Chapter 145: Dark Demon and the Shared Benevolence of Beasts

Chapter 145: Dark Demon and the Shared Benevolence of Beasts

Given his shallow academic knowledge, Dark couldn't offer any insights of his own on the mural research.

However, Emma's research findings undoubtedly rekindled his interest in the murals.

However, there was an order of precedence. He couldn't put the cart before the horse.

Under the current circumstances, studying "Magic Language" was the top priority, while the mural research could be pursued as a topic of secondary interest.

When he mentioned this,

Emma then solemnly stated, "Of course, studies are the main focus. Research is merely a hobby; I wouldn't neglect one for the other."

Then she happily returned to her seat.

Dark looked at "The Golden King and the Secret Treasure" Emma had left behind, feeling a slight headache.

He still had "The Biography of Merlin", a book he had only just begun.

The more books he wanted to read, the less time he seemed to have.

He picked up the books and left the library, deciding to choose "The Golden King and the Secret Treasure" as his bedtime reading for the night.

The Noble House common room was still lively.

Classes were scheduled to start on Monday, but students always stayed up particularly late on Sunday nights.

He sat for a while next to Diana and Rose, ate a milk candy, then headed upstairs.

But just as he was about to unlock the door, Dark suddenly paused. He seemed to hear a faint sound from inside?

St. Marian's dormitories were generally soundproofed, so ordinary noises wouldn't carry outside.

Which meant that any sound escaping must be extraordinary!

Dark's brow furrowed, his fingers instinctively reaching for his card pouch.

But he thought for a moment and merely held a Magic Spirit Card between two fingers, without summoning anything.

"Click."

He unlocked the door and pushed it open.

As a crack appeared, the sounds from within immediately assaulted his ears.

It was an utterly raucous cacophony, like a huge gathering of cats and dogs barking and meowing madly.

Dark's brow relaxed slightly, then furrowed even deeper.

He quickly slipped through the door and locked it behind him to prevent the raucous noise from disturbing other students' rest.

The lights inside were on.

The bright white light illuminated every corner of the dormitory.

Whether on the tables, chairs, cabinets, or shelves, they were crammed with all kinds of animals.

Dark wasn't too surprised.

He nudged the fat lion blocking the entryway. The large cat lazily shifted a little to the side, clearing a barely passable path for him.

Further along the path, two giant beasts were still wrestling, and several monkeys were hooting and slapping their bottoms on the side.

Large-beaked birds flew back and forth, shedding feathers everywhere.

On the bird perch overhead, two lovebirds were performing aerial acrobatics.

Snakes and feline creatures were entangled together, and the screeching meows of the cats pierced his eardrums.

A white tiger lay sprawled on top of the wardrobe, sleeping with its eyes closed.

Cats and dogs romped around like jubilant revelers.

Dark couldn't help but rub his forehead.

He had always been helpless against this group of Magic Spirits.

If Mind Magician Red was the pioneer of Mind Summoning, then "Beast Sage" Claire was definitely the greatest master of contemporary Mind Summoning.

The intelligence levels of these Magic Spirits were all definitely above 3.0.

As the saying goes, "ignorance is bliss." In the past, Dark understood nothing, so he didn't find it particularly remarkable.

But now, seeing this scene again, he couldn't help but sigh with admiration: "Beast Sage" truly lived up to her name.

He wove his way through the gaps among those Magic Spirits—a chaotic bunch that seemed impervious to all forms of discipline—and arrived at the balcony of his own bedroom.

Only the balcony remained a place of peace in the entire bedroom.

Claire Kite was leaning against Dark's exclusive armchair. The lively Cat Grass was curled up on her lap, and Cow Grass rested peacefully by her feet.

Soft moonlight streamed through the balcony's glass window, illuminating half of her profile and revealing a hint of ethereal beauty.

For Claire, who loved to travel the world, being able to rush to St. Marian in such a short time clearly required a great deal of effort.

The exhaustion from her journey was naturally profound.

Her mere quiet presence made the surrounding atmosphere soft and gentle, and the clamor behind him seemed to disappear.

Dark stood by the balcony door for a long time.

Ignorant in his youth, he knew no sorrow, pain, or pretense.

In the past, he didn't know what Claire had truly experienced, nor did he understand why such a quiet person would develop such an intense drinking habit.

The essence of Mind Summoning was the bond between humans and Magic Spirits.

The behavior patterns of Magic Spirits were a manifestation of their summoner's inner self.

Her outward appearance was serene, but her inner self was tempestuous.

Upon closer thought,

Alvit was her only remaining good friend after the war.

Dark silently drew upon his memories.

In his memories, Claire always seemed to sit by her bed late at night, wiping an old photograph that could never truly be wiped clean.

How many people were in that photograph?

One, two, three...

Was it five or six in the end?

Night deepened.

Claire seemed to feel a slight chill and subtly drew her body in.

From her chest to her belly, there was a faint rise and fall.

Dark sighed, turned to open the wardrobe, and took out a thick blanket.

November was almost winter, and the weather was turning cold.

If she were to sleep like this until morning, she would inevitably catch a cold.

He opened the balcony door, walked over lightly, gently picked up Cat Grass, and carefully spread the blanket over her.

"Mew~"

Cat Grass chirped softly.

Dark stroked its head and tucked it into the warm folds of the blanket.

After returning to his bedroom, Dark looked up at the still clamoring Magic Spirits and summoned his DemiDevimon.

After using [Sloth], the DemiDevimon acquired a second skill.

[Special Skill: Demon Hypnosis]

[Demon Hypnosis: Emits hypnotic waves from the eyes to hypnotize enemies.]

The bedroom finally quieted down.

Dark entered the bathroom, pulled out the few small animals hidden inside, and only then soaked himself in the bathtub for a while.

When he emerged from the bathroom, steam was still rising from his body.

The DemiDevimon had already warmed up his bedding.

Dry and refreshed, he slipped into it, picked up "The Golden King and the Secret Treasure", and began to read.

Novels of this era were still primarily serialized in magazines, with single volumes only being released if the response was good.

Due to these format limitations, long novels were not popular; most were novellas or short stories.

As a novella, "The Golden King and the Secret Treasure" had a very tight and compact plot.

The protagonist Josiah and the surviving prospectors ventured deep into the ruins to search for the Golden King's treasure.

The entire Golden City had been stratified into several layers—upper and lower—due to geological shifts.

The Golden King's mausoleum was also difficult to find.

Their actions stirred the Golden Guards within the Golden City awake, and a few unlucky prospectors were sliced in two.

The blood flowing from the corpses was instantly absorbed by the ground.

The Golden City was like a colossal beast, parched for a long time, that had finally encountered people bringing it water, relentlessly devouring one life after another.

Dark gradually fell asleep and had a chaotic dream.