Chapter 187: The Most Suitable System
Dragon Bone Tower, Top Floor.
Su Nan stood before the Crystal Ball, staring intently at the three-dimensional model floating in the void before him.
It was a vivid and lifelike panoramic view of the Academy.
This was the new architectural layout Su Nan had designed, blending his experiences from the Wizard Academy he had attended in his previous life. The Academy was projected to be large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of students, along with numerous servants and puppet residents, with ample room for future expansion.
Rather than being merely an academy, it resembled a small town.
The specific layout of the Academy shared many details with the former Base but was significantly larger, featuring more teaching buildings.
Following the last Secret Forest Cabin Gathering, Su Nan had begun constructing the Academy.
With assistance from Butler Number 1 and thousands of clay golems, the Academy had already begun to take shape in just half a month.
It was expected to be completed in about ten days.
Su Nan dispersed the model, causing the light before him to scatter and then re-form into lines of text.
This was the system for the Academy that he had devised over the past few days, also drawing inspiration from the Wizard Academy he had attended in his previous life.
The system was quite simple, summarized in four words: equivalent exchange.
Students would earn Contribution Points by completing tasks, which they could then use to exchange for resources.
While this system resembled the one used at the Base, there were still key differences.
For instance, there were now free basic courses available.
Certain library books could also be read at no cost.
Most importantly, Gold Coins could be used to purchase basic resources and specific courses.
However, using Gold Coins would be more expensive than using Contribution Points.
Many students from wealthy families would likely not mind this, and might even prefer it.
Overall, this system could generate more profits for the Academy while accelerating the growth of students from affluent backgrounds.
If there was any flaw, it lay in the unfairness to students from humble or farming backgrounds.
But absolute fairness has never truly existed in this world.
Perhaps helping them realize this sooner would also benefit their future growth.
After pondering for a moment, Su Nan added some text to the illusion before him, refining the details and then copying it down. He intended to give this to Scepter Three later to help them gain a better understanding of the Academy.
After all, they were different from him; they had no concept of Wizard Academy at all. Their impression of Wizard Academy likely lingered at the level of a Knight Academy.
Having finished, Su Nan left the control center and teleported back to the Laboratory.
In the center of the Laboratory, a perfectly round Crystal Ball rested on a wide workbench.
The Crystal Ball was a stunning shade of deep blue, with a diameter of about two meters. It shimmered beautifully under the light of the Magic Stone Lamp.
Upon closer inspection, one could see densely packed star-like points inside, making the Crystal Ball appear as magnificent and brilliant as a starry sky.
Gazing at the Crystal Ball, Su Nan's eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
This was the Attribute Crystal Ball.
As the name implies, it was specifically used to measure a Wizard Apprentice's physical data and Spirit level—a type of Magic Item.
Through the Attribute Crystal Ball, one could assess a Wizard Apprentice’s Physique, Spirit level, health condition, and more, presenting this information in a data format.
Many Wizard Academies possessed similar equipment that could help students better understand their own conditions and arrange their cultivation plans.
The principle of the Attribute Crystal Ball was quite similar to that of the Butler Number 1 scan. In fact, the former was inspired by the latter; it functioned as a simplified version.
Su Nan, of course, did not need to use this.
The panel data was more detailed than that provided by the Attribute Crystal Ball, also including skill proficiency.
However, for ordinary students, the Attribute Crystal Ball could help them avoid many detours.
Just as Su Nan was considering where to place the Attribute Crystal Ball in the Academy, he suddenly heard the voice of Butler Number 1 in his ear.
[Master, Base Number 1 has sent a message that the three guests have arrived.]
Su Nan came back to his senses, a smile forming on his face.
"They are quite prompt."
In Base Number 1, Scepter, Traveler, and Rose sat facing each other, discussing the matter of Long Lin in hushed tones.
"A Garden that cultivates Sub-Dragon Species?" Scepter's eyes widened in amazement.
Just thinking about how Su Nan’s Ecological Garden housed a large number of Sub-Dragon Species, which were rare to find outside, he couldn't help but feel envious.
Rose was also taken aback.
Although she had entered Long Lin, she had only explored Zone 3 and had yet to encounter the Sub-Dragon Species in District 1.
