Potions and Dreams

“I heard you caused quite a stir in martial arts class, Ewan. Surprised quite a few people, didn’t we?”

In the empty Ancient Potion Club room, Ewan looked up in astonishment at the woman sitting sideways on a desk. “News travels that fast? Even you’ve heard about it?”

“Well, you’re a celebrity, Ewan. News about celebrities always travels fast. And then, there’s this…”

Anna handed him a newspaper.

“Hm? What’s this?”

Ewan took the paper, his eyes casually scanning the page.

And then, he froze.

“An Apology?

‘The Newspaper Club’s previous reports concerning Ewan Campbell and Ariel Bourgard were found to be unsubstantiated. We hereby offer our sincerest apologies to both parties. We will…'”

The page was filled with a long, groveling retraction, stating that the Newspaper Club would engage in deep self-reflection and make serious corrections, concluding with a notice that the club would be shutting down for a full week for “rectification.”

“An apology… unsubstantiated reports…” Ewan frowned.

“Oh my. Looking at your face, Ewan, don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“Know what? I’ve been so busy studying lately, I haven’t had time to pay attention to the academy newspaper.”

“No wonder. I was just thinking that you have a surprisingly good temper, Ewan. To be slandered like that and not go after that Mingott fellow with a vengeance.”

Anna handed him a few more newspapers.

Ewan took them, glanced at the headlines, and froze again. Then, a hot surge of rage shot through him, and his blood pressure skyrocketed.

“Ex-girlfriend? Abortion? Cheating with thirteen other girls? What is this?!”

“Your gossip column, Ewan,” Anna said, resting her cheek in her hand and giggling. “Aren’t you even a little bit curious why your reputation among the other students is so terrible?”

“And your blank look is quite cute too, Ewan.”

“I just thought…” Ewan opened his mouth, but like a fish out of water, no sound came out. Finally, he could only manage a helpless smile. He had been too focused on his own world, thinking that as long as he worked hard, he could one day change people’s opinions of him. He had never imagined that, compared to his own past laziness, the malice of the outside world was a far more terrifying thing.

“But…”

Ewan looked at the apology and the notice of rectification in the newspaper, and a warmth spread through his chest. The only person with the power to do something like this in such a short time… was Celicia.

“To think I’d have to rely on her kindness in the end.” Ewan couldn’t help but scratch his head with a bitter smile. “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to thank her for this.”

“It’s very rude to think about other women when you’re talking to your senior, you know.”

Anna suddenly reached out and playfully flicked Ewan on the forehead. “Time is precious. Let’s begin our first lesson, my student.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Ewan immediately straightened up. No matter what, studying was the most important thing. He would figure out how to thank Celicia later.

“First, a little quiz.”

Anna sat on the desk, the curve of her hips perfectly outlined, her two long, slender legs crossed. The black stockings she wore reflected the sunlight from the window with a faint, crystalline sheen. She opened a textbook and, just like a real teacher, said in a serious tone, “Mm, I need to gauge your level, Mr. Ewan. But I imagine that with your impressive martial arts skills, you can’t be too bad in this area.”

“Hehe…” Ewan’s eyes darted around evasively. “Well… maybe… I’m just a little bit… bad.”

“It’s okay if you’re a little bad. I’m quite confident in my teaching abilities,” Anna said with a gentle smile. “Come now, don’t be nervous. Just answer a few questions for me.”

…

A few minutes later.

Even Anna’s expression had turned grave. She put down the textbook and looked at the embarrassed Ewan, her delicate brows raised high in disbelief. “Ewan, don’t tell me you know absolutely nothing about the subject of ‘Introduction to the Basics of Magic’?”

“Th-that’s not true!” Ewan’s cheeks flushed, but he still stubbornly puffed out his chest and said, “Who says I don’t know anything? I know the life story of the great archmage Meradomir!”

“But that’s not on the test.”

“…” Ewan guiltily looked away.

“I see. So this is what it feels like to be deceived by a playboy,” Anna said, dabbing at the corner of her eye with her index finger, putting on a pitiful, teary-eyed expression. “To think I would one day be deceived by a playboy… sniffle… What am I going to do? I’ll never be able to get married now…”

“I’ll compensate you! Ms. Anna, I beg you, please don’t…”

“Really?” Anna leaned in close, tilting her head with a devilish little smile. “What kind of compensation will you give me, Mr. Ewan?”

