Chapter 113 - 86: Mo Ning, You Know So Much
Overhead was, surprisingly, a real, azure sky—the kind of pure blue that could only be seen outdoors, a blue so pure it made one want to take a deep breath.
A few white clouds drifted by, as fluffy and soft as cotton candy, their edges brightly outlined by the sunlight.
The cobblestone path extended forward for about thirty meters, connecting to a large expanse of black bamboo forest enclosed by a low fence.
The early morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground and rendering the entire grove into an ink wash painting.
Deep within the bamboo grove, two clear streams could be faintly seen meandering through.
The scene was the very picture of pastoral charm.
Many of the newcomers who had entered ahead of him were already standing before the gate in the fence, waiting quietly.
Although the fence was no taller than a meter and the gate wasn’t locked, no one dared to recklessly climb over or open the half-closed gate.
Mo Ning moved to the back of the crowd. His gaze passed through the gaps between people, and for the first time in his life, he saw the Spiritual Plant called Steel Bamboo up close.
They were just over two meters tall, not much higher than an average adult man, and about as thick as a child’s arm. In the morning light, they gave off a faint, cold glint.
This was their immature state—according to the books, Steel Bamboo was only considered mature once it grew to a height of three meters.
The leaves were purplish-black, trembling gently in the breeze. The edges of the blades were as thin as a cicada’s wing and didn’t seem particularly dangerous.
But Mo Ning knew. ’This stuff is as sharp as a razor’s edge.’
Many in the crowd were quite knowledgeable and aware of the danger posed by the Steel Bamboo leaves. They were reminding their companions in low voices:
"Be extremely careful with these leaves. They can slice through tough Leather Armor more easily than tearing a sheet of paper."
"I’ve heard that every year, a number of unlucky souls get cut. Some even get their fingers chopped off."
"Remember to protect your eyes. They say someone was blinded instantly when a leaf sprang back and hit them in the eye."
"And be warned, if you get injured in the grove, you have to pay for your own treatment. You’ll end up spending more than you earn."
That last sentence—"pay for your own treatment"—made the corner of Mo Ning’s mouth twitch.
Before they entered the academy, the Second Level Apprentice, Lai Te, had stood before Black Tower One and read out the institution’s rules and regulations.
One rule had been perfectly clear: "The Academy bears no responsibility for the injury or death of any Apprentice on its grounds."
A work-related injury within the Steel Bamboo Forest clearly fell under this clause.
’The academy administrators are pretty damn cruel.’
But even more of the newcomers stared at the Steel Bamboo with fervent gazes, as if they couldn’t wait to get inside and "work."
Mo Ning activated his [Insightful Secret Eye] and scanned the area. He discovered that even a "top expert" like Sitt, serial number 001, looked eager to get started.
Apparently, even the Top Students who received the highest starting funds were struggling with a lack of Black Tower Points.
With a thought, his [Insightful Secret Eye] instantly shot up dozens of meters, giving him a bird’s-eye view of the entire Steel Bamboo Forest.
His field of view widened dramatically in that instant. The black bamboo stalks, enclosed by the fence, looked like countless black javelins thrust into the earth.
A second later,
Mo Ning knew the exact number of Steel Bamboo stalks: 12,580.
He couldn’t help but smack his lips. ’This is a truly enviable fortune.’
He suddenly understood something. ’The academy controls vast resources. No wonder Dark Wizards would send people to infiltrate it.’
’The Black Tower Academy is overflowing with wealth—Steel Bamboo, Spiritual Materials, Witchcraft Scriptures, and High Tier Inheritances. It’s enough to make the Dark Wizards hiding in the shadows go mad with envy.’
’To get their hands on these resources, they’d naturally try every method possible to infiltrate the academy.’
’Kanda was probably just the tip of the iceberg.’
A few seconds later,
something abruptly happened.
A spot of pale flame appeared inside the fenced area with no warning whatsoever.
The flame was initially the size of a pea, but it expanded rapidly, swelling to the size of a human head in the blink of an eye.
Then, it burst violently!
FWOOSH—
A shower of sparks rained down, covering a large area inside the fence. The fine embers danced, spun, and fell through the air in a terrifying display.
The newcomers at the front shrieked in unison and scrambled back like a flock of startled birds.
"Aaaah—!"
"Back up, back up!"
The scene descended into chaos.
But the sparks vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving only a faint, scorched scent in the air.
And from within the fading fiery light, five figures quickly emerged.
The one in the lead was, surprisingly, an Apprentice in a gray robe.
Two silver threads were embroidered on the right breast of his robe—the mark of a Second Level Apprentice.
The man’s appearance was extremely odd.
A small portion of his face was visible; the rest was completely hidden by a black mask.
The mask was smooth and featureless, bearing no expression. The only mark was a conspicuous, light-blue triangular symbol on the forehead, which gleamed faintly in the morning light.
Mo Ning glanced at the triangular symbol. ’Someone from the Bell Tower Council!’
It was one of the three major Wizard Organizations, on par with the Rose Council. This was information he had gotten from Anya.
The Apprentices who qualified as Preparatory Members for the three major councils made up only twenty percent of the academy’s entire student body—about twelve thousand people.
Many Apprentices who joined a council liked to display its symbol in a conspicuous place as a declaration of their status.
Of course, there was an undeniable element of showing off.
The councils offered generous benefits and ample opportunities to participate in Witchcraft research, which inevitably gave members a strong sense of superiority over non-members.