Chapter 112 - 96: Recommendations and Little Tricks

Chapter 112: Chapter 96: Recommendations and Little Tricks

"If you can complete the Cultivation of the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force within seven years, I will officially take you in as my apprentice," Haimer continued. Hearing this, Chen Shang’s pupils shrank slightly.

Officially taking him in as an apprentice. It wasn’t just shadowing him to learn, nor was it merely being a laboratory member. It was the most traditional and solemn relationship between a Wizard and an Apprentice.

Haimer rarely made such promises... It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that there were simply too few qualified people.

Chen Shang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Haimer had already turned and left.

"Do your best."

Hathaway stood to the side, silent from start to finish. Only after Haimer left did she step up to Chen Shang, pick up the silver-gray metal piece—thin as a cicada’s wing—from the table, and press it into his hand.

"Take it. Go back and practice well."

Chen Shang gripped the piece of metal and nodded. "Thank you, Master."

When he walked out of the High Tower, his footsteps were somewhat heavier than when he arrived.

Seven years seemed like a long time, but spent on Cultivation, it might pass in the blink of an eye. If he placed his focus on the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force, his other plans might be affected.

Moreover... he had only completed Force Touch Perception by relying on system traits, so he had to supplement a massive amount of basic theory and conduct numerous studies and experiments. Otherwise, his foundation would be too hollow, which would be detrimental to his future learning.

A few days later, Chen Shang was adjusting Runes on the Recording Platform when his Crystal Plate suddenly vibrated. It was a message from the laboratory’s task system.

He tapped it open and saw a mandatory task: Guide one newly admitted Apprentice, assist them in familiarizing themselves with the laboratory environment, complete basic Rune Carving, and pass the First Level Apprentice assessment...

Chen Shang frowned. This kind of task was a mandatory requirement of the Starfall Laboratory, just like how Leia had guided him back then.

Since he enjoyed the laboratory’s benefits, he naturally had to make contributions to it.

However, this type of task was usually assigned to "relatively free" Apprentices. For example, Senior Leia had only managed to squeeze out some time because she had given up on the Cultivation of the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force.

He was incredibly busy right now. Who would issue him a task at a time like this?

Chen Shang had no clue. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Evelyn standing outside.

She wore a dark Blue robe, her hair tied back in a ponytail, and held a cup of steaming beverage.

"What brings you here?"

Walking inside, Evelyn made herself at home. She sat down on a chair, crossed her legs, and took a sip of her drink before looking at Chen Shang with a half-smile.

"I’m here to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me for what?" Chen Shang put down his rune pen.

Evelyn didn’t answer directly. Instead, she took out her Crystal Plate, tapped on it a few times, and turned the screen toward him.

On the screen was the Starfall Laboratory’s forum, displaying a pinned post.

"Star Fall Genius Chen Shang Masters Force Touch Perception in a Single Day. Master Haimer Personally Promises to Take Him as an Apprentice..."

Chen Shang’s face scrunched up. "How did this spread? What do they mean ’completed Force Touch Perception in a single day’? This is pure nonsense!"

"Lord Haimer personally revealed the part about taking an apprentice, saying he had the intention," Evelyn said, retracting her Crystal Plate. "As for the rest, it was probably deduced by others... After all, you only went to Nebula Plaza once. It’s too easy to guess."

Chen Shang fell silent. Evelyn set down her cup, leaned forward, and lowered her voice.

"Do you know what this means?"

"What does it mean?"

"Master Haimer has less than twenty apprentices, and every single one of them is an Elite... He hasn’t taken on a new apprentice in many years.

"This kind of promise is equivalent to slapping the three words ’the very best’ onto you. Some will be unconvinced, some will be jealous, and some will... try to find ways to make sure you can’t complete the task."

Chen Shang tapped his finger lightly on the table twice. No wonder... he had inexplicably received a mandatory task.

He handed his Crystal Plate over. "You’re right. I just received a mandatory task."

Evelyn took it, glanced at it, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "It seems their methods are quite clever. Guiding a newly admitted Apprentice follows compliant procedures and has a reasonable timeframe. There’s no way you can refuse it."

She returned the Crystal Plate to Chen Shang. "If you refuse, it’s a violation of laboratory regulations. At best, you’d be deducted Contribution Points; at worst, it would affect your assessment qualifications. They calculated this very meticulously."

Chen Shang leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. "Who do you think would do something like this?"

Evelyn waved her hand, sitting back down in her chair and crossing her legs. "It might be some Elite Apprentices who have Official Wizard elders in their families. This sort of thing doesn’t require getting their own hands dirty; they just need their elders to make a suggestion in the task system, and the people below will naturally assign the task to you.

"You won’t be able to trace the source, and even if you did, you wouldn’t have any evidence."

She paused. "Don’t even think about taking revenge. Even if they’re tripping you up, they can only use compliant methods—like assigning tasks, taking up your time, and draining your energy. You won’t find any leverage against them, and even Lord Haimer wouldn’t be able to say much."

Chen Shang remained silent. The Wizard Civilization was an orderly one, unlike those barbaric worlds where people would draw their swords and hack at each other over a single disagreement.

Therefore, no one would come to assassinate him in the middle of the night, no one would poison his Potion, and certainly, no one would blow up his laboratory.

However, compliant methods were sometimes far more agonizing than non-compliant ones.

There was no way to refuse the mandatory task of guiding a Wizard Apprentice. It was extremely difficult to delay, and absolutely impossible to do half-heartedly.

This would waste a tremendous amount of time, and time was exactly what he lacked the most right now. Seven years was already a tight deadline; if even more of it was taken up...

"So, be careful," Evelyn said, standing up and brushing down her robe. "Tasks are tasks, and Cultivation is Cultivation. Try to plan your schedule reasonably. Don’t let your own progress fall behind just because you’re guiding a newcomer. Those people are just waiting to see you fail to complete the Repulsive and Attractive Dual Force."