The Grand Hall of the Central Tower glittered with gold and light. Portraits of great pioneers in the history of the Black Mist Order lined the walls.
The ceiling was a beautifully painted star map, its twinkling lights nearly indistinguishable from the real night sky.
This was the most solemn venue of the Black Mist Order, rarely open to ordinary apprentices.
Today, however, it would host the quarterly Wizard Reserve Track Evaluation Meeting.
At that moment, Robb was in his workshop conducting an alchemical experiment when a gray-black parrot with a wide beak fluttered through the window.
"Apprentice Robb, Apprentice Robb!"
The parrot landed on the windowsill, repeating its message in a sharp, mechanical voice:
"Lord Griffith requests your immediate presence in the Central Tower meeting room."
Robb set down his alchemical tools.
"The evaluation meeting for the Wizard Reserve Track is about to begin. As an evaluated member, your presence is mandatory."
The parrot droned on with its programmed instructions.
This was the meeting mentioned in the letter he'd received a week earlier, his performance had improved significantly recently, and it was only natural he would be a focus for promotion.
"I'll head there immediately," Robb replied, quickly tidying his appearance to ensure he looked presentable and formal.
Half an hour later, Robb arrived outside the 12th-floor meeting room of the Central Tower.
Two stewards in dark gray uniforms stood at the entrance, scanning the corridor alertly.
"Robb Reyne, Wizard Reserve Track member, summoned by Lord Griffith," Robb said politely.
The guards checked the list and nodded him through.
The meeting room was spacious and bright, dominated by a massive round oak table at the center.
Seated around it were several robed figures. Robb immediately recognized Solon, Seraphine, and several other instructors.
Among them was the ghostlike presence of Corinna, cloaked in chill air.
She still wore her elegant white mask. When she noticed his gaze, she nodded slightly. Robb returned the gesture with a polite bow.
To one side of the room stood several young Wizard Reserve Track members, clearly also summoned for evaluation. Among them, Robb recognized a few familiar faces, including Talisa.
"Robb, you're here. Head over there and wait for now," Solon said, gesturing for him to stand with the candidates.
Robb bowed to the assembled instructors before silently taking his place.
Talisa smiled faintly at him, her gaze carrying a subtle hint of encouragement. But her expression remained as cool as ever, carefully avoiding excess emotion in public.
A short while later, once the appointed time arrived, everyone stood at attention.
"Now that everyone is here..."
The Vice-Chancellor Hayes, a stern older man in a deep purple robe with an intricate crest on his chest, spoke with authority:
"Let us begin this quarter's Wizard Reserve Track Evaluation Meeting."
His sharp gaze swept across the young apprentices:
"As per custom, we will adjust the rankings based on each candidate's recent performance, potential, and instructor evaluations."
Robb glanced around the room. The central oak table was now surrounded by Order officials and Reserve members.
According to his notice, he found his designated seat, 17th, matching his current sequence rank.
He recognized many faces.
Talisa sat at the 12th seat, dressed in formal attire for once, a dark gown, her hair neatly styled and adorned with a gemmed pin.
Hugo still sat at the top seat, calm and composed. As the Wizard Reserve Track's undisputed leader, his talent and power were among the best in the entire Order.
Ranks four to ten were occupied by High Apprentices Robb had seen before but didn't know well.
To Robb's surprise, Oliver now sat at fifth place, having dropped two ranks.
Even more surprising, the ninth seat was empty, Cynthia, who should've occupied it, was nowhere to be found, triggering a wave of hushed murmurs.
"Silence," Vice-Chancellor Hayes' commanding voice echoed, and the hall instantly quieted.
"Welcome to the Wizard Reserve Track Evaluation Meeting for this quarter," he said, tone steady and firm.
"As always, we will first announce ranking changes, followed by key discussion topics."
With a wave of his hand, a massive translucent leaderboard appeared in the air, displaying names and current rankings.
"First, congratulations to Hugo Erwin for maintaining his top position for the sixth consecutive quarter."
Hugo stood and bowed humbly, wearing a modest smile.
"Next, Herbert Lewyn and Catelyn Gardener hold second and third places, respectively."
The top three remained stable.
