Chapter 0033 Task Selection

After so many years of knowledge and life-and-death trials, most apprentice wizards had long understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch. If there was, it would certainly be a trap.

These suddenly available apprentice-level missions must be hiding something.

Sure enough, with a sweep of Wizard Anderson’s hand, most of the green text flickering on the light screen vanished, replaced instead by orange missions indicating moderate danger and red missions signifying extreme peril.

“The ones you just saw are the apprentice missions you’ll be able to take on in the future. But before that, each of you must complete a mandatory mission! You’ll have three months to finish it, but if you fail… heh heh heh… you’ll lose your apprentice status as punishment!”

Only at this moment did the apprentices’ faces truly change.

For those confident in their own strength, this was a feast rich with knowledge and resources. But for the weaker apprentices, it was nothing short of a death sentence, forcing them to the brink.

Their gazes swept rapidly over the list of mandatory missions, and soon, the lone green mission at the bottom caught everyone’s attention.

Swamp Tower Garrison Duty:

This mission requires ten apprentices: one librarian, one laboratory manager, one trainee instructor, two patrolmen outside the tower…

Some of the weakest apprentices had hope rekindled in their eyes and cast furtive glances at Allen, the apprentice leader, who was already beaming. His four cronies gathered around, smug and arrogant.

Grimm let his eyes linger just briefly on the lone green mission before shifting his attention, carefully examining the rest of the mandatory mission list.

He knew full well that, given his abilities and standing, he had no hope of squeezing into that pitiful group of ten. No doubt, once the assembly ended, a frenzy of secret bargaining would erupt, with many apprentices vying to curry favor with Allen.

After all, among the fifty-seven formal apprentices present, only four were advanced apprentices, twenty-one were intermediate, and thirty-two, including Grimm, were at the bottom as junior apprentices.

Looking at the mandatory mission list, even orange missions posed risks for advanced apprentices, while the blood-red missions could only be safely completed by near-wizards.

It was no wonder the apprentices of the Tower were so despondent and pessimistic upon seeing the list.

“Hmph! I’ll go talk to Allen and get you a spot. If he dares refuse, I…” Mary’s temper had become fiery of late. She bared her little tiger teeth, trying to look fierce, but to Grimm, she seemed adorably fierce.

Grimm grabbed her wrist at once.

“Don’t go! Trust me—I'm capable of handling these orange missions!” At that moment, his eyes were firm and calm, shining with the distinctive cleverness of a wizard apprentice.

“Alright then, if you’re sure, focus on picking a good mission!” Mary’s expression changed quickly. “By the way, is my skin soft and smooth? I feel like it’s been getting better lately!”

As Mary licked her lips in satisfaction, Grimm shuddered and quickly let go of her hand, doing his best to focus his mind on the task list.

…

Great Cemetery Cleansing Operation (3/10) — Orange Mission

Mission content: An elite-level undead has appeared in the Great Cemetery in the southern Diga region. Ten apprentice wizards are needed to eliminate it, with two hundred elite guards from Viscount Galli’s forces assisting. Upon completion, Viscount Galli will issue an official document.

Mission rewards: 30 knowledge points, 3 magic crystals, 10 Loose Land Tower Association contribution points

…

Giant Willow Territory Aberration Investigation (2/3) — Orange Mission

Mission content: Signs of aberrant creatures have appeared at the edge of the southern Tutarian Forest, in Giant Willow Territory. Eleven villagers are missing. Three apprentice wizards are urgently needed to investigate the source in the mountains. Upon completion, a certificate will be issued by the local association outpost.

Mission rewards: 20 knowledge points, 1 magic crystal, 5 contribution points to the Loose Land Tower Association

(If the apprentices solve the root of the disaster, rewards will be increased accordingly based on proof provided.)

…

Griffin Cliff Taming Mission (0/3) — Red Mission

Mission content: Three apprentice wizards are needed at Griffin Cliff in the Rashia region to capture griffins and assist the beastmaster Hank in taming ten of them. The mission document will be issued by Hank.

Mission rewards: 50 knowledge points, 10 magic crystals, 30 contribution points to the Loose Land Tower Association

(Completing the mission will also earn a private reward from the Hamilton Trading Company.)

…

Shadowy Cavern Exploration (4/10) — Red Mission

Mission content: Signs of subterranean creatures have been found near the Shadowy Cavern in the Nigun region. Ten apprentices are needed to form a reconnaissance team and descend ten miles below ground to investigate activity. Completion will be verified by the local association outpost via space markers.

