r18novel Page 88
Page 88
Watching the old lady's retreating figure, you scratched your head and muttered to yourself, "That old lady is confused. Do I look like a decent person?"
You enter the room and look around. It's a very simple little bedroom; besides a cramped desk and wardrobe, there's only a small bed less than a meter wide. You frown. Although you'd heard that Tina's family wasn't exactly wealthy, they shouldn't seem this poor, right?
You stroked the perfectly smooth bed; though small, it was very tidy, a stark contrast to Jennifer, the kind of super-homebody who could make a huge bed look awful and still sleep wrapped in blankets.
The wardrobe wasn't filled with anything particularly noteworthy. The clean clothes carried the fresh scent of skywort, the most common ingredient used by the people of Norard to make soap. The slightly wrinkled, thin shirt bore the marks of being tossed and rubbed, and even the undershirt hanging nearby looked somewhat battered.
You walked to your desk, picked up the notebook from the floor, and began to look through it.
Quickly skimming through the scattered notes, you turn to the most recent pages of handwriting and find a few keywords among the disjointed sentences.
[Hornit, Underground, Container, Light?]
Looking at the question mark behind the light, you sense that Tina seems to have some doubts about the power of the God of Light, but since you know nothing about divine magic, you can't make any deductions.
You told Jennifer these keywords, and she paused for a moment, then quickly said, "I understand!"
Through her account, you finally learned that five years ago, the Church of Light also had a fallen Dark Knight named Holnet.
[Hollnet was a decisive and powerful knight. At that time, Queen Whiteley had not yet ascended the throne, and Norard under the previous king was not very peaceful. It was in this environment that Hollnet dedicated herself to the battle against monsters.]
[By chance, she chased after a fleeing monster to a place that seemed to be underground. There, she discovered that "light is not just light, and I am not just myself." She wandered underground for several months, finding several "monster settlements" and encountering "intelligent monster-like races." Only when a war broke out underground did she return to human society following the marks she had made before.]
[But upon returning to the Church of Light, she was immediately discovered that her power was no longer compatible with the divine power of Light. Although it was still an expression of divine magic, both the color and effect of the divine power gave off a chilling aura of death.]
Left with no other choice, the Church of Light declared that Harnit had passed away and demanded that she live under an assumed name and not reveal her identity.
[Hornit naturally had no complaints about this. The Church of Light had been extremely kind to her, allowing her to continue entering the Holy City and agreeing to allow her to resupply at churches in various locations, perfectly meeting her needs.]
However, within the Church of Light, new regulations were promulgated, prohibiting Holy Knights from fighting monsters too frequently. The focus shifted to maintaining internal stability in human cities, and the Church increasingly favored recruiting believers with higher aptitude for divine magic rather than recruiting Holy Knights skilled in combat.
"Anyway, I heard that Holnet is still wandering between cities, and occasionally even goes into what she calls 'the underground'..." Jennifer suddenly paused, muttering to herself, "Now that you mention it, it suddenly sounds really interesting!"
You scratched your head. Despite Jennifer's extensive background information, you still had no clue where to find Tina.
However, you suddenly remembered the strange knight you encountered in Senhai Lingguanzhuang City, and some thoughts began to form in your mind.
As time passed, the Church of Light finally declared that Knight Tina had disappeared. You were busy with inter-academy exchanges and learning, constructing and uploading spell formulas, and handling miscellaneous matters at Herod's Magic Item Shop, gradually putting the matter out of your mind.
Two months later, after you finally successfully constructed a new spell, you slowly let out a sigh of relief, looked at the fine clouds and rain outside the window, and laughed heartily: "I've got it! Ah! I've got it!"
[Your new spell is based on the "Mage's Hand" technique, but you deliberately and unintentionally retained a bit of your own creativity, adding various transformations to the five fingers: a threaded drill bit, a beaded mushroom head, a hockey stick, an eighteen-sided barb, and an expanding plug. It can definitely meet the different needs of all kinds of people!]