"However, there were significant changes from fifth to tenth place. Talisa Lyndon, rising from twelfth to tenth, has shown impressive performance. Oliver West, on the other hand, fell from fifth to sixth and must show improvement."
As the daughter of a hunter, Talisa had no surname; "Lyndon" came from her birthplace.
At the announcement, the brown-haired girl stood slightly and gave a reserved nod, though her eyes betrayed a subtle flicker of pride.
Oliver's expression remained neutral, but Robb noticed a dark glint in his eyes that quickly disappeared.
More telling, Oliver was lightly drumming his fingers on the table, clearly more unsettled than he appeared.
While attention was focused on the Vice-Chancellor, Robb quietly activated Extraordinary Appraisal, scanning Oliver discreetly.
A flood of information surged into his senses:
[Oliver West]
Mental Aptitude: Six-Star Upper (Original) / Four-Star Lower (Current)
Status: Moderate Mental Contamination (Cumulative)
Special Talent: Living Assimilation (Third Tier)
Can absorb and integrate parts of other creatures' abilities and memories through a ritual,
Target must be of equal or lesser power level,
Each assimilation worsens mental contamination
Robb's heart skipped. He quickly withdrew his gaze.
A third-tier special talent was rare even within the Order.
This also explained Oliver's decline in rank.
The overwhelming sense of mental contamination would be obvious to any sensitive official wizard.
Oliver's total mana had indeed increased, but the instability and taint within it made further growth nearly impossible.
Robb quietly studied him further, noticing faint black markings around Oliver's right wrist, possibly the sign of a curse or contamination.
Even more alarming, the taint was slowly but steadily creeping upward.
"He's walking a dangerously reckless path," Robb thought grimly, recalling Lady Elena's previous warning.
Clearly, Oliver had tapped into forbidden power to gain rapid short-term growth, at the cost of long-term potential and well-being.
The Vice-Chancellor's next words snapped his attention back:
"…It should also be noted that Cynthia Norvos, ranked ninth, has been absent from the Order for three weeks. Per regulations, her sequence qualification is now suspended, pending further investigation."
The hall buzzed again. Though not particularly powerful, Cynthia was infamous within the Wizard Reserve Track for her twisted hobbies.
Her sudden disappearance was a shock.
After letting the murmurs die down, the Vice-Chancellor resumed announcing ranks.
When he reached the 14th seat, he paused, turning to Robb:
"This quarter's rankings are based not only on recent performance and magical development but also on recommendations from mentors."
He held up several sealed letters bearing mentor insignias.
"Special mention must go to Apprentice Robb Reyne, who received strong recommendations from Lord Solon, Lady Seraphine, and Lady Corinna. Even the semi-retired Lord Magnus and Lady Elena submitted letters on his behalf, an extremely rare event in our Order's history."
The hall stirred. Magnus and Elena were highly respected senior sorcerers and rarely vouched for apprentices.
"That's nearly a third of the Order's official wizards backing him…" an older assistant whispered in awe.
The Vice-Chancellor raised his hand for quiet.
"Considering all this, the council supports Robb Reyne's promotion to 14th place in the rankings."
In reality, the Black Mist Order, being a subordinate branch of the Crystal Spire, had no formal Chancellor.
The Vice-Chancellor was effectively the highest authority, his approval meant final confirmation.
The room was clearly surprised.
A three-rank jump was rare in the Wizard Reserve Track, especially for someone who had joined less than half a year ago and was already climbing so quickly.
Robb stood calmly, bowed to the Vice-Chancellor and assembled wizards. "Thank you for the recognition. I'll continue striving forward."
He noticed approving looks from Corinna, Seraphine, and Solon, clear signs that his progress had earned their respect.
Even Corinna, normally cold, had a glimmer of warmth in her icy gaze.
Among the other candidates, reactions varied: some surprised, others admiring or curious, while a few barely masked their jealousy or resentment.
The Vice-Chancellor nodded slightly and moved on to announce the remaining changes.
Once all rankings were finalized, he announced the next topic.
"Now, we will address two important matters. First: the investigation into Cynthia Norvos' disappearance."
An older High Apprentice stood, one of the law enforcement team leads, and gave a brief report:
"Based on current clues, Cynthia was last seen around midnight three weeks ago. A witness spotted her entering the edge of the forest. She has not been seen since."