Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

When the lab was almost finished, Lynn saw that his supervisor hadn't given him any tasks, so he said goodbye and left the lab.

He went to the "Apprentice Ladder Hall" to undergo formal certification as a first-class wizard apprentice in order to change his nameplate.

The Apprentice Staircase Hall, located at the base of the central spire, is a vast hall that is perpetually filled with the sounds of low footsteps and whispers.

Inside the hall, several detection arrays, each flashing with a different light, were arranged side by side.

The registration and distribution of nameplates were handled by several deacons with blank stares and mechanical movements.

Most of them were old apprentices who could not be promoted and were nearing the end of their lives, and their eyes had long lost their sparkle.

Lynn was in the back of a not-too-long line, where several apprentices ahead of her were nervously waiting for their tests.

"Mental strength 9, below standard, certification failed! Next!"

Amidst the chilling announcement, a young man, his face ashen, left the magic circle; he had less than a month left to live.

A normal "apprentice recruitment ceremony" will only accept apprentices with an initial mental strength of 10 or higher. As long as they successfully condense a "mental core", they will directly become first-class wizard apprentices.

However, this year's batch received quite a few "defective products".

This resulted in some apprentices, even if they were lucky enough to condense their spiritual core and learn witchcraft, still not reaching the standard of a first-class apprentice in terms of spiritual strength.

"Mental strength 11, met the standard! Unleash a level 0 spell to prove the stability of the mental core."

Another girl nervously chanted a spell, and a small cluster of flickering, almost extinguished negative energy flames emerged from her fingertips.

"Passed. Promoted to first-class apprentice. Go over there to update your information."

When it was Lynn's turn, he calmly walked into the designated detection array.

With our strength, there's simply no chance of failure...

The magic circle lit up, and an invisible force swept across his body, eventually converging at his spiritual core.

The deacon in charge of the testing looked at the data displayed on the crystal in front of him, and a ripple finally appeared in his numb eyes:

"Mental strength...18? First-class apprentice, at peak condition."

This figure caused a stir in the hall.

This kid has clearly only been enrolled for a short time, yet he reached the peak of the first-class level in his first certification. That's quite astonishing.

His initial mental strength must have been extremely high!

"Cast a level 0 spell."

The deacon spoke according to procedure.

With a thought, Lynn made no incantation or gesture, and a layer of close-fitting armor composed of negative energy and skeletal phantoms instantly covered his body—[Skeletal Armor]!

"Instant cast without a spell?!"

This time, even a few apprentices who were queuing up nearby and who considered themselves somewhat talented couldn't help but gasp.

This kid... he's got some skills!

Instantaneous spellcasting signifies an extremely high level of understanding of sorcery models and manipulation of mental power.

It seems illogical for a new student to fully understand and skillfully cast a spell.

Lynn naturally didn't reach the standard of instantaneous release; he simply compressed the release time to the extreme through repeated practice.

With the help of 100% "analysis", this is not difficult to achieve.

The deacon gave Lynn a deep look and nodded: "Approved, excellent rating! Go to window number three to upgrade your nameplate."

Lynn removed his armor and walked to window number three.

The old deacon behind the window took the rough bone plaque he was handed over, glanced at it, and then looked at the test records that had just been sent over.

"Lynn, your superior soul talent... truly lives up to its reputation."

The old deacon muttered something, then took a new nameplate from under the counter.

The plaque is no longer made of rough bone, but of polished black ironwood, cool to the touch, with a faint wood grain.

The nameplate is dark gray overall, with the skeleton spire emblem etched on the front being clearer and sharper, surrounded by a ring of thorn patterns symbolizing restraint and protection.

His name and number seemed to be inlaid with silver wire, shimmering with a faint light.

"Infuse a trace of your spiritual power to complete the binding."

The old deacon gave instructions.

Lynn did as she was told.

When his mental energy came into contact with the nameplate, he immediately felt a world of difference compared to before.

The bone plaque was like a cold, lifeless object, while this black ironwood plaque was like a living tool with a faint connection to him.

This nameplate can indeed be used as a communication tool; if there is any news within the academy, it can be used to directly notify students.

The magic contained in the nameplate is still lighting magic, but the effect of [dim light] is stronger, with a range of up to three feet around the body, and the brightness is controllable.

Several unlockable "marks" have been added to the nameplate, representing the right to freely enter and exit the public laboratory, the low-level training ground, and to borrow some books on the first floor of the skeletal remains repository.

Moreover, the nameplate itself is imbued with a faint calming rune, which can help the wearer resist the unconscious erosion of negative energy to a certain extent.

"alright."

The old deacon handed the newly bound nameplate back to Lynn.

"Remember, the nameplate represents your identity and authority. Replacing it if lost or damaged requires contribution points."

"Keep improving, kid. Once you reach the second tier, you can exchange for the Dark Silver Nameplate, which is the real treasure."

Lynn took the cool-to-the-touch black ironwood nameplate and casually hung it on his waist.

This thing is just a temporary solution; with my talent, I believe I'll need to replace it soon.

The discarded, rough bone nameplate was casually taken away by the butler, presumably to be recycled and left for the next batch of "newcomers".

...

While dining at the "New Life" public canteen, I happened to run into three acquaintances from Blackswamp City: Carl, Lillian, and Eileen.

Several unfamiliar freshmen were gathered around them.

They don't seem to be having a good time lately; negative energy has left its mark on them.

Even the usually aloof Eileen looked worried, with an unyielding melancholy hidden between her brows.

The sharp-eyed Lillian spotted Lynn entering and excitedly shouted:

"Brother Lynn! Over here!"

The others, who were engrossed in their rice, were drawn by the shouts and glared at Lillian.

In an environment filled with negative energy, everyone's emotions are extremely unstable.

The burning sensation in their bodies from the inside out and their inner anxiety turned them into a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest touch.

A fat man with large areas of "festering" skin on his body is grimacing as he gulps down a mouthful of rum.

The strong liquor continued to burn his ulcerated mouth and intestines, causing him to let out a series of suppressed cries of pain.

He has been enrolled for more than two months, but he still has not formed a spiritual core, and his body is festering every day. I'm afraid he won't be able to hold on for much longer.

His irresponsible mentor has completely given up on him.

At this moment, the fat man was resigned to spending his last days in comfort.

Having finally swallowed the pain, the fat man stretched out his completely ulcerated little hand, enduring the agony, and shakily lifted the bottle.

Just then, a girl's joyful shout came from behind.

"Brother Lynn! Over here!"

The fat man was startled by the sudden shout, and the wine bottle he was already holding slipped from his grasp fell to the ground with a "crash," shattering into pieces.

This completely ignited the anger in his heart.

All the contribution points I painstakingly accumulated are gone just like that?!