Chapter 138 Temptation of Choice

After replying to the letter from Mage Wodun, Shaoke considered his personal circumstances for a while before lying down and gradually drifting off to sleep.

In the following days, Shaoke gradually settled into a fixed daily regimen. Apart from necessary meditation and spell practice, the rest of his time was spent reading books and roaming alone.

As he became more familiar with his meditation space after the promotion, Shaoke slowly gained control over the three-pointed star magic array within it, enabling him to some extent to prevent it from manifesting in his vision.

A large, hardcover book, its cover carved with countless patterns, lay open on its owner's knees. A quill with a pure white silver tip, dipped in high-quality ordinary ink, was constantly writing something in the blank spaces beside the pages. From the way its owner would occasionally pause to think, it seemed he was engaged in very serious reading.

A drop of ink accidentally fell on the thin, specially made parchment. Seizing the moment before the stain could spread, the owner hurriedly took a bit of clean, fine sand from a small box nearby, quickly and evenly sprinkling it on the spot to absorb the ink, and finally used gem powder to completely remove it.

Just as the owner was engrossed in his reading, a soft knock on the door interrupted him. "Honored Mage Xueye, the military department has some matters requiring your presence," a male voice conveyed the new message, and urged him further: "The military department hopes you can temporarily set aside your current work and come now."

"Wait a moment." After marking the page with a bookmark, Shaoke made some slight preparations, then threw his cloak over his shoulders, picked up his staff, and left his small room. He followed the second-tier mage waiting outside toward the location of the military department.

"Can you share some specific details?" After walking about halfway, Shaoke posed his question to the mage guiding him. "For example, how many mages have received this order from the military department?" As he spoke, he unconsciously quickened his pace, closing the distance between them slightly.

"The details aren't for me to know." The mage was clearly a military courier. Possibly due to orders, he did not provide Shaoke with specifics. "Some mages have received the order. However, you are the only one from your courtyard." After saying this, he fell silent and focused intently on his task.

The second-tier mage led Shaoke to the main gate before turning and leaving. Shaoke paused briefly, then pushed open the heavy wooden door and entered the large room serving as a conference hall.

The chaotic scene witnessed in previous visits was gone. Dozens of high-backed chairs with black velvet cushions were arranged orderly around the long conference table. A few mages sat scattered among them, maintaining distance from one another in silence. The seventh-tier mage nodded slightly upon seeing Shaoke's arrival, gesturing for him to sit after acknowledging his bow.

Not long after, a few more mages trickled in. Once all the high-backed chairs were occupied, the seventh-tier mage softly chanted an incantation. Instantly, the crystal lamps in the room went out, leaving only several lit candles on the long table to provide illumination. The mages seated closer to the front sank deeper into their chairs, as if shying away from the light.

Observing the mages' reflexive movements, the seventh-tier mage smiled wryly, then extinguished most of the smokeless candles, leaving only a few scattered ones for light. "Alright, young mages. Now that all of you have advanced to the third tier, I believe it's time for you to face new choices."

After speaking, the mage took out a long scroll bound with a black silk ribbon, slowly unrolled it, and began reading the names listed. Upon hearing their names, the mages promptly stood up respectfully, waiting quietly until the next name was called before sitting down again.

"Shaoke Snow Night, specializes in single-target attack spells, favors high-power penetration spells, special spell 'Death Gaze'." He then proceeded to list all the second-level spells Shaoke knew one by one before continuing with the others.

Sitting down, Shaoke focused intently on the seventh-tier mage's words. He knew the mage wouldn't waste so much time revealing the spells mastered by everyone present without reason. After all, time held even greater value for high-rank mages.

After finishing the list, the mage paused, allowing the mages time to think. Shaoke noticed that almost every mage present had mastered special spells. Six or seven mages even knew the same 'Death Gaze' spell as he did. However, more had mastered spells like 'Mage's Eye' or 'Spirit Flash', which were special spells capable of operating over longer distances, and all were single-target attacks. Even those who, like him, had learned a few area-of-effect attack spells rarely used them.

The seventh-tier mage waited quietly for a while before addressing them again: "Regardless of why some among you did not report your promotion to the military department, I must inform you that we were aware of the specific news the moment you successfully advanced to third-tier mage."

