madness and malice.The cries of the beasts and the stench of blood filled the air.The old man's expression finally froze on his face.Seeing the children he had carefully raised and protected, now bei...Chapter 298: Ranch, one day less.
Helkholm's winter mornings were biting, the sky still heavy with gloom as a faint dawn slowly bled color into the eastern horizon.
At a quiet corner of the dormitory area within Protoss Royal Magic Academy, the front yard of a beige brick manor was covered with a thin layer of frost and snow.
It seemed to snow a little last night.
The windows of the mansion seemed a bit hazy, for the indoor warmth and the cold outside had formed a layer of mist. Through this mist, one could vaguely see green plants dotted on the windowsill outdoors, and frost flowers crystallized on the bare branches of the trees in the courtyard. Each leaf seemed to be frozen in time, waiting patiently for the arrival of spring. In this quiet morning, everything seemed so tranquil.
Today is still a workday, Thursday.
It's almost the weekend.
Zetsila rose early in her bedroom, taking care of herself.
Then, he walked out of the mansion through the hallway and front door with an impassive expression.
She stood by the door, her hand lightly resting on the frame. From afar, she could already see that the courtyard was quickly becoming an animal park.
Still on the swing under that big tree, Lanchi was sitting there feeding the small animals that had gathered there, while a sleek black fox lay gracefully on the ground like a sofa, soft and smooth.
He was scattering grains of corn lightly on the grass, while birds chirped and hopped around to peck at them. At the same time, he turned his head to talk to his new animal friend, a fox.
Even from afar, one could hear the chatter of the teacher and the old fox carried on the cold air.
"Awoo."
"You ask me if I know any other Great Demon Clans"
"Awoo."
What do you mean by "other big demon clans" Do you really think I'm a demon clan member
"Aw."
"Don't confiscate my citizenship, everyone knows I'm human."
"Awoo."
"...You still care about the Demon Clan, huh..."
"Wow!"
"Don't get your hopes up, even if there are other surviving Demon Lords out there now, they're probably a disgrace to their kind."
"Awooo"
For example, someone who appears elegant and aloof on the outside but at home is a quirky foodie who has become lazy and complacent after indulging in comfort. Would you say that sounds like a powerful demon
"Aw."
The big fox raised its head and shook it.
"Oh, I worry about her too. She's well past the marrying age, yet she still acts like a young human woman. Who knows how long that will last"
"Aw."
"Indeed, a disgrace to the demon clan. Expelled from the demon registry."
...while the other side of the mansion's entrance.
“…”
Zestilla listened silently, her eyes gradually narrowing. Suddenly, she rubbed them.
""
Just now, my eyes seemed to flicker, and I saw red light coming from the teacher's head. But it might have been a hallucination. When I looked closely, there was nothing.
After a moment of thought.
Let's just pretend nothing happened.
Although I considered asking the learned teacher why, on a beautiful morning, it seemed impolite to go and speak words that might be unfavorable.
Zestila still couldn't understand the specifics of the barrier-free communication between her teacher and the big fox.
But she believed that all these chat logs were saved in the simple mind of the sly fox.
In time, there will surely be a chance to read it.
"The teacher's lifespan is still long, and they will live a good life."
Zestella nodded slightly and walked down the garden path.
By the end of yesterday's monthly evaluation period, Ranch already had over a million credits as a reward.
Finally, according to a 20% settlement, 249535 credits were given to Zestilar.
Zesthera stared at the numbers on her bracelet, speechless.
Just like opening it.
She doesn't even know what the teacher looks like in the Shadow World.
It turned out that what he had said to her when they first got off the train and were walking on Helrom Street, "If you find the shadow world difficult, just bring him along," actually meant he would take her through at light speed.
Even though she had witnessed her teacher's prowess, she now only wanted to go through trials in the Shadow World herself, rather than rely completely on her teacher's protection.
She felt she had learned a lot from her teacher and gained a clearer understanding of her own path.
It's time to put it into practice.
Very soon.
Then she walked up to Lance’s face.
"Teacher, are you busy today"
Ze'thira asked.
He still spoke in his usual tone, but there was a noticeable deference and respect added to his humility.
"It's okay, what's wrong"
Lance thought for a moment, he had basically finished all the meetings that needed to be held yesterday.
There are not many days left to work at the school. I will spend the next two days at the school and talk with Professor Xi again about matters concerning the Empire.
"Then we can go claim the pink sacred bonus."
Then Zethira spoke.
Besides over 20,000 credits as a reward, there's one thing that you can't even buy with credits under normal circumstances.
That is a pink sacred artifact.
It essentially belonged to the Protoss Empire's treasury, and each item was registered. It was strictly controlled within the empire and was a prohibited item for private trade.
"Okay, now the Infinite Library should be open for business."
Ranch put away the feed and stood up, he was already prepared to leave. The big fox had also arrived on his shoulder like black silk.
All the treasures are located in a vault deep within the Infinite Library, which is not far from Proto's Royal Academy of Magic. It takes only a short walk to get there.
Zethira nodded.
When choosing rewards, she not only needed to use her bracelet but also wanted to see how the teacher would choose magic cards.
……
In half an hour.
On a winter weekday in Helmer, the business district remains as bustling as ever, with the temperature doing little to curb the usual pace of life.
On either side of the street, people in heavy winter coats walked past the tall buildings. Their exhaled breath mixed with the surrounding air, forming light mist.
In the midst of this bustling crowd, a young man and the girl who followed him walked through the streets until they reached a wide square.
Located south of Helm, the colossal structure known as the Endless Library is a treasure trove of culture and knowledge for this peculiar city.
Unlike other buildings, this library appears both ancient and modern, blending Gothic pointed arches, futuristic metallic lines, and rotating fictional structures, as if it were a confluence of time and space.
Two people walked purposefully through the massive bronze gate. The ceiling was adorned with intricately carved totem poles and figures from ancient legends. The wide hall that opened before them featured a giant, floating crystal ball at its center, displaying constantly shifting text and images.
"After arriving in Helholm, I'd never been to this library before."
Lanrick gazed at the navigation hub, a smile playing on his lips as he addressed Zestilla.
I always get lost.
Zestia clearly disliked the building.
Because the library is too large and its interior space is complex, it's easy to get lost in it.
Some important areas have powerful barriers, and entry is not permitted without authorization. This has resulted in many places becoming dead ends. It's difficult to find your way out of this maze even by looking at a map.
For most citizens and visitors of the imperial city of Herlohm, the Endless Library is primarily a place to explore the unknown and experience the wondrously strange.
But they don't need to spend too much time in there today.
Just head to the Artifact Self-Service Retrieval Room and use Zestilla's student bracelet to select a pink divine-tier reward from the catalog.
The next chapter is half-written, not finished yet, will be finished before 12 o'clock.
Can't sleep, feeling like I'm going to die.
(The End)
[ ]shocking crimson.Besides being sealed off by the barrier on the ground, and a number of students in a near-death state waiting to be recovered and sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, the utt...