Chapter 187: The Most Suitable System

Chapter 187: The Most Suitable System

At the top of the Dragon Bone Tower, Su Nan stood before a crystal ball, his eyes fixed on the three-dimensional holographic model floating in front of him. It was a meticulously detailed and lifelike representation of the entire academy. This new academy design, inspired by the wizarding schools he had attended in his past life, was planned to accommodate tens of thousands of students, numerous servants, and puppets, with ample space reserved for future expansion.

More than just an academy, it resembled a small town. The layout shared many similarities with his previous base, but with a larger scale and additional teaching buildings. After the last gathering at the Forest Cottage, Su Nan had immediately begun construction. With the help of Butler No. 1 and over a thousand Clay Golems, the academy took shape in just two weeks. It was expected to be completed in another ten days.

Notably, the academy was being built right next to the Dragon Bone Tower. Su Nan dismissed the holographic model, and the light before him dispersed, reassembling into lines of text. These were the rules and regulations he had been contemplating for the academy, drawing inspiration from the wizarding schools of his past life.

The system was straightforward, summed up in four words: equivalent exchange. Students would earn contribution points by completing tasks and use these points to acquire resources. On the surface, it seemed similar to the base system, but there were significant differences. For instance, there were free basic courses, and certain library books could be read for free. Most importantly, students could also purchase basic resources and some courses with gold coins. However, buying with gold coins would be more expensive than using contribution points.

Many students from wealthy backgrounds would likely not mind the extra cost and might even be more enthusiastic. Overall, this system would generate more profit for the academy and accelerate the growth of students from affluent families. If there was a downside, it was that it might be unfair to students from humble backgrounds. However, absolute fairness did not exist in the world. Recognizing this early might benefit their future growth.

After a moment of reflection, Su Nan added some more text to the holographic display, refining the details. He then copied it down, intending to show it to the three staff members so they could better understand the academy. Unlike himself, they had no concept of a wizarding school and likely viewed it through the lens of a knight academy.

With that done, Su Nan left the control center and teleported back to the laboratory. In the center of the lab, a large, perfectly spherical crystal ball sat on a wide workbench. The crystal ball glowed a beautiful deep blue, with a radius of about 1.2 meters, radiating a mesmerizing light under the magical stone lamps. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless tiny stars within, making the crystal ball resemble a starry sky.

Su Nan's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. This was the Attribute Crystal. As the name suggested, it was a magical item designed to measure the physical and mental attributes of wizard apprentices. It could assess an apprentice's physical condition, mental strength, and overall health, presenting the information in a data-driven format. Many wizarding schools had similar devices to help students understand their capabilities and plan their training.

The principle behind the Attribute Crystal was similar to Butler No. 1's scanning capabilities. In fact, the Attribute Crystal was inspired by Butler No. 1, serving as a simplified version. Su Nan himself had no use for it, as his interface provided more detailed data, including skill proficiency. However, for ordinary students, the Attribute Crystal would help them avoid many pitfalls.

As Su Nan pondered where to place the Attribute Crystal, Butler No. 1's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Master, Base 1 has sent a message. The three guests have arrived."

Su Nan snapped back to reality, a smile spreading across his face.

"Pretty fast."

At Base 1, in the reception hall, the Scepter, the Traveler, and the Rose sat together, discussing the Dragon Forest.

"A breeding ground for sub-dragons?" The Scepter's eyes widened in amazement.

The thought of a vast ecosystem filled with rare sub-dragons made him envious. The Rose was equally surprised. Although she had entered the Dragon Forest, she had only reached Zone 3 and had not seen the sub-dragons in Zone 1.

Upon hearing that the ecological park contained a large number of sub-dragons, the traveler couldn't help but feel both surprised and envious.

No wizard's apprentice could resist the allure of an ecological park.

"What puzzles me is how Su Nan managed to resolve the energy shortage in that ecological park," the traveler furrowed his brow, puzzled. "After all, he wasn't a wizard back then."

"Such an ecological park must have an elemental pool. He likely repaired it," the scepter speculated.

Rosa and the traveler exchanged glances, both shaking their heads slightly.

It sounded simple, but they knew they couldn't have done it themselves.

They had never even seen an elemental pool, let alone fixed one.

Only Su Nan could have pulled off such a feat.

As they were thinking about Su Nan, he stepped into the hall.

"The three of you arrived earlier than I expected," Su Nan smiled.

Rosa shrugged and admitted, "After all, I want to get the talent crystals and the synthesis potion as soon as possible."

Su Nan glanced at her, then at the similarly masked scepter and traveler, and said, "We don't need to hide from each other anymore, do we?"

They exchanged looks, nodded, and removed their masks.

Despite their actual ages being well over a century, they all looked remarkably young, in their mid-twenties.

The scepter had a handsome and elegant appearance, fitting the regal image of the royal family.

Rosa had beautiful features and, in a fine dress, would have been the epitome of a noble daughter.

In comparison, the traveler looked much more ordinary, with a hint of weathered ruggedness from years of adventuring.

Su Nan nodded and gestured toward the door.

"Please, follow me. We'll go see your future workplace."

The scepter, Rosa, and the traveler had been curious about the academy Su Nan mentioned, so they immediately set off.

They passed through a spatial corridor in the base and arrived at Dragon Forest.

The scepter was immediately drawn to the extremely prominent Dragon Skeleton Tower. Even though he had heard about it from Rosa and the traveler, he was still shocked.

