Chapter 372: Blood and Corpses, Who on the Final Path? (4k)
“Have you heard? The Outbound Selection! It’s the first time I’ve seen such a duel mode; it feels incredibly fun!”
“I feel the same. I originally thought that such high-level competitions wouldn’t involve us, but this Outbound Selection…”
“Maybe with good luck, we can really make it through the selection!”
“Are you participating? Aim for the selection!”
…
In the past few days, Dark Demon frequently went back and forth between the classroom and the dormitory, always hearing similar conversations.
Not just the boys, even the girls seemed extremely interested in the Outbound Selection.
Duel matches had always become more formal as they progressed in level. When was there ever a mode that leaned more towards entertainment?
Moreover, this was a mode where one could compete alongside seniors.
Even if they didn’t make it through, just participating was already very enjoyable.
Most of the lower-grade students held this mindset.
On the contrary, the senior students were much more reserved.
They mostly had ample experience in dueling, knowing that the strong remain strong regardless of the environment… The weak also stay weak!
In contrast, the Easter Egg event seemed to have not sparked as much discussion among the students as the Outbound Selection did.
This was unexpected by Dark Demon.
But things often don’t unfold as initially expected.
The Easter Egg event wasn’t targeted specifically at Saint Maryann Academy’s students.
It was aimed at the fans of duelists.
Being within the academy, Dark Demon couldn’t properly understand the external reaction.
…
In reality, with Saint Maryann’s widespread advertising campaign, especially after the release of the popular Magic Golem’s profile, the Easter Egg became a topic of constant discussion across different regions.
In this era of booming dueling, high-profile duelists and Magic Golems were indeed powerful draws for fans.
Duelsers’ identities prevented them from being marketed directly, but Magic Golems had no such constraints.
For example, the white dragon under Pandora had immense popularity among the public.
This time, the Magic Golem profiles published in the newspapers primarily featured that white dragon.
The school publicly revealed that among the Easter Egg models produced this year, there was only one “living” white dragon model!
This made the white dragon model still under construction instantly become a coveted item among fans.
With only two weeks left until Easter, people had already started arguing over it, and black markets began quoting prices…
In a short time, Saint Maryann’s Easter Egg models caused a stir in major cities!
…
The capital city.
Big Princess Eliza has been quite troubled lately.
Ever since someone gave Prince Charles a disgusting suggestion through the “Wise One Daily,” Prince Charles has been visiting the king frequently, praising how excellent this duke’s son is and that count’s son is just right… He practically wants to marry off Big Princess Eliza immediately.
The old king was born late in life, and now, at an advanced age, he also wishes to step down.
He spent too much energy in his youth to eliminate the demons, so even if he steps down, he will do so with honor, ensuring his name resounds in human history.
Now, the old king lacks the youthful vigor; if he were to shed his regal attire and walk among common folk, he would appear like any ordinary elder.
He truly has no desires left, and perhaps his remaining wish is like that of an ordinary elder, hoping for “a full house of descendants.”
Therefore, after Prince Charles repeatedly mentioned it, it sparked his interest in urging his children to marry.
Of course…
Besides finding suitable young men for Big Princess Eliza, he also began looking for suitable young women for Prince Charles…
In short, the old king found new enjoyment.
And Big Princess Eliza was having trouble speaking out her frustrations.
Fortunately, the old king is open-minded and won’t force his children to accept undesired partners.
And given the kingdom’s current status, there’s no need for political marriages.
So while it may be unpleasant, it doesn’t have practical consequences.
…
That afternoon, after Big Princess Eliza rejected a matchmaking proposal, she sought solace at the residence of the two little princesses.
Although Big Princess Eliza and the two little princesses aren’t the same mother, and the little princesses can be mischievous, Big Princess Eliza genuinely likes these two younger sisters.
Whenever she encounters troubles, seeing the smiles of her younger sisters renews her spirit.
When she entered the mansion, she was led by a maid to Second Princess Anna’s room.