Now, upon hearing that there had originally been a large number of Sub-Dragon Species in that Ecological Garden, she couldn't help but feel both surprised and envious.
No Wizard Apprentice could resist an Ecological Garden.
"What puzzles me is how Su Nan managed to resolve the energy deficiency in the Ecological Garden," Traveler remarked, frowning in confusion. "You have to remember that back then, Su Nan was not yet a Wizard."
"There must be an Elemental Pool in that kind of Ecological Garden; it likely repaired the Elemental Pool," Scepter speculated.
Rose and Traveler exchanged glances and simultaneously shook their heads slightly. Though it was easy to say, they knew they would never be able to do it themselves. They had never even seen a device like an Elemental Pool, let alone repaired one.
Only Su Nan could accomplish such a feat.
Just as they were pondering Su Nan, the individual in question stepped into the hall.
"You three arrived earlier than I expected," Su Nan said with a smile.
Rose shrugged and said frankly, "After all, I want to get my hands on the Talent Crystal and Construct Potion as soon as possible."
Su Nan glanced at her, then at Scepter and Traveler, who were also wearing masks, and said, "There’s no need to conceal ourselves from each other anymore, right?"
The three exchanged glances, nodded in unison, and removed their masks.
Although their actual ages exceeded a century, the three of them appeared very young, looking as if they were only in their twenties or thirties.
Scepter had handsome features and an elegant demeanor, fully embodying the noble impression of royalty.
Rose's features were beautiful, and if she were to don an exquisite dress, she would resemble a noble lady perfectly.
In comparison, Traveler's appearance was much more ordinary. Perhaps due to years of traveling and exploring, his face bore a hint of weariness.
Su Nan nodded and gestured toward the door with a slight turn of their body.
"Please, the three of you, let's go take a look at your future work location."
Scepter, filled with curiosity about the Academy that Su Nan had mentioned, immediately started moving upon hearing this.
The group passed through the Spatial Channel within the Base and arrived at Long Lin.
Scepter immediately spotted the highly conspicuous Dragon Bone Tower. Even though he had already received some information from Rose and Traveler, he was still taken aback at this moment.
After more than a thousand years, a faint Dragon’s Might lingered on the Giant Dragon Skeleton, making it easy to imagine how powerful and terrifying this Giant Dragon must have been when it was alive!
And what kind of powerful Wizard could have slain this Giant Dragon and used its Skeleton to create a pagoda?
After a moment, Scepter regained his senses and noticed that Su Nan and the others had already flown ahead, prompting him to hurry after them.
When they saw the Academy sprawling across the plain, covering an exceptionally large area, Rose and the other two were astonished.
They had thought Su Nan was only going to build a small Academy; after all, the number of Apprentices shouldn't require such a vast expanse, right?
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Su Nan calmly said, "The Academy will recruit from the entire Starlight Continent in the future."
This brief statement sent a chill down their spines.
Was he hinting at unifying the Starlight Continent?
If it were anyone else, they might dismiss it as nonsense, but Su Nan was different. He had the strength to achieve such a goal!
Not only was he the only Wizard on the Starlight Continent, but he also commanded the formidable Star Alliance.
Noticing the shifts in the expressions of the three, Su Nan smiled faintly and silently continued to fly forward.
Since he had decided to recruit Rose and the others, he knew a few matters should be discussed with them in advance for their benefit.
Such as the goal of unifying the Starlight Continent and the establishment of the Wizard Tower.
However, there were also things he couldn’t share with them just yet.
Such as the Elemental Revival, the return of the Wizards, and the Dark Throne.
For them, these topics were still far too distant, and knowing too much too soon would do more harm than good.
Besides, whether they could survive another seven hundred years remained uncertain.
If one day one of them advanced to Wizard, Su Nan might consider revealing everything.
Before long, the group had finished exploring the entire Academy.
Su Nan then produced the prepared system documents and handed them to the three.
After quickly skimming through them, all three revealed expressions of surprise.
This Academy was completely different from what they had imagined.
A typical academy operates on students paying tuition upfront, with instructors providing lessons in a straightforward system of paid education.
However, the Academy that Su Nan wanted to establish took the principle of equivalent exchange to its extreme.
