infodatos Chapter 7, Lesson 1: The Cataclysm
Chapter 7, Lesson 1: The Cataclysm
Five busy days have finally come to an end.
Suen's steps were unsteady as she walked out of the waste recycling room.
The eight-hour workday, plus the task of identifying various residues using a manual, consumed far more energy than expected.
Deitz's eyes were slightly dark, while Rackham yawned three times before he could barely keep up with the two.
Tomorrow is a day off.
Deitz's tone was as if he were announcing a life-saving message: "I'm going to sleep until noon."
"You have to go to your first general education class," Rackham reminded him.
His expression instantly fell.
The Oak Crown's headquarters is located in the western suburbs of Modo City, about half an hour's drive from the main city.
There are two ways to get to Modo City: a free public carriage or a paid hippogriff.
"A trip with a hippogriff costs 1 magic stone coin."
Rackham had already found out the price from the other apprentices: "The three of us together get 3 coins. Eight lessons a month, that's 24 coins."
The three exchanged a glance.
Their monthly allowance is only 20 magic stone coins, and they still have to repay the loan for the calming herbal ointment.
"Public carriage." The three of them said almost in unison.
Early in the morning, several apprentices, also heading to Modo City, were already sitting in the carriage.
The three of them squeezed together in a corner. The carriage was filled with the faint fishy smell of the digging beasts pulling the carriage, mixed with the faint scent of calming herbal ointment.
As the carriage entered the city of Modo, Suen looked out the window.
The city's true appearance was revealed to him for the first time.
The undulating spires stand like a forest of thousand needles in the clouds, and the crystal spire at the top of the mountain is transparent, refracting a seven-colored halo under the sun.
The carriage slowly climbed the slope, allowing Suen to finally see the entire city of Modo.
The entire city is built against the mountain, surrounded by several concentric ring walls that converge from the foot of the mountain to the summit, forming a huge concentric circle barrier.
The higher you go, the more magnificent the building becomes.
The suspended stone bridges weave together like a spider web between the spires, with figures dressed in various wizard robes moving about on them.
The staggered domes of the parliament hall are made of white granite, and the crystal gems embedded in the spire reflect a cold, gleaming light.
On the outer wall of the trade hall, arrays of runes that change in real time flow around as if they were alive.
The wide central avenue is paved with dragon-scale patterned stone slabs, and every now and then, various strange magical beasts carry wizards through it.
The carriage eventually stopped in front of a huge circular building.
The exterior walls are made of gray steel helmet rock, and the tall stained glass windows all face inward.
The entrance was already crowded with new students from all directions; some were walking hurriedly, while others were chatting in small groups.
Su En and his two companions navigated through the crowd, following the signs to find the lecture hall for the general education classes.
The moment you push open the door, the entire classroom is a semi-circular recess, with rows of wooden benches extending from near the ceiling all the way to the podium at the bottom.
A quick glance revealed that at least two or three hundred seats were already occupied, with most of them occupied.
"I'm late," Rackham said in a low voice.
The three of them walked up the wall and finally found an empty seat in the sixth row from the bottom.
Suen's gaze swept around.
The apprentices from the seven wizard towers each had a different color and insignia on their standard robes.
The Oak Crown's dark green and wreath emblem, the Crimson Tower's reddish-brown and dagger emblem, the Horror Circus's purplish-black and mask emblem...
He saw Selena not far below him.
She sat upright, her gaze fixed intently on the podium, while several apprentices from the Crimson Tower spontaneously created a small space around her.
The prestige of a second-class qualification.
The air in the entire lecture hall suddenly froze for a moment.
A figure dressed in a deep red wizard's robe walked in through the side door of the podium.
The middle-aged wizard calmly surveyed the entire room, an invisible pressure emanating from nowhere, instantly silencing the whispers in the classroom.
"I am Asimov, a first-class wizard, and I am responsible for teaching the first lesson."
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached every row of seats clearly.
Asimov raised his hand and made a vague gesture in the air.
A dark red arc of light flashed and coalesced into a three-dimensional light and shadow image directly above the podium.
It was a city suspended above the clouds.
Hundreds of towers rose from the ground, connected by bridges of light. The towers were covered with dense array patterns and emitted different colors of light.
The spire pierces the clouds, while the base floats in the sky.
"The City of a Thousand Towers, which is the former name of Modo City."
As light and shadow shift, the city in the picture begins to change.
The clouds tore apart, and fire rained down from the sky.
The earth collapsed, seawater flooded in, and the suspended towers fell from the sky one after another, stirring up clouds of dust.
"In ancient times, a global upheaval of elemental energy tore the material world to pieces. Floods raged, earthquakes were frequent, and even magic was once depleted. The City of a Thousand Towers fell from the clouds, and civilization was once on the verge of destruction."
