Chapter 16

Chernobyl Islands

"Don't bother with them, their highest potential will only be that of a third-grade acolyte!"

Raynor said with disdain.

"Yeah! That's right, to acolytes, aptitudes are more important!" Leylin agreed.

Although this group of youths was pretty silent during the forming of their cliques, he naturally did the thing that would benefit him the most.

Amongst the acolytes, Jayden had the capability to be independent, but Leylin did not have such a good aptitude, so he could only join a group. Also, by comparing, naturally it was the group with Kaliweir's as the head with a better future.

"Haha......Welcome! Welcome! With your participation, our group is now more robust, there will definitely be a day where I will make that person regret!"

Kaliweir said while clenching his teeth. Afterwards, a few of them arranged to meet after dinner, and they went back to their respective huts.

"Beirut, what did you mean earlier when you said it was a different continent?" Leylin looked for the most amiable, Beirut, and asked him as he was concerned about what Beirut had said earlier.

"Oh...... This, you know! Actually, the continent we're on is rather small. To the outside world, it is known as the Chernobyl Islands!"

"Island?" Leylin gaped. According to his journey in the past half a year, he could almost be certain that this continent was as huge as the Eurasian continent he was in from the previous world. But it was only an island here?

"Oh! Sorry! Geography is my weak subject, and it has often made my home tutor shudder in rage!" Leylin explained.

Truth be told, the Farlier family is only a noble family, and its heritage was pretty short. It couldn't be compared to the nobles of those huge families, so not knowing was not a rare thing.

"Ha ha!" Hearing Leylin speak, Beirut laughed jovially, "Me too! I have made 5 etiquette tutors leave in rage! In the end, my father offered a monthly salary, but still no one wanted to teach me. This was something my father had specially told me right before I left!"

"Let us continue on the previous topic, we are in the Chernobyl Islands, and the outside world has coined another name for it: The Barren Islands!"

"Barren?" Leylin was a little skeptical, "There are still quite a few people here and plenty of kingdoms, could it be that it is referring to the lack of certain resources?"

"That's right! In the Chernobyl Islands, due to the environment here, or some external factors, the land here is unable to produce any of the materials a Magus needs. Apart from the earnest acolytes and Magi in seclusion, there are absolutely no other traces of Magi here on this continent!"

"So that is the case!" Leylin nodded his head, and although there were myths of Magi back in his homeland, only the founder of the Farlier family has seen a Magus. From this, one can see the rarity of Magi.

"And so, we need to go to the other side of the seas before we can truly find a continent! I heard that not only are there various kinds of resources that Magi need, but there are countless traces of secrets and remnants of experimental labs. On the whole, the continent has various academies and organisations that trade and exchange the information of magic!"

"On that continent, Magi are not a legend! Although they are still uncommon, even a regular human may be able to see one! Only there can we advance in the progress of our acolyte abilities!" Beirut's eyes gave off obvious signs of yearning.

"So that is the case! What is the name of that continent then?" Leylin asked.

"I don't know!" Beirut shook his head, "That continent is too huge! There was never a unified name for it. As for us, we're going to the south of the continent, and it is known as the narrow coastal regions of the south! Just the south coastal regions alone is several times bigger than the Chernobyl Islands that we're on!

"Siii!" Leylin sucked in a breath of cold air.

"So huge?"

"This world is indeed very vast. The higher one stands, the further one can see! This is a phrase from a bard that I like very much." Beirut concluded.

"Thank you for your explanation! I think I need some time to digest the information!" Leylin bade his farewells and returned to his own hut.

There was a metal plaque on the yellow wooden door where a "9" was written, and it looked to be rather rusty.

Pushing the door open, an odour of rot and rust invaded his nose.

Leylin uncontrollably sneezed twice.

"It looks like this is just a gathering point, so the accommodations are rather simple!" Besides a bed and chair in the wooden hut, there was practically nothing else.

Leylin found a cloth, wiped down the chair, and then sat on it.

* Creak Creak * The wooden chair creaked continuously, which made Leylin worry that it would be crushed into pieces in the next moment.

