Chapter 124: Chapter 2: Summoning and Decisionmaking 1
Translator: 549690339
Two days had passed.
The mid-term exam was held on time, amidst a plethora of different emotions. With the experience of two previous exams, the Storm Sea New Blood first years behaved relatively well this time.
The exam process went smoothly, though the difficulty of the questions was escalating.
After the exam, there were indeed sporadic sighs heard intermittently. Hmm…
Link didn’t notice any unusual difficulty in the questions. He only found out about these complaints when he overheard others discussing them.
As night fell,
The results were about to be released.
At the laboratory on the third basement level of the experiment building. Link, Jasmine, Buck, Ezio, Digee, Linn, Dalton were seated around the long, office desk, staring at the large screen of the office computer on it, and waiting in silence. 6
Link, usually composed, was very anticipating of the results of this mid-term exam.
However, he was looking forward to not his own grades, but the rankings. He wanted to know who among the top 30 contenders for the two districts’ competition, apart from his group of 7, could be potential allies.
For Link, in a struggle with such a disparity in numbers, uniting any possible forces was a no-brainer.
Before long, the academy’s “official website” had refreshed, announcing the midterm exam results of four grades.
The second, third, and fourth grades were ignored.
Opening the grade and ranking list of first-year midterms,
From top to bottom, Link quickly reviewed the top thirty and then pursed his hps, showing a subtly nuanced facial expression.
This time, he did not come in first, Lanny Taylor still did.
Moreover, the two’s scores were once again identical.
What was this supposed to mean?
The heroes had a same understanding and thus, also shared the same wrong answers and losses in points?
Additionally, it seemed the school took Wizard Qualifications seriously when doing the rankings, and they didn’t even give Link a tie for first place!
It felt a bit unfair.
“Why is it like this again!”
Jasmine, noticing this, couldn’t help letting her anger flare up. She stood up suddenly, expressing strong resentment.
If it had happened to her, she might not have cared.
However, it happening to Link twice in a row triggered her!
“Forget it, don’t get angry, she is naturally more qualified than me, that’s a fact, Link gave a small shake of his head, smiling to comfort Jasmine.
Jasmine took a deep breath, calmed her rare emotional upheaval, and sat back down.
Her face still looked a bit upset, though.
“You all did very well, congratulations,” Link then turned to his five companions, sincerely saying, “All of you maintained your rankings, nobody fell out of the top ten, very good!”
This time, Jasmine advanced one rank and was now fourth.
This was the reward for her diligent studying and hard work.
The five friends stayed put, firmly occupying positions six through ten.
The person who ranked third was Eri Tomani, a genius with intermediate fifth rank qualifications, who the Sea Sail Alliance had gone to great lengths to recruit.
His grades had always been good, having made the top five three times running.
However, he was indeed indulgent in entertainment and pleasure, often visiting the academy’s entertainment venues.
Isko Alex of the New Blood Mutual Aid Association came in fifth, which seemed a bit shabby and did not do so much justice to the association’s decades-old reputation.
From eleventh to thirtieth place, eight were from the New Blood Mutual Aid Association.
Of the remaining twelve, nine were part of student organizations.
Only three were solitary riders, the ones Link could unite with.
What?
Members of the New Blood Mutual Aid Association?
Link only accepted aid from Wizard Palo and had no intention of getting
tangled up with the New Blood Mutual Aid Association.
There were only conflicts, and nothing more to their relationship.
Don’t even mention uniting with their members, he only hoped that they would not be a hindrance, affecting the bet between Wizard Palo and Wizard Peter Lionel.
After glancing over the list of 30 people, Link signaled Buck, Ezio, Digee, and Linn to go back first.
Jasmine stayed behind alone.
“Is there something you want to talk about?”
Once the five friends had left, Jasmine asked softly.
Link nodded, “Indeed, there is.”
He organized his words: “This time, the Inter-district competition involves a bet between Wizard Palo and Wizard Peter Lionel, with Percy Sage’s Diamond and Percy Sage’s Wand at stake.
I subsequently looked up information and found out about their value.
Extremely expensive, very rare, very important!
Yet they had frivolously become the recompense for this bet, there must be other factors at work.
However, no matter what, whether it’s Wizard Palo or Wizard Lionel, both will definitely want to win.
If they want to win the bet and rightfully claim the opponent’s object, then before the Inter-district competition, both will try to hold back their desire for conflict.
Therefore, during the Inter-district competition, there will definitely be fierce contention.
We are already involved. That can’t be changed.
But we definitely shouldn’t get any deeper into the conflict between Wizard Palo and Wizard Lionel.
It is fine to continue delaying Witch Ayla’s invitation from the ‘New Blood Mutual Aid Association’.”
Witch Ayla’s threat, along with the behavior rectification of the ‘New Blood Mutual Aid Association’ these two months had achieved relatively ideal results. However, she didn’t have enough time, and she usually had to work at a potion shop, so the rectification was not thorough.
Instances of disorder were greatly reduced, but people’s hearts remained restless.
Even after repeated admonishments, some couldn’t resist eyeing Lanny Taylor. Jasmine had received several invitations to return to the “NewBlood Mutual Aid Association”. After being informed about this situation, she declined them tactfully.
