"That was a spectral wraith of at least the Silver rank," the bespectacled tester exclaimed, heaving a long, relieved sigh as if he''d just narrowly escaped death.


    He wiped the cold sweat from his brow; the terrifying scene moments ago had truly rattled him to the core.


    "Thank you so much, man. I really appreciate you protecting me just now," Kael expressed his gratitude sincerely.


    When the wraith charged in, the bespectacled tester had instinctively shielded him, and Kael knew he had to remember this act of kindness.


    "Don''t mention it. We were lucky that wraith didn''t attack us. Otherwise, we''d both be in a world of trouble," the bespectacled tester said, still visibly shaken.


    He patted his chest and attempted a nervous laugh. After all, as a mere Black Iron - rank mage, he was no match for a Silver - rank wraith.


    This was an understatement.


    The lethality of a Silver - rank wraith was truly terrifying.


    The most effective way to deal with such a wraith is through the divine magic of a priest. Next in line are the spells of mages and warlocks.


    However, Daxia has long prohibited priests from entering to spread their teachings, so there are no such priests within Daxia''s territory.


    The attack that had just vanquished the wraith was presumably the work of a powerful mage.


    "What on earth happened next door?" Kael asked, his curiosity piqued.


    The wraith had emerged from the adjacent room, and now that the spell - barrage from upstairs had ceased, it seemed the danger had passed.


    "I''m dying to know, too," the bespectacled tester replied, shooting Kael a helpless look.


    The testing room was designed to block spiritual - power detection, otherwise, he could have simply swept the area with his spiritual sense to get a clear picture.


    "Hey, how about we go take a look?" Kael could sense the bespectacled tester''s eagerness and egged him on.


    "Are you sure that''s a good idea?" The bespectacled tester''s tone wavered.


    He stared at Kael, his expression silently asking, "What about you, a freshly Spirit - Awakened newbie? Aren''t you worried?"


    "There might be someone hurt in there. We should go and help," Kael suggested.


    "True. Let''s go!" Indeed, the Blue Star people had an inherent curiosity and a penchant for watching a spectacle, and even a seasoned mage like the bespectacled tester was no exception.


    The two of them pushed open the door one after the other and made their way towards the adjacent room.


    The hall was in utter chaos, with staff members scurrying about in a panic.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Kael and the bespectacled tester exchanged a knowing look and continued forward in silence.


    The bespectacled tester pushed open the door of the next room, peeked in cautiously, and then jerked his head back as if he''d seen a ghost.


    Kael, who was right behind him, caught a glimpse of the scene inside at the same time.


    There was a gaping hole in the ceiling of the room, and from below, one could see the command room above.


    Bricks were strewn haphazardly across the floor, and the testing equipment was in disarray, as if it had been hit by a ferocious tornado.


    Three people stood in the room: an officer in military uniform and two middle - aged men in civilian clothes.


    Two others lay on the ground. One was clearly a student who had returned from the Spirit Awakening.


    His face was deathly pale, and a chilling aura emanated from his body.


    The other appeared to be a tester, lying on a chair with a pallid complexion, eyes closed, and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.


    The blood dripped steadily, staining his shirt crimson.


    "Damn it! Get in here and help!" The three people in the room noticed Kael and the bespectacled tester peeking in and roared angrily.


    "Yes, teacher! Right away!" The bespectacled tester flinched at the angry shout, his reaction similar to that of a mouse spotting a cat.


    He quickly complied and then shot Kael a reproachful look.


    Why had he listened to this kid and come to this chaotic scene?


    Kael realized that one of the middle - aged men was likely the bespectacled tester''s teacher, and the tester seemed genuinely intimidated.


    In response to the bespectacled tester''s glare, Kael could only scratch the back of his head sheepishly and offer an awkward smile.


    The bespectacled tester entered the room and rushed over to the student.


    After a quick examination, he said gravely, "Teacher, this student is dead." Kael remained at the door, and upon hearing this, his heart sank.


    He didn''t know the student, but the thought of a life extinguished so suddenly filled him with a sense of loss.


    Then the bespectacled tester helped the other fallen tester, who was still alive.


    "I''ve stabilized his soul. Take him to the infirmary, and I''ll deal with you later!" a middle - aged man snorted coldly.


    "Yes, teacher." The bespectacled tester lowered his head submissively, not daring to utter a word of protest.


    He cast a spell to levitate the injured man and prepared to take him to the infirmary.


    As he reached the door, he seemed to remember something and said dejectedly, "Teacher, I haven''t finished this student''s test report yet."


    The middle - aged teacher, who had flown back to the command room through the ceiling hole, jumped down again upon hearing this.


    "You idiot! How could I have such a dim - witted student? Get to the infirmary now! I''ll handle the report!" The middle - aged man marched to the door and gave the bespectacled tester a sharp slap on the forehead, chasing him away.


    Then, the middle - aged teacher''s expression softened, and he turned to Kael, who was standing frozen against the wall, looking petrified.


    "Your spellcaster test report isn''t completed yet, is it?"


    "No, professor," Kael replied quickly, nodding vigorously.


    "Come on, let''s go in and finish the test." With that, the middle - aged man turned and led Kael back into the testing room.


    The middle - aged man walked behind the table, took a seat, and motioned for Kael to sit. "My name is Li, young man. Have a seat," he said.


    "Yes, Professor Li."


    Following Professor Li''s instructions, Kael placed his hands on the testing crystal ball once more.


    As the two familiar energy streams coursed through, the crystal ball began to emit a soft glow again.


    Professor Li, observing this, perked up and shot Kael a keen look.


    "Okay, you can remove your hands now." Then, he picked up the crystal ball and placed it on the adjacent instrument.


    Moments later, the instrument spat out a paper test report.


    Professor Li took it and studied the information intently, glancing up at Kael from time to time. This made Kael feel a bit uneasy.


    "Student Huo, congratulations. Your spellcaster aptitude is excellent. It''s level two!" After a while, Professor Li put down the report and clapped softly.


    "Ah! Really?!" Kael was overjoyed.


    Although he had hoped for a good result, he hadn''t expected his aptitude to be this high.


    The aptitude of a spellcaster was categorized into five levels, with level five being the lowest and level one the highest.


    The higher the aptitude level, the more favorable the conditions for cultivation.