Wizard: I devour the stars with swarms of insects.

On the way back, Wayne felt the fine texture of his new wizard robes and the Black Forest emblem on his chest.

It must be said that there is indeed a huge difference between first-class wizard apprentices and second-class and third-class wizard apprentices.

This treatment is worlds apart.

If we were to draw a parallel with some cultivation novels I read in my previous life, those second- and third-class wizard apprentices would be equivalent to outer disciples or nominal disciples, with low status.

After becoming a first-class wizard apprentice, one is essentially a "disciple" of the sect, gaining a legitimate status.

No wonder that yesterday, when Mentor Morse learned that he had broken through and advanced to the level of a first-class wizard apprentice, he was so happy and excited that he almost lost his composure.

Only after reaching the level of a first-class wizard apprentice can one be considered to have truly cultivated a "talent" for the academy and thus attract its attention.

......

Soon after, they returned to the Natural Symbiotic Wizard Tower.

The robe-awarding ceremony, held in the academic committee hall of the Black Forest City, lasted for an entire morning.

So, it is now noon.

After returning to the Natural Symbiosis Wizard Tower and arriving at the laboratory, when Instructor Morse saw that he had returned and was wearing a changed wizard robe, he asked...

"Welcome back, our freshly minted first-class apprentice!" Mentor Morse said with a smile, making a simple joke and teasing remark.

"By the way, Wayne, my student, what position did you choose? That old Tolty should have already let you all choose your positions."

"I chose to join the Black Forest Patrol."

Wayne replied quickly.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being on patrol. It's better than being stuck guarding the gate in some boring mine," said Instructor Morse.

"Furthermore, for our school, the wilderness is the greatest source of material. Facing the jungle and wilderness allows us to get firsthand experience and gather a lot of material, which is helpful to our witchcraft profession."

"However, remember to be quick-witted when you're in the Black Forest patrol team, and don't always be the first to rush in when danger arises. There are many people and many eyes in the patrol team, so you need to learn to cooperate as well as protect yourself. Alright, there's not much time left now, you can go and rest for a while. In a few days, report to the patrol team on time. That old fellow Toltai should have already submitted your name to the patrol team."

"Mentor Morse said."

"Okay, teacher!" Wayne replied, then turned to leave.

"By the way, what kinds of witchcraft and magic tricks have you learned and mastered?" Morse suddenly asked before Wayne left.

"Hmm... it's still a 'Spirit Binding Silk' and a 'Thorn Tongue' sorcery trick."

Wayne scratched his head and replied.

"You can try to master more witchcraft tricks. Although having too many witchcraft tricks is not good, there is no need to master so few."

Professor Morse seemed to chuckle.

"You have now become a first-class wizard apprentice. With your current mental strength, you are already capable of learning and mastering one or two more wizarding skills."

"After all, since we're joining the Black Forest patrol team, we'll inevitably have to fight against monsters and other magical creatures. It's good to learn some self-defense magic tricks to protect ourselves."

"Furthermore, although it's a bit too early to talk about these things now, since you've only just broken through to the level of a first-class wizard apprentice, it's not too late to start preparing now if you're truly determined to pursue the path of a full-fledged wizard in the future."

"Mentor Morse said."

"To advance from a first-class wizard apprentice to a full wizard, in addition to having a better grasp of mental power and being able to control and use it more flexibly, another very important step is to solidify a certain wizarding trick into one's own innate wizarding magic, making it permanently effective."

"In this way, a defensive force field can be formed under normal circumstances, surrounding the user and protecting them at all times. Unless the enemy breaks through the defensive force field of a formal wizard, they will never be able to harm them. This is one of the main reasons why formal wizards are far stronger than first-class wizard apprentices."

"Mentor Morse said."

"You can start now and try to solidify a certain witchcraft trick into your own innate witchcraft. Then it will be much easier to achieve."

"And even if we can't do it now, at least we have a preliminary idea or plan in mind, which will help us avoid taking some detours later."

"Mentor Morse said earnestly."

"Yes, I understand, Master."

Wayne said softly.

Next, after bowing to his mentor Morse, he turned and left the laboratory.

......

A week later, within the territory of the Isabelle family.

In a vast, empty forest.

A gaunt man dressed in a wizard's robe.

On the chest is a twisted tentacle symbol, surrounded by a ring of black thorns.

At that moment, he chanted, "Swarm!"

Then, buzz—!

Accompanied by a cacophony of buzzing sounds, countless tiny flying insects emerged from around Wayne, as if appearing out of thin air.

The "flying insects" surrounding and accompanying Wayne were a thousand "armed stinging flies" that Wayne had cultivated and bred in the laboratory over a week.

Now, with the mental strength of a first-class wizard apprentice, he is able to bear so many armed spiked flies and store them in his mind.

With a thought, they can appear instantly around oneself, and then vanish without a trace in an instant.

Because they were bred, improved, and evolved from the original generation of fruit flies.

Therefore, they naturally possess the attribute of being able to accompany one's conscious projection and be retrieved into one's conscious mind.

Next, Wayne activated the [Hive] AI in his mind, and with a thought, issued a command.

"Start referencing the optimized solution, making analogies and imitations, and begin the first practical simulation and execution!"

[Ding! The optimization scheme has been improved. Referring to the "Yellow Sand" type of witchcraft effects, the first improved witchcraft trick is: Sandstorm!]

The method of deployment is as follows: Use a vortex force field to control the sand swarm, causing it to rotate at high speed and forming a sandstorm area that obstructs vision and interferes with breathing.

However, in the "yellow sand" type of witchcraft tricks, one uses mental power to control each grain of yellow sand.

Now, by transplanting and applying its witchcraft model to the insect swarm, it means using mental power to control the swarm of insects one by one.

Then it applies a vortex-shaped energy field, which rotates around itself and continuously accelerates, creating an effect similar to a swarm of insects and a sandstorm.

Next, with a thought, Wayne began to control the thousand armed fruit flies around him, applying and executing the plan optimized by the [Hive] AI.

A moment later, buzz—!

A swarm of insects appeared around him, spinning and buzzing.

Like a locust swarm passing through, it formed a sandstorm.

And when Wayne gave the order to "fire," all the thousands of insects inside simultaneously launched black spikes.

It suddenly burst forth, shooting into the swarm of insects within the tornado, forming...