Free Web NovelChapter 24: Chapter 24: This Kid Really Knows How to Make Money
Deep within the Black Tower.
Inside the Observation Room.
「An hour later.」
The Sharp-eared Female Apprentice watched with her own eyes as Mo Ning used over twenty sheets of scale pattern paper to construct an entire theoretical framework for Divination with astonishing speed.
She had only one assessment of the matter:
’This kid’s talent is just too incredible!’
For a project at the Apprentice Level, this could absolutely be considered a magnum opus.
The theoretical frameworks for most Apprentice projects were under ten sheets of scale pattern paper. Those that reached fifteen pages were already exceedingly rare.
Moreover, the derivation process for this theoretical framework was exceptionally rigorous.
Every step was substantiated, every point was justified, and the Divination Language used was both concise and elegant, yet it didn’t lack creativity.
No.
For a newcomer, it possessed a *remarkably* high degree of creativity.
Therefore, Nasha concluded, ’The probability of this research project’s application being approved is at least 80%.’
The only reason it wasn’t higher than 80% was that Mo Ning was a newcomer, which would raise concerns about his ability to complete the project independently.
Academic research wasn’t just about writing papers. It required extensive experimentation, repeated trial and error, and enduring patience—all of which were unknown quantities for a new student who had only been enrolled for a few days.
If he were a First Level Apprentice, the success rate would be no less than 95%.
Besides, the kid’s first research project—optimizing the Sub-zero Level Trick, Flash—wasn’t even finished yet.
’Can he keep up with the time and energy demands of running two projects at once while also managing his studies?’
The academy would certainly take that into account.
Still, 80% was by no means low.
If she had such a high success rate when applying for her own research projects, she’d wake up laughing in her sleep.
Inside the sphere of light.
After completing the theoretical framework, the hand holding the Ink Tube Pen didn’t rest for a single moment.
It immediately began drafting the "prospectus" section of the project:
"The objective of this project is to enhance the efficiency of the High Mountain Breathing Technique, enabling it to produce a more pronounced temporary increase in Spiritual Range."
"Based on the theoretical framework and preliminary personal experiments, the predicted enhancement will be between 3.2% and 5.8%."
Nasha glanced at the numbers, making a timely mental note. ’The forecast is a bit high, but not impossible.’
She had seen plenty of project proposals from other Apprentices, and the predicted values were typically between 2% and 4%.
Everyone knew full well that writing "4%" was just to make the proposal look more appealing.
In a word: an overstatement.
By the time the project was finished, they’d be thanking their lucky stars if the actual effect was even two-point-something percent.
But the twenty-plus pages of scale pattern paper displayed in the sphere of light, along with the admirably rigorous theoretical framework, gave Nasha a great deal of confidence.
So she felt that the high-end prediction of "5.8%" wasn’t unreasonable.
The second projection soon came into the Female Apprentice’s view.
"The new High Mountain Breathing Technique will have the effect of permanently providing a minor increase to Spiritual Strength."
"Additionally, by optimizing the ’Reological Constants,’ it can be adapted to work with the more affordable Calming Oil, replacing the expensive Calming Ointment."
"Should an average new Apprentice persist in practicing this Breathing Technique, their Spiritual Strength is projected to increase by 0.08-0.12 points within two years."
"If this concept is successfully realized, the probability of a new Apprentice forming their first Spirit Ring will increase by 2.5% to 3.5%."
Nasha’s brows rose slightly.
’Replacing it with Calming Oil?’
’What a bold idea!’
She recalled the theoretical framework; some of the Divination structures he had laid out seemed to offer a plausible path to achieving this.
The very next paragraph made her pupils contract slightly:
"Each year, the academy welcomes a new class of roughly 280 new students. Based on a 2.5% to 3.5% increased success rate, the improved Breathing Technique would result in an additional 7 to 10 new Apprentices for the academy annually."
"Extrapolated over 100 years, the academy would gain an additional 700 to 1,000 Apprentices, which is a rather significant number."
The Sharp-eared Female Apprentice’s emerald eyes widened instantly.
’This kid has somehow taught himself the art of ’painting the big picture’?!’
Only truly experienced applicants knew that ’painting the big picture’ was the true essence of project applications.
This ’picture,’ of course, was painted for the academy’s benefit.
The more enticing the ’picture,’ the higher the probability of approval and the greater the funding the academy would allocate.
