The storm dissipated in a rather anticlimactic manner, a rare occurrence when figures of such high status had differing opinions, especially when it involved the likes of Grand Mages. The people in the conference room were left with a sense of incompleteness, which felt absurd.
Angelina looked seriously at Peter and said, "Peter, remember this agreement: you will settle your grievances in the end-of-year points competition."
This was a warning, reminding him to act according to the rules and not to engage in underhanded tactics, which would greatly reduce the chances of Charlie being targeted by Peter in his first year.
"Understood," Peter replied respectfully.
"Foolish child, let's go!" Angelina reached out her hand towards Qingtong in the crowd.
"Okay!" Qingtong stood and walked toward her.
Throughout it all, Angelina had not looked at Charlie even once, but Charlie felt grateful toward her. It could be said that the softening of Félinande's attitude was largely due to the favor of this Frost Queen, especially with that infusion of divine light that was undoubtedly a benefit earned through her few words. Not to mention, she had also warned Peter.
Charlie bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Princess Angelina."
Angelina paused, leaving him with a piece of advice: "Bravery and fearlessness are indeed admirable qualities, but if you cannot discern the situation, it becomes foolish! Don't disappoint the expectations of your friends!"
"Understood," Charlie nodded earnestly.
He reflected deeply, feeling conflicted. He didn't want to act this way! Could he really be that foolish?! Yet sometimes, people found themselves in unavoidable situations, and those whom you wished not to offend would inevitably become your enemies for various reasons.
With a rush of cold air, the two disappeared into the ice vortex.
Nahl smiled, "You could say this is a blessing in disguise. The first time you experience the spell 'Divine Light Infusion,' it comes with many benefits."
Charlie nodded silently; the chip had scanned various fixed attribute enhancements, and the overall improvements to his body were still being processed and quantified.
"I'll help you handle the upgrade of your apprentice badge soon. Once you receive the badge notification, you can head over to the academy's point redemption center to exchange for the new badge, which will correspond to the new privileges," Nahl winked at him.
"Thank you for your support, teacher."
Nahl sighed lightly, patting Charlie on the shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "The challenges you face now are far more difficult than what I initially required of you. You're competing against an apprentice of a Grand Mage, and theoretically, I see no advantage for you. I will do my best to assist you in your studies; good luck!"
To avoid undermining Charlie's confidence, Nahl didn't mention that Félinande was extremely prideful and that the fact he had to personally intervene without resolving a simple apprentice issue would be a considerable humiliation for him. He would undoubtedly spare no effort to help Peter in the competition against Charlie, and then the problem would become serious. No one could match the resources of a Grand Mage, except another Grand Mage.
Charlie certainly understood this point as he solemnly nodded.
Nahl addressed Victor, saying, "Charlie will become a Gold Badge apprentice, so let's proceed according to the rules. I think your previous judgment was very reasonable."
Victor replied, "Rest assured, Master Nahl, I understand. This matter is settled."
After completing his instructions, Nahl nodded at Anthony, "If Charlie can successfully pass this ordeal, I will apply for the apprentice transfer procedures with Mr. Anthony. I hope he will allow it. Previously, I had Charlie not inform you, after all, there is still a year left, to avoid affecting your mood."
Anthony's expression was complex as he sighed, "Gold shines everywhere. It is a blessing for Charlie to be noticed by a master, and of course, I will support him."
"Then that's good! If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Nahl said goodbye to everyone and quickly vanished from sight.
Based on the compromise made by several prominent figures, Victor quickly reached a conclusion, which effectively meant that Charlie's killing of the 17 apprentices would be covered by the academy. They would publicly announce that the apprentices had been eliminated during the new activity season, categorizing it as a normal death. The compensation plan would simply involve releasing a portion of exempt admission spots during next year's enrollment season, a common tactic of the academy.
Of course, there was a possibility that Peter would inform the families of the deceased about the true cause of their deaths, a situation that could not be avoided. However, as the originator, Peter bore the primary responsibility for involving these apprentices in dangerous disputes; the various families would not fail to see through the underlying issues.
Then, Charlie bid farewell to his relieved teammates and returned to Anthony's laboratory. Anthony gave him a day off, allowing him some time to rest and digest everything.
Only at this moment did Charlie finally put down the weight on his heart and begin to assess the gains from this new activity season.
In total, Charlie collected 53 types of herbs and 41 samples of magical beasts during the new activity season. After verification by the academy, he exchanged them for 378 points. Adding the full survival day bonus of 100 points, he received a total of 478 points, achieving first place in the first round of the freshman points competition and earning the first-place reward of 300 points, totaling 778 points. Coupled with the 50 points he had left over from before, Charlie's total points reached an astonishing 828 points, with an incredibly high scoring efficiency.