She pushed the door open.
Anna and Angie were sprawled ungracefully on the bed, flipping through two newspapers and discussing fiercely.
“What are you arguing about?”
Eliza dismissed the maid and closed the door behind her.
Third Princess Angie immediately exclaimed, “Sister Eliza, I said the white dragon is stronger than the black dragon, but Anna insists on arguing!”
“What white dragon, black dragon?” Eliza’s face showed confusion.
Angie got up, waved the newspaper, and said, “The Magic Golem from Saint Maryann Academy, the ‘Sky White Dragon’ of Silver Dragon Lady, and the ‘Red Spine Black Dragon’ of Night Baron!”
Anna snorted and said, “I say the ‘Sky White Dragon’ has better records than the ‘Red Spine Black Dragon’ because the Silver Dragon Lady is stronger than the Night Baron, not because of the inherent strength difference of the Magic Golems. If it came to a one-on-one fight, the ‘Sky White Dragon’ might not necessarily win against the ‘Red Spine Black Dragon’!”
Eliza understood immediately, covering her forehead with her hand. “Why are you two fighting endlessly when you’re both fans of the Silver Dragon Lady?”
Angie shook the newspaper again, saying seriously, “No, I’m now a fan of the white dragon, and you’re the fan of the dragon lady.”
Anna glanced at her coldly and said, “Wait and see. Once I get the white dragon, you’ll be begging me.”
Hearing this, Eliza was puzzled.
What does “getting” a white dragon mean?
So she took the newspaper from Anna’s hand and looked closely, frowning deeply. “Is Saint Maryann running out of money?”
Clearly, she saw through the scheme immediately.
But once you set your sights on something, you inevitably fall into the trap.
Like Anna and Angie, they were clearly trapped, willingly so.
“Easter Egg, Easter Duel Festival…”
Big Princess Eliza’s thoughts gradually drifted, suddenly feeling a bad premonition.
Then she immediately searched the Magic Golem profiles listed in the newspaper.
Sure enough, she found one of the Magic Golems listed in the profile.
“Even the first-year Magic Golems are being produced… Oh no!”
…
At the Duke’s Mansion…
The only female Duke, Alvaraite Saint Diemond, was diligently working when Scholar Claire Kate, holding a fat cat, barged in.
“Alvaraite, look what I found!”
Claire excitedly slammed two newspapers onto Alvaraite’s desk.
Alvaraite glanced at her reproachfully but put down her pen and spread out the newspapers.
Claire stood silently, watching.
As expected, Alvaraite reacted strongly, as Claire anticipated. “Claire, is that white cat Darke’s Magic Golem? I remember it fused with another black cat to form the Seven-Cat Maiden.”
Claire nodded. “It’s called Deoxys, a light attribute Magic Golem.”
Alvaraite exclaimed, “Indeed. I wonder if Darke will participate in this Easter Duel Festival?”
Claire pointed to another newspaper. “This duel competition has a special Outbound Selection mode, divided into high and low groups. The lower grades are from first to third year. I think Darke’s chances of participating are quite high.”
“Is it April 1st? Let me check…”
Alvaraite immediately flipped through her schedule.
“There’s a royal speech on Easter day, so postpone it. Notify Eliza for me, tell her she’s grown up and should learn to face her competitors alone.”
Claire couldn’t help but smile. “How about hosting a tea party? It’s been a long time since we’ve had one, and I’ll invite the princesses.”
Alvaraite: “Sounds good.”
…
The royal speech on Easter day was essentially a publicity event for Big Princess Eliza and Big Prince Charles to vie for public support, likely lasting the whole morning.
This was a routine activity among the heirs to the throne.
A minor matter.
…
Of course, without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles.
Even for a small matter, Big Princess Eliza would give it her all.
But this time, she clearly couldn’t have the Valkyrie by her side.
…
Interactions between people and events are multifaceted.
