Dark Wizard: Rise! My undead army!

As Lynn walked toward the "Apprentice Staircase Hall," his fingers kept stroking the dark silver plaque in his pocket.

On the inside of the nameplate, a number silently appeared that made his heart race.

32516 contribution points!

That's a whopping 32,000 contribution points, equivalent to 3,200 magic stones...

That's enough to buy his life!

This is almost more than the annual resource allocation of a small wizarding family!

Hmm... it's the kind of small family in the wizarding world that doesn't have a formal wizard in charge, and only a few wizarding apprentices struggling to survive.

Such small families often live in a remote, resource-poor area and make a living by doing some side jobs or skills.

It's estimated that his wife approved this reward at the highest level, and may even have used her special authority to grant it.

After all, the merit of "identifying and promptly reporting the clone of the shapeshifting demon lord" can be significant or minor when reported.

On a smaller scale, it means the apprentice was vigilant enough to discover a demon among his peers; on a larger scale, it means he averted a crisis that could have caused significant damage to the academy or even led to a leak of intelligence.

The size of one's merit depends on how the master's wife reports it.

We're all family, so what's wrong with lending a hand?

Lynn clutched the nameplate tightly, deciding to use it secretly and not tell anyone, not even her own mentor.

Making a fortune quietly is the only true principle.

After all, Gregor was used to a life of hardship, and he had poured all his savings into projects, constantly trying to find ways to acquire resources.

This amount of contribution points was enough to make him extremely envious.

However, if he were open-minded, he could simply latch onto his teacher's wife's powerful connections and submit his assignments from time to time; then he wouldn't have to worry about resources.

Hmm... I guess it's just a man's pride acting up.

Upon arriving at the apprentice staircase hall, the same expressionless old deacon stood there as always.

As the young Lynn walked towards him step by step, a knowing glint flashed in the old deacon's eyes.

It seems this kid has completed his mission and is now on the same level as him.

This should be the last time I see him here.

He won't be coming to the "Apprentice Staircase Hall" again. He should reappear in the "Hall of Truth"!

From now on... I should call him "Master"...

Unaware of the old apprentice's sentiments, Lynn handed over his dark silver nameplate and took out the [Aberrant Tumor] and a crystal containing a detailed report on the energy anomalies in the Rotten Swamp Forest.

After examining the mission items and report, the old deacon confirmed the mission's completion by checking the nameplate. He then manipulated the bone plate to confirm that Lynn's promotion mission and additional investigation mission were both completed.

"Meets the final criteria for promotion."

The old deacon's voice was still dry and hoarse.

He inserted Lynn's Dark Silver Nameplate into a magical device resembling an ATM beside him, then took a brand new nameplate from the cabinet behind him and inserted it into the other side, before transferring all the information.

When the information was transferred, the old deacon's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw the more than 30,000 contribution points displayed on the screen.

It's only been a few days? Last time it was only a little over two thousand contribution points, how come there are so many more this time?

The old deacon carefully examined the information on the nameplate and discovered that Lynn had received a "Special Security Contribution Award" for his great contribution.

Click to view the details of the achievement—Apprentice Lynn recognized and promptly reported the Mimic Lord's clone, and is hereby rewarded.

What the hell? You saw through the Abyss Demon Lord's clone?

Just him?

Can this little gadget see through the demon lord's disguise?

Who would believe that!

Looking at the signature below—Verified by Deputy Tower Master Cersei...

Looking at Lynn's handsome face again, the old deacon suddenly realized.

gigolo?

I knew it! How could such a little thing make such a big contribution?

The sky above that withered spire has finally darkened...

Even the deputy tower master succumbed...

Is there any hope for us ordinary apprentices?

Looking at the old deacon who had once again fallen into a state of "emptiness", Lynn was a little confused. This old apprentice was slacking off every day, and no one complained?

Hmm... the academy is quite tolerant!

Once all the information had been transferred, the old deacon finally came to his senses.

He picked up the brand-new Soul Gold Plaque and then took out a bronze sorcerer's artifact that resembled a skull seal from a locked drawer.

Align the bottom of the seal with a pre-reserved groove on the back of the nameplate and inject a trace of energy after confirming your own authority.

hum...

A faint blue light shone from the bottom of the seal, and an incredibly complex three-dimensional mark was "branded" into the internal structure of the Soul Gold Nameplate.

The core information of the mark is: "Skeleton Repository - Second Floor - Viewing Access - 24 Hourglass Time", along with an energy countdown trigger mechanism.

"Permissions have been granted. The countdown will begin when you first step into the second-floor entrance barrier after 24 consecutive hourglasses. It will expire after that."

The old deacon handed the Soul Gold Badge back to Lynn with a gentle smile, a faint grin tugging at his stiff face.

This is the deputy tower master's bedmate; he cannot be neglected.

Lynn reached out and took the nameplate, somewhat puzzled by the old deacon's change in attitude.

Is it because you see how quickly I've been promoted that you want to curry favor with me ahead of time?

Indeed, only by being strong can one earn the respect of others!

Lynn stroked the nameplate in his hand with satisfaction.

This is a nameplate cast entirely from soul gold.

Soul Gold is not gold, but a special magical metal that appears dark gold and has excellent affinity and capacity to support spiritual power.

The nameplate feels slightly heavy and has a warm, smooth texture.

The front is etched with the emblem of the Bone Spire and Lynn's name, while the back features an array of anti-counterfeiting and authorization runes that are bound to the holder's soul.

The original Dark Silver Nameplate was inscribed with the Trick [Secondary Negative Energy Shield], while the Soul Gold Nameplate is inscribed with the Apprentice-level [Negative Energy Shield], greatly enhancing its defensive capabilities.

Furthermore, Soul Gold itself can passively filter out a certain intensity of mental noise and low-level soul erosion, making it a precious mental protection material.

He put the Soul Gold Nameplate into his ring, but did not wear it on his body.

Over 30,000 contribution points! If someone steals them, it'll be a complete disaster.

This is a passbook without a password; anyone who gets hold of it can access the data.

While it makes inheriting from corpses easier, it makes it difficult to protect one's own property.

Hmm... contribution points are just a string of numbers after all, so it's a bit too risky. It's safer to exchange them for magic stones.

Even if we take a step back and assume that the academy is breached one day, then having more contribution points will be meaningless.

Magic stones are different. You can store them in a spatial ring and take them with you wherever you go. As the universal currency of the wizarding world, you can spend them anywhere.

With that in mind, Lynn determined the direction and headed towards an area in the lower part of the Bone Spire.

He walked through several corridors guarded by ghostly figures and came to a door made of dark metal and bone.

There were no fancy decorations on the door, only a constantly rotating gray-white vortex emblem—Resource Scheduling Headquarters.