Free Web NovelChapter 48: Chapter 46: Astonishing Reward
Mo Ning’s ears perked up, his heart filled with anticipation for the upcoming assessment rewards.
A refreshing coolness spread from the Guiding Ring.
The Witch Spirit’s voice did not sound again; it seemed to have completed its task and departed.
A torrent of information flooded his mind.
[Reward Notification: Serial Number 7-118-256, Mo Ning.]
[Your performance in the hidden assessment, "The Scenery’s Hidden Divination Puzzle," was awe-inspiring. You will receive the following rewards.]
THUMP!
Mo Ning’s heart gave a heavy thump, and his throat went dry.
After the first general assessment, he had made a point to learn about the academy’s evaluation standards.
The academy’s evaluations were typically divided into four tiers.
The first was "Pass."
An unremarkable performance with no notable highlights would earn a "Pass."
In the academy’s lexicon, this was roughly equivalent to "Ordinary."
The difficulty of the academy’s assessments had always been outrageously high, so the goal for most newcomers and Apprentices was simply to get a "Pass."
The second was "Acceptable."
This could be understood as "a few notable moments, but not many."
Only the top newcomers—like Sitt, serial number 001, and Vino, serial number 014—had the confidence to aim for this evaluation.
The third tier was "Excellent."
An evaluation in this tier came with extra rewards.
According to rumors circulating in Lakefront Manor, among the tens of thousands of Apprentices in the academy who completed tens of thousands of assessment tasks each year, there were typically only a little over a thousand "Excellent" evaluations.
He had been surprised to receive an "Excellent" himself for the first general assessment.
The highest tier was "Awe-inspiring."
In the eyes of the newcomers, this evaluation was already legendary.
It was said that the number of "Awe-inspiring" evaluations at the academy each year was only in the single digits.
Mo Ning had actually anticipated this. The hidden assessment was so difficult that he was very likely to receive the highest-tier evaluation.
But now that he was actually seeing it, he was so excited his palms were starting to sweat.
「And then.」
The list of rewards that followed made his palms actually grow damp.
More information about the rewards followed.
[Reward 1: Two bottles of Moonlight Frost Dew Potion. This Magic Potion permanently increases Spiritual Strength.]
[Reward Addendum: May you always maintain a clear mind.]
[Description: This Magic Potion contains the Spiritual Power of the Moonlight Demon Flower and Frost Dew Bird Essence Blood. It can effectively nourish one’s spirit and permanently increase Spiritual Strength.]
[Quality Evaluation: Excellent. Experimental comparisons show this potion’s efficacy is 36.4% higher than a standard Moonlight Frost Dew Potion, with 32.8% fewer side effects.]
[Efficacy Evaluation: Experiments show that within one month of consumption, Spiritual Strength can increase by 0.07-0.08 points.]
[Side Effects: This Magic Potion has a ’cold’ property that can cause body temperature to drop to 32-33 degrees for seven days. It is recommended to take measures to stay warm immediately after consumption, such as soaking in a warm bath.]
[Usage Restriction 1: Most effective when user’s Spiritual Strength is below 10.0; efficacy is significantly reduced otherwise.]
[Usage Restriction 2: Do not consume more than twice in one year. The effect diminishes with repeated use. There must be an interval of at least six months between the two doses. Lifetime consumption must not exceed three doses, or the effect will be significantly reduced.]
Mo Ning shot up from his chair with a WHOOSH. The legs scraped across the floor, letting out a harsh SCREECH.
A permanent Spiritual Potion!
A high-quality Magic Potion!
And two bottles of it!
It was common knowledge that Magic Potion quality was divided into three grades: Common, Excellent, and Zhuoyue.
Common quality potions weren’t given a special designation, as there was no noteworthy information to add.
For example, the [Calming Ointment] from the first general assessment and the two jars of [Calming Ointment] he had requested for his second research project were both of Common quality.
Only potions of Excellent quality or higher were specially designated.
More importantly, conventional purchasing channels—the academy store and even [Dawa’s Grocery List]—didn’t sell Excellent quality Magic Potions at all.
This was the first time Mo Ning had learned that a top-tier evaluation could actually award an Excellent quality Magic Potion.
The Effect of the [Moonlight Frost Dew Potion] was even more of a delightful surprise.
He had browsed through plenty of Magic Potions that permanently increased Spiritual Strength on the grocery list.
For example, the most common one, the [Moonlight Potion], stated in its description that it "increases Spiritual Strength by 0.02-0.03 points within a month"—an effect far inferior to this new potion.
Even so, its price was a steep 60 Black Tower Points, and most Apprentices were unwilling to buy it.
You couldn’t even find a Common quality [Moonlight Frost Dew Potion] on the grocery list.
Scarcity creates value. This was enough to prove just how precious this Magic Potion was.
Numerically, it might seem like three or four bottles of [Moonlight Potion] could match one bottle of [Moonlight Frost Dew Potion], but that was a deeply flawed assumption.
This was because all permanent-stat Magic Potions came with a "resistance" limitation—the "effect diminishes with repeated use" mentioned in the description. The more you took, the less effective it became.
Therefore, taking five bottles of [Moonlight Potion] wouldn’t necessarily be as good as a single bottle of [Moonlight Frost Dew Potion].