Charlie's name also appeared on the top ten points leaderboard, widely recognized among this year's students, with "Charlie Pavel" becoming well-known.
Additionally, Charlie had some extra gains; while collecting herbs, he had been tasting them and gathering data on their medicinal properties. For the herbs that clearly increased attributes, he consumed quite a bit, which made his teammates quite troubled, as it reduced each of their points by at least 10%.
However, these herbs brought Charlie a variety of mixed attributes and subtly sowed the seeds of future troubles. Unbeknownst to him, a trace of toxin had entered his magic pool. Fortunately, Charlie had been cautious while tasting the herbs and hadn't ingested too much, so it would not immediately affect his strength. It was merely swirling in his magic pool, causing him some anxiety.
"Can 'Divine Light Infusion' remove toxins?" Charlie inquired of the chip in his mind.
"Currently, it shows no effect."
Looks like he would have to find a way to deal with it later; Charlie planned to ask Teacher Anthony afterward if he had any solutions.
"Are my attributes stable now?"
"'Divine Light Infusion' is still in effect; the nourishment for your bones and organs is gradual and should stabilize by tomorrow."
"Bring up my current personal data, accurate to the decimal point."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
After a moment, the chip displayed a long list:
"Host: Charlie, Forest Attributes:Strength: 2.1Agility: 1.8Spirit: 407Stamina: 1.7Constitution: 2.3Perception: 20Personal Magic Pool: 131.5Shadow Affinity: 3Shadow Resistance: 6Nature Affinity: 5Nature Resistance: 15Water Element Affinity: 4Water Element Resistance: 18."
These were the data gathered after the alchemical properties had been assessed, representing solid personal statistics with significant increases.
With strength reaching twice that of an average person, it meant Charlie's punching force could reach 200-300 kilograms. His agility being 1.8 times that of an ordinary person indicated that he was no longer a panting fatso; in fact, after months of persistent effort, Charlie maintained a weight of 70 kilograms, which met the standard for a trainee knight.
The biggest surprise was the changes in stamina and constitution, especially the constitution improving from below average to now double that of an average person, greatly enhancing Charlie's endurance, all thanks to the 'Divine Light Infusion' gift from the prideful Félinande.
His spirit had broken through the 400 mark, far exceeding that of his peers, and perception, as a supplementary statistic, was calculated by the chip, indicating that Charlie's comprehensive sensory ability was over 20 times that of an average person—a hidden attribute that endowed him with a significant advantage during the new activity season.
The Sogo marshlands were abundant in herbs that enhanced nature and water element affinities, and Charlie's sudden surge in attributes suggested that they would contribute to his ability to meditate and absorb energy particles from nature and water, as well as enhance his casting of nature and water spells.
In addition to these, Charlie had some unaccounted gains: a Sea Lan Stone, an unidentified Coral Crown, and a gemstone ring, which he could now take to estimate their value. He could also visit the points market to see what good items he could buy.
As Charlie was about to head out, he was caught up with by Eileen.
Eileen asked, "Are you planning to go to the points market?"
"Yeah! Do you want to go too?"
Eileen nodded, "Do you know the way? I'll follow you."
Charlie smiled, "So, how many points did you earn from this event?"
"Counting all the rewards, it's over 320 points." Eileen's cheeks flushed slightly as she said, "I never even dared to dream about this before. I thought I wouldn't earn 50 points in a year! I'm really grateful to you for bringing this baggage along into the top 100! You're amazing!!"
"Not bad! Over 300
points means you have some purchasing power now; make sure to choose wisely."
"Yeah! I've already decided; I want to buy the 'Knight's Enlightenment Potion.'"
Charlie was quite surprised, "Why are you buying a warrior's potion? Do you want to become one of the few female knights on the Vagrant Continent?"
Eileen shook her head, her eyes filled with warmth. "This is my family's wish, and it's also my main reason for coming to the Arcane Circle. I have a younger brother whose dream is to become a knight, but unfortunately, he has limited talent. In my hometown, a bottle of the Knight's Enlightenment Potion costs 3,000 gold coins; my family could never earn that much money in a lifetime!
So, I really have to thank you! I originally planned to fulfill this wish in three years, but I've done it in just one month! Moreover, the potions from the Arcane Circle are far superior to those back home; it should help my brother's dream come true!"
Charlie looked at her hopeful eyes and softly praised, "He is very lucky to have you as his sister."
"Thank you."