Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 86
Mo Fan looked at Zhao Manyan with a little surprise.
"Well, he seems to really know well about all these stratagem. He must have been mixing around with the aristocratic family all this while or he would not be able to see through Mu Nujiao's motive." Mo Fan thought.
"Are you telling me that under her pure and pretty looking facade lies a heart full with scheme?! "I truly admire her as my goddess!" Said Zhang Pinggu impetuously.
"The decision wasn't really on her, the Mu's family was the one came up with this idea after they were told that Mu Nujiao lose all the resources. And as someone who felt extremely guilty for losing all the resources to Mo Fan, Mu Nujiao will definitely accept this proposal. It was a win-win situation." explained Zhao Manyan again.
"Oh that's great, you almost ruined the image of the dream girl in my heart."said Zhang Pinggu with relief.
Mo Fan too, was filled with all sorts of feelings today.
Seems like not all aristocratic families were blindly abusing their power afterall; a true huge family knows very well of the benefits and importance of maintaining their image and reputation in order to recruit potential magicians.
Initially, it was a bad thing for the Mu Family when Mu Nujiao lost the battle, and thus lost everyone's resources. But the situation quickly turned around and they made use of the previously bad situation to benefit themselves. The Mu family had gained a profound advantage and it would be much harder for the other aristocratic families to compete with them in the future.
"By the way, how did you escape from that Intermediate level Plant Magic? The forest is thick, none of us were able to see what exactly happened theret. What were the tricks that you used?" Zhang Pinggu asked Mo Fan curiously.
"The entire school will know in the twinkling of an eye if he tells you. You big blabbermouth!" replied Zhao Manyan.
Mo Fan couldn't agree more, so he just nodded his head silently. There was no way he would simply reveal his trump cards to another!
"Tell me quietly, I promise I will keep the secret for you," Zhao Manyan said to Mo Fan with a filthy look and a raised eyebrow.
Mo Fan was stunned for a moment and immediately reacted to Zhan Manyan with two words : "Piss off!"
Chapter 171 - Choose Any Magic Tool
In the early morning, Dean Xiao had already brought the good news to Mo Fan, and asked Mo Fan to follow him to redeem his rewards.
When they got to the library that had the appearance of a huge book, Mo Fan was brought to the top floor, where access was not permitted to any other students of the institution.
As they reached the top floor, Dean Xiao stood with his hands at his back and looked at the Pearl Institution's surroundings through the windows.
"Dean Xiao."
When Mo Fan entered the meeting room, Mo Fan saw Dean Xiao standing alone. From the lonely yet slightly heavy atmosphere of the meeting room, Mo Fan could tell that Dean Xiao was worrying about some other matters.
Dean Xiao turned around, a gentle smile on his face.
"I knew that you were hiding some other hidden trump cards during the examination. Though I do not know how you evaded Mu Nujiao's skill, but I sensed some dark magic…." said Dean Xiao with a smile.
"That is not really a secret. If Dean Xiao investigated my background in Bo City, then you have all the answers you need," replied Mo Fan casually.
Back then, it was Principal Zhu's idea to announce Mo Fan was an innate Dual Element at the high school exam.
However, when the catastrophe struck Bo City, no one had the luxury to pay attention to this matter anymore, especially when Principal Zhu died…
But if Dean Xiao really wanted to dwell on this matter, all he had to do was to send some people to ask those people who used to reside in Bo City, and he would have all the answers he needed.
"There is no need for that. One day, you will reveal your secrets all by yourself. Now, let's get to the main point, shall we?" said Dean Xiao.
"Of course!" replied Mo Fan as he rubbed his hands together. Tsk tsk, the resources for all new students, just imagine how much these resources worth, perhaps he could buy a luxury bungalow in Shanghai already!
"These resources were to be given to different students from different Elements and we have to change them into resources you could use…. Thus, what we did was changed some of the resources that you would not be able to use into something that could benefit you," explained Dean Xiao.
