Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

911  Recognized

The Appraiser took a few moments before he squinted and said, "This isn't just a watch… This is crafted from an alloy I've rarely seen—a blend of arcane silver and wyvern gold. Such craftsmanship was popular many centuries ago among scholars who practiced the Mystic and Dark Arts in unison. They would hide unique spells within items like this, spells that could only be unlocked by one bearing the right lineage. However, there seemed to be something else on this. I'm not sure if it's another Arcane Spell, I can't understand, or it's just a Curse…"

The last part was just muttered by the Appraiser since he wasn't really sure about it…

Of course, Kyle had already extracted the powers from the items left by the Three Paragons. This Temporal Timepiece was now just the original heirloom of Armin's family. It was the same for the Creation Ring and the Stormbringer Sword.

Armin's heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean it's enchanted?"

"Possibly," the Appraiser replied, carefully handing it back to him. "It's not active now, but with the right knowledge or key, it may reveal its secrets. I can see that you're most likely a new student. I'd advise taking this to one of the Academy's professors in Mystic or Dark Arts—they might be able to help you uncover its true purpose. Although the consultations today are free, they are only for low-tier and some mid-tier artifacts. If it's higher than that, you'd have to pay quite a huge sum of money to get the professionals." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I… I see… So this is possibly a high-tier Artifact?" Armin repeated.

"Probably. However, I'm not a Professional, so there might just be something off about it that stops me from fully appraising it."

Armin then realized that the Auction House wouldn't really hire professional Appraisers for volunteer work. It seemed reasonable, considering the significance of their jobs.

Armin then thanked the Appraiser, tucking the watch safely back into his pouch.

His curiosity grew even more since this item seemed to require a higher level Appraiser! He couldn't help but feel excited about this.

What could this watch mean for him?

'Am I going to be rich if I sell this?' He mused for a moment before shaking his head.

In any case, he decided not to show this to anyone until he was able to find a trustworthy person. After all, if this was really precious, he would be helpless to protect it against strong Arcanists that may desire the item.

***

Days passed quickly, and finally, the entrance ceremony for Marshall Academy had arrived.

The atmosphere seemed to have changed, and there was this sort of refreshing feeling and familiar sense of comfort within.

Armin was among them. He then scanned the vastness of the campus and the towering structures that rose at the center and the southern parts of the Academy.

"This feeling is awesome…" Armin muttered to himself, as he could tell that everyone was excited.

Anyway, Guides were stationed at various points, helping to direct the newcomers toward a grand building near the center of the grounds.

The students soon found themselves funneling into the admission office, which was bustling with activity.

Inside, clerks and assistants scrambled between tables stacked high with items and organized some bundles for each student.

The room was filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional shout from a clerk calling out for a specific student or item.

It was lively and Armin liked it.

Soon, Armin was finally at the front of the line. He then accepted his own set of items: a formal academy uniform tailored to fit the rich azure and black colors of the Shadow Immortal's domain, training clothes, a silver-and-blue badge marking him as a first-year student, and an assortment of academic supplies, from a high-quality leather bag to an assortment of writing materials and even a booklet or campus guide.

As a final item, the clerk handed him a small iron key labeled with his dormitory number.

"Hold on to that key!" She reminded him before she gave the key. "Lose it, and you'll need an approval slip from the office to get a new one. That'll take a while."

Armin kept the key away securely and expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you!"

With that, he joined the other students who were leaving the bustling office. Around him, he heard the other's excited conversations as the students admired their new gear.

"This uniform feels so high quality!" A girl nearby was impressed as her fingers ran over the fabric.

"I heard they were all enchanted." One of her friends added.

"That's true… Did you see the badge? Makes it all feel official… I'm really a student of the Shadow Immortal..." Another student said, grinning as he fastened it onto his coat.

"What? We're not the Immortal's students. Dream on…" The others beside him said and shook their heads.

Armin also chuckled as he looked ahead.

As they filed out of the building, Armin saw a breathtaking view of the academy grounds. The Shadow Tower stood at the heart of the campus, a dark, grand tower that seemed to cast a mysterious aura over the Academy.

But for now, Armin and the others had their instructions to reach their dormitories. They turned left from the main path and followed the paved walkway, passing several study buildings and classroom centers…

Then, the closer they got to the dormitory area, the quieter the paths became, as most of the older students were likely already settled in their routines.

Armin's dormitory was a large, three-story building with rows of balconies overlooking the courtyard.

"This looks good." He muttered. At the very least, the outside was clean and nice. He was hoping it was the same inside.

As they entered, they were then welcomed by a grand staircase leading to the upper floors, and students clustered around the stairwell, some already laughing and chatting while others scanned their room assignments.

And to Armin's surprise, someone recognized him!

"Armin!"