834 - 841

Chapter 834: The Silent College

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The streets of Heidler City were not messy, filthy, or filled with rotten pieces of bodies everywhere, which was what Donnie expected to see. Instead, they were rather clean and broad, with a lot of passersby on them.

However, the crowded streets, which were supposed to be lively and obstreperous, were awfully quiet. Nobody talked loudly at all. They communicated with each other in the voice of mosquitoes. There seemed to be a strange force that forbade noises in this place.

With a closer look, Donnie finally realized that most of the passersby were actually undead creatures. Some were corpse dogs with weird redness beaming out of their eyes, some were skinned men whose flesh was exposed to the air, and some were the commonly seen ghosts, zombies, and skeletons.

Naturally, necromancers in black magic robes were among the undead creatures too. Most of them were not as grim and rigid as Donnie imagined. They talked and laughed with their friends, except that their voices were kept down.

"It's a pity that there aren't any liches…" Donnie remarked in a low voice.

Sammy seemed to be in great spirits after he came to Heidler City. Although he still seemed drowsy, at the very least, he was not yawning frequently. Rubbing his hair that was as messy as a bird nest, he smiled and said, "I don't think liches are fond of walking on the street…"

I don't think they are fond of anything… Donnie leaned aside to give the way to a three-headed hell hound. It was tall and strong, with burning fire drooling from its mouth, but it had a ring on its neck and was pulled by a petite female sorcerer, running ahead of her slowly.

"This hell hound is the size of a bull…" After the female sorcerer left, Donnie couldn't help but observe. The difference in their sizes was too glaring.

Sammy chuckled. "I saw a lich walking his bone dragon in the sky yesterday. It's about the size of a hundred hellhounds."

He arrived in Heidler City yesterday and lived at 152, Ghoul Street. He was waiting for the students who were to come the next day so that they could go to the college together.

"That's great." Donnie looked at the sky in admiration. At this moment, they already reached Ghoul Street. The high-rising magic tower made it impossible for them to lose their way.

Suddenly, a pale skull drifted out, with two needle-like red lights in the eye sockets. The teeth of the skull clattered and let out a harsh voice as it said, "All freshmen will gather and go to the college. Those who come later will be shuttled the day after tomorrow."

The voice was so unpleasant, as if somebody were rubbing a bone with rusty iron. Donnie shivered and walked into the hall with Sammy.

"Give me your notice of enrollment and your identification mark inside." An expressionless man approached them before Donnie got steady. The stranger had an emaciated face, with the same needle-like redness in his eyes.

Donnie hurried to take out his notice of enrollment and a black beetle. "Yes, sir."

"Call me Mr. Robert." The man's voice was strangely gentle and comforting. When he looked at the black beetle, the bug seemed to be illuminated by the redness too. "Well, Donnie, there is no need to apply for accommodation. You will come to the college with us."

Then, he returned the notice of enrollment and the beetle back to Donnie. Pausing for a moment, he said, "As it happens, I am an instructor in the field of body structure and genetics. I hope that you can keep up your current performance."

After a moment, Sammy looked at Robert, who had walked to the other side of the hall, and said in a low voice, "It is said that Mr. Robert is very close to the senior rank now. His body has been modified by him for so many times that nobody knows what special abilities it has."

"Well, Mr. Robert gave me a lot of pressure…" Donnie had cold sweat while walking in the gloomy environment of Heidler City. He looked at Robert, only to discover that the man stopped before the stream screen in the hall and watched the amusing program on it, with what could almost be called a smile on his face.

"I didn't know that a dead-looking man like Mr. Robert would like to watch TV…" Donnie said in shock.

Sammy looked at him confusedly. "Why can't a dead man watch TV?"

"Well…" Donnie was rendered speechless by Sammy. He hurried to change the subject. "We're about to go to the college. I'm told that it's not in the city but in a mysterious place, isn't it?"

Sammy nodded solemnly. "I'm told that it's a great place for necromancy."

Both of them were rather curious about that, and they tried to guess where their destination was. Could it be in an enormous tomb?

After a while, the pale lich flew back and continued with the nasty voice, "Follow me closely and don't get lost. Once you are lost, I will assume that you are already dead, and I will not bother searching for you."

Donnie's heart was palpitating. Even a drowsy and inert man like Sammy suddenly widened his eyes too. The whole team became extremely silent.

Following the lich, Donnie and his fellows passed the Ghoul Street, the Soul Avenue, and the Square of Brains before reaching a building that seemed no different from any other magic towers.

"Is this our college?" Donnie looked at the magic tower before him in disappointment.

The lich stopped and floated before the gate of the magic tower while chanting coarse, intricate, and gruesome spells.

A shadow emerged from the rocks on the ground. Spreading and growing, it soon covered the gate, making it shiver softly in the darkness.

"Follow me," the lich said coldly, and instead of opening the gate, the lich disappeared into the shadow.

Donnie and Sammy held their breath again because of the weirdness. They slowly moved forward with the apprentices before them, wondering where the shadow would lead.

It was a pity that, however slow they were, they still reached the shadow gate. Gritting his teeth, Donnie stepped in.

As if his body were in a lake, Donnie felt depressed and suffocated, exactly like when he was almost drowned when he was a little kid. Then, Donnie felt that his body was light again, and he got rid of the "water". He was now facing a black, white, and gray environment.

It was a messy and corrupt city, without the slightest color except for the monotonous black, white, and gray. Even the wind had been frozen in the air, like a peaceful and weird portrait.

Donnie looked at the sky in shock. It was as pale and dime as that of Heidler City, but the sun was nowhere to be seen!

The basic knowledge about alternate dimensions popped up in Donnie's head. He shouted at Sammy who was stunned next to him, "It's the World of Souls!"

However, after he blurted out, Donnie did not hear any sound at all. Everything was so quiet as if they were in eternal sleep.

As expected of the World of Souls. Donnie took a breath, having the illusion that his body was decaying. This place was definitely the best place for the school of necromancy. However, he was told that this place was very dangerous for even the senior-rank sorcerers. After all, the unintelligent specters did not care for one's background or whether or not they were rich. They only desired fresh flesh and blood.

"Follow me. Let me repeat myself. Don't get lost." With a spell that they did not know, the lich spoke into everyone's heart.

Donnie patted Sammy, who was still in a daze, and followed the lich warily and attentively, fearing that he might be left out and faced with the tide of specters alone.

Passing through the silent city, the team walked into a desolate wilderness. There were wandering ghouls with rotten and hideous faces everywhere. They could almost smell the indescribable stench.

Further away, many fuzzy ghosts were floating in the sky, with black long robes on their body.

Such an environment and such a scene refreshed the ghost on Sammy's back. It craned its head and let out soundless shrills, waving its hands back and forth hard.

Hehe. Donnie looked at the scene in amusement, while Sammy shook his head helplessly.

Suddenly, the gray sky became dark, as if it had been dyed black. No, the sky did not turn dark, but instead, the phenomenon was caused by ghosts that were gathering from all directions!

Also letting out soundless shrills, they flew toward Sammy overwhelmingly. The terrible pressure and scent of death almost made a lot of apprentices wet their pants. Had they run into a scourge of the undead?

His body shivering, Donnie pulled Sammy, hinting him to stop the ghost on his back.

At this moment, the lich before them sniffed, and a black curtain appeared out of nowhere, covering all of them.

After the black curtain disappeared, Donnie realized that they had already pressed deep into the wilderness and were far away from the army of ghosts.

"Get your ghost under control," the lich said coldly.

"Yes, sir," Sammy replied; his voice shaking. The ghost behind him, on the other hand, held its own legs like a scared kid who was crying soundlessly.

Donnie looked at the ghost in amusement. Are you terrified by the army of ghosts too? You almost turned us into ghouls.

Dragging Sammy, whose legs were too unsteady to support him, to move forward, Donnie suddenly saw a magnificent city in the frozen black, white, and gray world. There were black, silver, and white pointy magic towers in the city that displayed different colors. Among the magic towers were rarely-seen overpasses that connected different directions delicately.

Around the city was a quiet cemetery with tombs everywhere, which were packed densely. Slanted black tombstones were before them.

"Slanted tombstones…" Donnie was briefly stunned.

After passing the cemetery, Donnie and his fellows reached the edge of the city under the leadership of the lich. After they passed the city gate that was dozens of meters tall, the feeling of consolidation and depression was immediately gone. They heard the familiar sound of talking again, as if they had suddenly returned from the realm of the dead to that of the living.

"Everyone, as you have seen, there is no way that you can leave this place without the guidance of senior-rank mentors. Therefore, you have to work and study really hard, because those who slack off will not be able to go home. Alright, welcome to the Heidler Magic College. Please claim your school robe and badge with your identification mark and your notice of enrollment. Then, you can go to your dormitory with the mark on the badge." The lich disappeared after giving the announcement.

