After Duke returned, he took out the Shadow Insect Bag and infused it with some Magic Power.

The Shadow Insect Bag itself does not store Shadow Insects; essentially, it is merely a summoning medium. Infusing it with Magic Power allows you to summon some Shadow Insects.

The more Magic Power expended, the more Shadow Insects can be summoned.

Five Shadow Insects crawled out of the Shadow Insect Bag. Since they hadn't yet received Duke's command, they were merely fluttering around him.

The Shadow Insects were only as big as a pinky fingertip, very small in size, and entirely black.

Duke could sense the state and location of each Shadow Insect through his own Spiritual Power, and could also receive some simple feedback from them.

He immediately realized that Shadow Insects could also be used for reconnaissance and alert purposes.

Although the information feedback from Shadow Insects was simple, they could still report whether there were any living creatures around and how many.

Duke recalled what the booklet said, that Shadow Insects could also serve as excellent Support Type creatures.

For the impending examination of unknown content, Shadow Insects might come in handy.

The offensive capabilities of Shadow Insects were also quite impressive. Due to their small size and large numbers, they were difficult to completely defend against.

Additionally, Shadow Insects inherently possessed the Shadow Attribute, making them particularly adept at concealing their existence.

In combat, Duke could release a large number of Shadow Insects, allowing some to quietly land on the enemy's body surface.

If the opponent didn't notice, the Shadow Insects would gnaw away at the opponent's Magic Shields or similar protective spells, such as Duke's own Shadow Water.

After devouring these, Shadow Insects could then burrow into the opponent's body, roaming and gnawing at flesh inside, making them extremely troublesome.

Shadow Insects carried a toxin within them, capable of numbing a creature's senses, preventing it from feeling the pain of wounds.

Duke estimated that if he expended all the Magic Power within him now, he could summon over three hundred Shadow Insects.

The quantity wasn't vast, but it should be enough to deal with Level 3 Wizard Apprentices.

...

The next evening, Duke arrived at a restaurant in town named Frost Fire.

This was a well-known establishment on Academy Island, with its signature dish being Frost Fire, which was actually roasted Frost Wolf Leg.

However, the flames they used were quite special, blue in color, and when served, the flames were still burning, creating quite a spectacular visual effect.

Duke wasn't here today to satisfy his appetite; he wasn't that concerned with such things.

Simon had invited him here to discuss matters related to the examination.

Several others were also participating, all Wizard Apprentices familiar to Simon.

In the private room of Frost Fire, there were a total of seven people, including Duke—five men and two women.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Simon introduced: "This is Duke. You might not have seen much of him; he's usually very busy, even I rarely get to meet him."

Duke briefly got to know them, with few words exchanged.

Apart from Simon, the others didn't pay much attention to Duke.

They had already familiarized themselves with everyone in this little group, knowing Duke was a Wizard Apprentice from ordinary origins, without any background.

To them, forming this little group was about gaining support.

But clearly, aside from his appearance and physique, Duke didn't seem to offer them much support, so their indifference was natural.

Duke didn't mind either. To him, this little group was just slightly better than nothing.

It would be better if there was some help, but if not, it didn't matter.

He never placed his hopes on others—he could only rely on himself.

Simon naturally noticed this too, and with a sigh in his heart, he didn't say anything, but spoke: "Regarding the upcoming examination, our overall strategy is to stick together. No matter what situation we encounter, we will gather together. As long as we act together, there shouldn't be much problem with this examination."

"But what if we don't have the opportunity to gather together?" asked a red-haired man named Went.

He was a Wizard Apprentice from a Wizard Clan, but his family wasn't strong, with only average capability; otherwise, he wouldn't be in this small group.

In fact, Went's family took pride in him, and joining Black Sail on the West Coast wasn't easy.

The Four Great Wizard Organizations are giant entities here, dominating everything.

People like Duke, who joined Black Sail with a token, were extremely rare. Most Wizard Apprentices on Academy Island actually came from the local West Coast.

Simon nodded: "This is also what I was just about to address. I've familiarized myself with the various examination methods of Black Sail in the past. Among them is a method where everyone is initially separated. In such cases, we can only act according to the circumstances. If you encounter each other inside, try to stick together with hopes of quickly regrouping."

He then glanced at the room door, making sure it was closed before continuing: "Next, I need to tell you about a few people you need to pay attention to."

The private rooms of the restaurant were equipped with Sound Insulation Magic. No matter how loud the noise, it couldn't be heard outside.

"I've found out that among the Level 3 Wizard Apprentices participating in this examination, there are a few formidable opponents. If you encounter them, don't get into a conflict. Whether it's their strength or background, we can't afford to provoke them."

"First is Uli of the Jokic Clan, a thirteen-year-old genius wizard with the aptitude of a Level 7 Wizard. Despite his young age, he could have advanced to a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice long ago, but he has held back for future potential."

"This person has a rather extreme personality; Jokic Clan wizards are all like this, who revere bloodlines and harbor hostility towards non-Pure-blood Mages."

"If he inquires about your background, make sure to say you come from a Wizard Clan, and never say you are of ordinary origin."

As Simon said this, he glanced at Duke, who nodded in understanding.

Among the seven present, only two were from Wizard Clans, and Simon himself was not from one.

"Another is Merrick. Although he is from a Half-blood Mage family, his extraordinary talent led Master Land from our Black Sail to take him as a disciple. Master Land is a Level 3 Wizard, an influential figure within Black Sail, and very protective. Avoid conflict with Merrick when possible."

Simon went on to mention several other names, all gathered from his detailed intelligence investigations.

Duke silently memorized these names, feeling that internal factions within Black Sail were quite complex, consisting of Wizard descendants from various origins.

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