Chapter 63: Chapter 61: Taking the Moonlight Potion
「At the same time.」
「Apartment 804.」
Mo Ning set down his Ink Tube Pen, his expression grim.
In the past few minutes, he had already covered a sheet of scale pattern paper with strings of Divination Formulas.
He had rested for less than thirty seconds after walking through the door before he began drafting a new theoretical framework for improving the Breathing Technique.
When it came to diligence, few of the nearly sixty thousand Apprentices in the entire academy could compare to him.
Like Reina, Mo Ning had also received an urgent notice from the academy.
In fact, his message contained an extra line:
[The second general assessment (originally scheduled for three days from now) will be postponed to six days from now. Please make the appropriate arrangements.]
The theme of the assessment was wilderness survival. A three-day delay meant more time to prepare.
For him, this wasn’t a bad thing.
’The assessment most likely went wrong.’
Mo Ning’s mind raced.
’It’s highly likely people died—and not just one. Many others were probably injured. Otherwise, the academy wouldn’t have suddenly postponed the schedule by three days.’
It was impossible that *many* people had died. The academy always had dedicated personnel monitoring the new arrivals. If a situation went south, a Supervisor was bound to intervene.
Mo Ning thought of Anya’s gentle, lovely face and considered asking her to find out what was going on.
BUZZ—
His Secret Technique Whisper vibrated.
A message from the Noble Lady arrived, as if she had read his mind:
[Something major must have happened during the assessment. I’ll go find out and tell you the situation later.]
The corners of Mo Ning’s mouth curved up slightly, his satisfaction with Anya growing.
’She’s proactive and takes initiative without even being asked. Where else could I find an assistant like her?’
He pushed the stray thoughts from his mind and went back to drafting the second version of his theoretical framework.
Barely three minutes passed.
Anya had already gathered the intel.
[The random assessment the academy arranged in the Secluded Forest really did turn into a huge mess.]
[Originally, the academy released two Dragon Lizardmen and a large number of Giant Poisonous Mosquitos into the forest, intending to test the new arrivals’ ability to respond to danger.]
Mo Ning’s pupils contracted slightly.
He had seen an introduction to Dragon Lizardmen in the books of the Royal Library—Lizardmen who possessed diluted Giant Dragon blood, making them stronger and more intelligent than ordinary Lizardmen.
Because of their bloodline, many Dragon Lizardmen could spew high-temperature flames, a fragmented gift inherited from their ancestors.
The mention of Dragon Lizardmen also triggered his memories of information about Giant Dragons.
As early as over twenty thousand years ago—in the twelfth millennium of the Era of Secret Divination—the power of the Wizard Civilization had accumulated to an unprecedented height.
The race of Giant Dragons that once spanned the land, ruling the skies and mountains with absolute might, finally met their fate of complete defeat.
The Giant Dragons unwilling to submit were mercilessly erased by the Wizards.
Their bodies became prized High Level Spiritual Materials for the Wizards, and their names were expunged from the annals of history, leaving only faint shadows in legend.
As for the remaining Giant Dragons, they were subjugated by the Wizards, transformed from invincible overlords of the sky into tools of war that could be commanded.
The great feat that the Ancient Wizards could never achieve was accomplished by the new Wizards of the Era of Secret Divination.
In any case, Dragon Lizardmen were incredibly powerful—it was said that even a Black Iron Knight would struggle to defeat one.
’And the academy was using these things to test new arrivals? What were they thinking?’
[They were lurking by the path, preparing to launch a surprise attack, when they suddenly entered a frenzied state.]
[The two Dragon Lizardmen burst into Dragon Breath Flames and began frantically spewing fireballs at the crowd. Three new arrivals were killed on the spot, and over forty others suffered burns of varying degrees.]
[After the situation spiraled out of control, the assessment’s Supervisor promptly activated Space Magic and teleported the Dragon Lizardmen back to Biological Taming Center No. 43.]
[I heard the academy has already sent two investigators to handle the matter. All the Apprentices involved have been taken to the Arbitration Court.]
Anya ended the message with a sentence full of relief.
[Thank goodness your discerning eyes found the hidden path through the Thorny Rong. Otherwise, we would have met with disaster too.]
Mo Ning found himself clicking his tongue.
He certainly knew what the "Arbitration Court" was—it was the academy’s most dreaded and powerful institution.
The Wizards and Apprentices qualified to join its ranks were, without exception, the best of their peers.
They dealt with Dark Wizards year-round, contended with Forbidden Sects hiding in the shadows, hunted and killed dangerous Magic Creatures, and handled all the dirty work that couldn’t see the light of day.
Regarding the news Anya sent, the first thought that popped into Mo Ning’s mind was: ’Someone in the academy tampered with things behind the scenes.’
’Otherwise, how could a low-probability event like two Dragon Lizardmen going berserk at the same time happen to occur during the assessment for new arrivals?’
’Without a doubt, the academy also realized there was a problem. That’s why the Arbitration Court got involved so quickly.’
Mo Ning brushed a finger over the face of his ring and didn’t hold back his praise for the Noble Lady:
[Good work. This information is very important to me!]
He didn’t explain why the "information was very important."
Anya’s attitude showed obvious humility: [Serving you is my job, and your satisfaction is my honor.]
She also didn’t press him on why the "information was very important."
The Noble Lady’s perceptiveness was always so impeccable that one couldn’t find the slightest fault.
