10: Chapter 10 Dark Eclipse Wizard Academy

In the dense forest, the light was shockingly dim.

The massive canopy, interwoven by towering trees, acted like an umbrella, blocking out all sunlight completely.

The air was permeated with the stench of decay and wild beasts.

Everyone was trudging along in silence, stepping unevenly on ankle-deep fallen leaves, not daring to make a single unnecessary sound.

"Ah—! Mon... monster!!!"

Suddenly, a shrill scream erupted from the back of the line.

Immediately after, the screaming spread like a contagion, triggering a chaotic wave of panicked cries and stumbling in the rear of the group.

Gerald, walking at the very front of the group, did not turn his head and continued walking forward.

Byron secretly turned his head, glancing backward out of the corner of his eye.

It was a terrifying creature, four or five meters tall.

It had a humanoid torso, but its body was covered in scales similar to deep-sea fish, its limbs were like four thick stone pillars, and four sharp, massive fangs in its mouth were exposed directly to the air.

At this moment, the creature was motionless, staring down at the crowd scurrying away in terror, its pale yellow slit pupils filled with mockery.

Byron's eyes constricted.

'Omniscience, scan.'

[Scanning... Scan complete.]

[Target: Unknown humanoid creature]

[Physique: 56.3]

[High-elasticity scales on body surface, high-explosive muscles inside, dense bones...]

[Unknown energy fluctuation, extremely dangerous, please move away as soon as possible!]

Upon seeing the test results, Byron was stunned at first. His first thought was that the Eye of Omniscience was broken; how could it scan a Physique of over fifty?!

After so much Meditation, his Physique was only a pathetic 2.15, and that Wizard Apprentice Andrei only had a Physique of a dozen or so. This fifty-plus...

Just as Byron was pondering this, Gerald's voice came from the front, sounding nonchalant and even carrying a hint of disdain.

"Stop screaming blindly. This is my cultivated creature. Alright, continue moving."

After saying this, Gerald didn't say anything else and continued walking forward.

Hearing this, Byron understood in his heart why the Eye of Omniscience had given such an outrageous result.

Time flew by, and the group had been walking in the forest for who knows how long.

But even though everyone was exhausted, no one complained or stopped.

Because during the time they had been traveling, they had seen creatures that looked either ferocious or bizarre more than once, and they had also encountered their attacks.

But those creature attacks were, without exception, punched to pieces by the humanoid ape at the back of the group, with flesh and blood splattering everywhere.

And these stimuli were all constantly goading everyone's nerves, becoming the strongest spur to drive them forward.

They didn't know how long they had trekked through the dense forest, long enough for many people's legs to become completely numb and lose sensation, before the view ahead finally opened up.

The sky-blocking giant trees disappeared.

Replaced by a terrifying deep pit so large that its boundaries were impossible to estimate.

Rather than a pit, it was more like a massive Basin that had been smashed out by force.

In the center of the Basin, countless stone buildings, some tall and some short, stood densely packed, looking like medieval castles.

"Byron..." Gray swallowed, his voice wavering, his face full of astonishment.

"This isn't the Dark Eclipse Wizard Academy, is it? This... isn't this a bit too dilapidated?"

Not only did Gray think so, but even Byron had the same thought.

After all, the things that had appeared along the way, the steam train, the sailing ships flying in the sky...

These encounters had been constantly raising Byron's psychological expectations.

And now to be told that such an ancient, even somewhat crude, collection of buildings was the Wizard Academy, the disparity was truly quite large.

"Who told you to look down?"

Seeing the disappointment faintly appearing on everyone's faces, Gerald smiled mockingly and spoke.

"Below is just the outer Market, as well as the settlements of some low-level Wizard Families that survive by attaching themselves to the Academy."

"The real Dark Eclipse Wizard Academy... is above."

Everyone subconsciously looked up.

The next moment, everyone's pupils constricted, their hearts felt like they were being gripped by an invisible giant hand, and even their breathing stalled.

Above the firmament, it was not the sky or clouds at all.

A pitch-black, massive meteorite, so large it was suffocating, with a rugged, cratered surface covered in cracks, floated silently in mid-air like the single eye of an ancient god.

It dominated everything, blocking out all the sun, yet it emitted a heart-palpitating, oppressive light, like a 'Dead Sun' belonging to the night.

Byron's eye twitched violently, and his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

He finally understood why this Wizard Academy was called the Dark Eclipse Wizard Academy.

So that was why! This is f***ing outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!!!

They actually built the Academy on a massive meteorite floating in the stratosphere!

Gerald seemed very satisfied with everyone's shock, his voice carrying a hint of pleasure.

"Alright, you can't see clearly standing below. If you want to see, you have to go up and see."

As Gerald snapped his fingers lightly.

Hum—

An invisible, suffocatingly massive force descended from the sky, enveloping the entire area.

Byron only felt his feet lighten, and his whole body felt as if it were being lifted by an invisible giant hand, involuntarily rising slowly toward the direction of the meteorite.

Seeing this situation, Byron quickly asked.

'Omniscience, what is this situation?'

[Analyzing... Analysis complete.]

[Subject is locked and pulled by the gravity of the meteorite in the sky, no damage.]

Seeing this, Byron finally relaxed and began to carefully experience this sensation.

If he could master this kind of method, then in the future...

Many people had not reacted to this sudden situation, and by the time they did, they were already floating in the air, immediately terrified into screaming, and some even cried out loud.

Seeing everyone in this state, Gerald was amused and laughed out loud.

Before long, after passing through an invisible barrier, everyone was pulled onto the meteorite.

On the meteorite, countless spires, towering domes, and black stone buildings similar to the Gothic style rose from the ground, densely packed, with no end in sight.

"Don't be afraid. That was one of the ways to enter the Academy. As long as you belong to the Academy, you can use it within a specific range."

"The disadvantage, as you just saw, is that it's too slow."

"If you become an Official Wizard, the Academy will grant you permission, and you will be able to come up at will."

As their feet touched solid ground, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Academy has a teaching area, Library, research area, living area, trading area..."

"The buildings you saw below are the trading area, and we are now going to the administration area to have you complete your enrollment registration."

Gerald seemed to have completed his task and couldn't be bothered to say another word of nonsense, leading the shaken group forward.

Before long, under Gerald's guidance, everyone arrived in front of a large building.

Standing at the entrance of the building, Gerald stopped and turned to look at the group: "We've arrived. Now, go in. Different Aptitudes go to different floors. The door directly ahead is the place for registration; just go right in."

After finishing, Gerald ignored everyone else and turned to leave.

The remaining people, after looking at each other, had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk inside.

Byron was walking in the middle of the group and didn't know when he had become separated from Gray.

By the time he walked in, there were already quite a few people gathered in the hall, and some were walking up the stairs, but he didn't see Eliza and the other one.

Seeing this, Byron didn't hesitate and immediately walked up the stairs.