Free Web NovelChapter 31: Chapter 30: Hidden Easter Egg (2)
Mo Ning’s gaze swept over the faint outlines of the distant mountains.
Peak after peak lay silently in the darkness, their outlines vague and massive, like a pack of sleeping behemoths.
Various thoughts flooded his mind. ’Yesterday, when the Eye of Truth analyzed the Third Level Witchcraft, Eternal Night Sky, I obtained several Tier One Space Element Spirit Seal Fragments.’
’The spatial knowledge contained within the fragments includes the basic principles of Space Cutting and Space Transport.’
’From the perspective of Space Magic, it’s highly likely that the space containing this mountain range was ’cut’ out and then the whole thing was ’transported’ inside the academy.’
Cutting, enclosing, embedding—like snipping a patch from a whole piece of cloth and sewing it into the lining of another garment.
As Mo Ning thought of this, his heart filled with amazement. ’Among the original builders of Black Tower Academy, there must have been an extremely powerful Space Element Wizard.’
Hundreds of mountain peaks, along with the land they were rooted in, the surrounding air currents, and even this entire space shrouded in night, had been tucked into some corner inside the Black Tower by almost god-like means.
The level of spatial mastery required was far beyond what an ordinary Wizard could achieve.
He silently added in his mind, ’Hmm, at least Third Level, and possibly even Fourth Level.’
An intense longing welled up in Mo Ning’s heart. ’I wonder when I’ll be able to master such powerful Space Magic?’
At that moment, an impatient voice sounded from behind him.
"Don’t block the path! Get out of my way!"
Mo Ning was startled for a moment, then quickly adjusted his expression.
He instinctively turned, clearing the path with a somewhat flustered movement while muttering a quiet, "Sorry."
Based on talent, an unspoken hierarchy had long since formed among the newcomers.
Newcomers with lower sequence numbers were naturally relegated to the "Low Tier." It was expected that "underachievers" like Mo Ning would adopt a cautious posture when facing the "Strong" from the front of the line.
The other person didn’t even spare him a glance, striding right past him and up the steps.
Mo Ning shot a quick glance at the person’s back and immediately identified him.
Sequence Number 086—Uma.
Among the newcomers, the guy didn’t have a very good reputation.
Uma was always incredibly rude to those weaker than himself, but he was a fawning bootlicker when facing "top-tier figures" like Sitt and Princess Phoebe.
A textbook case of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Mo Ning withdrew his gaze, tightening the collar of his blue robe again to block out the biting cold wind.
With his head slightly lowered, he followed the other person and began to climb the steps.
In his mind, Mo Ning quietly opened a little notebook and wrote down one name—Uma.
The last person recorded in his little notebook was Second Level Apprentice Lai Te.
The reason he wrote their names down, of course, was to "return the favor" to these two later.
The stairs up the mountain weren’t very long.
The hundred-odd stone steps receded one by one beneath his feet.
The moment he reached the summit, his view opened up dramatically.
A sunken, semi-circular, stepped Lecture Hall appeared before Mo Ning’s eyes.
The entire Lecture Hall was nearly a hundred meters in diameter, its tiers of stone steps descending like an open-air theater from another time and space.
Over a hundred newcomers in blue robes were already standing on the steps, scattered in small groups, yet the space still felt exceptionally empty.
The Lecture Hall was simply too vast, large enough to accommodate ten times their number.
A circle of thick stone pillars stood around the Lecture Hall.
Atop each pillar sat a huge brazier, its raging flames brightly illuminating the entire Lecture Hall.
But the most amazing thing was the flames themselves—from time to time, serpents of fire would slither out.
They were formed from pure flame and twisted nimbly in the night sky as if they were truly alive.
The fire serpents would dance in the air for a moment before—POP!—dissipating into a shower of sparks carried away on the night wind.
In short, the whole scene was very much the work of a Wizard.
Mo Ning averted his gaze and walked down the steps.
Following the "rules" the newcomers had spontaneously created, he obediently stood at the back of the crowd.
As time passed, more and more newcomers gathered in the Lecture Hall.
Eight o’clock sharp.
His Guiding Ring grew slightly cool as a message silently entered Mo Ning’s consciousness:
[Course Reminder: Sequence Number 7-118-256, Mo Ning.]
[Attending mandatory course: The Art of Meditation - Deep Connections between Spiritual Rings, Spiritual, and Soul. Tuition of 20 Black Tower Points has been deducted. Current balance: 965 Black Tower Points.]
A wave of groans instantly swept through the crowd.
"So expensive!"
"I’m almost out of Black Tower Points!"
Even Sitt, Sequence Number 001, had a pained expression on his face.
Mo Ning, however, felt nothing at all.
Without hesitation, he activated his Insightful Secret Eye, preparing to "record" the entire lecture.
A dozen or so threads of light swirled together, outlining a simple eyeball that rose above the Lecture Hall and focused on the center of the stage.
Additionally, the Insightful Secret Eye split off another "thread" to observe a different target—Sequence Number 186, Kanda.
The day before yesterday, while eating in the cafeteria, he had idly used his ’cheat’ to observe the other newcomers and accumulate facial expression data.
As a result, when the Insightful Secret Eye analyzed Kanda’s facial expression, it unexpectedly discovered that his psychological state was one of "tension" and "fear."
That was clearly not right.
He had kept an eye on Kanda ever since.
A moment later, a wave of gasps suddenly erupted inside the Lecture Hall.
"Whoa!"
"Gods!"
In the braziers atop each stone pillar, the dancing crimson flames had bizarrely turned green.
Jade green, spectral green, ink green—layers of green light swirled and flowed within the flames, dyeing the entire Lecture Hall in the colors of an emerald world.
A spectral green light coated the newcomers’ faces, hands, and robes, turning every one of them into a little green person.
Mo Ning’s pupils contracted slightly.
As quickly as he could, he released a second Demon-Seeking Net.
Two networks of light threads spread out simultaneously—this was his current limit.
The net of light quickly covered the nearest brazier. At its center, the intricate Magic Sensing Structure began to flash rapidly, faithfully recording every fluctuation of Magic Power.
Magic Power data was, in essence, a form of knowledge.
Recording Magic Power fluctuations had many uses.
For one, it would provide precious, first-hand data for studying and researching similar types of Witchcraft in the future.
For another, according to the ancient texts, Magic Power was ubiquitous, forming a vast Ocean of Magical Power, and its fluctuations could travel great distances within this ocean.
Every type of Witchcraft has a unique frequency. By collecting enough Magic Power fluctuation data, one could identify a spell simply by cross-referencing it.
If the data was detailed enough, one could even deduce certain characteristics of the Caster.
This was because every Caster possessed a unique Magic Power signature.
This signature was difficult for even a Wizard to discern, but in the Magic Power fluctuation data, it was plain to see.
On Dawa’s Grocery List, there were quite a few auxiliary Witchcraft tools specifically for recording Magic Power fluctuations, generally selling for over 300 Black Tower Points.
Mo Ning turned to observe the stone pillar, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
He hadn’t spent a single Black Tower Point, yet he had obtained first-hand data.
It had to be said that these derivative abilities of the Eye of Truth saved him a tremendous amount of Black Tower Points.
