Chapter 253 - 19: Advancement to Apprentice (2)

Chapter 253: Chapter 19: Advancement to Apprentice (2)

Entering the Spirit Ring resonance phase would cause abnormal fluctuations in the Magic Power around his body. He hadn’t expected to be able to hide it from anyone.

The Female Apprentice likely possessed a bloodline that could perceive Magic Power fluctuations, so it was only natural that she’d noticed.

That one word—"Yes"—was like a bomb, instantly igniting the atmosphere in the entire Lecture Hall.

A surprised smile appeared on Bess’s pretty face. "Mo Ning, congratulations!" she said earnestly.

All eyes on Mo Ning were filled with utter shock.

The new apprentices all knew the Strongest was bound to condense a Spirit Ring; it would have been absurd if they couldn’t.

But no one had ever expected that Mo Ning, whose Spiritual Talent was unremarkable—even lacking—would incredibly become the first of the new apprentices to condense a Spirit Ring.

"Oh my god!"

"So fast!"

"It hasn’t even been four and a half months!"

Anya and Reina, standing beside Mo Ning, had looks of utter disbelief on their faces.

The two girls saw Mo Ning every day, yet even they hadn’t expected him to reach this milestone so quietly.

Sitt stood alone in a corner of the Lecture Hall, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

For months, he had been pushing himself, determined to be the first to condense a Spirit Ring and prove to everyone that he was still the Strongest of the new apprentices.

But Instructor Bess’s words were like a devastating blow to his spirit, destroying the entire meaning behind his desperate efforts.

An abyss named Despair opened its great maw, threatening to swallow him whole.

For the remaining ten minutes of the lecture, everyone was distracted, constantly sneaking glances at Mo Ning.

Bess was a good-natured Apprentice, so she didn’t reprimand the new apprentices. She simply picked up the pace of her lecture a little.

A few more minutes passed.

"Alright, that’s all for today."

After she finished speaking, Bess didn’t use Instant Shadow Powder to leave as she normally would. Instead, she strode quickly toward Mo Ning.

Everyone realized her intention. Even more eyes converged on the pair, ready to witness this rare sight.

Bess stopped a few steps away and said with a beaming smile, "Mo Ning, it is a privilege to witness your advancement. Please, accept this gift."

With a flick of her right hand, a speck of green light floated toward Mo Ning.

Simultaneously, a plume of pale flame erupted from her left hand, instantly engulfing her figure.

An uproar immediately erupted from the crowd.

A Third Level Apprentice taking the initiative to give a gift to a new apprentice, congratulating him on condensing his Spirit Ring... What an eye-opener!

Mo Ning felt helpless.

The female instructor had moved too quickly, not even giving him a chance to voice his refusal.

He watched as the speck of green light drifted before him, expanded into an exquisite green leaf, and landed gently on the stone dais.

He extended his Spiritual Power like a thread into the green leaf. Upon touching the Spirit Seal inside, he understood what it was: [Leaf Shield].

It was a single-use Witchcraft Item that Bess had made herself; the Spirit Seal even contained her "signature."

When activated, it could transform into a shield made of condensed Spiritual Leaves, strong enough to block Level Zero Witchcraft like [Blast Flame Fireball].

While not exceptionally valuable, it was a truly heartfelt gesture.

Mo Ning put the green leaf away, genuinely appreciating the benefits of "making a name for yourself early."

He gathered his belongings and headed for the exit, eager to get back and check on the status of his Spirit Ring.

As if by unspoken agreement, all the new apprentices slowed their pace, clearing a wide path for the Strongest.

*****

「Upon returning to the Cabin in the Woods.」

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mo Ning!"

Flower’s gentle greeting immediately rang out.

The two feather dusters, always bickering, and the plump, rolling floor sweeper quickly flocked to him, treating cleaning as their most enthusiastic form of greeting.

A duster brushed lightly across his shoulder while the roller whirled around the tips of his boots, as if to say, "Welcome home."

Mo Ning returned the "Good afternoon" before settling onto the large, soft sofa and closing his eyes.

His consciousness sank into his Spiritual World to inspect the newly formed Spirit Ring.

To maximize his Magic Pool’s capacity, he had chosen three of the most structurally complex Sub-zero Level Tricks.

In a way, a Trick could be thought of as a "brick."

The more simplified Spirit Seals a Trick contained, the thicker and heavier the "brick," and the more it would enhance the Magic Pool’s stability.

The price, however, was a drastic increase in structural complexity.

Even with Mo Ning’s current skill in Divination, it had still taken him a full month to complete all the derivations, which just went to show how difficult it was to embed the three models.

The three Tricks he had chosen were [Gale Needle], [Powerful Throw], and [Chain Air Shield].

Each of them contained eight or more simplified Spirit Seals.

Now, he could clearly "see" that the ripples emanating from the body of the Spirit Ring had subsided by more than half compared to the day before, when it had just formed.

The process of the ring embedding into the Spiritual World permanently altered its very foundation. Like a giant boulder falling into a lake, the Spiritual World would inevitably be thrown into turmoil.

And this "turmoil" was, in essence, the resonance between the Spirit Ring and the Spiritual World—what Bess had called "Spirit Ring resonance."

The result of this resonance was the complete fusion of the two.

Mo Ning recalled the piece of common knowledge Flower had shared with him the day before:

"Generally speaking, a White Ring’s resonance lasts for about two days on average. An Aurora Spirit Ring’s resonance will be longer. Moreover, the more Witchcraft Models embedded and the more complex their structures, the longer the resonance period.

"Conversely, a shorter resonance time means a faster fusion speed. It also indicates that the Spirit Ring’s structure is more exceptional and that it can support a larger Magic Pool."

The corners of his mouth curled into an unconscious smile.