Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 9: Rose Council
The thought of "living together" flickered like a spark in the mind of the sharp-eared Female Apprentice, Nasha.
But she quickly stamped it out.
’No!’
’That would be far too conspicuous. It would be like putting Mo Ning in the spotlight, attracting even more scrutiny to the boy.’
That was something her mentor, Yi Lin, would absolutely not want to see.
Nasha mulled it over for a moment before quickly adjusting her strategy: she would stay behind the scenes, act discreetly, and establish contact gradually.
Without drawing too much attention, she would clear obstacles for Mo Ning, provide him with resources, and build a connection with him naturally.
It was more of a hassle, but it was the safer approach.
As for the other task her mentor had assigned—providing Mo Ning with Black Tower Points—that was much simpler.
As a core member of the Rose School, her mentor controlled the allocation of a large sum of Black Tower Points.
Using her mentor’s Witchcraft research laboratory, she could transfer a small amount of Black Tower Points under the legitimate guise of "sponsoring an apprentice’s Witchcraft research." The process would be flawless.
Best of all, this method would discreetly place Mo Ning’s name within her mentor’s sphere of influence.
Nasha muttered, "That’s the plan, then," and turned toward the center of the Secret Chamber.
A Crystal Stele stood there, roughly two meters tall and completely translucent. It seemed to be made of the purest Crystal, with countless abstruse runes swimming through it like fish, fading in and out of view in a ceaseless flow.
This was one of the core hubs used to connect with and control all the new apprentices’ Guiding Rings.
Nasha gently pressed her palm against the stele’s surface, and her consciousness quickly interfaced with the vast, surging stream of information within the Crystal Stele.
In that instant, she felt as if she controlled a wondrous world.
Even though this wasn’t the Sharp-eared Female Apprentice’s first time operating the Crystal Stele, she still couldn’t help but marvel, "By the Mystery."
"You lucky boy," she murmured, a small smile playing on her lips as a flicker of anticipation crossed her emerald eyes. "Are you ready for a surprise?"
*****
「Inside Apartment 804.」
Mo Ning had been standing before the floor-to-ceiling window for a long while, gazing at the eerie blue light that suffused the edge of the setting sun.
He tried to piece together some rudimentary theory from the fragments of his memory and his limited observations of this world over the past six months, anything that might explain the phenomenon.
On Blue Star, there were no celestial phenomena that so blatantly violated the laws of optics—it appeared at exactly 5:00 PM, not a second late, its boundary as sharp as a calibrated line.
He had a peculiar intuition: this had to be related to Witchcraft, to some form of intervention by Wizards.
Unfortunately, this was far beyond the pitiful scope of his current knowledge. Even if he wanted to study it, he wouldn’t know where to begin.
After another moment, the gloom that had settled in the room was suddenly chased away by a bright light.
Mo Ning turned to see that the Magic Energy Lamp embedded in the wall had silently lit up on its own.
The so-called "Magic Energy Lamp" was a light fixture that used "Low Level Magic Stones" as its power source.
A warm, orange-yellow light spilled out, bathing the small room in what felt like the serene glow of twilight.
A Magic Stone the size of a thumb could keep a Magic Energy Lamp lit for at least three years.
In the various Kingdoms, only the nobility could afford to use Magic Energy Lamps.
But at the Black Tower Academy, they were standard issue in every dorm room.
Mo Ning muttered, "Such an extravagance," and turned back to sit at his oak desk.
His gaze locked onto the black Guiding Ring lying silently on the desk, and a sliver of self-doubt began to sprout:
’Could I have been overthinking things? Is the Guiding Ring just an ID and a basic guidance tool? Did the academy not set up any so-called ’real-time surveillance’?’
The very moment that doubt surfaced, an extremely faint ripple of Magic Power emanated from within the Guiding Ring—a ripple he keenly detected.
Mo Ning’s gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, he picked up the ring and slipped it back onto his index finger.
A stream of information flowed into his mind:
[Authorization Notice: Serial Number 7-118-256, Mo Ning.]
[The Academy encourages all research and attempts at improving Witchcraft based on reason and innovation. The application channel for ’Preliminary Research Funding’ is now open to you.]
[You may submit a detailed research proposal, which must include your theoretical basis, a feasibility analysis, and your projected goals. Upon passing a review by the relevant academy council, you may be awarded a research grant of a variable amount.]
[Do you wish to initiate the application process? Please prepare your proposal and submit it using the Guiding Ring’s ’Image Transmission’ function.]
Mo Ning’s eyes instantly filled with delight.
’The Guiding Ring really is a tool for the academy to monitor new apprentices!’
