Chapter 123 - 89: It Feels Great to Have a Strong Backer
He couldn’t help but sigh to himself. ’When you’re trying to get by in an organization, it’s so important to have a powerful backer.’
*****
「Three minutes later.」
The two arrived at the central plaza of the Steel Bamboo Forest.
Here, the cobblestone path under their feet opened up, expanding into a circular clearing about thirty meters in diameter.
A fountain stood in the center of the plaza.
But unlike an ordinary fountain, it didn’t spray water, but rather wisps of mist.
The mist billowed from the top of a central stone pillar, splitting into two streams.
One stream rose and spread out in midair, forming lines of text condensed from the mist.
The text drifted slowly upward like wind-blown clouds. The mist at the top constantly dissipated as new lines of text formed at the bottom.
This created the effect of a scrolling display.
The other stream of mist descended, spreading a thin layer of vapor across the ground, like morning dew.
On the ground, the vapor condensed, took shape, and grew, transforming into images of bamboo groves, flowers, grass, and streams.
Old images constantly vanished as new ones appeared, creating a living, ever-changing tapestry.
Mo Ning took one look, and a flicker of amazement crossed his eyes.
Without a doubt, the imagination and aesthetic sense of the Wizard who designed this mist fountain were far beyond the norm.
Anya was also stunned. Her clear eyes reflected the ever-changing images in the mist. "It’s so beautiful!"
There was no one else by the fountain.
Clearly, all the other first-years had already rushed into the Steel Bamboo Forest, eager to begin their first "job" at the academy.
Except for Reina.
The Dazed Girl walked over, her face beaming with joy. The little tuft of hair on her forehead was bouncing much more energetically than usual.
She spoke with childlike excitement, "You’re finally here! I thought the Junior Deacon would keep you for a long time."
She was smart enough not to ask for details, instead just showing her pure elation, like a child whose friends had finally arrived to play.
Reina pointed to the scrolling text above the fountain and smiled. "The rewards for these tasks aren’t bad."
Mo Ning’s mouth twitched slightly when he heard that.
’Not bad?’
He had just glanced at the task list and thought the rewards for the few he saw were pathetic.
[Task One: Scrub Black Moss. Scrub 100 patches of Black Moss from the surface of the Steel Bamboo without damaging the stalk. Marked with a Guiding Ring upon completion. Reward: 3 Black Tower Points.]
[Task Two: Prune Excess Branches. Cut 100 branches from the surface of the Steel Bamboo (below one meter in height) without damaging the main stalk. Marked with a Guiding Ring upon completion. Reward: 4 Black Tower Points.]
The highest-paying task was only worth a measly 6 Black Tower Points.
[Task Five: Clear Excess Rhizomes. Dig up 30 excess Steel Bamboo rhizomes. The cut must be made close to the main stalk. Marked with a Guiding Ring upon completion. Reward: 6 Black Tower Points.]
Mo Ning didn’t discriminate against anyone, and he had no interest in looking down on people.
He’d once written a journal article in ten minutes—an article that was published in the top section of today’s *Shining Light of the Black Tower* and earned him a fee of 260 Black Tower Points.
Compared to that, these plantation tasks, which would take several hours to complete, had a cost-benefit ratio that failed to pique his interest in the slightest.
But not wanting to embarrass the Dazed Girl, Mo Ning agreed earnestly, "They look alright."
He figured since he was already here, he might as well stay for half the day. He wouldn’t be coming back in the afternoon.
Anya was well-prepared. She seemed to have already studied the task list, and she said matter-of-factly:
"Let’s do Task Five. I’m a Black Iron Knight, and I know how to clear rhizomes efficiently."
The "we" in the Noble Lady’s sentence had automatically included the Dazed Girl.
Reina’s face lit up.
She nodded vigorously, her little tuft of hair bobbing wildly. "Okay!"
After seeing how Mo Ning and Anya handled the Dark Wizard Traitor, her desire to join their team had reached its peak.
Because the team had an extremely brilliant mind—Mr. Mo Ning.
It also had extremely sharp eyes—Mr. Mo Ning.
And it had a perpetually calm decision-maker who was an expert at reading any situation—Mr. Mo Ning.
And a resolute and capable executor—Miss Anya.
Those so-called "Strongest Rookies" and "Number One Squads" were nothing but roadside strays compared to this team.
Soon, Anya used her Guiding Ring to register a "Beasts of Burden" squad and accepted Task Five as the team leader.
While they were waiting, Reina had already figured out a lot of task-related details.
Guided by the Dazed Girl, the trio followed another cobblestone path for a few dozen meters and entered a low-ceilinged storeroom.
Inside the storeroom stood two plain wooden puppets.
Anya stepped forward and presented her Guiding Ring.
A faint blue light glowed in the puppet’s eyes. After confirming their identities, it took three black shovels and three black short saws from a shelf behind it and handed them over.
The shovels and saws felt exceptionally heavy, their density clearly greater than steel. Their surfaces shimmered with a fine luster; they were undoubtedly made of Spiritual Materials.
Turning such materials into simple work tools was a clear sign of the academy’s immense wealth.
Then, Anya picked a corner of the bamboo forest and got to work.
The forest was large enough that the first-years had an unspoken agreement to keep their distance from one another. Everyone wanted their own "turf" to be spacious enough to work without being disturbed.
As a result, there was no one else around the trio—only mottled light and shadows filtering through the gaps between bamboo leaves, and the occasional, indistinct sound drifting from a distance.
The two girls huddled together, whispering.
Anya gestured as she quietly explained how to find the rhizomes. Reina would ask a question now and then, the little tuft of hair on her head swaying gently as she nodded.
Mo Ning, meanwhile, wandered about like an idle bystander. He carefully observed the Steel Bamboo stalks, occasionally tapping their surfaces with a finger, but he was always careful to avoid the sharp leaves.
The two girls had no expectation that Mo Ning would do any work, so they didn’t call him over.
Anya’s reasoning was simple: ’A true genius like Mo Ning shouldn’t be doing this kind of menial labor. His time should be spent on more important things.’
Reina’s thoughts were much the same: ’Mr. Mo Ning is different. This kind of strenuous work doesn’t suit him.’