Chapter 276: The Small Plane

David was only a first-level gaseous wizard, and in the Land of Dawn, that level of strength was barely worth mentioning.

The Fire Lizard Bombs, with an attack strength of 23 Units when triggered, would significantly boost David’s offensive power, giving him more means to protect himself.

Helag had consulted Pruis and learned that trade between the Land of Dawn and the Barren Lands wasn’t prohibited.

In fact, trade between the two regions was quite substantial and frequent.

However, it was usually conducted between large wizard organizations in the Land of Dawn and some organizations in the Barren Lands. Smaller wizard families, like the Terchy family, were too insignificant to be involved in such transactions.

If the Terchy family wanted to establish a trade route between the Land of Dawn and the Barren Lands, it was possible, but it would be very challenging.

David had a long road ahead if he wanted to accomplish this.

Just as Helag finished helping David with his arrangements, his magic stone lit up. It was a message from Lilian.

Helag had added Lilian as a contact the day he arrived in the Land of Dawn, but it had taken months for her to accept the request. He had no idea what she had been up to.

“Helag, sorry for the delay in responding to your friend request. I just got back from a small plane,” Lilian messaged.

“No worries, I figured you were busy. By the way, what’s a small plane?” Helag asked.

He knew there were many planes, but this was the first time he had heard the term “small plane.”

Lilian explained, “A small plane is a miniature world created by wizards using fragments of other planes they’ve conquered. It’s like a small self-contained world, with everything you’d expect, just on a smaller scale. Almost every wizard organization in the Land of Dawn has one. The energy particle concentration is much higher inside, making it ideal for cultivation.”

“I just joined Augustus Academy, and as part of the newcomer benefits, I got to stay in one for a few months. The magic web doesn’t connect inside, so I couldn’t use my magic stone while I was there.”

Helag replied, “I’ve never heard of that. I guess I’m not qualified yet.”

“Yeah, small planes are usually reserved for important members of wizard organizations. Since you’re new, you’ll need to accumulate some contributions and prove yourself before you can access one,” Lilian said.

Helag’s current contribution level was zero, so he was far from being able to access such privileges.

“Your Augustus Academy really takes care of its members. I didn’t get any benefits like that when I joined,” Helag remarked.

Lilian laughed through the magic stone. “But you guys have more freedom. We still have mandatory classes and tasks that we have to complete regularly.”

Lilian had done her research on other wizard organizations, and she knew that Seranthiel was one of the most relaxed.

There were hardly any strict requirements for its members, and everything was left to personal initiative.

Augustus Academy, on the other hand, had a structured training system. While it helped members grow, it wasn’t as free.

“I just got out of the small plane, and now I have to work on a potion research project. My schedule is packed, and the pressure is intense,” Lilian complained. Everything was tied to performance metrics, and those metrics were directly linked to how much the academy valued you.

The better your performance, the higher your score, and the more resources Augustus Academy would invest in you.

Lilian, despite being a talented young wizard, felt immense pressure after joining Augustus Academy.

The Land of Dawn was filled with exceptional talent, and there were even a few other wizards from the Barren Lands like Lilian, all of whom had great potential.

For the newcomers, Augustus Academy conducted unified assessments, selecting the best to invest more resources in.

But if your performance wasn’t outstanding compared to your peers, the resources allocated to you would diminish significantly.

“Sigh, I have to go to class now,” Lilian said after venting for a bit.

“Good luck,” Helag encouraged her. There wasn’t much else he could do to help.

After finishing his conversation with Lilian, Helag turned his attention to his own plans.

He had already passed the Wizard Array Master Association’s level assessment, and now he needed to pass the Potion Master’s level assessment.

Once he had certifications from both associations, many things would become easier.

It was rare for a wizard to hold certifications from both the Wizard Array Master Association and the Potion Master Association, unless they were much older and had extensive experience.

Only older wizards had the time and energy to study things outside of cultivation.

Someone as young as Helag preparing for both certifications was extremely rare.

As he had done before, Helag used his magic stone to search for information on the Potion Master Association and learn more about the specifics of the assessment.

The Potion Master assessment was different from the Wizard Array Master assessment. The latter required you to design an array based on a given scenario, testing your understanding and mastery of arrays.

The Potion Master assessment, on the other hand, required you to choose one of three first-tier potions and successfully brew it.

First-tier potions were what people in the Barren Lands commonly referred to as high-tier potions. Ancient potions were a common type of first-tier potion.

Since there were so many types of first-tier potions, no Potion Master could claim to know how to brew them all.

That’s why the assessment offered three options. If you didn’t know how to brew any of them, you would fail the assessment.

Another difference between the Potion Master and Wizard Array Master assessments was that the latter was free, while the former required a fee.

You had to pay for the materials needed for the potion you chose to brew. If you failed, the fee wouldn’t be refunded.

Only if you successfully brewed the potion would the material fee be returned to you.

The Potion Master Association had no choice but to implement this fee system.

The Wizard Array Master assessment required you to submit a design first, and the design had to be approved before you could start setting up the array.

Most people failed at the design stage, so they never even got the chance to use materials to set up the array.

Those who passed the design stage usually succeeded in setting up the array, so there was rarely any material waste.

But the Potion Master assessment was different. Almost every wizard had learned some potion-making, though their skill levels varied widely.

As a result, many people took the assessment just to try their luck, hoping to pass and gain the certification.

Most of them didn’t have the skills to actually brew the potions, leading to a lot of wasted materials.