“I’ll… I’ll…”

A captivating fragrance filled his nostrils. At such a close distance, the alluring beauty mark at the corner of her eye was even more mesmerizing.

“A million?” Ewan asked tentatively.

“Oh? So in your eyes, I’m the kind of woman who only cares about money?” Anna said with a hurt expression.

“No, no, I just…”

“Actually, I really do like money,” Anna said with a wicked grin.

“…”

“Hehe… your expression is so interesting, Ewan.” Anna giggled, unable to contain her amusement.

“Anna, you’re so mean…” Ewan was on the verge of tears. What level of she-devil was this? He was completely out of his league.

“Alright, jokes aside.” Anna wiped a tear of laughter from her eye and sat back down at the desk, her expression turning serious once more. “Let’s officially begin our lesson, Mr. Ewan.”

“Yes, Teacher!” Ewan puffed out his chest and replied, like a true top student.

…

The afternoon sun was lazy, and a gentle breeze was blowing. In the slow-flowing time of the afternoon, Ewan’s “Teacher Anna’s Little Classroom” officially began.

It had to be said, Anna was indeed an excellent teacher, just as she had claimed. She explained the material from the simple to the profound, layer by layer, occasionally using vivid analogies that made the dry textbook come to life. Even a complete magic novice like Ewan could follow her pace and gradually delve into the mysteries of this world’s magic.

And the charm that she occasionally revealed while teaching… it was very easy to get lost in.

…

…

“By the way, would you like to try it out, Ewan?”

After the afternoon lesson was over, just as Ewan was packing up to leave, Anna suddenly made a proposal.

“Try what out?” Ewan didn’t understand at first.

“The activities of the Ancient Potion Club, of course.” Anna rolled her eyes at him, a gesture full of a playful charm. “Have you forgotten? I asked you if you wanted to join the Ancient Potion Club before. I thought you should at least try it out before you make a decision.”

“That’s true.” Ewan blinked and said with a smile, “Then I’ll be in your care.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Anna tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “It would be even better if you ended up liking what we do at the Ancient Potion Club.”

“I’ll try my best to like it.”

“Is that so? That’s good.” Anna’s eyes curved into a gentle, smiling crescent. But for a fleeting moment that Ewan didn’t notice, her smile held a strange, profound meaning.

…

“The so-called Ancient Potion Club is a club that studies ancient texts and recreates lost ancient potions.”

Anna led Ewan on a tour of the club room. The room was large; the place where they had their lesson was just a small, partitioned-off area. As they walked past the partition, Ewan saw a whole row of bookshelves. The books on them were all old and worn. He randomly pulled one out and found that not only was the title page tattered and the font difficult to read, but the content was also mostly incomplete.

“You recreate ancient potions from these books?” Ewan was stunned. “Is that even possible?”

“The probability of success is very low. And it often takes a very long time to recreate a single ancient potion. And the results are often… disappointing.” Anna reached out and gently stroked the ancient books, as if they were her own children. “This is also why I’m the only one left in this club. A huge amount of effort for a disproportionately small reward. This feeling of unrewarded effort makes many people quit the club shortly after joining.”

“After all, if you really want to learn about potions, there’s a proper Potion Club at the academy. Why choose this difficult, unrewarding path?”

“This is also why I’m asking you to think carefully before you decide whether to join or not, Ewan. I don’t want a new member to join and then run off after just a few days. That would make me very sad.”

At that moment, standing in the backlit corner, Anna’s beautiful profile looked exceptionally lonely.

It made Ewan’s heart ache.

His hand subconsciously brushed against some of the unused equipment that had been piled in a corner. Even though it hadn’t been used in a long time, it was still spotless.

She must really love this club.

“Then what can I do?” Ewan asked. “I don’t know how to make potions, and I can’t read ancient texts. It seems like I can’t even help you a little bit.”

“Indeed. You’re a very useless junior, aren’t you, Ewan?” Anna said with a serious nod.

“…You don’t have to say it out loud! That’s really hurtful!” Ewan said, aggrieved.

“Hehe… but even a useless junior like you can help me,” Anna chuckled. “The club’s activities aren’t just about recreating ancient potions, you know.”

“Oh? How can I help then?” Ewan’s eyes lit up. After receiving so much help from Anna, he had to show his determination. A single word from her, and he would climb a mountain of swords or dive into a sea of fire…

“This.”

