Free Web NovelChapter 32: Chapter 31: The First Level Wizard’s Debut
WHOOSH—!
As if spurred by some unseen stimulus, the flames dancing in all the braziers began to expand rapidly.
[Demon-Seeking Net] flashed more intensely. Data on Magic Power fluctuations surged in at triple the speed, like a bursting dam.
Mo Ning made an immediate judgment—First Level Witchcraft.
The other newcomers couldn’t tell; they just thought it was a dazzling spectacle.
But he could.
His cheat had already accumulated a good amount of Magic Power fluctuation data, giving it some preliminary practical use. He could easily distinguish between First Level Witchcraft and Level Zero Witchcraft.
Then, the astonishing scene continued to unfold.
Green vines, formed entirely from green flames yet somehow maintaining a stable shape, rapidly extended from the braziers.
They snaked through the air, intertwining and growing, finally gathering in the center of the Lecture Hall to form a massive ring.
The ring hung suspended in mid-air, slowly rotating.
Water-like green ripples spread out, one after another, from within the ring.
DONG—!
A strange, muffled sound emerged from the ripples.
It sounded like a heartbeat.
The heartbeat seemed to possess some strange magical quality, and everyone felt their own heart skip a beat in sync.
This was followed by a slight dizzy spell, as if something had gently touched their souls.
Mo Ning marveled internally, ’Magic Resonance! First Level Witchcraft is too powerful!’
The so-called "Magic Resonance" was a peculiar magical phenomenon.
When powerful Magic Power dissipated, it would form a Magic Field. The Magic Power of all living beings within this Magic Field would inevitably be affected.
Their Magic Power was pulled by an invisible hand, its fluctuation frequency forcibly altered.
Under these conditions, the Magic Power of both parties resonated with each other.
It wasn’t harmful, but it was more unsettling than any injury.
Mo Ning suppressed his dizziness, sensing the changes in the Magic Power within him. He thought to himself, ’This is a bit like the effect of infrasound on the human body from my past life.’
Perhaps it was his thirst for knowledge, or perhaps it was the influence of his cheat, but he was itching to study it right then and there.
A few moments later, an even grander transformation occurred.
Countless green threads, like Spiritual Snakes, shot out from the ring and flew to every corner of the Lecture Hall.
They touched the floor, the steps, and the stone pillars.
Where the Spiritual Snakes touched, lush green grass grew at an astonishing speed.
The grass appeared from nothing, growing from short to long, and in the blink of an eye, it had formed a soft, emerald carpet.
Among the blades of grass, vibrant, multi-colored flowers bloomed one after another.
Red, yellow, purple, pink—they were a riot of color, all vying for attention, as if spring had arrived in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, the once solemn and dignified Lecture Hall had transformed into a beautiful, great garden.
Most peculiar of all were the strange plants in the garden—they grew spherical fruits, each one emitting a bright fluorescence.
Thousands of Fluorescent Fruits, like countless tiny lamps, dotted the fantastical garden, illuminating the entire Lecture Hall even more brilliantly.
The newcomers were all stunned.
[Demon-Seeking Net] began to flash crazily.
The amount of data being collected suddenly increased tenfold.
Mo Ning was shaken.
No one else present had a more profound understanding of just how powerful this Wizard was.
Although the lecturer—First Level Wizard Lv Mei—had not yet appeared, this grand "opening ceremony" had already delivered a considerable shock to the rookies.
Soon, a figure slowly emerged from the ring.
The newcomers watched this scene, their eyes filled with awe.
For many, this was the first time they had ever seen a First Level Wizard with their own eyes.
The legends of Wizards, the stories they had heard since childhood, the beings that had only existed in their imaginations—all of it was now materializing before them.
The ring quickly dimmed, and the flames in the braziers subsided.
The figure in a white robe was finally revealed clearly.
The edges of the white robe were embroidered with exquisite dark red patterns. The style was dignified and grand, with smooth, clean lines. Every detail bespoke meticulous and thoughtful design.
What was most striking was the soft halo of light that seemed to flow across the robe’s surface, like moonlight shimmering on water.
This was the attire of a First Level Wizard.
Compared to the blue robes of the newcomers or the gray robes of the Apprentices, was this not on a completely different level?
The newcomers took one look at the Wizard and revealed looks of uniform astonishment.
Mo Ning’s eyes widened slightly.
Because this First Level Wizard was actually a member of an Alien Race.
Although its silhouette was human—with a head, a torso, and four limbs—its exposed head and face left everyone stunned.
Its skin was, shockingly, light-green tree bark.
The texture was clearly visible, crisscrossing like the marks of time.
Its nostrils were merely for show, with no openings at the end. Its two eyeballs were wooden, with no visible pupils, and they emitted a faint green glow.
But the most impressive feature was the top of the Wizard’s head.
Two slender branches extended from it, adorned with pink plum blossoms.
The fragrance of the plum blossoms instantly overpowered all the other floral scents in the garden, captivating the senses of every rookie and making them take an involuntary deep breath.
No one had expected that the First Level Wizard teaching the Basic Meditation Technique would look like this.
Mo Ning swallowed, a thought flashing through his mind: ’No wonder it’s called ’Lv Mei’!’
When he had seen the name at the Secret Hall, he had found it a bit strange. Who would be called "Lv Mei"?
Now, seeing the First Level Wizard in person, everything made sense.
It wasn’t just a name; it was a literal description of its true form.
The entire hall was silent for a few seconds.
Lv Mei spoke. "I will be asking many questions during this class. The first person to answer correctly will be rewarded with 1 Black Tower Point."
Its voice was extremely pleasant, with an indescribable magnetic quality that could instantly capture the attention of every listener.
