Chapter 154 - 98: Mr. Mo Ning: So Shrewd, So Rich
7:50 AM.
The Mysterious Secret Hall of the Quiet Forest.
Morning light, woven from Magic Power, descended from the dome, illuminating the ancient stone pillars and runes within the hall.
One by one, the new arrivals filed in from the direction of the dining hall, having finished their breakfast. Their faces were etched with a solemn gravity, as if carved by an invisible blade.
Like droplets of water, they silently flowed into the pooling crowd.
In the center of the hall, a cloth banner dozens of meters long hung frozen in the void, its fabric stirring without a breeze.
It had originally been a deep black, but today it had turned a startling blood-red, seeming to hint at something—danger, death, or perhaps something even more unspeakable.
A line of extra-large, jet-black Secret Spirit Text slithered slowly across the banner, as if alive:
"Wilderness Lost Begins in: 9 minutes, 57 seconds!"
With every second that passed, a large ripple pulsed across the banner’s surface, and the number on the countdown ticked down.
The red background and black text intertwined, creating a heart-pounding visual impact.
The moment Mo Ning stepped off the Secluded Path, his gaze swept over the sea of heads and precisely located two familiar figures standing at the edge of the crowd.
Anya and Reina.
At the same time, the two girls also saw Mo Ning.
Anya’s face broke into a smile. She waved and mouthed a single phrase: "Over here!"
She stood there, poised and graceful, her long black hair tied up with a simple satin ribbon. A few stray strands fell beside her ears, creating a picturesque scene.
Reina’s beautiful eyes had held a hint of bewilderment, but the instant she saw Mo Ning, it vanished as if she had found her anchor.
Her pretty face bloomed into a smile as bright as a flower, and the cowlick on her forehead bobbed strangely three times, as if offering some sort of silent salute.
Though it had only been two days, the Dazed Girl’s beauty seemed to have subtly improved, and even her pair of small apples seemed to have grown a little, as if they’d received ample nourishment.
It really made one wonder: what strange things had Reina spent her 50 Black Tower Points of "assistant’s salary" on?
Mo Ning returned the greeting with a nod and walked over to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the two girls.
Anya quickly conveyed the latest news via [Secret Technique Whisper]:
[Princess Phoebe relayed an invitation from Sitt. He invited us to join his Battle Group, but I refused him directly.]
[However, Sitt still wished us success in the assessment and said we could ask him for help if needed.]
A flicker of satisfaction passed through Mo Ning’s eyes.
’The Noble Lady knew him too well. She understood that he didn’t want to get involved with the Battle Group, so she had flatly rejected the invitation without bothering him with such a trivial matter. The goodwill he had previously shown Sitt was now paying off—he could be certain Sitt wouldn’t try to trip them up from the shadows.’
Reina, meanwhile, turned her head and quietly mouthed a message:
"Teacher Buck accepted your invitation. He’s already left for the Royal Capital of the Holy Spear Kingdom. The teacher said he will do everything in his power to investigate the cause of Sir Rent’s death."
The corner of Mo Ning’s mouth twitched upward slightly.
’His plugin’s ability allowed him to read the Dazed Girl’s lips flawlessly. And he had to admit, Reina’s lips were quite lovely.’
Her pink lips glistened in the morning light. They were full and round, with soft edges, exuding a healthy and vibrant appeal.
Reina’s red lips continued to output information, the silent words translating into clear sentences in Mo Ning’s mind:
"The teacher also said that your revised thesis was a huge inspiration to him. The Divination deduction section on Magic Power conduction, in particular, solved two problems that had puzzled him for decades."
The amusement in Mo Ning’s eyes deepened.
’A single revised thesis had been enough to easily hook Old Buck. The result was even better than he had anticipated. He had even prepared two backup plans—one was to invite Old Buck to further improve the [Thorny Vine Technique], and the other was to invite him to research the [Secret Needle Technique] together. The former could improve one’s Divination Ability, while the latter could enhance Spiritual Strength. He refused to believe that the old apprentice, who had languished as a Second Level Apprentice for decades, wouldn’t be tempted. But neither plan had been necessary. It made him realize he had apparently underestimated the influence of the title "Divination genius." That thing was practically a universal "foot in the door."’
Mo Ning’s gaze shifted as he began to observe the other new arrivals.
The crowd was clearly split into two factions. One, of course, was the Battle Group organized by the Top Ten Squad and the new arrivals who had allied with them, making up sixty percent of the newcomers.
Even though Remi had died in the Steel Bamboo Forest, the "legacy" he left behind was still benefiting the Battle Group.
The other faction was the "Loose People."
He also noticed that more than half of the new arrivals were carrying a type of gray-green, thick, and distinctly angular backpack—an Adventurer’s pack.
Evidently, from the name "Wilderness Lost" and the Guiding Ring’s hint—"No food or water may be brought"—the newcomers had already guessed this would be a wilderness survival-type assessment.
Therefore, as soon as they received the notification, everyone had rushed to the newcomer’s shop to snap up a batch of items specifically for wilderness survival.
Since some people brought too many miscellaneous odds and ends, they had no choice but to use backpacks to carry it all.
The so-called "Adventurer’s pack" was sewn from two layers of special waterproof, stiff cloth. A fine metal wire mesh was woven between the two layers, making it astonishingly durable.