Wizard: Building a Golem Legion From Zero-Chapter 43 - 41: Before the Promotion (Part 2)

That Carlos did later become a powerful Advanced Wizard, gaining great fame in the planar wars.

But his end was also recorded.

Because of his over-reliance on the aid of Alchemy Tools, his own fine control over Magic Power severely degenerated.

Ultimately, during an experiment with a high-tier magic model, he was unable to handle a sudden torrent of Magic Power and was consumed by his own magic’s backlash, blown to smithereens.

Lecia looked at Allen’s name and, for the first time, felt that this was a difficult case.

Carlos’s path had been traceable, but Allen... she truly couldn’t figure him out. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Sometimes, there is only a fine line between a genius and a madman.

「Meanwhile, inside Alchemy Workshop No. 17.」

Draven looked at the announcement on the forums, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"As expected," he said in a low voice. "Full marks on everything. This kid... is a true genius."

His assistant stood to the side, his face a mask of shock.

"Boss, is... is this really possible? Nine exams in one day, all with perfect scores?"

Draven turned his head, looking at his assistant as if he were an idiot.

"Do you know what a genius is?"

He picked up a Magic Crystal, fiddling with it in his hand. "A genius is someone who can make the impossible possible. But Allen Wesren isn’t just an academic genius; he’s a business genius, too."

A merchant’s shrewd glint flashed in Draven’s eyes.

He paused, then said, word by word, "Most importantly, he’s our partner."

... ...

Taking nine exams in a row was a terrifying drain on one’s Spiritual Power. Even for Allen, whose mind and body had been enhanced through his Meditation Method, it was a stress test that pushed him to his absolute limit.

The moment he returned to his dorm and closed the door, the high-speed calculations that had been running in his brain for nearly five hours ground to a halt. All of DSeek’s analytical threads went into hibernation.

He didn’t even have the strength to think about food. His body’s instincts overrode everything else. He collapsed onto the bed, and his consciousness sank into darkness.

He slept until noon the next day.

Allen opened his eyes. After a night of peaceful sleep, his exhaustion was completely swept away, replaced by an unprecedented clarity and vitality.

He sat up and clenched his fists, feeling a subtle but definite increase in his strength.

His bones, muscles, and nerves were all being silently reshaped by the constant saturation of Magic Power.

He opened his personal terminal and logged into the public forums.

An overwhelming flood of red titles and exclamation points nearly burst from the screen.

Allen’s gaze quickly swept over the posts, which uniformly contained the words "full marks," and the comment sections below them, which had already exploded with activity.

The dramatic shift in public opinion—from initial doubt to later shock, and now to fervent admiration and in-depth analysis—unfolded before his eyes.

He gave a self-deprecating smile but didn’t post any comments. Whether it was criticism or praise, none of it could shake his resolve.

’I won’t waste time and energy on this idle chatter. Following the optimal plan to become a Wizard step-by-step is my most pressing task.’

Today was the day to reap the rewards, and it was also the starting point for the next phase of his plan: promotion to Advanced Apprentice.

When Allen walked out of the dormitory building, he immediately felt a completely different atmosphere from the day before.

In the hallways and the plaza, many apprentices who saw him, whether new or senior students, would subconsciously stop in their tracks, their gazes converging on him.

Those gazes were filled with awe, curiosity, and scrutiny.

He was no longer an inconspicuous member of the crowd, but a walking focal point.

"Is that him? Allen Wesren?"

"It really is him... He doesn’t look any different from us."

"Duh. Do you think geniuses have it written on their faces? You dare go talk to him?"

"No way... The very air around him feels different."

The whispers rose and fell behind him like the tide.

Allen kept his eyes fixed forward, his pace unhurried, maintaining the elegant demeanor his aristocratic upbringing had instilled in him.

This outer shell blocked out all unnecessary prying and probing.

「The top floor of the administrative center, in Lecia Ellis’s office.」

The polished floor reflected the Runes swirling in the clouds outside the window. The room had no superfluous decorations, only a row of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a massive desk.

Lecia wasn’t sitting behind the desk but was instead standing before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.

Before her hovered a complex projection made of light, with countless points of light moving along profound trajectories within it.

Allen walked to the entrance, and a silent force field automatically opened the door for him.

"You’re here." Lecia did not turn around, her voice cool and detached.

She waved her hand, and the projection before her instantly retracted all its light, vanishing into nothingness.

She turned, her gaze falling upon Allen, like an artisan examining a newly completed work that had exceeded all expectations.

"Congratulations, Allen Wesren. You have completed all the public course assessments for the junior apprentice stage."

Lecia’s tone betrayed no emotion. "According to the rules, you are now qualified to be promoted to Advanced Apprentice."

As she spoke, she retrieved a Crystal Bottle from the void.

The bottle was carved from pure, flawless crystal and contained a pool of silver liquid.

The liquid inside was like a living, flowing nebula, with countless tiny points of light flaring into existence and dying out within it, emitting gentle yet powerful energy fluctuations.

"The ’Sea of Consciousness Expansion Potion.’ It’s concocted by Alchemy Wizards with the assistance of masters from the Mind School. Its purpose is to break through the barrier of your Sea of Consciousness and provide your soul with a one-time energy leap, allowing your brain to bear a more Advanced Meditation Method."

Lecia handed the Crystal Bottle to Allen.

Allen took it. The bottle was cool to the touch, but the liquid inside seemed to be faintly warm, as if it were creating a strange resonance with the Rune Array in his Sea of Spirit.

"Drink it. Your Sea of Spirit will expand, allowing it to house more complex structures. Then, you can switch to practicing an advanced Meditation Method truly suited to your future path."

Lecia looked at him and changed the subject. "However, before that, there is a truth I can share with you."

"You passed all the course assessments, which is excellent. But in the Wizard promotion system, it’s not actually a necessary condition."

Allen listened quietly, not interrupting.

"There is actually only one hard requirement for promotion to Advanced Apprentice: successfully inscribing all thirty-six basic Runes within your Sea of Consciousness."

Lecia’s voice grew serious. "Many Black Wizards, or those impatient for quick results, will completely forgo theoretical studies and use all their time and resources to just stack up the number of Runes. They can also get promoted, and even faster than you."

"But this method sacrifices long-term growth for short-term gain."

"Knowledge is the true source of a Wizard’s power. A Wizard’s strength is, in essence, the cognition and application of the world’s rules. The depth of your understanding of these rules determines how much power you can safely leverage. Without a solid foundation, you can only build a precarious tower that could collapse at any moment."

Lecia’s gaze was profound. "The Seven Towers Alliance, as the highest seat of learning in the Wizarding World, is the only place with course assessment requirements. This isn’t to slow you down, but to lay the most solid foundation possible for your path as a Wizard."

"Only with a firm foundation will you have the chance to build your own tower, instead of having it come crashing down halfway."

Allen nodded. "I understand, Professor. Knowledge itself is the most effective lever."

A flash of approval appeared in Lecia’s eyes at his response.

’This young man isn’t just smart; he’s clear-headed. He hasn’t let his achievements go to his head, and that’s more important than the achievements themselves.’

"Very good. Since you have met all the conditions to become an Advanced Apprentice, what comes next is your first, and most important, choice before you become a Wizard."

"Choosing your school of study."

"The mainstream of the Wizarding World consists of five major, fundamental schools. These five schools are further divided into thousands of specializations. A person’s energy is always limited, and an Advanced Meditation Method will transform one’s Sea of Consciousness to make it more suitable for in-depth development in a chosen direction. In other words, once you choose, it’s nearly impossible to turn back."