Chapter Twenty-Three: The Mentor

“So you understand now, little one, whomever you draw as your mentor is your own luck—good or bad, it’s yours alone.”

“Come on, get ready. Let’s see who it is. Leon, you’ll go first!”

“Me?” Leon walked slowly toward the crystal ball, gazing at it, a little at a loss.

“Alright, let’s see who you’ve drawn.” The old man touched the crystal ball, and soon a name appeared on its surface.

“Martin Luther.”

“Hey, young man, not bad, you’ve got a pretty good mentor.” The old man turned and handed Leon a package.

Leon breathed a sigh of relief at these words.

“Thank you, sir!”

“No need to thank me. It’s your own draw; I had nothing to do with it.”

“Hold on to this package. Inside you’ll find the Shadow Ring medallion, your identification badge, an apprentice’s robe, a basic meditation manual, and the key to your dormitory. Don’t lose any of them.”

With that, the old man rubbed his hands together, conjuring a ball of purple flame that floated in the air, flickering uncertainly.

“Follow this flame—it will lead you to your dormitory. Go now!”

“Yes, sir!” Leon bowed to the old man and turned to leave.

“Next, Gano!”

“Come on, do just as the last one did.”

Gano stepped in front of the crystal ball, somewhat nervous. He knew his luck was never good.

“Julian Morey.”

“Sir, this mentor…”

Gano looked at the old man with concern.

“Hmm? Well, you’ve drawn Julian. This woman is quite skilled with snakes. You’ll likely have a tough time, but don’t worry—it shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“Shouldn’t…?” Gano’s heart sank. Snakes were the creatures he feared most, those soft, slithering things.

“Alright, young man, relax. Here’s your package, the contents are the same as the last one’s.”

The old man then looked to Hughes. Gano understood; it was his turn to leave. He bowed, face full of worry, and exited.

Now, only the old man and Hughes remained in the room. Hughes knew that the mentor draw was entirely random; there was no reason for the other party to make trouble for him—they were meeting for the first time.

Hughes had come from Earth and understood well the importance of having a good mentor. If you encountered one who didn’t get along with you, they might simply ignore you.

Hughes felt it was the right moment to present the ring.

“So it’s just you left, Hughes Bruch. You are the last batch of apprentices brought back by Charlie. Once you’re off, this old man can finally rest.” The old man stretched lazily in his chair.

Hughes slowly took the ring out of his pocket.

“Sir, do you recognize this ring?” Hughes placed the ring in his palm and offered it to the old man.

“Oh? Let me see!”

“This appears to be a low-level enchanted item… Wait, what’s this engraving?”

“This is the emblem of the Shadow Ring!”

“Oh! Young man, I haven’t seen one of these in many years. Can you tell me how you came by it?” The old man seemed genuinely delighted at the sight of the ring.

Hughes saw the old man’s reaction and knew presenting the ring had been the right decision.

“Of course, sir. My father once saved a wizard, who gave this ring to him as a token of gratitude.”

“Very good. This ring is called Shadow’s Favor. Whoever possesses it may enter the Shadow Ring as an apprentice. It also contains a magic array to aid cultivation, though I see its energy has just faded, probably due to age.”

“However, this ring originally belongs to the Shadow Ring. It’s often gifted by wizards to friends or to promising individuals encountered while traveling. Now that you’ve given it to me, I’ll reclaim it. But in return, I’ll grant you the privilege of choosing your own mentor!”

“It worked!” Hughes was overjoyed—this was exactly what he hoped for.

Suppressing his excitement, Hughes respectfully performed a noble salute.

The old man took a thin booklet from the shelf behind him, with only a few pages.

“Here, these are all the mentors currently available in the Shadow Ring.”

“Take your time, young man.”

“Shenqin Igor Ivanovich, Angel de los Santos…”

Hughes scanned the booklet, reading the fields each mentor specialized in.

“Matt Joy… hmm?”

The introduction for the wizard Matt caught Hughes’s interest.

“Matt Joy, Level One Official Wizard, specializes in alchemy, runes…”

“Alchemy, alchemy…” Hughes repeated, remembering the vial of potion given to him by Count Ulot. If he could brew such potions himself, his cultivation speed would surely increase. The thought filled him with excitement.

“Sir, I’ve made my choice. I wish to select Matt.”

Hughes addressed the old man, who was reading nearby.

“Oh? Matt Joy?” The old man looked at Hughes, somewhat surprised.

“I must warn you, you chose Matt probably because you wish to study alchemy. But alchemy is extremely difficult. In the entire Shadow Ring, only Matt and a few of his students can successfully brew potions; others rarely succeed. Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir, I’d like to try.” Hughes was confident in his chip; he believed it could simulate the optimal method.

“Very well. Since it’s your choice, I won’t say more. Who knows, you might truly become an alchemist. If so, you’ll never lack cultivation resources. Remember, alchemists are rare in both families and academies.”

“Alright, since you’ve chosen, here are your things.”

The old man handed Hughes a package and summoned the purple flame once more.

“Go on, Hughes! You may go to your own place now!”

“Farewell, sir.” Hughes bowed and slowly left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Heh, such a polite young man—much better than Charlie,” the old man muttered, though Hughes didn’t hear this.

The purple flame floated ahead, and Hughes followed, taking in the sights of the Shadow Ring.

Along the way, some people passed by, briefly surprised by the flame leading Hughes—perhaps because the Shadow Ring hadn’t welcomed new apprentices in a long time.

Hughes followed the purple flame through several streets, winding past large experimental zones, until finally stopping before a tall building.

Once in the dormitory area, the flame drifted more slowly.

“Bang!” Suddenly, at the entrance of a door, the flame exploded into sparks and vanished.

“642.” Hughes read the number on the plaque above the door where the flame had disappeared.

“So this is my room!” Hughes took the key the old man had given him, inserted it into the lock, and gently turned it. The heavy iron door groaned with the sound of metal scraping.

As the door opened, flames erupted inside the room.

“What is this? Voice-activated lights?” The reaction reminded Hughes of such lights, familiar yet strange.

He placed his belongings and the package from the old man on the bed, surveying his dormitory—the place he would live for a long time.

The dormitory was neither large nor small, divided into three parts: a bedroom, a living room, and a washroom.

It was clear that everything inside, even the bedding, was new, and Hughes was quite satisfied. One person per dormitory—much more convenient.

Suddenly, Hughes noticed two letters lying quietly on the desk.

“Hm? I’ve just arrived—how could there be letters already?”

He picked up one to open and examine its contents.

“Dear Hughes Bruch, welcome to the Shadow Ring. Please note: fighting is strictly prohibited on campus… as is entering another’s dormitory without permission, which will be severely punished. Lastly, we wish you a swift progression to become a full-fledged wizard.”

Hughes finished reading and surmised this was the enrollment handbook.

“This one’s the handbook—so what’s this?” He picked up the other envelope.

“I am aware of your situation. Tomorrow at eight in the morning, I will send my familiar to fetch you. —Matt Joy.”

The message was brief, and Hughes understood it at a glance.

“This is from the mentor I chose. I really am looking forward to meeting him!”