Chapter 296 - 31: Is Stopping an Evil God’s Descent a Job for a Level 1 Apprentice?

Chapter 296: Chapter 31: Is Stopping an Evil God’s Descent a Job for a Level 1 Apprentice?

This decision didn’t spark much controversy. In fact, it received widespread praise among the apprentices.

After all, this apprentice had achieved something even Official Wizards struggled with. Anyone who dared to criticize him publicly would be shut down with a simple retort: "Why don’t you publish a couple of cover articles first, then we can talk."

Just half a month ago, the byline for a new paper published by "The River Flows Eastward" had been updated, listing his rank as Second Level Apprentice.

Even many Wizards were discussing the matter, a testament to just how renowned this Divination prodigy had become.

This series of events allowed Shine to completely overshadow its competitors.

According to the gossip Lin Te had heard, a few Wizards who regularly submitted to Mystery were now starting to turn to Shine instead.

The logic behind this behavior was simple: as more and more Wizards grew to prefer reading Shine, it naturally became their first choice for submissions.

Lin Te’s lips curled into a silent smile as he muttered under his breath, ’Ivan, the editor-in-chief of Mystery, must be panicking these days.’

Ivan was the Reviewing Editor-in-Chief for Mystery, and also a First Level Wizard.

SPLASH—

The sound of a phantom wave of water suddenly filled Lin Te’s ears.

The next second, a single drop of transparent water appeared, expanded rapidly, and instantly transformed into a featureless Water Element.

Startled, Lin Te immediately sat up straight and called out respectfully, "Lady Sera!"

The Wizard knew this Water Element was the familiar of Grand Arbiter Sera—the head of the Fourth Arbitration Institute and a Second Level Wizard.

According to gossip within the Arbitration Court, the Water Element was incredibly powerful, its combat prowess even surpassing that of most Second Level Wizards.

Its sudden appearance meant that a message from Lady Sera was about to be delivered.

According to academy rules, First through Third Level Apprentices were all in the same echelon and didn’t require honorifics with one another. However, First and Second Level Wizards were by no means in the same echelon; a First Level Wizard was required to address a Second Level Wizard with the honorific "Lord" or "Lady."

The Water Element opened its mouth and spat out a pool of clear water, which instantly formed a smooth, mirror-like surface. Sera’s face quickly materialized within it.

Her expression was quite pleasant. "Lin Te, I have an urgent mission for you."

Lin Te’s heart sank.

’An urgent mission personally assigned by the Grand Arbiter... This is bound to be serious. It could mean big trouble.’

The Second Level Wizard explained succinctly, "A First Level Apprentice named Mo Ning just prevented an Evil God from manifesting..."

Lin Te was stunned.

He never would have dreamed that the words "First Level Apprentice" could be associated with "preventing an Evil God from manifesting."

’If the person speaking hadn’t been the Grand Arbiter herself, he would’ve assumed she was joking.’

"...This task is rather special. The location is a place called the ’Cabin in the Woods.’ I’ve already granted you temporary teleportation access."

The more Lin Te listened, the more he felt that something was amiss.

He had been at the academy for over two hundred years and knew it like the back of his hand, yet he had never once heard the name "Cabin in the Woods."

Sera’s comment that the "task is special" also made him realize something—this apprentice, Mo Ning, probably had an unusual background.

Sera paused for a moment before deliberately adding, "Just take two subordinates with you for this mission. And it would be best to be polite to Mo Ning."

Lin Te quickly replied, "Understood!"

He immediately revised his earlier assessment. ’This apprentice, Mo Ning, doesn’t just have an unusual background—he has a *powerful* one.’

’For the Grand Arbiter to personally tell me to "be polite," how could his background possibly be simple?’

SPLASH—

The Water Element collapsed into countless droplets that turned to mist and vanished as they hit the floor.

Lin Te quickly issued the task’s orders to his subordinates through his [Arbitration Ring]. Then he scattered some Instant Shadow Powder, and his body rapidly burned away into ash.

Soon, in the mission hall of the Fourth Arbitration Institute, the Wizard and two Third Level Apprentices stepped through the circular archway of a Teleportation Platform.

A moment later, the world around them had changed completely.

The Great White Birch Forest suddenly filled Lin Te’s vision.

The sight instantly triggered a long-forgotten memory in Lin Te’s mind.

He glanced at the tightly shut wooden cabin, then at the endless Birch Forest, and his eyes flickered with sudden understanding.

’No wonder Her Ladyship was so cautious,’ Lin Te thought.

He recalled that about one hundred and twenty years ago, he had been a Third Level Apprentice, making his final push to become an Official Wizard.

He had once heard from his mentor that the academy was undertaking a massive, high-level Witchcraft research project that had earned it immense prestige among the neighboring academies.

To this day, Lin Te still remembered the look of vicarious pride on his mentor’s face—a Second Level Wizard himself—when he spoke of it.

His mentor had also revealed a key detail at the time: "The project will establish several hidden Sanctuaries for the academy. Should we ever be invaded by a powerful enemy, we can evacuate personnel to these Sanctuaries to avoid heavy casualties."

Gazing at the cabin, Lin Te understood completely. This Cabin in the Woods, situated on the Yatu Plateau, was very likely one of the academy’s Sanctuaries.

The two Third Level Apprentices, realizing they were thousands of kilometers from the academy, had looks of utter astonishment on their faces.

"Lord Lin Te, I am the Artificial Soul Flower of the Cabin in the Woods. Please follow me to the site of the Evil God Altar."

The Flower’s voice marked the beginning of Wizard Lin Te’s journey here.

「Not long after.」

In a part of the forest that still reeked of blood, Lin Te finished his careful survey of the scene.

He gazed at Mo Ning’s face, having listened to his full account of the incident.