Free Web NovelChapter 3: Chapter 3: Obtained a Witchcraft Item
On the long journey to the Black Tower Wizard Academy, Mo Ning had heard many rumors.
One rumor, in particular, left a deep impression on him: the previous batch of new students had a total of 307 people. After the two-year probationary period, only 153 successfully condensed a Spirit Ring and remained at the academy.
An elimination rate of nearly fifty percent was harsh enough.
But the chilling part came next. Not all of the failures returned; fewer than 90 made it home safely.
So what happened to the remaining 70-odd people?
The answer: they were dead or missing.
A high mortality rate of 25% revealed another side of the academy—it was a perilous place where opportunity and death coexisted.
And now.
Faced with the temptation of a "reward for exploring the Secluded Forest" that Lai Te had so casually thrown out, alarm bells went off in Mo Ning’s mind.
Sending a group of complete novices, who hadn’t even mastered the most basic Witchcraft, to try and enter a Secret Hall constructed from a Second Level composite spell?
The danger involved was self-evident.
Lai Te only mentioned the reward but said nothing about the risks. There had to be deep malice hidden behind his words.
This was enough to prove that the character analysis model’s judgment was spot on.
Mo Ning warned himself, ’I must never trust this person!’
He also made a silent reminder to himself. ’The dangers within the Black Tower Academy aren’t just the Witchcraft. The Apprentices and even the Wizards are also dangerous. I must be cautious in my words and actions from now on!’
He snuck a glance at the other new students and sighed internally.
These rookies were still staring at the forest, their faces full of longing, completely unaware of the Second Level Apprentice’s sinister intentions.
Lai Te seemed quite satisfied with the effect of the "bait" he had thrown out, concluding his guidance with one last sentence.
"Alright, my job was to bring you here from the Lakefront Castle. That job is now complete. Next, the ’Witch Spirit’ will give you more specific instructions."
After saying this, he made a seemingly casual movement, his right thumb brushing lightly over his waist before flicking his arm outward.
"WHOOSH—!"
A great plume of flames, so pale they were almost ethereal, erupted from beneath his feet without any warning.
The flames held no heat. Instead, they radiated a faint chill, instantly engulfing the hem of his robe and spreading upward.
"AHH—!"
Gasps and screams erupted as the crowd instinctively fell back.
The pale, cold flames quickly enveloped Lai Te’s entire body. His figure twisted and blurred within the fire, turning into a small pile of grayish-white embers in just two or three breaths.
Someone quickly realized what had happened.
"It must be Witchcraft!"
"Mister Lai Te has left."
Just then.
A mechanical voice, devoid of any emotional inflection, clearly sounded in everyone’s ears:
[Announcement: Second Level Apprentice Lai Te, certification serial number 6-091-034, has triggered the teleportation protocol via "Instant Shadow Powder" and has left the Mysterious Secret Hall of the Quiet Forest.]
[New student guidance program will now be handled by the academy’s "Witch Spirit." Please follow its guidance carefully.]
The crowd fell silent.
Lai Te had mentioned the Witch Spirit earlier, so the new students were only briefly surprised.
Mo Ning, however, firmly committed the words "Instant Shadow Powder" to memory.
’Is it because the academy is so vast that they need to use Instant Shadow Powder to get around and save travel time?’
’How interesting!’
The Witch Spirit’s voice continued without a pause, as if executing a program that had been inscribed thousands of times:
[All new students must wear a "Guiding Ring" while active within the academy grounds. The Guiding Rings will now be distributed.]
As soon as the voice finished speaking.
a dim point of light materialized out of thin air in front of each new student, transforming into a simple, unadorned black ring of ancient design.
The outer surface was embossed with the image of a sharp-angled, black spire—undoubtedly the symbol of the Black Tower Academy.
A stir went through the hall. The academy’s miraculous methods had once again given the rookies a small shock.
Mo Ning’s mind instantly jumped to one word: surveillance.
