Chapter 112 - 86: Mo Ning, You Know So Much
This was a must.
The key questions were—when to report? Who to report to? And what evidence to submit?
Mo Ning had come up with two options for now. "The first is to report it directly through the Guiding Ring. The second is to report it through the Rose Council."
He was more inclined toward the latter.
As a Second Level Preparatory Member of the Rose Council, he could submit a report directly to the Council.
This route would likely offer a bigger reward, and it was more confidential.
This was the difference between having a powerful backer and not. With the formidable Rose Council on his side, even filing a report came with a VIP lane.
But as for the specific details of how to report it, he decided he would figure that out after he got back.
「In front of them.」
The front of the crowd had already reached a newly appeared archway of vines.
Through the thin, faint mist beyond the archway, a grassy lawn could be vaguely seen.
A pebble path was laid out across the lawn, winding into the distance. On either side of the path, sharp, conical objects jutted out from the grass like countless arrows pointing straight at the sky.
The moment each newcomer passed through the archway, their bodies were bizarrely stretched long, like a horizontally distorted painting, before they were yanked inside by an invisible hand and vanished into the depths of the mist.
Anya let out a small, surprised "Huh?" and whispered, "Why does entering the plantation look different from entering the dining hall or the Lecture Hall?"
Her question triggered the knowledge base in Mo Ning’s brain.
Information was instantly retrieved and conveyed to the Noble Lady as he began to speak without a second thought:
"According to the ’Rat Energy Light and Shadow Law,’ a distorted change in the level of Magic Power will inevitably cause a distortion of light.
"This phenomenon has also been named ’Rat Distortion.’
"Rat Distortion is a widespread phenomenon that occurs when casting Witchcraft, but the distortion produced by most forms of Witchcraft is not obvious and is difficult for the naked eye to perceive.
"Space Magic is an exception. Space Magic directly affects the transmission of light, a mechanism that can amplify Rat Distortion ten, or even several dozen, times.
"The underwater dining hall and the Lecture Hall are spaces that were cut out and then pieced back together, like building with blocks.
"Once the space stabilized, the flow of Spatial Energy everywhere was reduced to a minimum, so the light distortion almost disappeared.
"But this plantation is different—it is under the constant effect of powerful Space Magic. Potent Magic Power flows through here like a ceaseless river, so the Rat Distortion..."
Only at that moment did Mo Ning realize what he had just said.
He quickly shut his mouth, inwardly regretting it. ’I spoke without thinking, just blurting things out.’
This "academic instinct," honed from spending so much time in the library, was really not appropriate for this kind of situation.
But the look in the two girls’ eyes, tinged with a faint sense of admiration, showed they didn’t think he was "just blurting things out" at all.
Reina, with her enthusiastic personality, directly expressed her thoughts in a tone full of praise, "You know so much."
The Dazed Girl had been warned by the Noble Lady to strictly avoid calling him "Mr. Mo Ning" in public, and she had remembered that.
Anya nodded, expressing her agreement with the sentiment.
Mo Ning seized the opportunity to change the subject. "We’ve fallen a bit behind. Let’s hurry up."
He quickened his pace slightly.
The two girls glanced at each other, exchanging a look.
"I told you Mo Ning was amazing, right?"
"Yeah, he’s incredible!"
The trio, carried along by the tail end of the crowd, slowly arrived at the entrance to the Steel Bamboo Plantation.
The moment Mo Ning’s Sheepskin Boots crossed the invisible boundary and stepped onto the pebble path, a slight, unannounced wave of dizziness washed over him.
The two girls’ voices drifted over from his side, tinged with a hint of confusion and unease.
"My head feels a little dizzy, much more so than when we entered the Lecture Hall." Anya reached up to gently touch her forehead, as if trying to dispel the feeling.
"Me too!" Reina chimed in.
Mo Ning kept his mouth shut, only thinking to himself, ’According to the Barça Spiritual Inequality, Spatial Energy exerts a "pull" on the mind. It’s essentially a dispersive effect on Spiritual Power.’
He felt it was enough that he knew; there was no need to say it out loud.
Knowledge is never for showing off—that was a famous quote from Lord Gao Lei.
Mo Ning had always deeply agreed with this sentiment.
It was somewhat dim up ahead, as if twilight had arrived early.
Reina muttered under her breath, "Why is it so dark?"
Anya guessed, "It must have something to do with the Rat Distortion Mo Ning was just talking about."
Mo Ning remained silent, but inwardly he praised her. ’Exactly! Under specific conditions, Rat Distortion can produce the ’Dark Light Effect,’ which is why this area appears so dim.’
’From this, I can deduce that the area we’re in contains a transitional energy layer that goes from strong to weak—the edge layer of the Space Magic.’
’If we walk a few more steps inside, past the transitional energy layer, the light will return to normal.’
Explaining the perplexing phenomenon before him with his own knowledge gave him a faint sense of pleasure.
This pleasure didn’t stem from a sense of superiority, but from a purer satisfaction, like the kind one gets after solving a difficult problem.
It was the joy of ’I am exploring the unknown, and I am understanding it.’
It was just as he had predicted.
「After another dozen or so steps.」
The pebble path underfoot seemed to reach some invisible boundary. The moment they crossed it, the world instantly brightened.
The dimness vanished in an instant as brilliant light poured down from above, illuminating every inch of land, every leaf, and every pebble in minute detail.