[You happily repeated the spell-construction process on the magic network, and after several minutes of automatic calculation, you saw your masterpiece in the category of first-circle folk spells.]
However, after waiting anxiously for an entire day, you still didn't see the first message in the chat area, nor did you receive any magical feedback from the Magic Network. A week later, all you got from your masterpiece were a few abusive comments.
"No!!" You lay sadly on the half-elf's lap, lamenting as she gently massaged you, "Is someone's extraordinary talent going to be extinguished like this? Why is this happening?!"
Ateliers pressed her face against yours and whispered in your ear, "Big brother is the best, don't be discouraged!"
Alright, since the little fairy has said so, you should definitely show her what you're capable of!
Half an hour later, when Ateliers threw out a North card, you won with a stunningly powerful hand.
Two hours later, you won a series of winning hands: Robin and Yashutia (a triplet), two pairs of empty hands, a set of three concealed triplets, and a quadruple.
"I'm not playing anymore!" Atelier Fuss gritted her teeth and sat down next to you, flicking Niu Ge under the table as punishment.
You gasped, but with everyone watching, there was nothing you could do. You could only squeeze her little hand to signal her to stop being naughty, then looked at Serfal, who had come on as a substitute.
But soon you'll regret it, because she really will take your cards.
"You fucking spit it out! Dogs can't eat this! It'll kill a dog!" You gave Serfal a look of utter utter disbelief, performing the Heimlich maneuver on him at a rate of ten times per second.
"The rules...don't say...you can eat them!" Serfa cried out innocently. Finally, looking at the mahjong tiles covered in saliva, you sighed and gave up on the idea of training them.
[Shortly after, you successfully advanced to the third-circle mage level. You originally intended to take this opportunity to "invent" more interesting spells to make up for your Waterloo in the magic network, but you suddenly received a beacon message.]
"Your Excellency, if you have time, please come to Siyuan Flower Castle. We await your good news." This was a message from Slingk. Recalling the previous simulation, it seemed nothing major had happened in the capital at this time. So, you told the girls and set off with a relaxed air.
"Greetings, Your Excellency. It's been a long time." Slingk, holding a parasol, walked with you around the palace in the warm autumn sun. She calmly looked at the fading morning glory blossoms within the palace grounds, no longer displaying any trace of melancholy.
"Little princess, what did you call me here for?" You scratched your head and couldn't help but ask, "I also made plans with Jennifer to play video games at the Magical Illusion Shop these past two days. This world needs more heroes!"
"Lord Latis is still as interesting as ever," Slinger muttered to himself, then looked at you and said:
"Principal Zerris of Queen's Academy is returning soon and is selecting students to train. If you have time, you can get to know him. Principal Zerris has been dedicated to bringing the Magic Network to various parts of the world, which is quite beneficial for us as cyber police officers."
Her unfocused golden eyes were fixed on your face as she continued:
"The Holy Knight Tina's family suffered some kind of blow some time ago and has fallen into obscurity. During this period, newly powerful figures have been constantly encroaching on their living space, but these new powerful figures will eventually fall one after another in the constant infighting. Only a family with history, strength, and background can gain a foothold in the capital."
You scratched your head, unsure what this had to do with you, but the faint expectation in Slinger's eyes prevented you from speaking, so you simply nodded.
Slinger looked intently at your face and said, "I seem to understand more about the meaning of freedom, but I'm still a bit confused. I think that if I have the opportunity in the future, I can work with you on the Magic Network's missions so that I can learn more of your fine qualities."
[Excellent qualities? You silently scoff to yourself. If the little princess really started learning from you, this country would be doomed.]
"There's one more thing," she suddenly chuckled softly, "There's something I'd like to show you."
After a short teleportation, you open your eyes and look at the enormous tree trunk that has appeared before you, scratching your head in confusion.
"This is the boundary between the Forest Territory and the Mountain Wasteland Territory." Slingk, leaning against a tree trunk several tens of meters in diameter, carefully looked down the mountain. "Beyond that lies the desolate Mountain Wasteland Territory. Due to the winding roads and complex terrain, few people live here, but there are still large cities such as the Holy City of Romnia and the Holy City of Promia."