Anna suddenly placed a bottle of pale red potion in front of Ewan.

“Drink it, Ewan.”

“Huh? Drink it?”

The smile on Ewan’s face instantly froze. He looked down at the potion, whose color brought back some not-so-pleasant memories, and asked cautiously, “If I may be so bold as to ask, what exactly does this potion do?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Ewan’s eyes widened, and he almost jumped out of his skin. “You don’t know and you want me to drink it? Are you trying to murder me, Anna?”

“Because this is the other activity of the club. Potion testing.” Anna tilted her head and tapped the glass container with her finger, making the pale red liquid inside ripple. Her voice was still gentle and calm, as if she had already anticipated Ewan’s reaction. “After all, these are potions recreated from ancient texts. Due to the lack of records, the specific effects of the potions are often ambiguous. At times like these, we need to use potion testing to accurately determine their effects.”

“But isn’t that very dangerous?” Ewan was shocked by Anna’s selfless dedication to science. “What if it’s poison?”

“How could it be?” Anna rolled her eyes and flicked him on the forehead. “Do you have so little faith in my potion-making skills? Although I’m not sure about the specific effects, I can at least roughly analyze its effects from the ingredients and the brewing method. Potion testing is just to get precise data.”

“I see.” Ewan scratched his head, his face flushing with embarrassment at his own ignorance. “Then what are the probable effects of this potion?”

“This should be a transformation-type potion.”

“Transformation-type?”

“Mm-hm. That’s right. It temporarily transforms the person who drinks it into something else. A cat, a dog, or even an object. Of course, this is just a change in appearance; the essence won’t change at all.” Anna rested her cheek in her hand, swirling the potion. “Actually, I’ve already drunk this potion before.”

“You have?”

“Mm. But when I drank it, it had no effect at all. So I was thinking, maybe this is the type of potion that has different effects on different people.”

“So that’s why you want me to try it?”

“That’s right.” Anna’s deep, captivating eyes fixed on Ewan, and she chuckled. “In any case, I wouldn’t give you a harmful potion to drink, Ewan.”

“Haha, sorry.”

“So, will you drink it?”

“Well…”

Ewan was still hesitant. Although Anna had made it clear that the potion was harmless, Ewan knew how bad his luck was. What if the potion’s real effect was to turn him into a pig or something? Then all his hard work to improve his image would be for naught.

“Sigh. Actually, I was hoping you would turn into a cute little animal or something, Ewan. Because then I could hold you in my arms and give you a good squeeze,” Anna said, making a squeezing motion in front of her ample chest with a look of anticipation.

Turn into a little animal?

Hold me in her arms?

A good squeeze?

“I’ll drink it!”

Ewan slammed his hand on the table and said with a righteous indignation, “A true man, born between heaven and earth, how can he fear such a trivial unknown? You have been so kind to me, Ms. Anna, I must do my best to repay you!”

It’s not because I want to be turned into a little animal and be held and squeezed by her!

It’s not!

With that, Ewan snatched the potion and downed it in one gulp.

After he had finished, he was about to enjoy Anna’s shocked, admiring, and moved gaze, but he found that her expression was one of… speechlessness.

“Ewan.”

“Hm?”

“Potions also have dosages. You really didn’t have to drink the whole thing.”

“…Can I spit it out?”

“No.”

As he said this, Anna suddenly burst out laughing, her body shaking with amusement. “Hehe… you’re a real character, Ewan. Who drinks so much potion in one go? And from the look on your face just now, you wanted me to praise you, didn’t you?”

“I think I’m an idiot.” Ewan was on the verge of tears, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into. “So, will there be any side effects from drinking too much?”

“There, there. No, there won’t be.” Anna actually came over and patted his head, her voice gentle. “The effect will just last a little longer, that’s all.”

“I see. Then I’m relieved.”

Feeling her soft hand, Ewan sighed in relief. It was good that there were no adverse effects from drinking too much.

“So now…”

“We wait,” Anna said with a smile. “Let’s see what you turn into, Ewan.”

…

Five minutes…

Ten minutes…

Thirty minutes…

An hour…

By the time the dinner bell from the cafeteria rang, Ewan still hadn’t changed at all.

“Um… this potion seems to be taking a little long to take effect.”

