The afternoon classes remained focused on foundational knowledge. The most anticipated combat skills lesson, however, had to be converted from a practical session into a theoretical one, a consequence of what they had learned about contamination in the mysticism class.
It was a favorite topic among the divination students. They spoke eloquently about the advantages of their field, and a few even tried to persuade Lu Li to join their departnt—
Lu Li no longer sought out Professor Haig; the discovery of his whereabouts had cast a shadow over this ivory tower.
For dinner, Lu Li made his way to the great hall to eat alongside the other students.
As was his habit, Dogat brought over stacks of pumpkin pies and roughly ate them one by one.
In truth, many of the students ate without much refinent. So, like Dogat, were fast and greedy eaters. Most of them shared a common background: they ca from poor families or small towns far from Midnicht.
However, as they grew accustod to the Academy of Giant Trees, these students realized no one would try to take their food, and they gradually began to eat more normally, perhaps for the sake of appearances.
Dogat was the exception. On his third day, he was no different from his first—clutching his food as if it might escape at any mont, then eating until his face was a ss, ticulously licking up every last crumb.
Still, there were changes. Dogat, who had initially let out low growls like a wild dog guarding its al, would now occasionally look up and speak to Lu Li.
"Why don't you laugh?"
The surrounding area grew a little quieter. The other students watched anything involving Lu Li with curiosity, including Fudot, who now seed to casually still her knife and fork.
"I have no reason to laugh," Lu Li said calmly, stirring mashed potatoes drizzled with chicken broth.
"Good food... *munch*... clear water... *munch*... bright, warm light... *munch*... a ho," Dogat mumbled, his words indistinct as a grin stretched across his face.
"I like it here, so I'm happy. And when you're happy, you should laugh! Just like when you're sad, you cry, and when you're angry, you... you get angry!"
Emotions arise from one's interactions with the world. Dogat found satisfaction at the academy, and so he was happy.
But Lu Li lacked Dogat's tragic past, and life at the academy brought him no such satisfaction. Even if it had, he wouldn't have shown it.
Lu Li rembered Katerina's words, spoken shortly after they t: "Try to change."
They always seed to want him to be less cold and rational.
But inertia is a powerful force. It pushes you forward, compelling you never to stop.
"Intelligent people always hide their emotions," Fudot comnted, swirling her spoon around the bottom of her empty soup bowl.
She had already finished her al; all that remained was a desire to speak with Lu Li.
Dogat raised his head in confusion:
"I thought you were very smart..."
The scraping of the spoon against the bottom of the bowl ceased. Fudot understood Dogat's implication and was about to snap, but then she realized that would only prove his point. Instead, she put on an air of adult indifference.
"And Lu Li looks like the faces on the dead people I've seen," Dogat added.
"Dead people definitely aren't smart."
"Try saying sothing worse, why don't you," Fudot couldn't help but retort sarcastically.
"Why?"
"Because then, at the Academy of Giant Trees' New Year's party, you might just win the award for 'Most Unpleasant Words'."
Before Lu Li could ask Fudot about the New Year's party, she was already on her feet and walking past his table.
"You can thank
later," Fudot said, lifting her chin and gliding away as proudly as a swan.
Lu Li finished his dinner and returned to his room to rest.
There was still so ti before curfew, and Lu Li realized he'd overlooked sothing. He should have borrowed a few books on his way back from the library.
It was clearly too late to go now; the gatekeeper would just stop him.
The wooden window behind the curtain was shut tight, and nothing was visible outside at this hour.
Mulling over the conspiracy that surrounded him, Lu Li slowly drifted to sleep before curfew.
...
"...Todkin, the Mighty Lion, broke free from a nest of anomalies and escaped the town. But his wounds were too severe. Not even a deity could heal him, and he died in that deity's town, leaving behind only the thod for releasing a Cursed Title."
"We studied his thod for two years, trying to mitigate the side effects. While this diminishes the power of the released Cursed Title, it ans the price is no longer unbearable."
Noticing that the students had lost interest at the ntion of "diminishes," Professor Haig told them sternly:
"Do not underestimate the power of a Cursed Title. Even weakened, its power far surpasses any of our own... If it's a suitable Cursed Title, you can easily stand against a squad of ghouls."
"If you're familiar with the Five Knightly Orders, then you know their strict entry requirents. But if you can master the release of a Cursed Title, you will receive a special invitation, bypassing the rank of squire to beco a full-fledged knight of an Order."
"Professor Haig, that's not easy, is it?"
"It is not. That is why I hope you absorb enough knowledge, obtain a Cursed Title from the Swamps or the Mysterious Forest, and attempt to release it."
Professor Haig sighed. Out of the hundreds of students in his class, perhaps only a handful would succeed, and Lu Li was one of them.
"This concludes the lesson on Cursed Titles. Tomorrow, I will continue the introductory course on mysticism."
Professor Haig stopped the hourglass, in which a finger's width of sand remained:
"Hmm... there's still a little ti left, enough for your combat skills lesson."
The students, still lost in fantasies about releasing a Cursed Title and joining a Knightly Order, snapped back to reality and erupted in cheers.
A student nad Seng cheered the loudest.
The morning classes ended, and Lu Li went straight to the mixed zone to et Professor Kris at her invitation.
The skinny gatekeeper, as expected, stopped Lu Li.
"Professor Kris scheduled a eting with
today."
But that seed to make no difference. The gatekeeper was only interested in the rules:
"I'm sure Professor Kris also failed to ntion that underclassn are forbidden from leaving this academic level under any circumstances, correct?"
Lu Li summoned the rchant Antoni and sent him to Professor Kris's office.
Soon, the rchant Antoni returned and inford Lu Li that she wasn't there.
The rchant vanished with Lu Li's letter for Professor Kris, and Lu Li left the mixed zone, heading to the great hall for lunch.
However, even by the end of the last afternoon combat class, the rchant Antoni still hadn't found Professor Kris. There was no reply—but the letter he'd left behind had vanished.
Professor Kris seed to know that Lu Li was trapped on the crown level, but she did nothing.
Lu Li saw it less as a test and more as a form of malicious prodding, or perhaps a direct invitation—a desire for him to visit the other academic levels.
But given the conspiracy, Lu Li couldn't let anyone else guide him away from this level.
Until he discovered how his location had been exposed, he had to keep his distance from everyone.
After dinner, Lu Li found a way.
Back in his room, Lu Li took out the vial containing the shapeshifting mutation potion.
Professor Kris hadn't taken it back or given Lu Li any warning, which ant it was safe to use. After preparing so sesa oil to restore his body afterward, Lu Li drank the sweet potion without hesitation.
An indistinct power washed over Lu Li. His body seed to lt and collapse, and in the blink of an eye, nothing but a pile of clothes remained on the floor.
Suddenly, a rustle ca from the still pile of clothes, which began to bulge. A sleek black cat, graceful as a shadow, crept out from underneath.
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