Chapter 1658: Bruce Wayne and the Magic Stone (Part 2)

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The Inner World was still shrouded in white mist, and the tall buildings on the horizon seemed like mirages in a sea of clouds. Based on the common foundation of Gotham City, many fantastical buildings floated in the sky, adding to the magical atmosphere.

The most eye-catching structures were several Gothic spires of varying heights. These cylindrical towers floated in the air, connected by floating staircases, and one could see students in wizard robes moving between them.

Each spire was surrounded by tall Gothic windows with inward-curving pointed tops. Looking through the windows, one could see the bright common room where students stood or sat. Some huddled together, whispering, while others sat alone at their desks, reading.

Facing the windows was a massive bookshelf that took up half of the curved wall. It seemed to contain projections of almost every book one could find in the magical realm. Some students brought ladders, climbed to the top, and retrieved large volumes, stacking them higher than their heads. Then, they wobbled over to their desks, arms full of books, and began to study.

A brown-haired boy, seemingly older than the others, stood in front of a felt board at the entrance to the common room. He removed the nails that held the previous class schedule and replaced it with a new one. After securing it, he examined his handiwork, nodded in satisfaction, and clapped his hands.

"Second-year students, don't forget that the latest magic theory class has been moved to tomorrow afternoon. You need to bring the essays you wrote after the last class, as Professor Schiller will be reviewing them."

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud, excited female voice came from behind him. "Kaine! My dear class president, what's the topic of your essay? Let me see it; I can't write a single word!"

The boy, called Kaine, turned to the red-haired girl behind him and frowned. "Miss Spencer, I'm not trying to be rude, but didn't you listen to Professor Schiller's instructions for the assignment in class?"

"I did listen, but I didn't understand it," Miss Spencer said, her bright red, curly hair a mess as she tugged at it. "You know I've been living with my mom in Metropolis, and I just came back. I really can't understand the complicated code you Gothamites use."

"What does that have to do with anything? It's all in the textbook..."

"Help! Help! Someone, please help me! Why do I have to turn in an assignment as soon as I get back?!"

Another, even more piercing scream came from the doorway. Kaine and Miss Spencer turned to see a girl with platinum hair rushing in. She skidded to a stop in front of the desk, her eyes wide as she carefully examined the class schedule, letting out an even more high-pitched wail.

"Harley, didn't you take a three-month leave? Why are you back early?" Kaine asked with concern.

Harley opened her mouth, revealing a slightly complex expression, then said, "I can't really explain it to you, but imagine if the you in another space was a complete romantic. I'm so done with her!"

"Joker, Joker, Joker, as if she can't live without him! Our business was going well, but she insisted on spending time and energy on a big surprise for her little cookie. She's a hopelessly stupid woman, and I'm not working with her anymore!"

Kaine and Miss Spencer exchanged glances, realizing that neither of them understood what Harley was talking about. However, they didn't mind, as they knew that Female Joker was a bit crazy and often said surprising things—a typical Gotham genius with a touch of madness.

This college had a high tolerance for such individuals, or perhaps after the initial few months of experience, anyone who was even slightly normal would steer clear of the Magic School of Theory. The subjects studied there were too profound, obscure, and crazy.

Magic in the DC Universe didn't come from nowhere; most of it originated from angels and demons. To deeply research magic theory, one had to delve into the origins of demons and angels, which inevitably involved theology and religious studies. And to study theology and religious studies, one had to explore history and culture. Many of the words in these subjects couldn't even be found in dictionaries.

Even for adults, studying history, culture, and religion was a tedious task. How many children this age could endure such research?

If this were the case, the college should have very few talented students at this time. However, there were still quite a few people in the common room, at least a dozen by a conservative estimate. And this was just one common room, which meant that the college had admitted a considerable number of students.

In fact, most of the students at this school were locals from Gotham, and they came from well-off families. In short, almost all of them were descendants of Gotham's great families.

Kaine, with his brown hair, was a descendant of the Kaine Family, while Miss Spencer was the second daughter of the young leader of the Spencer Family, one of the Twelve Families. Similarly, the boy recording by the class schedule was the youngest son of a branch of the Lawrence Family, and the girl, Drake, was the niece of old Drake and Tim's cousin.

These students were all children from the major families who possessed magical talents. Most of them were not heirs to the main family line; they were either younger sons of the main branch or children from the side branches.

Such children were often directed to study art or philosophy. They had extraordinary inspiration and patience, and with their affluent backgrounds, they didn't lack money or need to compromise on practicality. They could freely pursue their interests.

What else could Gotham children be interested in but strange and dark magic knowledge? And where could they learn this knowledge if not at the Magic School of Theory, now known as the Rodriguez College?

After the initial few months of course experience, most students understood the styles of these colleges. They abandoned the official names like "Magic Theory" and "Magic Craft," which were difficult to pronounce, and started referring to the colleges by the directors' surnames.

The director of the Magic School of Theory was Schiller Rodriguez, so it was naturally called the Rodriguez College. Similarly, the Magic School of Craft was known as the Zatara College, and the Magic Power College was called the Strange College.

