Chapter 82: The Enormous Bounty

The subsequent assessments began to feature all manner of strange and unusual standards. One examiner even required the students to run laps around the square, using physical fitness as one of the grading criteria. Those examiners who valued spell recitation asked the candidates to recite tricky tongue twisters, or simply had them sing.

Given the large number of participants, the latter rounds of assessments were conducted simultaneously, and the variety of tests left the crowd dazzled. Still, the candidates accepted the outcomes with relative composure; losing was losing, and there was little to complain about. Only the group of young men with Chu Yun were particularly unfortunate, each glaring at him in frustration and misery.

Most of the examiners were conscientious, and the assessments lasted a full three hours before concluding. Nelson, using a voice amplification spell, addressed the candidates with satisfaction: “Congratulations to these eight hundred candidates who have qualified. You will have the opportunity to participate in the second round of assessments, five days from now.”

“Over the course of this week, you will receive intensive training from professional mentors of the Mage Guild. Whether you ultimately succeed or fail, this will be a valuable experience for you.”

“As for the grouping of mentors…” Nelson glanced at Chu Yun, feeling somewhat annoyed. He had initially planned to group the students according to their current mentors, but that would mean Chu Yun would end up leading a large cohort of female students. Somehow, this prospect displeased him.

Nelson instantly changed his original plan.

“A moment ago, mentors selected their students; now it’s your turn to choose your preferred mentor.”

“Each mentor may lead up to fifty students. You need not choose according to previous rankings; it is far more important to select a mentor who suits you and who is ‘strong’.”

“If any group exceeds fifty students, the mentor has the authority to select their desired candidates, and the remaining students will be assigned to other teams.”

The examiners’ groupings were determined in part by the ranking of displayed abilities. Chu Yun had only undergone the mage assessment, and his abilities were not exceptional, so he was assigned to the last group.

Nelson’s arrangements seemed very reasonable to all present, but Chu Yun’s expression was rather peculiar.

“The president is wasted here; he could have been a rap instructor. Truly a talent.”

Not only that, Nelson then announced news that greatly excited those who had been eliminated.

“Though you have been eliminated, given the shortcomings of this selection method, I will grant some of you a second chance.”

The defeated candidates held their breath, hearts pounding.

“I am granting each mentor five special picks, allowing them to select any student they believe has potential.”

Meanwhile, the president turned to the mentors and delivered news he had not shared before.

“As I mentioned earlier, anyone willing to lead a team will be credited twelve teaching hours and receive the corresponding compensation. But that is hardly sufficient…”

“Our inspector, Selena, has brought prize money from the Guild headquarters to Blackstone City. This time, the mentors who lead teams will be rewarded according to the number of students who qualify: the top three will receive ten thousand, five thousand, and three thousand gold coins, respectively!”

All the team leaders were second-tier mages; this prize was no small matter to them, enough to ensure they would teach their students diligently. This was, in fact, a necessary measure. Mages tended to be conservative and it was difficult to get them to impart their knowledge earnestly to so many students, especially since many would eventually be eliminated.

With the incentive of prize money, however, things would improve considerably. Anna, particularly pressed for cash, even considered teaching her students around the clock.

After this announcement, mentors who had previously been indifferent about the outcome began to seriously consider their choice of students. Among the thousand who had failed, there were certainly some strong contenders.

“Now we begin grouping the students. The selection of the eliminated candidates will take place at the final stage.”

As the grouping commenced, the mentors of the first group were immediately swamped. Clearly, these students were no fools; they understood the importance of following the strong.

Yet some students chose to reciprocate by following the mentors who had originally selected them. A powerful mage does not necessarily make a good teacher, nor does it guarantee dedication to instruction.

For the students, their goal was not to help their group prevail, but to advance individually. Rather than being just another face in the first group, they might receive more attention in a lower-ranked team.

Anna was a little disheartened; even the students from humble backgrounds did not prioritize her, except for a small girl she had known before. Some others had considered joining her, but under their parents’ persistent urging, they ultimately opted for a higher-ranked group.

Anna understood their decision; this assessment was of great importance to them. Understanding, however, did not mean she could accept it. She did not believe herself inferior to the mentors in the front groups and was determined to teach her students with equal dedication.

“Anna is the best. Give me a hug,” the little girl consoled her.

The comfort only made Anna feel more aggrieved, and she began to cry.

Chu Yun, observing this, was at a loss. After some thought, he addressed the other mentors, “Must we take this so seriously? Why don’t we simply divide the prize money equally, regardless of victory or defeat? Each of us could take eighteen hundred gold coins without much effort.”

His words tempted many.

They were not eager to invest too much energy in teaching; if only three people ended up rewarded, the rest would have wasted their efforts. If they split the prize, they could adopt a more relaxed approach, avoiding competition and preserving camaraderie—wouldn’t that be ideal?

“I agree!” The mentor of the eighth group spoke up first; with little chance of winning, he naturally supported Chu Yun.

Chu Yun patted Anna’s shoulder, and she wiped away her tears, raising her hand in support. “I agree as well, though I don’t think my teaching is any worse than yours. I’ve been working hard these past days, and I won’t lose!”

By the end, Anna was almost indignant. Even in practical skills, she did not consider herself weak; she simply disliked conflict, thus rarely had opportunities to display her abilities.

Now, she was determined to show those who underestimated her what she was truly capable of!

With three mentors voicing their support, even the mentor from the second group joined in. “I’m not skilled at teaching and have never taught before. Why don’t we divide the prize now and celebrate tonight?”

“Silence!”

Nelson’s beard bristled with anger at the mentors’ lack of ambition, and he glared fiercely at Chu Yun. Selena watched from the side, laughing in delight, finding Chu Yun ever more amusing.

Under the president’s forceful intervention, Chu Yun’s plan was abruptly halted, and the students began grouping once more.

To Anna’s immense frustration, though her ranking was higher than Chu Yun’s, she received few applicants, while many students flocked to Chu Yun to join his team.

These students shared a common trait: nearly all were female, and many came from other groups.

In other groups, it would be difficult for these girls to succeed; the other mentors still held prejudices, even though these girls were quite talented!

“Looks like the odds of success are pretty good this time,” Chu Yun remarked leisurely as he reviewed their profiles.

Anna and the other mentors, for a moment, even suspected this was Chu Yun’s advance planning. If that were true, his scheming would be truly terrifying!

In a situation of absolute disadvantage, he had managed to recruit students of medium and even above-average ability!

“Girls nowadays are so naive—so easily duped. Damn it!” Many refused to believe this was Chu Yun’s doing.