"Attention, ladies and gentlemen! You are now free to disembark and explore on your own. You can return to the 'Blackship' for rest in the evening. If anyone plans to stay overnight on Whalefall Island, please remember to be back on the 'Blackship' cruise before tomorrow morning, as we will lead everyone in the apprentice wizard's grading trial."
The voice of the butler, Papito, suddenly echoed throughout the entire cruise ship.
The wooden puppet butler spoke in a steady tone, at a slow pace, almost word by word, making it clear for all the newcomers.
As his words fell, several long staircases suddenly appeared on one side of the cruise ship near the shore.
The newcomers exchanged glances, and some of them were the first to descend the stairs.
"Hey, Cyril! Want to explore together?"
Warren made his way through the crowd to Cyril's side.
Cyril nodded, walking alongside him.
The two of them walked down the stairs to the ground of the port.
Although Whalefall Island looked like the remains of a giant whale from a distance.
But since it had become a temporary foothold for wizards, the ground had been covered with soil and vegetation, making it look like a normal island.
Cyril saw many young boys and girls of their age descending from other cruise ships.
"Those must be apprentice wizards from other continents," Warren said, looking in the direction Cyril was staring at, squinting his eyes.
"Do you think the grading trial we'll participate in later is for all newcomers from different continents?" Warren hesitated.
Cyril nodded in agreement.
Soon, his attention was captivated by the scenery around him.
As a transit island for wizards from the Wizard Continent and other continents, Whalefall Island had become a bustling city.
Pedestrians crowded the port, and steam carriages came and went, creating a cacophonous atmosphere.
"Hey, two lovely newcomers, do you need a guide? Special discounts, experienced and customized services! Only 1 witch crystal! Of course, gold coins are also accepted at market rates, 10 gold coins! Trust me, I guarantee there's no better deal!"
A tall, thin young man in a leather coat approached Cyril and Warren, rapidly and eagerly reciting a long string of words.
He assured them that he was an honest guide, a leader in the field.
The young man had a baby face with slight freckles on both sides of his nose, and his eyes were not large but very bright, making him look lively and likable.
"Don't hesitate, gentlemen! Normally, I charge per head! Think about it, each of you saves 5 witch crystals!"
The young man was adept at reading people's expressions.
With a glance, he noticed that both of the newcomers seemed to have some money, and they looked intelligent enough to understand that information was crucial and could save them time before the grading trial.
"After all, you'll be participating in the newcomers' grading trial tomorrow morning! There won't be much time for sightseeing on Whalefall Island, right? Having a guide as responsible as me will be a big help!"
He continued to persuade them.
When Warren heard the exchange rate between witch crystals and gold coins, he paused and thought of the rates at the Blackship restaurant, twitching his mouth.
As he heard the young man mention the "grading trial," Warren discreetly clenched his fist, quickly calculating if this was a worthwhile investment.
Warren hesitated and looked at Cyril beside him. If Cyril was willing...
Cyril readily took out five gold coins from his pocket and handed them to the tall, thin young man.
Luckily, he had earned a thousand witch crystals during the arena match, all of which were stored in the Black Rose Guild's membership card given to him by Papito, achieving his small goal of doubling his wealth in an instant.
"I'm Pick Albert! Just call me Pick!"
The tall, thin young man happily accepted the payment from Cyril and Warren, smiled, and introduced himself.
Pick continued, "Gentlemen, Whalefall Island may not be big, but it's not small either. Since you're both newcomers participating in the apprentice wizard grading trial tomorrow, let's start our tour from the Wizard's Lane where the wizard shops gather."
"If you have any questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm here to help!"
Pick led Cyril and Warren out of the bustling port, diligently providing information, "As you both know, every three years, the wizard academies from the Wizard Continent send representatives to recruit students from other continents."
He led them across a wide road, continuing to speak.
"These newcomers need to pass the apprentice wizard grading trial organized by the Wizard Alliance before enrolling. They are divided into five levels, 'A, B, C, D, E.'"
Pick paused for a moment and suddenly remembered something, adding, "I almost forgot, there are 'S' level apprentice wizards too, but they are extremely rare!"
He emphasized the rarity with two "extremely."
Cyril immediately thought of Mr. Scott's terrifying magic power value and his impressive strength displayed earlier. He must be one of those extremely rare 'S' level apprentice wizards, right?