"Lucky it is just for a night! In this condition, it would be better to clean up a little first!"

Leylin patted the dust off his body and walked out of the wooden hut. He had made plans to meet with George and the others, and since he had already chosen his academy now, he should tell them so that they could properly write to each other in the future.

For the batch of acolytes that Leylin was in, they were considered one of the later groups to reach the camp. After Leylin's batch had chosen their schools, the various tents of the academies seemed to have fewer people visiting them, and it looked to be much quieter.

"Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, it's here!" Leylin walked to the back of the student quarters and blocked the path of a familiar girl from the same travelling party.

"Hi Lisa, do you know where George is?" Lisa was a red-haired girl who had matured early; one could already see the fine curves on her body.

"Ley...... Leylin!" Lisa blushed, as she had a good impression of Leylin, who had helped several acolytes along the journey a number of times.

"George is in room 13, I'll call him for you!" Lisa picked up her skirt, and rapidly ran off.

Whiffing the perfume that was lingering in the air, Leylin's heart trembled.

"Leylin!" This lecherous thought was very soon broken by a joyous voice.

George had obviously taken a bath and changed his clothes. He had also shaved his mustache and gave off a very refreshing look.

"Have you finished choosing your academy?" George said loudly, as he patted Leylin's shoulder.

"Yes, I did, the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy!" Leylin replied.

"Abyssal Bone Forest Academy!" George touched his chin, "I heard from my female seniors that it seems to be famous for its Shadow and Dark element magic! I hope you won't piss in your pants because of a skeleton during the night!"

"Female seniors?" Leylin shook his head and had even more admiration for George's abilities for seducing women.

"Hehe......Those who are able to participate in the aptitude test are all of the nobility, and it just so happens that I met a distant cousin, an elder female cousin!" George laughed smugly as if having earned something.

"As for the skeletons and whatnot, I think we'll see them not only at night but even in broad daylight!" Leylin laughed bitterly, as he had signed an acolyte contract with a skeleton not too long ago.

"No matter what, as long as you know the location it's fine! Let's keep in contact in the future!" George said seriously, a big change from his smug expression earlier.

"Let's keep in contact!" Leylin nodded.

"Oh yeah! Do you know where Bessita went to?" George asked suddenly.

"Bessita?" Leylin shook his head.

After the previous attack of the wolves, the vibrant and beautiful girl had been much more silent, but at least she had endured and safely here arrived.

"Yeah! I heard from other companions that her aptitude wasn't that great, only that of a second-grade acolyte, so she entered the Wetland Gardens Academy!

"I know now! Thanks!" Leylin was not too interested in the affairs of this girl.

Although she was the one the previous Leylin really admired, to him, a girl of thirteen or fourteen years of age was only a child! And the previous encounters were just a child's mischief.

"How is it? Do you feel a little wasteful because you were unable to get her in your hands......?" George once again changed back to having a lewd expression.

"Scram......"

After another one to two hours, the sky had already darkened. Leylin was in the camp of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and enjoyed the dinner provided by the academy with the other acolytes.

This time, the dinner was extremely sumptuous, and because they were leaving tomorrow, they were generous with the portions.

Various fruit juices and wine, fragrant barbecue chicken, fish sauce, truffles, fruits, and salads had all satisfied the belly of Leylin who had not eaten much ever since he appeared in the grasslands.

The acolytes were eating and drinking within several groups, and Leylin's eyes looked towards the corner and found Professor Dorotte and Jayden standing at a corner. Jayden also spoke a few words to him occasionally.

"Having a fifth-grade acolyte in this semester, we are really lucky!"

Beirut tore a huge strip of chicken thigh off the barbecue and gave it a huge bite.

"Ever since Jayden arrived, Professor Dorotte and him have spoken on a few occasions, I wonder what they are talking about?"

"For acolytes, the aptitude will greatly determine the progress of a Magus. What Professor Dorotte is doing is rather normal. Beirut, eat your barbecue chicken!"

Kaliweir's voice turned cold, and only after seeing Beirut drink the fruit juice and lowering his head did he turn his gaze back on the barbeque.

