The room was pitch black. The only light source was a desk lamp on a long table. A slightly burly middle-aged man with graying hair at his temples sat behind the table; he was dressed in a suit and was expressionless.
"You need to cast a cantrip to prove you have the foundation for Mage Apprentice verification. Next is testing which magical element you have a higher affinity for, followed by a test of your mental fullness," the middle-aged woman with the monocle took the initiative to explain.
After hearing the test requirements, Durin entered the zone, skillfully manipulating the mana within his body as his fingertips successfully traced a standard rune model.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
A ghostly pale radiance emerged from his right hand, and his fingertips pointed across the air toward the left end of the long table.
The 5-pound weight, used as an exam prop, floated up from thin air.
As Durin moved his fingertips, the small lead block seemed to be held by an invisible hand, drifting through the air to the other end of the long table before finally landing steadily on the table.
"That will do." The examiner nodded slightly.
Durin ceased his spellcasting focus and exhaled a breath from within his body.
Immediately afterward, he walked over to a crystal ball placed on the tabletop, which was a prop used to test elemental affinity.
"Slowly close your eyes, then relax all the muscles in your body.
Let your whole self relax, not just your flesh, but your soul as well!"
The examiner said calmly, "Now, focus all your energy on the crystal ball.
Imagine yourself merging with heaven and earth.
Don't you Ionians always emphasize the unity of heaven and humanity?
Let the magical elements within your body manifest; let them appear on the crystal ball in your hands so that I can see them clearly."
It was as if Durin had been touched by some mysterious enlightenment.
His soul broke free from the limitations of his body and appeared within the heaven and earth.
"This feeling is wonderful."
This thought appeared inexplicably in Durin's heart, and his soul wanted to drift within the heaven and earth forever.
A crimson light instantly filled the entire crystal ball, and the crystal ball seemed unable to withstand it, trembling violently for a moment.
Then it stabilized again.
"High affinity for fire elements, not bad." The deadpan examiner rarely revealed a trace of a smile on his face, nodded with satisfaction, and praised him.
Next, he placed an unfurled scroll in front of Durin and continued, "Please make it glow."
Durin took the scroll and glanced at the runes on it.
That complex arcane rune immediately emitted a slightly whitish glow.
As Durin poured his attention into it, the light became increasingly bright, until it covered the walls of the entire room in a faint white light.
"Mr. Examiner, did I pass?" Durin raised his head and asked, slightly out of breath.
"Mm, you passed." The examiner answered perfunctorily, "Next!"
A middle-aged woman wearing a monocle standing to the side immediately handed over a brand-new gray Mage Apprentice robe and an exquisite badge symbolizing a Mage Apprentice.
"Congratulations on becoming a Mage Apprentice." The middle-aged woman congratulated him formulaically.
"Thank you." Durin took the Mage Apprentice robe and badge.
Upon looking at them, he discovered that the entire robe was pure gray, with only a complex red pattern at the collar and edges as decoration.
When his palm touched it, he could clearly feel that the material was silk, very smooth and sleek, and it was also sewn very exquisitely.
This was the first time Durin had seen a product whose sewing quality could rival the synthetic fiber clothing he had seen on Earth.
The material of the badge was dark copper, with olive leaves on both sides and a small pattern of a Jindai Luo Sphere in the middle.
This symbolized the official certification of Mage Apprentice status from Piltover University.
Durin's mood was exceptionally excited at this moment, an indescribable joy surging in his heart.
He wanted to shout to vent the repression he had felt over the past half year.
He even wanted to appear before Kreslin and tell him that he, too, was a Mage Apprentice now, and that he had nothing left to boast about!
Everyone's status was the same now, and he could also hire a Mage Apprentice to help him out!
However, no matter how excited and happy he was inside, Durin quickly composed himself.
He understood that this was not the place for him to vent his emotions, and there were more important questions that needed to be asked of this middle-aged woman wearing a monocle.
"However, teacher, I would like to ask, if I want to join Piltover University, how much is the tuition?"
When he asked this question, Durin felt a bit nervous, worried that the other party would quote an astronomical figure.
As it turned out, the next moment, the middle-aged woman really did quote an astronomical figure.
"80 silver lun coins per semester.
This does not include accommodation fees and other expenses."
The middle-aged woman pushed up her monocle and continued calmly, "And the accommodation fee is 20 silver lun coins per semester for double occupancy, with electricity, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a phonograph.
Book fees are 6 silver lun coins, medical insurance is 1.5 silver lun coins, and administrative fees are 2.5 silver lun coins.
The total is 110 silver lun coins per semester, which is approximately equal to 4.6 gold cogwheels."
Even with the monocle acting as a barrier, Durin could detect the deeply hidden look of pity from the other party, who assumed he couldn't afford to attend university and couldn't pay the tuition.
This made Durin feel somewhat uncomfortable.
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