The most powerful wizard in the magic world

Lind sat at the table by the window, stroking a worn cover with his fingers, his mind was in a trance, and various possibilities of becoming a wizard emerged in his mind. However, the mysterious runes and complex spells on the paper seemed to be mocking his ignorance.

"Linde, are you daydreaming again?" A low and soft voice came from behind him. It was his good friend Emily, whose golden hair shone softly in the candlelight and whose eyes were bright and sparkling like stars.

Lind turned around and forced a smile: "Emily, you are here. I was thinking...how to become a formal wizard."

"Are you still worried about this? I know the books about promotion in the academy are profound and difficult to understand, but I have heard of some other ways." Emily leaned closer, her eyes full of curiosity.

Linde frowned and said in a low voice: "Other ways? Is there any way for us to bypass that tedious exam?"

Emily hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Some rumors say that there is a powerful magic crystal hidden in the dark forest outside the academy that can instantly enhance a person's magical ability. Legend has it that it is guarded by an ancient wizard."

"Dark Forest? That sounds too dangerous!" Linde felt a little scared. "We are not ready to take such a risk."

"But..." Emily said expectantly, "If we really find that crystal, with its power, we may be able to directly advance to a higher level and become a formal wizard of the academy. Don't you want to prove yourself?"

In an instant, a fire ignited in Linde's heart. His desire and anxiety intertwined, making him more persistent: "Okay, let's go to the Dark Forest. Maybe this is my chance to get promoted!"

Linde took a deep breath and said, "Let's go. We will follow this path to the depths of the forest."

As they walked along the path, the trees gradually became denser, the moonlight was blocked, and a strange atmosphere began to fill the surroundings. Lind couldn't help but shudder and turned to look at Emily: "Do you think that crystal really exists?"

Emily bit her lip and shook her head: "I don't know either, but since there are rumors, there must be some truth. We can only try."

At this moment, there was a rustling noise coming from the front. Linde's heart tightened and he whispered, "Be careful, something is approaching."

The two huddled together, holding their breath, waiting for an unknown threat. A moment later, a little rabbit jumped out of the bushes, and Lind and Emily breathed a sigh of relief.

"It looks like it's just a small animal." Emily laughed softly, but her laughter seemed particularly fragile in the tense atmosphere.

The deeper they went into the forest, the colder the air around them became, as if reminding them of the danger and weirdness here. Lind tried to stay calm, but couldn't suppress his inner uneasiness: "Emily, are we really going to keep going?"

"You said you wanted to prove yourself." Emily responded resolutely, her eyes shining with determination, "I believe we can do it. There must be something worth exploring ahead."

"Okay." Linde took a deep breath and tightly grasped the staff in his hand. "No matter what, we must find the crystal."

As they walked, they came to an open space. The branches of the trees around them seemed to be bent by an invisible force, forming an area similar to an arch, emitting a faint blue glow. Linde's heart was shocked, and excitement and uneasiness emerged: "There... is that the glow of the crystal?"

Emily nodded, full of anticipation: "Let's go and see!"

The two approached the light cautiously, and a huge crystal appeared before their eyes, with spots of light flowing inside like the starry sky, which was fascinating. Lind felt his heartbeat quicken, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "We've reached it!"

As they approached, a blurry figure suddenly flashed above the crystal, and then gradually became clear. It was an old wizard with a pale face and a few wrinkles, exuding a mysterious and powerful aura.

"Young wizards, why are you here?" The wizard's voice was like an echo from ancient times, chilling.

Emily lost her voice and said, "We...we want to be promoted to official wizards. We heard that there are powerful magic crystals here."

The ancient wizard smiled slightly, as if he was pleased with their fearlessness, but there was a warning in his words: "Do you know what the price of pursuing power is?"

Linde took a deep breath and stepped forward firmly: "We are willing to pay the price, even if this road is full of unknowns and dangers."

The wizard sighed softly, his eyes gradually becoming deeper: "Young man, the real power does not come from the crystal, but from your inner determination and courage. However, if you desire this crystal, you must accept my test."

"Test? What kind of test?" Emily asked anxiously.

The wizard pointed slightly, and four balls of light gradually appeared on the open ground, shining with red, blue, green, and yellow light respectively: "Choose one, it will determine your future."

Linde looked at each other, his heart filled with mixed emotions. The red ball of light seemed to represent the desire for power, the blue the pursuit of wisdom, the green symbolized life, and the yellow represented light and hope.

"Which one do we choose?" Lind asked in a low voice.

"I---I want to choose blue. Wisdom is the most important." Emily said firmly.

"I choose blue too." Lind said, struggling in his heart between the pursuit of power and wisdom, but he understood that wisdom was the key to giving him real power.

"Both young wizards chose blue. It seems that you have the same idea." The ancient wizard nodded and waved his hand downward. The ball of light instantly turned into two blue rays of light that struck their hearts directly.

"Now, the test you have to face is the fear and desire in your heart. The road ahead will be difficult along with the trial." The wizard's words gradually dissipated in the open space, and everything around him became blurry at this moment.

"Linde, what are we doing..." Emily's voice gradually faded in his ears, and Linde's consciousness began to fall into the abyss.

When he returned to reality, he was in an unfamiliar environment. All around him was a blank space, with only shadows slowly approaching, as if trying to devour his soul. Fear spread quickly, and Lind couldn't help but want to retreat, but found that he had nowhere to escape.