In the scene of light and shadow, a silver full moon slowly rises above the ruins.
Where the moonlight passed, the remaining flames were extinguished, the surging sea receded, and the cracked earth began to heal.
"Under the guidance of the Silver Moon, the Star Wizards who govern the twelve constellations have reshaped the earth's surface and guided the survivors to establish a new order."
Twelve blurry figures appeared in the scene, each corresponding to the outline of a constellation in the sky.
They stood atop the ruins, each holding a beam of starlight, like twelve pillars supporting the heavens and the earth.
The light and shadows faded, and the classroom fell into darkness once more.
"This is the origin of the borderland's wizard civilization."
Suen sat quietly, the lingering scent of potions from the apprentices in front of him filling his nostrils.
But his thoughts were far more turbulent than they appeared on the surface.
In his previous life, he had collected relevant historical documents, but very few were from before the Great Cataclysm.
According to the historical records of the Kingdom of Icathia, it was the protection of the Silver Moon that enabled humanity to survive the flood that swept across the world.
The twelve constellations are considered to be the embodiment of gods, guiding humanity into a new era.
The Star Wizard rules over the twelve constellations... The Great Cataclysm...
These words collided and rearranged in Suen's mind, attempting to piece together a complete picture.
However, there was very little relevant information, and after glimpsing the terrifying sight of Pisces through his spiritual vision, he was filled with dread about the starry sky.
Asimov glanced around the classroom, then changed the subject: "Next, we'll talk about something you're more interested in: the training system for freshmen."
A slight commotion suddenly broke out in the classroom.
"The Tower offers two types of courses for new students: general courses and specialized courses," Asimov said, holding up two fingers. "General courses are arranged by the Tower and taught on a rotating basis on weekly rest days. The content includes, but is not limited to, wizarding history, an introduction to ancient Hermetic, basic archaeology, and basic theories of witchcraft."
"Public courses are free for all new students."
He changed his tone.
"However, you will need to contact the instructors for your specialized courses yourself. Each specialized course has its own fee schedule, which is determined by the instructor."
Upon hearing this, many apprentices' expressions visibly changed.
This means that the free education provided by the Wizard Tower is limited to introductory knowledge of general courses.
True core wizarding arts require paying Magic Stones to gain access to.
"Rare knowledge deserves the value and respect it deserves."
Asimov's voice remained as calm as ever, but the atmosphere in the classroom had unknowingly become somewhat oppressive.
"at last."
He stretched out his finger and drew an intricate rune in the air.
This talisman appeared out of thin air, composed of dozens of interwoven lines, its structure as intricate as a miniature map.
"This is the word for 'truth' written in ancient Hermetic. A large part of the knowledge in the current wizarding civilization was unearthed from the relics of the Great Cataclysm. Whether learning witchcraft or various skills, it is inseparable from ancient Hermetic."
A few apprentices in the front row of the classroom let out a low gasp of surprise, while most of the people in the back row looked blank.
"My advice to you is to at least master the basic usage within a month. Otherwise, starting from the second month, you will fall behind any of the instructors' pace in class."
Suen focused his gaze on the spot where the symbol had disappeared, and secretly memorized its general outline.
Ancient Hermetic.
He had seen this language on the title page of "The Guide to Stargazing".
Those distorted and unfamiliar characters are like snakes coiling around tree branches, or like the trails of flames burning.
Asimov gave a few more instructions on what to do after class, and then announced the end of get out of class.
The classroom immediately erupted in chaos.
The apprentices gathered in twos and threes, discussing what they had just heard.
Some people were excitedly gesturing with ancient Hermetic symbols, while others were solemnly calculating the tuition fees for their major courses.
Su En closed his notebook and was about to get up when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder from behind.
Suen's body stiffened instinctively for half a second before relaxing.
He turned his head and met a familiar blond face.
Ross maintained his composed smile, his Crimson Tower uniform impeccably tailored, with an exquisite silver badge pinned to his collar.
"Ian! Long time no see."
His tone was warm, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny.
"I thought I'd never run into you again!"
"There's a gathering tonight, mostly with apprentices from Icathia. We haven't had a proper chat since we enrolled, and I hope you can come too."
Suen looked at him, a few thoughts flashing through her mind.
Ross was already winning people over on the airship.
Nowadays, invitations to gatherings are clearly not just for reminiscing.
But for Suen, this is also a window to obtain information.
"Of course, it's been a long time." Su En nodded slightly in agreement.
Ross's smile widened: "The Rose Witch's Tavern in the East Eighth District, 7 PM tonight, see you then!"
After saying that, he patted Suen's arm and turned to walk towards Selena outside the door.
The girl stood at the intersection of light and shadow in the corridor, noticed Su En's gaze, turned her head, and nodded to him.
Her movements were small, but her eyes were already quite different from those of the farm girl on the airship who had been staring at Ross.