Uriel rolled over just in time, and the spear grazed his ear and sunk deeply into the stone. He quickly got up, but it had turned into a shadow and disappeared. The apprentice was sure that he knew his opponent's intentions, but his sleeve was still cut by the rapier. He thinks faster than I do.
Uriel couldn't think anymore. "Wait!" he shouted, "don't come for my coat."
Dalton stepped back upon hearing this and lowered his rapier. "I'm not intentional……"
"There will be a curse on the sword." The messenger said, "This is a battle mode for the Vampires. Both Drow and Vampires have the habit of applying poison to the sword in order to reduce the enemy's numbers with minor injuries."
"I noticed."
"nonsense. He was not so careless when dealing with the vampires in Screaming Castle." The ring revealed, "He was very careful at that time."
Have I offended it recently? "Now I am also very careful, the weapon did not touch me." He waved his sword to block York's magic and barely took the time to defend. "But I only have two coats."
"As long as the clothes are prepared for changing, any more will be useless. I understand." York agreed. He suddenly gave up chasing Uriel and instead passed through the gap under Dalton's arm, knocking him aside. Their fight was fast and urgent, their weapons colliding with each other and making crisp sounds. Uriel took the opportunity to throw out magic.
The timing was perfect. Before York could dodge, he was immediately caught by the light curtain and became the first person to be eliminated in the practice. The guy turned around unsteadily, shouting and dancing.
"You made the wrong choice, idiot." Dalton glared at him fiercely, "Let you choose the side with the upper hand."
"What?"
"You should help him." Uriel explained, "Look, when I am not affected by the curse, Dalton is at a disadvantage when dealing with the epee. Choosing me will be even more unbalanced. Soon the duel between three will become two. People. I can choose one of you to eliminate."
"Oh. I think I know that."
"Then you're still staring at me?" Zhuoer complained.
"More people are less trouble than less people." Sita has her own theory, "Of course we should reduce the number of people if we can."
"Reduce teammates?" Uriel couldn't hold back.
York seemed taken aback. "What? Oh, you mean, he is my teammate? We are not ourselves...?"
"Nonsense." The night elf said unhappily, "You can't beat him yourself, don't you understand?"
The orange-faced man slapped his head, "Well, it's more beneficial to keep the enemy's enemy."
The night elves abandoned the clever guy and attacked by bypassing the magic. His rapier struck like a curtain of needles, the amethyst shimmering. Uriel was about to jump away, but his feet were somehow restrained and unable to leave the ground. He immediately jumped forward, and the sound of stitches tearing came from his back.
The moment he lowered his head, he caught a glimpse of the shadow under his feet becoming deep and sticky. Needless to say, this is Dalton's magic.
It seemed that I had to prepare a third coat, so the apprentice tore it off. See the orange-faced man's gloating smile.
"Is there a cloth shop near here?" Dalton asked, "I'll make it up to you later."
"It's just a coat." Uriel refused. "It doesn't matter at all. I remembered." He threw the torn coat on York's head. "Originally I needed to go to the Ministry of Education to get another one, but now they will just kick me out. I have graduated and there is no need to wear a uniform." Croita has a uniform dress, but that is for apprentices.
But to be honest, he still missed those days. Endless practice, falling down, and getting up again are the only things that improve your skills. He gradually mastered the ability to wield weapons, learned the skills to control magic, and then combined the two to gain a shortcut to victory. This skill is hard-won. It never targets a certain type of enemy, nor does it mislead for novel tricks. In fact, although Knox has many professions and fighting styles, there are only a few that Bai Zhizhi has never seen. The messenger is not shy about using his knowledge on his apprentices.
The drow's cursed sword struck silently, its tip drawing a circle, which was more threatening than a poisonous snake. Uriel could recognize traces of Eastman's court swordsmanship in it. He turned his wrist decisively.