Dragging Sammy, who had not fully recovered, and his ghost, Donnie got the black robe and the emblem of pale fire from a magic tower nearby. He asked the way and walked to his dormitory.

When they were near their dormitory, Sammy finally took a long breath and rubbed his hair. "The World of Souls is really horrible. I was so scared just now…"

As he spoke, he opened the door of the dormitory, only to be stunned. He blocked Donnie's sight.

"I… I'm sorry. We… We've come to the wrong dormitory!" Sammy stammered and apologized.

Donnie looked at the door plate. "Room 202 of the Life Tower in the Origin Zone. It can't be wrong."

Chapter 835: Roommates

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Sammy, in the lead, hurried to turn around, but his head seemed to be attracted by what was inside the room. Donnie, who was behind him, was busy reading the number on the door. As a result, the two of them bumped into each other.

"Wait. How do you know that you're in the wrong dormitory when you haven't seen the number yet? Have you already been to your dormitory, and you realize that you're in the wrong one because of the different arrangements in the room? But you still have your luggage in your hands! Huh, you have a twin ghost on your back! That's a very special spiritual phenomenon. It will be very helpful for us to unravel the specific structure of the soul…" A magnetic and pleasant male voice came from the room.

The familiar voice and the talking that never seemed to finish struck Donnie like a lightning. He was completely stunned.

Karl?

How is it possible?

The guy turned out to be his roommate!

A picture suddenly popped up in his head. He was surrounded by dozens of knights at gunpoint, and in the sky were the views of tides, suns, and bolts of lightning made by the radiant knights who could be elementized.

The horrible picture made Donnie's body shiver. While Karl was warm and amiable, it did not mean that the knights who were protecting him were the same. Perhaps, his innocent mistake would lead to overreactions. Also, Karl might not be as simple-headed as he seemed!

"M… Miss, how can I not know I am in the wrong dormitory after I see you?" Sammy said, blushing. Because of the Back Spirit, few girls were ever interested in him. Whenever he faced his female classmates, he was either in dire need of sleep or he became extremely awkward and clumsy.

"Who's a miss? I am, without any questions, a man, a knight who protects ladies, and an arcanist who pursues the truth. What makes you think I am a girl?" Karl sounded angry.

Fuzzy and anxious, Sammy blurted out, "What makes you think you are not a girl…"

Before he finished his sentence, his mouth had been stifled by Donnie, who feared that he would infuriate Karl and let them be fired upon by electromagnetic cannons.

With a flattering smile, Donnie moved his head aside and looked at Karl through the gap between Sammy and the door frame. "Karl, it's been a long…"

His voice came to an abrupt halt, and he forgot to close his mouth. Staring at Karl inside, he looked like a statue.

Today, Karl was wearing the standard long robe of the Heidler Magic College, which further highlighted his fair skin. The sloppy clothes covered the body curve that he did not have. Together with his pretty face and his glittering silver eyes, he would make everyone think that he was a flawless and beautiful girl.

The greatest feature of the robe of the college in classic style was that it was genderless! The manly air that Karl added to himself with male clothes, bow-ties, etc. was gone, and he looked no different from any other female students. No wonder Sammy was in a hurry to apologize.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. If he spent a lot of time with Karl, would he find the other girls too ordinary when he hung around with them?

"You… You… You… You are Donnie?" Karl finally remembered Donnie's name. He was briefly stunned. "You're my roommate too?"

The slight blush on his fair face suddenly reddened, and his glittering eyes became sharp. The intimidating vibe made the ghost on Sammy's back crouch again.

Donnie took half a step back and looked at Karl in shock, with messy ideas like "it's dangerous", "I should take cover", and "why is he angry?" in his head. However, after looking around, Karl immediately lost the threatening gaze and said with a blooming smile, "We're now roommates! How coincidental is that! Is this your friend? Is he our roommate too? I planned to buy you dinner to apologize after the exam is over, but I had to leave early because of a minor accident in the afternoon exam. I didn't expect to meet you again on the first day of college. Are you majoring in body structure and genetics too? Then, we will probably be classmates…"

Karl's eloquence woke Sammy up from his embarrassment. He looked around and read the sign on the door again. "You are really a guy?"

It was truly unbelievable!

"Of course, I am an authentic man!" Karl said proudly and waved his arms. "Do you want to try my strength? Donnie knows it. I am very strong. I can crush five people of your body size in one punch. Well, it's just a joke. My strength is only mediocre…"

With a bitter face, Sammy said, "I believe you. I do."

He already saw the Adam's apple on Karl. Now that he was no longer in a panic, he also sensed the maliciousness of the world exactly as Donnie did.

"Come on in. As roommates, we need to help and encourage each other in the future in order to make progress together so that we can walk further in the journey to explore the mysteries of genetics and souls…" Karl bowed slightly and extended his left hand, like a graceful gentleman.

Why is he so talkative? Also, he is as formal as a news anchor… Donnie wiped his sweat and stopped looking at Karl's face that could be compared to the most beautiful girl's as he feared that his expectations would be raised too high.

The dormitory of the Heidler Magic College was not splendid, but it was clean and tidy. Four beds made of black metal had been placed next to the walls. Before the beds were everybody's desk.

The desk was made of bright yellow wood and divided into two floors. On the upper floor, there was a bookshelf. Behind the closet in the back, it was a door that seemed to lead to the balcony and the bathroom.

"There's a home TV by the door. Everybody has their own magic refrigerator on their nightstand. Right, the two pieces of metal on the bed are magic radios that you can stuff in your ears so that you will not affect other people when you listen to Arcana Voice at night. However, there are no magic air conditioners in this place because the whole Heidler Magic College is covered in magic circles and set at a permanent temperature that is neither too cold nor too hot. And such, magic air conditioners are not necessary…"

The moment Donnie dragged the suitcase to an empty bed, he heard Karl's magnetic voice. The guy introduced the items in the room thoroughly and enthusiastically.

Does he not have many chances to talk on other occasions? That's unlikely. Who can stop such a big shot like him from talking? A weird thought occurred to Donnie.

"It's a shame that there's no room for pianos, violins, or flutes here, and magic gramophones and players are forbidden too. As a matter of fact, there is a lot of music that I would like to share with you. I have created some works myself too…" Karl said in disappointment.

The magic players were the improved version of gramophones. They could store more music as well as more convenient to use.

"Behind that door is the balcony. On the left side of the balcony is the bathroom. There is no kitchen, no living room…"

At this moment, Sammy, whose bed was next to Donnie's, could not stand such a "pretty girl" making male voice anymore. So, he combed his messy hair and said, "Donnie, put on your magic robe. We have to pick our courses and mentor."

"Haha. I just did it yesterday," Karl interjected without any self-awareness. "How about it? Do you want me to introduce it to you?"

He seemed to be asking, but he immediately said without waiting, "The most distinguished mentor on body structure and genetics is naturally Mr. Felipe. However, he is also the director of the Laboratory of Heretics, and since he works on the cutting edge of necromancy, he does not have much time except for the occasional open classes. The other teachers each have their own specialties. For example…"

Donnie felt that his head had grown huge. "We came late, and we don't want to miss the course selection today. Karl, how about we talk later while we are on the way?"

He was told that all the classes of the magic college were to be selected publicly. If they were late, the classes with great teachers would be full.

He couldn't help but complain about the Heidler Magic College. It was said that the other colleges would ask the students to select the courses after they all arrived, but here, the students who came early got to select early. However, it did agree with the habit of coldness and indifference of the school of necromancy.

"Alright, I'll tell you the details on the way. You must not select the teachers who are too busy doing their own research to teach classes or those who are not professionals themselves…" Karl said with a brilliant smile.

Donnie and Sammy looked at each other with a bitter smile, both felt that there was no way they could stop Karl from talking.

Putting down the suitcase, Sammy picked up the magic robe to distinguish the front side from the back. Then, he unbuttoned his clothes. However, he had a very uncomfortable feeling while unbuttoning his clothes, although the ghost on his back showed no reaction as if nothing was wrong.

He looked at Donnie, only to discover that Donnie was also stunned after he took off half of his old school uniform.

"Why have you stopped?" Karl said at the perfect moment.

Both Sammy and Donnie turned around, only to discover that Karl was looking at the two of them with his big, beautiful silver eyes.

Immediately, they understood why they felt uneasy. It was the same as taking off clothes in front of a girl!

"Well, Karl, do you mind turning around?" Donnie said awkwardly.

Karl was stunned. "Why? We are all guys."

Donnie thought for a moment and replied with what he learned from the noble etiquette class, "Even guys should also respect each other's privacy."

Karl nodded and did not say anything else. He walked out of the dormitory.

Donnie and Sammy seized the moment to take off their old clothes and put on the magic robes and the corresponding shirts. In the end, they clipped the emblem of pale fire and their badges of apprentice and intern arcanist on their clothes.

"Let's go." Donnie was greatly relieved after he changed his clothes.

