Chapter 11: Quest Rewards
As a large dose of thorn toxin was injected, Bell Moonshadow, bound by thorns, collapsed helplessly onto the dueling platform.
“Crack—”
The rocky ground split open as a vibrant green thorn suddenly sprouted from a crevice.
A flower bud began to form.
With a rapid proliferation of thorns, a pink bud nearly two meters tall grew from the spot where Janna had disappeared.
“What kind of witchcraft is that? Is it plant-based magic?”
As the dense fog gradually dissipated, the apprentices sitting farther back couldn't help but crane their necks to get a better look at the deep pink flower bud that had sprouted from the ground.
“The one lying on the ground is actually Bell Moonshadow? How did she lose?”
“The fog was too thick, I couldn’t see anything.”
Amidst the constant murmurs from below the stage, the deep pink flower bud standing on the dueling platform began to bloom layer by layer under the crowd's gaze.
When the thorns sprawling across the ground finally vanished, Janna—embraced by a strange humanoid creature and surrounded by petals—appeared before everyone.
“Is that... an elemental creature?”
With light green skin and deep pink long hair, a pair of long antennae protruded from her forehead, just above a set of dark, compound eyes reminiscent of a butterfly’s.
Unlike the humanoid upper body, the lower half was completely enveloped within a deep pink flower.
She had a pair of wings on her back—emerald green and shaped like butterfly wings—giving this strange creature a bizarre, almost enchanting beauty.
“Put me down, Laura.”
“Hiss—”
Laura Thorn, the true name of the contracted Thornflower Sprite.
However, unlike the Celestial Finch, whose intelligence was nearly human-level, this low-rank spirit acted mostly on instinct.
Janna could only maintain simple telepathic communication with her.
Fortunately, Thornflower Sprites were extremely loyal.
She could execute any of Janna's commands with near-perfect precision, reacting almost as fast as thought itself.
...
Upon receiving the telepathic instruction, the Thornflower Sprite gently lowered Janna from her embrace.
Along with her, the exhausted Celestial Finch, drained of magic, was also placed down.
“Thank you for your hard work, Aph. Go back and rest.”
“Understood... Master.”
Whoosh—
Responding to the command, the Celestial Finch affectionately rubbed against Janna’s shoulder.
As Janna dispersed the contract power, the Celestial Finch turned into a beam of white light and returned to the Spirit Realm.
“Hiss—”
The Thornflower Sprite let out a screech similar to that of an insect—sharp and short.
Hearing the sound, Janna simply shook her head and gently soothed the slightly anxious sprite.
“This one’s not prey... You should go back too.”
“Hiss—”
Although she seemed disappointed, the Thornflower Sprite obediently withdrew the thorns entangling Bell Moonshadow, folded her petals, and vanished into the Contract Array.
“What’s your name?”
As the barrier dispersed, the rocky terrain of the dueling platform also disappeared.
Turning around, Janna was met not only with over a hundred varied gazes from below the stage but also with the unwavering stare of the Scarlet Witch, Grace Eva, who had remained at the edge of the platform. Her sharp eyes held undisguised curiosity.
“My name is Janna Roland, Professor.”
“Your witchcraft is quite good. Keep it up.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“She’s been poisoned by you, so it’s your responsibility to cure her.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Seeing Janna’s humble and respectful attitude, Grace nodded in satisfaction.
With a light tap of her finger, Bell Moonshadow—who had collapsed in the center of the dueling platform—floated to Janna’s side.
“Poison Removal—”
Janna gently placed her palm over the spot where Bell Moonshadow had been scratched by the thorns. A green light emanated from her palm.
The glowing mist swirled as Janna quickly chanted a witch’s incantation.
Under the guidance of plant magic, the thorn toxin embedded in Bell Moonshadow’s bloodstream was swiftly extracted.
“Cough, cough—”
Still partially paralyzed, Bell Moonshadow suddenly felt her body lighten.
After a few violent coughs, she opened her eyes wide and shakily stood up.
“Alright, who’s next?”
...
As two apprentices raised their hands and stepped onto the dueling platform, Janna and Bell descended the stage under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
“This time, I lost. I hope next time, I’ll get another chance to spar with you.”
“The honor would be mine.”
No longer as arrogant as she was at the start, the defeated Bell Moonshadow simply gave a deep look at Janna’s seemingly gentle and harmless face, then turned away and returned to her seat, her expression full of reluctance.
“Whew—”
Letting out a quiet sigh, Janna—despite being the victor—showed no hint of triumph. She simply returned to her seat calmly.
Even when faced with excessive compliments from a few familiar apprentices, she merely nodded politely and smiled in acknowledgment.
“As expected of Miss Janna, praised as ‘the brightest gem of the Magic Tower’—so modest even in victory.”
...
With naturally high Charisma and a knack for leveraging her looks, Janna had garnered significant popularity among her fellow wizard apprentices since arriving at White Coral Academy.
Thanks to her [Muscle Control] talent and her attention to managing her words and expressions, she not only enjoyed the benefits of her appearance but was also praised for being modest and gentle.
These surface-level reputations were, in truth, part of Janna’s deliberate effort to build connections and break class barriers, all in pursuit of valuable information and resources.
As a “common-born witch,” Janna’s social circle was inherently limited, putting her at a natural disadvantage compared to apprentices from established wizard families.
To overcome this, she committed herself to rigorous study, year-round meditation, and investments like Gold Surrel.
Moreover, unwilling to sacrifice her freedom by aligning with a wizard family, Janna had no choice but to make full use of every advantage she possessed—advancing cautiously, blending into circles, building them, and leveraging them—to gain opportunities through networking.
...
“Ding-dong—”
Just as Janna prepared to continue watching the other apprentices’ duels, a system prompt suddenly sounded in her mind.
[Today’s Quest: Complete a wizard combat challenge and achieve victory (Completed);
Quest Rewards: 200 Talent EXP, 800 Skill EXP, Special Character Talent “Voice of the Heavens”]
Seeing the rewards on the virtual screen before her, the corner of Janna’s mouth twitched ever so slightly.
“Voice of the Heavens... I didn’t expect this time’s reward to be a sound-based talent...”