Chapter 177 - 105: Original Soul Seal Enhanced, the Mysterious Mr. Mo Ning

Chapter 177: Chapter 105: Original Soul Seal Enhanced, the Mysterious Mr. Mo Ning

The two girls were stunned.

’How could a person possibly converse with thunder?’

Reina couldn’t help but gasp. "Mr. Mo Ning," she pressed, "I don’t quite understand what you mean."

Mo Ning elaborated, "Recently, I successfully constructed a Meditation Divine Statue in my Spiritual World and began practicing the Divine Statue Technique.

"During one meditation session, I drew on the power of the statue and happened to stimulate my Spiritual Potential. This caused an Original Soul Seal to spontaneously form in my Spiritual World.

"And the power of this Soul Seal is quite interesting. It allows me to receive information from the thunder, which is how I knew a monster had been here."

Other Transmigrators were riddled with secrets. Exposing even one would get them hunted down by the entire world, and a single careless mistake could lead to a brutal death, leaving no corpse to be found.

But he was completely different.

Every one of his abilities had a legitimate origin. Every step he took was verifiable. Every single aspect was open and aboveboard, able to withstand any investigation.

So he spoke candidly, not even concealing the details.

Mo Ning glanced back at the Noble Lady and smiled. "Anya should know what I’m talking about."

Anya froze. The image of a sculpture she had personally handed over flashed through her mind, and she blurted out, "The Phantom Carving!"

Mo Ning admitted readily, "Yes. After my spirit underwent a metamorphosis, I acquired the Original Soul Seal of the Phantom Carving."

Even though they had learned a little, the two girls only had more questions.

Reina’s gaze shifted from the still-glowing claw mark on the stone wall to Mo Ning’s back. She felt as if he were shrouded in a thick fog, completely impenetrable.

She thought with a sense of wonder, ’The incredible Mr. Mo Ning!’

*****

「Black Tower Academy.」

「Inside the Observation Room.」

Mansha, who had left earlier, had returned.

A moment ago, when she’d heard about Velen’s embarrassing incident from Nasha, the Third Level Apprentice had been bent over with laughter, her charming face alight with the glee of watching a good show.

From the Dawn Council’s perspective, she was naturally delighted to see a member of the Bell Tower Council make a fool of himself.

"...acquired the Original Soul Seal of the Phantom Carving."

Mo Ning’s voice drifted from the Light Curtain, echoing through the darkness of the Observation Room.

Mansha watched the young man on the Light Curtain, her smile slowly fading, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

She knew, of course, that an Original Soul Seal was the innate mark of a Magical Beast and the very source of its Talent Witchcraft.

For an Original Soul Seal to appear in a human soul was simply inconceivable.

Nasha was equally astonished. She glanced at her colleague, her tone inquisitive. "Mansha, has the academy ever had a case like this before?"

She knew full well that her colleague from the Dawn Council was renowned for her vast knowledge and sharp memory. While her Divination Talent was only average, her mind was crammed with all sorts of obscure trivia, making her a walking encyclopedia of miscellaneous lore.

Mansha nodded slowly. "As I recall, the academy has indeed had a few such cases, but they all occurred with Official Wizards."

She casually offered an example. "Lord Dute, for instance, a Senior Evaluator of the Dawn Council and a Second Level Wizard, acquired the Blood Wolf Soul Seal a few years ago.

"In battle, he can transform into a High Tier Blood Wolf. His speed and strength are simply staggering."

She paused, her gaze falling on the quiet silhouette of the young man in the Light Curtain, and muttered,

"For a new apprentice to acquire the Original Soul Seal of the Phantom Carving... I imagine Lord Dute will be very interested in this boy."

Nasha’s face instantly stiffened.

She was suddenly filled with immense regret for calling Mansha back.

Her original plan had simply been to have Mansha witness Velen’s humiliation, to let that "Copper Head" idiot be utterly disgraced in front of the representatives of the two councils.

She’d even thought that if her mentor, Yi Lin, heard this amusing anecdote, she might crack a rare smile.

Pleasing her mentor was her true, hidden objective.

But Mansha’s words made her realize with a jolt—things were getting a little out of control.

Just then, Mo Ning’s voice drifted from the Light Curtain again. "The thunder also told me that the creature that left the claw mark is called a Fog Bat. They come out to hunt when the fog grows thick.

"Fog Bats have a very unique ability. Their bodies can merge with the fog, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye..."

Hearing this, Mansha couldn’t help but chuckle. "I get the feeling this boy is deliberately trying to scare those two little girls."

From her vantage point, she could see the two girls on the Light Curtain instantly grow tense. One clenched her fists, while the other pressed her lips together.

Mansha’s gaze returned to Mo Ning, the interest in her eyes deepening. "Fog Bats are notoriously difficult creatures. Even a First Level Apprentice would have a headache dealing with them.

"I remember a First Level Apprentice being killed by Fog Bats during a trial three years ago.

"And I get the feeling this boy is confident he can take one down."

She turned to Nasha, her charming eyes filled with amusement. "What do you think?"

Nasha forced a smile and said, against her better judgment, "Fog Bats are much stronger than Giant Helmet Fish. I don’t fancy Mo Ning’s chances."

"Oh," Mansha murmured, her gaze turning back to the Light Curtain.

Nasha stole a glance at her colleague’s focused profile, a growing sense of unease creeping into her heart.

She suddenly resented how outstanding the boy was. Anyone who watched him for even a short while couldn’t help but be drawn in.

「Ten seconds later.」

What Nasha dreaded most came to pass.

"The Fog Bat is here!"

That was Mo Ning’s voice, filled with the steady calm of a hunter who had locked onto his prey.

"The Fog Bat has appeared!"

That was Mansha’s voice, ringing out almost simultaneously, yet a fraction of a second too slow.

This tiny detail was incredibly telling.

A new apprentice had actually spotted the Fog Bat before a Third Level Apprentice—and the latter was even boosted by monitoring Witchcraft, which made her Perception Power nearly as potent as being on the scene.

This genuinely astonished Mansha.

A bewitching smile spread across her face, and her charming eyes seemed to glisten. "Such an interesting new apprentice. I’ve never met one like him before."

Nasha cried out inwardly, ’This is bad.’

She could already see her colleague’s glistening, beautiful eyes practically shining with excitement.

For a moment, Nasha truly wondered if Mansha had taken a fancy to the boy.

"SKREEE—!"

An extremely sharp screech, like a steel needle piercing an eardrum, shattered the quiet on the Light Curtain.