"Alright!" At this moment, a strange voice suddenly echoed, giving both of them a shock.

Looking at the source of the voice, they discovered a plain-looking, fat young man, who had black hair and blue eyes before another bed.

"When did you come in?" Sammy asked in confusion.

The young man replied with a smile, "I've been here all the time. I came to this dormitory earlier than you did, but you didn't notice me.

"Hehe. My name is Jones. I am your roommate, and I will major in the soul."

"How is it possible?" Donnie blurted out. He had carefully observed everything when he came in. Also, Sammy's ghost had powerful instincts.

Jones opened his hands. "There's nothing I can do about it. Wherever I stand, it seems that I am under the stealth skill. The guy who informed me to take part in the College Entrance Exam almost couldn't find me."

"Then… Let's go select the courses together." Donnie gritted his teeth, and seeing that it was getting late, sent a friendly invitation.

This was definitely a room of weirdos!

Chapter 836: Ubiquitous Shadow

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Heidler Magic College was at a magic tower with pointy tops. Walking among them, one would feel that they were walking in a strange forest. Man-made lights shined from the sky, creating a magnificent view.

"Mr. Robert is Mr. Felipe's student. He has remarkable expertise in genetic factors, cell memories, and application of necromancy. Also, it is said that he had just exchanged for the files of blood power studies left by Natravos and modified his blood and body deeply based on that. For example, his left eye has been replaced with the Eye Demon's, allowing him to cast certain ray-type spells quickly with a combat ability close to the senior-rank sorcerers. His right hand contains the tentacles of the Mind Stealer, allowing him to disrupt the mental skills and absorb the enemy's brains and memories…

"If you are interested in the few fields above, you may consider selecting Mr. Robert's classes. He is definitely one of the most distinguished middle-rank mentors, and he is as good as the senior-rank mentors in knowledge and practice…"

Karl introduced the mentors excitedly, like a blooming tulip attracting the attention of the students and teachers passing by. However, they were immediately shocked by his voice, leaving a road of statues wherever he went.

Is it really okay to describe Mr. Robert's special abilities just like that? Donnie's lips twitched. He subconsciously imagined what Mr. Robert would be like. From the expressionless dead-looking face, a brown eyeball protruded from the left eye socket and was connected to the eye socket by clear veins. His right hand opened, and many scarlet tentacles crawled out to all directions…

"It's the typical look of a monster… Necromancers are truly terrifying!"

"However, on second thought, they are also very cool and threatening, aren't they?"

Weird thoughts bubbled up in Donnie's heart and broke apart. Suddenly, he felt that his right sleeve was tightened, and he was refreshed, only to realize that Sammy was pulling it.

"Donnie, aren't Mr. Robert special abilities supposed to be a secret? Why is Karl talking as if everybody knows it?" Even a drowsy and fuzzy young man like Sammy realized that something was not right and asked Donnie in a low voice.

Seeing that Karl was still talking too excitedly to notice their anomaly, Donnie said also in a low voice, "Karl is the descendant of a big shot…"

It was his speculation. After all, if Karl was a big shot himself and had done something great, he must have seen it from the news before.

Sammy nodded his head and stopped asking, not wondering which big shot's son Karl was at all, because he was too sleepy at this moment to care about anything else. All he needed to know was that it was a big shot that he could not piss off. Also, Karl was introducing the mentors on body structure and genetic factors, not the field of souls and spirits, which he was interested in.

The ghost behind him, having been intimidated twice in a row, leaned to him wearily, as if it were also in need of sleep.

Listening to Karl and looking at Sammy's trance-like expression, Donnie thought to himself, A man who can compare to an elven princess and a Back Spirit guy who likes to sleep more than anything. How weird my roommates are…

Iristine, the elven princess, had once given a speech in his school.

"Yes. Only you are normal." An unexpected voice entered Donnie's ears. He subconsciously nodded his head. Yes. I am the only normal person in this dormitory. Wait, who's talking to me? How does he know what's on my mind?

He turned around abruptly, only to discover that Fatty Jones was looking at him with a smile. He asked in shock, "When… When did you come?"

"Didn't you invite me to select the courses with you?" Jones answered peacefully without being infuriated at all.

"Yes." Donnie scratched his head like Sammy. But I've completely forgotten that! He's indeed another…

"Indeed another weirdo roommate," Jones continued with a smile.

Donnie's face was frozen. "You can read my mind?"

"No. The bridge we are walking on is named 'Path of Serenity'. When your emotions are too intense, your thoughts will echo in the corridor. This is a way that the mentors remind the students of the importance of tranquility in the research of necromancy. Otherwise, you will hurt both other people and yourself. Did you not hear the voice in your heart?" Jones pointed at the black and white bridge.

The branches up ahead led to the teaching tower and the experiment tower respectively. There were no windows. Vague light emanated from the bricks on the wall and the floor, giving a cold and chilling feeling.

Donnie listened carefully. There was indeed a distant voice of "indeed another…" in the air. He looked at Karl and Sammy embarrassedly, only to discover that one of them was too busy talking and the other was simply nodding his head. Neither of them noticed anything else.

"Thank god they did not hear that…" Donnie was relieved.

"Are you not worried about me?" A plain but strange voice echoed again.

Taken aback, Donnie turned around and looked at Jones, realizing that he had forgotten the guy again!

"I… I'm sorry." As an honest, normal young man with boundaries, Donnie hurried to apologize.

Jones waved his hands and smiled. "It's alright. I actually quite like my specialty. At the very least, even the enemies will forget about me when I am in danger. I once encountered the scorpion men when I traveled in the southern desert with my friends. After a fierce battle, both parties retreated, and I was forgotten and left at the center of the battlefield…"

"But as a result, I don't think any girls can remember you, can they? If you are married in the future, will your wife forget that she has a husband?" Donnie asked curiously.

Jones' face became rigid. He smiled bitterly. "Let's not talk about such a poignant subject…

"That's why I chose necromancy. I hope to study blood powers and modify my body. I have to transform the special talent into an ability that I can control."

"Good luck," Donnie said sincerely. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Jones. I have introduced myself to you many times…" Jones' voice was as predictable as a ghost.

"Have you? Why do I only remember the time in the dormitory? But I only remember that you introduced yourself but cannot remember the specific content…" Donnie more and more felt that everybody in his dormitory was a freak except himself!

The four of them entered the teaching tower along the Path of Serenity and found the place where the courses were selected.

"Aya, the distance is too short. I've only introduced half of the mentors, and I haven't talked about any of the classes yet. That's not my fault. It's only because certain mentors have too many files…" Karl said regretfully.

That's because you rambled too much. You have told us everything about Mr. Robert's brother's neighbor's boss's wife… Donnie thought to himself. Then, his eyes glittered, and he found himself in a room that was full of strange devices. Such devices were the size of desks and covered in silver or black metal shells. Before them, two flickering lights were flashing. Above them was a metal plate similar to the stream screen.

"What is this?" Donnie looked at Karl. He must know the answer and would be glad to offer it!

Karl's face was full of excitement again, making him as glowing and attractive as the sun. "This is an artificial intelligence that has mixed certain soul pieces. It is so much more fun than those which are being popularized…"

"Artificial intelligence?" Sammy's body shivered. His eyes were wide open, and his sleepiness was gone.

Donnie was also excited. Was it the legendary artificial intelligence?

"How do I use it?" Donnie interrupted Karl's interpretation.

Karl did not go mad. He stopped before one of the machines, took off the badge of pale fire on his chest, and placed it on a dent above the "artificial intelligence".

Then, the red and green lights flashed much more intensely, and an unemotional voice echoed, "Welcome to use artificial intelligence. How can I help you, Mr. Karl?"

"Give me the menu." Karl turned back and smiled at Donnie and Sammy, who were dazzled again.

"Alright." This time, the metal plate similar to the stream screen unleashed colorful brilliant lights and gathered into a hologram in the air. There were many icons that were marked with different words on it.

"There are the course selection system, the game system, the test system, and many others in it. You can have a try yourself…" Karl said quickly while he extended his right hand to point at an icon in the air with his narrow, long forefinger. Immediately, the light and shadow on the hologram changed, and cubes in different colors and shapes fell from the top like toys.

Watching Karl move his fingers quickly on the hologram as if he were casting spells and hearing his uninterrupted introduction, Donnie somehow felt that he had been caught in an illusion.

"Is this the game of 'artificial intelligence'? It seems rather interesting, isn't it?" Sammy focused his eyes on the hologram.

Shaking his head, Donnie walked to another "artificial intelligence" and put the college badge in the slot like Karl did, asking the alchemical life to display the menu.

However, instead of playing the game, he went straight into the course selection system and found the field of "body structure and genetic factors".

"Prerequisite courses?" Donnie clicked the option in confusion and saw a bunch of classes that he had to take.