Darke probably never imagined that his casual proposal would have such far-reaching effects.
In the last week of March, he briefly studied the method of transforming magical artifacts into Item Cards, conducted two experiments, and both ended in failure.
The level of the “Bloodthirsty Great Axe” seemed higher than he anticipated, requiring magical transformations beyond his capabilities.
By the end of March 30th, a Friday, only two days remained until April 1st.
To stand out in the Outbound Selection, first-year Young Magi spontaneously rushed into Traveler’s Street to purchase materials for their final push.
The materials obtained from the dungeon journey in early March had improved many students’ decks.
However, this wasn’t enough to reach the required forty cards.
And to participate in the Outbound Selection, one needed to meet the quota of Magic Cards, didn’t they?
So whether they were padding their numbers or cramming at the last minute, they had to craft enough Magic Cards.
Darke Demon also faced a similar dilemma.
His core Magic Cards couldn’t reach the required forty, so he had to include supplementary Magic Cards like “Revealing Powder,” “Silence Potion,” and “Energy Potion” in his deck.
Fortunately, these supplementary Magic Cards weren’t entirely useless.
Perhaps they could play a key role in certain situations.
…
The last day of March brought heavy rain.
But Professor Metia had mentioned during her astronomy class on Wednesday that Easter would be sunny, so the students weren’t overly worried.
They trudged through the mud, bustling along Traveler’s Street, as lively as spring plants.
Darke visited the Kitty Plant Shop to discuss the status of Liongrass with Miss Cat.
Miss Cat was surprised and even wanted to buy back Liongrass for research, but in the end, she chose to let it go under Darke’s smile.
Darke asked about Bunny Grass information and purchased “Cat Juice” potion for the Kitty Plants, then left the shop.
He then went to the Goblin Ancient Bookstore, searching for obscure methods to craft Item Cards.
But by noon, he hadn’t found any suitable obscure method for the “Bloodthirsty Great Axe.”
Until a book titled “Blood Sacrifice” appeared in his field of vision!
“Blood Sacrifice?”
Just seeing the title, a sinister aura emerged.
Darke couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
The term “Blood Sacrifice” didn’t seem like a good word.
“If it’s not misleading…”
Thinking this, Darke inserted two fingers into the book’s gap and pulled it out forcefully.
The dust that fell off indicated that the book had been there for some time.
“The author is… there isn’t an author?”
Darke hesitated.
The book not only lacked an author but also an editor.
Yet, he carefully opened it.
The cover was made of hard material, and the pages felt like a mix between cloth and leather, but very thin, resembling highly absorbent paper.
He turned to the first page, and the first line read:
[Blood and corpses, who on the final path?]
“Meaningless.”
Darke whispered, then continued turning the next page.
But the next page was blank.
The one after that was still blank.
“哗哗哗——”
He quickly flipped through the entire book, finally understanding why it was ignored in the corner of the shelf.
Of course, if we assume it follows the logic of a novel, this “blank book” might actually be valuable.
Darke caressed the pages, looking at the title, his mind suddenly sparked: “Could it be that Blood Sacrifice means soaking this book in blood?”
“This is paper made from Lolo Tree Frog skin, it doesn’t need to be soaked in blood, just water will do.”
A voice suddenly sounded behind him, making Darke turn around abruptly.
A smiling woman appeared before him.
She had bright orange-red hair tied up with a hairband, the ends curling around her neck and falling in front of her chest, clearly visible.
Her face wasn’t delicate, but her features were soft and very approachable, making her smile very charming.
“Who are you?”
Darke tried hard to recall where he might have met her before.
“Lia, Lia Goethe.”
Lia Goethe nodded at Darke, then pointed at the book in his hand. “You’re a first-year student, right? This book might not be suitable for you.”
Darke smiled and said, “Hello, Miss Goethe. I think describing someone by grade and age isn’t appropriate.”
Lia also smiled slightly. “Then let me rephrase, this book isn’t suitable for you.”