"Now you have more choices before you. Joining a legion with an existing agreement is not your only path. You can join a mage corps, which is entirely composed of mages like yourselves. Moreover, the treatment offered by this mage corps is several times better than what your current legions provide. Hmm! Even the Blue Feather Legion cannot compare to this mage corps." After finishing in one breath, the seventh-tier mage rolled up the scroll and tied it with the ribbon. "This is the last time the military department will publicly disclose the spells you have mastered. If you choose this mage corps, regardless of when you leave it, this information will be permanently sealed. Perhaps it will only be disclosed on the day the Blue Feather Empire falls."

After speaking, the mage placed the scroll into a long, narrow box, giving the mages some space to think. As time passed, no one in the room spoke. Shaoke simply relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and quietly pondered whether the mage corps mentioned was the same as the mysterious mages he had encountered. His mind wrestled with the decision; he was unsure whether to accept the appointment from the Blizzard Legion or choose the position offered by this mage corps.

"Alright! I admit you are not the most talkative bunch. Let me give you a detailed introduction to that mage corps." The seventh-tier mage waited for a long time, noticing that many mages, like Shaoke, were quietly leaning back in their chairs with their eyes closed, deep in thought. Fortunately, he understood their shared temperament and did not get angry. "But surely you can't have no questions at all!"

The seventh-tier mage complained helplessly, feeling frustrated for having accepted this task. Nevertheless, he dutifully provided a simple explanation of the benefits and specifics regarding the other choice.

It turned out that the mage corps rarely assigned tasks to its members. However, after joining, one only had the right to leave after being promoted to a fourth-tier mage. Of course, upon leaving the corps, one would still receive substantial rewards from it—rewards enough to make even a seventh-tier mage envious.

However, in this mage corps, every mage had one mandatory task: within a certain timeframe, they had to hunt and kill a specified number of non-native third-tier mages. If the task could not be completed, the outcome need not be described, as failure typically meant being hunted down by the other party.

When the mage reached this point, using his powerful mental energy, he detected that the expressions of the seated mages had turned somewhat grim. He chuckled softly and said, "Of course, after you arrive at the mage corps, you will have two years to adapt before being assigned to such missions. I believe some among you genuinely enjoy this kind of task." As he spoke, his gaze swept over Shaoke, which prompted the still-hesitant Shaoke to momentarily quiet his internal debate. Instead, he calmed his mind and recalled everything that had happened to him on the battlefield. He urgently wanted to know whether he was truly the kind of person the mage described.

"All third-tier spells are provided free of charge. After leaving that mage corps, all spell transcriptions below the seventh rank will be free for life. Unlimited supply of auxiliary drugs. All special spells are open to you. Hmm! And these special spells are not just the limited few currently displayed by the military department." Seeing the mages beginning to show interest, the seventh-tier mage added further incentive: "If you leave the mage corps at the fourth rank, the military department will allow restricted free transcription of special spells below the seventh rank. Moreover, during your service and after leaving the corps until you become a seventh-tier mage, regardless of the occasion, you have the right to kill mages without being bound by rules and without facing punishment. You can understand it this way: you can kill anyone you are capable of killing, at any time and place, and the other party cannot seek revenge. Hmm! Since the establishment of this mage corps, the rules they set have never been broken."

At this point, the mage secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Of course, there are many more superior conditions awaiting you to experience. I believe telling you all this is of little use. Only by trying it yourself will you discover that this choice is absolutely correct. Of course, the prerequisite is that you don't die during those missions."

After hearing the seventh-tier mage's so-called simple explanation, a ripple of agitation finally passed through the mages, but they quickly restrained themselves. Some mages had already made their choice after the explanation, though they hadn't voiced it yet.

"Honorable Mage, may I ask you a question?" After hesitating for a while, Shaoke finally stood up and was the first to voice his inquiry.

"Yes, you had this right here before, and you still have it now. This is not something I can deprive you of." The mage secretly sighed in relief, as finally one among these reticent mages had begun to ask questions. This meant he wouldn't have to continue delivering so many pale and fragmented monologues alone.