Chapter 152: Hero's Kaleidoscope
Dark carefully lifted Claire and placed her on the sofa.
He then pulled a small blanket from the back of the sofa and covered her stomach.
The physique of Archmages wasn't as delicate as it appeared. While they might not necessarily engage in physical training, they would still concoct magic potions to slightly enhance themselves, preparing for the brutal combat of the battlefield.
As a hero of the battlefield, Claire naturally wouldn't easily succumb to the cold from the winter's low temperatures.
Yet, no one disliked being cared for by a loved one.
A faint tremor touched Claire's lips.
With such a significant movement—being moved from the carpet to the sofa—it was impossible for her not to notice.
She just didn't want to open her eyes.
...
"Oh, right, I was supposed to ask about the [Zoo] Alchemy Method, wasn't I? Looks like that won't be happening anytime soon."
Dark propped his chin, watching for a long time. Concluding that Claire likely wouldn't wake up anytime soon, he prepared to leave.
A new week had begun, and he still had morning classes.
"I'll come back tonight!"
Dark patted his cheeks one last time before exiting Claire's dorm room.
Once the sound of the door closing echoed,
Claire quietly opened her eyes, then reached out and made a gentle embracing gesture in front of her, whispering:
"It seemed to have gotten a little bigger?"
Having traveled for the past few years, she had gained considerable social experience and understood what 'propriety' truly meant.
That was why, when she used her Transfiguration spell on Dark, she had deliberately shortened its duration.
That way, when Dark woke up, he wouldn't realize he had ever been turned into a cat.
And it had been a resounding success.
Claire thought to herself that she was truly worthy of being called a "Sage"!
Leaning back on the sofa, she revealed a hint of a lazy smile.
"So, he wants [Zoo], does he? Very well, I suppose. After all, there's no one else to teach it to anyway. As for Gold's son, let Cynthia worry about him."
...
The Noble House Tower opened at five in the morning.
When Dark left the teachers' dorms, it was just past four.
He pulled up his collar, exhaled a breath, and decided to seize this rare opportunity to experience the castle at four in the morning.
But before that, there was something he needed to confirm.
"System, display metrics."
[Lust: 107]
However, the actual figure was 107.5.
The system's calculation for the Great Sin metric always truncated the decimal.
It was already the fourth day of December.
After three days of drawing, Lust had gone from 109 to 104.5, and with the recent addition of 3 points, it was now 107.5.
The Insect Tree contained a reserve of 2.5 Lust.
If he drew 5 more times, he could precisely control Lust at 100, and also acquire 10 Lust for the creation of Lust III.
But maintaining that balance was incredibly difficult.
...
Dark closed his system metrics and slowly walked along the castle's outer corridor.
Faint light streamed in from the square windows, preventing the corridor from becoming pitch black.
Yet, the biting cold wind snaked its way inside as well.
The winter wind felt like needle pricks, causing sharp pain.
A DemiDevimon flapped its wings, flying beside him, shivering occasionally.
Dark wondered if he should prepare a Christmas present for it too.
A hat, perhaps, or a scarf?
Out of habit, Dark once again found himself at the familiar window on the third floor of the castle.
Through that window, he could see the external bridge on the second floor, connecting to the other side of the castle.
Then he heard some sounds that absolutely shouldn't be heard in the castle at four in the morning.
They were rapid, crisscrossing footsteps.
And frantic, panicked screams.
What's more, they sounded strangely familiar.
"Really, they're quite restless!"
Dark paid a little closer attention, his interest subtly piqued.
...
What he didn't know was that Virt and Robert had actually entered the secret passage on Friday night.
Only by venturing deep into the secret passage would one discover that the space within was layered and many times larger than anyone could imagine!
The two had brought enough rations and had stayed in the secret passage for a full three nights, only just now making their escape.
The golems deployed by the school authorities were actually only stationed on the outskirts of the secret passage.
The depths of the passage were intricate and complex; it was impossible to penetrate without at least one or two days.
Theoretically, positioning them on the periphery was enough.
However, Virt, guided by [Forbidden Love], understood the secret passage better than anyone. Not only did he bypass the golem patrols, but he also delved deep into the passage by Saturday.
By then, the secret passage had returned to normal, with only a few lingering traps.
More than a month had passed since he obtained the treasure map. By employing a method of empathetic thinking, Virt had finally deciphered that illegible, chicken-scratch map.
Following the route on the treasure map, they worked together, constantly overcoming obstacles.
Sunday evening.
After finishing their last meal, the two made their final push, finally locating the spot where the Hero, Bright Gold, had buried his treasure!
It was a miniature secret chamber hidden within a featureless wall of the passage.
Virt coated his palm with a layer of magic, then resorted to a "brute-force search" method, feeling every nearby wall until he finally found the entrance to the secret chamber.
As the wall slowly became transparent under the influence of his magic, Virt's heart swelled with ecstasy.
He rushed in without hesitation, then promptly face-planted!
The floor of the chamber was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting a swollen face.
After that, Robert cautiously felt his way in, only to be startled by the chamber's layout.
The entire chamber was, shockingly, assembled from mirrors. At first glance, it seemed as if countless versions of themselves were staring back from the reflections.
"This is the Hero's treasure trove, but where's the treasure?"
Robert strained his eyes, but the chamber was so small, it could be taken in with a single glance.
Inside, it was nothing but mirrors, not even a speck of dust!
Let alone any "treasure chests."
"Ow, ow, ow…"
Virt groaned in pain as he scrambled to his feet.
The floor was too slippery, so he just settled onto the ground, a bewildered expression on his face too.
...
Over a month had been spent.
Putting aside Magic Chess.
Neglecting their studies.
Exploring the secret passage whenever they had free time in the evenings.
All to finally find the place depicted on the treasure map this weekend.
Only for it to be this… godforsaken place?
Where's the treasure?
Where's the treasure?
Where's the treasure?
Virt was completely bewildered. He ran his hands over the entire chamber, repeatedly trying to inject magic into every mirror, but not a single one reacted.
"Hey, Virt, this isn't some kind of prank by the Hero, is it?"
A few hours later, Robert said with a hint of despair.
Virt, his eyes already bloodshot, subconsciously retorted, "Impossible! My father left this for me; how could it be a joke?"
But as the words left his mouth, his entire body stiffened.
He suddenly realized that what Robert said might very well be true.
As expected, Robert continued, "But you told me it was treasure left by the Hero during his student days… back then, he couldn't have known he'd have a son."
Virt calmed down. "Alright, you're right, I know. According to Principal Cynthia's description of his character, he was indeed someone who enjoyed a good prank."
Robert offered weakly, "Maybe we just haven't solved it yet. Anyway, we still found it, didn't we?"
Virt: "We found it, yes."
Robert: "We're only first-years. We still have plenty of time to unravel this mystery."
Virt: "But the competition is on Friday."
Robert: "..."
...
After that, they stayed in the chamber for over an hour more, still with no results.
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