."
Rousey flipped through in a panic. Only five minutes were barely enough time to skim through but Leylin wasn't worried, for him it was just a formality he has already chosen his teacher.
"Time's up!" The book snapped shut.
"I choose Mentor Vivian!" Rousey declared, grabbing his sack and following another shadow slave.
One by one, the acolytes were called. Kaliweir paid three crystals for extra time, while Beirut, unable to afford even one, had his mentor assigned randomly.
Then—
"Next! Leylin!"
Leylin strode forward and handed over a magic crystal.
"You know the rules." The old man flipped the hourglass.
Leylin skimmed through the pages as fast as possible, although he knew what he wanted he still recorded the details of all professors.
"A.I. Chip, record all data!"
Names and specialties flashed before his eyes:
Lester (Souls): Neurology, transformation, radiation. Requires forced participation in experiments.
Dorotte (Shadow): Necromancy, anatomy, energy conversion. One magic crystal per month + experiments.
Kroft (Alchemy): Potioneering, herbalism, neutralization. Requires lab work but ensures no harm.
Estelle (Curses): Human anatomy, soul studies. One mandatory experiment.
Leylin thought that unlike Fang Ming, Professor Lester and Estelle was also a viable option, mainly since his main elements was soul but fortunately Professor Lester wasn't a very benevolent person while he knlws next to nothing about Estelle, rather than walking on uncharted land, he would rather chose Professor Kroft. At least his financial strength would he solidified and not being an expert didn't mean other professor had no knowledge of other fields, most magus were very versatile.
Leylin opened his eyes. "I choose Mentor Kroft."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "Alchemy? It demands vast resources. Sure you don't want Dorotte?"
Even the old man didn't recommend Lester or Estelle, it further solidified his guess that they were rather unstable character, Leylin bowed. "I have always been interested in alchemy."
"Hah! The mortal world's 'alchemy' is nothing compared to ours." The old man shook his head. "But suit yourself." He scribbled on parchment and handed over a sack.
"Follow the shadow slave to Kroft."
Leylin bowed and exited.
The black orb led him through twisting corridors, halls, and a garden before stopping at a door marked for experimental labs. It phased through, leaving Leylin outside.
A voice came from within.
"Leylin, huh? Enter!"