It was easy to think that the “New Blood Mutual Aid Association”, in order to compete with the “Pure Blood Will” of the North District, would not let Jasmine, who had once joined, remain unattached.
They would surely find a way to pull her back in the next two days. What Link meant was to encourage Jasmine to hold firm to her convictions and not to waver easily.
Participating in the bet as an individual and as a member of the “New Blood Mutual Aid Association” had entirely different implications.
“I know howto handle it, don’t worry.”
Jasmine showed a genuinely happy smile on her face, but she did not give a definite response.
Seeing this, Link did not press further.
Ever since she witnessed the numb pain of the “workers” in the Southern Factory, heard of Chris’s death and Christina’s situation, and vaguely guessed Jimmy’s predicament, Jasmine had matured day by day.
She no longer acted spoiled, no longer made childish actions like pulling on sleeves from behind, or reaching out her little hand to touch Link’s chest muscles…
She became stronger, more independent, and assertive.
This was a good thing.
Link felt happy for the changes and progress in Jasmine.
However, recently Jasmine seemed intent on taking over the “New Blood Mutual Aid Association”.
After a conversation that Witch Ayla specifically had with Jasmine.
Link didn’t know what Witch Ayla had said, something that touched Jasmine.
But he believed that the “New Blood Mutual Aid Association” was a pitfail there was no need to step into.
It not only provided no aid but also easily attracted a host of troubles.
Look at Witch Ayla, she had resigned as president several years ago, advanced to an official wizard, and graduated from the Senior Division. Just as she was about to make a breakthrough to a higher stage, she was still called back to straighten out the malfunctional “New Blood Mutual Aid Association”, wasting a lot of time?
Having expressed his thoughts, and heard Jasmine’s response, Link decided not to pay further attention to the matter.
The old saying still goes:
Your life, your decision.
Everyone must be responsible for their own choices.
Jasmine thought for a moment and then stated sincerely, “Rest assured, Link I’m not that foolish.”
With a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, Link stayed silent.
The two rarely disagreed on something.
Amid a somewhat strange atmosphere, the two left the laboratory and returned
to their dormitories respectively.
The next day.
Link received a summons early in the morning.
Around eight in the morning, under the bright sunshine.
Fifth floor, an office in the Administrative Building.
Wizard Palo sat in the main seat and in front of him, about fifteen steps away, stood a line of twelve people.
All twelve new blood from the first-grade Storm Sea representing him in the bet were there.
“I have only one demand for you.”
Wizard Palo’s gaze swept from left to right, as he stressed explicitly with a menacing, low voice, raising his right index finger, “And that is to stick together faithfully and strive for the first place.”
As he spoke, his face became exceedingly stern, his tone infused with an aura of blood and fire.
“I know some of you have conflicts, even grudges. But!
But, be it conflicts or grudges, you must put them aside for me!
Whoever dares to ruin my plan because of personal issues, don’t blame me for not warning you in advance!”
Under the gradually intensifying pressure emanating from Wizard Palo, everyone trembled in fear, afraid even to breathe too audibly.
After listening to his admonishment, they hurriedly shouted, “Yes!”
Link was no exception.
He went along with the flow, without standing out.
After the short reprimand, Wizard Palo waved his large hand, signifying dismissal.
As Link and Jasmine reached the door, they were both called back separately.
This was a treatment that even the members of the “New Blood Mutual Aid Association”, including Lanny Taylor, did not receive.
The looks they gave Link and Jasmine were quite different.
“What’s going on?”
Wizard Palo directly asked without further ado.
Of course, Link knew what Wizard Palo was asking about and was thinking about how to answer.
Jasmine spoke before him, “Wizard Palo, I don’t want to go back to the ‘New
Blood Mutual Aid Association’. It has nothing to do with Link.”
“Hmm?”
Wizard Palo’s eyes flicked, looking sidelong at Jasmine.
His boundless aura and pressure rushed toward Jasmine like a tidal wave, as if to smash her to pieces.
Even then, Wizard Palo had intentionally held back.
Jasmine’s face turned as white as a sheet, all color drained from it.
But she clenched her lips tightly, even if they were bitten and bleeding, with drops of blood following her chin, she still held back and didn’t change her words.
Link didn’t make any rash moves, he didn’t want to carry the pressure on Jasmine’s behalf.
“Give me a reason.”
Seeing a glimpse of satisfaction fleetingly passing in his eyes, unnoticed by others, Wizard Palo retracted all his aura and asked coldly.
Jasmine swayed a few times in her prime, managed to stay standing, and breathed a sigh of relief.
She took a deep breath to steady her emotions and immediately answered, “It’s too chaotic, there’s no benefit in going back now, it would only waste time.” “Hmm.”
Wizard Palo squeezed out a sound from his nostrils, waved his hand letting
Link and Jasmine go.
It seemed as if he didn’t really care about the matter of Jasmine returning to the
“New Blood Mutual Aid Association”, it was more like a casual question he asked just to get it over and done with.
Link and Jasmine bowed and then exited the conference room.
Jasmine’s hps moved a few times, she wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start.
She wanted to explain the reasons for her back-and-forths, and why she had previously intended to take advantage of the chaos to take over the “New Blood Mutual Aid Association”, but some words were just hard to say.
After a long hesitation, Jasmine heaved a deep sigh and suppressed that thought.
Just let it be.
Anyway, it had already come to this.