Monday morning.
Alan and his group arrived at the Warlock Academy's reception desk.
Herent had completed his escort mission.
They said goodbye to each other and returned to collect their mission rewards.
Next, the apprentices would visit their favorite instructors with their letters of recommendation.
If they were chosen by the instructor, they would stay, ideally.
Otherwise, they would return home dejected.
They would learn from assistants, who were only a few years older than them.
They would also have to do menial tasks like running errands and doing odd jobs.
They were like auditors working part-time.
At the same time, they had to pay every penny of their tuition.
Such hardship left them with no hope.
Alan had heard from Instructor Carter.
More than a decade ago, Carter had fallen into this same situation.
After three years of persevering, he could no longer endure.
After barely making it to Advanced Apprentice, he dropped out and returned home.
At the school in his hometown, he applied for a position as a martial arts instructor.
Since then, all his ambitions have vanished.
In this life, he loves nothing more than drinking.
So many years have passed.
The blow he suffered back then still casts a shadow on Instructor Carter's heart.
Alan could imagine how cruel the survival of the fittest is in the Warlock Academy!
Of course, Alan's current situation is far better than Instructor Carter's back then.
He held two letters of recommendation.
Which instructor should he choose?
It has become a happy dilemma.
First: Hubert, recommended by the principal, a Level 3 Nature Warlock.
Second: Pantheon, recommended by Instructor Carter, a Level 3 Violence Warlock.
The former is Ms. Sora's junior apprentice. They were close friends when they were students, and they still occasionally exchange letters.
To put it bluntly, Ms. Sora's primary mission on Quint Island is to provide talent to Hubert's lineage of sorcerers.
The latter is merely a distant relative of Instructor Carter. They haven't communicated in years, and their relationship is practically estranged.
Instructor Carter had already made his promise.
Pantheon might not honor him.
This letter of recommendation is like trying to find a date.
Alan should not have too high expectations.
The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
Compare them this way.
The choice is self-evident.
Alan first visits Hubert in the Nature Warlock Tower.
The Nature Warlock Tower is a hundred feet tall.
From bottom to top, animated vines encircled the hall, acting as guards.
It was late autumn, and the emerald green vines and golden flowers provided a natural decoration for the Warlock Tower.
Alan knocked on the door and entered the first-floor waiting room.
He handed the letter of recommendation to Hubert's assistant.
Then he waited outside in the waiting room.
Looking around, he saw many young faces, none of them aged more than fifteen.
Including him, there were about ten people sitting in the hall, more women than men.
It seems that Nature bloodlines are more likely to awaken in girls.
Perhaps this is because women are more delicate and sensitive.
They more easily resonate with the flowers and plants of nature.
Alan's bloodline didn't appear to be well-suited for Nature.
However, he had received formal Nature apprenticeship training from Ms. Sora.
He had a solid grasp of natural history, horticulture, anatomy, pharmacy, and toxicology.
On the other hand, he also possessed the hidden bloodline of the Poison Demon.
Ogre bloodline had nothing to do with the Nature School.
But this "Poison Demon" was different.
A key branch of the Nature School was the Poison School!
Collecting natural toxins from plants and animals.
Or artificially synthesizing toxins from medicinal herbs.
These were all crucial tasks for Nature School sorcerers.
Alan had the Gluttony system to his advantage.
He had a natural advantage in the field of toxins.
It could be said to be a perfect match for his profession.
Alan was waiting for Hubert grant him an interview opportunity.
He had already made up his mind.
The instructor would undoubtedly ask:
"Why would you, a violent kid with ogre blood, apply to the Natural Sciences Department?"
At this point, Allen would unleash his prepared speech.
First, he'd subtly hint that in addition to his ogre bloodline, he also possessed an antiviral constitution.
This way, he'd connect his bloodline with toxins.
Then, he'd seize the opportunity to showcase his solid theoretical foundation in pharmacy and toxicology.
If the instructor expressed curiosity, he could ask him to practice synthesizing some appropriately complex potions.
The interview was basically a sure thing!
What Allen feared least was potion synthesis.
Even if the instructor deliberately challenged him and asked him to synthesize a highly complex potion, Allen wouldn't be afraid!
When the instructor wasn't paying attention, he could spit some saliva into his mouth.
Even the most complex process could be easily accomplished!
That way. Alan didn't need to reveal his Gluttony system or Poison Demon bloodline to demonstrate his talent in pharmacy.
He would surely win his mentor's approval.
It was reasonable for him to be accepted as his personal disciple.
...
Natural Warlock Tower, second-floor office.
A handsome middle-aged man, wearing a green robe trimmed with silver lace, sat at his desk.
A thick stack of letters lay across from him.
All of them were recommendations from various islands across the Federation.
Hubert rubbed his brow, a hint of impatience crossing his fair cheeks.
The letter of recommendation he had just opened.
It had ruined his otherwise good mood.
"Senior Sister Sora, what are you thinking about?!"
Hubert couldn't help but grumble softly.
As a naturalist instructor, what reason could I have for accepting an apprentice of ogre blood?
Furthermore, that young man named Allen Panthers had only average aptitude.
Hubert shook his head slightly.
He wondered if Senior Sister Sora had lost her mind.
She had said a lot of good things in her letter.
She praised Allen for his kindness, understanding, hard work, and excellent grades.
In Hubert's eyes, all that was nonsense!
Which apprentice who made it to this island wasn't a genius in their hometown?
Isn't excellent academic performance a given?
As for the toxin resistance Senior Sister had emphasized,
Hubert didn't think it was a remarkable physique.
An apprentice who had long been exposed to poisonous plants.
Naturally acquiring toxin resistance wasn't necessarily a natural gift.
Overall, Hubert wasn't interested in this apprentice.
But, after all, there was a letter of recommendation.
A direct rejection would be against the rules.
As he read the letter, he mentally planned to find an excuse: he'd been busy on business trips lately and had no time for personal instruction.
Fearing he'd delay the child's development, he recommended him to a more competent instructor.
For an apprentice with such ordinary qualifications, he could just find a natural science assistant to deal with it, without hurting the relationship...
Thinking, Hubert flipped to the last page of Sora's letter.
He glanced at it briefly.
His expression suddenly darkened!
At the end of the letter, Sora mentioned Hubert's somewhat renowned genius niece.
She even gave her a few clever compliments.
She said she'd ask her junior to introduce Allen to her niece.
...
"They're about the same age and share common interests."
"We could exchange ideas about gardening and pharmacy, maybe we'd find a way."