Chapter 98: A-Rank Talent
As a spellcasting apprentice specializing in summoning and plant magic, Janna had not studied any witchcraft related to bloodlines, strength, or agility.
Because of this, compared to Bell Moonshadow, who possessed the [Dark Elf] bloodline; Richard Eva, who had the [Vampire Bat] bloodline; and Soro Flare, who carried the [Lava Dragon Lizard] bloodline, Janna's physical body was exceedingly fragile.
Of course, when compared to spellcasting apprentices like the frost apprentice Vivian or the flame apprentice Andre Green, Janna's constitution might be somewhat stronger, thanks to the rewards from the system.
Therefore, during her time as a First Tier Apprentice, Janna's approach to witchcraft training focused on escape-oriented spells like [Transfiguration], protective spells such as [Floral Guard], and mental control spells like [Siren Chanting] that could delay enemies.
Although she had [Basic Transfiguration] to support her offensively, its three-minute time limit meant that Janna could only use it as a last resort and couldn't cast it frequently.
"My current shortcoming remains the lack of spell power. Even though I have two contract summons, they're not particularly strong. I'll have to consider this when choosing new contract summons in the future—"
Beyond the issue of insufficient damage, Janna also lacked the stealth abilities that Bell Moonshadow possessed.
In recent apprentice duels, Janna had managed to defeat Bell Moonshadow multiple times.
Besides her dazzling array of witchcraft techniques, this was largely due to the twenty-minute time limit imposed in the Dark Magic Defense class's apprentice duels.
As a shadow apprentice adept at stealth, ambushes, and one-hit kills, Bell Moonshadow was forced to abandon her professional advantages and resort to aggressive tactics, giving Janna an opening.
Even with the mid-battle advantage of the swampy terrain, it still wasn't enough for Bell Moonshadow to fully showcase her combat prowess.
"Therefore, if it were a real battle in the wild, I'd likely be on the defensive against Bell. Without preparation for a prolonged fight, it's hard to say who would ultimately emerge victorious—"
"Clatter—"
After a morning of effort, Bell Moonshadow, sitting beside Janna, finally succeeded in casting [Reading Magic].
Although still not very proficient, among the apprentices in the classroom who had successfully cast the spell, Bell Moonshadow ranked relatively high.
"Alright, I see that quite a few of you have successfully cast [Reading Magic]; the progress is decent. For those who haven't succeeded yet, I'll be conducting spot checks in the next class—of course, don't forget about [Wizard's Hand] either—"
Upon hearing that Professor Mary Margaret would conduct spot checks in the next class, several apprentices with evidently insufficient spirit power couldn't help but look worried. Some even considered skipping the next class.
"Class dismissed."
"Goodbye, Professor Margaret—" Even after Mary Margaret left the classroom, many apprentices continued to sigh and frown.
"Miss Janna, do you have a moment? I have a question about witchcraft I'd like to ask you. Of course, I'm willing to pay a consultation fee."
"Sorry, I have something urgent to attend to right now. If you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them after class tomorrow."
"Ah—alright, Miss Janna, I'll consult you tomorrow then—"
Seeing Janna's polite smile, Andy, the slightly chubby male apprentice who had previously paid to consult Janna about [Wizard's Hand] after the Basic Spellcasting class, felt a bit disappointed. However, upon hearing that he'd still have the opportunity to consult her tomorrow, his disappointment quickly vanished.
"Andy, since you have the money, why don't you just consult Professor Margaret directly?"
As Janna walked away, a few apprentices familiar with Andy approached him, puzzled.
"What do you know? Professor Margaret charges five academic credits per consultation, and if my questions are too basic, I'd get scolded. It's better to consult Miss Janna—"
"She's not only good at explaining but also very patient. She doesn't belittle you, and her fees are fair. I'd be a fool not to take advantage of such a great resource. I suggest you all consider consulting Miss Janna directly with your questions next time. There's no need to go through the hassle of consulting professors or those upperclassmen who charge exorbitant fees."
Hearing such high praise from Andy, a returning client, several apprentices nearby—though not from wizard families but who had accumulated a fair amount of academic credits—couldn't help but feel tempted.
After all, the academy's final exams were just a few months away.
Failing the exams would not only be embarrassing but also costly due to the fees for retaking courses.
"But... isn't Miss Janna just a First Year Apprentice? Can she really know more than the professors?"
"Of course not. If Miss Janna knew more than the professors, she wouldn't still be here. But because she's a First Year Apprentice like us, she can explain things from our perspective!"
"That's true..."
Under Andy's persuasive words, apprentices who had only heard of Janna's academic prowess but had never consulted her began to waver.
"Then after class tomorrow, I'll consult Miss Janna with you—I definitely don't want to fail."
"Don't forget to prepare the consultation fee in advance."
"Of course—"
After greeting Bell Moonshadow, Janna, eager to return, skipped lunch at the cafeteria and headed straight back to her dormitory.
"Door Spirit, if anyone comes looking for me, just say I'm in seclusion and ask them to leave a message."
"Understood, Miss Janna."
After instructing the Door Spirit, Janna closed the dormitory door, swiftly removed her wizard robe, and sat beside the experiment table.
Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, she ensured everything was ready before quickly summoning the system panel.
"System, allocate all 100 points of Talent EXP to [Soul Projection]."
Buzz—
As the Talent EXP was applied, the progress bar next to [Soul Projection] rapidly filled to 100% amidst a golden glow.
In an instant, vibrant colors flooded Janna's vision.
The world seemed to spin, and it felt as if her soul had left her body.
The familiar sights of her dormitory receded from her view, descending rapidly.
She passed through White Coral Academy, through the wizard gathering place of Turin, and through the barriers of the Magic Tower...