Comparing this with the fragments he had read in notes and journals, especially regarding the academy’s high alert for Dark Wizards, it seemed highly probable that the Guiding Ring included a surveillance function.
After all, the academy recruited a new batch of students every year. Who knew if there were spies from Dark Wizards, or something even more dangerous, among them?
The notes also mentioned that after condensing a Spirit Ring, an Apprentice would receive an [Apprentice’s Magic Ring] from the academy. This implied that the surveillance would end after the probationary period.
Mo Ning wasn’t bothered by the surveillance. ’In any case, my abilities were acquired through legitimate means. Maybe I can even use this surveillance to my advantage.’
His [Eye of Truth] was equivalent to a supreme learning talent, and he didn’t mind letting the academy see what a true genius looked like.
The moment he slipped the Guiding Ring onto his finger, it felt cool to the touch, and a stream of information surged from the depths of his mind.
[Identity binding confirmed.]
[New Student: Mo Ning.]
[Certification Serial Number: 7-118-256.]
[Welcome to the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Basic permissions activated. Guiding Ring basic functions loaded.]
Mo Ning stared at the ring with a touch of delight. The academy was actually giving away an invaluable Witchcraft Item for free.
’Praise the academy!’
For the other new students, the Guiding Ring only provided guidance.
But for him, it was another target to be analyzed, another source of knowledge to acquire.
The Witch Spirit’s steady, mechanical voice rang out again:
[The universal currency within the Black Tower Academy is "Black Tower Points." For example, the basic living allowance for food and lodging costs 5 Black Tower Points per month. The first month is free. 5 Black Tower Points will be deducted on the first day of the second month.]
[The academy values equivalent exchange and self-reliance. Knowledge and resources must all be exchanged for Black Tower Points. Please strive to earn them.]
[To encourage everyone to actively explore the truth, the academy will provide each new student with an initial grant. The specific amount will be distributed based on individual Spiritual Talent.]
[The grant amounts will now be announced.]
[7-118-001, Sitt, 150 Black Tower Points.]
[7-118-002, Mika, 149 Black Tower Points...]
As the Witch Spirit read out more and more names, the commotion among the crowd grew louder.
On their very first day at the academy, the disparity in their talents was laid bare before them in such a direct and naked way.
Mo Ning’s face, however, remained calm, almost indifferent.
The third set of numbers in the serial number was ranked according to Spiritual Talent. Since his rank was 256, he knew his grant wouldn’t be large.
The Witch Spirit’s list finally reached Mo Ning’s name.
[7-118-256, Mo Ning, 75 Black Tower Points.]
Exactly half of what the first-ranked Sitt had received.
But so what?
A strong person never complains about their circumstances.
Mo Ning had read copious complaints in several Wizards’ journals about the extreme lack of Black Tower Points during the Apprentice stage.
The shadow cast by this "scarcity" had even reshaped their personalities. So much so that even after they advanced to become Wizards and were slightly more affluent, they continued to live exceptionally frugal lives.
The most typical example was not changing their clothes or boots for as long as a hundred years.
If something got worn or torn, they would simply cast a [Repair Technique] on it.
When he first read this account, he had been too stunned to speak.
’My God!’
’A hundred years!!’
If a fashion designer from Blue Star were allowed to cross over and witness the behavior of these Wizards firsthand, they would probably burst into tears.
Therefore, before entering the academy, Mo Ning had used the vast knowledge he had devoured from the Royal Library to prepare a way to earn Black Tower Points.
Namely—research grants.
To put it bluntly, it meant applying to the academy for a sum of Black Tower Points as research funding under the pretext of academic study.
For the other new students, this was practically a fantasy.
In most cases, even for an Apprentice, applying for a research topic was an extremely difficult task.
The new students could only work themselves to the bone for the academy, struggling to earn a pittance of hard-earned money.
But Mo Ning wanted to give it a try.
According to the records in the books, the academy placed a high value on Witchcraft research, and the minimum grant for a research project was 100 Black Tower Points.
If his plan succeeded, his account balance could easily surpass Sitt’s.
