The Wizard: Starting as a Corpse Collector Apprentice and Paying for a Monthly Subscription

After the roundtable meeting concluded, the heavy obsidian doors slowly opened.

Markley walked out of the conference room thoughtfully, his steps somewhat heavy.

"Oh dear, Mr. Kane."

A slightly shrill female voice came from the side.

Lavia, the witch who had examined the corpse last time, was now waving an exquisite elven folding fan, looking at him with a half-smile:

"The new policy is really beneficial to people like you who are 'good at nurturing students'."

She deliberately emphasized the word "good at," the sarcasm in her tone was self-evident.

The wizard Bolton, standing nearby, immediately smiled in agreement and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Lavia, aren't you making fun of our Lord Macley?"

"Everyone knows that over the years, Lord Macley has nurtured five outstanding students."

"However... four of them went and became disciples of other people."

"Now only Purple Star is left."

Upon hearing this, the other wizards who hadn't gone far couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The laughter was filled with schadenfreude and contempt.

Although Macley is a level seven official wizard, his level is not low.

But everyone knows that his power comes from a ritual—his father forcibly instilled his knowledge and magic into him before he died.

This propelled him from a level 5 apprentice to the top, but it also completely capped his potential.

In this lifetime, he will only ever be a level seven wizard, with no possibility of ever advancing any further.

This is why, even though he was a direct descendant of the Kane family, others dared to treat him like an easy target during this brutal reform storm.

As Markley listened to the grating laughter, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into fists.

But he was helpless.

Lavia and Bolton are the main force of the research faction in the Kane Wizard Tower today, and their names have appeared in the core achievements of the past two years.

That's the source of their confidence.

Just as the wizards were leaving in twos and threes, the high wizard Mok suddenly spoke in the conference room:

"Macley, wait a minute."

Markley took a deep breath, composed himself, and respectfully turned and returned to the conference room.

Only two people remained around the huge round table.

Mok looked at his great-grandson, who had never wanted to be a wizard but only a painter, and a complex sigh flashed in his eyes:

"The situation in the tower is not what it used to be."

"The tower has no extra resources to continue supporting an idle person who produces nothing."

The old man's voice was deep and authoritative:

I advise you to give up voluntarily.

"If I retire now, I can take a sinecure in the logistics department and live out the rest of my life in peace."

"So as not to tarnish the family's honor if we are ultimately forced to be removed from the list."

Macley raised his head and looked directly at the great wizard who held the power of life and death.

For the first time, his eyes no longer held the timidity and evasion of the past.

"Great-grandfather".

Markley spoke respectfully, but his tone was unusually firm:

"The more dangerous the moment, the less I want to give up."

"I have already enjoyed too much glory and protection from my family. I cannot run away like a coward when the Wizard Tower is in trouble."

"My abilities and talents are indeed lacking, but I believe... I am good at discovering talent."

Moke was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting his usually timid great-grandson to say such a thing.

He remained silent for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping on the dragon-bone table.

"it is good."

"Since you have this intention, I will give you a chance."

"When the settlement is made next month, you need to have at least one sufficiently outstanding person who has passed the comprehensive assessment."

"If you can't do that, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

Mackley bowed deeply:

"clear."

……

After leaving the top-floor conference room, Macley saw a male and a female wizard at the corner of the corridor.

The two men appeared to be around forty years old, dressed in sharp, fitted wizard robes without hats, giving them a capable and professional look.

The tall male wizard was named Saine. He was somewhat bald, with skin as pale as paper. He majored in spiritualism and was a level five official wizard.

The witch standing to the side was slightly plump, with a thick braid. Her name was Sarah, and she was a fourth-level official wizard specializing in alchemy.

These two people are the business partners that Markley mentioned to Tyron before.

Macley forced a smile and stepped forward to greet him:

"Sean, Sarah, what are the plans next?"

However, the two exchanged a glance, a hint of embarrassment and resolve flashing in their eyes.

Sain interrupted him, saying curtly:

"Macley, the severity of the situation exceeds our expectations."

"Let's temporarily suspend our previous cooperation."

Sarah, standing nearby, nodded in agreement, without even glancing at Macley directly.

"Yes, I'll be very busy from now on. I'll be helping students prepare for exams and also working on new research topics."

"I really don't have time to help you."

After saying this, the two bowed hastily as if avoiding a plague, then turned and quickly left.

Markley stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, without saying a word.

He certainly understood what the two meant.

When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when a wall collapses, everyone pushes it down.

