Before the sorcerers on the second floor of the hall could make their bets, they heard the "59 seconds" announcement.

Everyone looked at each other in a daze.

The oldest mage commented, "Although the 'ytkeel' symbol that represents the pledge is one of the few Sisma symbols that won't change, it's indeed extraordinary that he can memorize and maintain it in his memory for five seconds within a minute."

"Isn't this Lin Qi the Tier 5 genius in Deduction and Computation?" The black-robed mage who's bet had been disrupted was puzzled. "When did he become a memory genius too?"

"Perhaps it was forcefully deduced by computation?" A mage by the door analyzed.

"That good?" The black-robed mage frowned. "Putting aside the difficulty level, displaying such an outstanding performance for an ordinary test? Is that still Tier 5? This should be a genius who surpasses Tier 5 and is worthy of worship, right?"

The mages in the meeting room also looked very expectant.

They knew that the name of a new youth would soon be circulating among the noble mages now.

Inside the hall, the names of the mage apprentices 21-52 suddenly appeared on the LCD screen.

The other teams who were still watching couldn't help but let out a wail.

"Why? Wasn't it agreed to only allow two people for every one person who passes?"

"That's right?"

Geniuses were usually proud and arrogant. These 18-year-old apprentices had always been followed by flashing camera lights and envious gazes. They had never been subject to such unfair treatment.

While everyone was discussing, the broadcast cut in at just the right time. "Supplementary explanation: Breaking through in the first three minutes will allow 10 members of the team to enter. Within the first two minutes… Would the mage apprentices of the corresponding numbers please enter the arena."

Instantly, the noisy hall fell silent.

The students 21-52 followed their predecessors and jumped into the pit one by one. However, they heard the occasional comment of "when a man achieves enlightenment, his dogs and chickens would also ascend to the heavens". It was a little harsh.

------

After leaving the crowd, Lin Qi turned around and saw dozens of apprentices falling from the sky.

He was not the sort to wait for others to guide him or the sort who liked to form partnerships. After countless years of experience, this Star World Island, which had not been established into a modern city, had formed its own set of rules when it came to recruiting students.

He had originally thought that the next step would be a mechanical process of dividing the students into dormitories, getting to know each other and becoming sworn friends.

However, he did not expect that a bright light spot the size of a "firefly" would appear in front of his forehead right after he completed the pledge spell, guiding him forward at a 15-degree angle away from the castle.

Lin Qi walked for more than half an hour. When his forehead became damp from sweat, he finally arrived at the edge of a dense and gloomy forest. The oaks planted in the outer circle were more than ten meters tall, and once he entered, it was difficult to see the sun.

A series of fences had been erected in the outer circle of the forest, and the stakes were nailed with bright red warning words—"No entry without permission."

"Lin Qi, you're so fast?"

Suddenly, Mo Feng's familiar voice came from behind him. Lin Qi heaved a sigh of relief and frowned slightly. "Could this be another test?"

If this was another test, he would be utterly exhausted. How could he continue to strain his brain like this on such challenging questions?

"Listen to the notification yourself." Mo Feng smiled. Behind him, there were three mages dressed in different attires. They stood silently with smiles on their faces.

It was not until then that Lin Qi realized that the "firefly" light had disappeared and turned into a thought that lingered around the outer edges of his thoughts. His psychic power was suddenly released.

"This is the forest of magic pets. The spell will last for an hour, and the recipient will be able to capture the 'magic pet' that is tied to their fate. If you do not complete the contract in time, you will lose this privilege. Please return by following the fluorescent lights. Those who disobey will be expelled from the academy."

Lin Qi shrugged. He just wanted to get stronger and better at magic, but drama after drama concocted by the academy kept piling on. Going by Harry Potter's plot, they would have already been divided into the different schools and gone for dinner.

He sized up Mo Feng who was beside him again. It was obvious that in order to receive tens of thousands of mage apprentices, the academy had specially distributed them and used magic to set up spells to guide them.

Otherwise, if the mages had to keep introducing them, their voices would become hoarse.

"Hey, hey, don't be silly." Mo Feng leaned closer and whispered, "You are good, aren't you? You're actually the first one to come to the Magic Pet Forest, did you use your computational ability to forcibly solve the test?"

Lin Qi was puzzled and looked surprised.

What did that mean?

Mo Feng poked him. "You're still playing dumb with me? Isn't it just drawing a complicated 4D image with functional formulas to avoid the 'memory repelling'? Only people with super computational ability like you can do that."

"However, don't count your chickens too early. Other Sisma symbols will change over time. But I'm really impressed that you can still handle the calculations of the four-dimensional image."

Lin Qi quietly scratched his head.

Mmm, whatever you say, Mage Mo Feng.

He changed the topic. "Mage Mo Feng, why are you here?"

"To give you some tips. Otherwise, you'd be a fool and go in just to catch a mouse to become a magic pet. I can't afford to lose face like that."

Lin Qi nodded. The confidentiality pledge only applied to areas outside of Star World Island. Once inside, any information could be leaked.

"To keep it short," Mo Feng said in a low voice. "There are 20 entrances to the forest of magic pets. You broke through very quickly and got the best entrance."

"Don't be proud. It's only useful if you're lucky. There are magic beasts in the forest of magic pets. They will appear at any time. It's up to you to decide if you want to form a contract. The deeper you go, the stronger the magic beasts you will encounter, but the probability of meeting any will also decrease."

"In the past, many of the top 100 geniuses walked all the way to the back and came out empty-handed." As he spoke, Mo Feng patted Lin Qi's shoulder.

"When you meet your third magic beast, I suggest that you make a contract according to the information in your mind. If you miss it, you can only wait for next year's enrollment. Then it will be the end of today's tasks. Tomorrow, just attend your classes according to your schedule."

Lin Qi nodded. "What kind of magic pets are there?"

"Bats, ravens, cats, toads, horned owls, venomous snakes, wolverines, giant lizards, etc." Mo Feng tilted his head in thought.

"Magic pets are born with a certain mysterious magic power. Or rather, they have the accompanying Sisma symbol that can help you improve in the corresponding specialty. Strictly speaking, they are the mirror of your future specialty."

Lin Qi was surprised. "Are there baby dragons?"

Mo Feng grinned. "There's dragon dung."

"The contract to create a magic pet is essentially the remaining power of your pledge symbol. Most people who come here have basically lost all their memories. Even the 4D image that you used previously would fade if you didn't specially keep revising it. This is due to the characteristics of the Sisma language."

"So if there really is a dragon in front of you, you won't be able to hold it."

"To put it bluntly, only 10% of apprentices successfully captured magic pets in the past years. This forest of magic pets despises wily old foxes, so the chances of encountering them again will greatly decrease. That's why I arranged for you to enter before you have too much contact with magic."

"There are plenty of people who have already become mages but have yet to capture any magic pets. Don't ask me how I know."

"Okay." Lin Qi looked at the intact pledge symbol model in his memory palace and nodded earnestly.