Chapter 81

With both the cultivation of Qi and the tempering of his body, Luo Feng’s dormant attribute energy grew rapidly, gradually accumulating. At this point, the academy welcomed a major event.

After the morning public class ended, the homeroom teacher, Vernon, walked into the classroom, looked around, and said with deep emotion, "In the blink of an eye, you have been at the academy for a year and a half. I have watched you all grow from inexperienced rookies into capable individuals through your relentless efforts. I am proud of you. At the same time, you, who have shed your naivety, will face a trial that will mature you even further—the internship mission!"

At the mention of "internship mission," the students immediately became restless.

"Wow, the internship mission is here already, it feels so fast!"

"It’s not that fast, it’s usually around this time in the second year."

"I wonder where we will go for the internship mission, I’m looking forward to it!"

"What are you looking forward to? Do you think it’s a vacation? I’m nervous as hell."

"..."

This was a mandatory task for every student during their time at the academy. It usually involved combat, but not between people; rather, it was the hunting of magical beasts.

Unlike the low-level magical beasts Luo Feng usually hunted outside the city for crystal cores, the internship mission would involve more dangerous, group-forming magical beasts in the wilderness far from the city. If they encountered major trouble, they wouldn’t be able to retreat to the city for safety at any time.

Raising his hand to stop the commotion, Vernon said, "As you all know, the internship mission is a crucial experience for us, but it is also very dangerous. Many have suffered serious injuries, and some have even lost their lives during the internship mission. I must seriously warn you to approach this with the utmost seriousness and thorough preparation. Understood?"

The students responded loudly, "Yes, teacher!"

The homeroom teacher nodded in satisfaction. Although Class 8 was a basic class, the students always had a good spirit. In the past, basic class students would be very anxious before the internship mission, and some would even try to get by. However, the members of his class were full of fighting spirit.

Seemingly remembering something, he added, "Oh, right. Although I believe all of you are diligent and ambitious, the differences in conditions have led to some differences in strength. Therefore, the internship mission will be divided into three levels, with tasks of varying difficulty. Students at the sixth level of Gang Qi and below will take on light tasks, those at the seventh to ninth levels will take on moderate tasks, and those at the Mo Qi level and above will take on heavy tasks."

When he mentioned the heavy tasks, everyone’s eyes turned to a certain spot, where Luo Feng and Aaron were sitting.

By now, quite a few students at Starlight Academy had broken through to the Mo Qi level, and in Class 8, there were two—this pair of desk partners.

It was already impressive for a basic class to have one student reach the Mo Qi level at this stage, but now there were two. The homeroom teacher was naturally very pleased, never imagining that his class would produce two dark horses. However, he didn’t know about Aaron’s special identity and assumed that he had progressed so quickly due to Luo Feng’s influence.

Aaron’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smile. He knew the timing and grouping rules for the internship mission, so he had deliberately "broken through" to the Mo Qi level last week, displaying a fire attribute.

Pausing, Vernon continued, "Each group for the internship mission will have ten people. The leaders will be volunteers or mercenary groups hired by the academy. They will be your mentors during the internship mission, with rich experience in wilderness survival, adventuring, and combat. I hope you will humbly learn from them, as it will greatly benefit you. That’s all for today’s class meeting. Dismissed!"

Back at Lucia’s house, Luo Feng hadn’t even opened his mouth when the beautiful president asked, "Luo Feng, Qiqi, you will be going on the internship mission next week, right?"

She had also studied at Victoria’s academy and was familiar with the schedule for each academic year.

Luo Feng nodded, "Yes, Sister Lucia, I was just about to tell you that I won’t be able to come back next week."

"Um, I understand. Here, take these." Lucia seemed to have prepared for this, and she took out two exquisite scrolls, each covered in strange runes.

Luo Feng asked in confusion, "Sister Lucia, what are these?"

Qiqi blurted out, "Magic scrolls!"

As a mage, she was quite familiar with this field and recognized them at a glance.

