Chapter 22: The Trial, the Air Step, and the Dance of Ice

The night was quiet, and the gentle moonlight fell on the floor of the room from outside the balcony. A night breeze blew, lifting the half-drawn curtains, revealing that someone was sitting behind them. It was already very late, and Bing Zhe lay on a beach chair on the balcony, gazing at the scattered lights within the academy. He seemed to have trouble falling asleep.

A light tread of footsteps, the sliding door to the balcony was pulled open and then closed again. Carol, wearing loose pajamas, stretched and took a deep breath, sitting down in another chair. "What a comfortable breeze!"

"Can't you sleep?" Bing Zhe asked indifferently.

Carol shook her head and smiled. "No, it's just that their snoring is too loud."

The room was filled with snoring, like rolling thunder, one after another.

"What about you?" Carol asked. "Why can't you sleep? Are you homesick because you're in a new place?"

"No, I don't have a home," Bing Zhe said, looking at the moon. "I just like this feeling."

"Sorry," Carol glanced at the tranquil scenery outside the balcony. "I also like this feeling. By the way, I forgot to tell you my last name today. My last name is Qiao, but you can still call me Carol. I like it when people call me that."

Downstairs, a person slowly walked past the streetlights, and Bing Zhe quietly watched the scene.

Carol got up and went back into the room. After a while, she came out again, holding a large bag of snacks and drinks. There were clean cups on the table on the balcony, and she poured two glasses of milk. "Have some. Drinking this will help you fall asleep."

"Thanks, but I don't want to drink."

"Then have something to eat." Carol threw him a box of crispy cookies.

Since it had already landed on him, Bing Zhe had no choice but to take and eat it.

"How does it taste?"

"Mm, very good."

Carol said, "If you get thirsty from eating this, drink some milk, then lie down and count sheep. You'll fall asleep before long."

Bing Zhe said, "Eating at night can make you fat."

Carol laughed. "That's why you should eat. Now is the time to grow, and I'm so thin. How can I not grow stronger? And you should eat more too."

Bing Zhe smiled and drank the glass of milk.

Carol said, "I have a favor to ask. Can we switch beds?"

They both slept on the upper bunks of the double-decker beds.

"Why?" Bing Zhe asked.

"Because... because I like your bed." Carol smiled brightly.

Bing Zhe said, "No, I like that bed too."

"Is that so..." Carol looked a bit disappointed but quickly smiled again. "Never mind."

After a while, Carol finished eating what she had in her arms, patted her hands, and said, "I'm going to sleep now. The food on the table is for you to eat slowly. Remember to go to bed early. Classes will start in the afternoon after the welcome ceremony tomorrow." She washed up in the bathroom and went to bed.

Bing Zhe glanced at the room. Carol and Wayne were both new students. New students were supposed to live in the circular dormitory area, but unfortunately, when it was their turn, there were no more spots left, so they were assigned to this place.

The welcome ceremony the next day was held in the academy's main square. The main events were speeches by the dean and teachers, encouraging the new students to work hard and study well. Then, the top few students from the entrance exam were chosen to represent all the new students in their speeches. However, since Bimoye and Bing Zhe were unwilling to take the lead, this responsibility fell to the third and fourth place winners, Celt and Ursula.

Because it was a welcome ceremony, Big Luo couldn't attend, but since it was the first day of classes, he went to class. The new students' classes were to start in the afternoon after the welcome ceremony.

The welcome ceremony was not a party, so it seemed a bit dull and boring. As soon as it ended, all the students ran off. Bing Zhe had just returned to the dormitory when someone knocked on the door. He thought it might be Wayne and Carol, who had quickly made new friends, but when he opened the door, it was Teacher Sufina.

As soon as Sufina entered, she put a magic hat on his head and smiled. "I couldn't find you in the square, so I knew you had come back. Does it fit?"

"Yes." Bing Zhe also smiled, took off the hat, and looked at it. It was a fresh blue hat with yellow stars, very beautiful, but he thought it was a bit too flashy, though he didn't say it.

Sufina noticed he wasn't wearing a magic robe. "Hey, why aren't you wearing a magic robe? Haven't you bought one yet?"

"Oh, I bought one, but I thought it was too hot, so I didn't wear it." Bing Zhe took out a red-brown and a gray-black magic robe from his wardrobe, both without any patterns.

Sufina shook her head and sighed. "Why are you so young and so uninterested in dressing up? Everyone else looks so nice, and as the top student in the academy, you should look presentable. I knew you wouldn't buy clothes, so I bought a set for you." She took out a fresh blue magic robe with yellow patterns from behind her back.

