The Legendary Mage (Alavin) novel Chapter 77

Several days later, Alavin was practicing his swordsmanship in the ancient woods nearby when he suddenly heard the bustling noise from over the mountain—a throng of people seemed to have gathered.

Alavin sheathed his Dawnedge Blade, wrapped it in beast hide, and made his way to the mountain peak to peer down below.

At the foot of the mountain stood a large notice board, and hundreds of Protégés were bustling around it, discussing animatedly, with many more arriving from various places.

"Today's the second Grand Hunt of the year. I've been looking forward to it."

"Which mountain range is it in this time?"

"It's in Griffin's Roost, more than four hundred leagues from Cobalt Strike, in the deepest part of the Cloudveil Woods. They say it's teeming with Magi-Monsters, the terrain is treacherous, filled with rivers and waterfalls, and there are hidden canyons and dark places—it's much more dangerous than the first hunt of the year."

"The second Grand Hunt of the year is always more perilous than the first."

"The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity."

"Griffin's Roost is vast. Not only are there many Magi-Monsters, but the terrain is complex, and there are also many active mercenaries and bandits."

"What are the minimum qualifications to sign up for the Grand Hunt?"

"It says right here, 'Novice Mages of Stage VI to Stage IX, limited to a thousand participants.'"

Hundreds of Protégés gathered in front of the notice board, excitedly discussing the event.

The Grand Hunt was an event prepared by Cobalt Strike for the new generation of Protégés. It was held twice a year, each time in a different region, with varying qualifications for participation and duration.

A Grand Hunt like this, limited to a thousand participants of Stage VI and above, was considered a major event.

Alavin mingled with the crowd, peering through the gaps on the map and list of rules on the notice board. He had never been eligible for the Grand Hunt before, mainly because his strength was too weak. He was not even worthy of being a Magi-Monster's snack. So each time he saw the announcement, he would look on from afar, envy for a while, then continue with his menial tasks.

"Griffin's Roost?" A thought suddenly struck Alavin, and he pushed forward to get a better look at the map. His eyes drifted to the right edge, where he saw a familiar symbol—Azure Mountain!

Azure Mountain! The ore mining district of where the Stormcast people were working!

Alavin quietly estimated the distance from the training area to Azure Mountain, his eyes flickering with a bold and risky idea.

"Hey, Alavin?" One of the Protégé recognized him and sized him up. "Are you interested in signing up for the Grand Hunt?"

With this mention, other Protégé also turned their attention to Alavin.

"You actually qualify to sign up, why not give it a try?"