Duke looked at the skull symbol and remembered that the Black Sail originated from pirates, so he could understand why the emblem was as it was.
This skull badge is also a demonized item and is exquisitely designed.
After learning how to use it, with a thought, the badge disappeared from the back of his hand, leaving a skull mark.
If he doesn’t want this mark to appear, he can control it to hide.
This badge is a personal identity mark; only with it can one enter certain areas within the Black Sail.
For example, at the entrance’s large whirlpool, only those with the badge can pass through; otherwise, they’d be crushed in the whirlpool.
If one does not have this badge, the guards outside will attack, making it impossible to reach the whirlpool.
Duke also learned the method to return to Black Sail; activate the Black Sail Badge with spiritual power and stand by the sea.
Soon after, a dark demon will come to guide him back onboard to Black Sail.
It should be noted that the badge’s usage range is along the entire West Coast; it’s ineffective if too far away.
Reela took Duke around several places on Academy Island to complete all the formalities.
Besides the Black Sail Badge, Duke also received a set of black wizard robes, another demonized item with certain defenses against elemental attacks.
Duke draped it over his armor, looking somewhat mismatched.
Seeing this, Reela covered her mouth and laughed, "Why are you still wearing this armor made of ordinary metal? It has no resistance to magic. If you like armor, you might consider wearing armor made of magic metal in the future."
"Just a friendly reminder, magic metal is quite expensive and costs a lot of magic stones."
Duke scratched his head awkwardly, knowing Reela was right; this armor wasn’t very useful in a wizard’s world.
He caught a bit of information from Reela’s words and asked, "Miss Reela, what are magic metal and magic stones?"
"Haven’t you ever been in contact with wizards before?" Reela asked with some surprise.
These things are basic knowledge, and she didn’t expect Duke, whom Lord Lucas had her guide, to be a complete novice.
Duke shook his head, "No."
He didn’t share much about himself, mindful to be cautious and observe more when away from home.
Reela didn’t show any disdain but generously explained, "I see, let me explain in detail."
"Magic metal is a general term, divided into many types, mainly referring to metals that resonate well with magic power."
"Ordinary metals like gold, silver, and iron do not react well with magic or spiritual power. But magic metal is different, capable of enhancing various spells to achieve multiple effects. For example, armor made of magic metal boasts strong defenses against spells, and likewise magic metal weapons..."
"There is a group among wizards called Mechanical Wizards, who dedicate their time to blending spells with magic metal. Today’s floating airships, wizard towers, and other places heavily utilize this knowledge..."
Once Reela started speaking, she introduced numerous terms Duke had never heard of.
At first, he could barely grasp the gist, but eventually, he was completely baffled.
Noticing Duke’s confusion, Reela paused her discussion and continued, "As for magic stones, they’re a common currency among wizards. In reality, ’magic stone’ is a general term, mainly referring to various crystal stones containing high-level energy."
"Most of what our Wizard Plane produces are magic stones, hence the name. However, similarly-leveled energy crystal stones can also be used in currency transactions."
As Reela said this, she turned her hand, revealing a small black stone, and said, "This is a sub-level magic stone, considered the most basic currency. One hundred sub-level magic stones equal one Level 1 Magic Stone or other Level 1 energy crystal stones, and so forth."
"What about exchanging with gold coins?" Duke thought and asked.
On him, he had none of the sub-level magic stones, only over three hundred gold coins and a few valuable gemstones.
"This depends on the gold content in the coins. There are exchange places on the island; usually magic potion material stores or alchemy shops can exchange magic stones for gold coins," Reela said after considering.
Duke nodded, taking note to see later how many magic stones his gold coins could exchange for.
"Lastly, there’s something most important, your two free course study opportunities," Reela said solemnly.
Newly joined wizard apprentices in Black Sail all receive the chance to study two courses for free.
This opportunity is crucial for most wizard apprentices, as many courses are expensive, nearly unaffordable for those new to Black Sail.
These two free courses are initially their most accessible benefit, and they must be used wisely.
For wizards, knowledge is the most important and valuable asset.
The fact that Reela could explain so much to Duke today wasn’t purely out of selflessness; Black Sail had already paid for it.
This inclusion of guiding newcomers into the task scope involves answering some basic queries.
"I assume you haven’t mastered any Meditation Technique yet, so you need to select a suitable Meditation Technique course to learn, then study a basic spell to protect yourself," Reela suggested.
"Do you have any recommendations, Miss Reela?" Duke asked.
Reela frowned and said, "It’s hard to recommend because there are so many types of Meditation Techniques. Even for the same Meditation Technique, there are various versions due to numerous modifications by different wizards, so it’s tough to say which is better overall."
"However, for choosing courses, I do have a small trick."
Upon hearing this, Duke perked up and listened intently.
"Look at who the teaching instructor is, generally choose higher-level teachers without hesitation. Since all course selections are free, if you get the chance to attend a Level 3 Grand Wizard’s course,"
"then don’t hesitate, choose them!" Reela advised.
In reality, it’s not that simple, as higher-level wizards usually teach very advanced content, and it’s meaningless for an ordinary wizard apprentice to attend.
Furthermore, Meditation Techniques are very basic courses, seldom taught by high-level wizards. It’s all up to luck.