Chapter 269 - 24: The Amazing Phantom Wing Race and "Mo Ning Speed

Chapter 269: Chapter 24: The Amazing Phantom Wing Race and "Mo Ning Speed

Today was the regular meeting for his group, Research Group 18.

A "research group" was responsible for a single branch of a larger Witchcraft project, which had been broken down into multiple sub-topics.

At the level of First Level Witchcraft, research topics were usually absurdly complex, and almost no Wizard would choose to work alone.

A few exceptional Wizards would establish their own laboratories, gathering the strength of many.

Most Wizards of more average aptitude, however, chose to join the various Witchcraft Laboratories.

Mo Ning walked into the conference room, his gaze sweeping over the long table before landing on a familiar figure at its head.

It was Nasha, the leader of this research group.

He smiled and greeted her, "Good morning, Nasha!"

Nasha’s smile was gentle, showing none of the harsh demeanor of the "Sharp-Horned Whip Demon." "Good morning, Mo Ning!"

Her next words carried a particular kind of surprise.

"I heard that an incredibly talented new Apprentice has emerged in Dormitory Area 43. A Third Level Apprentice Instructor was singing his praises in class, saying he was even studying Divination during the lecture. I knew right away it had to be you."

Mo Ning’s expression remained calm as he joked, "Perhaps the academy isn’t putting enough pressure on the Apprentices if they have the spare time to concern themselves with such useless rumors."

He turned to the other Apprentices and named them one by one. "Mr. Diya, Ms. Ala... Good morning, everyone!"

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Mo Ning!"

A chorus of replies gently stirred the air.

Although everyone present knew that the Second Level Wizard Yi Lin held Mo Ning in high regard, they had never seen a hint of arrogance from him.

Ever since he joined the lab, he had always been diligent about greeting every single person. This attitude alone made it difficult not to have a good impression of him.

This was undoubtedly one of the most important reasons why the Apprentices had all given him gifts to congratulate him on his promotion to First Level Apprentice.

Mo Ning walked straight to an empty high-backed rose chair. The rose petals on its back stirred in unison, rippling outward to fill the gaps between the seat and the backrest and offer more tailored support.

Not only that, but the seat and backrest also automatically molded to the curve of his waist and back, optimizing his comfort.

As he sat, rose petals on the wooden table before him automatically traced silver lines, forming the name "Mo Ning."

Only then did Nasha retort, "That’s not a ’useless rumor’ at all. For Apprentices, it’s essential to know who the powerful individuals are in Apprentice Town."

She immediately gave an example. "Take your trial in the underground mine, for instance. Without exception, every newcomer who proactively allied with you received rewards beyond their wildest dreams."

The other Apprentices nodded in unison, showing their agreement.

Mo Ning raised an eyebrow slightly.

He knew, of course, that Nasha’s words were more than just a counterargument; they held a hidden warning.

Nasha didn’t keep him in suspense and revealed the answer at once. "Before long, people will likely start inviting you to participate in all sorts of tasks. You’d best be careful how you handle them."

After becoming an Apprentice, one’s range of activities was no longer confined to the academy.

The academy issued a large number of tasks for Apprentices, many of which were located outside its grounds.

For Apprentices, it was quite necessary to participate in these tasks to accumulate experience.

Mo Ning listened thoughtfully.

Sir Rent’s unexpected death remained a sharp thorn in his heart, and he did intend to find time to return to the Holy Spear Kingdom.

Although he had brought Reina’s teacher, Old Buck, over to his side, and Old Buck had helped find important clues, the investigation had recently hit a dead end. The issue had been troubling Old Buck for a month now.

He also understood that when Nasha said to "be careful," she was implying something else: if he ran into trouble, he should come directly to her.

To put it bluntly, seeking help from someone more experienced was the correct way to interpret "be careful."

"Alright, let’s begin."

Seeing that all twelve group members were present, Nasha declared the meeting started.

She glanced around the room and excitedly announced a major piece of news.

"Yesterday, I attended our mentor’s regular meeting. Our research group completed its sub-project five months ahead of schedule, and our mentor is very pleased with our progress."

As soon as she finished speaking, an interesting scene unfolded.

Every Apprentice in the room turned to look at Mo Ning in unison.

Everyone knew that the reason their laboratory had earned Lady Yi Lin’s praise was inextricably linked to the young man.

Ever since he joined the research group, the sub-project they were responsible for had been surging ahead at twice its previous speed.

At first, Nasha had been worried that the young man was unfamiliar with research, so she had only assigned him a low-difficulty Divination analysis task, giving him one week to complete it.

Unexpectedly, he quietly submitted the results just an hour later. His speed stunned everyone.

From then on, everyone witnessed firsthand what they came to call "Mo Ning Speed."

A Divination problem of medium difficulty would usually take the young man no more than three days.

In contrast, the other Second Level Apprentices in the group would have to toil over it for at least fifteen days, or even a month.

It was all quite incredible, especially since at the time, the young man was still a newcomer who had not yet formed a Spirit Ring.

Then, a month and a half ago, Nasha gave him a problem that had stumped the research group for two months.

To solve that problem, the six senior members of the group had consulted at least a hundred Divination Scriptures.

Nasha’s exact words at the time were: "Mo Ning, this is a Divination problem from a Second Level Witchcraft research project. You can take a look at it. Perhaps your perspective can offer a different line of thought."