The golden sword grazed the rounded pillar of the rapier, and a brief but sharp cry burst out. Uriel twisted away the opponent's weapon and hit the sword grid hard. Both sides knew the power of this blow. The night elf let go of his hand as if he was electrocuted, and the sword flew aside.
The battle is over. Uriel released York from the magic weapon, and the latter picked up Dalton's sword and pretended to wave it twice to indicate that it was too light. The drow's expression seemed to be considering whether to activate the curse. It was unwise to mess with the night elves' weapons. The apprentice remained calm, hoping to see a joke.
But he didn't realize the crisis was approaching. "You graduated." The messenger asked, "Why didn't I know?"
Uriel was startled. "Don't know? Inside..." Didn't the prophet inform him? "There must be a reason..." The reason is obvious. Apprentice When they set out from Eastman, the messenger had fallen into a dream of unity brought about by the Bible. "……Bar?"
"As usual," Mr. Ring reminded, "Everyone needs a mentor to get the chance to graduate."
"I haven't forgotten." For any tower apprentice, this is something that should be understood. But Uriel had to think carefully to recall. His life seems completely disconnected from his classmates. Life is full of surprises. Finally I didn't miss it all. "There are other standards. For example, passing the basic compulsory examination and passing the fire ceremony."
"If you fail the exam, you will have no faith." Little Lion Roma added, "I heard that the exam of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a practical assessment."
"That's it. Your classmates in the elective courses, Gissin Duval and Shaw, and even Miss Minnie, they don't have to practice practical skills, but they also need to test what they have learned in the astrology class. Now it seems that they successfully passed the test," Sauron revealed. The ring's memory does not rely on the brain. As soon as it came back, it re-established an information transmission channel with the tower's database. Of course, there was no need to keep the results of several apprentices secret, so they were used as examples.
"It makes sense," Uriel admitted. "So what should I do?"
"Confident, apprentice?" Did you pass this year's assessment?"
broken. "No. But..."
"But?" Bai Zhizhi asked.
Uriel shut his mouth.
"What is Croita's assessment?" Dalton asked softly, "Answering questions, or handling affairs?"
York's expression was that of a complete joke. "Mr. Haynes mentioned his test. I think Uriel will have to find someone to fight. The opponent will most likely be the Commander-in-Chief."
"The White Envoy?" Zhuoer couldn't believe it. His reaction was expected. Uriel was no better than him when he first got the news.
"You can also choose other people." Roma pointed out, "The same goes for getting other mysterious creatures. After all, everyone's quota is limited." She really worked hard, at least she has a better grasp of the rules than me.
"Are you going to choose someone else, Uriel? You're already a high ringer. This is..."
"...Easy?" Uriel answered.
Sita blinked. "No. I know. I wouldn't change it. Who cares about graduation, right? We don't care anyway."
I'm afraid I've let you know me too well. Uriel thought to himself.
"If you really remember the rules, Uriel, then you should know that apprentices who have not graduated are not allowed to leave the City of Floating Clouds." Mr. Ring gave his unique kind reminder, "And Roma, the same goes for you." You can't go anywhere. can not go"
The little lion made a face. "It doesn't matter. I won't choose Ronald as my mentor."
"I wish you were sent to Dean Rubin"
"No. Oh, no!" She refused immediately.
There was no astrologer among the people present, and Roma's future was still uncertain, but Uriel already knew his fate. The apprentice feels a sense of purpose when the Prophet connects him to the Church of Gaia. But now he decided to face his mentor, but he only felt relaxed. Relaxing and uplifting. Why is there such a difference? Maybe it’s because I have to choose my own path. Uriel turned around expectantly and came face to face with Joey.
The messenger looked at him: "You are not as good as last time."
If he meant status, there was no doubt about it. Uriel felt a twinge in his chest. The Black Knight scarred him with the Bible—in fact, he nearly disemboweled me. But divine spells stopped the bleeding, magic potions eliminated the pain, and doctors stitched up the wounds, and the marks of his trip to Antholos were healing. The apprentice feels that he can give it a try. "I gained experience."
