Chapter 113: The Mission

Ingmor picked up the task list from the table again, casually flipping through a few pages. He pointed to one of the tasks and then cast a sharp glance at the crowd waiting in line.

Saniel immediately understood Ingmor’s expression. With so many people around, if the task details were leaked, apprentices of the third-level wizards like them could very well become targets for ambush.

“You all should leave for now. We’ll continue assigning tasks shortly,” Saniel waved his hand at the others, his face regaining its earlier haughty expression.

Banseni shot a questioning glance at Linwei.

Linwei gently waved his hand, signaling for him to step back as well.

Reluctantly, Banseni dragged the incapacitated bald man outside.

“How about this task?” Inside the room, only four remained. Ingmor glanced at his sister, Sherice, who stood behind him, then turned to Linwei. “You, me, and my sister Sherice—three of us will take on this task together.”

Linwei took the task list and fixed his gaze on the section Ingmor had marked.

“Destroy the Fang Bloodshadow’s temporary communication crystal?” Linwei read the task quietly. “Reward: one hundred and fifty points.”

Among wizards, there exist special communication tools. For instance, Banseni, who was dispatched to the Kingdom of Leyton, had a unique communication channel with the Shadow Forest Headquarters. However, such channels were costly and rarely used. Now, on the battlefield, communication frequency among wizards had surged. Using conventional methods would consume an enormous amount of mana crystals.

To address this, both the Wizard Academy Alliance and Fang Bloodshadow had adopted a similar strategy: establishing multiple short-range communication crystals near the battlefield to minimize the cost of all contact within their coverage.

The task Ingmor chose was to destroy one such Fang Bloodshadow communication crystal, thereby forcibly shrinking their communication range.

Linwei skimmed the rest of the tasks on the list, immediately forming a rough plan in his mind.

Among the three-person tasks, Ingmor’s choice was undoubtedly the most suitable—arguably the highest value task for three.

“Maybe I could choose a solo task?” Linwei considered for a moment. “No, now is not the time for solo missions. I need this chance to integrate with the other third-level wizard apprentices in the camp.”

When collective strength could aid personal resource acquisition, Linwei did not mind blending in. Given the current camp situation, third-level wizard apprentices were the top tier besides the Kibul wizards. They controlled most of the discourse and resource allocation within the camp. Saniel was the perfect example—the key distributor of interests within the camp. Their status as third-level apprentices granted them task management roles, which in turn secured more resources to boost their own power.

This bore some resemblance to the noble class in mortal realms: once holding dominance, they could extract resources from the lower-level wizards.

“I agree.”

Linwei consented to Ingmor’s proposal after only a brief moment of thought.

“As for the points distribution for this mission…” Ingmor looked at Linwei with a questioning gaze.

Linwei shook his head slightly, signaling him to continue.

“Linwei and I are both third-level wizard apprentices, but my sister Sherice is second-level. So I propose that of the one hundred and fifty points, you and I each get sixty, and Sherice thirty. If unforeseen circumstances arise leading to uneven effort, we’ll adjust the points accordingly to compensate losses.”

Ingmor was clearly no stranger to group tasks. His clear and precise points allocation left no room for disputes.

“No problem.”

Linwei accepted the plan without hesitation.

The task’s reward was considerable—sixty points equaled taking down two third-level wizard apprentices of equal rank.

“When do we start?”

Linwei cast a sideways glance at Sherice.

“Right now, of course,” Ingmor replied. “The camp is very different from the Academy. Tasks here move much faster. We don’t know how long this war will last, so we must maximize point-earning efficiency. The Academy invests so many resources into these exchanges not merely to strike at Fang Bloodshadow, but to sift out the elite among us and supply them through military merit.”

None of the third-level apprentices in the camp were fools; they all clearly saw the war’s true nature.

“Alright, then let’s set out immediately.”

Linwei made the decision on the spot.

Wizards didn’t require logistical support like mortal armies; they only needed sufficient mana and mental energy.

“Saniel, mark the task, please.”

Ingmor patted Saniel’s shoulder.

“No problem.” Saniel picked up a quill, casually twirling it on his thumb before writing Linwei and the others’ names beneath the task to destroy the temporary communication crystal.

“Let me remind you, though, even with two third-level apprentices, be careful. I heard from Master Kibul that each temporary communication crystal is guarded by at least one third-level apprentice,” Saniel said.

Linwei and Ingmor exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

“Let’s go.” Ingmor tugged Sherice along.

Sherice stole a glance at Linwei, then stepped in front of him. “Mr. Linwei, please take care of me.”

Linwei smiled faintly but said nothing.

To him, Sherice was frankly a burden. If not for Ingmor, Linwei wouldn’t have brought such a weakling along.

Watching the trio’s retreating figures, Saniel sighed in relief.

Not only had he defused potential friction with Linwei, but he had also successfully forged a friendship—something Saniel found deeply satisfying.

“The guy with Linwei needs an easier task…” Saniel’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“That Bront…” A fierce gleam flashed in Saniel’s eyes. “I told him to reign it in long ago, but he still acts recklessly. If Linwei had Ingmor’s temperament, even I would face hostility from a third-level apprentice! Since he’s caused me trouble, he’ll have to bear the consequences himself.”

Banseni had no idea that, by aligning with Linwei, he had already gained benefits others couldn’t reach. The bald man Bront remained oblivious that after suffering Linwei’s assault, he had now become Saniel’s new target.