"Although the aptitude is important for a Magus, it isn't everything. Only the accumulation and comprehension of information is the true motivator and key to the rise of the Magi's powers!"

A third-grade acolyte added.

Although it was the truth, the atmosphere in the group darkened as the saw Jayden and the professor chatting away. The group silently ate their delicacies, seemingly having lost their appetites.

"Ha ha...... Guricha, hurry, what happened, what happened next?"

On the other side, the lower aptitude acolytes sat in a circle with Guricha was in the middle, narrating a risky adventure.

He had eloquence and was humorous in his speech. Nyssa and Dodoria held their tummies and laughed coquettishly as if they were two happy skylarks.

Compared to them, this side was pretty silent.

The group looked at each other and craned their necks, listening intently. However, only Kaliweir retained his prideful expression.

Seeing that even the fourth-grade acolyte Raynor could not bear to go over and listen and seemed afraid of losing face, Leylin laughed silently.

"After all, they are just a bunch of kids!"

After dinner time was over, the group bade their goodbyes and went back to their respective huts.

After today's simple cleaning, Leylin's hut was barely accommodative. At least there was not as much dust as before.

Leylin lay on his bed without removing his clothes, and he stared blankly at the ceiling as if he was lost in thought.

"I finally entered an academy! It is also time for the cultivation of Magi to open its doors for me!"

Chapter 17

Dirigible

* Clang Clang *

An alarm sounded, produced by the ringing of a copper plate, waking Leylin up from his deep slumber.

He opened his eyes. A hint of sunlight shone through the window, landing on Leylin's shoes.

"It's already morning?" Leylin got up, hastily washed up, and went outside.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning! Leylin!" Beirut had two dark circles around his eyes and kept yawning.

"The conditions here are the worst! There are actually fleas and fungi on my blanket, my god! I cannot remain here for a moment longer!" Voices of complaint sounded from time to time.

These acolytes were all of the noble birth and their daily accommodations had not been lacking, so naturally they were suffering now.

Today, everyone was lacking sleep and had dark circles around their eyes.

Although Leylin could not sleep at the start, he had managed to fall asleep later in the night. Right now his vigor was greater than the others, and he still had an inclination to walk around.

The whole campground seemed to be bustling with activity. There were many who were taking down the tents, and the floors were littered with rubbish.

As Leylin silently walked around, many thoughts crossed his mind. "Every year at this time, there will be batches of acolytes risking their lives to come here and walk on the path of a Magus. And right now, this is just my starting point!"

"Gather around! Gather around! Everyone gather according to your academy, and the respective professors will take charge! Do not wander off!" A white-bearded geezer shouted in the centre of the campgrounds.

His voice, however, was extremely piercing to the ears, as he used some kind of magic to make it resound throughout the camp.

"This has a much higher pitch than a trumpet from the previous world!" Leylin rubbed his ears, which felt like they had been trampled on, and hurriedly went towards the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy gathering area.

"Hey! Leylin, you're back? Kaliweir was looking for you earlier." Beirut greeted him.

During his short time here, Leylin had only managed to match the various faces with their names, but he had the best relationship with Beirut.

"My apologies! I strayed a little far and had forgotten to keep track of time! Did Kaliweir need something?"

Leylin revealed an apologetic expression.

"It's nothing! Dorotte asked him to make a head count, so you'll just have to tell him later. Right now he is being smug about it!" Beirut shook his head.

"Alright! How are we going to leave, by ship?" Leylin looked over at the distant blue seas with boundless horizons, but there were no traces of any ships.

"Not only there are no ships, from a geographical point of view, we are not in a suitable location for a port." Leylin was filled with suspicion.

"I guess so? However, it might take another half a year to get to another continent!" Beirut scratched his head.

"Transportation in the ancient times is a little too behind in technology, needing around 1 year just to travel to school. Time cannot be wasted just like that; it needs to be used efficiently!"

Leylin touched the 3 magic crystals that he had snatched from Ourin, which was in a leather pouch hung around his waist, seemingly deep in thoughts.

