Starting with Proficiency Panel-Chapter 714: See clearly the real outcome (new book content)

He checked the time; there were less than three minutes left. He placed the admission notice scroll on the ground, then pulled up his hood, hiding his entire face in shadow.

Three minutes flashed by.

The magical runes on the scroll began to surge quickly, twisting on the scroll like worms, finally forming a black crack in mid-air big enough for a person to pass through.

Li Qing was silent for a moment, hesitated a bit, took a deep breath, and carefully stepped forward, holding his breath as he entered.

...

...

Dark!

Cold!

Whether it was the heavy clouds that seemed to be oppressively compressed or the somewhat pungent air that smelled like decaying flesh.

The first thing that caught his eye was a street paved with brownish-yellow stones, flanked by tall trees of an unknown kind. The leaves moved without wind, as if gently swaying in sync with some rhythmic breathing.

Though he didn't know how to describe it correctly, that's what Li Qing felt.

These trees were alive.

And fifty meters down this street stood a rather sophisticated gate, made of stacked red bricks at a glance, with two huge iron doors pushed outward, and a towering, gigantic building came into view.

In Li Qing's eyes, the entire so-called Magic Academy exuded a sinister, eerie aura; the classroom seemed like a lurking giant beast ready to devour.

Most importantly, though it was clearly midnight, it was daytime here.

Yes, daytime, despite the sky being extremely gloomy, Li Qing felt something hidden within it.

"Is this the legendary Gray Magic Academy?"

A sharp and excited voice from the side suddenly brought him back to his senses.

While his attention was focused on the academy, without knowing when, there were suddenly a dozen or so people standing around him.

These people were all dressed in black robes, with hoods hiding their faces in shadow, making it difficult to see clearly.

Taking advantage of their discussion about the Gray Magic Academy, Li Qing discreetly shuffled backward into the crowd.

Standing in the front was too conspicuous. Li Qing never liked being flashy.

After a while, a figure in a black robe walked forward, and as the fourteen people began moving, Li Qing silently followed.

In a strange environment, one should never make attention-grabbing moves.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

This is the lesson Li Qing learned during his career; he knows his own abilities and places himself in a position where he isn't conspicuous, yet indispensable to the company.

That's why since his graduation, he has had a smooth, uneventful journey.

"Jes, why do we have to wear these black robes and hoods?"

A nearby slender woman murmured softly.

Li Qing seemed oblivious, continuing to walk at a steady pace, but his ears were sharply tuned in.

"Hey, don't make trouble for yourself. Last time someone did that, they were eaten by the scarecrow!"

Jes beside her stopped the woman's action in a low voice, then complained, "Anna, you must understand the price we paid to come here. This is not your palace nor your exclusive servant ground; we are just students here. You must adjust your mindset."

"I know, I know! I'll be careful."

Anna waved her hand impatiently.

Always observing carefully, Li Qing's pupils suddenly contracted; he paused for a moment almost imperceptibly, then continued walking as if nothing had happened.

He just saw that the woman named Anna had a white tentacle with suckers revealed from her dragging black robe!!

Instinctively, he scanned the circle and looked at the fourteen people in black robes around him.

What on earth was hidden beneath these black robes?

Li Qing understood that this was definitely not a proper Magic Academy.

He also realized why the admission notice emphasized wearing this black robe uniform.

Everyone here had issues.

At this point, Li Qing suddenly realized that the language they were speaking completely differed, yet he could understand it.

Is this the miracle of magic?

Nearing the academy gate, he saw from afar a person still shrouded in a black robe, with blue silk embellishing the cuffs and collar. This person was very tall, at least over two meters.

Seeing everyone approaching from afar, the robed figure spread his arms, the long sleeves covering his hands.

"Welcome, chosen ones, to Gray Magic Academy. Today is your admission day, so everyone, make sure not to mess up! Otherwise, the consequences could be dire, even life-threatening."

The man's voice was quite calm, carrying a trace of jesting laughter.

Seeing the silent responses to his banter, the robed man seemed somewhat displeased.

"Alright, I am the admissions registration mentor Zhuang Xu. Next, I will register your information while welcoming you here. At the same time, I am also your life mentor. If you encounter any problems during your studies, you may come to me for answers, but I might not respond."

The attitude of clearly saying don't bother me made Li Qing speechless; he had been fiery and enthusiastic during the phone call back then.

"One more thing, I need to remind the soon-to-be Gray Magic Academy students: in school, never, ever remove your uniforms. If damaged, please go to the academic office for replacement, and it's not free, of course."

Pausing for a moment, Zhuang Xu clapped his hands, causing Li Qing's heart to shake. The guy's fingers were sharp and slender, and his skin was bluish-black like a corpse, with fingers not humanly possible.

"One more thing, is the human who was chosen to be a mage at thirty here?"

Zhuang Xu glanced at the fifteen people, their faces obscured under hood shadows.

Upon hearing Zhuang Xu's words, the crowd sounded a mix of surprise, shock, and amazement.

"A human, chosen to be a mage at thirty?"

"That means they were single until thirty!"

"Such perseverance!"

"So pitiful…"

"I didn't expect any humans could come here!"

"Haha, chosen by the Evil God; humans are so fragile, do they have the right to refuse?"

Some strange thing seemed to mix in; aside from that, all Li Qing felt was the group's ill-will, undisguised malicious glances.

Oh, damn it!

Li Qing cursed silently; Zhuang Xu was doing this on purpose.

Utterly heartbreaking.

"One more thing."