Chapter 120: Griffiths

Chapter 120: Griffiths

The early morning at Black Mist Jungle always carried a hint of gloom. Scattered sunlight pierced the thick mist, coating the ancient architecture in a hazy golden glow.

At dawn, Luo En stood on the workshop’s balcony, gazing at the morning light filtering through Black Mist Jungle.

A gentle breeze caressed his face, and he could distinctly feel the immense transformation within himself.

The overwhelming power of the Bloodline Knight surged through his body. Within the four consciousness cores of his Chimera bloodline, the colossal dragon head representing the Scarlet Sky Serpent continuously pumped scorching blood into his heart.

Three days had passed since he completed the bloodline activation ritual. During this period, he had been adapting to the transformation brought by the Chimera bloodline and mastering the Scarlet Sky Serpent’s abilities replicated by his first consciousness core.

Now, he could effortlessly control the generation and retraction of dragon scales. Even more impressively, he could form a thin layer of scale armor beneath his skin without drawing attention, providing protection while remaining undetectable to outsiders.

“It’s time,” Luo En murmured to himself, adjusting his new deep-gray robe for the final time.

He had specially prepared this attire for today. Compared to the light gray of an Elementary Apprentice, this robe’s deeper hue symbolized the upcoming transformation in his status.

Ai Lan stood at the doorway, holding a small wooden box.

“Master, this is a gift I’ve prepared for you,” she said carefully, offering the box to Luo En.

Luo En accepted the box and gently opened it. Inside lay an exquisite brooch shaped like an emerald leaf, its center inlaid with a tiny scarlet gemstone glowing with a warm, steady light.

“I used one of my own leaves and a scarlet crystal grain left over from your potion-making session,” Ai Lan explained, her vines swaying gently. “I hope it brings you good fortune.”

Luo En was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected Ai Lan to prepare such a thoughtful gift.

He carefully pinned the brooch to his robe, right over his heart.

“Thank you, Ai Lan. This is the best gift,” Luo En said sincerely, a warm current rising in his chest.

Leaving the workshop, Luo En walked along the cobbled path toward the Central Tower.

The Black Mist Jungle was unusually quiet that morning. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted to his recent achievements.

His Bloodline Knight profession had already been completed. Through the second breakthrough’s attribute enhancement, he now met the foundational requirements to pursue other professions.

“The Demon Hunter requires Physique 2.5—I’m at 2.7. The Arcane Swordsman demands Physique 2.5 and Spirit 2.0, both of which I’ve surpassed,” Luo En mused.

But I still need to learn more about Monster Organ Organic Suturing and ‘Darkblade Crafting.’ I should check the library for resources on those.

This Bloodline Knight advancement had also revealed an important insight: creating a positive feedback loop by leveraging synergies between professions to accelerate attribute growth.

He could start with a branch that had relatively lower requirements, use the attribute boost from that profession to qualify for others with higher thresholds, and build momentum like a rolling snowball.

“This strategy will let me make significant strides across all my extraordinary paths.”

“Once I ascend to Intermediate Apprentice and enter the Backup Mage Sequence, I’ll gain higher privileges and access detailed information about these professions,” Luo En thought, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Passing through a quiet garden, the Central Tower came into view.

This towering ancient structure was the Black Mist Jungle’s central landmark and the School’s most critical administrative hub, where vital certifications and rituals were held.

Thanks to his early arrival, only a few people stood in line at the counter. The duty officer wasn’t solely occupied with apprentice certifications—they handled various administrative tasks.

Luo En joined the end of the queue, patiently waiting.

The person ahead of him was an older male apprentice undergoing certification. From his tense expression, this seemed to be another attempt after multiple failures.

When Luo En’s turn came, he stepped forward calmly, handing his Elementary Apprentice badge and supporting documents to the officer.

“What service do you require?” asked an Intermediate Apprentice in uniform, his expression polite but distant.

“I’m here for my Intermediate Apprentice certification and to apply for entry into the Backup Mage Sequence. I’ve already met the requirements for sequence entry.”

Luo En replied calmly, producing the co-signed recommendation letter prepared by Ai Li Ke and Li Ya, along with his weekly assessment results.

Besides meeting the spiritual energy requirements, Intermediate Apprentices needed to demonstrate proficiency in spell construction, which his scores clearly proved.

The officer scanned the documents, raising his eyebrows slightly.

“Skipping directly to phase three courses? And with Lord Eric’s personal recommendation?”

“Yes,” Luo En replied humbly. “I’ve been fortunate to earn recognition from High Apprentices Ai Li Ke and Li Ya.”

At this, the officer used an alchemy item on his desk to verify with his superiors before nodding at Luo En.

“This involves the Backup Mage Sequence, which exceeds my processing privileges. Please follow me to the dedicated certification chamber.”