"Electromagnetics, Magic Crystals, Application of X-Rays in the Observation of the Microworld, Basics of Quantum mechanics, Atoms, Molecules, and Cells: A Brief Introduction, Composition of Human Body, Dragons' Body Structure…"

Reading the names of some of the classes, Donnie was so stunned that he could clearly sense the signature of Lucien Evans on them.

Why? Why did he have to learn those things even in the school of necromancy?

Chapter 837: Nightmare

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Studies on genetics have dived deep into the microscopic domain and thus gone beyond the capability of traditional magic spells. Observation methods based on the knowledge of the microscopic domain shall take over here, say, the combination of X-ray and some magic crystals. Therefore, we also have to understand relevant arcana schools apart from necromancy. Of course, it's pretty much a brand new area that just started a couple of years ago, so nothing major has been found yet."

The male voice sounded both strange but somehow also familiar to Donnie. He hurriedly looked back and saw a chubby teenage boy with black hair also operating an "artificial intelligence".

"Jones?" Donnie asked, "How did you know?"

Jones answered while still working on his project, "I noticed you were staring at the schedule. I know you don't understand such an arrangement."

"Besides observation methods, as our bodies also consist of atoms and molecules, we have to learn about the microscopic domain to understand life matters," Karl responded while playing his game. "Also, there is mathematics. If you don't know math, you're going nowhere in arcana.

"As you've seen, there's a course called Advanced Mathematics in necromancy, and it's very systematic. The course comprises calculus, matrix, analytic geometry, complex variables functions, real analysis, and mathematical analysis, and it goes all the way through our next five-year study." Karl added, "It's as important as the rest of our compulsory courses like Genetics and Body Structure."

As long as Karl started talking, very rarely would he be brief. He tended to be very specific, and his words were often very informative.

Hearing the terms, Donnie felt dizzy, and he even had the impulse to crack the "artificial intelligence" in front of him. Although he revered the leading characters in mathematics very much and he was not bad at math, he was not a genius, so learning math definitely was full of pain!

Turning to the next page, Donnie saw the course named Advanced Mathematics in Necromancy. He plucked up his courage and chose a good mentor under Karl's suggestion.

He then finished his registrations for all courses, including those lab courses.

Because they were here relatively early, and they followed many suggestions from Karl on choosing mentors, both Donnie and Sammy had successfully found their ideal mentors for each of their courses. They were lucky to have Robert as their mentor on the Composition of Human Body because they would then automatically enroll on his Body Reform, which was an advanced course in the school of necromancy.

After this, Donnie's timetable was ready. He had lots of courses during the day except for Sunday. One would easily suppose that most necromancy courses should be delivered during night time, but this place was the World of Souls, so the trouble could be saved. Donnie had to review all the stuff he learned during the day as there was no way that he could remember everything right away.

Seeing that more and more students were waiting, Karl forced himself to leave the "artificial intelligence", and he took a glance at Donnie's timetable. "We'll have many courses together, so we can go together. Many magic towers here look identical, and there are also some illusion mazes that act as defense. You can easily get lost if you don't have a guide. Last time I ran into several girls who got lost nearby a magic tower, and they were almost in tears…"

Donnie hurriedly asked, "You know this place well?"

Sammy was being rather sleepy again. Donnie was the only one who could stop Karl's lecture.

"I've seen the map. I'm a genius at finding directions!" Karl was full of confidence. If someone did not believe him, he'd keep talking until the person believed.

Donnie hurriedly nodded. "Then we'll count on you next Monday morning."

"No problem." Karl patted on his chest, but his beautiful face made his movement look cute. "I like these courses, for we can do magic experiments!"

Experiment? Karl?

Donnie turned to look at Karl's chipper face. He became very nervous. He wondered if it was still okay to choose another mentor, or if he could apply for sick leaves during lab sections to avoid doing experiments with Karl together.

Karl kept going on and on, as if his mouth never dried from giving lectures. His speech, however, did help Donnie and Sammy remember where to find the library, Magic Exchange Office, Dean's office, Paper office, the tower where specters were sealed, burying place, restaurants, and the dining hall. Like how the TV and radio programs were introduced, in the academy, cuisines from different countries all gathered here, which fed Donnie and Sammy very well.

Heidler Magic College was big. It already passed midnight when they came back to their dorm. Sammy leaned against Donnie as he could fall into sleep at any time. Donnie also felt exhausted. However, Karl still looked very excited and energetic.

"What a tiring day. We should get some sleep now." Walking to his bed, Karl gave himself a long stretch elegantly.

Donnie looked at Sammy who had fallen into deep sleep in his bed and believed that they should be the right people calling themselves exhausted.

At this time, he saw that Karl was slowly taking off his black magic robe. His long, beautiful neck had been revealed and then… his curved waist.

"Karl!" Donnie blurted out, feeling his nose a bit hot and his heart beating fast. "Can you… go to the changing room?"

"What? I'm a man!" Karl was a bit confused, but he smiled later on. "You value privacy, I see. You emphasize on this even more than some nobles!"

Karl followed Donnie's words and walked to the changing room. When he came out wearing a loose white shirt and a pair of pajama pants, Donnie looked away again.

Donnie took a shower and then finally lay down. In bed, he could not fall asleep. The schoolwork was even more difficult than he thought, and some courses even made him feel very concerned. In this dorm, there was also such an "important character" living with them. He wondered how his life in the academy would be in the close future.

Donnie wished that Karl could figure out how to modify his body genetically as soon as possible so that he could feel more relaxed living with him.

Wait… Did they forget someone on their way back? The student called… J…?

"Karl? Are we all here? I think we forgot someone!" Donnie hurriedly asked.

"Thank you for asking. I was always with you all." The unique voice came to Donnie in the darkness before Karl responded. "By the way, my name's Jones, and I think you have perhaps forgotten about it."

Donnie buried his head under his pillow and released a sigh in his mind. What kind of dorm it was!

…

The dark night sky was solemn and quiet, but its edge looked rather gray and pale. The World of Souls was always like this. No change took place here.

In the color of black, white, and gray, Heidler Magic College, surrounded by the countless tombs, looked rather creepy and also very mysterious.

The gravestones were engraved with the names of the dead, the date they were born, the day they passed away, as well as the honors that they once earned. Some of the epitaphs were amusing, and some were rather serious and solemn.

Standing in the graveyard, watching the names and the black fog rising, Donnie recalled what Mr. Dollos once mentioned—the rite of Life Traceback and the "Original Body".

His heart beat faster and faster, as if something in the middle of the graveyard was summoning him.

Although he had sensed the danger, Donnie could not help walking further toward the center of the graveyard.

There was a huge tomb in front of him. The gate of the tomb chamber was only half closed.

Donnie walked through the gate and came to the main chamber along the passage. The dim light in this space made the atmosphere beyond dreadful.

Pushing open the gate of the main chamber, Donnie was shocked. There was a huge body, which consisted of a different intelligent creature, lying in the coffin. And the black miasma filled in the entire space.

Suddenly, the body sprang up and opened its eyes. They were just two dark red spots, and the air of death poured out from them.

Donnie felt this great paralysis in his body. He wished that he could cry out loud, but he could not. He could do nothing but watch his own body corrupting and soul dissipating. In the end, there was the eternal, silent darkness.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Donnie jumped up in his bed and gasped hard. It was sunny outside, a crisp, promising morning.

"Nightmare again?" asked Sammy in concern.

Donnie nodded, but then shook his head. "Maybe I'm just not used to this new place…"

But why this dream again?

Was it because he wanted this secret so bad?

"If it keeps happening," Karl popped his head out from the washroom with a toothbrush in his mouth and said, "you have to go and see some mentors to make sure you're not cursed. I once saw…"

Obviously, the toothbrush in his mouth was not going to stop him from talking.

Donnie nodded seriously and said, "Thanks, Karl. But you'd better hurry up. It's time for the ceremony."

The ceremony in Heidler Magic College for a new term was always very simple. Schokola, the president, only gave a short speech. Then Donnie and Karl followed the crowd and went to the classroom for electromagnetics.

"I'm your mentor for electromagnetics, and my name's Glinton," said a middle-aged man who looked rather well-educated, who was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and looked a bit thin. "This is our first class, and I'll lead you to the lab to do some experiments. From the experiments, you'll see with your own eyes some classic electromagnetic phenomena, which we'll explain later in our upcoming classes."

"Yeah!" Karl said cheerfully.

Donnie wondered if he could stay here…

Chapter 838: The Strange Lightning

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The experiment magic tower was silver-white, and its architectural style was not really in accordance with the overall atmosphere in Heidler Magic College.

It wasn't far away from the main tower and was connected to the main tower by eight gray bridges. Students wearing black magic robes were walking on the bridges.

Following Glinton, Donnie and the rest of the students had come to a big lab that occupied the entire floor.

"There're many fascinating experiments in electromagnetics, say, those showing electromagnetic induction and electromagnetic waves. I did one with my elder brother, and we were above the ocean beyond the Pearl Islands…" Karl shared his experience with Donnie, and his eyes were shining with passion.