“…”

For the first time, Anna’s expression was a little strained. She took out a tattered old book and began to flip through it. A moment later, she rubbed her temples and said, “Sorry, Ewan. It seems I made a mistake in the brewing process. The potion is ineffective.”

“Then what do we do now?”

“Um… let’s call it a day. It’s dinner time. You should go and eat.” Anna smiled again and stood up to see him off. But Ewan couldn’t help but feel that her smile was hiding something.

“I see.”

But all Ewan could do was nod obediently.

“Well then, goodbye, Anna.”

“Mm. Goodbye, Ewan.”

Ewan left the Ancient Potion Club room. But just as he was leaving, he couldn’t help but look back.

Anna was leaning against the window, looking out at the bustling world outside. But she seemed as if she didn’t belong to this world, her expression cold, her figure lonely.

It was a heartbreaking sight.

…

…

During dinner, Ewan happened to run into Ariel, who was in a corner, struggling with the cafeteria’s free black bread. The bread was cold and hard. It was said that for the poor, the thing was not only food but also a self-defense weapon. There were quite a few cases in the lower districts of Belland each year of people being beaten to death with some kind of black bread stick.

Ariel’s struggle with the bread looked even more arduous than a life-and-death battle with an enemy two ranks higher than her.

Ewan couldn’t bear to watch and was about to go over and invite her to eat with him, but seeing the murderous look on her face, he thought better of it and chickened out.

He quietly went up to the second floor, finished his meal, and quickly made his escape. He had a feeling that if he got too close, he would be beaten to death with a bread stick. Afterall, his life was more important.

…

…

“What a peaceful life.”

On the way back to his dorm, feeling the peace and tranquility around him, Ewan couldn’t help but stretch.

His life at the academy had finally gotten on track. He had solved the problem of the “Introduction to the Basics of Magic” teacher, and Ariel didn’t seem to be planning to beat him to a pulp anytime soon. —Although she had been giving him scary looks recently. And the rumors and prejudice against him would probably gradually fade away with the Newspaper Club’s rectification and his own efforts.

“According to the original novel’s plot, the first major event at the academy should happen in about a month.”

“The third layer of the academy’s Great Sealing Instrument will fail for some reason, and then an enemy from outside will invade.”

“In other words, I have a whole month of peace?”

Ewan stroked his chin and smiled.

After all that he had been through, the thought of having a whole month of peace made him so happy he could burst.

…

…

“ACT! ING! HEAD! MASTER!”

In the headmaster’s office in the Great Bell Tower, Professor Planck slammed his hand on the desk and roared at the comical pink bear lounging in the office chair. “Why did you shut down the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument?”

“Why?”

The pink bear reached a thick, hairy arm out of its bear mouth, a cigar clamped between its fingers. White smoke billowed from the bear’s eyes and ears. “Because it’s too expensive, of course. I checked the academy’s expense ledger and found that just maintaining the third layer accounts for one-fifth of the entire academy’s expenditure. Don’t you think that’s a bit of a waste?” The pink bear’s voice was still as lazy as ever, like that of a decadent middle-aged man.

“So you took the academy’s money to smoke expensive cigars and buy these illegal Saintess pinups?” Professor Planck slammed a book with a scantily clad beauty on the cover on the ground. “Aren’t you afraid the Church of Life will find out and charge you with blasphemy?”

“Hey there, just because it’s called a ‘Saintess’ pinup doesn’t mean the people in it have anything to do with the Saintess. They just look a little like her. Don’t go around making things up.” The pink bear carefully picked up the pinup book and gently dusted it off with a pained expression. “This stuff is hard to come by. It cost me a lot of money, okay.”

“That’s the problem! You used the academy’s money!”

“I’m the headmaster now. The academy’s money is my money.”

“But I’m the one who has to submit the financial report to the higher-ups at the end of the year!” Professor Planck roared.

“…”

The pink bear was silent for a moment, then he suddenly put his hairy hand on Professor Planck’s shoulder. “You’ve worked hard. Keep it up. I believe in you.”

“I don’t need your damn chicken soup for the soul!” Professor Planck slapped the hairy hand away, the veins on his forehead bulging. “Besides, that’s a minor issue! I’m here to find out the real reason you shut down the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument! The third layer is an important institution that protects the students! If you shut it down, what about their safety?”