"This..."

Sufina smiled. "Don't be shy, try it on quickly and let me see if it fits."

Bing Zhe couldn't refuse the teacher's kindness. This beautiful fresh blue magic robe was different from the old and dull ones he had bought, which looked like something an old person would wear.

The blue magic robe was tight at the top and loose at the bottom, making him look very spirited and full of energy after he fastened the belt.

Sufina nodded in approval. "It looks great, much better than your previous outfit. You look like a little magician."

"Thank you, Teacher Sufina." Bing Zhe's face turned slightly red from her praise, but it wasn't too noticeable.

Sufina smiled. "No problem, it doesn't cost much. Just work hard and study. This is the latest popular style, thick and breathable, so it won't be stuffy. You should dress like this from now on. You can use the other two robes as pajamas."

"Okay."

"Here, take this." Sufina took out a magician's card, a badge, and his ID card from her pocket.

Bing Zhe took them and looked at them, somewhat surprised. "Intermediate Magician?"

Sufina bent down and patted his head. "Surprised, aren't you? Grand Magician Vashileb said that based on your and Bimoye's performance, you can be granted the Intermediate Magician certificate. However, according to the academy's rules, you still need to start from the last level of the Apprentice Magician, which is the third level. If you want to move to other classes, you'll need to take an exam."

"Oh, thank you, Teacher Sufina." Bing Zhe looked very happy.

Sufina smiled. "Call me Sufina."

"Thank you, Sufina."

"Ha ha." Sufina also looked very happy.

Bing Zhe put away the badge with the green gem and the magician's level card, which was also his student ID. The student ID was for those still in the magic apprentice class but hadn't passed the exam to become an apprentice. Once they passed, they would move to the Apprentice Magician class and receive a magic apprentice qualification card and badge, which was this card. According to their abilities, those with an Intermediate Magician certificate could serve as intern teachers in the academy or school.

Sufina said, "Your ID card shows that the Wind element is dominant. I heard from Luo that you are specializing in Ice magic?"

"Yes."

Sufina said, "Bimoye is also specializing in Ice magic. He is also a magician."

This news caught Bing Zhe's attention.

"What is your secondary specialization? Bimoye is specializing in Light magic, although the Light element in his body is not very prominent. It's said that his family has the bloodline of the Aurora God Haphides, though it's just a legend. However, his family has a history of practicing Light magic."

Bing Zhe smiled. "I don't know, I'll just choose randomly."

According to the rules of magicians, a magician must specialize in at least two types of magic, one primary and one secondary. They must also be familiar with and able to master other types of magic to meet the basic requirements of a magician.

Sufina said, "You defeated the examiners, but you used combat skills. You need to demonstrate your magic. According to the minimum requirements for a Green Robe Magician (Intermediate), you must be able to skillfully cast advanced magic from your primary and secondary specializations, as well as intermediate magic from at least four other elements, and use some basic combat techniques. Bimoye has already been tested, and you need to go to the trial field to demonstrate."

"Bimoye..." Bing Zhe frowned slightly and suddenly asked, "Go to the trial field? Will there be many people watching?"

"Of course, there will be many students."

Bing Zhe shook his head. "Can't you just watch me here?"

"Here?" Sufina said. "It's fine, but..."

"I don't like crowds; it's too troublesome." Bing Zhe pulled her to the balcony, leaped onto the railing, and jumped off the building.

Sufina was startled by his sudden action, but what surprised her even more was that Bing Zhe was running and jumping in the air. "Air Step!"

The Air Step was not a high-level magic. Even a beginner magician or an Apprentice Magician could learn it. However, they usually could only take one or two steps before losing focus on the wind element. The more skilled could take dozens or even hundreds of steps, but their movements would be stiff and unstable. Being able to move so skillfully in the air indeed showed the strength of an Intermediate Magician.

As she watched, Bing Zhe, wearing the fresh blue magic robe, suddenly leaped up, spinning in the air with his body straight. Instantly, large ice flowers bloomed around him, one after another, forming a huge thorny ball of sharp ice flowers and icicles in a few moments.

"Ice Dance!" Sufina exclaimed. The Ice Dance was indeed an advanced magic, and Bing Zhe had skillfully integrated combat techniques into it.

The crowd passing by the building below was startled by the sudden appearance of such a large ice crystal in the sky, fearing it might fall. However, soon, the ice evaporated in the air.

Bing Zhe used the Air Step to jump very high, even over the highest roof of the dormitory building. Then, he took another step and shot down like an arrow, landing directly on the balcony of his dormitory. A surge of wind elements allowed him to land softly.

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End of Chapter 22

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