Sifney seemed to be carefully choosing her words before she finally spoke.
“To participate in the Sky Ladder rankings, every student requires the acknowledgment and recommendation of a mentor from their respective division.
I hope you will compete under my mentor’s name.”
“Why must I compete under Chief Mentor Dannich’s name?” You’er raised an eyebrow, casting a cold, clearly unwilling glance at Dannich.
“To be honest, if I absolutely had to choose a recommender, I’d much rather ask Chief Mentor Chilong, who was just here.”
“Hmph, you’re dreaming if you think that good-for-nothing Chilong would ever recommend you,” Dannich scoffed.
“Even so, it would still be better than asking you,” You’er retorted without a hint of politeness.
“You!”
Dannich was seething internally.
He already detested Chilong, a man who shirked all responsibilities yet held a status equal to his own—a fact Dannich found utterly intolerable.
Now, to be told directly by You’er that he was inferior to Chilong, how could he possibly maintain his composure?
“Alright, alright, Mentor, please calm down.
Allow me to explain,” Sifney interjected, unable to bear the sight any longer.
She pulled Dannich back, then turned to You’er.
“As Mentor just said, Chief Chilong never acts as a recommender for any student.
Furthermore, having Mentor recommend you comes with its own advantages.”
“Advantages?”
“Yes, advantages,” Sifney affirmed with a nod.
“As the only Chief Mentor in the First Division who grants recommendation slots to students, his endorsement allows you to start significantly higher than other climbers, and each jump up the rankings can be much larger.”
“So for these Sky Ladder rankings, I can’t just challenge a specific rank?
I have to climb one by one?” You’er’s mouth twitched.
‘Whoever came up with this system must be brain-dead,’ he thought.
‘Considering there were twenty-five thousand students in the entire academy, even if only half qualified to compete, it would take an eternity to climb.
Reaching the top within a year, let alone three or five years, would be nigh impossible.’
“To be precise, it’s a five-tier system,” Sifney meticulously explained.
“Regular climbers can challenge up to five ranks higher, while those recommended by a Chief Mentor can leap ten ranks at once.
Climbers recommended by ordinary mentors must ascend gradually from the very bottom of the rankings.
However, with a Chief Mentor’s recommendation, you can start by challenging those in the central tiers.”
“Are there no exceptions?” You’er inquired.
“There are!” Sifney’s voice shifted.
“If you find a climber at the forefront of the rankings, challenge them to a battle, and defeat them, you can usurp their position and swap ranks.
However, climbers at the top of the Sky Ladder will never accept a challenge from someone at the bottom without good reason.”
You’er fell silent, recognizing the inherent truth in her words.
‘Which climber would risk being replaced and accept an unofficial challenge without cause?’ he mused.
‘In the official rankings, losing would merely drop one five or ten ranks, easily recoverable with a win or two.
But an unofficial challenge…’
“Thank you, Mentor Sifney, for your meticulous explanation.
This student shall now take his leave to prepare for participation.” You’er bowed, crossing his arms, and made to pull Timobi away with him.
“Wait a moment!” Dannich and Sifney exclaimed simultaneously, stopping him.
“Where are you going to prepare?”
“To get a certificate from Chief Chilong, of course?” You’er replied without a second thought.
Dannich and Sifney exchanged speechless glances.
‘Had all their efforts just been in vain?’ they wondered.
“You wretched girl, are you making fun of me?” Dannich snarled, rolling up his sleeves.
He felt it imperative to teach You’er a lesson today, to make this infuriating brat understand the meaning of respecting one’s mentor. [TL note: Despite You’er being male, Dannich repeatedly refers to him with terms like ‘wretched girl’ (臭丫头) and later ‘little girl’ (小丫头), possibly as an insult or due to a misconception.]
“Ah, you saw through me…” You’er’s tone was laced with feigned regret.
“Sifney, let’s go!
Don’t bother with this wretched girl anymore; let her slowly climb from beyond the twenty-thousandth rank!” Dannich could no longer tolerate it.
His gaunt face turned a mottled green and white.
He swore that in all his long life, this was the first time a student had angered him to such an extent.
“Mentor, please calm down.
This time, you were in the wrong first.
Just settle your heart; it aids digestion,” Sifney quickly pulled Dannich’s arm, her casually blurted reason causing his lips to twitch.
“Aids digestion?
I doubt any meal will taste good for me this entire week!” Despite his words, he remained.
“Chief Mentor Dannich, if I may ask, how should I repay your earlier treatment of my younger brother with my attitude?”
You’er, of course, understood the wisdom of knowing when to quit while ahead.
To reach the top ten of the Sky Ladder within a year, he truly needed Dannich’s assistance.
After all, from their previous discussion, it seemed there were only two Chief Mentors in the First Division, and if Chilong wouldn’t provide a recommendation, then Dannich was the only option left.