Mo Fan understood the reason behind this action, nodded and said, "As long as I get the resources promised to me in full."
If the resources had not been converted into something Mo Fan could use, they would just be useless rubbish to him.
Hence, just like what Dean Xiao said, they could only estimate the total amount of the resources and how much they were worth before they convert these resources to something Mo Fan could use.
"I know that you have barely any good magic equipment with you so here are a few higher class pieces of magic equipment suitable for the battles of Intermediate-level mages. You may only pick one of them…" Dean Xiao said, as he waved his sleeves and a few small-sized magic items appeared on the table, lying there quietly waiting for Mo Fan to pick one of them.
"Intermediate-level Magic Equipment, they must be quite expensive!" he blurted out excitedly.
"The value of these magic items solely depend on the ones using them. But if you were to put them on sale, each and every one of these magic items here are worth at least this amount!" explained Dean Xiao as he raised his hand, palm out.
"Fifty thousand?" asked Mo Fan.
His answer was quickly rejected by Dean Xiao with a shake of his head.
"Five hundred thousand!?" asked Mo Fan, amazed.
"Our institution spends quite a great deal on the student's resources every year. Part of these resources are donated by the outstanding students of our Schools that have graduated, some are funded by our institutions. However, we will only give you the public resources funded by the institution," Dean Xiao explained.
Nodding again, Mo Fan agreed, understanding that the resources donated by the outstanding graduates of the Pearl Institution were part of the reward and punishment given to those juniors that did not take part in the competition.
"Now, pick one of these magic items and you will receive the promised resources later on," Dean Xiao directed him.
There were already tiny stars blinking in Mo Fan's eyes. Damn, with a piece of Intermediate-level Magic Equipment worth five hundred thousand dollars and the other rewards, if I knew that there were so much included, I would have went all in to defeat Mu Nujiao, even if I had to expose my Fire Element!
"Would you mind explaining to me what can these items do? I know nothing much about magic equipment, these were something luxurious that could only be toyed around with by those rich people, not poor ones like me," Mo Fan asked eagerly.
"Certainly. This one close to your hand is the Blood Tabi. It is made with the bloody bones of the Blood Beast in the Long Plain Mountains. Once equipped, the mage will be bestowed with the extreme sprinting capabilities of the Blood Beasts, which is even greater than the Wind Path: Drifting Shadows! Other than that, each time this Tabi is charged with the essence of a Blood Beast, the Tabi will be able to unleash power strong enough to crush a mountain," explained Dean Xiao as he gave off a feeling of a professional in this field.
"Offensive ability! Nice!" said Mo Fan.
Mo Fan then recalled the fight he had with Yu Ang; he had used magic shoes!
If Mo Fan was not wrong, he still remembered that Yu Ang's magic shoes only allowed Yu Ang to execute an evasive move once, which was nowhere close to the level of the Blood Tabi!
"How about that? It looks like armor," asked Mo Fan, as he pointed at the item in the center.
"Yes, that is magic armor. The largest difference between the armor and shield magic equipment is that the shield's defense is dead; a magic shield needs the mage to activate the shield so that it can help the mage to fend off an attack, which is way different from the magic armor. The magic armor is strong to the point where the mage can just wear it and it does not require the attention of the mage to activate it for its defense. It may not be able to fend off attacks completely like the magic shields, but indirectly, it can greatly increase our durability. At every levels, the bodies of mages are weak, making magic armor one of the life saving insurances for them. This magic armor is called the Jade Scale Mail. It is known for its flexibility, so that even when Wind Element mages wear it, their mobility will not be affected by it at all. At the same time, this amplifies its flaws greatly. This mail possess a weaker defense than the other magic armors, making it hard to take a very strong impact or destructive power head on," explained Dean Xiao.
"You are saying this type of magic armor must be one of the worst choices among the other magic equipment?" asked Mo Fan.