Apart from some basic knowledge being free, if students wanted to obtain anything, they had to pay with equivalent Contribution Points or Gold Coins.
Even the instructors were not exempt.
Rather than calling it an academy, it would be more accurate to say it was an organization bound together by mutual benefit, encompassing numerous Wizard Apprentices.
An organization formed in this way might actually be more cohesive and structured than one based on blood relations, at least in the case of Wizard Apprentices.
While surprised, the three of Rose secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
No Wizard Apprentice likes to be overly constrained, and the rules that Su Nan provided wouldn't make them feel excessively restricted.
Seeing their relieved expressions, Su Nan couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
This type of Wizard Academy system was the most practical framework that the Wizard civilization had developed after years of experimentation and numerous lessons learned.
Through many improvements, it could be said that this system best suited the psychology of both the Wizard Apprentices and their instructors.
Almost all academies under the command of Wizard Power employed a similar system.
The difference lay only in the specific implementation. Some academies were more gentle and accommodating to students, such as those under the Deep Blue Alliance and the Wisdom Codex.
In contrast, other academies tended to be harsher, deliberately guiding students into fierce competition, aiming to cultivate exceptional talents through a “raising gu” method, like the academies under the Dark Throne and Wild Spirit.
The latter's student mortality rate was often much higher than the former's.
Of course, students trained in this manner were generally more powerful in individual combat.
After reviewing the rules and regulations, the attention of the three of Rose was quickly drawn to the exchange list that followed.
It listed all the resources that Academy instructors could trade, offering a wider variety than what was available to the students.
The low-level items and materials at the beginning, such as Silver Moon Flower, Tranquility Flower, Dragon Blood Potion, and Stone Golem, were acceptable. However, the more valuable items further down the list, like the Transcendental Potion, Illusory Potion, Magic Pattern Core, Extreme Protection Ring, and Mithril Golem, caused the three of them to breathe rapidly.
Although they had never heard of many of these items, the detailed effects listed next to them made it clear just how precious they were.
The Transcendental Potion and Illusory Potion, in particular, were extremely enticing to any Level Three Wizard Apprentice. With these two potions, the time required to break through their current bottlenecks could be significantly reduced!
Not to mention the Construct Potion and Talent Crystal Model that followed.
The dazzling array of exchangeable items on the list left the three of them feeling dizzy with amazement.
Despite already knowing that Su Nan's resources far surpassed those of an average Level Three Wizard Apprentice, seeing the list in person made them realize how much they had underestimated him.
What they had known in the past was only the tip of the iceberg of the vast resources Su Nan possessed!
If this list were to leak, it would undoubtedly cause a tremendous uproar in the wizard apprentice community!
After reading the list, the three of them became even more determined to join the Academy.
"Academy, when will it open?" Traveler couldn't help but ask first.
"In half a month," Su Nan replied calmly, having already planned it out. "The apprentices within the Base will be the first batch of students at the Academy."
"You should use this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the Academy's operations and make preparations."
"The Prosperous Star Empire is currently gearing up for a new round of large-scale Aptitude Tests. Once testing is completed, a new batch of students will enroll at the Academy, and that will be when you all truly get busy."
"I can't wait!" Traveler exclaimed, his eyes shining.
Scepter and Rose smiled, remaining silent but feeling equally excited inside.
Thanks to the abundant resources on the list, they already felt a significant sense of belonging to the Academy, even before officially joining.
Su Nan noticed this and nodded inwardly, knowing that this was part of the reason he had created the list.
Butler Number 1 arranged accommodations for the three of them and also acted as a guide to familiarize them with the interior of the Dragon Bone Tower. Afterward, Su Nan left Long Lin and headed toward the Star Tower.
Before the academy opened, he needed to tie up all the loose ends regarding the Star Tower.
The Star Tower had been abandoned for too long; it was time to dismantle it.
Recycling the materials this morning and putting them into storage would give him peace of mind.
Additionally, the Golem Legion stationed there needed to be recovered and reintegrated into the Star Alliance.
After several months, the Star Alliance was ready for war and would soon resume its expansion efforts.
Naturally, all military forces needed to be assembled at this time.
Comments