The officer led Luo En through the grand hall into a dim corridor.

Statues lined both sides of the passage, lifelike and seemingly ready to awaken. Luo En noticed some bizarre creatures among the sculptures, their species unrecognizable.

“These are all significant figures in mage history,” the officer explained, noticing Luo En’s gaze.

“Not limited to humans—any species that achieved greatness in magecraft could leave their mark here.”

They finally reached a door inlaid with sapphires.

The officer knocked three times and stepped aside. “The certification officer is inside. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Luo En nodded, took a deep breath, and pushed open the heavy gemstone door.

The room inside was surprisingly simple, devoid of ornate decorations or ritual equipment. A plain oak table and several chairs were all that occupied the space.

Behind the table sat a stern middle-aged man, his gray-white hair neatly combed back. His face bore the marks of time, and the restrained but potent mana fluctuations emanating from him clearly marked him as a Full Mage.

The School truly valued its mage prospects if they assigned a Full Mage to handle this.

“Good morning, young man,” the officer lifted his gaze, eyes sharp. “I’m Soreng Griffiths, one of the Backup Mage Sequence’s certification officers. You’re here for your Intermediate Apprentice certification?”

“Yes, Griffiths sir,” Luo En replied respectfully, handing over his documents. “I am Luo En Lalf, a Potion Master.”

Soreng accepted the papers, reading them carefully, his brows occasionally furrowing or relaxing.

“Interesting,” he finally spoke, fixing Luo En with an intense stare. “You became an Elementary Apprentice less than half a year ago, and now you seek Intermediate status?”

“Yes, sir,” Luo En answered calmly.

“Normally, advancing from Elementary to Intermediate takes at least three to five years,” Soreng said, his tone skeptical. “Your pace is… unusually fast.”

This was the expected challenge.

Luo En nodded slightly, his voice humble yet firm. “I understand your concerns, Griffiths sir. This is due to my Special Innate Talent.”

Soreng’s eyebrows lifted. “A Special Innate Talent?”

“Yes, I possess a talent called Medicinal Body Resonance,” Luo En explained carefully. “It allows me to absorb potion effects more efficiently, particularly those designed to enhance spiritual energy.”

Soreng’s gaze sharpened.

“Medicinal Body Resonance… indeed listed in the Compendium of Special Innate Talents as a Tier Two ability. How did you discover this talent?”

“At first, I noticed potions had stronger effects on me compared to peers. Later, I conducted comparative experiments with friends to confirm it,” Luo En replied steadily, neither overemphasizing nor downplaying his achievements. His current proficiency as a Potion Master was the strongest endorsement.

“Fascinating. Very fascinating,” Soreng mused, tapping the table. “This explains your alchemical achievements, but the speed of your spiritual energy growth remains astonishing.”

After a brief pause, he stood. “Regardless, we must proceed with formal testing. Follow me.”

He led Luo En through several corridors into a chamber enveloped by a magical field.

At the room’s center stood a massive crystal, mirror-like in its upright position.

“This is the Star Mirror,” Soreng explained. “It directly reflects one’s spiritual energy strength and purity. Stand before it and focus your spiritual energy.”

Luo En nodded, stepping forward.

He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, concentrated on his spiritcore, and slowly released a surge of spiritual energy, guiding it toward the Star Mirror.

The crystal instantly blazed with sapphire light, its interior swirling with star-like specks that danced and converged into a radiant orb.

“A spiritual energy strength of 3.6… far exceeding the Intermediate Apprentice standard,” Soreng said, his voice tinged with undeniable surprise. “And the purity is exceptional—no chaotic fluctuations.”

After another moment of observation, he signaled Luo En to stop.

“Now, a spell construction test,” Soreng retrieved a special crystal board from a cabinet. “Construct a triple-layered spell model here and maintain it for at least one minute.”

Luo En accepted the board, focusing his spirit once more.

This was a skill he had repeatedly practiced in Ai Li Ke’s classes, now second nature.

His spiritual energy flowed into the board, forming a complex structure of three concentric mana rings.

Thanks to the Stable State trait, the spell model was exceptionally stable, the rings perfectly aligned in harmonious unity.

“Excellent control,” Soreng nodded approvingly. “Such stability is rare even among seasoned Intermediate Apprentices.”

The testing concluded with Soreng’s praise. He escorted Luo En back to the original room, signing the certification documents.

“Congratulations, Luo En Lalf. You are now officially an Intermediate Apprentice of Black Mist School and a member of the Backup Mage Sequence.”

Soreng handed him a light-blue apprentice badge. “This is your new badge, symbolizing your status and authority.”

Luo En carefully accepted the badge, feeling a faint mana fluctuation emanating from it.

This was more than a symbol—it was a simple mana reservoir that could provide a small emergency mana boost.

“Thank you, Griffiths sir,” Luo En bowed respectfully.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end