"which aspect?"
Uriel thought for a moment. "fencing."
…
"Sabina?" She never expected to see each other on the training ground. Everywhere there were apprentices practicing their craft, and the occasional official member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their weapons are at the command of their arms, and they can wreak havoc with a wave of their hands, something the astrologers could not have imagined. Sabina carefully avoided the arena, her steps seemed to be walking on a tightrope, which looked quite funny. "Really you?"
"I'm looking for someone." Miss Astrologer replied breathlessly, as if she had exhausted all her strength. But in reality the training ground for Foreign Office apprentices was less than four hundred yards wide at its widest. "Where is Uriel?"
"Oh, you have figured it out and plan to see him?" Sabina's resistance to the priest was like a fish unwilling to come ashore to breathe, and Roma didn't know the reason. Maybe I just forgot.
"The Prophet wants to see him! Not me."
"Okay, where are they going to meet?"
"Why do you ask?"
"No matter where the prophet is," the little lion told her honestly, "I'm afraid he has to change places. Uriel can't get there. He just had a fight with the White Envoy."
"What?" Sabina opened her mouth.
"He is treating his wounds in the medical department. Are you going to inform him? There will be many people there."
"Tell him, Roma! Please, you must help me." She grabbed the little lion's arm. "What do you want to eat tonight?"
"Crocodile meat."
Miss Astrologer wrinkled her nose: "It's a deal."
…
The weather in the tower is always changing. When raindrops fell from the sky, Uriel was still in the medical department; when the rain poured down outside the window and the water mist was hazy, he had just climbed to the top floor. The apprentice's ears were filled with the sound of rain, and he didn't hear him opening the door. But the Tower Prophet was already sitting in the rocking chair, witnessing him rashly pushing the door open.
"Arrived on time."
Uriel swallowed. It is truly an extraordinary experience to have a saint waiting for you. "I'm sorry, sir, I'm late..."
"You should say that everything happens for a reason." The prophet interrupted, "An astrologer's guests are never late. We know exactly when you will come. Now, what's the reason?"
"The training session just ended, and I was sewing my wounds under the hands of the doctor."
"Training class?" It seemed that the prophet had not forgotten the graduation task he had given to his apprentice.
"I didn't get it, sir." Uriel felt ashamed of not living up to his expectations. But it turns out that even if he only fights with a sword, his level is still far different from that of Bai Zhizhi. A "world of difference" in a true sense. I can never fly.
The test ended two hours ago. Needless to say, in the process, Dalton fled the scene with Roma - they did not need to be proficient in swordsmanship, and they had to bear the risk of mysterious bombings if they stayed. Only York watched and helped clear away the other apprentices who were affected. Uriel tried his best to concentrate during the match, so it was not until the end that he discovered that the ground of the training ground had been almost flattened, and the guardrails, area panels, drinking water tanks, benches and even the iron doors of the locker room were all missing. Only fragments of them were scattered around the grounds…
There are also blood stains. Uriel thought to himself.
This was just a test, not a life and death fight, but every time he fought against the envoy, he did not dare to relax for a moment. The consequence of carelessness is injury. His initial training was less dangerous, but as the level of skill and mystique increased, Uriel began to bleed in battle. Bruises were no longer the point, sword or gunshot wounds, and the inevitable frostbite, and sometimes sprained joints or broken bones, he needed to deal with promptly. Apprenticeships in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs usually go through this part of the course, and anyway, you can't pay attention to every aspect in the heat of battle.
In fact, even the White Envoy is not immune to injury. It's just that he has never admitted it.
The Tower Prophet must be very aware of the battle that took place at the training ground. "I think he probably still has experience to pass on to you. You will also face more difficult challenges, and accumulating experience will be of great benefit." It sounded like a beautiful vision, but Uriel saw the teasing expression on his lips. smile. The Tower Sage has a peculiar sense of humor that makes him very relatable. "To be honest, you have only been in Croita for a year. Uriel, you don't have to worry."
