Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

Chapter 787 - 736: Illusion Tower

Duke tried to make the mountain move.

The mountain mass slowly drifted a dozen meters to the left, then to the right, then upward, then downward.

The little mountain obeyed his will like an arm or a finger, moving as he wished, but the burden on his Spirit was heavy, and his Magic Power drained at an alarming rate.

If not for the rapid recovery of Magic Power in his body, it would probably take only two seconds to completely drain him dry.

After a brief round of testing, Duke withdrew his Spiritual Power. The mountain mass crashed back to the ground, kicking up a sky full of dust.

He stood where he was, gasping for breath.

...

The final month before the assessment slipped away quietly in focus and silence.

Duke’s life became extremely simple.

Either he holed up in the dormitory, letting his true body enter the Light God Court, where he repeatedly practiced those two forbidden Magics—Giant Divine Soldier Summoning: Demon God Descent and Move Mountain—on that barren wasteland.

Or he passed through seven Light Gates, soaked in the first three floors of the Six-Ring Tower library, leafing through knowledge tomes that were hard to access outside.

Occasionally he would run into a few acquaintances.

Once, he bumped into Lis at the library entrance. She ran over, delighted, to greet him, chattering on about how she had picked another course, how many contribution points she had earned, how she’d heard someone had been expelled for failing the assessment.

Duke just listened, nodding every now and then, and finally turned to leave under her reluctant gaze.

Lis seemed quite interested in him, but Duke was always so distant that she had little chance to really get to know this taciturn man.

Another time, Duke saw Vera from afar on the covered bridge. She was still wearing that white Magic Robe, her steps cool and aloof, with a few young Wizards from the West Coast at her side.

She seemed to sense something, tilted her head slightly, and her gaze met Duke’s in midair.

Neither of them stopped walking. They only nodded faintly and then went their separate ways.

After that elemental course assessment, Duke had entered the sight lines of Vera and her circle.

High-Level Earth Element Affinity was definitely full of potential.

But Duke was always low-key and silent, and he had shown no interest in the small circle of Vera, Leon and the others, so there was almost no interaction between the two sides.

Soon, there were only two days left until the first assessment since they had come to the Central Islands.

Duke had no idea what the content of this assessment would be. He could only prepare as best he could, stocking up on all kinds of supplies to ensure he could stay composed no matter what situation he ran into.

He received a message from Raymond, sent to everyone from the West Coast.

Raymond invited all West Coast people to attend a dinner. In name, it was a dinner.

But with only two days since the assessment notice had come out, he clearly had something to say. Duke naturally wouldn’t miss it, in case he overlooked some important intel.

Duke glanced out the window; dusk was falling, and the radiance of the Sky City was shifting from warm gold to silver-blue.

He closed his book, got up, changed into a formal dark Magic Robe, and pushed the door open.

The Zone 7 banquet hall was on the east side of the teaching area, a separate two‑story building. It was much smaller than the one on the Floating Airship, but just as delicately arranged.

When Duke pushed the door open and went in, there were already a dozen people in the hall.

Simple cold dishes and drinks were set out on the long table. There were no Elf musicians, no elaborate decorations. The atmosphere was much more casual than the banquet on the airship, yet also far more heavy.

Vera stood at one end of the long table, speaking softly with Edmond.

She saw Duke come in and gave him a slight nod.

Leon was there too, sitting by the window with a glass of some unknown drink in his hand. He looked much better than before, but there was still a faint, lingering gloom between his brows.

When he saw Duke, he nodded slightly, which passed for a greeting.

Lis was standing in a corner. When she saw Duke come in, her eyes lit up, but seeing that he didn’t show any intention of approaching, she didn’t come over.

There were a few other familiar faces—people from the West Coast.

Morris hadn’t come.

But Duke noticed that there was an empty spot in the shadows by the wall.

The angle of that spot gave a clear view of the entire hall while just avoiding the direct glare of all light sources.

He withdrew his gaze, walked to the long table, picked up a glass of water, and stood quietly.

People arrived one after another.

At exactly seven, the door opened again.

Raymond walked in.

He was still wearing that pure white Magic Robe. His hair and beard were all white, but his face looked like that of a man in his forties.

Those silver‑gray eyes slowly swept across the hall, and the entire place fell silent at once.

Vera was the first to stand and salute.

Everyone followed suit and stood up.

Raymond raised his hand, motioning for everyone to sit, but remained standing himself.

"In two days, the assessment begins."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly. No pleasantries, no small talk, straight to the point.

"There’s some news you need to hear in advance."

He paused, those eyes that seemed to have eight hundred years of time沉淀 slowly sweeping across the room.

"This assessment was not originally planned to be like this."

Someone in the audience straightened up slightly.

Raymond went on, "According to the initial plan, you would have been sent directly into a high‑risk Plane for a three‑month, high‑intensity combat assessment. The environment of that Plane is harsh, the native creatures dangerous, and there are also invaders from other Planes. The mortality rate would be at least thirty percent."

Thirty percent.

The two words smashed into everyone’s ears like ice.

Duke’s gaze flickered slightly.

A thirty percent mortality rate meant that out of more than twenty people, six or seven would not return.