Chapter 230: The Sucking Spirit’s Wasted Life (4k)
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Wit took a deep breath and stepped out of his seat.
Since joining the Sect, he had found some relief from his stress and his mindset had somewhat improved. Moreover, most of the members in the Sect were upperclassmen older than him. Although they all had their own psychological issues, they were surprisingly adept at giving advice. Under their guidance, Wit gradually became aware of his own problems.
– He was too lacking in initiative!
His passivity was the main reason he failed to succeed last semester.
At the beginning of the semester, he passively accepted the conveniences brought by his identity as the Hero’s Child. When he was being idolized by all the students for his status, although he didn’t show it outwardly, his mentality had already become arrogant. Then, he did not actively maintain this convenience nor did he try to make himself more fitting for this identity. Instead, he and Robert became increasingly unlike good students.
During this time, he did have some reflection, but he mistakenly attributed his failures to Robert’s influence!
Though Robert’s influence was indeed present, a person’s environment could indeed change them. However, the primary reason was still his own lack of initiative!
He did not reflect on himself sufficiently and subconsciously blamed others, as if he would become diligent and serious without Robert’s presence.
That wasn’t true.
Ultimately, it was mainly due to his own personality.
Since birth, he had never truly taken the initiative to strive for anything. He had always gone with the flow.
Even when he set Dak as his goal and thought about catching up to and surpassing him, he did not actually put in enough effort.
If there was any real initiative, it might only be during the adventure to explore treasures.
Now, it was time for change!
The new semester was the perfect opportunity!
He needed to take the initiative, to actively strive for things.
Whether it was grades, victories, or the person he liked!
He decided to start changing himself today.
…
Wit walked up to the podium under everyone’s gaze. His slender body stood in Professor Nina’s shadow, yet he suddenly felt nervous.
Sitting in his seat hadn’t been so clear, but standing next to Professor Nina, he realized just how immense she was!
And that “little jar” in her hand was half his height!
As for the Sucking Spirit being manipulated by her…
Wit couldn’t help but swallow, his throat bulging slightly.
“Is it really that big?”
…
Professor Nina looked at Wit with delight. She knew who he was, the Hero’s Child. Seeing that he seemed afraid, she quickly said, “Don’t be scared; the Sucking Spirit won’t bite!”
Am I afraid of it biting?
Wit’s face darkened, but his nervousness unexpectedly eased.
The Sucking Spirit, upon smelling the scent of a human child, pounced forward with its gaping mouth.
Its black hole-like eyes spun inward, becoming even deeper, as if trying to suck everything in front of it.
But Professor Nina held its tail tightly, preventing it from touching Wit.
Wit was wary, but since he was already on stage, he couldn’t back down. He raised his head, closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. “Come on!”
As the darkness engulfed his vision, his heart gradually calmed.
Standing on the podium, Wit suddenly recalled arriving at the Academy. He stood on the stage in the Hall, facing all the students, receiving their cheers.
That was probably the second happiest moment of his life!
The first was when he cracked the Hero’s secret treasure and obtained the “Holy Sword Curse”… when was that again?
Wit abruptly opened his eyes.
All he saw was a gray haze before him, with faint outlines of the Sucking Spirit and Professor Nina.
His face felt like it was being pulled outward by something sticky.
It didn’t hurt, but it was suffocating.
“This is what it feels like to be sucked by a Sucking Spirit?”
“It’s not as terrifying as I thought.”
“It’s not as despairing either.”
“Speaking of despair…”
Wit suddenly covered his chest, his breathing becoming labored. His chest felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead.
Something was coming!
His instinct for danger kicked in, and his hands instinctively rose.
Suddenly, a bright light flashed.
“Slap!”
The Sucking Spirit was pulled away in time!
Feeling the wind, Wit realized his back was already cold.
…
The students below had a clearer view.
Just now, the ghost-like Sucking Spirit lunged at Wit, its mouth opening wide.
Then, a bubble-like gray substance was sucked out from Wit’s face.
The Sucking Spirit clung to the gray bubble, pulling it out desperately, as if trying to extract a soul from a person’s brain, causing fear.
During this process, black threads oozed from the Sucking Spirit’s eye, extending like tentacles toward Wit’s head.
At that moment, Professor Nina suddenly grabbed the Sucking Spirit’s head, squeezing it hard, causing its mouth to open. She then pulled it away.
The memory, no longer controlled by the Sucking Spirit, naturally returned to Wit.
Wit regained clarity.
The entire process seemed smooth, but it was because everything was under Professor Nina’s control, and there was only one Sucking Spirit present.
In the Dungeon, Sucking Spirits always came in groups!
To effectively deal with Sucking Spirits, besides relying on companions, one must have a resilient mind capable of quickly regaining composure amidst the confusion caused by the loss of happy memories.
After experiencing the absorption of memories, it becomes easier to regain composure.
Therefore, before entering the Dungeon, experiencing such training was necessary.
“How does it feel?”
Professor Nina widened her eyes, hoping this brave student would say, “Nothing much!”
She could then lure the other students… wait, why should she call it luring?
It’s normal experience!
…
But at this moment, Wit was ice-cold. The sudden return of memories made him realize what he had lost.
He stood stunned for a while before speaking under Professor Nina’s urgent gaze. “Not great.”
Professor Nina’s expression fell.
But Wit didn’t notice: “When being sucked by a Sucking Spirit, the best things can leave your mind without you realizing it. You might not even notice that you’ve lost it… But that’s the scariest part… If the Sucking Spirit’s suction isn’t interrupted, you might lose it forever…”
“Is it really that scary?”
