Hearing Ms. Aina speak like that, coupled with a resentment that rivaled a special-grade cursed spirit, Jiang Lin couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He felt more intimidated now than when he saw his 【Shield of Divine Grace】 break its limit.
What a terrifying wage slave...
Jiang Lin swallowed hard. Fearing that Ms. Aina might push him back down to sleep mid-treatment, he hurried to declare his stance:
"The school leadership is truly detestable!
"Those principals and directors don't do a lick of work; all they know is how to order us students and workers around!"
Jiang Lin decisively chose to sell out Director Wills.
"Heh."
Ms. Aina gave a noncommittal, dry laugh.
"Since you're awake, hurry up and go back."
However, she still couldn't help but complain to him:
"Do you know? Lately, I feel like my magic essence is being drained dry every single day.
"And the school has shown zero intention of hiring new priests.
"I'm just a rank-2 priest who usually likes to slack off. The medical room was supposed to be a fairly easy job. Before, I only had to treat wounds from students' sparring matches, and I could happily call it a day.
"But now, I have to study the physical damage caused by improper mixing of various magic potions, methods for rapid recovery after mental exhaustion, and how to correctly pair various mental-type drugs so I can provide guidance to students who use them incorrectly...
"Why am I dealing with this...
"For the sake of job stability, I even signed a twenty-year contract with the school. Breaking it early would mean a massive penalty fee...
"Ah, my miserable and hopeless future!"
Jiang Lin felt that if Ms. Aina kept talking, she might just pull out a fruit knife and accidentally shank him.
"Cough, cough. Well, I'll be going then, Ms. Aina. If I get the chance, I'll report the staffing shortage in the medical room to the principal."
With that, he left under Aina’s resentful gaze.
The sun had already risen in the east; another new day had arrived.
Jiang Lin skillfully completed his daily tasks, bought some fruit, and headed toward the temple.
【HP】：42,000 → 43,000
【MP】：38,000 → 39,000
【Random Skill Upgrade 7 → 8】
He returned the three skill books he had borrowed yesterday and checked out two new ones:
【Chains of Holy Judgment】 and 【Arrow of Aurora】.
【Borrowing points: 21 → 1】
As he was walking out, the temple staff member looked surprised.
"Didn't you just borrow those yesterday? Why are you returning them today?"
To this, Jiang Lin gave a slight smile:
"Because I've already mastered all of them, of course."
Hearing this, the staff member didn't react for a moment. He stared at the clean-cut youth's confident and flamboyant smile, and once the realization hit him, he was instantly shocked:
"Borrowed yesterday, mastered today? And they were three high-tier skills!!"
Jiang Lin ignored the man's shocked gaze and instead asked for the location of the gold badge knight, Salas.
After many twists and turns, he arrived at the man's office.
"Brother Salas!"
Jiang Lin greeted him enthusiastically.
Salas was surprised to see that the visitor was Jiang Lin.
He was even more shocked when he sensed that Jiang Lin's aura had already reached level 10.
Hadn't it only been a few days since their last meeting?
Could this guy's leveling speed really be this fast?
"Jiang Lin, why are you here? Is something the matter?"
Jiang Lin scratched his head.
"Oh, you know, I just missed you, Brother Salas."
As he spoke, he took out the fruit he had bought that morning from his spatial ring.
"I picked up some fruit on the way and brought some for you."
Whether in terms of strength or age, Salas was a senior to Jiang Lin, and their relationship wasn't as familiar as the one he had with his classmates. Therefore, Jiang Lin felt it was appropriate to bring fruit for this visit.
However, Salas became suspicious.
Why was Jiang Lin bringing him fruit? It looked very fishy.
Sure enough, after a bit of small talk, Jiang Lin got down to business:
"Brother, it's like this. I recently broke through to level 10, so I'm planning to go to Clearwater City to take the special assessment for the Saint Brilliance Magic Academy.
"Taking the special assessment requires a recommendation letter from the school. But then I heard that the people in Clearwater City tend to look down on poor students like me who have no family background or status. So, I was wondering if I could ask the Temple Master to help write a recommendation letter for me. At least then they'll think I have someone backing me and won't dare to mess with me easily.
