Chapter 361 - 51: Junior Black Tower Divination Medal, a Painful Kiss in the Night, He is the Lord of Thunderbolt
Chapter 361: Chapter 51: Junior Black Tower Divination Medal, a Painful Kiss in the Night, He is the Lord of Thunderbolt
The moment Second Level Wizard Yi Lin saw the dim Dark Star appear, a thought flashed through her mind:
’Vice-Dean Sophie is contacting me so suddenly. Could it be that the decision to move up the Academy’s Apprentice competition and the Giant Swamp War has been finalized?’
This was not baseless speculation.
According to recent rumors circulating in the Wizard Circle, the situation was tightening at a visible pace on all fronts.
The Dean intended to move the Apprentice competition up by a full month, then launch the Giant Swamp War, using the momentum to swiftly eliminate the growing threat deep within the Bam Swamp.
In Yi Lin’s experience, the three Deans never concerned themselves with the trivial, day-to-day affairs of the Academy.
As for something that would warrant a personal message from a Vice-Dean, she couldn’t think of any other reason besides those two major events.
In the next moment, the Dark Star changed.
It suddenly shrank inward, then expanded with immense pressure, growing to the size of an adult’s head in the blink of an eye.
Then, a hazy face quickly emerged from deep within the Dark Star’s core.
Although the face was veiled by a thin layer of starlight, its breathtaking beauty was still recognizable at a glance.
A voice, as lovely as a nightingale singing in the moonlight, emanated from the Dark Star:
"I just read the paper written by that First Level Apprentice named Mo Ning. It’s quite good."
Yi Lin’s pupils contracted sharply.
’By the Mystery! The Vice-Dean actually took the time to personally read an Apprentice Level paper? And she even gave it a "quite good" rating?’
But the shock only lingered in the Rose Judge’s mind for a moment before her thoughts found a more likely answer:
’It must be because of the Mo Ning Formula! Even though it’s a formula from a low-circle domain, it represents the Academy’s academic achievements in the Divination Domain.’
Realizing this, the envy that had been swirling within Yi Lin for so long grew even stronger.
When an Apprentice’s research was brought to the attention of a Third Level Wizard, the consequences were far more than a simple reward; they also included special consideration from all sides.
A subtle hint of approval entered Sophie’s tone. "For your Deep Red Rose Laboratory to cultivate such talent... that is quite good."
Another "quite good."
In just a few sentences, the Vice-Dean had used the phrase "quite good" twice.
Joy flooded Yi Lin’s heart like a tidal wave bursting through a dam.
’How many laboratories are there in the Black Tower Academy? And how many of them have ever received a "quite good" from a Third Level Wizard?’
’You could count them on one hand!’
She suppressed her surging emotions and replied respectfully, "Your praise is an honor for Mo Ning, and for the entire Deep Red Rose Laboratory."
Sophie finally revealed her true purpose. "In your evaluation of Mo Ning’s paper, add a line awarding him a Junior Black Tower Divination Medal."
Of course, a mighty Vice-Dean wouldn’t go to the trouble of personally writing an evaluation, so she chose the most direct method.
At that moment, Yi Lin’s shock reached its peak, and the light in her mechanical eye flickered almost uncontrollably.
The Female Wizard blurted out instinctively, "Understood!"
She knew, of course, that since its founding, the Academy had established an extremely strict system of medals to specifically reward Wizards who had made outstanding contributions to the Academy.
The medals in this system were divided into two types: the Black Tower Divination Medal and the Black Tower Witchcraft Medal.
As their names clearly indicated, the former was mainly for significant achievements in academic fields, while the latter was for glorious military accomplishments earned through blood and fire.
Normally, both types of medals were honors reserved exclusively for Wizards. After all, what kind of academic achievements could an Apprentice have? What great service could they possibly render for the Academy?
Now, a First Level Apprentice who had just joined the Academy was about to receive a Divination Medal. How could Yi Lin not be shocked?
Sophie said no more. The Dark Star began to shrink rapidly, collapsing in an instant into a dim point of light that flashed once before vanishing completely into the air.
Yi Lin stood stunned for a moment before finally recovering from the brief but information-packed meeting.
She took a deep breath, directed the Magic Pen back to the evaluation field, and added a comment at the end:
"For your outstanding contribution to the Divination Domain, you are hereby awarded the Junior Black Tower Divination Medal. This is your moment of glory, and a moment of glory for the Black Tower Academy!"
As she finished the last stroke, the Female Wizard finally began to put the pieces together, and more speculations flooded her mind:
’I’m certain of it. That boy, Mo Ning, must have received the inheritance of the former Dean, Lord Martin.’
’Lord Martin and Vice-Dean Sophie must be in contact. Perhaps the former mentioned Mo Ning’s name in passing during a private conversation; otherwise, the latter wouldn’t have suddenly sought me out.’
’This proves that Lord Martin has been quietly watching the boy who inherited his legacy.’
’Vice-Dean Sophie’s decision to award Mo Ning the medal was most likely influenced by Lord Martin.’
’The Vice-Dean making a personal appearance to say this wasn’t just to reward a paper. It was also a way of showing her stance and telling me to look after the boy. Otherwise, she’d have a hard time explaining things to Lord Martin.’
As Yi Lin figured all this out, she couldn’t help but mutter:
"This amazing kid... to have caught the attention of two Third Level Wizards at the same time. He’s destined for a great future."