However, Donnie was on full alert. "How was it?"

He did not care what Karl did, but what consequence that caused.

"It was perfect! Even more perfect than we expected!" Karl slightly lifted his chin out of pride.

"What else did you get? What was the consequence?" asked Donnie in great caution.

Karl chuckled dryly. "There was no consequence. Our experiment even created a new research field for arcanists in electromagnetics, to conduct lightning high above in the sky using electromagnetic waves, which can greatly improve the power of many senior-rank electromagnetic spells…"

"Really?" Donnie was very surprised. As a good student from Nature's Heart, he was quite familiar with this field.

"Of course!" Karl answered in a bit of a rush, as he disliked the suspicion. "We conducted countless flashes of lightning, like a forest of lightning. A couple of deserted islands nearby were also on fire…"

He suddenly stopped himself here and smiled with embarrassment. "My father said that there's theoretical support, but you'd better use the…"

Donnie completely ignored the rest of the words. Instead, he murmured, "Lightning forest… Islands on fire…"

He had decided to stay away from Karl as far away as he could. Obviously, Karl's experiment just strayed away so much from his original intention—an experiment for testing electromagnetic wave communication.

Glinton said to them seriously, "If you want to learn about electromagnetism, electromagnetic induction is something you can never avoid. Today, I'll show you a few small experiments on this so that you all can see it with your own eyes.

"But I have to remind you that a magic lab does have very strict rules. Failing to obey them will lead to bad consequences, for yourself and also for other people. And you'll be punished. I won't repeat myself here on what the rules are as they should have become a part of your soul since grade five."

He turned around, and his eyes were shining with a red light. Then two red rays shot out from his eyes and hit the gate of the lab. The gate rippled like there was a layer of water on it.

He then took out his badge on which there was a white skull. When the badge was pressed against the central part of the gate, the gate slowly opened.

"Lots of experiments can be done here. But you can't enter this one without the permission and help of an instructor. If you want to do some experiments on your own, go and apply for the access to the common labs on floor one to seven," said Glinton.

Donnie murmured in a low voice, "But what if things still go wrong even if the rules are strictly followed…"

He was, obviously, not talking about himself.

As a fifth-circle sorcerer, Glinton could hear Donnie's words. He looked a bit pissed and said, "Nothing can go wrong if you stick to the rules. If it is my fault, none of you will be hurt because I'm here. Also, Heidler Magic College is already twenty-one years old, and the accidents that have ever happened cannot even fill up a piece of parchment. The worst accident ever only destroyed an operation desk.

"This is what we all feel proud of as instructors of this college. This comes from what we gained from building the 'Path of Serenity'."

"Yes, sir," answered Donnie hurriedly. He did not want to leave any bad impression on his mentor.

The arrangement of the lab was very similar to that of those less advanced labs. The only difference was that there were more alchemy facilities that they did not recognize. The students could still identify a couple of the facilities and devices though, for example, the famous Cyclotron.

Seizing the chance that Karl was looking around, Donnie secretly went to the other side to stay closer to the gate.

After a couple of minutes, Donnie finally felt more relaxed when seeing that Karl had gone to the corner, instead of looking for him. However, he was then concerned that a big accident might happen at any time because of Karl.

His nervousness caught the attention of a few students close to him. A green-eyed girl with brown hair smiled. "Don't worry. It's just like what we did in our schools. Mr. Glinton would allow us to use Cyclotron today anyway."

She was not a gorgeous girl, but the habitual smile on her face made the girl look rather easygoing and kind.

"Thanks. I'm Donnie, you?" Donnie answered politely. But he knew that it was sensible for him to feel very concerned.

The girl grinned. "Call me Shirley. I'm from the Duchy of Orvarit. I hope you see me as a good guest."

Donnie had the typical look of a Holmish, so Shirley was joking.

Natasha had regained control over the Duchy of Orvarit, and she was now the Grand Duchess. There were rumors saying that she was giving the title to her youngest child. Natasha and Lucien Evans kept their children away from public attention, and the children's names were even replaced by their titles in TV or radio programs.

"No matter where we come from, we're all members of the Congress and followers of knowledge. There's no host and guest," said Donnie politely.

In the magic school, Sammy was totally devoted to his study, and he rarely talked to the girls, but Shirley made him feel quite relaxed.

Shirley nodded and pointed at their mentor. The class was going to start.

Worried as Donnie was, he still stayed focused.

In the front, Glinton was explaining the discovery and development of electromagnetic induction. From time to time, he would use experiments for demonstration, and he would occasionally pause so that the students could repeat the experiments.

Glinton definitely deserved the compliment given by Karl. Serious as he was, his lecture was rather interesting and engaging. Soon, Donnie had forgotten about his worries.

Somehow, Donnie felt that the sky outside had become very dark as if thick dark clouds were gathering over the building. Also, the atmosphere in the classroom had become rather oppressive from some invisible energy wobbled in the space following a certain frequency.

Donnie wondered if it was going to rain.

It was not. When he looked out the window, he saw fine flashes of lightning jumping in the dark clouds!

But they were in the World of Souls! There were neither storms nor dark clouds here!

They were under the protection of the mythal of Heidler Magic College! The weather would remain the same here.

He recalled Karl's beautiful face and blurted out, "Sir, look!"

Glinton instantly realized the approaching danger. He quickly cast a spell and a few force field swirls appeared in front of the windows. He then commanded decisively, "Leave the lab!"

While the apprentices were panicking, Donnie, who was mentally prepared, was acting calmly. "No rush. Follow the rules and get out one after one!"

Glinton took a look at Donnie and nodded his approval. "The alchemical life will soon activate the defense magic circles."

Under the guidance, the apprentices were leaving the lab in great order and good efficiency. Soon, only the mentor was left in the lab.

Glinton released a sigh of relief. When he was about to leave, he heard this deafening boom.

A flash of lightning as thick as an old tree hit right on the outer layer of the magic tower's defense and broke it into pieces, while the force field swirls for absorbing energy was doing no help at all.

Glinton was startled. Looking a bit awkward, he quickly left the lab with a blink.

With the help of the alchemical life, the apprentices had been sent to an open area in the distance. They saw thick flashes of lightning, which looked like huge snakes, striking the lab, which they just left.

The deafening booms would not stop. The students could hear the defense shield of the magic tower cracking and snapping. The lab soon went on fire, and the thick smoke had overwhelmed the entire place.

Donnie had never seen anything like this before. His eyes opened big, and his hands were trembling slightly. If it had not been their mentor and the protection of the magic tower, and if he didn't notice it early, he could have been dead already!

"This is the most horrible accident ever in the past twenty-one years…" said a hoarse voice.

Donnie turned around in surprise and saw the fatty squatting down to the ground. He was watching the tower on fire through the strange pair of glasses on his nose. The glasses kept flashing, but it wasn't catching anyone's attention in such a situation.

Donnie remembered that the fatty was indeed one of his classmates in the program of Body Structure and Genetics, and they were in the tower earlier together.

"What are you doing?" asked Donnie.

The fatty was holding a pile of paper with his left hand, and his right hand was moving fast with a pen. He answered without even looking back, "I'm writing to Allyn Impression. They appreciate my talent and have made me their special correspondent. This is going to hit the headline! I'm also going to make good money out of it!"

Donnie took a glance at the paper and saw the news title given by the fatty.

[Horrible! The Most Severe Accident in Twenty-one Years; Pain! Consequences of Heidler College's Negligence!]

"Good, huh?" said the fatty proudly.

"Not bad…" Donnie paused a second and asked, "By the way, what's your name?"

"…" The fatty went silent.

At this time, someone was murmuring by their side, "That's the end of me… Am I gonna be kicked out? Lu Xiaoen's gonna be in a rage if he knows…"

Chapter 839: Handling the Results

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The magnetic male voice and straightforward worry made both Donnie and the fatty felt slightly startled. When they turned around, they saw that Karl was watching the tower that was on fire with his good-looking eyebrows curved in a frown, which made Donnie and the fatty want to iron them out.

The fatty did not know the reason behind it, but Donnie clearly knew that such a beautiful "girl" who could catch people's attention at any time was, in fact, the one who caused this whole accident. He weighed his words a bit and said, "Karl, the college won't punish you as long as you are sure that you stuck to the rules. Did you break any?"

"No, I didn't." Karl shook his head hard and then lowered it. "I thought the senior-rank magic tower would prevent this from happening. The college would know it was me for sure…"

Donnie released a sigh of relief. At least, Karl never broke any rules.

He could use this to comfort Karl, although he was not sure if the college was going to kick Karl out or not.

"So what? You did nothing wrong, and… Ummm… they wouldn't dare to treat you unfairly…" Donnie was being quite ambiguous. He was referring to Karl's powerful background. Kicking such a student out without a proper reason would bring great pressure to Heidler Magic College.