“Don’t give me that crap about it being too expensive! The maintenance fees for the third layer all come from the annual donations of the nobles! It has nothing to do with the higher-ups!”

“Sigh. You still don’t get it, do you, Professor Planck?” the pink bear said with a helpless sigh.

“Get what?”

“Tsk. You’re usually such a sharp person. Why are you being so dense now?” The pink bear took a long drag from his cigar and blew out a puff of smoke. “Have you ever thought about why the higher-ups sent me to be the acting headmaster?”

“Because—”

Professor Planck froze. The anger that had been raging inside him was instantly extinguished as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over it. Some things were easy to overlook, but once they were pointed out, they were like a ghost story you had read during the day, constantly flashing before your eyes, impossible to shake off.

For example, why was a character like the pink bear, who was completely unsuitable to be a headmaster, sent to be the acting headmaster? And why did the academy-loving Headmistress Hathaway remain silent about this before she left?

“Do you understand now?” The pink bear took a final drag from his cigar and stubbed it out in the ashtray. “My arrival represents the attitude of the higher-ups. They’re tired of the academy’s soft approach to education!”

“But… is that approach really so bad?” A look of confusion appeared in Professor Planck’s eyes. “They’re still children.”

“Professor Planck, have you forgotten? I was once a student at Saint Marika too.” The pink bear suddenly grew nostalgic. “The Saint Marika of my time… although dozens of students died every year, it was called the ‘Golden Generation.’ And it was that generation that formed the cornerstone of the Empire today. But now, since the construction of the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument, how long has it been since the academy has produced a ‘Golden Generation’? Do you really think it’s a matter of talent, Professor Planck? No! It’s because the comfortable life has corrupted the students! I refuse to believe you haven’t noticed this!”

“But… isn’t this too soon?” Professor Planck said, gritting his teeth. “We could have started by changing the curriculum. There’s no need to be so direct…”

“Because there’s no time,” the pink bear sighed. “The original plan was, as you said, to first intensify the students’ training for a month before gradually opening up the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument. But due to a certain… unforeseen event, we had to move things up.”

“Unforeseen event?”

“Want to know?” The pink bear chuckled and took out a black stone tablet, placing it in front of Professor Planck. “First, swear an oath.”

“A Vow of Silence?” Looking at the black stone tablet, Professor Planck’s expression gradually grew serious. “Is it that serious?”

The pink bear shrugged, indicating that he couldn’t say anything.

“Alright. I hope your answer won’t disappoint me.”

After a brief silence, Professor Planck raised his hand and placed it on the stone tablet. In an instant, intricate patterns lit up on the tablet, and an invisible power descended from an unseen place, transforming into golden characters that drilled into Professor Planck’s heart.

The oath was made.

It was the power of a god’s law. If anyone were to break the oath on the black stone tablet, their heart would instantly explode.

Professor Planck withdrew his hand and looked coldly at the pink bear. “Now, you can answer.”

“Alright, alright, don’t be in such a hurry.” The pink bear took out another cigar, expertly cut and lit it, and took a deep drag. When the smoke was billowing from the costume’s eyes, ears, and even the top of its head, turning him from a pink bear into an angry pink bear, he finally said leisurely, “It’s actually very simple. The Evil Gods are at it again.”

“The Evil Gods are always at it,” Professor Planck said coldly. “Those cultists never stop.”

“Well yeah, I said the Evil Gods are at it, not the cultists.”

“The Evil Gods? Personally?” This time, even Professor Planck couldn’t remain calm. He too realized the vast difference in meaning between those two seemingly similar phrases. “Which one?”

“Phew—this one.” The pink bear took out a piece of white paper, then a pen, and doodled on it, finally drawing a child-like sun with a pupil in the center.

The Withered King.

Professor Planck silently read the name in his mind.

“And then.” The pink bear took out another piece of white paper and continued to doodle, drawing a crooked moon.

The Silent Moon.

Professor Planck silently read the name again.

“And finally.” The pink bear held the paper with the sun in one hand and moved it toward the paper with the moon.

The Withered King is gradually approaching the Silent Moon.

“Wait—”

Understanding the meaning of the pink bear’s actions, Professor Planck was in disbelief. “Are you saying that He… is gradually approaching Her?”

“That’s right.”

“How is that possible? Don’t most Evil Gods keep to themselves?”

