Chapter 57

In the midst of everyone's anticipation and attention, the three prospective mages at the front, urged on by the surrounding official dark mages, walked into the depths of the magic altar.

The white elemental light made it impossible to see what was happening deep within the altar.

Not only the official dark mages, but also the dark magic apprentices, including Sain, were closely watching the depths of the altar.

A moment later, a few of the surrounding official dark mages frowned, and then Sain also heard a piercing scream.

The massive white altar, like a silent monster's mouth, swallowed the three prospective mages without a ripple.

"No, something's wrong!"

"The spatial rift has some deviation. If the prospective mages lead the way, the final loss will be too great. We still need to rely on them as the main force to set up the coordinate generator." A dark mage in the magic tower said urgently.

"Let the beginner apprentices go! It's just about finding a correct path around the edge of the spatial rift. We can use human lives to fill the gap; there's no need to waste the strength of the apprentices."

"What a pity, we should have had Dean Daldron and the others bring a batch of humans from Mithral City when they arrived."

"That way, we could reduce the initial losses and increase the success rate of setting up the coordinate generator." The dark mage sighed softly.

"How easy would that be? Ordinary humans have almost no elemental power; they probably can't even get close to the spatial rift."

"If it were really that simple, Vice-Dean Martin and Lady Joanie would have done it long ago. Why would they spend over a decade calculating every tiny crack node around this spatial rift?" Another dark mage shook his head and said.

The words of the two dark mages soon became reality.

With a command from Vice-Dean Daldron, the prospective mages who were originally at the front of the magic altar stepped back one by one.

Instead, the largest number of beginner apprentices, under the coercion of minotaur warriors and other dark creatures and elemental puppets, moved to the front.

At one time, Sain had marveled at the good luck of the recent batches of new dark magic apprentices.

But soon, the cruel rules of the dark magic academy showed that luck did not exist in the dark magic academy.

Without sufficient strength, one could only become cannon fodder.

These new apprentices were no match for the strong minotaur warriors.

Those who entered the altar voluntarily were better off; those who refused were either thrown in by the strong minotaurs or tossed in by the dark mages standing outside with a wave of their magic.

Screams and cries echoed throughout the Shadow Valley.

These beginner apprentices were generally around ten years old, still basically children.

The horrific scene in the Shadow Valley made Sain, who had adapted to the harshness of the dark magic academy, feel a chill.

When the number of beginner apprentices was reduced to about half, and the white elemental light of the entire magic altar began to turn red, Vice-Dean Daldron ordered the cessation of apprentice sacrifices.

Like a bottomless maw, the magic altar in the center of the Shadow Valley only took in and never gave out.

No one knew what the situation inside was, whether the three prospective mages were really dead, or where the nearly two hundred beginner apprentices who were thrown in had gone.

The remaining half of the beginner apprentices, now trembling uncontrollably, huddled together under the coercion of the many minotaurs and dark creatures.

The fragility of life and the insignificance of strength were evident.

The situation of the hundred or so low-level apprentices was not much better.

From the attitude of Vice-Dean Daldron and the dark mages, once the beginner apprentices were exhausted, the next batch to suffer would be them.

As a mid-level apprentice, Sain's face was not good either.

The good news was that after over two hundred apprentices were thrown into the magic altar, the dark mages, who had been closely watching the depths of the altar and the spatial rift, seemed to have made a new discovery.

The exploration of the altar for the day was over, and it was unknown whether the dark mages could reduce the casualty rate of the apprentices entering the altar based on their discoveries.

Of course, more apprentices were worried about when the next exploration of the altar would begin.

This was especially true for the low-level and beginner apprentices.

...

When his senior brother Zorro reappeared before him, Sain noticed a layer of fine sweat on his neck.

Senior brother Zorro should be over seventy years old.

In the world of wizards, the average lifespan of ordinary humans is generally between fifty and seventy years, with the average lifespan of commoners being around fifty.

Nobles, due to their superior living conditions, often live longer, with an average age of over seventy.

And even apprentices who have not yet reached the first level can increase their lifespan and delay aging through various means due to their mastery of magic and elemental power.

Although the exact maximum lifespan of magic apprentices is unknown, living for a hundred and twenty to thirty years should not be a problem.

Sain had seen rare material catalogs in the public library that could increase human lifespan.

A certain magic book given to him by his mentor also recorded that binding a soul pet could increase a mage's lifespan.

Senior brother Zorro, due to taking some potions or mastering other means, looked like a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties despite his age.

Of course, even more miraculous in terms of preservation was his senior sister Phyllis.

Logically, a dark magic apprentice like senior brother Zorro, who has lived long enough and traveled extensively with his mentor Moses, should be accustomed to danger and death.

But in the face of today's situation, Sain's senior brother still felt immense pressure.

When Sain gave him a concerned look, senior brother Zorro patted Sain's shoulder and said, "I'm fine, let's go back. There are some things I need to tell you."

The night in the Shadow Valley was still as bright as day.

It was even brighter than Mithral City, which was illuminated by firefly veins.

This night, no apprentice would be able to sleep.

Not knowing the current state of mind of other dark magic apprentices, in the tent, senior brother Zorro whispered to Sain and Phyllis, "Our mentors miscalculated. The three prospective mages who entered first today should not have all died."

"We had roughly calculated the safe path around the spatial rift."

"However, the magic altar not being extinguished indicates that only the minor spatial rifts on that path have shifted, but the elemental fission devices we set up beforehand were not destroyed."

"That's why the dean had the beginner apprentices pave the way, to help us re-establish a relatively safe path." Zorro said solemnly.