Moreover, it was rare to be able to take more than five doses of any single type of potion, making it impossible to succeed just by "stacking numbers."
The more potent a Magic Potion, the more expensive it was.
Mo Ning did a quick calculation in his head and reached a conclusion that even he found startling. ’The value of these two Excellent quality Magic Potions is definitely no less than 1,000 Black Tower Points.’
That came out to 500 Black Tower Points per bottle.
This reward alone far surpassed what he had received from the first general assessment.
The Treasure assessment truly lived up to its name!
Mo Ning couldn’t suppress the smile on his face. ’I’ve already constructed the Divine Statue Technique, and my Meditation efficiency has improved dramatically.’
’With these two Excellent quality Magic Potions, forming my first Spirit Ring within a year shouldn’t be a problem.’
He had originally estimated it would take him a year and a half, but this new Magic Potion had just cut that time down by more than half.
Mo Ning couldn’t help but praise, ’Praise be to the generous Lord Wizard!’
The stream of information continued, bringing with it an even bigger surprise.
[Your outstanding performance in this hidden assessment moved the Assessor. You will receive an additional reward.]
[Additional Reward: You have obtained "Walking into the Painting."]
[When the spatial projection outside your residence displays scenes such as the "Great White Birch Forest," "Roaring River," "Silent Snowfield," "Heaven-Swaying Sword Waterfall," or "Nu Ti Grassland," you can use this Witchcraft Item to enter the corresponding location.]
[Addendum: Young friend, a Wizard’s true path always lies in the unknown and alluring distance. A Wizard confined to the academy can hardly grow. I sincerely hope you find your own unique adventure in the lands beyond.]
[Within half an hour, the assessment rewards will be delivered to your secure locker.]
Mo Ning was stunned.
By the Mysteries!
’This reward, [Walking into the Painting]... it looks like a spatial item, doesn’t it?’
He paced back and forth in his residence, so euphoric he wanted to scream.
He’d really struck it rich with this hidden assessment!
Although the item had a major restriction—he could only enter when the corresponding scene appeared outside his panoramic window—its value was undeniable.
There were no spatial items for sale on the grocery list, so there was nothing to compare it to.
But he conservatively estimated the item’s value at no less than 2,000 Black Tower Points.
「Ten seconds later.」
Mo Ning finally managed to suppress his wild joy.
He gazed at the grassland, slowly being consumed by twilight, and thought to himself, ’So the beautiful scenery outside my window that changes every day is called a "spatial projection."’
The picturesque view, once something he could only "look at from a distance," had suddenly become a place he could enter. It was a strange and wonderful feeling.
Mo Ning took a deep breath and, in his heart, earnestly responded to the Assessor’s wishes:
’Lord Wizard, sooner or later—and perhaps that day isn’t far off—I will travel to the farthest mountains and seas!’
From what he’d read in books, the Wizard World was unbelievably vast; no single book could provide exact figures.
But he was certain that the combined surface area of hundreds, even thousands, of planets like Blue Star would likely fall short of the Wizard World.
Compared to this immense world, Black Tower Academy was merely a drop in the ocean.
The academy was his starting point, but it was by no means his final destination.
Mo Ning hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked:
"Witch Spirit, are you still there?"
He immediately asked the question on his mind: "Can I know the name of the Lord Wizard who created the assessment?"
The Witch Spirit had not left.
Its trademark mechanical voice sounded again, devoid of any emotion:
[Insufficient permission.]
Mo Ning didn’t mind. "Alright."
The side effect of the [Moonlight Frost Dew Potion] was bizarre—he’d have to soak in a bathtub for seven days after taking it—so he didn’t plan on using it just yet.
Newcomers had mandatory classes every two or three days during their first month at the academy, so there was simply no time to spare.
*****
「Five in the morning.」
Mo Ning sat at his desk and set down the Ink Tube Pen.
The barrel of the pen touched the desk, making a faint TAP that was exceptionally clear in the silence.
He let out a long sigh of relief. "Finally finished."
Mo Ning surveyed the twenty-odd sheets of scale pattern paper covered in Secret Spirit Text before him, a slight smile gracing his lips.
The title on the first sheet of scale pattern paper read: *An Optimization Plan for the Sub-zero Level Witchcraft, "Flash."*
This was his first research project.
After putting it off for several days, Mo Ning had finally concluded the project.
He had worked straight through until one in the morning the previous night, getting about eighty percent of it done.
After three hours of sleep, he had dragged himself out of bed at four to finish the rest.
「At this moment.」
The eastern sky was already beginning to pale.
Mo Ning noticed the change in light and subconsciously glanced outside.
A vast expanse of tall, dark silhouettes, like a troupe of silent giants, immediately filled his vision.
The Birch Forest that had appeared on the first day—also known as the "Great White Birch Forest" from [Walking into the Painting]—had reappeared outside his window.
It was like a cycle repeating.
’Why is it called the Great White Birch Forest? Just how big is it?’ Mo Ning wondered, his thoughts wandering for a moment.
He stretched and thought to himself, ’I’ll have to find some time to go see it in a few days.’
The [Walking into the Painting] item had been delivered the previous night.
The appearance of this spatial Witchcraft Item was completely different from what he had imagined.
Mo Ning had originally thought it might be a picture frame.
But when he opened his secure locker, what he saw was an exceptionally exquisite brooch.