"But my job..."
"Oh, you mean Messenger? Of course, you can keep it until you actually graduate. But if you plan to transfer to the astronomy lab-"
Could it be that he heard Roma's nonsense? "I didn't plan that." The apprentice flatly denied. "Thank you, Lord Prophet," he said from the bottom of his heart.
"It's not a bad experience to be appreciated, kid. If you had enough time, I'd rather you say it twice. Unfortunately, we have to get down to business now."
Somehow, the sense of relief was gone, and Uriel noticed the depression in his heart. "Main topic?"
"Very serious question."
Uriel's heart skipped a beat. "serious?"
"At stake is the future of Knox and the survival of the order. At stake is the fate of the mysterious realm. At stake is the demon society and their evil followers. The stakes are high! It's time you realized this, Uriel."
The graciousness of the prophet disappeared. Uriel's throat felt dry. "Order?" Wild imaginations were running wildly in his mind, and he could no longer maintain his composure. The apprentice is reminded of the threat of the Black Knight. He suspected that his face was pale from panic, and even Roma could see the flaw in it. "Devil's Society?"
"You met them, in Antoros. I'm sure you didn't expect this."
All lucky expectations are gone. Uriel couldn't speak. The truth comes out. What else can you say? He didn't want to admit that he regretted it, but regretting it wouldn't do him any good.
"You should not have gone to Anthoros, although I know no one can stop you. Even if you understand destiny, there are times when you cannot control your life. After all, the future is never on someone's side."
"Indeed," Uriel replied softly, "I know what I should do, but for some reason, I couldn't do it. I'm sorry, my lord. I -"
"But you did a good job."
The apprentice's mind went blank. "Not bad?" he repeated in shock. "I don't...I mean...eh?"
"The School of Silence has offended the tributary country of the tower. Although the White Night War was not their fault, we should not bear the consequences of the wizard's mistakes. No matter what you originally planned, in fact, you have damaged the arrogance of the school, and even The Church of Gaia has become independent. Do you know? The Archbishop of Brumnot recently visited the Director of the Affairs Department and hopes that you can go to church as a clerical knight."
Uriel had not heard of this. He had been using Joey's Star Gap in recent days, and it had been a long time since he had squeezed through the shuttle station at the Port of Far Light. "I'm going to church?" he murmured.
"You did a good job, Uriel. Although you caused some trouble, you got help for us. More importantly, you weakened the power of the wizard."
"……Yeah?"
"This is your destiny, Uriel. Otto gave me a hint a long time ago. A prophecy for you. You also guessed it, didn't you?" The saint came to him somehow and extended his hand in friendship. . Uriel felt sharp pain in his shoulder.
He quickly backed away. But I'm afraid the blood has soaked into my clothes. I didn't wear a coat... "Not done?" The prophet wiped his hands on his robe and asked the apprentice to sit on a chair. "You have to understand, kid, I didn't mean it." He also apologized. "Perhaps the medical department should also improve its standards."
"No. I plan to practice magic."
"Holy water potion?" The prophet handed him a handkerchief.
of course not. The reason is that I came early and didn't wait for the doctor to finish processing. Uriel took the veil carefully. The cloth did nothing to help the wound, but it was enough to represent the saint's concern. What happened was completely different from what I imagined. "I'm not skilled enough, my lord. It's just a minor injury, just perfect for practice."
He was still not sure that the prophet had not discovered his secret. It is almost obvious that "Spiritual Vision" is not a professional magic... The apprentice suddenly realized that the magic of "Sacred Word Evocation" can bridge professional barriers. Could this be my real cover?
"My recklessness led to the death of two law wizards." Uriel said, "The Black Knight took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the Antoros Church. This means that their deaths are my responsibility."
