The Primordial Record novel Chapter 346

Chapter 346 Spirit Matrix Orb

Beside the Mayor's residence was the council hall that also served as the location for the town's yearly selection of Acolytes for the Black Tower.

This year was expected to be no different from any other, and the expansive hall of 1,000 feet (0.3 km) was filled with tens of thousands of people, all here to support the six dozen young children both male and female who were chosen for this year's candidacy.

The oldest here was eighteen, a lanky girl with ponytails, and the youngest was seven, a child still sucking on his thumb in nervousness.

There were both tears of joy and loss on the faces of their parents as they watched the proud faces of their children. For the children, this was the chance of a lifetime, they would become heroes and command powers to shake the heavens and the earth.

The parents knew, however, that when they left, only the successful returned years later as Mages or not at all.

Death was one of the greatest possibilities during the Trials for the Black Tower, and the life of an Acolyte and a Mage was far from peaceful, their experiments and battles would be enough to kill most of them along their journey.

Ascending each rank as an Acolyte or a Mage came with risk, and no Mage would be willing to remain at the same level for the rest of their lives, they all chased the elusive hope of becoming an Archmage and living forever.

The hall was spherical and the sittings where the crowd stayed were arrayed around the periphery leaving the center free for whatever activities were to be performed.

A raised platform that was hovering twenty feet in the air held two seated figures, and three standing beside them.

The most recognizable standing figure was the Mayor, Tim Bolfrey, a Rank 2 Mage, and his daughter Livia Bolfrey Rank 2 Acolyte, who was fifteen. She had red hair with a charming girl-next-door look. Her dimples and bright green eyes were inquisitive attesting to her Magus heritage.

The true motivation for a Mage was to seek answers and enter the unknown.

Tim Bolfrey, although a Mayor of the town and also a powerful Mage, was standing, and with a beaming smile on his face, it was apparent he was very satisfied with this position, due to the caliber of people who were beside him.