Although Donnie could not identify the magic items that Karl was wearing, he could sense the horrible power within them. Donnie believed that even some major nobles or senior-rank sorcerers could not afford them.

Karl nodded slightly as Donnie's comforting words more or less worked. He said to himself, "Lu Xiaoen taught me so many lessons; one more isn't a big deal…"

Lu Xiaoen? That was a very strange name that went against the grammar of the common tongue. Donnie wondered if Lu Xiaoen was Karl's father or elder brother.

"You did it?!" the fatty asked in great surprise. He was just listening to their conversation like he was invisible.

Karl took a glance at the fatty, and his silver-purple eyes suddenly became sharp. Donnie wasn't affected, but the fatty felt the great pressure as there was already sweat on his forehead.

He dared not to ask anymore.

At this time, Shirley from the Duchy of Orvarit walked to them and smiled as she just survived a disaster.

"Donnie, thanks to you, we're all saved!"

"I was… was lucky…" Donnie suddenly stammered when facing such a compliment from a girl.

Karl murmured in a low voice, "I'd also remind you all if he hadn't seen it…"

Shirley did not hear him because of the lightning and thunder. She smiled at Donnie and said, "Yes, you were lucky that you saw it. But you helped us get out. Compared to how you look now, you looked very different when you were giving commands."

Donnie's face flushed slightly. Like Sammy, he scratched his head a bit and said, "I was also saving myself."

Suddenly, the deafening clap of thunder was cut off, and everything had fallen into a great silence.

The apprentices all looked up and saw the gray fog pouring out from the sky, which had taken away all the horrible power from the dark clouds.

"They used mythal… Finally…" said the fatty thoughtfully.

As for what the mythal was in Heidler Magic College, the apprentices did not have a clear clue. They heard that it had something to do with some necromancy circles, including the one named Miranda 12 Circles.

Shirley took a strange glance at the fatty, having no idea of when he arrived, but she also didn't care.

"It's safe now. I have to go find my roommate," Shirley said to Donnie.

After Shirley left, Donnie turned around and found himself staring into a pair of blue eyes.

"What're you looking at?" Donnie was a bit startled.

The fatty said with a bit of jealousy, "I think the girl likes you…"

"We did not even know each other until an hour ago!" Donnie hurriedly explained.

"That's right. It only took you an hour… Ummm…" The fatty sighed.

Donnie was a bit pissed but also feeling rather shy. "I didn't mean it. We're just classmates!"

The fatty looked away. "You will know her roommates. Don't forget me."

Donnie was totally speechless. He didn't even know the fatty!

"So, both of you are completely inexperienced, right?" said Karl, who had already forgotten about his worries. "I can tell."

His left arm supported his right arm, and his right hand was rubbing his chin.

"I…" Donnie tried to disagree, but he somehow could not lie.

The fatty was surprised. "How do you know?"

Karl smiled gently and said, "When the girl was thanking Donnie, Donnie was acting like a brand new baby in a relationship. He should've asked the girl to buy him lunch so that he could buy it back next time. Back and forth like this, and one day, grabbing the girl's hand won't be difficult."

"Ask the girl to buy him lunch?" the fatty asked sincerely.

Karl said proudly, "For sure! Do not feel afraid to lose your face. My father once told me a story of a farmer waiting beside a tree trunk day after day for a dead rabbit. The result is just like how you imagine it to be. To win love, you have to take the initiative. Are you telling me that you're going to wait for a girl to run into your arms?"

Donnie felt that it was a beautiful girl in front of him who was lecturing him on how to pursue a girl, and he did not feel very comfortable with it. He hurriedly cut Karl off, "So, you're… experienced?"

Karl looked up at the sky and said, "Of course!"

He paused a bit when no one said anything, "You want me to show you?"

The fatty nodded excitedly, but they were stopped by the fatty. "No, no. An accident just happened. We'd better behave ourselves before a decision is made on this."

"Yeah…" Karl looked upset again, as he lowered his head.

The fatty also recalled his mission. "I'll send out the news report first, and we'll continue after going back to the dorm…"

"Which dorm are you in? What's your name?" Donnie asked confusedly.

The fatty did not know what to say.

Finally, he released a loud sigh. "Never mind… Before this problem is solved, I won't have a chance…"

...

In the Allyn magic tower in the City in the Sky.

Heidi looked pretty much the same as twenty years ago. She still had the same round face, a few freckles, and long, linen-color hair. The only difference was that she was now wearing an eight-star arcana badge and a ninth-circle magic badge. Also, she was wearing a few dazzling rings. There was one from the Holm Crown Prize and one from Evans Prize in Arcana. She found or made the rest of the rings herself.

"Madam, today's Allyn Impression is available. You want to have a look?"

It was the ring on her left little finger that talked.

Heidi sipped her black tea and said, "Sure."

The ring then lit up with red light, and a light beam projected an illusionary pile of newspaper in front of Heidi.

Heidi held the teacup with her left hand and touched the light screen to turn the pages with her right hand.

When Heidi saw the title, "Horrible! The Most Severe Accident in Twenty-One Years; Pain! Consequences of Heidler College's Negligence", she was amused and quickly turned to the corresponding page.

After reading the news, she was laughing too hard to sit up straight.

Fortunately, she had always been developing Lu Xiaoxi's interest in body structure and genetics on purpose, or Lu Xiaoxi would now be studying at the Atom Institution. Her teacher should be thankful because of it!

...

In the main magic tower of Heidler Magic College.

Schokola, the president, picked up a gold speaker and said in the typical cold and hoarse voice of a lich, "We've decided to discontinue Brades' study in the college. He brings dangers to other students."

The calm and serious male voice came out of the speaker, "I do not agree."

Schokola paused a bit and said, "This is the most terrible accident ever since the establishment of the college."

The male voice remained the same tone as he said, "Before this, didn't I ever tell you all about Brades' situation? Didn't I ever tell you all that a senior-rank sorcerer must be there to supervise him?"

"But they were in a senior-rank magic tower," Schokola explained.

"It's your problem," said the male voice.

"So you're showing your attitude?" Schokola's voice became even colder. As an archmage, he felt very disrespected by the young man in the speaker.

The male voice sounded a bit amused, but it then became serious again. "Yes, this is my attitude. Of course, I'll be responsible for the college's loss. But it is impossible if you want to expel Brades."

"I'll do a quote list," Schokola said. He had to stop insisting. After all, the man in the speaker had made his compromise.

"Alright. Send the list to Brades," said the male voice, which sounded slightly annoyed.

...

"This much?!" Karl looked at the list and almost burst out into tears.

Schokola said gloomily, "Yes, you pay or you leave. Up to you. Of course, your elder brother will pay for it first. He asked me to tell you that the money will come from your own treasury from your future fiefs. This is the first step to grow up, and it's called 'take your responsibility'."

Karl's voice trembled as he said, "I… I'll pay…"

Karl kept his head very low as he walked back to his dorm, as if the world was going to collapse. He went directly to bed without saying anything, which made Donnie and Sammy quite unused to it.

But they were also glad that the college was not kicking Karl out.

"Get some sleep. We have Mr. Felipe's open class tomorrow," Donnie said excitedly to Sammy.

Sammy nodded. Recently, he was getting more and more dispirited.

...

Dark red eyes, the air of death…

Donnie sprang up in his bed and gasped very hard. It was this nightmare again!

Suddenly, he felt something not right. He turned to look at the window, and he saw Sammy standing there with his eyes tightly closed. The specter behind his back had completely overlapped with his body.

Sammy started walking out in a creepy manner.

Donnie was about to stop him, but his mouth was suddenly covered.

"Don't wake him up, or Sammy's soul will perhaps disappear forever. Let's go and follow him," Karl said in a very low voice.

Donnie was startled, but he could tell from Karl's voice that he was excited.

Chapter 840: A Creepy Adventure

Sammy was moving like a rusted piece of machine. His arms and legs looked rather clumsy, but he wasn't slow at all. He had come to the door of their dorm and pulled it open. Then he walked out into the dark corridor, which was only partially lit up by some dim lamps.

"Let's go," said Karl one more time. Like a black panther, Karl jumped out of his bed.

Karl had many thoughts in his mind. He did not know what to do, but he wouldn't let his friend just go like this. He had no other choice but to go with Karl.

Sammy, still with his eyes closed tight, then walked to and jumped down the stairs. However, his jumping did not make any noise, as if each step had been turned into a pile of cotton.

Donnie was scared stiff upon seeing this. He said to Karl in a low voice, "I don't think he's conscious. He's following some kind of instinct, or he would have taken the elevator."

Their dorm was located on the second floor of the Life Tower, and this place was equipped with elevators to all the floors. Rarely would anyone take the stairs. Therefore, many magic lamps had stopped working, but no one cared.

Karl watched Sammy jumping down the stairs around the corner.