“Who knows?” The pink bear shrugged, then casually tossed the paper with the sun on it. “But with His personality, to be so proactive in approaching another… it’s definitely not to bring flowers and wine for a friendly visit. It’s more like he’s found some dirt on the other one and is eager to go and give them a good beating.”

“Are you kidding me?” Professor Planck couldn’t help but cover his face. “If those two were to fight…”

“That’s right,” the pink bear continued. “It would be a god war!”

“…”

“Hehe, what do you think? Regret knowing the truth now?” Seeing Professor Planck’s pained expression, the pink bear said in a gloating tone, “Isn’t it better to be an ignorant baby? Right now, the thing I want to do most is to go back and slap my curious self. You could have just stayed on the beach and looked at the pretty girls, but no, you had to be curious. And now, you’ve gotten yourself into this mess.”

“…I think I understand what the higher-ups are thinking,” Professor Planck said, wiping his face. “But to be in such a hurry to shut down the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument… I’m afraid it’s not just about training the students before the chaos arrives.”

“Oh? You’re finally getting smart.” The pink bear sneered. “Of course it’s not that simple. It’s still unknown what effect a god war will have on this world, but to quote a certain someone, the fate of this world is now like adding a bit of ‘stargazy pie’ to an already chaotic stew. No one knows what will come out in the end. So, compared to the students of Saint Marika, the higher-ups are definitely more concerned with protecting the thing that’s locked up under Saint Marika. To divert the power of the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument to reinforce the first and second layers is only natural.”

“I understand,” Professor Planck said with a long sigh, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. “So it’s not for the sake of the students, but for the sake of profit. Oh, no, in their words, it should be for the ‘greater good’.”

“As long as you understand.” The pink bear patted Professor Planck’s shoulder and said with a schadenfreude-filled consolation, “Try to look on the bright side. It’s just shutting down the third layer of the Great Sealing Instrument. It doesn’t mean someone is going to invade the academy right away. Why are you so worried?”

…

…

A secret location. Dozens of huge bonfires were burning.

In the center of the place, a pyre had been built and was about to be lit. A naked man was tied to it, struggling in agony.

And around the huge pyre, dozens of muscular men, wearing only loincloths, held torches and shouted fiercely:

“Burn him! Burn him!”

“Burn the heretic!”

“Die, die, die!”

“Everyone—quiet!”

With a powerful voice, all the muscular men in the room fell silent, their fervent gazes fixed on the most muscular man standing on a high platform at the base of the pyre.

The most muscular man held a thick book and raised it above his head, shouting, “Today, in the witness of the holy scriptures, we shall pass judgment on this damned traitor, this hateful apostate, this despicable defiler of the doctrine!”

“I didn’t! I didn’t!” The man tied to the pyre struggled and shouted, “High Priest, please, spare my life! I did not betray the doctrine!”

“Nonsense!” The High Priest shouted, then his gaze swept over the crowd. He pointed to a muscular man with a scar on his face and asked, “You, the new one. Tell me, what is the first doctrine of our faith?”

“Yes, sir!” The man with the scar on his face stepped forward and shouted with great spirit, “The first doctrine of the True Love Cult: Homo-love is the truth! Het-love is heresy!”

“That’s right!” The High Priest shouted with satisfaction. “Homo-love is the truth! Het-love is heresy! But—”

The High Priest looked at the naked man. “Why did someone report to me that you were in intimate contact with the opposite s*x at your home?”

“That was my cow! I was milking my cow! High Priest, spare my life! I was just milking! I really didn’t do anything!”

“Absurd!” The High Priest roared. “Just milking? Why can’t you milk a bull instead? Are you discriminating against bulls? With such actions, how can you say you have nothing to hide? You say you didn’t do anything? Who would believe you?”

“High Priest, I—”

The man wanted to explain further, but with a point of the High Priest’s finger, his mouth moved in vain, but no sound came out.

The High Priest opened the holy scriptures and solemnly declared, “According to the guidance of the great scriptures, the sinful apostate shall be sentenced to death by fire!”

“Death by fire!”

“Death by fire!”

The dozens of muscular men below raised their hands and shouted fanatically, “He shall be sentenced to death by fire!”

And so, the flames crept up, and the naked man was gradually engulfed. But he couldn’t even scream. The stench of burning flesh filled the air, but the crowd looked on with intoxicated expressions, as if they were smelling the fragrant aroma of fine wine.

