Chapter 74: Retake at the Obsidian Tower
Luna looked at the man in black before her with some disbelief; his outfit was undoubtedly that of a teacher from the Obsidian Tower.
But why?
At this time, the Obsidian Tower had no reason to send a teacher to her home!
Luna hurriedly approached the man in black and respectfully said, “Hello, esteemed Mentor, I am Luna.”
The man in black compared her to the photo in the crystal and gently nodded. His hoarse voice spoke again, “Examinee Luna, hello. I am Armand, Pyromancer of the Obsidian Tower, here to convey a notification from the Obsidian Tower.”
As he spoke, Charles pulled out a very old scroll from his pocket. The top of the scroll was embossed with an ancient rune, which was completely black and resembled a strange tower.
The scroll opened, and a strange light radiated from it as an ethereal figure slowly materialized.
Luna instantly recognized the figure; it was Vokrald, the strongest fire mage of the age.
He was also the head of the Elemental Magic department at the Obsidian Tower, for which she had applied.
Seeing this, Luna immediately knelt and bowed, saying, “I, the younger generation Luna, greet you, Mentor Vokrald.”
However, the scroll was not a communication scroll but a projection scroll, so Vokrald would naturally not react to Luna’s actions.
He simply released the image he had left behind in accordance with the previous design.
“I am Vokrald, Saint Tier Pyromancer. I hereby officially issue the latest directive regarding the retake for the new batch of examinees from the Obsidian Tower.”
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the previous plan to conduct uniform examinations on Splana Isle is canceled, and all examinees will instead take the exam in a new retake format.”
“The examination format will be an interview, and the examiner will be the one who took out this scroll. He will conduct a comprehensive test of your magical ability from different angles.”
“If you pass, congratulations; you will officially become a member of the Obsidian Tower. The Abyss of Magic, endless wisdom and lore, the greatest magical hall in the world will open its doors to you.”
“Wishing you success in the examination.”
As the image disappeared, Luna stood dazed in place.
Unforeseen circumstances? Change in examination format?
Such a thing had never happened in the history of the Obsidian Tower; what was going on?
Additionally, Luna had one more thing she did not understand. She looked up at the black-clad examiner before her and respectfully asked, “Esteemed Examiner, hello. I have a question; the recent notification only mentioned the change in the examination format, but it did not state when the examination would take place. Could it be…?”
“Just as you think, the examination time is now,” the black-clad examiner said coldly.
Luna’s expression instantly turned grim. Based on normal timelines, there should still be nearly a year’s time before the story of the Obsidian Tower, and she had ample time to study. But now… her magical level might not meet the entrance standards of the Obsidian Tower.
At this moment, the examiner seemed to understand Luna’s thoughts and slowly said, “Examinee Luna, please don’t worry. Due to the special circumstances this time, we will appropriately lower the difficulty of the exam.”
“Really? That’s great!” Luna immediately sighed in relief.
“And there is one more thing I need to emphasize to you. If you pass the exam, you will need to pack your things immediately and accompany me to the Obsidian Tower. No delays. Moreover, when all the new students arrive at the Obsidian Tower, it will enter a sealed state, with no one allowed to enter or exit. This state could last for years, decades, or even longer.”
“What are you saying?” Luna was shocked. “Why is this happening? Has something happened?”
“All of this will be explained to you once you pass the exam and become one of us upon arriving at the school. Of course, if you cannot accept the current circumstances of the Obsidian Tower, you also have the right to withdraw from the exam.” The black-clad examiner coldly stated, “Alright, time waits for no one, Examinee Luna. I’ll give you ten minutes to prepare for the exam. The retake will officially begin in ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?!” Luna’s expression became grim again.
To be honest, this was really too rushed. She had just been joking and talking with her sisters about the legends of heroes.
Now, in less than ten minutes, she was expected to face the most important exam of her life.
Luna’s heart instantly tightened.
Moreover, the sealing of the Obsidian Tower…
This meant she might not see Kendrick and the others for decades; how could she bear it?
And now she only had ten minutes to discuss this matter with Kendrick and the others.
At this moment, Elrose suddenly took Luna’s hand, comforting her, “Alright, stop overthinking. Time is running out. Hurry and talk to Kendrick about this; he might have a different perspective.”
“Okay.” Luna nodded heavily and quickly ran to the kitchen.
Watching Luna’s retreating figure, Elrose gently nodded, then turned to the black-clad examiner with a smile and asked, “Lord Mage, would you like some tea?”
…
In the kitchen, after hearing Luna’s words, Kendrick instantly showed a troubled expression: “Years, decades, or even longer…”
“Yes, if I pass this exam, I might not see you for a long, long time, possibly even…” Luna bit her lip, saying with difficulty, “possibly never again.”
Kendrick fell into deep thought.
From his inner feelings, he certainly did not want to see such a thing happen.
This was his daughter; a long separation like that was something he could not accept.
Moreover, if this so-called sealing occurred, if anything happened to Luna, he would have no way of knowing.
However, like Lilith, the Obsidian Tower also held extraordinary significance for Luna — it was her only means to seek revenge for her kin.
If she abandoned this exam, it would be equivalent to giving up her past.
That would be more painful than killing her.
Kendrick’s brow furrowed deep; such a choice was undoubtedly torture for him.
“Well then, Luna, what do you think?” Kendrick gently asked.
“I…I don’t know.” Luna answered dejectedly, “So I want to hear your opinions.”
“If it were up to me, I would say don’t go.” Lilith, standing to the side, said with an annoyed expression, “What kind of nonsense Obsidian Tower is this? First changing the exam, then sealing it off; it’s utterly unreliable. Luna, you only want to become a Saint Tier mage. You’re so smart; you could learn to become a Saint Tier on your own.”
“Smart, huh…” Luna smiled helplessly and said, “Lilith, that’s not right. I know very well I am not clever at all. Compared to those real magical prodigies, I might even be called a fool. I have no talent in magical perception, magical construction, or mana release. My only advantage over them is that I’m a bit more diligent. So to become a Saint Tier, the Obsidian Tower is my best choice. It… it can change everything for me.”
“This…” Lilith bit her lip, wanting to refute Luna’s words but finding herself at a loss for words.
Luna sighed softly and then turned to the otherwise silent Stella: “Stella, what do you think about this?”
Stella lowered her head and fiddled with her small hands. “I… I also…”
But at that moment, a strange rune suddenly appeared in Stella’s gaze, and scenes that had never happened before surged into her mind.
Innate Skill: [Future Perception]
Stella immediately raised her head and firmly said, “I think you should go to the Obsidian Tower, Sister Luna.”