"Precisely. Magic armor is always expensive, they are only slightly cheaper than the Stardust Magic Tools. This Jade Scale Mail will only be able to sustain attacks from the Minion-class monsters, but when it comes to the attacks delivered by Warrior-class monsters or any Intermediate-tier magic, it will at most prevent the mage wearing it from dying," replied Dean Xiao.
Magic armor might be a very good thing to use since it could be worn by mages throughout an entire battle. But when it came to Mo Fan, their inferior defensive capability would be less useful.
Chapter 172 - A Finger
"The magic armor is way too expensive, I suggest you look for other magic armor that is more suitable for you when you have the capability in the future. Now, let's take a look at this magic sword. Its name is the Black Cleaver. Once activated, it will form the front claw of a Blackbird and launch a Wind Disc:Shredding that is equivalent to the strength of the joint attack between two evolving monsters," explained Dean Xiao.
Upon listening to Dean Xiao's explanation, Mo Fan thought for a moment and felt that as a man who possessed the Fire and Lightning Elements, which were the two strongest Elements in terms of offensive power, he do not lack any attacking strength. Thus, he figured that this Black Cleaver would be more suitable to the mages that lacked offensive power.
To be honest, Mo Fan actually needed all of this magic equipment in many ways. After all, if he had all of this, his combat power would be increased to another level; different types of magic equipment would be able to alter the way he fought, granting him more flexibility and options.
However, if he had to pick one, Mo Fan thought that the Blood Tabi was a better piece of magic equipment for him.
Although he had learned a positioning magic, the Shadow Element's magic that allowed Mo Fan to move freely was still not invincible. Unlike the Wind and Earth Element magic that allowed the users to move freely at anytime and anywhere, the Shadow Element magic would be useless if there were no shadows in the surroundings at all.
Without shadow, the Shadow Element magic was entirely unusable.
Originally, Mo Fan lacked defensive capabilities the most, but this magic armor was just too useless. Hence, he felt that the magic shoes would be much better for him, as it was always better to have another trick that could save his life!
"Since you are not considering the remaining magic equipment, you may now brand this Blood Tabi with your own spirit power," Dean Xiao told him.
In just a moment of time, Mo Fan branded the Blood Tabi, linking it with his soul. With just a tick of his mind, the Blood Tabi would immediately appear on his legs, bestowing on him the power of the Blood Beast!
"Thank you, Dean Xiao," Mo Fan said gratefully and confidently after receiving a high-grade magical item.
"There is no need for you to thank me. You earned this yourself. Now… the resources for your cultivation…." replied Dean Xiao.
"As long I'm not given any Stardust Magic Tool, please change into something else for me," Mo Fan answered quickly.
When it came to cultivation magic tools, there might nothing that could be compared to Mo Fan's Little Loach Pendant that had absorbed the water in the Underground Holy Spring!
"No no no, of course not. This resource I'm talking about here is an access granted to those outstanding or those who have contributed to the institution. We really have no idea on what kind of basis we are supposed to use to transfer all the public resources to you. Because of this, we specially requested headquarters to open the Three Step Tower for you to cultivate in once," said Dean Xiao.
As someone that had never heard of this before, Mo Fan could only ask blankly, "Three Step Tower?"
However, his question fell onto deaf ears, as Dean Xiao only smiled without answering his question.
The reason why the Pearl Institution was able to stand at the very top among the many schools and institutions in the entire country for so many years was closely related to the Three Step Tower.
The Three Step Tower could be described as a place each and every Intermediate-level mage students in the main institution would fight fiercely in order to get it; the new students were not qualified to fight for the right to enter the Three Step Tower, and Mo Fan was one of the first!
"This is a hard to come by opportunity, you must not take it too lightly," Dean Xiao said seriously.
Mo Fan nodded with a serious expression. He firmly believed that this Three Step Tower Dean Xiao was talking about was probably a sacred cultivation ground not any weaker than the Underground Holy Spring.
If it wasn't for the Underground Holy Spring, Mo Fan would still need another few years before he ascended into the Intermediate level. This type of sacred cultivation ground could greatly improve his power if he managed to secure a chance to cultivate in it!