’My carefully orchestrated Divination performance was received by the ’audience’!’
’And this so-called ’research funding application’ is clearly just a legitimate way to issue a reward.’
The academy clearly valued Spiritual Talent and bloodline talent, and was willing to provide more Black Tower Points for them.
Similarly, the academy valued a new apprentice’s talent for Secret Divination, and those who possessed this gift would also receive more funding.
What surprised Mo Ning even more was how the research system’s operating model, as revealed by the message—submit a proposal, review and evaluate, allocate funds—was strikingly similar to the research project application process he was familiar with from his past life.
"A highly organized, process-driven system for producing knowledge..." A light flashed in his eyes, his joy deepening.
For someone like him, who possessed the [Eye of Truth] and could efficiently "produce" new knowledge, this environment was a tailor-made stage.
A moment later, a cool sensation once again came from the Guiding Ring.
New authorization information flowed in:
[You have been granted the permission: Image Transmission. Effective Range: The entirety of Black Tower Academy.]
’Just as I thought!’ Mo Ning realized.
’The Guiding Ring’s functions aren’t limited to what it’s shown so far. It’s more like a ’multi-function terminal’ that needs permissions to be unlocked.’
’During the novice stage, only the most basic functions are available.’
He quickly processed the instructions for "Image Transmission"—it was a form of Witchcraft that used the Spirit Seal on the Guiding Ring to convert physical information, like text and images, into a Magic Power signal for remote transmission.
Mo Ning straightened up the stack of scale pattern paper covered in his Secret Divination deductions, then aimed the embossed "Black Tower" insignia on his Guiding Ring at the manuscript.
He focused his mind intently and immediately sensed a wondrous, indescribable presence.
It was the fundamental building block of Witchcraft—a Spirit Seal.
However, since he had not yet formed a Spirit Ring and produced no Magic Power of his own, he couldn’t observe the Spirit Seal through a "Magic Sensing Perspective." He could only vaguely sense its presence.
At Mo Ning’s thought, the "Black Tower" insignia suddenly lit up, emitting a soft, pure, milky-white glow.
A solid beam of light shot out from it, enveloping the entire stack of papers like a searchlight.
A wondrous change occurred.
Under the beam’s illumination, the tough scale pattern paper seemed to lose its physical form, instantly becoming translucent. The Secret Spirit Text on the pages, however, grew even clearer, appearing like an Illusion suspended in mid-air.
This unusual state lasted for about three heartbeats before the beam retracted, and the manuscript returned to normal.
The transmission was complete.
Mo Ning watched with great interest. This "batch transmission" method was far more advanced than the "one-by-one scanning" he had anticipated.
He waited for about two minutes.
Finally, the Guiding Ring once again sent out that familiar Ice Cold sensation.
He held his breath, focused his mind, and received the new message:
[Review Notification: Serial Number 7-118-256, Mo Ning.]
[The Academy’s subordinate research evaluation body, the ’Rose Council,’ has completed its review of your submission: ’An Optimization Plan for the Sub-zero Level Witchcraft, "Flash."’]
[Review Findings: The proposed concept possesses a degree of novelty. The theoretical deductions are rigorous, and the plan demonstrates high feasibility.]
[Resolution: To encourage deep exploration of and innovative thinking on basic Witchcraft Models, the Rose Council has decided to award you a one-time research incentive grant of 300 Black Tower Points.]
[The funds have been transferred to your Guiding Ring account. Current balance: 375 Black Tower Points. We look forward to your continued perseverance on the path to truth and your contributions toward the construction of the great Witchcraft Tower.]
’300 points?!’
Mo Ning shot up from his chair, his heart pounding in his chest.
Sitt, apprentice #001, had received 150 Black Tower Points. He now had a total of 375, far surpassing all the other new apprentices.
’I’d expected an extra reward, and even set an ’optimistic’ estimate for myself—100 points, maybe 200 at most.’
’After all, this was just a proposed improvement for a Sub-zero Level Trick. To an Official Wizard, its value would be pitifully low.’
And yet, the actual reward was a windfall that blew his optimistic projections out of the water.
’This Rose Council is so ’generous’!’
After the initial shock, a wave of pure ecstasy washed over him.
This windfall didn’t just mean he wouldn’t have to worry about basic research materials for a while; it was also an incredibly clear signal:
’His ’performance’ had been a success!’
’His value had been noticed by a Wizard Organization within the academy, and they were willing to make an early investment in him.’
Mo Ning pumped his fist and exclaimed with genuine gratitude, "All hail the Rose Council!"
Just then, a penetrating chill rose from the Guiding Ring once more.