"Perhaps he doesn't want to take the elevator…"

It was Karl's voice, but Donnie heard his voice directly from his own head.

Donnie was a bit startled.

"We can do mind communication. You don't have to speak out…" said Karl.

Donnie guessed that it was because of some kind of magic item that Karl was wearing. Without a doubt, Karl had some very unusual background.

"Wait a sec," said Donnie. He was confused as he asked, "You said he didn't want to. So you mean Sammy is under someone's control?"

"Not sure. Maybe something is calling him, or maybe like you said, he's just following his instinct." Karl's eyes slightly squinted, and he made his movements as gentle as he could.

At the staircase, there were two magic lamps. However, one had completely broken, while the other only had its half side working in a rather unstable way. With the light flashing, Donnie said in a panic, "We should tell our supervisors. They'll handle this."

Donnie was talking about the guarding sorcerers in this tower.

Under the flashing light, Karl's good-looking face now appeared to be a bit gloomy. "There's no need. If Sammy is just doing a special sleepwalk caused by the specter, we two should be able to handle this. Calling the supervisors will startle him. But if someone's really controlling him, in Heidler Magic College, a place completely covered by the mythal, we're not going to be hurt as the supervisors could always arrive in time as long as the mythal is triggered by any spells."

After many years of development, the medical system in necromancy had given many diseases-specific names that were regarded as evil in the past.

He turned to look at Donnie, and his silver-purple eyes looked both a bit nervous and excited. "Don't you want an adventure? Don't you want to handle this on your own? Maybe Sammy is heading for a great treasure or someplace where great power is hiding…"

His magnetic voice lingered in Donnie's mind. Long and redundant as it sounded, what Karl said to Donnie seemed to have this irresistible power that managed to trigger the desire in Donnie's heart. He nodded subconsciously and kept going further with Karl.

Someone was summoning Sammy?

Like me?

Donnie thought to himself but had no clear clue. As if he was being controlled by Karl, the two of them walked out of the Life Tower.

Although there was no difference between day and night in the World of Souls, as there was only black, white, and gray in this space, there were some places that were brighter and darker so that apprentices could sleep better at night. After walking out of the Life Tower, Donnie felt it was rather dark and quiet around, and he could only see the bottom of many magic towers. He looked up, and the sky bridges were like spider nets crossing each other. The sky was "dead", as there was neither the silver moon nor any stars.

The night was cold. The breeze chilled Donnie. He looked around, but other than themselves, he saw nothing alive.

"Don't lose him," Karl reminded.

Donnie nodded nervously, but he could tell the excitement in Karl's voice.

In the silence and darkness, the three of them, one in the front and two following behind, had walked past a few magic towers and finally came to the front gate of the college.

The entire Heidler Magic College was like a city consisting of tall magic towers and was cut off from the outside by the tall and long walls. The so-called front gate was, in fact, a light screen with the height of dozens of meters and the width of more than ten meters, on which countless magic patterns were flowing like water, giving out the strong air of death.

"Is he leaving?" Donnie asked Karl through mind communication. Sammy was now standing in front of the gate.

"Maybe, perhaps, probably… We'll see something interesting as long as we keep following him. Once, I asked my elder brother to explore an ancient tomb with me at midnight…" Karl said excitedly. However, his long-winded story did not distract him from staring at Sammy attentively.

Feeling it rather strange, Donnie said, "But Sammy can't go through the gate. It has been closed. We'd better try to wake him up or wait until he goes back to the dorm himself…"

Before Donnie could finish his words, to his great surprise, he saw Sammy reaching out his right hand and pressing his hand against the light gate. Then, the surface of the gate rippled around Sammy's hand. A second later, Sammy had been devoured by the light.

"He… He's out!" Donnie stammered.

What happened to the defense mythal? Where were the senior-rank mentors watching the control center?

"Go! Or we're gonna lose him!" Karl jumped out as he grabbed Donnie's right hand.

Like a magic steam train, Karl rushed at the gate. The energy swirl on it was shrinking!

Donnie was pulled by Karl, and he was basically "flying" to the gate. He found the feeling a bit familiar to him as he once got bumped away by an ox when he was younger.

Karl was even more full of strength than he thought!

Donnie suddenly had this wet and cold feeling as if he were soaked in water, but that feeling only lasted less than a second. Then all the colors he could see had quickly faded away, and only black, white, and gray were left.

Donnie saw graves; lots of them. The black gravestones were all sloping.

Come!

Come!

Come!

Donnie's heart was thudding fast. It was exactly like in his nightmare, and he was being uncontrollably pulled forward into the graveyard by something, while Sammy was also walking to the center of the Cemetery of Eternal Sleep.

Danger!

That place was the core of the rite, Life Traceback. It must be dangerous there!

They had stepped out of the gate and entered the true World of Souls. Their mentors wouldn't know in time if anything bad happened to them!

They could not keep following Sammy like this!

Donnie's instinct made him cry out, trying to catch the attention of the college.

However, his crying for help turned out to be totally silent. Even air was dead here.

This place was the World of Souls. Anyone below the legendary level could not make any sound at all.

He tried to cast some spells to make some noise, but facing the summoning power, Donnie could not stay concentrated at all. He was listening to his own heart thudding crazily, and the desire in his heart grew more and more intense.

"Karl. It's dangerous in the front. Find our mentors!" He reminded Karl through mind communication.

Karl did not even look at him. He was staring at Sammy walking ahead of them attentively.

"What are you afraid of? The cemetery is also part of the mythal…" said Karl.

Donnie kept telling Karl about his nightmare, but Karl wouldn't listen.

Donnie kept trying until he finally saw the familiar huge grave. He had given in to the desire in his heart and decided to move on.

Sammy had no hesitation at all, and he had walked through the half-closed gate of the grave. Karl paused a bit, but he still followed up.

The gate, the corridor, and the bricks… They were identical to what Donnie saw in his nightmare. However, as soon as they walked around the corner, they were shocked to see that a group of mummies was coming!

He didn't see any guards in his nightmare!

Donnie's heart was beating so fast that it could jump out of his chest at any time, and he felt very desperate. Mummies were powerful, and those ones coming were not even common mummies. Donnie could tell from their greasy bandages.

He took a step back, and his back was against Karl, whose silver-purple eyes now looked rather sharp and the look on his face was beyond serious.

Donnie hoped that the many powerful magic items that Karl was wearing could protect them, as well as Karl's incredible strength.

However, to his great surprise, the group of mummies ignored them and walked past them.

"Why?" Donnie murmured confusedly. He was straining every nerve to get ready to cast the most powerful spell he knew. But the mummies just passed by as if they did not exist!

"Weird," Karl said briefly, which was rare.

"Yeah… Strange. Usually, you two catch lots of attention," said a coarse, quacking voice.

"Who?!"

The voice almost startled Donnie out of his wits. He never even noticed that someone was following him!

The fatty said, "I was with you two the whole time…"

Donnie took out his small notebook, which he carried around with himself, and saw what he wrote to himself.

[If you see a fatty pretending that you two know each other well, that fatty is your roommate, Jones.]

Donnie put on an awkward smile and said, "Don't follow us silently like this again…"

The fatty felt aggrieved. He was the one who always got ignored.

"Let's go," Karl reminded them. His voice sounded nervous, but he was actually even more excited.

Along the corridor, they walked further. On their way, they had run into floating specters, dragon-liches, and strange undead made of flesh pieces, but none of those did anything to the apprentices, as if they were in two different dimensions!

At the front was the main chamber. Donnie knew it. He wondered if the dreadful undead creature he saw in the nightmare was behind the gate. Would it be able to see them?

At this stage, he had completely gone out of control because of the summoning power, and Karl and Jones were also being driven further by their great curiosity.

Pushing open the gate of the chamber, Donnie's eyes suddenly opened big!

Sammy was standing in front of a huge, black coffin and was facing them. His eyes still closed tight, but the smile on his face looked rather blood-curdling.

"Sammy!" Donnie blurted out, but he could not make any sound.

At this time, the lid of the huge black coffin was suddenly pushed open. Black miasma gushed out, and from the coffin, the familiar terrible undead creature climbed out!

Even taller than a giant, even eerier than a stitched body, even duller than the World of Souls… This thing's eyes opened sharply and were now kindled with dark-red fire. The air of death filled in the space.

Donnie felt cold and numb, and he knew that Karl and Jones felt the same way. However, Sammy was totally out of the influence and jumped into the coffin.

The chamber started shaking fiercely. There was a bottomless black pit. Something beyond touch and indescribable was hiding in it.

The black miasma bulged, but the coffin and the undead creature were firmly preventing it from coming out.

What was in there?

Donnie's consciousness gradually faded.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Donnie jumped up in his bed, gasping with all his effort. Badly shaken, he looked around and was glad to find out that he was still in the dorm. Luckily, it was just a dream!

But suddenly, he gave a gasp of horror, as he found that Sammy, Karl, and Jones were all gasping hard with their foreheads covered in sweat!

