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

The morning sun shone on the bustling commercial streets of Lion City, dispelling the chill of the night.

The area in front of the Eye of the Clouds rune shop was already bustling with activity.

Two rows of neat, long tables were set up in the spacious open space outside the shop, covered with clean white tablecloths.

Several huge red banners fluttered in the breeze, the most eye-catching of which was written in bold gold paint:

[Many thanks to Sko Engraving Shop for their generous support of this competition. Choose Sko Engraving Knives for your carving! Sharp, precise, and never dulls!]

These sponsorship slogans, brimming with commercial appeal, drew the attention of many passersby who couldn't help but stop and look.

Regarding this rune competition, the Eye of the Clouds had already started promoting it at various apprentice gathering points throughout the city three days in advance.

The competition doesn't have any strict registration requirements. The only hurdle is that the lowest level is Level 1 Apprentice, and it's limited to this year's new students.

The final reward was something that made countless penniless apprentices green with envy: a rune ring worth 3000 purple gold coins that could cast fireballs.

For a lowly apprentice struggling to make ends meet, this was a huge sum of money, and a lifesaver.

At this moment, the apprentices gathered at the shop entrance had clearly split into two groups.

The group on the left mostly wore robes bearing the emblem of the Kane Wizard Tower.

Standing at the front were two noble apprentices dressed in luxurious silk wizard robes.

One of them was a petite girl with short, dark green hair and large round glasses that almost covered half of her face, giving her a reserved and shy appearance.

She was the target that Markley had specifically instructed Tyron to keep an eye on: Kathy Ralph Hoffman.

Although she always kept her head down, trying to minimize her presence, the loose robes could not hide her astonishingly large figure, and this contrast only made her more eye-catching.

Standing next to her was a tall, blond young man named Locke Chan Sara.

He had a handsome face, and his pale golden eyes revealed a hint of arrogance.

What is most striking are his slightly pointed ears, clearly indicating that he has some elven blood in his veins.

"Sarah..."

Cathy's fingers nervously gripped the hem of her clothes, her voice barely audible:

"I have a feeling... that the other side has some ill intentions."

Locke tilted his head slightly and hummed in agreement, his face displaying the confidence and composure befitting a nobleman.

"Don't worry, Hoffman."

"Although they outnumber us, we can't let our teacher down. These people from the Sunfire Wizard Tower have been too arrogant lately, so this is a good opportunity to teach them a lesson."

Cathy nodded, a nervous glint in her large eyes behind her glasses.

……

On the right side is the Sunfire Wizard Tower's camp.

The two leading figures were a male and a female noble apprentice.

The man's name was Virgil. He was tall and thin, with short black hair, a sinister look in his eyes, and a faint, mocking smile always playing on his lips.

The woman's name was Joyce. She was slightly plump and wore an exquisite red robe. Her face was full of arrogance and confidence.

Behind them followed more than twenty commoner apprentices.

Although these people were dressed simply, each of them had an aggressive look in their eyes, and judging from the magical fluctuations emanating from them, they had generally reached the first or even second level.

In contrast, the apprentices on Cairn Tower's side were not only fewer in number, but also significantly weaker in terms of morale.

Virgil crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over the person opposite him, a mocking smile playing on his lips:

"Joyce, look."

"Kane's apprentices are really a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world."

"Look at these timid and cowering figures, they don't look like wizards at all. They're just a bunch of lost slaves."

Joyce said proudly:

"It would be a miracle if that wretched place could produce any outstanding wizards!"

"Do they really think others can't see through it? Isn't this so-called 'open competition' just a way for those useless nobles to gild their resumes?"

Although both of them were arrogant, they were not stupid.

They were well aware of the background of the "Eye of the Clouds" rune shop and guessed the motives behind the match: Cairn Tower desperately needed a victory to save face and, incidentally, to enhance the resumes of their noble apprentices.

But they still came with their men.

Because they have absolute self-confidence.

Even if the opponent knows the question in advance, even if the opponent is fully prepared, all clever tricks are futile in the face of absolute strength.

Moreover, they have also prepared a backup plan that could turn the tide.

If the other side dares to cheat in the match, they won't hesitate to expose them in public and make the Wizard Tower of Kane look bad in front of the whole city.

Virgil stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming with longing:

"I really want to see their shocked and bewildered expressions in a moment..."