“Today, in addition to punishing the apostate, there is another matter I must announce to everyone.”

The High Priest raised his hands and looked at the crowd, his face solemn, his eyes full of a fanatical light. “A short while ago, the great God of Love bestowed upon us a divine oracle!”

“He said—the holy war has begun.”

The High Priest stretched out his hand and pointed to a certain direction in the darkness. “Over there, in that filthy Saint Marika Academy. The wicked heretic, the shameful blasphemer… he is there. Tonight, the barrier that has long stood in our way will disappear. And we shall follow the guidance of the great God of Love, pass through the trials, and go there. And then—”

The High Priest’s voice was as cold as a hammer striking an anvil. “We will kill that hateful blasphemer. —Ewan Campbell!”

…

…

In the deep darkness, a faint voice seemed to whisper.

“Are you sure about these lunatics?”

“Hehe, is there anyone who believes in that God of Corruption who isn’t a lunatic? But that’s precisely why they’re professionals at stirring up trouble.”

“Alright. I hope everything goes smoothly.”

…

…

The rain was pouring.

The world seemed to be submerged in the torrential downpour, but in the high heavens, a blue moon hung high.

Hiss—

Hiss—

A strange sound enveloped his ears, as if it could completely strip away one’s sanity.

A terrifying sense of suffocation made it difficult to breathe. A heavy shadow gradually pressed down.

The thick smell of blood stimulated his nostrils.

At this moment.

As if a demon were whispering in his ear.

She said.

—”I’m going to eat your heart.”

And so, a sharp pain shot through his chest.

A bewitching shadow held a beating, hot heart in her hands.

Under the moonlight, she smiled gently.

…

…

“What the—”

Ewan woke up from the nightmare, drenched in sweat.

But after a brief moment of disorientation, he realized that something was wrong.

That was not an ordinary dream. The sensations were too real to be a dream.

In other words…

“Another one of those damn prophetic dreams?”

Ewan froze for a moment, then took out the black book and quickly flipped through it.

The book was normal. His records for the past few days were also normal.

The prophetic dream had come, as usual, without any warning.

But if it had appeared, it meant one thing…

Ewan slapped his thigh and shouted, “The damn author is starting the main plot!”

“Ah, no, wait. Why am I having such strange thoughts?”

Ewan shook his head, clearing the strange thoughts from his mind, and then his expression instantly turned sharp. He grabbed the black book and shook it vigorously. “You bastard black book! You’re giving me these bizarre prophetic dreams again! Can’t you give me some more details instead?” 

“Last time it was death by a thousand cuts, and this time it’s having my heart ripped out? Are you going to go through all the great tortures of the Qing Dynasty before you’re satisfied?”

Still, this prophetic dream was terrifying.

Ewan could still clearly remember the heavy rain, the blue moon, the smell of blood, and the bewitching shadow that had ripped out his heart.

But—

Just like last time, there were no useful clues.

The voice and the shadow were as if they had been specially distorted, and he couldn’t make out any features.

It seemed that the black book wasn’t telling him what to do when it gave him these prophetic dreams.

It was warning him.

Fate is starting to mess with you again. You’d better start struggling.

“But if you want me to struggle, you have to at least tell me how to struggle! What’s the point of just throwing some strange prophetic dream at me? I’d rather you didn’t and just let me sleep in peace!”

Ewan roared at the black book.

But, of course, it was useless.

The black book had only shown a slight sign of having its own consciousness during the last incident. But since then, no matter how much Ewan called out to it, it hadn’t responded at all.

“Forget it. I’m used to it.”

Other people’s cheat items were all so nice and helpful. They were all so talented. When you were lonely, they might even turn into a beautiful girl to keep you company.

My cheat item, heh, is a block of wood.

Well, at least a block of wood is better than nothing.

After being woken up by the prophetic dream, Ewan had lost all desire to sleep. He decided to go to the bathroom, wash his face, and start his studies for the day.

“Strange. Why do my shoulders feel so heavy after waking up?”

Ewan rubbed his shoulders as he walked into the bathroom.

He washed his face.

He looked up and was just about to wipe the water from his face with a towel.

And then he froze.

He blinked.

He rubbed his eyes again.

After confirming that he was not seeing things and was not dreaming, Ewan stroked his chin and fell into a deep thought.

“Who is this big-breasted beauty with wavy golden hair in the mirror?”