Wizard: This mushroom is too fierce.

Bauhinia Duchy

Dark gray smoke filled the entire castle, and all activities within the castle ceased. In just half a day, the once bustling Duke's castle fell into complete silence.

Now, only young boys and girls, guided by the gray mist, enter the castle, go into the dark hall, and then come to a round table.

The hall was pitch black, like a bottomless abyss, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Only the flickering candlelight on the round table testified that Roland was still in the real world.

Roland sat at the round table, then trembled as he raised his head to look at the black-robed wizard opposite him.

The flickering firelight brought a sliver of light to the space. Roland tried to make out his features, but shadows seemed to come alive on the black-robed wizard's face.

The black-robed wizard stretched out his hands, revealing a pair of rough, inhuman hands. In a daze, Roland seemed to see the claws that werewolves in legends possessed.

With a gentle tap, the black-robed wizard guided the surrounding thick gray-black fog, which slowly entered Roland's body.

"The wizard's aptitude is first-class, or low-class, just enough to meet the requirements for joining the Deep Cavern."

After everyone had been tested, the black-robed wizard's hoarse voice rang out again. He summoned Duke Bauhinia in a commanding tone: "This year, your territory does not have enough wizard seeds, and no sixth-grade wizard seeds have emerged."

"Therefore, the quota of knights that the Bauhinia Duchy provides to the academy this year needs to be increased by 10%."

After the verdict was pronounced, the Bauhinia Grand Duke nodded silently, then stood aside, waiting for the wizard to leave.

For six years, no wizard seed with top-tier talent has appeared in the Bauhinia. The wizarding world is incredibly cruel. In the eyes of wizards, only those boys and girls with above-average talent are considered wizard seeds. As for those with low talent, they are nothing more than consumables in the eyes of wizards.

.......

"The Deep Cavern Wizarding Academy will give each of you one year to become a wizarding apprentice. During this period, you will enjoy all the rights and protections that a wizarding apprentice should have. After the time expires, those who fail to succeed will be forced to sign a contract to work for the academy for thirty years without pay."

......

"Apprentice Roland, wizards follow the principle of equivalent exchange. Are you sure you want to sign this agreement?"

"After signing, you will automatically become a test subject for the academy's first-level wizards."

"I'm sure!"

......

The original Roland is dead; he died in that magical plant experiment.

The soul in this body has now been replaced by someone from another world.

Roland, who had traveled through time, had received all of the original owner's memories and was aware of his own situation.

The original owner originally thought that he was a chosen one of heaven, and that after arriving at the Deep Cave Academy, he would be able to shine and become a great wizard, conquering endless planes.

However, the reality is that Roland, with his first-class aptitude, is progressing slowly. After three months, he has only just begun to learn the "Basic Meditation Method." Judging from his progress, he will definitely not be able to become a junior wizard apprentice when the academy's term expires.

Therefore, with time running out, Roland volunteered to participate in an adult's magical plant experiment in order to become a wizard's apprentice. After the experiment, he fell into a permanent coma and was eventually carried back.

......

Roland looked at the crumpled and tattered copy of "Basic Meditation Method" in his hand and couldn't help but feel anxious.

With only two months left until the deadline, his progress in meditation seems to be stuck at the same level.

"Take a deep breath and enter a state of emptiness." Roland closed his eyes and, as described in the book, entered a meditative state, beginning to try to construct his own will runes using his mental power.

Roland's mental strength was weak, and even with the addition of his transmigrated self, condensing the will runes didn't seem much easier.

A moment later, just when Roland was about to give up, he seemed to hear a sound in his ear.

[Basic Meditation Experience Points +1]

"My cheat code has arrived?"

Roland was overjoyed. After all, he had time traveled, and it would be too tragic if he didn't have a cheat code.

Judging from its appearance, it seems to be a cheat that allows you to grind proficiency, and it can display your every training session in detail.

However, there seems to be a problem. Although you know you are making progress, there is no specific indication of the level of skill or the degree of cultivation.

As if the cheat system had heard Roland's mutterings, after a brief malfunction, a panel appeared in front of Roland.

Roland Colt

Age: 15

Current Occupation: None

[Attributes: Constitution: 0.7, Spirit: 1.2]

[Skills: Basic Meditation (Beginner), Basic Plant Magic (Beginner)]

[Special Talent: Fungus Master (You can produce wondrous reactions with most fungal creatures)]

[Skill Level: Average]

"What a user-friendly cheat code!"

After the panel changed, Roland immediately began to study it.

The content on the panel is easy to understand, almost identical to that in a game.

As Roland used his mental energy to tap around on the panel, the panel changed again.

Skills already mastered:

Basic Meditation (Beginner 28/100), Basic Plant Magic (Beginner 10/50)

With the support of the panel, Roland couldn't wait to enter a state of cultivation again and began a new round of meditation.

At this moment, Roland's mental space was pitch black, with only a carving knife formed from mental energy trembling and moving back and forth in the space.

The purpose of meditation is to increase mental strength. In fact, strictly speaking, there is no difference between a wizard increasing his mental strength and a knight improving his physical strength.

However, relatively speaking, the entry threshold for becoming a wizard is higher, and the potential for becoming a wizard is also higher, while the entry threshold for becoming a knight is easier, and the potential for becoming a knight is lower.

The process of carving runes with a carving knife is a method of training mental power. Stroke by stroke, mental power is gradually carved into a crooked triangular rune under Roland's control.

By the time it was fully formed, Roland's mental energy was completely exhausted.

[Basic Meditation Method: Experience +1]

[Current Progress: Basic Meditation (Beginner 29/100)]

[You have reached your maximum training time for today; a rest is recommended.]

The feeling of being completely drained of mental energy was unpleasant. Roland was somewhat tired, but also somewhat happy.

Being able to see your own progress is indeed one of the greatest joys in life. Every step forward is an encouragement that motivates you to become stronger.

After resting for a while, Roland sat up and continued to analyze the resources he now had at his disposal, and began to consider how to use these things to accelerate his cultivation progress.

Time waits for no one; there are only two months left until the one-year deadline. I want to successfully complete the promotion within this timeframe.

Roland felt it was a bit risky, although based on today's test and panel data, he had a chance to complete the promotion within the deadline.

However, data is just data. We also need to consider a practical issue: as the basic meditation method progresses to the later stages, the mental energy gradually becomes more and more concentrated, and the effect of each training session will be weakened.

This is very likely to happen, and Roland doesn't want to fail and sign a slave contract with the academy, working for them for free for thirty years.

After a moment's thought, Roland frowned: "Master, this talent..."

"What use are those walking puki? They're all at the bottom of the rankings in terms of magical plant level and potential in the Dark Cavern."