Professor Nina shook the Sucking Spirit in front of her, confused.
But Wit rallied: “So we can’t underestimate Sucking Spirits. If we ever enter the Dungeon, we must be cautious!”
“Alright.” Professor Nina pursed her lips. “Wit Gold gets five extra points. Anyone else want to give it a try? There are points for it!”
But the students exchanged glances, none responding.
…
Wit walked through the aisle and returned to his seat.
Robert quickly asked, “Is it really that scary? That Sucking Spirit.”
Wit still felt shaken: “If you don’t believe me, you can experience it yourself. With Professor Nina around, it’s at least safe.”
Robert shook his head like a drum: “I believe you!”
…
The words of the Hero’s Child still held some credibility.
Professor Nina looked eagerly at the students, feeling helpless.
If another professor were here, they would likely call someone up to experience it directly or have them queue up!
But Professor Nina lacked the confidence.
She could only turn to Emma and Dak, who had helped her before.
Emma sat in the front row, making her the ideal candidate.
But Emma was only twelve years old, and if it were something else, it would be fine.
The sight of the Sucking Spirit sucking memories was too disturbing!
Girls being afraid of the dark and ghosts, what’s wrong with that?
Volunteering to experience it?
Impossible!
Emma shook her head harder than Robert.
The other girls weren’t much better.
When Professor Nina’s gaze swept over, the girls instinctively shrank, fearing she would call on them.
The boys were better off, but their natural instinct to avoid danger made them not raise their hands.
In the end, who would willingly experience something like this?
Professor Nina should have been more assertive, acting like a professor and commanding them to come up!
Gradually…
Professor Nina’s gaze passed over the front row and landed on Robert at the back. But Robert, whom she had high hopes for, quickly lowered his head, pretending to know nothing.
Professor Nina puffed up her cheeks, looking at her last hope.
Dak blinked.
Helpless, Professor Nina looked like a small animal, reminding him of the Golems and Cat Grass in the dormitory.
As for responding to Professor Nina’s expectations…
He wasn’t afraid to go up, but he was afraid the Sucking Spirit wouldn’t dare to suck!
“Why don’t you, Diana, give it a try?”
“Huh?”
Diana vigorously shook her head: “It’s disgusting!”
Dak reasoned: “We have to experience it. Sucking Spirits move silently and are hard to avoid in the Dungeon. But they are fragile. If you experience that feeling beforehand, you’ll be less likely to be mesmerized and can quickly regain composure… then, slap them dead!”
Diana smacked her lips, reluctant.
But she was always obedient: “Alright.”
Thus, Professor Nina was delighted to see someone raise their hand again!
…
Diana walked up to the podium, closely observing Professor Nina, and noticed that her thighs were thicker than Diana’s entire body.
Yet, this giant had a timid and sensitive heart, akin to a small animal.
She had a natural affinity for beasts, sensing things others couldn’t.
“Professor, we can begin.”
Unlike Wit, Diana kept her eyes open, staring at the Sucking Spirit.
She wanted to watch as the Sucking Spirit sucked out her memories and examine her memory bubble’s color.
“It should be pink, right? It can’t be gray like Wit’s, that would be ugly!”
Suddenly, her expression changed as she saw the Sucking Spirit lunging towards her.
She wasn’t afraid, just repulsed.
The Sucking Spirit stopped in front of her, its black hole eyes fixated on her, staring intently.
Then, Diana saw the Sucking Spirit open its mouth and suck.
Unaware, something was pulled from her face.
Those things formed gray bubbles, which the Sucking Spirit sucked into its mouth, stretching and deforming.
“It’s still gray,” Diana said disappointedly.
The Sucking Spirit suddenly paused, then seemed humiliated, letting out a sharp scream.
Its black hole vortex accelerated, and its suction force burst forth, causing its head to tilt backward.
The gray memory bubble grew larger and larger!
But Diana curiously watched the bubble, feeling nothing.
As the youngest member of the Gretbail family, the “precious gem” among her peers, she had grown happily under the care of her elders since birth.
Her happy memories were abundant.
A single Sucking Spirit couldn’t absorb them all!
That tiny memory bubble was insignificant to her!
“Ahhh!”
The Sucking Spirit seemed enraged, black threads shooting out from its eyes, aiming for Diana’s head.
These threads would replace empty memories, creating despairing nightmares.
But Diana’s eyes flickered, and she suddenly jumped up, slapping hard!
“Smack!”
The Sucking Spirit’s cheek instantly received a massive impact, its head flattened!
The memory bubble it had sucked out bounced back, flowing effortlessly back into Diana’s brain.
Diana happily squeezed the Sucking Spirit’s head, excited: “It’s really weak!”
…
Wit: “…”
Robert: “…”
Emma: “…”
Boys: “…”
Girls: “…”
…
Poor Sucking Spirit.
Falling into a bear’s paw.
In agony.
…
“Diana Gretbail, excellent! Add ten points!”
Professor Nina lifted the Sucking Spirit, pleased with Diana’s performance.
Diana grinned: “Not that great.”
Her performance finally alleviated the students’ fear of the Sucking Spirit.
Emma, who had refused once, gritted her teeth. If Diana could do it, she had no reason not to. She bravely went up to experience it.
Although her face was pale when she returned to her seat, she recorded her experience well.
Then, more students gathered their courage to go up and experience it.
The Sucking Spirit repeatedly sucked in food, only to be forced to spit it out, yet it remained steadfast and courageous.
Finally, “BOOM!” It exploded!
…
[Combined Chapter 4000 words]
