560 Raven Inheritance
South Wing, Saratoga Castle.
Adam walked through the winding corridors of this ancient structure, making his way to one of the lower underground floors.
This castle not only consisted of a dozen floors above ground but also another dozen floors underground!
It was truly a work of art, a fortress among fortresses.
Legend has it that the founder of this arcane institution had acquired the help of ancient dwarves in order to build this structure.
Nearly every inch of this place had been carved in runes, providing it with protection and enhancing it with magical properties.
Adam descended down the marble staircase, nodding at junior students who passed him by. Although he wasn't very well known in the castle, the Rank 1 Magi here were very polite and respectful to greet a senior Magus when they passed by.
"Val, you won't be able to enter that place. Do you want to go back to my dorm room?" Adam asked as he finally arrived on the third lowest underground floor.
"No!" Valerian nudged his gold-rimmed eyeglasses. "I will take a look around the castle. Maybe I can find an inheritance too!"
Adam couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, don't wander near forbidden zones, and make sure to return to my room by dinner."
"Yes, brother!" Valerian excitedly replied before running away to the other end of one of the many corridors on this floor.
Seeing the young dragon disappear amidst the crowd of students, Adam smiled with a slight shake of his head.
Then, he turned around and made his way to the opposite end of the corridor. After taking several twists and turns, he arrived at a secluded area of this floor where barely any students or professors visited.
That was because there were no classes on this part of the floor. There were only a few moving paintings hung on the walls as well as an ordinary sculpture. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Adam took a few steps and suddenly felt like he had passed through an invisible membrane. Before him was a dead end, a raven sculpture placed in front of him, and paintings hung on the walls on either side of him.
"Oh look! It's that boy again!"
"Boy, I didn't expect you to return so quickly!"
"Are you ready for what's next?"
"Haha, if you're scared, you might as well turn around!"
The portraits of ancient Magi—men and women—came alive inside the canvas. They all looked in Adam's direction. Some greeted him cheerfully, while others made fun of him.
"Tsk, so noisy!" Adam grumbled.
He still remembered the first time he had stumbled into this place two months ago. When the people inside these paintings started talking to him all of a sudden, he was so startled that he nearly cast a Fireball at them.
Adam ignored the paintings' tauntings and made his way toward the raven sculpture.
"Be careful, boy." Suddenly, one of the paintings hung nearest to the sculpture called out.
Adam looked at this portrait and found that it was that of a portly old lady who was wearing a traditional Acadian gown and an enchanted cloak on top. She had a kind face and her eyes twinkled with concern and worry.
Then, something magical happened.
The glowing runes hovering in the air came together and formed a sphere, reminiscent of a model component of a spell!
Following that, the sculpture of the raven began to rumble as the rune gradually dissipated in the air. The raven's wings slowly parted as though the sculpture itself had come to life.
The wings, which had been tightly crossed in the front, now unfolded like a grand curtain being drawn back.
As the wings separated, they revealed a hidden corridor whose entrance was framed by the raven's talons.
Adam's lips curled up into a confident smile and he stepped inside. The corridor was narrow and dimly lit. Flickering torches on the walls illuminated the pathway.
After walking for about five minutes, he arrived at a cavernous chamber.
This was the place where the first test took place. Adam had already passed this test the last time he was here.
The name of this test was the Trial of Control.
This was fairly easy for Adam to pass as the test consisted of illusions. He was confronted by illusions of external events such as storms, a city on fire, fighting amidst battle, etc.
The challenge was to remain calm and unmoved in the face of these unpredictable illusions. Any attempt to physically fight back or attempt to leave the illusion would have resulted in failure.
Although he could see through the illusion with the help of the lotus, the fact that the illusion continued for one week straight tested his mind to a great extent.
At the end of the trial, he naturally received a reward for finishing the test.
Adam conjured a pendant from his earring and softly muttered, "The Pendant of Serenity..."
This magical amulet calmed the user in times of high stress, allowing clear and rational decision-making during times of crisis.
"Useless," he grumbled.
He already had the white lotus, a legendary artifact, that helped him keep a calm mind. Thus, the pendant was utterly pointless for him.
"I'll just give it to one of my students," he said to himself as he kept away the pendant and walked to the other end of the chamber.
There was a stone door on the other side. It led to the next area where another test would take place.
The Raven Inheritance worked in such a way that the participant would not be eligible to take the tests if they hadn't passed the previous test.
For example, in order to participate in the first test, the Trial of Control, Adam had to decrypt the runes carved on the feathers of the raven sculpture.
Now, in order to take the second test, he had to finish the first test.
He opened the stone doors and finally stepped inside, his eyes flashing with utmost seriousness.
As soon as he stepped foot into the second chamber, an androgynous voice echoed in his ears.
"Second Test: Trial of Perspective will now commence!"