After experiencing the teaching styles of the directors firsthand, most students formed peculiar stereotypes about the colleges.

The Rodriguez College, of course, needed no introduction. In Gotham University, Schiller's reputation was enough to quiet a crying child. Even if the students hadn't seen this professor in person, they had likely heard of him.

During the trial classes, wealthy noble children surrounded Schiller, so it was natural for them to perceive the college as a place for the rich to indulge in academia, with strict hierarchies and numerous rules, making it difficult for ordinary people to fit in.

So, unless you were a mad genius or a wealthy heir, it was best to stay away from this strict professor.

The Magic School of Craft, taught by Zatanna Zatara Schiller, was well-received by a significant portion of the students, especially those from less affluent backgrounds who hoped that learning magic would bring about a fundamental change in their lives.

As the saying goes, learning a skill ensures you'll never go hungry. These children were naturally inclined towards learning a trade, and Magician Miss was extremely patient with her students, teaching with gentleness. Constantine, who also taught at this college, was known for his humor and easygoing nature, often joking with the students.

Thus, the Zatara College had the most relaxed atmosphere of all the colleges. Everyone worked together, laughing and tinkering with magic machines, brewing potions, drawing magic circles, and carving runes. They would become the backbone of the magical realm's craft industry in the future.

The atmosphere at the Power College, or Strange College, was relatively fervent, as Strange himself was a fervent human supremacist. His approach to education emphasized a sense of honor and mission.

In short, the motto of the Strange College was to study for the rise of humanity, constantly honing strength and tempering the mind, with a focus on safeguarding Earth's safety. The students there were either courageous or had a strong sense of responsibility.

However, these three colleges couldn't satisfy all the students. Some wanted to learn a little bit of everything, understand a bit of everything, but not specialize in any one area. Instead, they preferred to jump between colleges, develop interpersonal relationships, and organize various activities, essentially becoming social butterflies building their future networks in the magical realm.

These students were also valuable to the magical realm, as a society couldn't consist solely of technicians, scholars, and guardians; it also needed managers, politicians, and businessmen.

So, in addition to the three colleges, a separate Magic Balance College was established, and its director was none other than Bruce Wayne. This college was named the Wayne College.

This decision was made after careful consideration. If the future leaders of the magical realm's official organization were to emerge from this college, it was best to have a director with sufficient authority, and to strengthen the connection between the magical realm and the real world, this director should also have some influence in the real world. Bruce Wayne was the perfect choice.

The stereotype associated with this college was also quite classic. In simple terms, those who entered this college were shrewd individuals who could read the room, build connections, and organize activities. They excelled at establishing friendly relationships with students from all colleges.

With the basic structures of the four colleges in place, students chose their preferred colleges based on their interests. To establish the unique characteristics of each college, they also selected their representative colors and designed their college crests.

The representative color of the Rodriguez College was black, just like the color of the professor's everyday suit. The college crest was a top view of an open umbrella, with a magical rune representing knowledge in the magical realm. It resembled an X and an A overlapping, adding a touch of liveliness.

The representative color of the Zatara College was purple, and its crest featured the side profile of Magician Miss's hat, accompanied by two symmetrical steam cloud patterns. The design also included intricate gears and potion bubbles, making it appear intricate and luxurious.

The representative color of the Strange College was gold, following the color scheme of Kamar-Taj. The college crest was a downward-pointing triangle with an Earth symbol in the center, surrounded by small runes. The overall meaning conveyed was "total focus, power elevation," evoking a sense of passion and strength.

The representative color of the Wayne College was blue, the color of Bruce's eyes and the universally recognized color of authority in human society. The college crest featured the Wayne Family's coat of arms, depicting two hands clasped together, conveying a sense of calm strength.

In addition to the students who had already experienced the trial courses and chosen their preferred colleges, a new group of students would be enrolling soon. Most of them had missed the initial enrollment due to long travel distances or unfinished preparations.

"Come on, come on, don't bother writing; you won't finish anyway. Today, the new students will be sorted into their colleges. Aren't you going to watch? We need to attract the smart newcomers to our college and not let others take them away," Harley said, standing by the door and waving to the people inside.

"Harley, are you sure you..."

"Stop wasting time! If we don't go, the newcomers will definitely be deceived by those from the blue college; they're the best at tricking people, just like that Bruce Wayne. Let's go!"

Kaine, Miss Spencer, and several other students had no choice but to follow Harley. They walked through the floating staircases between the spires and descended to the auditorium.

However, before they even entered the auditorium, Harley encountered a bewildered little boy at the side door. She walked up and patted him on the back, startling him.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Harley asked, puzzled.

"I'm a new student this year. The letter from Bat said so."

"Then why aren't you going in for the sorting? It's about to start."

"But I can't find the door..."

"How can you be so silly? The door is right over there. Come with me... By the way, what's your name?"

"Me? I'm Barry, Barry Allen."

Harley's eyes lit up with excitement.

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 1659: Bruce Wayne and the Magic Stone (Part 3)