Chapter 841: Karl's Idea

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

It can't be such a coincidence, can it? Donnie felt that the uncanny fear grabbed his heart tightly like a giant hand, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"You… had a nightmare too?" he asked uneasily. Even though he tried to keep his voice steady and normal, it still came out like the smoke at night.

"Yes." Karl was the first to catch his breath and answer Donnie's question. Then, he looked around at Sammy and the rest of them with his beautiful silver eyes and said rather solemnly, "I dreamed that Sammy was possessed by his ghost and lost his self-awareness before he walked to the center of the Cemetery of Eternal Sleep. In order to find out the reason, Donnie, Jones, and I followed him…"

"Me too!" Before Karl finished, Donnie and Jones blurted out, equally appalled. The few people in the dormitory had the same nightmare?

Could it be any weirder?

Was there really a ghost that was haunting the dormitory and influencing everywhere in secret? Or had all of them been cursed?

Donnie swallowed hard. Cold sweat gathered on his forehead and slipped off his face one drop after another. He sensed a fear that he had never felt before.

"You're the same? You followed Sammy into the tomb, saw the Original Body, and found a certain item that was sealed below it?" Karl raised his voice. He seemed shocked and scared, but he was also excited.

At a loss, Jones replied, "Yes. When we passed the tomb, the mummies, the dragon liches, and the other undead creatures turned a blind eye to all of us. So, it was because we were having a dream… I was rather puzzled back then because not everybody had my talent of 'stealth'. However… However, why was I noticed and affected? Why did I have the same dream as yours?"

In apprehension, he kept mumbling to himself, unconvinced that he had been involved in such a weird matter when he had always escaped everyone's attention. Only at such a moment was he really behaving like a teenager.

The more he listened to it, the more certain Donnie was that everybody had the same nightmare but from different perspectives. Or rather, it seemed that the few of them were manipulated to perform an opera.

How did such a weird thing happen?

"What about you, Sammy? What did you dream?" Karl jumped off his bed and stared at Sammy. He was standing next to his bed in a thin shirt.

Sammy was on his bed. The ghost on his back seemed to have lost all the vitality and was wandering lazily. He did not say anything, as if he were still dwelling in the nightmare.

Hearing Karl's question, Sammy shivered hard, and the remaining confusion on his face all turned into fear. "I… I dreamed that I was summoned by something and walked forward uncontrollably. There was nothing but darkness and silence on my way, as if it were the legendary last destiny. Then… Then, the enormous body made of countless intelligent creatures appeared and woke me up, making me realize that I was in a dream. I struggled and tried to free myself, only to no avail. In the end, I sensed death…"

His voice was not clear and sounded like dream talk, but it was enough to let his roommates know that Sammy had the same nightmare! However, he sensed the nightmare from the perspective of the possessed ghost.

"Karl, this is too weird for us to resolve on our own. Should we report it to the college tomorrow morning?"

Fatty Jones and Sammy immediately agreed. Although they were all talented and proud, they were teenagers and not even official sorcerers yet. Now that they ran into such an unimaginable incidence, it was only natural that they were panicked and looked for targets they could rely on. Without any doubt, the college, which had plenty of senior-rank sorcerers and archmages, was their pillar.

Donnie asked Karl first because he sensed from his dream that Karl had the curiosity of a cat and might encourage them to investigate in secret. Therefore, he hoped to strike his eagerness by asking him the question. Also, with the guy's background, it was possible that he could see something and offer valuable suggestions.

Karl paced back and forth in the dormitory. Suddenly, he said in a low voice, "What if it's a secret experiment of the college?"

"What? The college's experiment?" Voices of shock echoed with intense disbelief.

"I am just saying a possibility that cannot be ruled out. Maybe a certain mentor was studying the relationship between the soul and the dream, right? Because it seemed to be different from the regular dreams that are based on brain structure. If it's a confidential experiment that he does not wish anyone else to know, after we report it to the college recklessly, it's possible that…" Karl made a throat-cutting movement.

Greatly alarmed, Donnie said with his shaky voice, "It's just a possibility…"

His voice gradually lowered, because he discovered that it was indeed very possible! In Heidler, there was barely anyone that could avoid the sensors of the defense if they tried to influence them in secret, unless the alarm was not dealt with at all…

The roommates suddenly fell into extreme silence. Only the vague sound of breath suggested that there were still living creatures.

"However, we are only magic apprentices…" Frowning, Sammy said while clenching his velvet quilt so hard that veins were bulging on his head.

Jones sat on the bed like a ghost, as if he was pretending that he did not exist. "Let's not scare ourselves. If it's the college's secret experiment, there is no way that we can get away from it. So, why don't we take our chances? I do not want to have the same nightmare and wait for the final outcome every day, hoping that whoever behind the curtain is not malicious! I don't want that!"

Having worked as a secret reporter for two years, he managed to remain sane, but hysteria still got the better of him toward the end.

"Everybody had the same nightmare… Whoever did it is too strong for us to investigate in secret…" Donnie tried to remain calm.

Out of everyone's expectation, Karl smiled, which bloomed in the dark dormitory like starlight. "I know. What I'm saying is that we should not report the matter to the college in a rush. I have secret channels to contact the outside world. I'll send the incident out and ask the professionals to analyze the causes and offer suggestions. After all, there are plenty of ways to let a few people have the same nightmare, and we are incapable of determining which one it was. Then, we will decide whether we wait for rescue or report it to the college.

"It's just one more day of waiting. It shouldn't be too dangerous."

Secret channels? Professionals? Donnie suddenly recalled Karl's background. As if he saw the dawn in the middle of a night, he asked excitedly, "Is it really okay? Thank you in advance!"

With Karl's identity, it shouldn't be difficult to deal with such a stealthy schemer.

If he really had the most terrifying strength, he need not hide in the shadow at all, and he could've overthrown the Congress to do whatever he wanted!

Jones and Sammy were equally excited. They looked at Karl at the same time and were finally relieved after Karl nodded. Then, one of them further moved back into the corner, and the other began to observe the surroundings sleepily.

"I thought that you would encourage us to investigate on our own…" Relieved, Donnie said casually.

Karl chuckled. "Do I look like such a reckless and inconsiderate man?"

Yes! Donnie, Sammy, and Jones thought to themselves.

"I have the keen intuitions that come from my parents. When I sense that something is too tricky for me, I'll ask for help," Karl said proudly. "I'll send the message first thing in the morning. Then, we'll go to Mr. Felipe's open class."

He seemed to have forgotten his previous fright and become "carefree" again.

"Yes, there's Mr. Felipe's open class. I have to get some sleep." Sammy nodded, so eager to sleep that he did not seem to have had any nightmare.

Although Felipe did not specialize in ghosts, he was the most famous necromancer in the past three decades. Therefore, Sammy admired him and wanted to attend his open class.

As he spoke, Sammy lay down again. In no more than one minute, his roommates heard the familiar breath after he was sound asleep.

Karl raised his eyebrow. "I envy him so much. He can fall asleep whenever he wants. Insomnia is not a problem for him at all."

"That's a whole wrong way to interpret it…" Jones said in a low voice. How inert and befuddled one's brain must be if they could still sleep after such a nightmare? "My roommates are truly all monsters…"

Donnie glanced at him. So are you, and I am the only normal person here!

However, according to Karl, the enormous undead creature I saw was the Original Body?

...

Outside of the Heidler Magic College, the slanted tombstones rose from the ground, and the graves behind them were scattered around a gigantic room in a rather mysterious way.

Two people descended from the dim, pale sky of the World of Souls. A young man with golden hair and a child's face smiled at the man next to him. "Mr. Felipe, are you planning to establish a branch of the Heredity Laboratory?"

It seemed that he made use of the power of the defense, which allowed him to utter in the Cemetery of Eternal Sleep.

Felipe was still tall, slim, and handsome, with a sickly face. With his hands in the pockets of his black coat, he looked around and said briefly, "Many factors that affect my research can be avoided here."

He was only wearing two badges on his chest. One of them was the badge that was a hand holding a quill, suggesting that he was a member of the Arcana Review Board, and the other badge looked like a pale hand. There were neither arcana badges nor magic ones.

Seeing that Felipe had no desire for communication, the man with a child's face smiled and accompanied him through the Cemetery of Eternal Sleep to the gate of the college. He did not dare to say anything else.

Suddenly, Felipe stopped and stared at the dark tomb at the center, squinting.

His face did not seem to change, but it was grimmer than before.

"Mr. Felipe?" the man with a child's face asked in confusion.

Felipe moved his right hand, which was wearing a white glove, out of his pocket and pointed at the center. "The scent of death there seems more intense now."

"What about it?" The man with a child's face did not feel anything wrong at all.

Felipe snorted but did not bother to explain himself. He simply gave an order, "After the open class, give me the records of the defense in the last three days."