Starting with Proficiency Panel-Chapter 706: See tomorrow (new content of the book)
Li Qing was silent for a while, hesitated, took a deep breath, and carefully stepped forward, holding his breath as he stepped in.
...
...
Dark!
Cold!
Whether it's the heavy clouds seeming to press down, or the somewhat pungent air smelling of decaying flesh.
The first thing that caught his eye was a boulevard paved with brownish-yellow bricks, with rows of unknown straight trees on each side. The leaves moved without wind, as if swaying gently to a rhythmic breath.
Though it seemed wrong to describe it this way, this was the feeling Li Qing had.
These trees were alive.
About fifty meters down the boulevard was an elaborate gate, made of stacked red bricks, with two large iron doors pushed outward, and a tall, sharp architectural structure appeared.
To Li Qing, the entire Magic Academy exuded gloom and malevolence, the classroom seemed like a lurking giant beast, ready to devour.
Most importantly, despite it being midnight, it was daytime here.
Yes, it was daytime, though the sky was extremely gloomy, and in Li Qing's perception, something was hidden within.
"Is this the legendary Gray Magic Academy?"
A sharp and excited voice from beside him snapped Li Qing back to reality.
While he focused on the academy, several people had unknowingly gathered behind him.
All were clad in black robes, hooded, hiding their faces in darkness, making them indistinct.
While they discussed Gray Magic Academy, Li Qing inconspicuously moved back, blending into the crowd.
Being in the forefront is too conspicuous, Li Qing never liked standing out.
After a while, a figure in a black robe moved forward, as the fourteen others began to act, Li Qing silently followed suit.
In a strange environment, never do anything overly noticeable.
The bird that stands out gets shot.
This was a lesson Li Qing had learned throughout his career, understanding his abilities, choosing his position, being neither prominent yet indispensable.
As a result, from graduation until now, he led a calm, uneventful life.
"Jes, why must we wear these black robes and hoods?"
A slender woman muttered softly beside him.
Li Qing pretended not to notice, still walking at his own pace, but his ears perked up silently.
"Hey, don't make trouble for yourself, the last person to do so got eaten by a scarecrow!"
Jes beside her stopped her actions with a low reprimand and complained: "Anna, you have to understand the price we paid to come here. This is not your palace nor your private play area; we're only students here, you need to adjust your mindset."
"I know, I know! I'll be careful."
Anna waved her hand impatiently.
Ever carefully observing, Li Qing's pupils suddenly contracted, his footsteps hesitated briefly before he continued ahead nonchalantly.
He had seen the woman named Anna dragging a black robe revealing a white tendril with suction cups!
Unconsciously, he swept a glance around, looking at the fourteen figures clad in black robes.
What exactly was hidden beneath these robes?
Li Qing understood, this was definitely not a regular Magic Academy.
And he understood the reason why the acceptance letter emphasized wearing this black robe uniform.
Every person here had issues.
Only then did Li Qing realize, these people spoke entirely different languages, yet he could understand them.
Magic's miracle?
Approaching the academy gate, he saw a tall man wrapped in a black robe, with blue silken threads adorning his sleeve and collar, standing several meters away.
Seeing the group from afar, the black-robed man spread his arms, his long sleeves enveloping his hands.
"Welcome, chosen ones, to Gray Magic Academy. Today is enrollment day, everyone, make sure nothing goes wrong! Or the consequences will be dire, even life-threatening."
The man's voice was calm, tinged with a playful laugh.
Seeing the silent response to his banter, the black-robed man appeared somewhat bored.
"Alright then, I am the enrollment registrar, Zhuang Xu. Next, I will register your information, welcome everyone, and I am also your life mentor here. If you encounter any problems in your studies, you can come to me for answers, but I may not respond to you."
His attitude was clear - don't bother me - leaving Li Qing speechless, as he was so enthusiastic over the phone before.
"One more thing, I remind all students about to attend Gray Magic Academy, never, ever remove your uniform, and if it gets damaged, please go to the office for replacement, of course, not free."
After a pause, Zhuang Xu clapped his hands, making Li Qing's heart tremble; his fingers were sharp and slender, skin pale as if dead, clearly not human fingers.
"Another thing, is the thirty-year-old human selected as a Mage here?"
Zhuang Xu surveyed the fifteen figures, his features obscured in the hood's shadows, unclear and indiscernible.
His words brought voices filled with surprise, astonishment, and awe.
"Human, picked to be a Mage at thirty?"
"That means being single before thirty!"
"Great willpower!"
"How pitiful..."
"Didn't expect a human could come here!"
"Heh, all chosen by the Evil God, do humans have the right to refuse being so fragile."
Something strange had mixed in, but besides that, Li Qing sensed malice, undisguised hostile gazes from these 'people'.
Dammit!
Li Qing cursed inwardly; this was clearly intentional by Zhuang Xu.
Destroying a person mentally.
"Another thing," Zhuang Xu's voice drifted: "If you arbitrarily attack students in the Magic Academy, regardless of your identity, you'll face severe punishment, eternal punishment. If you insist, believe me, you'll beg for me to kill you."
Zhuang Xu's slightly blood-red eyes showed a trace of a bloodthirsty smile. Yes, despite his full face hidden beneath the dark hood, Li Qing could indeed feel an emotional display.