"'Tattooed' Jizuk. A well-known man of many faiths. If Otto, the god of fate, also had a church, he would definitely go and worship." The Tower Prophet commented, "This man's death was his own fault. Boy. You don’t have to blame yourself.”
"But they are allies of Order after all."
"We are all allies of the order, but now there is no second 'victor' Veronka. When the saints have different ideas - I have no doubt that this will happen - the alliance may first turn into internal strife. Forget about dealing with demons. Although as an astrologer, I am unwilling to admit that the mysterious realm relies on swords rather than truth, but there will definitely be people who are willing to tell the difference." The prophet shook his head, "That's right. The alliance needs a leader... It's a pity. This is no longer the era of the ancestors. Time flies so fast." He sat down at the low table opposite the apprentice. "There is no point in remembering. It cannot solve the problem. I am just saying this to excuse you."
"absolve?"
"I shouldn't expect you to use similar words, right?" "Dark Night Qiming" suddenly made a joke. Only then did Uriel realize that he had been repeating the prophet's words.
"After all, I disobeyed the order." I made a deal with the devil's association, went on a killing spree in the goddess's sanctuary, and even ruined the life of the law wizard. It seems that disobeying instructions is just one of them. "Even if the Mysterious Fulcrum needs to tell the difference, reducing the number of teammates would be too..."
"...Excessive? No. During the Gulf War, didn't the owner of Requiem Castle and the Blood Prince Trolbane Drablay also surrender to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Our commander-in-chief did not accept it at all. You should learn from this, but Don't imitate too much." The Tower Prophet frowned, "Every decision made by the great astrologers tends to be safe. This is not a bad thing, but hesitation often leads to missed opportunities. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the extreme in the opposite direction. Who will be on both sides? It’s not appropriate to lead.”
Uriel didn't know how to answer the question. The topic gradually turned to the battle for the right to speak in the tower, and maybe it was best for him to keep his mouth shut.
"The School of Silence is far more chaotic than us." Fortunately, the Saint did not need his answer. "Internal struggle seems to be a flaw left by the gods to us, and the sacred alliance cannot exist for a long time. The 'Second Truth' relies on the pursuit of truth to bring them together." A sigh means that the comment begins with A disappointing ending. "In any case, in the eyes of most sectarian religious people, 'Tattoo''s death is a happy one. As for the other guy, 'The Weird Expert' is quite worthy of his name. Playing tricks is his specialty."
The apprentice didn't understand for a moment: "His trick? Bible study?"
"Ozzy Cranky is still alive." The Tower Prophet told him, "Bernard did not make the news public. Although you gave the school a heavy blow, he would not be like this if two law wizards died at the same time. Give it up and let it go."
I saw him die. Uriel thought, but knew better than to say it out loud. Ozzie Cranky is not as disgusting as "Tattoo", he is more like the apprentice's hearsay impression of the wizard: focused, persistent, immersed in the path of pursuing the truth in his heart. He had tried to protect Hitarian, for whatever reason. When the Black Knight killed him, Uriel was unable to protect himself and could not interfere.
But in the final analysis, Uriel's understanding of the wizards of the school is limited. He was no longer shocked to hear the news of the miraculous survival of the "eccentric expert". Miracles in the mysterious realm are not surprising. It was probably professional magic that helped Cranky escape. As for the secret that the other party knew, the apprentice was only slightly nervous for a moment. One more of him is not more.
"Croita has Otto's guidance, so I am sure that the situation will not develop to an irreversible point. The Church of Gaia has been reborn, and the wizards of the school have also begun to face factional conflicts." The saint said happily, "In short , Uriel, you have brought about good changes. At least it is good for us. And as a hero, you deserve to receive the award."
This is so strange. Uriel couldn't tell what he was feeling at this moment.
"I hope you won't be stressed, let alone have any misunderstandings, especially about the instructions the tower will give you next."
"What instructions?"
"Leave Croita alone for now."
