Chapter 99 - 82: Obtaining a Trump Card (Part 2)
At the academy, he knew he was being watched at all times. This feeling of constant scrutiny always kept him on edge.
But now, having entered this place, a strange intuition told him there were no prying eyes here.
So he allowed himself to relax completely. He didn’t even want to go back.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t realistic.
Mo Ning thought to himself, ’When I have free time, I could come to the cabin to study and practice Meditation.’
Just then, the feather duster moving along the wooden wall and the cleaning roller slowly gliding across the carpet both came to a sudden halt.
A female voice, as gentle as flowing water, echoed through the spacious hall:
"Mr. Mo Ning, welcome home. I am Flower, the housekeeper of the Cabin in the Woods. How may I be of service?"
This voice was undoubtedly the cabin’s Artificial Soul.
Mo Ning felt a slight urge to laugh.
In *Tower Push War*, there was a Magic Dog named Flower kept inside the Cabin in the Woods base.
It wasn’t a combat unit or a resource gatherer, but an exceptional scout—it could identify invisible units and detect traps.
For this Third Level Wizard to name the cabin’s housekeeper "Flower"... he really must be a die-hard fan of Divination Chess.
No!
Perhaps there was another possibility.
It was like a sudden revelation. A thought abruptly surfaced in Mo Ning’s mind: ’Could Wizard Lynch from the story collection be the very same Third Level Wizard who created the test?’
This was a strong possibility.
Viewed from this angle, Wizard Lynch’s purpose in designing the test wasn’t, as he had previously thought, "out of personal interest," but rather "to find an Apprentice who liked the Divination Chess he invented."
Everything he had encountered on his way here, right up to this Cabin in the Woods, was filled with elements related to *Tower Push War*. This seemed to go beyond the level of a mere die-hard fan.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Mo Ning asked the question on his mind: "Flower, was Wizard Lynch the builder of this cabin?"
To avoid any ambiguity, he specifically added, "I’m talking about reality, not the story collection."
Flower answered immediately, "Yes, Mr. Mo Ning. This cabin was built seventy-three years ago."
The Artificial Soul provided more information: "In these seventy-three years, aside from Lord Lynch, you are the first person to enter the Cabin in the Woods."
Mo Ning sighed inwardly. ’I should have realized sooner.’
He was slightly surprised by the claim of being "the first in seventy-three years."
He had originally assumed the scenery puzzle outside the floor-to-ceiling window might have been a hidden test set up only in recent years. After all, there were so many clever people at the academy.
But from the sound of Flower’s words, the puzzle had likely been in place for at least seventy years, yet no one had ever made it this far.
It seemed *Tower Push War* was even more niche than he had anticipated.
Mo Ning pressed on, "The name Lynch must have been the Lord Wizard’s alias when he invented Divination Chess, right? What is his real name?"
Flower did not hide the truth. Its voice took on a solemn tone. "His Lordship’s real name is ’Martin.’"
Mo Ning’s heart jolted.
He had read a book in the Royal Library about the history of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. It chronicled the lives, accomplishments, and contributions of every dean since the academy’s founding.
The academy was established one thousand three hundred and twenty-seven years ago. The first dean served for three hundred years, and each subsequent dean held the position for two hundred years.
And the sixth official dean of the academy was none other than Lord Martin.
To be honest, Mo Ning was truly shocked this time.
He had never imagined that the puzzle he’d solved was a test left behind by a Dean of the academy.
Flower’s voice sounded again, pulling him from his shock:
"Mr. Mo Ning, there is a gift waiting for you in your bedroom."
As it spoke, a wooden door silently materialized on the right wall of the hall.
This was, naturally, the door to the bedroom.
The wooden door opened silently on its own, and the warm, yellow light from the hall’s Magic Energy Lamps spilled through the frame and into the bedroom.
As Mo Ning walked toward the bedroom, he asked, "Flower, can you tell me about this gift?"
Flower’s response was exceptionally eager. "Of course. It would be my honor."
Mo Ning had walked a long way through the forest, and his Sheepskin Boots had inevitably picked up a lot of dirt—bits of dead leaves, particles of soil, and so on.
As he took a step, this fine dust fell onto the soft, woolen carpet, leaving obvious stains.
The cleaning roller, as if it had spotted a mortal enemy, shot over from the other end of the carpet at a sprint.
It followed closely behind Mo Ning, each rotation precisely covering the area he had just stepped on.
Wherever it rolled, the carpet was instantly cleaned spotless.
No water, no detergent—the wondrous power of Magic Energy made the stains vanish completely, as if they had never existed.
The cleaning roller even nimbly circled Mo Ning’s boots, and in an instant, the Sheepskin Boots were spotless, looking as if they had just been taken off a store shelf.
The two feather dusters seemed to have received the same command, chasing each other through the air as they approached.
They circled Mo Ning once, flapping at him from a distance.
The dew and dust clinging to the surface of his new blue robe all vanished, and the garment was restored to its original pristine condition.
Their work complete, the cleaning roller and the feather dusters turned and slowly rolled and flew back to their original positions.
Mo Ning glanced at the two Witchcraft tools, thinking they were indeed very useful.