Standing on the teleportation balance, Nidhogg donned the Pale Mask. As his body was stretched and compressed in an experience akin to being pulled into strands, he suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar place.

Urgh...

Instinctively, he felt the urge to vomit. Such teleportation was quite taxing for a wizard without enhanced constitution from bloodline magic. Despite his dizziness, Nidhogg remained vigilant, noticing two figures confronting each other about ten meters ahead.

"Those two marks..."

The marks on their foreheads indicated one was from Maze Pan Academy and the other from Ivory Castle—neither from Black Tower Wizard Academy. But then again, even if they were from Black Tower, they would still be foes at this moment.

There might be potential alliances if they belonged to the Bloodsail Alliance.

Wearing the Pale Mask, Nidhogg's forehead mark was completely obscured, leaving the two opponents unaware of his affiliation. However, his mark didn’t matter now; what mattered was that he was in a state of absolute weakness!

Without hesitation, the two confronting apprentices attacked Nidhogg.

One mumbled an incantation, sending a thin, transparent wind blade slashing toward him. The other raised a hand, launching an ice spike through the air.

With two soft thuds, a transparent shield before Nidhogg effortlessly absorbed the wind blade and ice spike, not even causing a ripple.

"Not even a twenty-degree energy attack... how weak..."

Suppressing his nausea, Nidhogg murmured. The mask's shield had rendered their attacks ineffective, requiring no magic from him.

This was hardly surprising.

These wizard apprentices were only three years into their studies. With just three years of meditation, most apprentices’ mental power ranged from 10 to 17.

Occasionally, some naturally gifted apprentices with good meditation aptitude might reach 20.

But at Nidhogg’s level of 24 mental power, he could count any equal opponents in the trial on one hand.

With a mental power between 10 and 17, even with elemental magic array enhancements, their energy outputs were merely 13 to 22 degrees—clearly, these two lacked significant mental power.

The two apprentices stared wide-eyed at Nidhogg in horror, as if seeing a monster.

The wind blade user, overwhelmed with fear, fled immediately, casting a speed-boosting spell as he ran.

The other apprentice reacted slower. With a cruel grin, Nidhogg sent a flying firebird toward him.

"No!"

The apprentice managed a desperate scream before being engulfed in flames, reduced to ashes as the firebird's energy levels peaked at 60 degrees.

Simultaneously, the chain mark on Nidhogg’s forehead became slightly more pronounced.

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Urgh...

With no one to disturb him, Nidhogg finally managed to vomit out the acidic contents of his stomach, regaining his normal state.

“Phew… I really ought to study some body-enhancing magic.”

Panting, Nidhogg mused, "Bloodline magic is quick but comes with side effects, making it hard to focus wizardry and altering physical traits. Mechanical or potion magic might be better, and perhaps earth and wood element magic could enhance the body. Maybe the Life Code Forbidden Zone research might also hold a breakthrough."

Muttering to himself, Nidhogg did not immediately scout his surroundings. Instead, he took out his crystal ball to attempt contact with Fira and the others.

The trial area spanned roughly a 300-kilometer diameter. At the mental power level of apprentices, communication was clear within ten kilometers, with increasing interference beyond that range, eventually fading to nothing.

After repeated failures, it was evident his team wasn’t nearby.

Shaking his head, Nidhogg had not expected much, so he pocketed his crystal ball and glanced at the map. Without clear landmarks, he chose a direction at random and proceeded.

Buzz...

Unaware of the Thorn Forest's dangers, Nidhogg inadvertently entered territory claimed by so-called killer bees. Swarms of fist-sized bees descended upon him.

"Hmm?"

Realizing his blunder, Nidhogg understood that in the forest, not only were other apprentices enemies, but also the deadly local fauna posed significant threats.

However…

The shield around Nidhogg shimmered with countless ripples under the bee assault. Although it seemed intense, his magic depletion was minimal.

The bees’ attacks were below twenty degrees; their sheer numbers only temporarily prevented the mask from drawing energy from the surroundings.

Wizards use their intelligence in battle. Resorting to brute force is primitive unless one’s power far exceeds the opposition.

Nidhogg retrieved a small vial from his sleeve, uncorking it while pinching his nose. A peculiar aroma permeated the air.

Neither fragrant nor foul, the scent was bizarre—a mix of stinky tofu, garlic, milk, and lemon juice.

As this scent spread, the bees hesitated, sensing something unpleasant, and dispersed.

Covering his nose, Nidhogg casually glanced toward a distant bush. Almost instantaneously, a hidden figure within fled.

What a joke, the observer thought, having seen Nidhogg emerge unscathed from a killer bee attack. Facing such a formidable opponent was indeed hopeless!

"Humph, leaving after spying for so long?"

For Nidhogg, encountering apprentices before the second secret realm opened was an opportunity to collect five hundred magic stones.

Hardened by the sea wheel’s harsh lessons, Nidhogg had long abandoned sentimentality. As Nina once said, cruelty and coldness define a wizard's essence.

Pointing toward the fleeing figure, Nidhogg summoned a vine to entangle them—courtesy of the Vine Heart earring Nina had given him.

"Ha! Such a low-level spell to try and bind me?"

With a scoff, the figure transformed partially, their legs morphing into bovine hooves, breaking free from the vines with ease.

"The artifact’s grade is too low. Bloodline magic, huh!"

While the escapee struggled with the vines, Nidhogg closed the distance, a fireball igniting at his fingertip. He pointed at the figure now within range: “Die.”

A firebird surged toward the opponent.

"Impossible! Such powerful waves!"

The opponent was stronger than the previous two apprentices Nidhogg faced.

Reacting swiftly, they cast a spell, their body dissolving into a blood puddle, fleeing like an arrow.

Boom!

With a face darkened by frustration, Nidhogg approached the scorched ground.

Suddenly noticing something, he touched the bloodstained soil, coldly smiling, “Left a bodily mark behind; using rudimentary escape spells without companion parasites is foolish.”

Chanting a mystical incantation, the blood at his fingertip vaporized into red smoke, manifesting a screaming visage that faded like mist.

Simultaneously, Nidhogg arranged various mystical materials into a rudimentary altar, placing a miniature straw figure in its center.

The distant, weakened figure glanced back nervously, relieved to find no pursuers. Muttering, they lamented, “Bad luck to encounter such a monster right away. Not sure which academy they’re from. I wonder if my academy’s hopefuls can match them.”

While mumbling, a chill swept over them, and a fog seemed to cloud their vision, inducing blindness.

“Cursed magic? Blindness?” Despairing, they stumbled, unable to discern direction.

Moments later, following the trail with Hunt Nose’s guidance, Nidhogg found the charred remains, chuckling, “They didn’t even cultivate a companion parasite but used an escape spell with a bodily mark—utterly foolish.”