Cyril recalled the handsome man's worried sigh about being just an "ordinary apprentice wizard," and his forehead twitched.
That was utter nonsense!
"Follow this way," Pick said, leading them into a small alley.
He continued, "Apprentice wizards of level A and above have no restrictions. If you're an A-level apprentice wizard, no matter which wizard academy brought you to Whalefall Island, you can choose to join any other wizard academy you like. But for apprentice wizards of other levels, it's not so favorable. If you're a D or E-level apprentice wizard, you need to be careful because some wizard academies don't accept E-level apprentice wizards."
Warren's face turned pale as he listened. He couldn't help but ask, "So, how do they determine the level of apprentice wizards in the grading trial? Is it based on mental power or magical power?"
"It's hard to say for sure..."
Pick answered somewhat evasively, speeding up his speech suddenly, as if he had something in his mouth, mumbling, "After all, I'm not an apprentice wizard; I haven't participated in the apprentice wizard trial."
The freckles on his nose turned slightly red.
Luckily, Whalehead Lane was right in front of them. Pick's eyes lit up, and he regained his confidence as if he had returned to his territory.
"This way, gentlemen," he said enthusiastically. "Believe me, with me around, I know where to get everything cheapest!"
Pick seemed to feel at home again.
The nearest shop to them was a pet store with a sign that read: "All-in-One Wizard Pet Shop."
Below it were smaller letters that said, "We have all the wizard pets you could want, and if we don't have it, we'll have it in the future."
"This shop is the largest wizard pet shop in Whalehead Lane, and the prices are very reasonable."
Pick said, pushing open the glass door of the All-in-One Wizard Pet Shop.
"Hi, Ross, good afternoon! I brought two newcomers with me."
He greeted the shop owner.
"Attention, gentlemen and ladies! You are now free to disembark and explore on your own. You can return to the 'Blake' cruise ship for rest in the evening. For those planning to stay overnight on Whalefall Island, please remember to return to the 'Blake' cruise ship before tomorrow morning. We will then lead everyone in the apprentice wizard grading trial."
The voice of the butler Papite suddenly echoed throughout the entire cruise ship. The wooden puppet butler's tone was steady, and his speech was slow, almost syllable by syllable, making it clear to all the newcomers.
As his words fell, several long staircases suddenly appeared on the side of the cruise ship by the shore.
The newcomers exchanged glances, and someone was the first to descend the stairs.
"Hey, Cyril! Want to explore together?"
Warren crossed the crowd and approached Cyril.
Cyril nodded and walked alongside him.
The two of them walked down the stairs to the ground at the harbor.
Although from a distance, Whalefall Island looked like the remains of a giant whale, due to its transformation into a temporary resting place for wizards, the ground was covered with soil and vegetation, making it look like a normal island.
Cyril saw many young boys and girls of their age descending from other cruise ships.
"That should be the reserve apprentice wizards from other continents," Warren said as he followed Cyril's gaze, noticing a group of people dressed in exotic clothing not far away.
"I guess the grading trial we will have to undergo later will include all the new students from different continents," Warren hesitated.
Cyril nodded in agreement.
Soon, his attention was drawn to other sights.
As a transit island between the wizard continent and other continents, Whalefall Island had become a bustling city.
The port was bustling with pedestrians, steam carriages coming and going, and the noise was constant.
"Hi, lovely newcomers, need a guide? Great prices, experienced, customized service, and very attentive! Only 1 wizard crystal! Of course, gold coins are also acceptable, at market rates, 10 gold coins! Trust me, I guarantee there's no better deal!"
A tall, thin young man in a leather coat approached Cyril and Warren, speaking rapidly and eagerly.
He patted his chest to assure them that he was an honest guide and a top player in the industry.
The tall, thin young man had a baby face with some noticeable freckles on the sides of his nose. His eyes were not big but very bright, making him look lively and likeable.
"Don't hesitate, gentlemen! Normally, I charge per person! Think about it, each of you can save 5 wizard crystals!"
The tall, thin young man seemed adept at reading people's expressions. He could tell that Cyril and Warren didn't seem short on money, and they looked like smart individuals who would understand that information was crucial to saving time before the grading trial.
"After all, you'll be participating in the newcomers' grading trial tomorrow morning! There's not much time to explore Whalefall Island, right? Having a guide like me will be a great help!"