Mo Ning turned his head to look at the lonely, snow-covered mountains outside the floor-to-ceiling window, sinking into deep thought.
Fragments of memory began to piece themselves together in his mind.
Fragment one—Second Level Apprentice Lai Te deliberately spreading the rumor that "a fortuitous encounter was hidden in the Secluded Forest."
Fragment two—Gavin, serial number 024, found dead late at night at the entrance to the path, his body covered in colorful mushrooms.
Fragment three—Sitt, serial number 001, cracking the Secret Gate at the Lecture Hall entrance and displaying a powerful bloodline talent.
Fragment four—Kanda, serial number 186, and his bizarre behavior in the cafeteria.
Fragment five—the assessment in the forest suddenly spinning out of control, both Dragon Lizardmen going berserk, and three new arrivals dying on the spot.
These fragments seemed unrelated, but now they were being quietly strung together by an invisible thread.
Mo Ning unconsciously recalled some alarming passages he had read in a book:
"As everyone knows, Secret Divination and Divination is of such paramount importance that a Wizard without sufficient Divination Talent can hardly go far on the path of pursuing power.
"But the desire for power—or rather, greed—is deeply rooted in every Wizard’s soul.
"Certain Wizards lacking Divination Talent will secretly resort to Forbidden Secret Techniques to gain power and advance further.
"The origins of most Forbidden Secret Techniques can be traced back to Ancient Wizards, but they have undergone many modifications over the long course of time.
"As one can judge from the word ’Forbidden,’ Forbidden Secret Techniques have an inseparable link to the Forbidden Sects.
"And those Dark Wizards who constantly spread bloodshed and terror throughout the world are always entangled with the Forbidden Sects.
"The academy cannot satisfy the greed lurking deep in human nature, but the Forbidden Sects provide a path. Thus, there are always those who are drawn to the flame like moths.
"Based on this, I have always believed that the academy can never completely eradicate the Dark Wizards.
"They are like troublesome weeds—the academy goes to great lengths to clear out one batch, and after a few years or a decade, another batch will sprout up."
Recalling this passage now, he suddenly felt a faint chill, as if the cold from the vast, snowy plains outside had seeped into the room.
Mo Ning got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the snowflakes dance leisurely between heaven and earth.
’Could some people inside the academy be connected to the Forbidden Sects and Dark Wizards?’
Once this thought surfaced, it could no longer be suppressed.
The forceful intervention of the academy’s Arbitration Court in the investigation seemed to be a strong piece of evidence.
Mo Ning remembered a description from a book:
"Those fellows in Black Robes (Black Robes are the uniform of the Arbitration Court) usually wear expressionless faces, as if someone owes them a huge amount of Black Tower Points.
"Their noses are sharper than a hound’s; they can smell the faint stench of a Dark Wizard from a great distance."
Mo Ning reined in his racing thoughts and let out a silent sigh.
He had a gut feeling—an undercurrent was surging within the academy, and perhaps in the near future, it would brew into a violent storm.
But as someone at the very bottom of the academy, the only thing he could do was work hard to improve his own strength.
Mo Ning stood fixedly before the floor-to-ceiling window for a moment before turning, walking to his secure locker, and opening the door.
After taking advantage of the academy’s resources on multiple occasions, his locker was no longer empty. It now held a scattered assortment of items.
For an ordinary new arrival, this was an unimaginably large fortune.
Mo Ning’s gaze swept over the contents and landed on a small, exquisite vial.
Inside the transparent, colorless vial, a soft glow like moonlight rippled gently, as if a handful of real moonlight had been sealed within the glass.
Upon closer inspection, one could see many suspended droplets drifting within the glow. Unbound by gravity, they floated, collided, and separated lightly within the vial.
Mo Ning reached out, took the small vial, and twisted off the cap.
The moonlit droplets immediately surged toward the opening, scrambling over one another as if they had finally found a chance to escape.
He didn’t have time for a closer look and downed the Moonlight Potion in one gulp.
A chill spread rapidly from his throat throughout his body, making him shiver uncontrollably and causing a layer of fine goosebumps to break out on his skin.
He endured the discomfort, took out the Calming Ointment, and applied a small amount to his forehead and temples.
Using two Magic Potions at the same time was quite a luxury for most Apprentices.
But he didn’t care.
Having done all this, Mo Ning lay down on his single bed, preparing for today’s Meditation.
His consciousness sank into his Spiritual World, and he quickly locked onto the glowing statue—the Phantom Carving.
SCREEE—
A clear, high-pitched eagle’s cry echoed through his Spiritual World.
The Phantom Carving spread its wings.
The next moment.
His world was turned upside down.
Mo Ning found himself standing in a cramped room, facing Zhang Xiaoxiao’s slightly panicked face.
Her hair was a bit messy, and her cheeks were still flushed with a blush that hadn’t faded.
"My parents are back!"
She lowered her voice, pushing him further into the room. "Hide in my closet for now. I’ll sneak you out in the middle of the night."
Mo Ning was also a little panicked, and could only manage an, "Oh."
The class beauty seemed apologetic. Before closing the closet door, she suddenly leaned in and gently pressed a kiss to his lips.
MWAH—
It seemed to be a form of compensation.
Mo Ning felt a little dizzy.
The closet door closed, blocking out the light.
In the darkness, only the sound of his heartbeat remained, each beat heavy and fast.
Mo Ning touched his lips and grinned foolishly.
The mini soap opera was on air again.
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