A commotion immediately stirred within the Lecture Hall.
For this group of poor and stingy newcomers, the appeal of 1 Black Tower Point was definitely not small.
But Mo Ning, sitting on a huge sum, was completely unmoved.
Lv Mei paused for a moment before asking the first question:
"Does anyone here know what race I belong to?"
The moment the words fell, the information retrieval system in Mo Ning’s mind automatically activated.
Long passages of text surged from the depths of his memory, rapidly unfurling in his consciousness:
"Many Spiritual Plants, upon accumulating a certain level of Spirituality, will naturally give birth to an independent spiritual consciousness.
"These life forms are typically trees, their long lifespans granting them sufficient accumulation. Thus, they are collectively known as—Tree Demons.
"But this does not mean that flowers and grasses cannot walk this path.
"In fact, if certain flowering plants can break the limits of spiritual accumulation, their transformed forms are often breathtakingly beautiful.
"Unfortunately, the underlying rules of how Magic Power operates severely limit their potential.
"The size of a plant determines its upper limit for Spirituality. Herbaceous plants have short lifespans and fragile forms, making it difficult for them to bear enough Spirituality to complete the transformation.
"Among the Tree Demon population, flowering plants and grasses account for less than one percent—this is nature’s regret, and the cold cruelty of the rules.
"Due to their large size, Tree Demons are generally slow-moving, and some are unable to move a single step in their entire lives.
"But the rules never close all doors.
"When a Tree Demon advances and transforms into another magical life form, they will, like a cicada shedding its shell, completely break free from their innate shackles.
"By extracting life essence, they can condense a brand-new body, thereby gaining the ability to move freely.
"Such beings possess powerful innate abilities from the moment of their birth.
"They are known as—Tree Spirits."
The textual information that flashed through Mo Ning’s mind was identical to the contents of a certain book.
The magical life form recorded in the book had now truly walked into reality, giving Mo Ning a very strange feeling.
He knew the answer, but he didn’t want to speak up.
Keeping a low profile was a principle he had adhered to since his first day at the academy.
A second later, a voice finally spoke up.
It was a clear female voice, laced with excitement and the trepidation of giving the wrong answer:
"Respected Lord Wizard, you are a Tree Spirit, possessing extraordinary power and wisdom!"
Using his elevated [Eye of Truth], Mo Ning immediately identified the first newcomer to answer the question—Princess Phoebe.
Her pretty face was flushed with two crimson patches of excitement, making her already stunning features even more captivating.
Among this year’s newcomers, she was definitely a star.
The Princess of the Land Kingdom, serial number 029, Spiritual Strength 0.82—she belonged to the most outstanding group.
Her dazzling background and outstanding talent meant she was destined to be in the spotlight from her very first day at the academy.
And she certainly knew how to use it all to her advantage.
Leveraging these assets, she formed a stable alliance with Sitt, serial number 001.
Along with Miss Della, the Count’s daughter and serial number 038, this "trio" had been the most eye-catching team in the crowd since the day it was formed.
All sorts of rumors about Princess Phoebe constantly circulated among the newcomers.
"I heard Princess Phoebe brought a lot of Magic Potions to the academy. She’ll probably be faster than anyone else at condensing her first Spirit Ring."
"It must be nice to be rich! Sitt was probably willing to team up with the Princess because of the Magic Potions, too."
"The day Princess Phoebe allied with Sitt, he put his arm around her shoulder right then and there. The Princess didn’t say anything at the time, but she argued with him about it later."
"Tsk, tsk. Sitt is just the son of a Black Iron Knight, but he’s got quite the appetite, trying to win over both Princess Phoebe and the Count’s daughter, Miss Della, at the same time."
"I heard they negotiated. Princess Phoebe promised that she would become his partner if Sitt becomes an Official Wizard, but until then, she won’t let him lay a single finger on her."
Every time Mo Ning went to the dining hall, he was forced to listen to a pile of boring gossip related to the Princess.
Seeing Princess Phoebe jump to answer first, he immediately realized something: ’Princess Phoebe must have received a good education; she’s definitely not just a pretty face with no substance.’
Tree Spirits were already extremely rare, and information about them was even scarcer.
An ordinary person would find it nearly impossible to encounter this knowledge without entering the academy.
But Mo Ning shook his head inwardly. ’A First Level Wizard’s question wouldn’t be that simple. If I’m not mistaken, the answer needs to specify the exact type of Tree Spirit—in other words, what its original form was before it became a Tree Demon.’
A simple "Tree Spirit" wasn’t worthy of the 1 Black Tower Point reward.
It also didn’t fit the academy’s style of always setting difficult tests.
Sure enough, Lv Mei shook its head gently and said succinctly, "I need a more specific answer."
Princess Phoebe let out a little "Ah."
The two patches of red were still on the young woman’s cheeks, but the earlier joy had vanished, replaced by obvious disappointment.
Mo Ning recited silently in his mind, ’Judging from the texture of its bark, this Tree Spirit Wizard’s original form should be a ’Thorny Plum’.’
He had read many books about Spiritual Plants in the Royal Library, many of which were rare editions with exceptionally clear illustrations.
Perhaps because of his cheat, a single glance at an illustration was enough for it to be "etched" into his mind, every line and pattern perfectly clear. That was why he could identify it.
The trunk and branches of a Thorny Plum have small, sharp thorns, but the branches extending from the Tree Spirit Wizard’s head had none, which was quite misleading.
Even someone familiar with the Thorny Plum would not dare to draw a conclusion so easily.
Mo Ning added in his mind, ’For a newcomer, this question is a bit too difficult.’
But that was so like the academy!