He glanced around and continued persuading them.
When Warren heard the exchange rate between wizard crystals and gold coins, he hesitated, recalling the exchange rates in the Blake cruise ship's restaurant, and his lips twitched.
As he heard the tall, thin young man mention the "grading trial," Warren clenched his fists without making a sound, quickly calculating if it was worth it.
Although he didn't have many wizard crystals left, if he could get information about the grading trial from this guide, it would be worth it.
Warren hesitated and looked at Cyril next to him. If Cyril was willing...
Cyril readily took out five gold coins from his pocket and handed them to the tall, thin young man.
Fortunately, he had earned 1,000 wizard crystals during the arena tournament, all of which were stored in his Black Rose Merchant Guild membership card given to him by the butler Papite. This immediately achieved his small goal of doubling his wealth.
"I'm Pike Albert! Just call me Pike!"
The tall, thin young man happily accepted the payment from Cyril and Warren, grinned, and introduced himself to them.
"Gentlemen, Whalefall Island may not be large, but it's not small either. Since you're all newcomers who will participate in the apprentice wizard grading trial tomorrow, let's start by exploring Whalehead Lane, where the wizard shops gather."
"If you have any questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask me!"
Pike led Cyril and Warren out of the bustling harbor and continued his duty diligently.
"You all know that every three years, the wizard academies on the wizard continent send representatives to recruit students from other continents."
He led the two through a spacious street and continued forward.
"These newcomers need to pass the apprentice wizard grading trial organized by the Wizard Alliance before they can enter the academy. They are divided into five levels: 'A, B, C, D, E.'"
Pike paused for a moment, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and added, "Oh, I almost forgot, there's also the 'S' level of apprentice wizards, but they are extremely rare!"
He emphasized with two "extremely rare."
Cyril immediately thought of Mr. Scott's terrifying magical power value and his formidable strength displayed earlier. He must be one of those extremely rare S-level apprentice wizards!
Cyril recalled the handsome man's look of regret and sighed, seeming very regretful that he was just an "ordinary apprentice wizard." He twitched his forehead.
What a serious nonsense!
"Go this way."
Pike led them into a small alley.
He continued, "A-level and above apprentice wizards have no restrictions. If you are an A-level apprentice wizard, no matter which academy brought you to Whalefall Island, you can choose to join any other academy you like. Apprentice wizards of other levels don't have such good conditions. If you are a D-level or E-level apprentice wizard, you need to be careful because some academies don't accept E-level apprentice wizards."
Warren's face turned pale when he heard this, and he couldn't help but ask, "So, how is the level of apprentice wizards determined in the grading trial? Mental power? Magical power?"
"Well, that's hard to say..."
Pike answered somewhat hesitantly, speeding up his speech suddenly and muttering as if he had something in his mouth, "After all, I'm not an apprentice wizard, and I haven't participated in the apprentice wizard trial."
Even the freckles on his nose turned slightly red.
Fortunately, Whalehead Lane was just ahead, and Pike's eyes lit up as he rushed to say, "Look ahead! We've arrived at Whalehead Lane!"
Cyril looked as he was told.
It was a spacious and clean street, reminding him of Crescent Street in Philadelphia.
Wizards and apprentice wizards wearing various wizard robes and cloaks could be seen, some even wearing pointed wizard hats on their heads.
The long wizard robes fluttered as they walked, creating an aura of mystery and dominance.
There were also some people in ordinary clothing, whether they were newcomers who had just arrived on Whalefall Island or residents of the island, Cyril couldn't tell.
At the starting point of the street, there was a sign with "Welcome to Whalehead Lane" written in various languages.
"We'll start our exploration from here. Trust me, with me around, I know where to find the best deals!" Pike said, seemingly feeling very confident back on his own turf.
The nearest store to them was a pet store with a sign that read: "All-in-One Wizard Pet Shop."
Below that, in smaller letters, it said, "We have all the wizard pets you could want, and if we don't, we'll have them in the future."
"This is the largest wizard pet shop on Whalehead Lane, and the prices here are very reasonable."
Pike said, pushing open the glass door of the All-in-One Wizard Pet Shop.
"Hi, Ross, good afternoon! I brought two newcomers with me."
He greeted the shop owner.