"That’s right. They contain a low-level red magic spell, Ice Bind," Lucia explained. "Although you can’t use auxiliary items during the internship mission, if you really encounter a desperate situation, you can open them in an emergency to save yourselves. It’s better to fail the mission due to a rule violation than to die."

Luo Feng naturally understood this. In fact, many wealthy people would bring magic scrolls and other auxiliary items during the internship mission as a precaution. Although a magic scroll could only cast one spell, that one spell could be a powerful reinforcement, often saving lives.

However, even if ordinary people knew how useful magic scrolls were, they couldn’t afford them. Magic scrolls were extremely luxurious items, requiring a mage to infuse them with magic power, write complex magic formulas, and seal them. The process was very complicated and had a risk of failure. If it failed, the enchanted materials would be wasted, and the money would be lost.

The higher the level of the magic, the more expensive the enchanted materials, the more time it took for the mage, and the greater the risk of failure. To create a low-level red magic scroll, even a high-level mage would need about two months. Imagine how much it would cost to hire a high-level mage for two months, plus the cost of the enchanted materials. A rough estimate would be over a million gold coins.

Now, Lucia was giving him two, and although Luo Feng was used to her generosity, he couldn’t help but be amazed.

Knowing he would refuse, Lucia pushed the magic scrolls into Luo Feng’s hands, "Take them. I don’t want you to lose your life during the internship mission. The money I’ve invested in you is much more than these magic scrolls. Besides, these magic scrolls can’t be returned once bought. Of course, I hope you won’t need to use them."

Understanding Lucia’s personality, Luo Feng could only silently accept them, feeling deeply grateful.

After learning that his Mo Qi had no attribute, Lucia’s words were not just empty talk. She had taken action, caring for him even more than before, which was why she had prepared the magic scrolls in advance.

Thinking of this, Luo Feng made a silent resolve: Sister Lucia, I can only repay your kindness by working harder and growing stronger!

On Monday, the academy didn’t have classes. After getting up in the morning, they gathered at the gate, and the students for the three difficulty levels of tasks assembled and went to different camps.

The camp for the heavy task, where Luo Feng and his group were, was in a remote town called Lancaster in Idaho, adjacent to Lewis State. There were no cities within hundreds of miles, and the density of magical beasts was high, attracting many adventurers who earned a living by hunting crystal cores.

More than a dozen mercenary groups that were permanently based in Lancaster were already waiting outside the town. They hadn’t gone out hunting because they were supporting or hired to lead the students from two academies on their internship missions.

"Where are the people from Group 16?" A loud voice caught Luo Feng’s attention, as he belonged to Group 16 of the heavy task.

The one shouting was a muscular man with a full beard, making him look even more imposing. This man was clearly a member of the mercenary group responsible for their group.

The members of Group 16 stepped out from the crowd and approached him. The man had a badge on his chest, a crossed sword and dagger, indicating his subclass—Warrior.

Mercenary is a general term, but like the military, they have distinct roles to complement each other and better leverage the group’s capabilities. For example, warriors usually serve as vanguards and tanks in mercenary groups, focusing on powerful and simple combat techniques and strong personal and group defense.

Since it was a mercenary group, there were four other companions with the man.

One was a mercenary in black tight-fitting clothes, relatively slim, and from his attire and build, it was clear he was a Rogue.

Rogues in mercenary groups are not to be confused with thieves. Rogues are known for their agility, moving between group members to assist those in trouble. They don’t require high offensive capabilities and must control their build through special training and diets to maintain their agility, so they won’t be as muscular as warriors.

The third person’s role was even more obvious. She was a female mercenary holding a longbow—Archer, known for powerful ranged attacks.

The fourth person was a Knight, like a warrior, capable of serving as a tank, but with weaker group defense. However, a knight’s charge is stronger than a warrior’s, and they usually stand at the front.

The last person was unique. His skin was very fair, unlike a battle-hardened mercenary, but he was there because he was a Cleric.

Clerics have weak offensive capabilities but play a significant role in the group. Known for their support spells, clerics can enhance teammates’ attack, defense, and speed with various auras and provide emergency healing to injured members, making them powerful healers. Therefore, any mercenary group would want a cleric in their team.