You gaze into the distance from the shade of a tree, places you haven't been to before, and naturally, you feel a certain curiosity.
"The Wilderness Territory is my area of responsibility, but since the holy cities of the Divine Cult don't install teleportation arrays, I often have to travel by mountain paths. Every time I return, I see this tree."
She patted the tree trunk in front of her, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face: "You know what? This is one of the oldest morning glory trees in the country, but it inevitably withered due to its age."
Two pure white morning glory petals drifted down before your eyes, and you watched as these delicate petals landed on Slinger's hand.
She gently grasped the petal, pressed it to her chest, and gave you a very solemn bow.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, you abruptly looked up and, amidst the sea of flowers swaying in the morning light, saw a single flower cutting planted on a treetop.
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Slinger's golden hair swayed in the morning light amidst the sea of flowers. She didn't make any grand pronouncements, but simply smiled faintly and said, "If I am ever crowned queen, I will only invite you to be my consort."
[You spent a few more days exploring the Flower Castle, and after confirming that the food there couldn't compare to the elf's unique culinary skills, you decided to leave.]
Suddenly, a whistling sound swept past your ear. You turned your head and saw it was in the direction of Tina's family.
You immediately rushed to the family manor, following the instructions of the magic network to a side gate, where you saw that familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar figure.
"Ah, it's you, Lord Latis." Tina's long, turquoise hair fell onto her black armor. She smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, this is my last target for revenge. He once tore my paintings to shreds in public and declared that if I, Tina, did not achieve their goal, my birth would be cursed by the sorcerer god. For a long time, I was regarded by my peers as a 'cursed bastard'..."
"However, even after I successfully entered the ranks of Holy Knights, I was still treated the same way when I returned home. At that moment, I realized that some people will never change."
She sighed, then gave a slight bow and looked at you, saying, "However, thank you, sir. You've shown me that at least I can change."
"Well, I can't really interfere in your family matters," you said with a shrug. "But Jennifer's really worried about you. Aren't you going back to check on her?"
Tina shook her head and said, "I can't control the power within me yet, and I'm afraid of corrupting her. Once I successfully master that divine art, I'll return to Lundia to see you all."
"What kind of divine magic?" You were taken aback.
She looked up at the sky, and in the warm sunlight, a pristine white, illusory vessel appeared before her. At the same time, you saw the corresponding description.
[Level Six Divine Spell - Perfect Container: When light is no longer pure light, containment becomes meaningful. A perfect container is the best vessel for the will of light.]
"I don't understand, but it seems so amazing!" you couldn't help but exclaim loudly.
Chapter 102 I've been fascinated by monster girls since birth...
What is light? That's a fascinating question.
Some say it's just a natural phenomenon, others say it's divine magic, and still others say that since light comes from the sun, it's also a kind of yang essence.
As an engineering student, the most logical answer you'd guess is that light is both a wave and a particle, but you still don't understand why it has a will.
"Holy crap, if there's only willpower, does quantum mechanics still have randomness? If God stopped playing dice, Einstein would be laughing in his grave!" These meaningless thoughts flashed through your mind in this other world, but you finally couldn't help but ask:
"What is the Will of Light?"
Tina's confident expression suddenly turned bewildered. After stammering for half a minute, she finally told you that she needed to go underground with Holnet to explore in order to gradually understand the nature of this power.
"Well... actually, I'd also like to go." You laughed heartily twice and said, "I've been interested in monster girls since I was born."
It took Tina five minutes to understand what you meant. She fidgeted awkwardly, then leaned against the wall in embarrassment, skipping over the topic.
"Hornett said that light awakens in battle, and as a vessel, there are only two ways to advance: one is through self-forging, traversing the underground ruins called the 'Path of Pain'; the other is to collect fragments of the 'Perfect Vessel' and solidify one's illusory vessel..." Tina explained the necessity of her journey underground, then sighed and said:
“In fact, Holnet has already collected many fragments, but the activation of the fragments must be completed in battle. She cannot determine which ones belong to the original perfect vessel and which ones are just ordinary vessel fragments... so this process will be very, very long..."