In this wizarding tower where profit reigns supreme, no one is willing to waste their precious resources on a "useless" person who is about to lose power.

Markley looked at the gleaming hallway floor, his expression unchanged.

He has always been like this since he was a child; he rarely takes the initiative to compete or argue when something happens.

Originally, his dream was to become a painter who was close to nature, away from the world, and to find solace in nature.

However, his father's dying obsession forced him onto the path known as "wizard".

He walked forward silently, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

"I might be a piece of trash..."

"But that doesn't mean my judgment is bad!"

"That doesn't mean my students are useless!"

……

10:00 AM.

Macley gathered all the lower-ranking apprentices who were now working under his name.

In the spacious and bright lecture hall, the apprentices, whom they rarely saw, sat there somewhat uneasily.

There are a total of 130 apprentices.

This includes 50 first-year students, 41 second-year students, 22 third-year students, 15 fourth-year students, and only 2 fifth-year students who are about to graduate.

Tyron sat casually in the chair and looked around.

"47 apprentices at level 0, 32 at level 1, 18 at level 2, 16 at level 3, 15 at level 4, and 1 at level 5."

"Among the 50 new students who enrolled with me for half a year, only two of us, including myself, became first-level apprentices."

At this moment, the atmosphere in the classroom was clearly divided.

A large number of junior apprentices surrounded the only fifth-level apprentice like stars around the moon.

He was a young man of medium build, with blond hair parted in a 3/7 ratio, and a hint of pride and smugness on his face: Thomas.

"Brother Thomas, do you know the scope of this exam?"

"Brother Thomas, which subject do you think would be suitable for me? I'm good at meditation and runes."

"Brother Thomas, what are our mentor's preferences?"

Thomas was clearly pleased with the praise he received.

He crossed his legs and began to speak eloquently:

"This exam is to prepare for new situations."

"As long as you follow the right big brother and listen to my commands, you will definitely be able to make a living in the future."

"Those who pass the exam next will become the teacher's right-hand men! I'll be able to give you a hand then."

Upon hearing this, many Level 0 apprentices were filled with excitement, as if they could already see a bright future.

Those apprentices with a little more experience seemed to be deep in thought, their eyes gleaming with calculation.

The reform came too suddenly. Everyone wanted to seize the opportunity, but they were all like headless flies, not knowing where to start.

Just then.

A steady, powerful sound of leather shoes striking the floor came from behind.

The classroom fell silent instantly, and everyone immediately returned to their seats.

Macley pushed open the door and entered, his black robe billowing behind him.

"stand up!"

Thomas led the way by shouting loudly and bowing respectfully.

The others also stood up and shouted in unison, "Hello, Professor!"

Markley grunted "hmm" expressionlessly, walked to the front of the stage, and scanned the entire audience.

"You should all know the news by now."

"This exam could change the course of your lives. I hope you will choose your subjects carefully and make sure you choose the ones you are good at."

"The written tests are separate for different grades."

"Thomas, Ike, Lisa."

MacLeod called out three names.

Apart from Thomas, the other two are among the best of the fourth-level apprentices.

"You've all been in the Wizard Tower for four or five years now, so you know a lot and have a solid foundation of knowledge."

"In the next few days, please help your juniors answer their questions."

The three men immediately stood up, their faces filled with pride and self-satisfaction, and answered loudly:

"Understood, teacher!"

Markley nodded, then picked up the chalk and turned to write lines of text on the blackboard.

"Now, I will outline the possible scope of the upcoming exams for you."

In the following hour.

For the vast majority of students here, this was the first time they had received direct, close instruction from Markley, a seventh-level official wizard.

Although this teaching only focuses on defining the scope of the exam and does not involve any profound magical principles.

But for these low-level apprentices who could only learn on their own, this was already an immense blessing.

Everyone was frantically taking notes, afraid of missing a single word.

An hour later.

Markley put down the chalk and dusted off his hands.

"Okay, that's all for today."

He also had to teach those rich kids who had paid exorbitant tuition fees; that was a mandatory task assigned to him by the Tower.

As soon as the tutor left, the classroom erupted in chaos.

The remaining apprentices swarmed around Thomas and the other senior apprentices, chattering incessantly, hoping to get more inside information.

Tyronn left calmly to continue his training.

7:00 in the evening.

Morgue.

Thud...

The familiar flapping of crow wings echoed from the window.

As Tyron sat at the table studying the runes, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he thought to himself.

"It feels so reassuring to be the focus of my mentor's attention!"