"After all, as you know, paladins like us who are overflowing with a sense of justice often offend the local bigwigs and nobles when we go elsewhere.
"I, Jiang Lin, have spent my life walking on thin ice. I won't go looking for trouble, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Hearing this, Salas finally understood the purpose of Jiang Lin's visit.
The boy wasn't familiar enough with the Temple Master to ask her directly, so he had come to him instead.
Salas was a bit surprised.
He hadn't expected that Jiang Lin, who usually acted so rough and tumble, would have so many schemes running through his head.
After thinking it over, he agreed:
"Fine, no problem. Write a draft for the recommendation letter here. Once it's done, I'll take you to see the Temple Master."
Jiang Lin hurriedly thanked him:
"Thank you so much, Brother!!"
Ten minutes later, Salas brought Jiang Lin to the Temple Master's room.
"Temple Master!"
The two of them performed their salutes.
Cecilia, the Temple Master of Boulder City, was currently reviewing various documents. Seeing Salas bring someone in, she asked:
"Is there something you need?"
Salas then explained Jiang Lin's request.
However, after listening, Cecilia said:
"There are so many junior and middle magic academies in Boulder City, and every year, a large number of students from every grade leave through the special assessment.
"Many of these students taking the special assessment come from poor families.
"If I set this precedent, don't you think that every time they go to a big city in the future, they'll come looking for my signature and guarantee?"
Cecilia didn't intentionally release any pressure while she spoke, but Jiang Lin, standing to the side, still felt an immense weight, and cold sweat trickled down his back.
Swallowing hard, Jiang Lin braced himself against the pressure and said stubbornly:
"Temple Master, it's different.
"After all, not everyone can take first place in the joint exam of the three top junior magic academies in Boulder City.
"Not everyone can influence and motivate the people around them to work tirelessly and diligently, and even expand that influence to all three of the top junior magic academies. Right now, from the third-years down to the first-years, more than half of the students are using my study methods!
"And not everyone can directly stimulate the development of the entire magic potion industry in Boulder City just by changing the learning atmosphere.
"Furthermore, not everyone can level up six times in a single month..."
Jiang Lin spoke calmly and steadily, causing a faint smile to play on the lips of the previously expressionless Temple Master.
"Very well. I can see that you are indeed outstanding."
She organized the documents in her hand.
"But besides these, do you have any other reasons to convince me to write this recommendation letter for you?"
Seeing that the Temple Master wasn't unwilling but simply needed sufficient reason and justification, Jiang Lin cleared his throat and continued:
"Cough, Temple Master, I remember you once said that the temple would be my strong support. I have always kept those words in my heart, and I truly believed them!
"When facing the possession of an evil god, I did not shrink back. When facing potential cultists, I did not flee. Because I knew the temple would protect us, allowing me to continue fighting against those wicked cultists!
"So, I also hope that when I go to Clearwater City to continue fighting potential cultists, what pierces me will be the enemy's blade, not a knife in the back from my own teammates!!"
The implication was that he wanted the Temple Master's recommendation letter to serve as a deterrent.
Hearing Jiang Lin say this, Cecilia finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Mm, well said. I will write this recommendation letter for you."
After a pause, she added:
"I will also write a letter of recommendation for the Clearwater City temple. After you break through to rank-1, you can take a temporary job there to help with your living expenses."
Jiang Lin was overjoyed.
"Thank you so much, Temple Master!!"
In the next moment, two quills beside the Temple Master floated up and began writing rapidly on blank sheets of paper.
Two minutes later, two exquisitely packaged envelopes bearing the unique mark of the Boulder City temple were ready. Cecilia lightly tapped the two recommendation letters with her finger.
Two magic formulas that Jiang Lin had never seen before emerged and were branded onto the letters.
This was the Temple Master's anti-counterfeit mark.
Jiang Lin took the two letters, thanked the Temple Master again, and solemnly tucked them into his spatial ring.
Jiang Lin was in a very good mood.
Because of this, he had transformed from a small-town youth from the countryside into a young genius protégé of the temple with a rank-7 powerhouse backing him.
If he could successfully get a recommendation letter from the City Lord as well...