"Taking a boat? What naive thinking!" A frosty voice travelled over, bringing ridicule along with it.

"Jayden?" Leylin looked at the approaching black robed student.

"We are close to the Death Seas; any random fish in it is able to kill a Knight! Not to mention enormous beasts, and even ancient creatures, they all loathe the ships of humans and often bring storms and waves to them. So we would just be courting death if we were to take a ship!"

"A fish with the ability to kill a Knight?" Leylin widened his eyes. Right now he was still a preparatory Knight, and if what Jayden said was true, he would die if he were to fall into the sea?

Leylin delved into his subconsciousness and retrieved his body statistics.

[Leylin Farlier. Strength: 1.9, Agility: 1.9, Vitality: 1.9 Status: Healthy ]

In the Great Plains of Death, Leylin had analysed the wolves' flesh and had also belatedly discovered that their eyeballs contained a special component that complemented the Knights' breathing techniques, so he had collected many of those eyeballs.

And with the contribution from these direwolves, Leylin had now reached the limits of a preparatory Knight.

According to the analysis of the A.I. Chip, when the stats have all reached 2, they have twice the strength of an average adult and is also at the bottleneck of a Preparatory Knight. Only by igniting their internal life energy can they get over this bottleneck.

Clenching his fist tightly, a strong force was controlled within his palms.

"Right now, if I were to hold a cross blade, I have the confidence to fend off against a squad of common soldiers! But even a Knight whose strength is above mine cannot defeat a mere fish in the Death Seas?"

Leylin was a little skeptical of it, "It could be that Jayden has exaggerated things, but the Death Seas containing dangers that even apply to Magi is a fact!"

"A.I. Chip! Is is possible to scan the seas nearby?"

[Beep! The radiation surrounding the host body is excessive! Unable to scan due to an interference of an unknown force field!] The A.I. Chip replied.

"Radiation? Unknown force field?" Leylin looked at Dorotte, who wasn't too far away, and had some understanding.

"In this continent, the Magi population is scarce and there isn't much interference from radiation, so the A.I. Chip is able to scan up to a 20 li radius. But acolytes and Magi professors are present in this camp, which is why the interference is too strong, and hence, the A.I. Chip has limitations with its scanning abilities!"

"Right now, what is the furthest distance you can scan?" Leylin's face darkened.

[Beep! Precise scanning range: Within 300 metres radius from the host's body! Vague scanning range: Within 1000 metres!] The A.I. Chip intoned.

"Hu......" Leylin exhaled loudly, "Not too bad! This distance is enough to warn me of dangers! However, after reaching the other continent and the academy, this scanning range will most likely shorten once again!"

[To increase scanning range, please raise the level of the A.I. Chip!] A message was sent from the A.I. Chip.

"I can still level up the A.I. Chip?" Leylin was ecstatic.

"Raise level!"

[Beep! The energy required is lacking, please replenish!] The robotic voice sounded, and brought Leylin down from Heaven into Hell.

"Damn!" The A.I. Chip has already disappeared from my original body so how can I retrieve it to replenish energy? Then again, even if I managed to, where am I going to find the energy?"

Leylin held his head and recovered after a while.

"Forget it, since its level is able to rise, I can just find a way in the future. As for now, its current functions are enough for me!"

"What did Jayden say to you guys earlier?" A voice sounded and brought the absent-minded Leylin back to reality.

When Leylin recovered, he discovered that Jayden had left without him knowing, and Kaliweir was now beside him.

"Him? He just spoke about setting off! I reckon he was bored, after all, not speaking to anyone all day is rather stifling!" Beirut surmised.

"Yeah, that's true!" Kaliweir nodded his head and then looked at Leylin. "We're about to set off, don't go anywhere now. If you were to board the wrong ship, it would be rather troublesome!"

"Ship?" Leylin looked at the surface of the sea and still didn't see any signs of a ship.

"Haha!" Kaliweir laughed loudly, "Who said it had to come from the water."

"Look!"

Following the direction that Kaliweir pointed to, Leylin and Beirut raised their heads and gaped.