Starting with Proficiency Panel

Li Qing was silent for a moment, hesitated a bit, took a deep breath, and carefully stepped forward, holding his breath as he entered.

...

...

Dark!

Cold!

Whether it was the heavy, dark clouds seemingly about to press down, or the air with a slightly pungent smell, there was a scent of rotting flesh.

The first thing that caught his eye was a road paved with ochre bricks, bordered by tall, unknown trees, whose leaves swayed gently as if breathing rhythmically with some unseen force.

Although it might be a strange description, that's how Li Qing felt.

These trees were alive.

And fifty meters down this road stood a carefully constructed gate, clearly made of red bricks built one on top of another, with two large iron gates opening outward, revealing a huge, towering structure.

To Li Qing, this so-called Magic Academy exuded a sense of gloom and malice, like a massive beast lurking, ready to devour.

The most important thing was, though it was clearly midnight, here it was daytime.

Yes, it was daytime, even though the sky was exceedingly dull, and Li Qing had a sense that something was hidden within it.

"Is this the legendary Gray Magic Academy?"

A sharp, excited voice beside him startled Li Qing back to reality.

While he had been focused on the academy, somehow, a dozen or so people were standing behind him, scattered all about.

All these people were wearing black robes with hoods, hiding their faces in shadow, making it hard to see clearly.

As they discussed the Gray Magic Academy, Li Qing nonchalantly moved backward, blending into the crowd.

Standing at the front was too conspicuous, and Li Qing had never liked being ostentatious.

After a while, someone in a black robe moved forward, and seeing the others also start to move, Li Qing quietly followed.

In this unfamiliar environment, it was best not to make any overly conspicuous moves.

The gun strikes the one who stands out.

This was a lesson Li Qing had learned from his years in the workplace, aware of his own abilities and placing himself in a position where, although not noticeable, he was indispensable to the company.

As a result, he had sailed smoothly from graduation until now.

"Jes, why do we have to wear these black robes and hoods?"

Beside him, a noticeably slender woman muttered quietly.

Li Qing feigned ignorance, continuing his unhurried pace, but his ears perked up subtly.

"Hey, don't make yourself uncomfortable, the last person who did that was eaten by the scarecrow!"

Jes, beside her, chided quietly, complaining, "Anna, you have to understand what kind of price we paid to come here. This isn't your palace or your exclusive domain; here we are just students. You need to adjust your attitude."

"I know, I know! I'll be careful,"

Anna waved her hand dismissively, somewhat impatiently.

Li Qing, who had been carefully observing, suddenly felt his pupils contract, his steps pausing minutely before he casually continued.

He had just seen that the woman named Anna exposed a white tentacle with suckers from under her dragging black robe!!

Unbeknownst to himself, he instinctively scanned the group, taking in the fourteen individuals clad in black robes around him.

What in the world was hiding under these black robes?

Li Qing finally understood; this was definitely not some ordinary Magic Academy.

He also realized why the admission letter emphasized the necessity of wearing these black robe uniforms.

Everyone here had issues.

At that moment, Li Qing suddenly comprehended; despite these individuals speaking in entirely different languages, he understood them perfectly.

Was this a miracle of magic?

Approaching the academy gates, in the distance, he could see someone enveloped entirely in a black robe, with blue thread trimming the sleeves and collar. This person was very tall, at least over two meters.

Seeing the group from afar, the black robe opened his arms, his long sleeves covering his hands.

"Welcome, chosen ones, to the Gray Magic Academy. Today is induction day, and I implore all of you not to make a mistake! Otherwise, the consequences will be ugly, even life-threatening."

The man's voice was very calm, tinged with a wry smile.

The black-robed man seemed somewhat disappointed at the silent response to his jest.

"Alright, I'm Zhuang Xu, the admission registration tutor. I will now register your information. Welcome, and I am also your lifestyle tutor. If you encounter any problems during your studies, you can come to me for answers, but I might not give them to you."

This guy's demeanor was clearly implying not to bother him, which left Li Qing quite speechless, as he had seemed so enthusiastic over the phone.

"One more thing, I must remind you, as prospective students of the Gray Magic Academy, never, ever remove your uniforms while at school. Should they become damaged, please report to the office for replacement, though it won't be free."

As he paused, Zhuang Xu clapped his hands, and Li Qing felt a shiver run through him, noticing Zhuang Xu's sharp, slender fingers and bluish-green skin, reminiscent of a corpse, unlike any human could have.

"Another thing, is the person chosen to be a mage at thirty years old here?"

Zhuang Xu surveyed the fifteen individuals, his face obscured beneath the shadow of the hood, rendering his features indistinct.

Upon hearing Zhuang Xu's words, their responses were filled with astonishment, shock, and surprise.

"A human, chosen to be a mage at thirty?"

"Doesn't that mean they were single until thirty?"

"Such endurance!"

"So pitiable..."

"Who would have thought a human could come here!"

"Heh, being chosen by the Evil God, what choice do frail humans have."

It seemed something odd had slipped in, but aside from that, Li Qing felt nothing but malice from these 'people', whose ill-intentioned gazes were overtly obvious.

Damn it!

Li Qing cursed inwardly; this Zhuang Xu was doing this deliberately.

It was killing him emotionally.

"One more thing," Zhuang Xu's voice echoed eerily, "if you attack students at the Magic Academy indiscriminately, no matter your status, you will face very severe punishment, eternal punishment. If you insist on doing so, believe me, you will plead for me to kill you."

Zhuang Xu's slightly crimson eyes revealed a bloodthirsty smile,