You paused, a scene flashing through your mind of two girls painstakingly appraising treasures amidst piles of bone fragments, and couldn't help but twitch your lips.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through your mind: you could use the simulator's amazing item information function to identify which fragment was the real one! Wouldn't that be a huge help to them?
"I might be able to help..." You chuckled, seeing Tina's stunned expression. "In a while, bring some bone fragments to the vicinity of Lundia, and I'll help you find the true fragment of the perfect vessel!"
You waved goodbye to her and left the capital. You had intended to send her your beacon address for easy communication, but unlike the "Slacking Off King," Tina didn't have the level of a mage, so you had to regretfully abandon that idea.
[After returning to Lundia, you began researching new spells while also searching for ways to remove the spell of mental weakness. In less than a year, Serfal's bloodline power will be restored to its original level. You don't want the increasingly foolish red dragon to one day smash your mage tower like Gonggong angrily striking Buzhou Mountain.]
"So what exactly went wrong? Is my new spell not working well enough?" you wondered, puzzled. "I'll explain the spell's uses more clearly in the spell description next time."
[As the days went by, you created a new spell called "Pile Driving Technique." This time, the spell was based on "Trick - Oak Stick Technique," but you replaced the original effect of "converting magic into power when used" with "adjusting the rate and force of the oak stick's extension and shortening according to the frequency of magic input."]
"...Thus, this technique possesses a unique advantage in foundation piling, not only in terms of low consumption and high effectiveness, but also in its suitability for civil engineers." After uploading the introduction, you let out a long breath and silently recited:
"I didn't upload a description last time, so they probably didn't understand how to use my multi-functional mage's hand. What a pity, I thought it could be like an otherworldly version of a Swiss Army knife."
You left Green Vine Academy briskly and headed towards the Herod Mage Tower in the outer city. As you passed the Golden Hall, you suddenly noticed Jennifer sitting on the flowerbed by the entrance, lost in thought.
[You were mentally criticizing her work attitude when you suddenly pinched her cheek when she wasn't looking. Jennifer jumped up from the flowerbed in shock, only relaxing when she saw it was you, and then punched you hard.]
[It turned out she had just been communicating with her family through the magic network. Her family told her that the old bastard Lake Moru, who had caused trouble more than a hundred years ago, had been reborn. As an unfortunate family that had been harmed by the mentally challenged spell more than a dozen times, they were anxiously contacting their younger members who were away from home, telling them to be careful and not to fall into the old bastard's trap.]
"Huh?" You were taken aback by her words, then gradually remembered seeing records of Lake Morrow harming the Hines people in the forum for the "Idiot Spell" a long, long time ago...
"Fortunately, our ancestors meticulously recorded the steps to remove the mental disability spell, so it's like they've become a good doctor through long experience..." Jennifer's expression was a mix of embarrassment and amusement. She scratched her head and finally sighed, saying:
"Well, I've always thought magic is pretty fun. If I ever have the chance to use the Mind Control spell on someone, I'll probably use it on them too..."
You were startled and quickly dismissed her wicked idea, asking her, "Do you remember Serfal? The red dragon who does all the hard labor at my house. She's also been affected by the mental impairment spell. Could you please take her home and help remove it?"
Jennifer paused, then said with ill intent, "Of course, but you'll have to pay a price."
Before you could even speak, Jennifer chuckled, "Little Ra, you don't want your mage tower to be destroyed by a red dragon, do you?"
You reluctantly agreed, and, amidst Jennifer's enigmatic smile, escorted Serfal to the Golden Hall.
"Help! Dragons are being trafficked! They're dragon traffickers!" Serfar, his body bound in the turtle-shell braces you skillfully applied, struggled and cried out, "Why isn't anyone helping me?! Is my dragon life going to end here? Ahhh, the suffering of the dragon realm!"
You disgustedly stuffed the sock into her mouth, calmed the throbbing veins on your forehead, and handed her to Jennifer.