Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

(The extra chapters these past two days have disrupted my fragile update schedule. I'm late again today, and I haven't finished writing the third chapter yet. Please bear with me for now. I'll release the third chapter later.)

...

As each of the Stigmata entered and greeted Lynn, Victor also stepped out from the crowd.

He wore a dark gray robe without any decorations, and a gray tag hung at his waist.

That's the mark of the Ministry of War Affairs.

He walked up to Lynn and extended his hand.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency Lynn."

Lynn was surprised that Victor was here today as well.

When I was choosing my mentor, I almost became his apprentice and a war machine for his "Titan Skeleton" project.

Lynn took his hand.

"Lord Victor, I didn't expect you to be at the academy."

Victor released his grip.

"The Ministry of War Affairs is currently undergoing a period of rest and recuperation, so I've come back to stay for a few days."

He looked at Lynn with admiration in his eyes.

"I heard about how you fought six Stigmata all by yourself a few days ago. You're the only newly promoted Stigmata in the academy to have done that."

Lynn shook his head modestly.

"It's all thanks to your leniency, gentlemen; otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stand here and have such a pleasant conversation with you all."

Victor burst into laughter.

"Lord Lynn is too modest. So, how about it? Are you interested in joining the War Affairs Department?"

"If you join the War Affairs Department, the speed at which the academy expands into new dimensions will greatly increase. I'm currently short-staffed there, and the compensation will be much higher than anywhere else."

Lynn thought for a moment.

"I'll think about it."

Victor nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk away.

More and more people filled the hall. Wizards stood in twos and threes, some chatting, some drinking, and some waiting for the banquet to officially begin.

Lynn stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by a group of people. Some spoke to him, while others simply stood by and watched.

He smiled faintly and nodded in response to each question.

When the banquet time arrived, footsteps could be heard at the entrance of the hall.

Cersei walked in.

She stood in the center of the hall, her long black robe reaching her feet, her hair loose over her shoulders, and a faint smile on her lips.

Everyone stopped talking and turned their attention to the deputy tower master.

Sersi's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Lynn.

"Today is a good day for our Bone Spire Academy." Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard her clearly.

"Lord Lynn, the Lord of All Things, has officially advanced to the Saintly Mark. From this day forward, he will become one of the Academy's core combat forces!"

Applause erupted.

Cersei lowered her right hand, and the applause stopped.

"As you all probably know, Lord Lynn had some minor misunderstandings after returning to the academy."

Several unsuspecting wizards in the audience exchanged glances.

"In the end, as a newly promoted Saint Mark, he single-handedly gained the upper hand against the three veteran Saint Marks of the academy!"

The hall erupted in chaos, with everyone discussing the matter.

A second-circle wizard in a grey robe nearly dropped his wine glass; his companion caught him, but spilled his own.

Several low-ranking formal wizards huddled together, their faces full of surprise. They wanted to discuss it, but they managed to suppress their excitement.

Someone whispered, "Who are the three most established Stigmata?" No one answered him. After all, the Stigmata Wizard's perception was extremely terrifying, and answering would mean offending all three Stigmata at the same time.

The Scarlet of Fear stood on the left side of the hall, his expression slightly unnatural, his lips twitching but he remained silent.

The woman in the shadows stood beside him and gave a soft hum, so softly that everyone standing nearby heard it.

The white-haired man stood on the right side of the hall, his face as white as frost, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, motionless.

They never expected that Cersei would bring up this topic and use the three of them as stepping stones.

The three sacred marks have now become the three great traitors.

Cersei's voice drowned out the noise.

"Later, our Lord Golden Flash Wayne, Lord Soul Weaver Malfa, and Lord Wind and Thunder Wings Greed joined forces to suppress Lynn."

These words made the scene even more lively.

Some people who didn't know the three of them didn't think much of it, but those who knew their strength were all greatly shocked.

Wayne? He's one of the top-ranked members even among the Academy's Stigmata.

To actually provoke him to take action, just how strong must Lynn be?

In fact, they have fallen into a misconception.

The fact that Wayne and the other major Stigmata joined forces to suppress Lynn does not mean that Lynn can fight against them.

It was just a coincidence.

If there weren't many people, Wayne alone could probably suppress Lynn.

But the others didn't know that; all they knew was that Lynn was fighting alone against... the six Great Stigmata!

Is this child truly terrifying?

Wayne leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smile playing on his lips, seemingly unconcerned about the misunderstandings he was being misunderstood.

Marfa sat on the sofa, legs crossed, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest, her face expressionless.

Greed stood next to Wayne, his hand on the blue jade pendant at his waist, his gaze fixed on Lynn.

Although he knew the inside story, he was also aware of Lynn's terrifying strength, so there was no need for him to "clarify" anything during someone else's moment of glory.

"Lord Lynn's terrifying combat prowess is evident to all," Cersei said, raising her voice slightly.

"In the future, he will surely become a pillar of the academy!"

The hall was quiet for a few moments.

The applause rang out again, this time with a more genuine feel.

Gregor stood in front of the crowd, pulled his hands out of his sleeves, and clapped them a few times with emotion.

This kid has such a record?

That's absolutely awesome!

Field stood behind him, placed his wine glass on the table beside him, and clapped vigorously. Anri clapped along with her father, her hands turning red from clapping.

After all, they were fellow disciples, and the more awesome Lynn was, the more proud he became.

I felt a sense of pride in being a part of it.

Harold's smile widened as he heard about Lynn's achievements, and he clapped his hands loudly.

Old Corey and Todd, along with their group of shopkeepers and owners, were greatly reassured upon learning of Lynn's terrifying combat prowess.

By using such a powerful stigma as a signboard, the shop will surely be able to maintain its stability.

Even some veteran Stigmata would have to think twice before making a move.

The group exchanged glances, instantly conveying the same message.

Even if it costs more, we must reach an agreement!

Of all the people present, only the three scoundrels were not very interested.

Lynn stood in the center of the hall with a polite smile on his face, but felt extremely awkward inside.

So embarrassing!

Cersei didn't care what he thought. Tonight's banquet was meant to promote Lynn and set an example for the academy, so naturally, the more exaggerated the better.

From now on, it will be the face of the college.

This is a genuine story of a grassroots rise to power. As long as this "glorious deed" is spread, the number of apprentices choosing the Tower of Bones will surely increase significantly next time students are recruited.