"Thank you," Mo Fan said sincerely.
"I'd like to give you a little suggestion, if I may. People may only enter the Three Step Tower a few times. Many of the Intermediate-level mages in the main institution never got the chance to enter the Three Step Tower at all, so just imagine how hard it is to be able to get a chance to enter the tower. You should choose a suitable time for yourself to enter the tower. At least from my point of view, you are still not prepared to enter the tower. If you entered the tower now, you would only receive minimum benefits," advised Dean Xiao.
Dean Xiao was right. Mo Fan had reached the Intermediate level in both the Fire and Lightning Element. He still had to fortify and master his current strength right now; his handling of a Star Atlas was nowhere close to Mu Nujiao!.
As for his Summoning and Shadow Element, Mo Fan only managed to raise them into the third level in his Stardust, and there was still quite a long way to go to the higher tier Starcloud.
Trying to increase his strength to a higher level would be very low if he tried to strengthen himself through the cultivation sacred ground now, and he would only waste a precious chance by doing so.
Mo Fan clearly understood Dean Xiao's words; Dean Xiao wanted him to wait for a suitable time to enter the Three Step Tower, and only by doing so would Mo Fan be able to fully utilize the effect of the cultivation sacred ground.
Other than that, with the amplification of the Little Loach Pendant, early levels could be easily achieved in a matter of time, so there was no need for him to waste such a precious chance like this!
"Next will be the Warrior class monster's Spirit Blood, which will provide a tremendous boost for your Spirit Wolf's evolution into the Warrior class. All of this, however, is just something to aid your Summoned beast's evolution; whether or not it will ascend into the next level depends on itself in the end. Remember, like you, your Summoned beast only reached its current level a short time ago, and its base is still not that solid yet. Nature has its own rules, and this is especially obvious among the monsters. The monsters with a higher-level bloodline are always smarter, fiercer, and stronger yet their ability to reproduce is weaker, and so there are fewer of them. The ones with lower-level bloodlines are relatively inferior, but they often reproduce swarms by swarms, and so are easily found. If the monsters with weaker bloodlines try to break the limits of their heritage, defying the rules of nature, and failed, they will turn to dust," Dean Xiao reminded him seriously.
With a nod, Mo Fan indicated that he understood.
Be it man or monster, the path of cultivation was filled with difficulties.
For example, when Mo Fan tried to advance into the next level, the resistance of his mental power almost caused his brain to explode. The same were for the evolution of monsters. If their body and mind were not strong enough, they would all die, because what they were doing was trying to discard their own bloodline in order to achieve a superior one!
"Keep this card, there are two million RMB on this card, this is your reward for winning the competition. Among the public resources was some cash, which I placed in this card. They are all yours," said Dean Xiao as he handed over a card to Mo Fan.
Mo Fan's jaw dropped!
Two million!!
Oh my heavens, the institution is really generous, the amount given to him right now was equivalent to hitting a jackpot in the lottery!!
Rich, I'm rich!!
Upon seeing the extreme happiness on Mo Fan's face, Dean Xiao who was worried that Mo Fan might lose himself in the sudden wealth, and warned him, "Money is nothing when it comes to us mages. In order to pursue ever higher achievements on the path of magic, a few million is nothing at all! Once you get to the advanced level, you might need even more than that! The cultivation path of a mage is a life-long path that requires a huge fortune. After the tragedy of Bo City, I assume you now know deeply the responsibilities of a true mage, and us humans' position in the food pyramid of this world."
"Don't worry, Dean Xiao. I, Mo Fan, will not be satisfied with just being an Intermediate-level mage."
"Good, then I hope that if a disastrous event bigger than the tragedy in Bo City arrives, you will be able to contribute," replied Dean Xiao.
"Then, Dean Xiao, may I ask how much a Wing Magic Equipment cost?" asked Mo Fan curiously.
"At least this amount, and it is not negotiable," Dean Xiao answered, as he raised one finger.
