Chapter 243: Chapter 155: Level 2 Scholar (Part 2)

With her Spirituality returned, Yuna finally regained her sense of peace.

Yuna was now a Level 1 Scholar.

But the atmosphere wasn’t joyful. Instead, it was abnormally grim.

The Prophet’s experimental project had been declared a failure.

Even stripping away her Spirituality hadn’t prevented the contamination.

But soon, Yuna’s mother stepped forward and bowed to Kumironi. "We’ve troubled you this time, High Priest Kumironi."

Kumironi shook her head slightly. "It’s all right."

"But what’s to be done about her?" Kumironi looked toward Yuna.

"The backlash from the promotion just now also caused a great deal of brain damage. If it were any other Healing Mage, I’m afraid it would be very difficult to restore her completely."

’There was brain damage, too?’

Lu Cang hadn’t noticed at all. He figured only Kumironi could have detected it.

"If this experiment was conducted because you trusted my abilities, then I hope you will not do such a thing again."

Kumironi’s tone carried a hint of anger, but it was mostly laced with helplessness.

As Kumironi was speaking, Yuna stood up from the bed.

"Lady Kumironi."

Yuna looked at Kumironi, her gaze firm.

She gave a sincere bow. "Please, don’t blame my father and mother too harshly."

Her young voice was crisp and clear as she stated plainly, "I participated in this project at my own stubborn insistence."

"Lady Kumironi, I wanted to change my Profession to Scholar no matter what. Not eight years from now, but today, as soon as possible."

"I was also aware of the potential backlash. I had faith that under your protection, Lady Kumironi, I would be able to pass through this trial unharmed."

"Besides, I wanted to contribute to my father and mother’s research... You must be able to see that everyone hoped for this project to succeed."

Yuna’s eyes were earnest and resolute.

Lu Cang could detect no falsehood in her emotional fluctuations.

He could tell she was serious.

’If that’s the case... it’s really hard to blame her parents.’

’If it were me, I’d probably also do everything I could to change my Profession to Mage.’

’There are some things—obsessions—that you’ll pursue even if you know the process will be painful.’

Hearing Yuna’s response, Kumironi’s tone softened.

"But what about the future?

What should you do, Yuna?" Kumironi couldn’t help but worry about the child’s future.

In truth, she could have simply walked away and left Yuna to her fate.

But if she did that, she wouldn’t be Kumironi.

"Yuna, your assessment scores from the White Tower were excellent, weren’t they?" Kumironi asked.

Kumironi had already heard as much from Lu Cang.

The little girl named Yuna had scores second only to Lu Cang’s.

Yuna nodded earnestly.

"If that’s the case, why don’t you advance to Level 2 Scholar today?"

"I don’t know how much longer I will be staying in Kernoya."

"Nor do I know when I might return."

"For as long as I remain in Kernoya, I will help you with your future promotions."

Kumironi then turned to the assembled scholars. "The Life Church will coordinate with you on this research project. As for the results, we can discuss them at a future Life Science conference."

Overjoyed by this response, Yuna exclaimed, "Thank you, Lady Kumironi! Praise be to you!"

Kumironi chuckled. "Praise is reserved for the gods. I am just an ordinary Temple Priest; I have no need for it."

Saying this, Kumironi walked over to stand before Yuna.

"Yuna, I will now preside over your promotion to Level 2 Scholar."

As Kumironi spoke, a warm current flowed into Yuna’s body.

It suffused her entire body with warmth.

’So, changing one’s Profession ahead of schedule requires special preparation.’

’The night or day before Kumironi helped me with my own promotions, she would always have to condition my body just like this.’

’And here I thought all she had to do was block the Spiritual Contamination.’

’No wonder I’ve never experienced the physical backlash they always talk about...’

Lu Cang had seen Kumironi’s process for early promotions many times before.

The promotion for a Scholar, however, was exceptionally unique.

He didn’t see Yuna display anything during the process.

A faint, cool breeze simply rippled outward, and just like that, the promotion was complete.

Lu Cang had thought a Scholar’s promotion would involve a question-and-answer session, like something out of a game show.

Answer correctly and you pass; answer incorrectly and you fail.

’It seems the main test for a Scholar’s promotion must take place within the mind.’

"Congratulations. You are now a Level 2 Scholar."

Yuna looked at Kumironi and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Lady Kumironi."

From this point on, the key for a Level 2 Scholar to advance to Level 3 lay in their Desire for Knowledge. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

This was also something one had to grasp on their own.

The paths of the strong and the mediocre actually began to diverge at Level 2.

If one had no ambition to climb higher and merely wanted to be an ordinary Professional, they could directly advance to Level 3 simply by fulfilling the most basic requirements at Level 2.

The truly strong, however,

often had to grasp something uniquely their own starting from Level 2.

It was just that some with duller aptitudes might languish at this stage for a lifetime.

Lu Cang couldn’t help but think of Atelindo.

He’d been in his thirties or forties before he finally grasped Extreme Battle Intent.

...

The promotion ended. Lu Cang considered himself to have witnessed a moment of history in the making.

The history of a failed experiment.

After bidding farewell to Yuna and the others, Lu Cang’s party also departed from the Promotion Hall.

"May Sophia be with you, Lady Kumironi."