After a thousand years, the dragon's bones still radiated a faint aura of power, making it easy to imagine how formidable the dragon had been in life.

And the wizard who had slain this dragon and used its bones to build the tower must have been even more powerful!

After a moment, the scepter regained his composure and saw that Su Nan and the others had already flown ahead, so he hurried to catch up.

When they saw the sprawling academy on the plain, Rosa and the others were taken aback.

They had assumed Su Nan was establishing a small academy, given that the number of apprentices should be relatively low and wouldn't require such a vast area.

Noticing their confusion, Su Nan spoke calmly.

"The academy will recruit students from the entire Starlight Continent."

This simple statement sent a chill down their spines.

Was this a move to unify the Starlight Continent?

If anyone else had said it, they would have dismissed it as boasting, but Su Nan was different. He had the power to achieve this goal, not just because he was the only wizard on the Starlight Continent, but also because he controlled the massive Star Alliance.

Observing their reactions, Su Nan smiled faintly and continued flying forward.

Since he had decided to recruit Rosa, the scepter, and the traveler, he needed to prepare them for certain things.

For example, the goal of unifying the Starlight Continent and the construction of the wizard's tower.

However, there were some things he couldn't reveal yet.

Such as the elemental awakening, the return of the wizards, and the Dark Throne.

For now, these matters were too distant for them, and knowing too much could be detrimental.

Besides, whether they would even live to see seven hundred years from now was uncertain.

If one of them ever became a wizard, Su Nan might consider telling them everything.

It didn't take long for the group to tour the entire academy.

Su Nan then handed them the prepared institutional documents.

After a quick read, their faces all showed surprise.

This academy was nothing like what they had imagined.

Typically, students paid tuition upfront, and mentors taught in a simple paid educational system.

But the academy Su Nan was building took the principle of equivalent exchange to the extreme.

Apart from some basic knowledge being free, students had to pay equivalent contribution points or gold to receive anything.

Even the mentors were no exception.

This place was less of a traditional academy and more of an organization bound together by mutual interests. In many ways, this structure might even foster greater cohesion and tighter bonds than those based on blood relations. At least, this was true for the apprentices and their mentors.

Rosa and her companions were both surprised and secretly relieved. No wizard apprentice relished the idea of being overly constrained, and the regulations Su Nan had laid out ensured they wouldn't feel overly restricted.

Seeing their expressions ease, Su Nan knew exactly what they were thinking and inwardly chuckled. This system of wizard academies had been refined over centuries, through countless trials and errors, to become the most practical and effective form of governance for the wizarding community. It had been fine-tuned to align with the psychological needs of both mentors and apprentices.

Almost every wizarding institution across the multiverse operated under a similar system. The differences lay in the specifics of implementation. Some colleges, like those under the Deep Blue Alliance and the Codex of Wisdom, were more lenient and friendly toward their students. Others, such as those under the Dark Throne and the Savage Spirits, were more stringent, fostering intense competition to weed out the weak and cultivate the strong. The latter often had much higher mortality rates among their students, but the survivors were typically far more formidable.

After reading through the regulations, Rosa and her companions were quickly drawn to the exchange list that followed. It detailed all the resources and items available for mentors to redeem, a list far more extensive than what was available to students.

While the initial items like Silver Moon Flowers, Calming Herbs, Dragon Blood Elixirs, and Stone Golems were relatively common, the later entries—such as the Transcendent Elixir, Illusionary Elixir, Magic Core Patterns, Guardian Rings, and Adamantine Golems—made their breathing quicken. Even though they hadn't heard of many of these items, the detailed descriptions made it clear just how valuable they were.

In particular, the Transcendent Elixir and Illusionary Elixir were irresistible to any third-tier wizard apprentice. These elixirs could significantly shorten the time needed to boost their mental energy to the breaking point, making the prospect of advancement much more tangible.

As for the Construct Elixir and Talent Crystals, those were even more enticing.

The array of items on the list left the three of them in awe, their eyes wide with wonder. While they had always known that Su Nan possessed resources far beyond those of an average third-tier wizard apprentice, the actual list far exceeded their expectations. What they had known before was just the tip of the iceberg!

If this list were to leak, it would cause a massive stir among the wizard apprentices.

After finishing the list, their resolve to join the academy only grew stronger.

"When will the academy open?" the Traveler couldn't contain his curiosity and asked first.

"In half a month," Su Nan replied calmly.

"The apprentices in the base will be the first batch of students. You can use this time to familiarize yourselves with the academy's operations and prepare yourselves. The Starlight Empire is currently conducting a large-scale aptitude test. Once it's over, a new batch of students will join the academy, and that's when you'll really start to get busy."

"I can't wait!" the Traveler said with bright eyes.

Scepter and Rosa smiled, saying nothing, but they were equally excited. The rich resources on the list had already won them over, even before officially joining the academy.

Su Nan observed this and nodded inwardly. This was precisely his intention.

He instructed Butler 1 to arrange accommodations for the three and to act as their guide to familiarize them with the Dragon Skeleton Tower. Then, he left the Dragon Forest and headed toward the Starlight Tower.

Before the academy opened, he needed to ensure that all the loose ends at the Starlight Tower were properly tied up. It had been there for too long and was due for dismantling. Recovering the materials and storing them safely would provide peace of mind.

Additionally, the golem corps stationed there needed to be recalled and redeployed to the Star Alliance. After several months of preparation, the Star Alliance was ready for war and was about to launch a new expansion campaign. This was the time to gather all available military forces.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end