Chapter 109: The Military Merit Exchange Manual

“New here?”

The middle-aged sorcerer set down his quill and glanced at Lin Wei and Bansaini.

“Yes, sir,” Lin Wei replied with a slight bow.

Bansaini followed suit, bowing again alongside Lin Wei, though he appeared somewhat uneasy.

“What are your names?”

The sorcerer said as he pulled a thick ledger filled with names from the drawer.

“Lin Wei Nolan,” Lin Wei answered.

Bansaini quickly gave his name as well.

“Hmm…” The sorcerer flipped through the book slowly, pausing for a moment. “From the Kingdom of Leyton, and you arrived rather quickly.”

He circled their names, marking them.

“My name is Kibber,” the sorcerer introduced himself with a detached tone, “I am the highest commander of the Academy at the Segawi Lakeside battlefield. I believe you have a rough idea of the Academy’s current situation. The Fang Blood Shadow enemy has launched a fatal assault on the entire Sorcerer Academy Alliance, turning this attack into full-scale war.”

“Although our Alliance has already entered the highest alert and response level, we must admit that compared to the well-prepared Fang Blood Shadow, we are at a disadvantage.”

Kibber did not conceal the harsh reality.

“You should consider yourselves fortunate not to have been forcibly recalled to the Academy headquarters but sent here to Segawi Lakeside. Though there is war and death here as well, it is far safer than the main Academy.”

Kibber casually mentioned this before retrieving a booklet from the drawer and handing it to Lin Wei and Bansaini.

“What is this?” Lin Wei asked softly, opening the first page with Bansaini.

“This is the Military Merit Exchange Handbook,” Kibber explained. “Excluding specific mission points, you earn one point for killing a Level One Sorcerer Apprentice; five points for a Level Two Apprentice; thirty points for a Level Three Apprentice; and for killing a full-fledged Sorcerer…”

At this, Kibber forced a strange smile, “Killing a full Sorcerer grants five hundred points.”

Lin Wei and Bansaini skimmed through the handbook, their faces betraying their surprise.

“So, only in times of war does the Academy dare to offer all its treasures? Makes sense — once completely overrun, these treasures would be useless anyway…” Lin Wei mused, eyeing the precious materials and items, usually impossible to buy even with magic stones, now listed openly for exchange.

“This is…” Bansaini’s voice brimmed with astonishment. “Minar Elixir! The very Minar Elixir that promotes spiritual power growth!”

It was no wonder Bansaini lost his composure; now in the twilight of his life, as a Level Two Apprentice, he could expect at most thirty more years. If he could obtain the Minar Elixir, he might break through to Level Three, adding another forty years to his lifespan!

“The Minar Elixir costs one hundred points to redeem…” Bansaini gritted his teeth, acknowledging the difficulty of the task for a Level Two Apprentice. “I absolutely… must get it!”

Lin Wei, however, felt no excitement over the Minar Elixir. Its side effects were severe, even impairing the use of internal sorcery. Compared to the Snow White Tear Elixir that the elder Herik mentioned, the Minar Elixir was far inferior.

“Hm?” Suddenly, Lin Wei’s eyes flickered upon seeing the next item. “Lotus Grass Ice Crystal?!”

It was precisely what Lin Wei needed most—the Lotus Grass Ice Crystal!

With it, he could solve the problem of uncontrollable sorcery during high-precision experiments.

“Two hundred points…” Lin Wei noted the merit price. “I must get it…”

Watching their reactions, Kibber smiled faintly, barely noticeable. He was pleased. Sorcerers, after all, were human. Only such high-stakes temptations could drive ordinarily rational sorcerers to frenzy, willing to become cannon fodder on the battlefield.

“Your dormitory is number thirty-one.”

Kibber produced two jet-black rectangular iron plates seemingly from nowhere. With a flick of his fingers, the plates floated gently down into Lin Wei and Bansaini's hands like feathers.

“These are your identification cards, and also your military merit cards,” Kibber explained.

“Military merit cards?” Bansaini questioned.

“Yes,” Kibber nodded. “They are tools forged by the necromantic sorcerers within the Academy, designed to record your merit points. Whenever you kill an enemy, the card senses changes in the life force and records the corresponding points based on fluctuations in your sorcery.”

“All right, go to your dorms and rest. You will be assigned missions tomorrow.”

Without waiting for Lin Wei and Bansaini to finish perusing the exchange list, Kibber dismissed them.

“Sir, we will take our leave,” Lin Wei said gently, placing the Military Merit Exchange Handbook on the table.

“Wait…”

Just as they turned to leave, Kibber called out to them.

“Sir,” Lin Wei and Bansaini halted, looking at Kibber with curiosity.

“Lin Wei, you are a Level Three Sorcerer Apprentice, correct?” Kibber inquired.

“Yes, sir—I just recently broke through,” Lin Wei answered humbly, hiding nothing.

Kibber’s interest deepened. “If I’m not mistaken, you must be under thirty.”

As a full sorcerer, Kibber could clearly sense the vibrant life force emanating from Lin Wei, a stark contrast to Bansaini beside him.

Before Lin Wei could answer, Bansaini was stunned. Though he knew Lin Wei was young, he hadn’t expected him to be this young. A thirty-year-old Level Three Apprentice—that must be at least a fourth-tier talent!

“Yes, I am under thirty,” Lin Wei replied evasively, withholding his precise age.

Kibber did not press further and waved them off. “Go on…”

“Oh, and…” Kibber added with a tone mixing admiration and warning as he looked at Lin Wei. “Don’t kill anyone inside the camp.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lin Wei and Bansaini exchanged a glance, took two steps back, then turned and left.

As Lin Wei stepped outside, he glanced at the reddening sunlight and murmured, “No killing allowed… So, does that mean they only want to cripple people? Seems this war camp isn’t exactly harmonious…”