……

As the two sides faced off, Tyron secured the carriage and straightened his faded robe.

His gaze swept across the entire arena swiftly like that of a hawk, taking in the personnel configurations, positions, and emotional states of both sides.

Finally, his gaze settled on Cathy, who was introverted but had a rather impressive figure.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang in my ears.

"Oh? You're here to participate in the competition too?"

Tyron turned his head to look.

He saw a sturdy, honest-looking young man staring at him in surprise.

It was Ike from Thousand Mountains City, the corpse-collecting apprentice who had previously fought with him over a corpse in the city and later offered to treat him to a meal.

Tyronn smiled and said calmly:

"I was on my way to collect a body in town when I saw this commotion and decided to come and take a look."

Ekko nodded, then looked up at the playing field ahead, a flicker of desire and determination in his eyes:

"Since I have the opportunity, I'd like to give it a try."

"This is a rare opportunity to prove myself."

"Even if we don't get the reward, just being able to show our faces and say a few words to those two noblemen is a win for people like us."

After speaking, he turned to look at Tyron, puffed out his chest, and displayed the responsibility of an older brother:

"You can work with me in a little while."

"We commoner apprentices certainly can't compare to those noble lords in terms of ability and knowledge, so we can only stick together for warmth."

"I know some basic runic literature. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

Tyron looked at the kind-hearted guy in front of him and pondered to himself.

This kid clearly wants to recruit a follower to expand his network and influence.

Tyronn immediately agreed, saying, "Great! Thanks a lot, Brother Ike!"

"With you protecting me, I feel much more at ease."

Ike patted Tyron on the shoulder with satisfaction, giving him a "reliable" look.

……

Just as the two were talking, the door to the rune shop slowly opened.

The slightly overweight, shrewd-looking boss, Stipunk, walked out with a smile on his face.

He cleared his throat and announced loudly in a booming voice:

"Welcome everyone to this competition."

"Now, I announce the rules of this competition!"

Stipunk pointed to a pile of white bones on the table behind him:

"You will need to use the 'Scochet Knife' provided by our store to carve a complete set of runes on a bone within one hour."

"Requirement: Be able to successfully activate this rune structure using mental power, so that it can function properly and produce magical effects."

"Whoever completes the task the fastest and with the most consistent results will be number one!"

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Carving runes on bones?

On the other side of the Sun Wizard Tower, Virgil and Joyce exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

"this one?"

"Is it that simple and straightforward?"

The rules were simpler than they had expected.

"Is it about tampering with the bone? Or the carving knife? Or the research topic itself?"

Virgil's mind raced.

Meanwhile, Cathy and Locke were also deep in thought.

Judging from their slightly furrowed brows, they clearly hadn't received any prior information about the exam questions.

……

Standing at the back of the crowd, Tyron witnessed everything.

His mind raced as he quickly analyzed the situation.

"The people from the Sunfire Wizard Tower on the other side clearly came prepared."

"At this critical juncture, any incident of cheating in the competition will be seized upon by the opposing side, amplified infinitely, and used to attack Cairn Tower's reputation."

"Judging from Cathy and Locke's reactions, they certainly didn't receive any advance notice."

This proves that...

A playful smile curved at the corners of Tyron's lips.

"These two noblemen are merely bait for this operation."

"Their main task is to draw the enemy's fire and make the people of Lieyang Tower think that this is just an ordinary gold-plating match."

"But the real trump card is me."

"The reason I wasn't told the specific exam content beforehand was not only to prevent cheating from being discovered, but also because it was the ultimate test of my abilities and adaptability."

Thinking about this, Tyron's opinion of Macley rose even higher.

"It seems that although my teacher usually appears weak and unassuming, he still has some strategy and courage when it matters."

"He is meticulous in his work, and he is not arrogant just because he is a formal wizard, nor does he put all his eggs in one basket."

These days, Markley has been testing Tyron, and Tyron has been scrutinizing his teacher.

If this teacher is just a good-for-nothing second-generation rich kid who lives off his family's wealth, he wouldn't mind finding an opportunity to change his allegiance.

After all, Cairn Tower is a leaky ship, and choosing sides is crucial if you want to climb up.

Following a captain who is destined to sink will only drag you into the abyss as well.

But looking at it now...

Although Macley has a somewhat unambitious personality, he is indeed quite skilled in political maneuvering and business acumen.