Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

With Lynn as such a promising talent, the wizard was in a very good mood.

Originally, this recruitment was only intended to recruit some "consumables" to deal with the old guys in the academy.

I never expected to catch such a big fish!

If Lynn can be safely returned to the academy, the reward for this recruitment will certainly be substantial.

...

As Lynn approached the five apprentices, the boys and girls immediately put on smiling faces and whispered their congratulations to him, their tone clearly showing their flattery and desire to befriend him.

There were three boys and two girls. Except for one boy who looked a little older, the others were all around eleven or twelve years old.

He could clearly sense that the way the earlier apprentices looked at him had completely changed.

What began as scrutiny and even slight disdain has transformed into curiosity, awe, and a subtle hint of ingratiation.

As soon as he stood still, the oldest boy, who was about fourteen or fifteen years old, took the first step forward and approached Lynn.

He wore a well-tailored blue velvet coat, a decorative short sword at his waist, and gave a slight bow, displaying a smile that appeared as sincere and friendly as possible.

"Congratulations, Lynn! Your exceptional soul talent is truly astonishing!"

"I am Carl Wilson, and my father was the treasurer of Blackswamp City."

When he introduced himself, there was a hint of superiority in his tone, but he concealed it well when facing Lynn.

As soon as he finished speaking, a girl with a round face and wearing a pink silk dress eagerly spoke up, her voice clear and crisp:

"Yes, yes! The light from the crystal ball was really bright! I am Lillian Ross, and my father runs the largest Ross Trading Company in town."

She blinked her big eyes, curiously examining Lynn's delicate face.

Another girl, tall and with a slightly aloof expression, wore a simple white linen dress, but the fabric and workmanship were exquisite.

She replied calmly, "Eileen White, my father is the deputy commander of the city defense force."

Her introduction was concise, but her gaze lingered on Lynn for a few more seconds, clearly indicating that she was not at peace with herself.

Seeing this, the remaining two boys quickly squeezed forward as well.

A chubby boy with freckles on his face smiled憨厚ly:

"My name is Thomas Ironhammer. My family owns a blacksmith shop, and half the best weapons in town come from our family!"

He patted his chest, looking somewhat proud.

The last, thin boy seemed a little shy and said softly, "I...I am Benjamin, and my father is...a clerk."

His voice was almost inaudible, clearly indicating that his family background and demeanor were inferior to the others, making him seem somewhat inferior.

These five people clearly came from families of considerable standing in Blackswamp City; they were either wealthy or noble.

Their initiative in introducing themselves was a gesture of goodwill, and they hoped to gain favor with this "genius" by showcasing their identities.

Lynn took in their expressions and understood what was going on.

These are all people who failed the test last year but barely passed this year because the mental strength standard was lowered. They are all "low-talented".

Before the talent test, they were all people Lynn had to curry favor with, but now, because of the difference in their talents, they all fawned over him.

Although Lynn was not a vain person, she still felt a genuine sense of joy.

This feeling... is amazing!

A smile appeared on his face, and he responded simply:

"Hello, my name is Lynn."

He did not mention his background, and his tone was very indifferent.

But this simple response did not make the five people feel slighted; on the contrary, they felt it was only natural.

Geniuses always have to be a little arrogant.

If I had exceptional talent, I'd be even more arrogant than him!

Carl immediately chimed in, his tone warm: "Brother Lynn, we're classmates now! Please take good care of me at the academy!"

Lillian nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, we all came from Blackswamp City, we should help each other!"

Eileen nodded slightly in agreement.

Thomas scratched his head and gave a simple, honest smile.

Benjamin stared longingly at Lynn.

Lynn maintained her smile and nodded with a hint of sincerity: "Of course, helping each other is the right thing to do."

As for how much sincerity was in his words, only he himself probably knows.

He did not reject their overtures, after all, as noblemen, they certainly knew more about wizards than he, an "outsider."

He needed information, and these local noble children were his channel for quickly learning about the wizarding world and the academy.

The wizard was clearly very satisfied with his results. He quickly dismissed the few distracted test subjects and prepared to put away the crystal ball.

"Wait! Wizard! Please wait! I...I need to be tested too!"

An urgent, tearful voice came from the doorway.

A figure that Lynn never expected burst in—it was Mary!

Mary limped in, her hair disheveled, her face flushed and terrified from running.

The black mist beneath the black-robed wizard's hood rippled, clearly indicating his extreme displeasure.

The test was about to end, and this latecomer was being disrespectful to him.

The air in the lobby seemed to freeze.

Mary felt the invisible pressure, turned pale with fright, and collapsed to the ground.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of Lynn standing among the apprentices out of the corner of her eye, and as if grasping at a straw, she screamed:

"Lord Lynn!"

Lynn frowned deeply.

What an idiot! An idiot who can't tell the situation from the truth! An idiot so stupid he could be in a museum!

If I only had ordinary talent, I would probably be implicated by her shout and displease the wizard.

The wizard glanced between Lynn and Mary, realizing that the two knew each other.

Thinking of Lynn's extraordinary talent, he suppressed his displeasure, took out the crystal ball again, and said coldly, "Put your hand on it."

That stupid woman was actually quite lucky, because her shout was thanks to Lynn.

otherwise...

Mary was overjoyed and tremblingly placed her hand on it.

The crystal ball glowed faintly, tinged with a pink light.

"Low-level charm talent, mental strength 8."

The wizard frowned. "Your mental strength doesn't meet the standard... Oh well, since you're here, you'll count me in too."

He was clearly giving Lynn face.

Mary burst into tears of joy and almost collapsed to the ground.

But she still forced herself to walk, limping to Lynn's side, and instinctively tried to grab his arm again.

Lynn frowned, abruptly pulled her arm back, and looked at her with icy eyes.

That stupid woman! She actually followed us so quickly; she definitely didn't delay long enough as he instructed!

What if the skinny monkey discovers it beforehand...

Mary was startled by his gaze; her face turned deathly pale. She hurriedly whispered an explanation:

"Lin... Lord Lynn, I... I also snuck out. I jumped out of the window and that's how I twisted my ankle..."

"I didn't tell anyone! Really! Even the old ladies didn't know we were out!"

Lynn stared at her for a few seconds, and only after confirming that she didn't seem to be lying did his expression soften slightly.

This woman isn't too stupid!

Well, it's too late now. He's already a wizard apprentice, and the Blood Hands gang wouldn't dare do anything to him.