Locke left his dormitory, walking through the elegant corridors of the academy and passing the beautiful garden. There, he spotted Cohen Julian and his lackeys.

Locke frowned. In the past year and three months, Cohen Julian and his group had gained significant attention.

During this time, the Frankish Empire had defeated the combined forces of the remaining four kingdoms three times and invaded the Bain Kingdom.

Only three of the seven kingdoms remained, alongside the Frankish Empire.

As the son of an earl from the Frankish Empire, Cohen Julian had grown arrogant at the academy, becoming someone no one dared to provoke, with everyone giving him deference.

He had tried to challenge Locke before, but Locke consistently ignored him. After several warnings from Cohen’s family, he lost interest in antagonizing Locke.

At that moment in the garden, Cohen Julian’s face was deathly pale, standing before Professor Alder of Aurelian Academy.

Unlike a year ago, Professor Alder’s face was now entirely black, resembling a zombie crawled from a grave. It was hard to tell if he was alive or dead, his skin gaunt like a fleshless skeleton.

Only his left eye patch and gold-rimmed glasses on his right eye remained recognizable.

Otherwise, Locke might not have identified him.

Cohen Julian, pale-faced, said, “But I’m from the Frankish Empire. My country is powerful. You can’t make me go to your office after class to copy texts…”

“Those who copied for you died inexplicably.”

Alder licked his lips, eyeing Cohen Julian greedily with heavy disdain. “It doesn’t matter what country you’re from, little native, heh.”

Alder seemed to have lost his mind, no longer caring to hide the wizarding world from mortals. In his eyes, Cohen Julian and the others were already as good as dead.

Alder said, “Cohen Julian, you’ve failed too many times. So, you must come to my office and work for me.”

“You have no right to refuse. Your family will ensure you comply, as part of the ‘resources’ I provide to help your Frankish emperor unify this little island faster.”

Cohen Julian’s face grew even paler, his usual pride and bullying demeanor gone. Facing Professor Alder, he realized his proud backing was utterly useless, fragile, and pale.

He even believed his family would sacrifice him to appease Alder.

He tried to speak, to fight for his survival, but Alder, as if discovering a new world, turned to Locke standing in the corridor.

Locke nodded slightly to Alder and prepared to leave.

After all, Alder didn’t seem normal at all.

But then, unlike his usual pretense of ignoring Locke, Professor Alder spoke up. “Locke, congratulations. You’ve succeeded.”

Locke knew he was referring to becoming a third-class wizard apprentice.

After achieving this rank, Locke met Alder again and realized how powerful the professor’s mental energy was.

Even as a second-class wizard apprentice nearing the end of his lifespan, Alder’s mana and mental strength far surpassed Locke’s.

In Alder’s presence, Locke’s mana felt suppressed, his mental activity dulled, and his head slightly dizzy.

Professor Alder left the garden, approached Locke, and spoke in a voice only they could hear. “Locke, you’ve become a third-class wizard apprentice.”

“Two years ago, I knew you could do it.”

“After all, you’re the first student to die in my office and come back to life.”

Locke’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t discern if this was casual chatter, a probe, or an outright threat.

Professor Alder chuckled. “You were lucky back then. You must have awakened your wizard talent by chance, which is why my life-borrowing ritual didn’t kill you.”

“We’ve had quite the encounter, haven’t we?”

“I haven’t troubled you these past two years, so I think our relationship should be decent.”

Locke replied coolly, “Professor Alder, you’re a teacher at the academy, and I’m a student. How could our relationship be anything but good?”

He was reminding Alder that the professor’s wizard family was still in the wizarding world, hoping to restore some of Alder’s rationality.

Alder smiled. “Don’t worry. I just want to make a deal with you.”

“The wizard ship arrives in three months, right?”

“Tongus has little left to teach you. He’s just a second-class wizard apprentice like me, old and fading, only a few years younger.”

“And Tongus specializes in fire magic, so he can’t guide you further. But I’m different. My expertise is necromancy. I can sense you have some affinity with dark energy element particles.”

Professor Alder continued, “If you don’t want to waste these three months, you could help me, and I can help you.”

“Of course, you can refuse. It’s just a suggestion.”

Locke met Alder’s stubborn gaze and asked, “What deal? What do I get? And Professor Alder, you’re a second-class wizard apprentice, while I’m third-class. I don’t see how I can help you.”

Alder lowered his voice. “It’s different. My mental strength and mana are far stronger, but I’m too old. My mana is too corrupted for precise tasks, and I don’t trust that guy Tongus.”

“I want you to prepare a potion for me. I’ll provide the materials and method. My mental fluctuations are too unstable for such delicate work.”

“I know beginners often fail.”

“I have three sets of materials. If you fail all three, I won’t blame you. You can tell Tongus about this and have him assess your safety, but I’m not deceiving you this time.”

Alder’s tone softened considerably. “I apologize for the past.”

“In return, you’ll get all my magical insights and notes. I’ll also teach you my spell, Skull Explosion, and provide the casting materials and study resources.”

Alder said sincerely, “You’ve learned your first spell, and your mental strength is about ten times that of an ordinary person, so learning a second trick spell will be quick. The prerequisites for Skull Explosion are Basic Necromancy, Basic Mana Manipulation, and Basic Negative Energy.”

“You’ve already studied Basic Mana Manipulation, so the remaining two courses will be very fast for you.”

“If you can learn two spells before boarding the wizard ship, boosting your mental strength further, it will raise your evaluation,” Professor Alder said. “This should be a great deal for you.”

“If you ask Tongus for help, it’s less certain. First, you lack magic stones to learn a second trick spell.”

“Second, at your level, Tongus can’t assist you much. He excels in fire magic and can help Patty more.”

Patty was studying Scorching Spark.