Wizards begin by accessing the Inspiration panel.

Chapter 8 Skeleton Warhorse (Please continue reading)

When Richard came downstairs dressed in light leather armor, he found his brother, father, and mother already standing beside a black-robed man holding a short staff with a crystal ball.

The man in black robes had a handsome face and jet-black hair that made him look young, but his deep eyes gave the impression that he had a wealth of experience. He had a unique and mysterious aura. There was a very conspicuous white skull mark on the left chest of his robes. Richard guessed that this should represent the school or rank to which the man in black robes belonged.

The man in black robes spoke, his voice slightly effeminate: "You are Richard? I am Seras, a wizard of the Ignis school. Your grandfather once saved my life!"

Your father has already told me about your situation, and I can accept you as my disciple, however...

Before you set off, I must remind you that the path of a wizard is far more difficult than you imagine, especially since your aptitude is not very good at the moment.

So, Richard, it's not too late for you to regret it.

"I don't regret it!" Richard shook his head firmly, seeing that Seres, who should be of his grandfather's generation or even older than his grandfather, was so young.

Richard became even more determined to become a wizard; judging from Celes' appearance, this would allow him to live at least another hundred years.

If we don't give it a shot, we'll have wasted our time traveling through time!

Upon hearing this, the black-robed wizard Seras smiled slightly, seemingly with a hint of approval.

"Then let's set off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Celes began to chant a spell softly. At the same time, the fist-sized crystal ball at the top of his short staff instantly emitted a dazzling green light, which, when projected onto the ground, directly presented a huge inverted pentagram magic circle.

A few seconds later, a tall, skeletal warhorse emerged from the ground!

The skeletal warhorse had a complete skeleton and a warm, jade-like luster. After being summoned by Seras, it even affectionately rubbed against Seras's robes.

Each of its four bony hooves had a ring of green phosphorescent flame burning around it, and it would kick twice from time to time, followed by a long neigh, which was exceptionally majestic, just like a living creature!

This left the Baron and his family, who were present, completely stunned.

Richard's mother, the Baroness, was almost scared to death.

Richard was taken aback. He may not have eaten pork, but he must have seen pigs run!

Skeleton warhorses—this is clearly a necromancer.

The black-robed wizard Seras is being modest!

Regardless of his affiliation, Richard is already on the "pirate ship".

While watching with envy, Richard also secretly wondered when he could reach that level!

By the time Richard came to his senses, Seras was already seated on his tall, skeletal warhorse and extended his hand to Richard, "Come on up."

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Richard leaped up and nimbly mounted the skeletal warhorse, settling steadily behind Celes.

The Baron then shoved a heavy bag into Richard's arms. "Take this."

Richard touched the bag and, judging from the bulging shape, it was undoubtedly made of gold dinars. The bag was full, with at least a hundred of them, and he felt a strange surge of emotion.

Father's love is as solid as a mountain!

"Hold on tight, we're about to leave." Serales waved to Richard's family.

Richard gripped Celes's clothes tightly, turned to his family and said, "Father, Mother, Brother, take care, I'm leaving!" Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see a familiar figure standing by the window of his second-floor room, watching him.

The scene of parting with family is always sad!

As the skeletal warhorse gradually accelerated, its speed increased dramatically after it ran out of the castle gate.

At first, Richard could feel the vibrations when the skeletal warhorse ran, but after a while, he could no longer feel them.

Richard was greatly surprised. Looking down, he saw that the four hooves of the skeletal warhorse, burning with green phosphorescent light, were already about twenty or thirty centimeters off the ground.

So that's why it was running in mid-air!

As time passed, the skeletal warhorse moved like lightning, the wind whistling past Richard's ears grew louder, and his eyes scanned the scenery on both sides as he flew backward.

After an unknown amount of time, the black-robed wizard Seras drove his skeletal warhorse to gradually slow down.

Richard was finally able to see his surroundings clearly. They had arrived at a dark, misty forest, with bushes, vines, and wild grass covering the ground, and small patches of swamp scattered around.