Mission rewards: 70 knowledge points, 12 magic crystals, 50 contribution points to the Loose Land Tower Association

(This region is renowned for its Shadow Grass, Ghost Mushrooms, and Night Eye Stones. All items harvested during the mission belong to the individual.)

…

Line after line, row after row—practically every dangerous locale surrounding the Loose Land Tower Association was listed.

In the central region of the Wizard Continent, to protect the world’s native magical beast resources, all major wizard organizations strictly forbade high-level wizards from ruthlessly exploiting the wilds. As a result, only about 35% of the area was inhabited by humans, with the rest being vast, uninhabited wilderness or primordial forests teeming with uncountable magical beasts and monsters.

Ordinary jungle creatures and magical beasts could be resisted and driven back by well-armed mortals. But if confronted by those with terrifying supernatural abilities, there were countless cases of small villages on the fringes being wiped out overnight.

At such times, the local militias had to rely on extraordinary power to purge these dreadful monsters from human lands.

The lofty wizards themselves would never bother with such trivial matters. Thus, most of this extraordinary force came from the apprentices. Through these tasks, they gained resources, honed themselves, and in the process, protected human society.

Thus, the wizard apprentice system formed the very foundation of wizard governance on the continent.

Grimm meticulously scrutinized each item on the mandatory mission list, while his chip—its active detection function disabled—systematically organized and recorded all information into its database.

…

Among so many mandatory missions, Grimm could only consider the orange ones; the red ones were utterly out of reach.

Orange missions were officially recommended only for advanced apprentices—those below that rank would face significant risk. As for the red missions, they were meant for near-wizards; even advanced apprentices would be risking their lives.

But in this strange and unpredictable wizarding world, even missions labeled “safe” could be anything but. The most numerous were investigation missions: those venturing into dangerous zones faced obvious perils, but even assignments in supposedly safe regions weren’t necessarily easy. Creatures lurking near mortal villages might be low-risk, like slimes, earth elementals, or mosquito bats—such foes could be easily dispatched by a single junior apprentice.

But with bad luck, one might encounter dread beasts like wyverns, stone golems, or forest fairies. Even advanced apprentices would be in mortal danger if faced with such adversaries.

Choosing a mission was like gambling—one unlucky draw and you’d hit the jackpot. Every year, 13% of wizard apprentices died during missions. A terrifying statistic!

After a rapid search and filter by his chip, a suitable orange mission was quickly identified for Grimm—one that had most of the unstable factors eliminated.

…

Kragh Alchemy Apprentice Trial (1/3) — Orange Mission

Mission content: An alchemy apprentice from Kragh is undertaking his trial and urgently needs three apprentice wizards to accompany him into the Well of Treasures. Completion of the trial counts as mission completion, with certification provided by the alchemy apprentice.

Mission rewards: 20 knowledge points, 3 magic crystals, one bottle each of Tranquility Potion and Invisibility Potion

…

This mission was not particularly dangerous. The Well of Treasures was a trial every alchemy apprentice had to undergo, filled with countless “trinkets” left behind by generations of alchemy masters, waiting to be unearthed.

Though considered “trinkets,” any creation by an alchemy master possessed immense research value. Some artifacts might even contain the legacy of their creators.

Thus, the Well of Treasures was always the place for alchemy apprentices to seek fortune and trial.

Yet each alchemy apprentice was allowed only one entry. Inside, you could take one alchemical artifact—but you must leave behind one as well. That was the true meaning of the Well of Treasures.

Because of the variety and potential dangers of the items within, and because most apprentices were too weak at the outset, the Alchemy Association permitted each to hire three assistants. However, these assistants were not allowed to take any items from the well.

Such an orange mission was rather comfortable. As long as the trial apprentice wasn’t greedy enough to challenge the most dangerous constructs, it was quite easy to complete.

Moreover, the Tranquility Potion among the rewards was highly attractive; for apprentices with less than ten points of spiritual power, it raised that stat by one—a precious treasure for junior apprentices. (Enhancement items only work once; further use is ineffective!)

Having made up his mind, Grimm quietly informed Mary of his choice. She agreed it was a wise selection. As for herself, Mary decisively chose the Shadowy Cavern exploration—one of the red missions.

With her vampiric abilities—flight, combat, recovery—she was confident in her survival, even if confronted by dangerous monsters. She had deliberately selected the mission most likely to encounter exotic magical creatures.

Clearly, in this period of rapid growth, she was hungering for the blood of powerful beings.