Chapter 903: The New Academy

Chapter 903: The New Academy

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"I'm Zeno Roquemont..." The old man said as he extended a hand. "If you're going to practice Dark Arts at Marshall Academy, there's a good chance you'll end up as one of my students."

Armin's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected to meet a professor of the Dark Arts! Furthermore, he might not have known the name Zeno, but he knew about the Roquemont family. It was a family deeply entwined with the Dark Arts faction.

'The Roquemont family... I read about them after I studied a bit about the Dark Arts Faction...'

"Incredible!" Armin blurted, still processing the revelation. "Right... if you don't mind, Professor, I wanted to ask-do you think having five Spell Lights is enough?"

At this question, Zeno was a bit stunned before he let out a low chuckle.

This was definitely a simple question but because of the many changes happening right now, the standard had also changed.

"Five Spell Lights? That's more than enough, my boy. You don't have to worry. Although it's common to have eight spell lights upon awakening, it's still fine... Well, as long as you haven't already recorded any spell models."

Zeno then paused for a moment to look at the young man's expression before he continued.

"You'll be required to learn or record four mandatory spell models once you start at the Academy. But if you've filled your Spell Lights with models already, you'll have to visit the Spell Hall and request a purge before we can move forward. It's not something you want to deal with in the middle of a class."

Armin nodded quickly, a flood of relief rushing through him. "So it's four... The volunteer in the orphanage said that we just need three... It was something he knew about ten years ago. Anyway, I haven't recorded anything yet. I can barely maintain my Phantasm State for long enough."

The professor raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How long is your Phantasm?"

Zeno continued to share more about the intricacies of Dark Arts, the importance of mastering one's fears, and how emotional control directly impacted spellcasting. After all, the duration of Phantasm State could also shorten depending on the caster's focus...

Zeno would surely not do such a thing if this was several years ago, but after he turned into an old due to many of his Dark Rituals, he had surely changed.

They discussed the types of students at the Academy, the possible challenges Armin would face, and the advanced rituals that awaited him.

Soon, as the basic things were finally explained, Armin asked about the other paths that he could've practiced.

Zeno also knew some things about the Transformation Arts and Combat Arts, so he decided to Share it with Armin. However, these two Arcane Paths weren't being taught in Marshall Academy."

Nonetheless, Armin felt grateful about it.

"So Transformation Arts are about manipulating your physical self or your environment, and Combat Arts... well, it was quite straightforward, but we can learn the Aura there... I guess my decision to stick with the Dark Arts was a good one."

He was excited by the prospect of learning such an Art, but also anxious. He had never felt particularly powerful, and growing up in an orphanage had left him with a lingering sense of

inferiority.

'I can do this...' He thought to himself.

Zeno must have sensed his apprehension and gently spoke...

"You know, most people at the Academy don't come from wealthy or powerful backgrounds. You're not the only one from humble beginnings. I've seen ordinary people rise through the ranks faster than noble-born students who thought their family names would carry them. The only thing that matters here is your commitment. If you give it your all, the Academy will give back more than you can imagine." Zeno said... He had indeed witnessed several people without any background rise in the late Vermont Academy.