You’er didn’t know why Dannich was so insistent on him climbing the ranks under his name, but he assumed there was some compelling reason.
Of course, You’er was too lazy to inquire.
“Hmph, how did I treat him?
I was merely…”
“Ahahaha~~~ Mentor, what are you saying?
Ah, right, you must be trying to say that your previous actions were unintentional and that you wish to apologize for your words, correct?
Correct?!”
“Ah, yes… Sifney, you’re absolutely right, completely right!
Heh, heh.”
Dannich pursed his lips, about to say something more, but was startled into silence by Sifney, who stood beside him, exuding a terrifying dark aura.
He swallowed his words whole, nodding repeatedly like a pecking chick, his gaunt face now plastered with a wide smile, devoid of any domineering air.
It was hard to imagine that this was the same man who, moments earlier, had decisively waved away over eighty percent of the examinees, sending them back home.
“Sister You’er, actually, Mentor Grandpa didn’t do anything wrong… Little Timobi has no magic, so being treated that way is normal, isn’t it?” Timobi tugged on You’er’s sleeve, speaking in a soft voice.
His words plunged both Dannich and Sifney into silence.
You’er, hearing this, smiled and stroked Timobi’s hair, feeling the lingering resentment in his heart almost entirely dissipate.
“Gugu You’er Guinevere, let us now confirm the final conditions.” After exchanging a glance with Dannich, Sifney turned her gaze to You’er and spoke slowly.
“You will participate in the Sky Ladder rankings under Mentor’s name and reach the top ten.
In return, throughout this year, Mentor and I will devise various methods to help this little one resolve their physical condition.”
“Mentor,” Sifney called out to Dannich, who immediately approached, pulling out an item and presenting it to You’er.
“Academy regulations prevent me from offering you support through my official status and authority.
Thus, I am now gifting you this seventh-tier magic artifact in a personal capacity, hoping it will aid you on your journey up the rankings.”
“A seventh-tier magic artifact?!” You’er’s pupils contracted.
As he gazed at the object Dannich offered, a surge of excitement coursed through him.
It was a simple, unadorned ring, radiating a faint, watery blue luminescence.
Could such an unassuming ring truly be a seventh-tier magic artifact?
In Arnorra, the classification of artifacts was rigorously defined: common grade, refined grade, and then enchanted grade, also known as magic artifacts.
There was little to say about common and refined grades.
Enchanted grade was divided into nine tiers, from first to ninth, with ninth-tier magic artifacts also referred to as semi-sacred artifacts.
Magic artifacts earned their ‘enchanted’ designation precisely because they contained various magic arrays imbued and engraved within them.
The higher the tier, the more potent the magic arrays they could house.
Once activated, their power could even rival the spells cast by Magic Wielders.
“This magic ring is called the ‘Ring of Water Aegis’,” Dannich explained calmly to You’er.
“It has two magic arrays engraved within it.
One is a spatial magic array, enclosing a sub-dimension ten meters in radius.
The other is a high-level spirit magic—the ‘Domain of Water Aegis’—which, once activated, can unleash a spell instantly, powerful enough to withstand the full force of a High-tier Sword Sovereign’s attack.”
“However,” Dannich continued, his voice calm, “the second magic array also has a usage limitation: it requires ten days to recharge after each activation.”
The value of this Ring of Water Aegis was now fully apparent from Dannich’s explanation.
Undoubtedly, it was an incredibly precious magic artifact.
A twenty-meter diameter storage space alone was enough to make countless people envious.
Moreover, the second magic array, the ‘Domain of Water Aegis,’ possessed a formidable defense capable of completely fending off a High-tier Sword Sovereign’s full assault.
Possessing it was akin to holding an extremely potent life-saving talisman, one that wasn’t even single-use, as it could be recharged every ten days for continued deployment.
“I cannot guarantee that I will definitely enter the top ten of the Sky Ladder, but I will do my utmost,” You’er stated with a solemn expression before accepting the ring.
To deny his excitement would have been a lie.
“That will be enough.
Even if you ultimately don’t make it into the top ten, we won’t fault you,” Sifney said earnestly, her silver teeth lightly biting her lip.
“Then… thank you, both Mentors!” Only then did You’er reach out, take the Ring of Water Aegis, and place it on the index finger of his left hand.
He looked up at Dannich and Sifney, bowing with crossed arms, his gratitude genuinely heartfelt this time.
“Thank you, Mentor Grandpa Dannich, Mentor Sister Sifney.” Timobi mimicked You’er, bowing with crossed arms, a sight that brought smiles to the two mentors’ faces and melted some of the slightly stiff atmosphere.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Dannich said, his face reverting to its usual stern expression, as he waved a dismissive hand.
“Sifney, take them to complete their enrollment procedures.
As for that little girl, send her directly to the advanced division.”
“Yes… Chief Mentor!”