Then his background in Clearwater City would be basically rock-solid.
Humming a happy tune, Jiang Lin left the temple and returned to school to ask Director Wills for the school's recommendation letter.
Although the principal's recommendation letter seemed insignificant compared to those of the other two figures, it was still worth having.
One more letter meant one more layer of prestige.
Soon, another perfectly intact recommendation letter was in Jiang Lin's hand.
He checked with Anya, who said she would ask her father when she went home tonight.
Jiang Lin replied that he would go with her tonight.
However, Jiang Lin debated whether he should bring some fruit to visit the old gentleman.
After all, last time he had been summoned, but this time he was the one asking for a favor.
After a moment's thought, Jiang Lin abandoned the idea.
In this world, there wasn't a strict tradition that one couldn't visit someone empty-handed.
Furthermore, the City Lord's status was different from that of a gold badge knight like Salas.
The City Lord's status was far higher; he had to think twice about everything he did.
If the man was willing to write him a recommendation letter, it would be entirely out of love for his daughter or appreciation for a young genius.
Bringing a bag of fruit would actually look a bit strange.
So, under Little Black's guidance, Jiang Lin continued to learn the remaining two skills.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, day turned to night.
After a day of study, Jiang Lin successfully initiated both skills.
【Chains of Holy Judgment (uninitiated) → (superlative)】
【Arrow of Aurora (uninitiated) → (superlative)】
【Random Skill Upgrade 8 → 6】
【Chains of Holy Judgment】 was a light-attribute crowd control skill.
The effect was to extend light-attribute chains from a fixed position to restrain enemies.
It wasn't a combat technique but a high-tier spell.
As for 【Arrow of Aurora】, it was a long-range poke-style skill belonging to the archer system.
The effect was to condense an arrow made of light elements. If one had a bow, it could be fired. The user could set a detonation time so that after hitting the enemy, the light elements inside would explode within their body.
Of course, it could also be held in the hand and thrown.
However, the flight speed of the arrow would then depend on the user's throwing strength, and the power-to-effort ratio was nowhere near as efficient as firing it with a bow.
Fortunately, Jiang Lin had a fine-grade longbow.
Fine-grade equipment was more than sufficient for a rank-1 adventurer.
It could even keep up with the intensity of the early rank-2 stage.
And Jiang Lin's archery had also reached the limit-broken level.
Jiang Lin tested it. In a normal environment, within a distance of five hundred meters, he could hit whatever he aimed at.
For example, if a coin were tossed within five hundred meters, he could hit it in mid-air.
As for the range between five hundred and one thousand meters, since he couldn't clearly perceive the distant wind speed and flow, he could only manage to hit the general target.
He wouldn't be able to hit a target the size of a coin.
Beyond a thousand meters, it was truly up to fate.
This was under normal natural conditions.
If there were a storm, that would be a different story.
After all, most arrows had physical forms, and physical forms were affected by wind resistance and other factors.
Of course, Jiang Lin had also heard that certain wind-attribute arrow skills could ignore the influence of environmental wind during firing.
He would wait for an opportunity to learn those later.
...
And now, it was time for Jiang Lin and Anya’s appointment.
So, just like yesterday, the two of them headed toward the City Lord's Mansion in the center of the city together.
After a day of cooling off, Anya had calmed her mind and no longer felt as distressed about yesterday's events.
She wouldn't be easily provoked anymore.
Moonlight poured down, drenching the pitch-black Boulder City. Sparse magic crystal lamp streetlights illuminated the path ahead as the two walked side-by-side on the bluestone pavement.
They were silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing on the stone-paved street.
Jiang Lin thought of a random topic to start a conversation:
"Miss Anya."
Shing!
"Wait, what?! I haven't even said anything yet! Calm down! Calm down!!"
"Cough, my hand slipped."
Anya explained with a light cough.
In reality, the scene of the two of them walking together at night reminded her of yesterday's embarrassing experience.
Who said time could wash away sorrow?!
Even though the embarrassing incident happened a while ago, every time she thought back to it, she still wanted to find a hole to crawl into!!
Could someone please tell her how to delete that unpleasant memory?
Rate on N.U.