The Wizards responsible for project approval were people, too. They could be swayed, moved by a grand vision.
Of course, the ’picture’ couldn’t be arbitrarily large.
If you oversold it to the point of disbelief, the academy would reject the application outright.
So, the ’picture’ had to be painted just right.
It had taken her a full three years to grasp this concept.
But this kid had figured it out on his third day at the academy.
Tsk, tsk!
’Look at that rhetoric—"extrapolated over 100 years." Such a unique technique for painting the picture is truly admirable.’
Nasha could easily imagine that if she were the Wizard reviewing this proposal, seeing phrases like "700 to 1,000 Apprentices" would inevitably make her heart flutter, even if just a little.
Even though these would be Apprentices with poorer aptitude and a pitifully small chance of advancing to become Wizards, with strict training, they would still be a qualified labor force.
Farming, mining, animal husbandry, odd jobs... the academy had plenty of places that needed hands.
The reviewing Wizard would most likely approve the project with a ’let’s give it a shot’ mentality and allocate a sum of Black Tower Points. The cost wasn’t that high, after all. And what if it actually worked?
Inside the sphere of light.
The proposal’s drafting entered its final phase: the request list.
To put it bluntly, he was asking for money.
"To ensure the successful completion of this research project and contribute to the construction of the Witchcraft Tower, I humbly request the following support from the academy."
"Calming Ointment: Two jars. Primarily for studying the behavioral patterns of the ’Spiritual Flowing Body’ and collecting the relevant data."
The Sharp-eared Female Apprentice felt an urge to laugh.
’Just for studying patterns and collecting data?’
’Somehow I feel like this kid tried the Magic Potion yesterday, thought it was great, and is now using this project application as an excuse to fleece a little extra from the academy.’
She suppressed her urge to laugh and read on.
"Calming Oil: Ten bottles. Primarily for studying the behavioral patterns of the ’Spiritual Flowing Body’ and collecting the relevant data."
Nasha subconsciously glanced at the other spheres of light floating in the air.
Many new students were gathered at the newcomer’s shop, excitedly picking out merchandise.
The Female Apprentice knew that at this time of year, the best-selling item was Calming Oil.
At four Black Tower Points per bottle, the price was moderate, and all the new students could afford it.
The first class on the Basic Meditation Technique was tomorrow, so the oil would be perfect for it.
Applied to the forehead, it helped one’s mind focus, improving the effect of Meditation.
Within the spheres of light, young faces were alight with excitement.
One student clutched a bottle of Calming Oil, grinning from ear to ear as if they could already see a future where they had successfully formed a Spirit Ring.
Nasha looked at their excited faces and couldn’t help but shake her head.
Some people were overjoyed just to buy a single bottle of Calming Oil, while another could get ten bottles for a stack of scale pattern paper, without spending a single coin of his own.
The gap between one new student and another was on full display, all because of Calming Oil.
The final two items on the request list soon appeared.
"Magic Power Measuring Device: One-month rental. Primarily for measuring and recording data.
"Research Grant: 600 Black Tower Points."
Nasha sighed silently.
As a rule, the academy rarely approved the full funding amount requested. Most of the time, they’d knock it down to eighty, or even fifty, percent.
But this Breathing Technique project proposal was exceptionally well-written and showed immense potential. 600 Black Tower Points wasn’t an exorbitant amount, either.
The chances of the reviewing Wizard approving it were high, and the odds of the full grant being allocated weren’t small, either.
The academy provided a stipend for Apprentices: 10 Black Tower Points per month for First Level Apprentices, rising to 20 for Second Level, and reaching 40 for Third Level.
By that calculation, she received 480 Black Tower Points a year.
Which meant this kid’s requested grant alone was more than her entire stipend for a year.
’He really knows how to rake in the cash!’
Nasha couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. ’If only I had a brain like that.’
The Female Apprentice stared intently at the sphere of light, and a sudden realization dawned on her.
The reason this kid could find so many project opportunities was that he happened to occupy a "blind spot."
Simply put, many new students, driven by their own needs, would discover potential projects but lacked the ability to research and develop them.
Meanwhile, those who did have research capabilities were at least Second Level Apprentices or higher.
They had more options and higher aspirations; they had neither the interest nor the inclination to research projects at the newcomer level.
This was the "blind spot."
But Mo Ning, being both a new student and a Divination genius, had become the one person who could monopolize this blind spot.