"Richard, we're almost there. The Ignis School's headquarters is not far ahead, and it's one of the places in the Mud Swamp where dark elements are most concentrated, making it very suitable for the training of shadow and necromancer wizards."

"Mud Swamp? Mentor, is that the mud swamp that is said to be the site of a great battle more than a thousand years ago, which gradually evolved from an ancient battlefield where blood flowed like rivers?" Richard asked curiously.

Prior to this, Richard had read a description of a muddy swamp in a travelogue by a troubadour.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to know that too. That's right, this used to be an ancient battlefield." Seras turned to look at Richard with considerable approval.

As they walked and talked, the environment became increasingly harsh. If the skeletal warhorse hadn't known the direction, an ordinary person would have already been trapped in the swampy mud beside them.

Every now and then, in the swamps on both sides of the path, there would be wild beasts such as crocodiles with sharp teeth, watching the two of them with predatory eyes.

Perhaps the beast's keen senses detected that the man in black robes was not someone to be trifled with, and after following him for a long time, it gave up on its own.

Richard secretly hoped that some wild beasts could launch a sneak attack, which would allow him to witness Celes's combat prowess as a necromancer.

Occasionally, a hazy, gray figure would flash by in the gray forest ahead, moving with incredible speed, like a ghost. If an ordinary person saw it, they would definitely be terrified.

After a short while, the two passed through a gray forest and came into view a large pile of rocks.

Dark gray smoke swirled in the sky, illuminating the entire area as if it were a ghostly realm.

"We've arrived."

After saying this, Seras was the first to leap off the skeletal warhorse, and Richard followed suit.

There was no sign of Seras doing anything, only the sound of a skeletal warhorse neighing.

A green pentagram suddenly appeared on the ground where it stood, and the entire skeletal warhorse began to slowly sink into the ground until it disappeared completely.

Seras walked up to a large rock, and perhaps sensing the approach of a living being, the rock instantly came to life.

Richard was startled!

Suddenly, a gaping maw of fangs protruded from the surface of the rock, and it roared in Common, "If you want to come in, say the password or put your hand in so I can lick it!"

"The Shadow of Ignis!" Seras said in a deep voice.

Suddenly, the fanged maw grew even larger, forming a hole about three meters in diameter, and Seres stepped inside.

Richard did as instructed and was able to enter smoothly.

Once inside, Richard discovered that it was a completely different world.

It seems that the pile of rubble he saw outside was some kind of illusionary witchcraft or illusionary formation.

As Richard walked and looked around, he discovered that the entire Ignis School covered a vast area, with buildings stretching endlessly across the ground, most of which were constructed with a dark gray, marble-like exterior material.

The overall style appears very simple and solemn, and the architectural style is somewhat similar to the Roman style of Richard's previous life, but slightly more square.

Richard followed Serales, turning left and right repeatedly, while looking around on his own.

Everything before my eyes was so new and exciting.

It is very likely that he will live and study here for a considerable period of time.

We hardly encountered anyone along the way, probably because it was already late at night and dawn would be approaching soon.

Finally, Richard followed Serales to a two-story building.

The exterior of the small building, like other buildings of the school, is made of blackish-gray marble.

Seres raised his hand and waved it gently, and instantly, more than a dozen wall lamps in the first-floor corridor lit up automatically.

"Richard, go and rest in the second room on the first floor. Tomorrow morning, someone will take you to complete the entrance exam and related procedures. Go and rest."

After saying that, Serales went upstairs.

"Yes, mentor." Richard leaned forward slightly in greeting.

Even before he arrived, he had anticipated the possible situations he might encounter in the dark wizarding school, such as mentors being eccentric, cold, or tyrannical.

But from the current perspective, the mentor in front of us is quite good.

Based on Richard's experience from his previous life, he felt that Seras was not the kind of tyrannical necromancer, but rather the kind of wizard who was engrossed in his research.

The other person's indifferent expression and lack of eloquence may simply be because they don't want to pay attention to people or things unrelated to their research.

(End of this chapter)